The core area of the Fallen Dragon Valley is a very interesting place.

 

It’s quite peculiar because even before entering the valley, the surroundings are covered in lush forest, although the overall color is somewhat reddish. However, as Violet passed through what might have originally been the only entrance guarded by giant stone beasts in the western part of the valley, everything changed.

 

It became scorching hot.

 

The temperature, which would be lethal for ordinary humans, filled the entire valley. The intense and agitated fire elements made the air slightly distorted, giving the impression of looking through thick glass.

 

“It’s no wonder that so few people know about the interior of the Fallen Dragon Valley. With this setup, if someone unprepared ventures in rashly, they’d probably get burned to death in no time. In that case, those guardian beasts are not just protecting something inside…”

 

Violet’s comment about getting burned was not just an empty claim.

 

The sudden change in the scenery was too abrupt, as if it were separated by some kind of barrier. While Violet had sensed something similar hanging over the valley from the outside, she couldn’t know the true situation inside until she entered.

 

Unless she intervened to break the barrier.

 

Although the priestess had no adverse reaction to the high temperature inside, at most feeling as if she had entered an air-conditioned room, based on the condition of the surrounding objects and the scenery, the internal temperature of the Fallen Dragon Valley was likely at least boiling point, meaning over 100 degrees Celsius.

 

It could be described as a real-life hell.

 

No magical creatures, no vegetation, not even a trace of water in the ground remained; it had all been evaporated and turned into a substance similar to yellow sand.

 

However, on the outer side of the valley, the mountains that formed the valley walls were still covered in a mix of green and red vegetation.

 

The infernal landscape inside the valley was indeed separated by an invisible barrier from the outside world.

 

It was a truly mystical sight.

 

“Master, I sense the presence of our kind here.”

 

The little dragon girl following behind the young lady frowned. It wasn’t clear if she sensed the presence the dragon was talking about or if the high temperatures in the surroundings made this light attribute dragon uncomfortable.

 

“Our kind? Are you sure? Is there a dragon like you?”

 

“Yes, I’m certain. Although it’s only a residual essence left behind after its death, it is indeed a pure-blooded dragon as I know it. The current landscape here should have been caused by the outpouring of its energy after its fall.”

 

The red dragon of the Fallen Dragon Valley… was it of the same lineage as the Holy Crystal Dragon, Xiao Guang, from 【Illusory World】?

 

While initially, there were only two possible answers, it was once Violet actually received the answer that the situation revealed new questions.

 

Why would a real-world dragon share an origin with the in-game little dragon girl who had crossed over?

 

Hypothesis One: The true identity of this red dragon was also as a pet of a player in 【Illusory World】 who had come here along with its owner, but for some reason, they had diverged by several centuries from Violet.

 

Hypothesis Two: There exists a special connection between this world and 【Illusory World】 or perhaps 【Illusory World】 is not as simple as a regular game.

 

… It was difficult to determine, and this speculation represents the current limit of what could be deduced.

 

“Let’s move closer and take a look.”

 

As the legends had it, at the center of the Fallen Dragon Valley lay the remains of a giant dragon.

 

A dragon skeleton.

 

It was over a hundred meters long, and despite being reduced to bones, one could still see the immense power and strength that this dragon possessed in life.

 

Violet wondered about the dragon’s prime when compared to the little dragon girl, but if it was indeed a red dragon from the game, it likely held a slight advantage.

 

Red dragons were one of the common basic dragon species in 【Illusory World】, sometimes referred to as lower-tier dragons. They made up over eighty percent of the entire dragon population, alongside blue, yellow, and green dragons, forming the four primary dragon species.

 

Above them were the divine white dragon, dark demon dragon, and diamond crystal dragon, which were stronger and more elegant but less numerous.

 

Apart from these, there were some hybrid dragon species that combined the abilities of two or more different color dragons, but these hybrids often couldn’t fully harness the powers of a single-color dragon and their strength typically didn’t exceed the three major higher-tier dragon species.

 

Xiao Guang, the Holy Crystal Dragon, was an extraordinary exception. Violet didn’t know who her parents were, but there was no doubt that she possessed the full combat talents of the divine white dragon and diamond crystal dragon, reaching the highest possible SSS rating in initial pet evaluation.

 

Therefore, Violet’s belief that her little dragon was stronger than this fallen red dragon was not baseless.

 

The dragon, while still exuding a formidable presence, appeared quite pitiable.

 

Its left dragon wing was completely torn off at the root. Judging from the marks on the bone, it seemed to have been forcibly torn off by some creature using sheer strength.

 

Around its abdomen, there was a massive hollow space with the surrounding bones largely intact. This was likely the result of a powerful attack, such as a beam of light, piercing through.

 

Violet flew over and circled around to the other side of the giant dragon skeleton, which was lying on its side. As expected, there was a corresponding cavity on the dragon’s back.

 

While red dragons were not known for their defensive abilities, the extent to which this creature had bypassed the magic barriers, scales, flesh, and sturdy dragon bones of an adult dragon would require at least an attack of the eighth rank or higher.

 

In addition, there were numerous minor injuries, fractures, and twists on the dragon bones, all over.

 

Indeed, this world was not as weak as it initially appeared, it was a world filled with hidden talents and hidden strength. This dragon was already stronger than the 【Death Omen Star】 with the big eyeball that Violet had fought before.

 

“The cause of death should be a severe injury, coupled with uncontrolled bleeding. What could possibly kill a dragon in such a manner?”

 

Frowning in thought for a moment, the black-haired priest casually pointed his weapon towards an open space on the inner side of the dragon bone.

 

“I say, Lady Anastasia, can you answer this question for me? Or is it that, after all this time, you still want to pretend you haven’t seen anything?”

 

Silence.

 

In the deserted valley with no signs of life, only the faint sound of the wind brushing against the girl’s hair made a rustling noise.

 

Suddenly, a light sigh came from the air.

 

“…I thought I was hiding well.”

 

A beautiful woman with fiery red hair walked gracefully from behind the dragon bone, her expression not showing any regret or guilt. Instead, she seemed unusually calm, as if relieved.

 

“This level of concealment is nothing compared to a certain old mouse. Oh, sorry, I didn’t mean to insult you, it’s just a literal expression.”

 

While in Flame Dragon City, Violet felt as if someone had been secretly monitoring her and Xiao Guang. When she took on the task to investigate the Fallen Dragon Valley and left the city, Miss Anastasia, the lord of Flame Dragon City, had quietly followed them.

 

Both Violet and Xiao Guang knew about this long ago, but the former deliberately didn’t expose it. Instead, she directly flew away from the pursuer because she had something she wanted to verify.

 

Sure enough, when they approached the core of the valley and encountered the giant stone beast, Anastasia’s aura once again appeared in Violet’s perception.

 

This woman has the ability to come here alone and even enter the valley. This alone explains a lot.

 

It’s also because Anastasia was watching that Violet didn’t immediately confront the annoying guy, Francis. Unexpectedly, he didn’t know his place and took the initiative to attack her. In the mindset of eliminating pests, the priestess casually sent him to meet the goddess.

 

All of this, of course, was seen by the lord of Flame Dragon City.

 

“How about it? Am I qualified to know the truth now, or have I passed Miss Anastasia’s test?”

 

“…I’m sorry, I had no choice but to do this.”

 

Unlike Violet or Xiao Guang, Anastasia couldn’t withstand the extreme heat of the core area of the Fallen Dragon Valley with her physical body alone. She was surrounded by a layer of blue light, like a bubble, seemingly using it to isolate the scorching heat of the valley’s core.

 

“Actually, I am not human.”

 

As soon as the lord spoke, it was a shocking revelation.

 

“Do you remember the rumors that the core of the Fallen Dragon Valley is guarded by a mythical creature comparable to a legendary one?”

 

“I am that creature.”