The invincible Platinum Dragon Lord had fallen…
The Great Tomb of Nazarick, the forest outside the Sixth Floor Arena.
The once-dense woodland had been cleared away, and a massive altar now stood at the center of the forest.
The Platinum Dragon Lord lay weakly at the heart of the altar. Gone was his former majesty. What remained was a miserable sight.
His wings, tail, and limbs, every part that allowed him to move, had been removed and neatly arranged nearby.
Countless chains engraved with glowing magical runes coiled around him, pinning him firmly in place and leaving him utterly unable to move.
Thick tubes were connected to his wounds. Scalding Dragon Blood flowed through them, dripping into containers below, carefully collected without wasting a single drop.
After processing, part of the Dragon Blood would be absorbed by Naohara, while the rest would be distributed among the staff of The Great Tomb of Nazarick.
It could be used to brew potions and mix special drinks, or handed over to the head chef of the Great Tomb to prepare high-grade cuisine. Either way, it was too valuable to squander.
The Platinum Dragon Lord stared blankly at everything before him.
A large group of Nazarick's monsters stood nearby, their eyes burning with hunger as they fixed their gazes on him.
Among them were Kyouhukou, Gashokukochuuou, Entoma, and Lupusregina.
That's right. Every one of them coveted the Platinum Dragon Lord's body.
Kyouhukou wanted Dragon Meat. His subordinates had been complaining recently, tired of cannibalizing their own kind and craving something different.
Gashokukochuuou had similar concerns. Its offspring required nests, and Dragon Meat made the perfect material.
As for Entoma and Lupusregina, their motives were far simpler. They were just curious about how Dragon Meat tasted.
What, you think the Platinum Dragon Lord's flesh isn't enough?
No need to worry. Since they had called everyone here, Naohara and the others had already accounted for that.
Floating above the Platinum Dragon Lord's head was a golden chalice.
[World-Class Item: Hygieia's Chalice]
It was one of the World-Class Items possessed by The Great Tomb of Nazarick.
Its origin traced back to Greek mythology, modeled after the bowl of Hygieia, the goddess of health and daughter of Asclepius, the god of medicine.
In modern times, Hygieia's Chalice symbolizes pharmacology. Drawing from that lore, the Chalice created in the game was likewise centered on healing.
[Hygieia's Chalice] possessed astonishing restorative power. Its effects were so overwhelming that it could even bring the dead back to life.
The Chalice could break down various materials to produce the Water of Life.
By consuming the Water of Life, one could rapidly restore HP, remove all negative status effects, and recover at an incredible rate.
Even death was not final. As long as the Water of Life remained, resurrection was possible. In the game, there was even a saying: as long as the Water of Life still existed, you would not truly die.
Of course, this World-Class Item was useless to the Undead. If an Undead equipped it, not only would it fail to restore HP, it would continuously drain it instead. Momonga had once felt that this design was nothing short of malicious.
Back to the present.
With the power of this World-Class Item, as long as the Water of Life was not depleted, The Great Tomb of Nazarick could continuously harvest materials from the Platinum Dragon Lord.
Under the Chalice's healing effects, the Platinum Dragon Lord's HP never fell below fifty percent. There was no need for restraint. Whatever part they wanted, they could simply take it. It would regenerate soon enough.
By feeding the Platinum Dragon Lord's materials into [Hygieia's Chalice], they ensured a steady, endless supply of Water of Life.
And so, the Platinum Power Plant was born.
"What an incredible idea."
Standing off to the side, Momonga couldn't help but sigh as he watched the scene unfold before him. It looked less like the Great Tomb of Nazarick and more like a lively marketplace.
With the Platinum Power Plant up and running, the overall quality of life in The Great Tomb of Nazarick would skyrocket.
Fresh Dragon Meat every day. Dragon Blood to drink. In the truest sense, everyone would become as mighty as dragons.
"Haha, well, I am a genius after all!"
Naohara laughed, chewing on a skewer of grilled meat. It was the Platinum Dragon Lord's flesh, freshly cut and grilled on the spot, still steaming.
Nearby, the head chef of The Great Tomb of Nazarick had set up a stall. Thanks to the Platinum Dragon Lord's generous "contribution," they were running a full-blown live barbecue buffet.
"Indeed."
Herohero nodded. He looked completely at ease, grilled meat in one hand and a cup of Dragon Blood in the other.
A glance around revealed radiant smiles on the faces of everyone in The Great Tomb of Nazarick.
Shalltear and Aura were in the middle of a drinking contest, while Mare cheered excitedly from the sidelines.
Cocytus was busy collecting high-grade materials such as the Platinum Dragon Lord's scales and bones, preparing to forge Divine-class Items.
As for Demiurge, he was carefully gathering the Platinum Dragon Lord's "dragon essence". Yes, that particular substance. He claimed it was for experimental purposes.
Sephis had rushed back as well and was enjoying a rare, harmonious father-and-son conversation with Naohara while taking part in the festivities.
Oh, and Pandora's Actor had been released by Momonga. No matter how much Momonga found him embarrassing, he still cared about his overly dramatic son.
Naturally, Naohara and Herohero couldn't resist teasing him a little, which left Momonga deeply flustered and regretting his decision almost immediately.
In the end, the only one truly suffering in this world was the Platinum Dragon Lord.
"By the way, any progress on extracting Wild Magic?"
Naohara turned to Momonga. On their way back to The Great Tomb of Nazarick, the three of them had planned to extract the Platinum Dragon Lord's memories to obtain information about Wild Magic.
"No. Wild Magic's protection is too strong. There's no way to read its memories."
Momonga shook his head helplessly.
He had already tried. No matter what method he used, he couldn't obtain a single piece of information.
The Platinum Dragon Lord had simply played dead. No matter how much Momonga prodded or pressured it, he couldn't force a word out.
"Not even the World-Class Item [Eternal Seal]?"
Herohero asked unwillingly. After witnessing the power of Wild Magic, he had been deeply tempted.
"No. [Eternal Seal] and Wild Magic negate each other."
Although [Eternal Seal] was said to be capable of sealing World-Class Items, it only sealed their effects, not the Items themselves.
In principle, the Platinum Dragon Lord, protected by Wild Magic, was equivalent to carrying a World-Class Item. With the [World's Blessing] buff active, it was unaffected by [Eternal Seal].
"Then forget it. There are still plenty of True Dragon Lords. No need to hang ourselves on a single tree."
"True."
Momonga nodded. There was no need to keep pressing the Platinum Dragon Lord, especially since it had made such a tremendous "contribution" to The Great Tomb of Nazarick. A bit of consideration was only fair.
After chatting a while longer, Naohara excused himself. He still had important matters to attend to.
As for E-Rantel, he had already informed the Doppelgängers and arranged an excuse for his disappearance. There was nothing to worry about.
...
The Great Tomb of Nazarick, Ninth Floor, Bathhouse.
Steam enveloped the vast bathing hall, leaving everything shrouded in mist.
A distinct scent lingered in the air, metallic yet faintly sweet. It was the smell of Dragon Blood.
"So comfortable…"
Naohara let out a low groan. He could feel the magic within him surging, his body and mind steadily growing stronger.
The passive effect of [Dragonslayer], [Dragon Blood Sacrifice], was taking effect.
Not far away, a spout continuously poured out Dragon Blood at a perfectly balanced temperature.
Naohara narrowed his eyes and slowly sank into the pool.
For now, he allowed himself to relax.
At the center of the bathhouse, the [Dragon Destruction Sword] hovered quietly in midair. Its blade glowed red as it silently absorbed the surrounding Dragon Blood alongside him.
Time passed quickly. In the blink of an eye, three days went by.
When Naohara finally finished soaking, he rose unhurriedly, dressed, and returned to E-Rantel.
Herohero, on the other hand, headed back to the kingdom. After recognizing the strength of the True Dragon Lord, he had decided to personally guard Solution at close range.
Naohara said nothing. Herohero's intentions were far too obvious.
Momonga remained in The Great Tomb of Nazarick, continuing to review documents. From time to time, when Albedo was not around, he would secretly use [The Mask of the Dead] to taste Dragon Meat.
Even now, Momonga still didn't dare let Albedo know that he could take on a human form. He had a feeling that would only lead to trouble.