Fallen Dragon Valley, this is a location very, very close to the outskirts of Enderon City, only a few kilometers away. It’s a medium-sized mountain range covering an overall area of approximately over 30,000 square kilometers, which is similar to the dark jungle where Violet first appeared in this world.

 

Legend has it that the mighty Red Dragon initially fell in the center of this valley. At that time, thunder roared, and blood rained down, bringing numerous mutations and nourishment to this place. Enderon City hadn’t even emerged at that time.

 

Of course, this legend is somewhat dubious, probably concocted by some third-rate scholar in recent years. Even the thunderstorm and blood rain are events that happened hundreds of years ago, and they’re not recorded in any historical records, so how could anyone know?

 

In any case, regardless of the actual events of the past, Violet and the other Miss Dragon have now arrived at the outskirts of the legendary location where the Red Dragon supposedly fell, ready to begin their investigation.

 

In truth, Violet wasn’t exactly sure what she wanted to investigate—perhaps the cause of the 【Dragon’s Blood Disease】, the secrets hidden within Enderon City, the reason for the Red Dragon’s fall, or something else.

 

But all of these things are likely interconnected.

 

And, it’s sure to be very interesting.

 

Acting on a whim, driven by interest, and exploring the secrets of the unknown—this is the true charm of adventure, isn’t it?

 

“Master, this should be the valley mentioned on that piece of paper. There’s a human village below. Do we want to go and take a look?”

 

As she spoke, the little dragon girl licked her own smooth and fair fingers, looking rather enticing… However, Violet knew that her pet wasn’t trying to seduce her.

 

At least in the world of 【Illusory World】, dragons have the habit of licking their sharp claws before battles. So, Xiao Guang’s gesture should actually be a subconscious action indicating that she sensed the presence of combat down below.

 

“Is there a fight going on?”

 

Violet calmly averted her gaze from the dripping wet fingertips of the golden-haired girl to avoid her thoughts straying in strange directions.

 

Little Dragon, who had battle on her mind, didn’t pick up on the subtle oddity in her owner’s behavior and nodded firmly.

 

“Yeah, there’s a similar scent, but it’s quite far away, and it’s not too intense, so the smell of blood hasn’t reached us yet.”

 

“I see… Then let’s ignore them and head straight into the valley.”

 

Violet wasn’t the type to rush to the aid of anyone who was injured. Although she wasn’t particularly fond of combat, she wasn’t a saint either.

 

It didn’t seem meaningful, and if the skirmish wasn’t too intense, it was probably just a small group of marauding monsters that had come near the village and clashed with the guarding adventurers and village guards.

 

For such minor matters, humans could handle them themselves, and there was no need to waste time on it.

 

“Very well, Master.”

 

Miss Dragon, who was even more indifferent to human lives, naturally had no objections. The two of them flew over the village from the air and entered the interior of the mountains directly.

 

Although it’s called Fallen Dragon Valley, in reality, it’s not just one “valley.” Beyond the deepest, most central valley where the Dragon fell, which has remained inaccessible to anyone, there are vast stretches of mountains. Of course, they are also home to countless monsters and magical beasts.

 

When it comes to distinguishing between monsters and magical beasts, it’s not primarily based on size and strength. The fundamental difference lies in whether they possess the most basic level of intelligence.

 

Creatures that only hunt, reproduce, and eat based on instinct, incapable of basic communication and endowed with magical abilities, are all referred to as magical beasts.

 

On the other hand, non-human species that use tools, live in certain social groups, and have intelligence and the ability to communicate are usually referred to as monsters.

 

Of course, the categorization of monsters is quite broad, and many of the terms used are often human-centric.

 

In this world, there are numerous intelligent non-human life forms, and their total numbers often surpass those of humans. This includes broadly defined categories such as orcs, winged beings, spirits, dwarves, plant-like creatures, intelligent high-level magical beasts, and even some undead, vampires, demons summoned from other planes, and countless others.

 

By the standards of the Human United Kingdom, all of these are considered monsters, but in reality, if you went outside, you probably wouldn’t hear someone say, “I can tell at a glance that you’re not human!”

 

As for the monsters living in the Fallen Dragon Valley, or rather, the mountains, they are primarily goblins and trolls—intelligent but not highly intelligent, having a relatively balanced combination of abilities and strong reproductive capabilities, making them nearly impossible to exterminate.

 

Other creatures with real abilities and intelligence don’t stay in the Human United Kingdom, an extremely exclusionary country. They would have long sought other places to live.

 

Violet didn’t immediately fly into the interior of the valley but rather landed in the less-traveled central area.

 

Just like in RPG games, many important treasure chests aren’t necessarily placed inside boss rooms. If you rush in without care, you might miss crucial information and be unable to achieve the true ending.

 

Investigating intelligence works the same way.

 

“By the way, Xiao Guang, temporarily turn off your intimidation aura, or we might scare away all the clues.”

 

To avoid a situation like what happened in the Dark Forest, where they walked from morning till night without encountering a single creature, Violet had informed her pet in advance.

 

With their preparations complete, the duo slowly moved towards the interior of the mountains.

 

During this process, Violet did indeed come across the goblins and trolls of this world, just as they were typically portrayed in most anime.

 

Goblins were small creatures with a thin build, standing at about the height of a ten-year-old human child, with pointed ears and clad in simple loincloths.

 

Trolls, on the other hand, ranged in height from 2 to 3 meters, had thick fur all over their bodies, sharp fangs, and robust muscles.

 

They typically only used the most basic weapons such as wooden sticks, sharp stone knives, or threw rocks to attack. Goblins usually had a strength level ranging from level 5 to level 10, while trolls varied between levels 20 and 30, depending on their physical strength.

 

The former mostly moved in groups of at least ten or more, while the latter invariably appeared alone. So, despite the significant difference in strength, when it came to dealing with them as adventurers, the difference wasn’t that great.

 

For Miss Priestess, it was more convenient to deal with the relatively fewer trolls…

 

After taking down several waves in a row, Violet also noticed the one common trait among them—all of their skin and fur were entirely red, like blood or burning flames, without exception.

 

Based on the knowledge she had gained from Princess Lilya, normal goblins and trolls did not have this kind of complexion. Their transformation into this state was undoubtedly influenced by the dragon’s blood that had permeated the area.

 

Furthermore, almost all the magical beasts in the Fallen Dragon Valley exhibited a peculiar bright red color on their bodies, except for some flying birds. Even the trunks of trees gradually oozed a richer blood-like hue compared to the outside world.

 

As they ventured deeper into the valley, these signs became increasingly conspicuous. There were even powerful magical beasts with partially draconic features, some reaching the level of the third tier, and a few even approaching the fourth tier.

 

Upon seeing Violet and Xiao Guang, most of them immediately launched attacks, displaying extremely aggressive behavior, as if they were in a frenzied state.

 

The fourth tier was already on par with Earth and even Sky-level human experts. Although they hadn’t encountered any magical beasts equivalent to the legendary fifth tier, the strength of the creatures in this area seemed exceptionally high.

 

Yes, the dragon’s blood had caused them to undergo mutations, making them more aggressive but also more powerful.

 

Magical beasts, plants, and almost all living things had undergone mutations due to the blood of the red dragon. But… what about humans? Why hadn’t they changed?

 

Wait a minute, some birds haven’t been affected either, probably because their range of activity is larger, and they migrate from the outside. So, humans should be in the same situation.

 

Flame Dragon City was gradually established in batches after the red dragon’s fall, so…

 

No, that’s not right! How can all the residents of Flame Dragon City be migrants from the outside? What about the initial group of people, or their descendants?

 

Suddenly, Miss Priestess felt a slight jolt in her heart, and the words 【Dragon’s Blood Disease】 appeared in her mind like a bolt of lightning, shattering the fog that had clouded her thoughts. Many things suddenly fell into place.

 

Is it… like this?

 

If that’s the case, it would be an incredible revelation within the Human United Kingdom. No wonder Lord Anastasia kept it a secret. So, as long as they enter the place where the dragon’s remains are, the most crucial evidence… should be there, right?

 

 

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TL NOTE: Please don't skimp on the stars for the translation - it inspires me and gives me the strength to write more. Thank you~!

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