Chapter 2: The Treasure Vault of the Red Dragon

Cassius, guided by the familiar scent of bloodline left by his adoptive mother, navigated through the twists and turns of the deep cave until at last, he arrived in front of a stone door.

The stone door was thick and emitted a dangerous aura.

This was the secret treasure vault of the Red Dragon.

It was her forbidden hoard, her place of greed, and a location in Anzeta that all creatures longed to discover yet could never find out about.

The Red Dragon carefully extended a claw, pushing open that heavy stone door, and then she suddenly flapped her wings and took flight.

"Boom!"

Instantly, surging magma erupted forth.

It roared like a furious beast, emitting terrifying heat, attempting to devour all lifeforms completely.

This was the greedy Red Dragon's harshest punishment for any creature daring to touch her treasures—turning them into part of the magma, melting their bodies until not even their bones remained.

Even though Cassius had reacted in advance, the magma filling the entire cave entrance inevitably submerged him.

Fortunately, he had the same bloodline as his mother, naturally attuned to fire and heat.

Although his scales were thin and his skin tender—he couldn't enjoy a comfortable bath in the magma like adult Red Dragons—this magma was merely warm water to him, posing no threat to his life.

"Hey-ho!"

The juvenile Red Dragon used its wings as paddles, vigorously flapping to propel himself deeper into the treasure vault, into a deep cave mouth.

Suddenly, the view opened up—

Gold, piles of gold formed into hills.

The gold coins, when slightly touched, flowed slowly like a river, falling onto the rocky ground, making a rustling sound.

And among these hills of gold, there lay items shimmering with magical aura.

Cassius felt his breathing quicken and couldn't help but exhale a warm breath, his vertically slit orange-yellow pupils reflecting the shimmering gold.

The deep-seated greed within his Red Dragon bloodline urged him to stay here, as if a voice in his head was telling him:

Seize this gold, claim these treasures—they are all his.

"Boom!"

A tremendous noise caused the hills to quake.

It was the Red Dragon's growl and the Paladin's fierce shout.

This sound also snapped Cassius out of his deep greed.

Indeed, he didn't have much time left.

The Red Dragon was battling a Paladin and clearly losing.

Once his adoptive mother was killed, the next target of this Oath of Vengeance Paladin, who was sworn to eradicate evil, would likely be him, the "juvenile evil."

And trying to take all this gold mountain with him was an impossible task.

No wonder this Red Dragon became a target of the almost-Legendary Paladin; with so much gold, likely millions of gold coins.

She must have once plundered the treasury of a kingdom passed down through generations in one fell swoop; otherwise, even an Ancient Dragon's hoard wouldn't be this ludicrous.

He also understood why a heat-loving Red Dragon would emerge in the cold Anzeta Great Wilderness—it turned out to be fleeing with stolen goods.

"Magical items, I only need magical items that can enhance my ability to protect myself."

Cassius quickly regained his senses, fought back his greed, dug through the gold mountain in front of him, and examined the magically shimmering items.

"Blade Ring, reduces slashing damage."

"Soul Amulet, allows speaking with the dead once per day."

"Magic Nullification Amulet, negates damage from a spell below the Sixth Tier once. This is a pioneering artifact. Taking it."

The young dragon swallowed a mithril amulet, carved with exquisite patterns, into his mouth.

Red Dragons are natural spellcasters; their bodies serve as natural magic storages and materials, and all magical items could be preserved and utilized within them.

It was rumored that some Ancient Dragons afflicted with Spellthirst Syndrome would even carve magic runes onto every single one of their scales, using them as Magic Scrolls whenever necessary.

"Heart of Magma, inflicts extra fire damage—nice item."

"Staff of Scorching, three Fire Rays, take it."

...

In just a few seconds, the Red Dragon had swallowed over a dozen magical items, but only these were valuable. The rest were flashy court magic, expensive but of little practical use.

It was clear that this mature Red Dragon preferred gold far more than magic.

The sounds of fighting outside grew fiercer, but their roars noticeably weakened.

The Red Dragon was about to give in.

"It's time to go."

The young dragon headed towards the cave entrance, but he kept looking back at the mound of gold as if he were under a Charm Spell.

The greed deep in his bloodline made him crave to devour all the gold, a desire so addictive it was hard to resist.

Unfortunately, the magical items had almost filled his stomach.

"Just one bite."

Cassius opened his massive jaws and greedily swallowed a large chunk of gold, the remaining coins cascading from the corners of his mouth like a waterfall.

He expected a metallic texture, but instead, in his mouth filled with the smell of sulfur and scorching air, the gold coins felt like greasy sweets with an oddly soft and mushy texture.

A transparent panel appeared again in front of him.

Achievement [Gold Swallower]

"As an evil dragon, you were not satisfied with merely storing gold in your cave, but also aimed to integrate it into your insatiable body. Your greed astounds even the gods.

Once powerful enough, the world will be consumed by your endless desires."

Gained passive trait:

[Metallic Scales] Level 4 (4250/5000)

Ac+2, constitution +1,

As you devour a significant amount of precious metal, its elements adhere to your skin and deep within your heart. Your scales will display a corresponding metallic luster and significantly increase your armor and constitution.

(Note: Enoch Kapalius was once one of the greediest giant dragons in the Multiverse, even targeting the gods' treasure vaults. Eventually, he achieved his desire and was transformed into a giant gold statue, eternally floating in the void of the star realm.)

"Whoosh..."

The Red Dragon felt the gold coins melting quickly inside him, flowing to the surface, his bright red scales softly glowing with a golden hue under the firelight.

His heart, nourished by the elements, thumped vigorously, propelling the heated blood throughout his body.

"Phew—"

Cassius exhaled comfortably.

You see, an increase in the attribute panel isn't just a linear growth but more akin to exponential. Each level is about 1.2 times higher than the previous, significantly boosting constitution.

"Good stuff, too bad I can't take all the gold with me."

Cassius hadn't expected such a delightful surprise from his momentary greed, but the battle outside was nearly over, and he'd lose his chance to escape soon.

Allowing his bloodline to cloud his mind now would make him the literal stereotype of a Red Dragon with a brain full of muscle.

"It's time to go."

The Red Dragon was extremely arrogant and never thought of abandoning his treasure to escape the nest.

Fortunately, his cheap mother wasn't entirely so, having left him a narrow back route for escape.

The young Red Dragon, belly bulging, squeezed out of the treasury, running and flying towards another cave entrance.

This led to the southern slopes of Cloud Summit Peak, and further down was Bokara Forest. Once there, "the sky's the limit, and the ocean depths are the bounds."

An adult Red Dragon might struggle to hide due to its size, but hiding a young dragon amid the tall spruce and birch trees was another matter entirely, even providing ample hunting opportunities.

"The wind's fierce, time to dash."

As Cassius approached the exit, he leaped forward.