The Azure Dragon Armor and Hidden Agendas

Ao Yu’s lips curved into a slight smile as he ruffled Aya Tone’s stubborn head. “My dear brother, do you truly believe I’m unaware of your capabilities?”

“While Spatial Rend is capable of annihilating ordinary S-rank individuals, my dear brother, you are far from ordinary.”

“Hmph!” Aya Tone scoffed, pursing their lips. “I’ll be fine, but she won’t!”

Upon hearing this, Ao Yu paused. “She’s going in too?”

“What do you think?” Aya Tone retorted. “Why else would I bring her here if not for that?”

Ao Yu’s brow furrowed slightly.

He finally remembered that the entire operation seemed to revolve around this girl named Li Jia. This complicated matters significantly, as he hadn’t factored Li Jia into his original plans.

“I can do it!”

“Hmm?” Both men looked in surprise at the girl they had seemingly overlooked.

“Li Jia, are you certain you want to proceed? Spatial Rend is no laughing matter.” Aya Tone didn’t try to dissuade her, merely outlining the stakes involved.

This concerned Li Jia’s future, and it wasn’t something he alone could decide. Everything hinged on Li Jia herself.

“Yes! I can do it!” Li Jia nodded firmly.

The spatial magic she had learned from that staff was the very foundation of her confidence in saying those words!

Ao Yu: “…”

‘So, you two have made up your minds, have you? Did either of you bother to consult me? After all, aren’t I the one fully responsible for this dungeon?’

“Ah, you two really are a handful,” he sighed, waving a hand at the subordinate waiting nearby.

“Go to my office and retrieve that scale armor.”

“Yes, sir!” The black-robed man’s expression flickered imperceptibly before he transformed into a shadow and vanished into the night.

While the man went to fetch the dragon armor, Ao Yu pulled Aya Tone aside for a hushed conversation.

“My brother, don’t say I’m setting you up. Beneath that chasm lies a hidden space. Remember this: what you see might not always be the truth!”

Aya Tone casually draped an arm over Ao Yu’s shoulder. “Why don’t you join me? Your power to tear through space would be perfectly suited for it, wouldn’t it?”

They still remembered the sight of Ao Yu transforming into a Azure Dragon and traversing the void. It had been incredibly cool.

“You know my power is to tear space. If I go in, do you still want the fruit?”

Aya Tone: “Oh, I suppose you have a point.”

Before long, the black-robed man returned, carrying a piece of dragon scale armor that was a deep, almost black green… No, it was more accurately a green that bordered on black.

Aya Tone, still rubbing their slightly aching foot, meaningfully poked Ao Yu. “Brother, Xin’er *is* your biological daughter, right?”

“Nonsense! We have DNA proof!”

“Ah, no worries, I was just curious what kind of beauty my sister-in-law must be to have captured your heart, brother.”

“Just shut your mouth, will you? This scale armor has been passed down through generations of my clan; it’s the Azure Dragon Armor, only to be worn by the Azure Dragon’s successor.”

“If it weren’t for you, I wouldn’t even bring this thing out.” As he spoke, he feigned a look of distress, the veins on his hand gripping the armor faintly visible.

“Guild Master, wasn’t this forged by craftsmen after you idly plucked scales from your own body? There’s still more in the warehouse…” The black-robed man, seemingly artless, spoke with astonishing bluntness, mercilessly exposing Ao Yu.

“Heh heh, Old Hong, your bonus for this month is gone.”

The black-robed man shrugged indifferently. He didn’t care about such a meager bonus. It never ended up in his hands anyway, so it made no difference.

“Ahem, ahem.” Ao Yu dropped his previous pretense. “This dragon armor is crafted from the scales of an Azure Dragon. While it doesn’t possess the Azure Dragon’s power, it can, to a certain extent, resist spatial forces.”

He added, “Remember to return it after you’re done. It’s very expensive.”

Although the materials were free, its creation had cost him a considerable sum. Every craftsman capable of forging dragon scales held a position of no small importance, and their temperaments were notoriously eccentric. Perhaps due to their lifelong dedication to forging rather than socializing, their speech was remarkably direct, and their selection of materials was rigorous. Naturally, when it came to fees, there was simply no room for negotiation. Take it or leave it.

“This thing is so ugly…” Aya Tone grimaced in disdain. It was a dark, almost black green, and even came with a helmet… ‘Completely green-headed,’ they thought.

“Take it or leave it!” With that, Ao Yu irritably prepared to put the dragon armor away.

But Li Jia was quick, grabbing it with a swift hand. “I’ll take it, I’ll take it.”

As a student who specialized in only one area, she couldn’t use any body-enhancing magic. This dragon armor would provide a crucial safeguard for her life.

Ao Yu didn’t make things difficult for a girl like Li Jia. He released his grip and stood by, instructing her on how to wear it. After all, he was an older man, and he still maintained a certain level of decorum.

“It actually looks quite good on her,” Aya Tone remarked, feeling a touch of envy. They admitted they had been somewhat prejudiced earlier, and now regretted it. ‘I want one!’

The edges of the dragon armor were adorned with intricate patterns, like the scales of a flood dragon, with delicate, flowing textures. Each scale exuded an ancient charm. When the dragon armor fully conformed to Li Jia’s body, it emitted a crisp, low sound, like the serene murmur of a colossal dragon.

The dark green dragon armor reflected the interplay of light and shadow around it, making Li Jia appear exceptionally majestic and mysterious. She clenched her fist, and the armor shimmered with strange lights, as if narrating its ancient and formidable power. Slowly, she began to walk, her footsteps steady and powerful, each one carrying an undeniable presence. She was like an Azure Dragon awakening from slumber, poised to stir up a storm in this world.

‘Damn! That’s incredible!’

“Brother, do you have any more?”

“Heh heh.” Ao Yu gave them a half-smile. “Yes, but not in a small size.”

(ꐦ°᷄д°᷅): “I’ll hit you!”

****

After the two had completely vanished into the teleportation array, Ao Yu’s playful expression vanished.

“Guild Master, did you truly let that girl wear the Azure Dragon Armor into the dungeon? If she dies in there…” The black-robed man’s voice was heavy.

What he had said earlier about there being more in the warehouse was true. However, the piece Li Jia was wearing wasn’t mass-produced. It was forged from the strongest scales shed by each generation’s Azure Dragon successor, a treasure no less valuable than the imperial jade seal. If it were lost within the dungeon, it would be a tremendous loss for the Azure Dragon Guild and even for Country Z.

He couldn’t understand why Ao Yu would entrust this unique spiritual artifact to an outsider, especially one who wasn’t even S-rank.

“With my brother inside, everything will be fine. Just remember not to mention this to the old men in the clan. I don’t want them calling me back to lecture me.”

“…”

Despite the mountain of questions in the black-robed man’s heart, he bowed respectfully. “Understood!”

The Guild Master’s decisions were not for a mere brute like him to question.

Ao Yu gazed at the teleportation array before him, silent for a long time. In his deep eyes, an indelible weariness was hidden. The monsters inside were hundreds of times more perceptive than humans. The constantly spreading spatial ripples beneath the Dragon Abyss were severely affecting the stability of the dungeon. More and more monsters were unwilling to remain in the dungeon, continuously assaulting the teleportation array. He had been guarding this place for over a week now. A whole week without seeing his adorable daughter…

‘Does anyone know how I’ve spent this past week? Do you know?’

‘Sigh~

If only that kid, Aya Tone, could ‘accidentally’ destroy the dungeon’s core. Then I’d have it much easier and could properly spend time with Xin’er, lest one day she comes back and tells me, ‘Daddy, this is my boyfriend; I’m going to marry him.”

*Crack!* A chilling aura instantly erupted from within Ao Yu, and several cracks, like a spiderweb, spread outwards from him.

‘Blonde-haired punks! May they all perish!’