Tale of the Red Dragon Without Dragon’s Might

Leon’s lair stood boldly on the Volcanic Island not far from Watchtower Port. The primary reason for this location was his mastery of the Sleeve of the Universe, allowing him to store his treasures within it. Although he was just a teenage dragon, he was already remarkably powerful, which didn’t stop many other dragons from carefully hiding their lairs. Tassera’s lair was hidden beneath the ruins of an ancient city swallowed by sand dunes, while Cecilia’s current lair was concealed behind a waterfall...

Grianna didn’t invite him to meet the Cloud Giant together but instead asked him to wait for a moment. Leon saw through her minor schemes immediately but wasn’t petty enough to care. After all, imagine a Silver Dragon inviting a Red Dragon to her lair—that would be genuinely idiotic. He simply waved his claw dismissively.

Grianna leapt off the mountain peak, spread her wings, and disappeared into the clouds. Before Leon could even squint his eyes for a brief moment of rest, she returned swiftly, bringing the Cloud Giant with her. It appeared her lair wasn’t far away; otherwise, there was no way she could have been so quick.

"Long time no see. How did you get so thin?" Leon scrutinized the Cloud Giant. Once adorned in luxurious silks, he now appeared in plain white tunic and trousers, with sunken cheeks and stubble covering his face.

Mankus rubbed his face, exhaling a white mist, and said, "If it weren’t for Grianna’s help—he said he’d help me—I’d already have become a Fog Giant by now."

The social status of Cloud Giants depended on their wealth.

Those foolish or unfortunate Cloud Giants would lose their treasures, eventually falling to the status of forsaken beings called Fog Giants. They would completely lose their social standing, reduced to invaders and raiders, attempting by any means to reclaim their wealth or accumulate new fortunes.

Leon disliked speaking to others while looking up, so he habitually stood up, looking down at the Cloud Giant, and said, "Tell me, what exactly happened?"

"An-g-mog!" Mankus ground his teeth, clenching his fists as veins bulged visibly on his skin. One could almost hear a faint "crackling" as he panted and relayed his tale. The story was quite simple: Angmog demanded his submission, and when Mankus didn’t provide a satisfactory answer, Angmog attacked his castle.

So it really was Angmog. That Red Dragon sure knew how to stir up trouble. Thinking this, Leon said, "I remember you used to boast about how Angmog would leave your castle with no way to return alive if he ever dared to cause trouble."