Chapter 166: Shadows and Flames
In a secluded room of the damp and cold underground tunnels, Mordred sat on a metal crate improvised as a seat. Beside him, a rickety table covered with half-burned maps and documents stained with blood and moisture served as support for his gloved hands.
Across from him, leaning against the wall, Livia observed Mordred with an almost feline calm. Since her successful transformation into a half-dragon, she exuded an aura of newfound confidence, amplified by the small black horn emerging from her forehead and the obsidian scales subtly scattered across her now moon-pale skin.
Mordred broke the silence with a composed but grave voice, weighing each of his words.
- "Dragons are not a simple army. Their hierarchy is strict, based on the power of mana they master. At the very top, there’s Maelor, the current king. His power is terrifying, crushing even for his peers. His mere presence can annihilate hundreds of human hunters in an instant."
Livia frowned, attentive.
- "And below him, there’s Eldorath, the former king. Despite his age, he remains a considerable power, respected by all. Then come the noble families, like the Ignivara. Their power is immense, their army formidable. We don’t have the means for a direct confrontation."
Livia slowly nodded, her green eyes gleaming with a determined light.
- "So, a frontal assault would be suicidal. What do we do then?"
Mordred leaned on the table, thinking intensely. He continued in a low voice, almost introspective:
"Their society is structured around honor, brute force, and absolute domination. They’re accustomed to crushing their enemies in a single movement, without notable resistance. This arrogance is a weakness we could exploit."
- "How?" asked Livia, approaching curiously.
Mordred fixed his gaze on her, his incandescent eyes gradually intensifying.