Chapter 577: Smell
As Vel’dranor’s massive body touched down on the ground, the lesser dragons in the surrounding area looked on in wonder.
He hadn’t bothered landing outside the city. Instead, he had chosen to descend directly into a large open area within the settlement itself.
The southern region of the Draconic Mountain Range was what one might call the slums of the Dragon Kingdom.
Not to say the structures were horrible, but compared to the grandeur that the rest of the kingdom enjoyed, there was no word more fitting to describe it.
It was primarily occupied by a large population of lesser dragons and, in some cases, dragonborn - people whose bloodlines were so diluted that they were considered closer to humans than true dragons.
Of course, common dragons could also be found here and there.
In the Dragon Kingdom, the strongest fist ruled.
Strength was the foundation upon which the kingdom’s entire ruling system had been built.
If a powerful dragon suddenly fancied their chances of becoming the next ruler, they were perfectly free to challenge the Supreme Ruler.
More often than not, however, such hopefuls met a miserable end.
But strength was not the only factor that determined how much authority and respect a dragon could command.
Bloodline purity was another.
Among dragons, bloodline suppression was particularly unforgiving. Bloodline purity determined not only the baseline of one’s talent, but also a dragon’s natural affinity and connection to the elements.
And worse still, a dragon of a purer bloodline could often suppress another dragon, given that the difference in their strength was not too great.
A stronger, common dragon could find themselves completely incapable of resisting a superior bloodline simply because of the disparity in their lineage.
And if that superior bloodline belonged to the direct royal line, the suppression became even more overwhelming.
It was this reality that had given the young royal dragons an almost absurd degree of pride and arrogance.
They had been born with a silver spoon in their mouths, except that their silver spoon came with the power to dominate not only their own kind, but also most of the world’s races.
In that regard, the southern region was under the jurisdiction of a Greater Dragon who had been banished from the central regions.
But that is a story for another time.
As murmurs spread throughout the settlement and the dust slowly cleared from the area where Vel’dranor had landed, his enormous body began to contract.
His scales gradually receded, and his wings folded into nothingness.
His massive frame compressed in on itself, shrinking at an astonishing rate as draconic power condensed back into a humanoid form.
The enormous dragon that had caused considerable damage to several buildings was soon replaced by the silhouette of a towering man.
He possessed a menacing expression, his golden eyes sweeping across the surrounding area with barely concealed contempt.
The lesser dragons watching him instinctively lowered their gazes, and none dared meet his eyes for long.
It was a wonder how his body was already covered by a beautiful black Chanpao when he had just transformed directly from his draconic form.
A heavy pressure filled the air as Vel’dranor took a slow step forward. The destruction around him was of no concern to him.
Neither were the frightened expressions of those who had been unfortunate enough to witness his arrival.
"I’m looking for a group of six succubi!"
Vel’dranor’s voice thundered across the settlement, making the surrounding buildings tremble.
"I know they’re here, and I know every single one of you in this city knows where their whorehouse is."
His golden eyes swept across the crowd.
"If someone doesn’t speak up within the next ten seconds, every last one of you will burn to ash!"
The threat was followed by an eerie silence.
Vel’dranor’s jaw suddenly began to change.
For the briefest moment, his human mouth transformed into a monstrous, snapping maw.
Flames and scalding steam rolled out between rows of jagged teeth before his features instantly returned to normal.
The crowd collectively recoiled.
"Ten."
A bead of sweat rolled down one lesser dragon’s forehead.
"Nine."
Nobody moved.
"Eight."
The atmosphere grew more grave with every passing second.
"Seven."
Then someone finally broke.
"T-The Crimson Rose!"
The voice came from somewhere in the crowd.
Vel’dranor’s eyes snapped toward the speaker.
"The Crimson Rose is their whorehouse!" the lesser dragon blurted out, pointing desperately toward a distant street. "It’s just beyond the eastern market! You won’t miss it!"
Vel’dranor’s expression remained cold.
"Good."
He turned toward the indicated direction.
"Six seconds saved."
The lesser dragon nearly collapsed in relief as Vel’dranor disappeared.
BOOM!
The force of his departure sent dust and loose debris flying through the street. The crowd remained frozen in place for several seconds.
Only after his presence had completely vanished did someone finally whisper:
"...We’re alive."
The crowd scattered in every direction.
No one wanted to remain anywhere near the place where a Greater Dragon had just threatened to burn them alive.
Meanwhile, Vel’dranor had already crossed several streets.
His speed was monstrous.
Buildings blurred past him as he moved through the settlement, his golden eyes locked onto the distant eastern market.
He never understood why Veyra’s other sisters had chosen to live in a place like this despite having been gifted an actual home on one of the southern peaks.
Of all the regions in the Dragon Kingdom, the southern territories were among the most chaotic.
There were no strict laws governing the weaker dragons, and the various factions that controlled the area were constantly fighting over resources and territory.
It should have been easy for the two succubi to disappear here, and perhaps that was precisely why they had chosen to come to this place despite it being so obvious.
Unfortunately for them, they had underestimated him.
From this close up, he could smell them.
Not their individual scents, of course, but that familiar succubi aura that had enthralled him.
It was faint, carefully concealed beneath layers of mundane magical formations, but to a Greater Dragon like Vel’dranor, it was still as obvious as smoke against a clear sky the moment he focused on it.
Veyra might as well have been standing before him.
His expression became increasingly furious.
"Found you..."
Several buildings flashed past, and then he saw a relatively large three-story building standing at the end of the street, its exterior decorated with crimson lanterns and elaborate golden patterns.
Vel’dranor slowed.
His feet touched the ground.
BOOM!
The street cracked beneath his feet, and the people nearby immediately froze. Vel’dranor ignored them as he stared at the building.
His golden eyes narrowed.
"You really thought you could hide from me in a place like this?"
He stepped forward.
The doors of the establishment opened from within, and several half-naked, beautiful women stepped out in a panic after hearing the commotion.
Their exposed assets jiggled as they ran, but they froze when they saw him.
One of them immediately recognized his oppressive aura.
Her face went deathly pale.
"Greater Dragon..."
"Where are the succubi!?"
The woman trembled.
"I-I don’t know what you’re talking about." She immediately regretted speaking.
"You’re lying." A wave of draconic pressure descended upon the street.
BOOM!
The woman’s knees buckled, and she collapsed onto the ground, gasping for breath, her face contorting in horror.
"I’ll ask once more." Vel’dranor’s voice became dangerously quiet. "Where are the succubi?"
The woman desperately pointed toward the building.
"U-Upstairs! The upper rooms! I swear, that’s all I know!"