Chapter 347: The Power of the Dragon Talisman
The Void Behemoth standing before them was none other than the final form of the Shadow Eater—the Shadow Eater Owl.
"Ah!" Seeing such a massive predator, the lake monster didn't hesitate; it turned instantly, thrashing its thick tail to flee. But the Shadow Eater had no intention of letting it go. It lunged forward, grabbed the monster's tail, and stuffed the creature into its gaping, abyssal maw.
The entire battle lasted less than ten seconds.
"As expected of the Shadow Eater. Truly powerful..." the Captain muttered, looking up at the creature as tall as a skyscraper. This was the gap within the Shadow Army: the Ninjas relied on numbers, while the Shadow Eaters relied on overwhelming individual strength.
"Roar!" The Shadow Eater let out a muffled roar underwater, sending out massive ripples that created a whirlpool in the center of the lake. Just as the Talisman Squad was about to be sucked into the water spout, the Shadow Eater reached out and caught them.
Slowly, the lake settled, returning to its usual silence. The Shadow Eater set the ninjas down and prepared to leave. His job was done; the rest was up to the Talisman Squad.
"Wait!" the Captain shouted.
The Shadow Eater didn't speak. Instead, it spat out a small object that flew into the Captain's hand. He caught it—the Talisman Tracker. One moment it was in the monster's stomach, the next it had been in the Shadow Eater's.
"Thanks! I'll call you again next time!" The Captain waved at the Shadow Eater's retreating back. Calling in the "big guy" definitely made things easier.
The Shadow Eater silently submerged into the Shadow Kingdom, waiting for the next order. Kha'Zix also left immediately, too embarrassed to stay. As a fusion of machinery and biology, a being Silas called a "Mecha-Alien," he felt humiliated for being suppressed by a mere lake monster. He wanted to find Little Black immediately to upgrade his armor for aquatic combat.
"Is Kha'Zix gone too? I wanted to thank him," the Captain said.
Ninja No. 2 leaned on his shoulder. "Actually, Captain, why didn't you keep them here to help us dig?"
"Yeah," No. 3 added. "With the Shadow Eater's claws, it would have taken one swipe to clear the silt."
The Captain froze. "...I think we messed up." He crouched down and pulled out his manual shovel. "Digging time!"
Hours Later
The nine Shadow Ninjas dug relentlessly. One meter... two meters... five meters...
When they reached ten meters deep, they hit a wall. The ground had become incredibly hard, a mixture of ancient volcanic rock and packed minerals. Their shovels and raw strength weren't enough to break through.
The Captain checked the tracker. The dragon's eyes were glowing more brilliantly than ever, pointing straight down. "The location is right. It's just deeper than we thought."
"We should have just kept the Shadow Eater here," No. 4 grumbled.
The Captain rubbed his chin. He considered calling for help again, but No. 8 shook his head. "Captain, we've already dug ten meters. If we call for help now, what's the point of the Talisman Squad? Silas might dissolve our unit if we can't do our one job."
"Right!" the Captain agreed. "We are the Talisman Squad. We rely on ourselves. Six! Go back to the Shadow Kingdom and find Little Black. Get us some high-tech digging gear."
The Shadow Kingdom
"A gram of snow from a mountain peak," Silas Parker muttered, reading his magic book. The ingredients for magic were as bizarre as ever. To him, this magic was less like the controlled spells of the Ancient One and more like ancient witchcraft—requiring specific materials and strange chants.
He was aware of the Talisman Squad's progress. After the struggle to find the Tiger Talisman, Little Black had suggested upgrading the squad's equipment. Using standard shovels was embarrassing for a high-tech shadow army.
"Shadow Light," Silas said to his shadow, "tell Genji I want to reorganize the Talisman Squad. Pick the best candidates and upgrade their gear. Digging with shovels is too pathetic."
"Understood, Master," Shadow Light replied. With Little Black and Genji handling logistics, the Shadow Army's support system was now world-class.
Lake
"Keep digging!"
The Talisman Squad was now equipped with heavy-duty mechanical power-arms provided by Genji. Their efficiency skyrocketed. At a depth of twenty meters, they finally hit something solid that wasn't rock.
The Captain removed his mechanical glove and reached into the hole, pulling out a lifelike golden dragon statue about fifteen centimeters long. He checked the tracker; the dragon's eyes were locked onto the statue.
"Mission accomplished. Retreat!"
The Shadow Kingdom
"Mission successful, Master." The Captain presented the golden statue to Silas.
Silas put down his magic book and examined the artifact. He could feel a dense, volatile power radiating from it. He wiped the dust from the golden dragon's eyes, and suddenly, a surge of red magical energy erupted.
ROAR!
The energy manifested as a fiery red dragon that coiled through the air of the lab before diving straight into Silas's chest.
"The power of the Dragon," Silas whispered. He felt his raw strength spike, similar to when he acquired the Ox Talisman, but this was different. This was purely destructive.
He opened his palm, and a faint image of a red dragon appeared in his skin. A terrifying heat began to coalesce. The ninjas behind him quickly scurried away.
"What are you afraid of?" Silas smirked, closing his hand and blowing away a wisp of black smoke. He wouldn't test it here; he didn't want to destroy his own lab. "I'll find a chance to test this soon."
But for now, his focus returned to the Ten Rings.
Support me on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/MistaQuartz
On Patreon, you can explore Extra Chapters in advance!