Chapter 789: Dragon Breeding Ground
Uprising Kingdom of Seleucus, Linying City.
The air hung thick with the stench of blood, a rancid, metallic tang, and the acrid bite of acid-spiked fumes. The ground was a mosaic of crimson stains, and shattered ruins of buildings lay scattered like the bones of a fallen giant—evidence of some cataclysmic upheaval. In the alleyways, mounds of dragon beast droppings and rotting flesh limbs piled high, emitting a foul, nauseating odor that clung to the back of the throat.
Along the wide streets, grotesque, fearsome Dragonborn stalked with pride—some crowned with jagged dragon horns, others bearing sparse, ink-green scales across their skin. Clad in gleaming armor or draped in luxurious robes, they swaggered like conquerors, their presence radiating arrogance.
In stark contrast, the humans were a pitiful sight—ragged, filthy, their hair matted, their eyes downcast. They shuffled through alley corners like shadows, shoulders hunched, steps cautious, afraid even to step into a Dragonborn’s shadow—such a transgression would earn a whip-lash punishment. And before true dragons? They buried their faces in the filth of the road, trembling, unable to lift their eyes, reduced to quivering heaps of fear.
This was the rule of the Dragon Worship Church—a brutal, merciless hierarchy. To survive, mortals had to surrender every shred of dignity, becoming the most loyal slaves to dragons and their dragonkin overlords.
Amid the Dragonkin Guard’s watchful escort, Stuffed Bun surveyed the scene with outward pride, his expression regal. But beneath the surface, his fingers flew across his phone in the group chat.
I'm Going to Eat a Steamed Bun: Holy hell… this place is pure Purgatory on Earth. There’s actually this kind of hell in the Material Realm?
Tian Sheng Zhan Kuang: Yeah, based on my experience, even Avernus’s Bronze Fortress is better than this.
Singo: The Dragon Worship Church’s doctrine is simple—they want Tiamat to descend anew, to reign supreme over the world. To them, humans are just livestock. Think of them like chickens, pigs, or ducks in a slaughterhouse. That’s how this city runs.
Xia Ye Qiu Yu: Ailezegai’s Non-Player Characters are terrifyingly intelligent. Their thought patterns are almost indistinguishable from real people. Even if they’re just game data, this level of cruelty… it’s too much.
Tian Sheng Zhan Kuang: Damn… I never thought I’d see real humans treated like animals. It’s gut-wrenching. If we get a chance, we’re tearing this place apart.
I'm Going to Eat a Steamed Bun: Hey, that scroll you gave the cultist—was it real?
Singo: It was real. But not for a Dragon Blood Altar. It led to the Mechanical Divinity’s Living Experience Point Research Institute. They’re desperate for experimental subjects—each person they lure in nets them 7–8 Golden Nael in commission. That’s enough to buy half a dozen Teleportation Scrolls.
I'm Going to Eat a Steamed Bun: Pfft… I’ve heard of that place. A den of madmen. And you’re the one selling them in? What a scam. You’re a real black sheep.
Singo: You don’t get it. The richer the target, the tighter you hold. Not just gold—no, not even copper is spared.
Xia Ye Qiu Yu: Guys, look— we’re about to enter the Inner District.
Stuffed Bun lifted his head. Before him rose a towering city wall, its surface etched with rough, ancient runes that pulsed with a deep, ominous evil. After some negotiation, the massive iron gate groaned open, and the group was allowed entry into Linying City’s inner sanctum.
The Inner District was nearly empty of common humans. Those few present were only there as sacrificial offerings—being marched toward the Dragon Breeding Ground.
And then Stuffed Bun saw her—the woman he’d saved earlier. She was chained with thick, blood-stained iron links, her face ashen, eyes hollow with despair. She looked like she’d already accepted her fate.
Above, green dragons circled in the sky, battling over plundered treasures, feasting on the freshest, most tender blood. To Grotar, this was his elite domain—his elite Dragonborn army, his green dragons as sentinels. A single red dragon hatchling, trembling with fear, could not escape his grasp.
He had no idea that Stuffed Bun’s real objective was far deeper—beneath the city, in the heart of the Dragon Breeding Ground.
Soon, the cult priest led them to a towering turret. They passed through a narrow corridor and reached the end of the first level.
"Please, this is the temporary residence prepared by Lord Grotar for your arrival."
The cult priest smiled, gesturing forward. Before them stood a spacious room—though it was anything but a room. It was a prison.
The inner walls were forged from hardened steel. The front door bore intricate arcane runes, a seal of binding magic. Outside, twenty fully armed Dragonkin soldiers patrolled the hall. Stone dragon heads jutted from the walls—when triggered, their mouths would fire arrows laced with Green Dragon venom.
The cult’s rituals were monitored through a Magic Crystal Ball. Any movement, any disturbance—immediate response from elite forces.
But Singo, Tian Sheng Zhan Kuang, and other veteran players were already scanning the room—reading traps, mapping escape routes.
Stuffed Bun, however, stayed in character—his eyes blazing with contempt, a flicker of rage beneath.
"Scum. You’ll regret this. Do you know who my father is? He’s a legendary Ancient Dragon! Move aside—I demand to see—"
"Sir, I suggest you rest," the cult priest interrupted, chuckling.
After a tense silence, he stepped back, and the Dragonkin soldiers dragged Singo, Tian Sheng Zhan Kuang, and Xia Ye Qiu Yu into the room. The door closed with a soft, final click. The illusionary chains shimmered into place, locking it shut.
Only when the footsteps faded did the group finally speak.
Singo scattered a handful of powder into the air. Instantly, a dense white fog filled the room.
"This powder disrupts prophetic magic. It’ll shield us from their arrows, and our movements won’t be detected."
Finally, Stuffed Bun exhaled, shifting back into human form. He collapsed to the floor, gasping, pale-faced.
"Finally… I’m done with that dragon form. Using Dragon Blood for too long—it’s draining. I feel like I’m on the verge of anemia."
"Can’t we just teleport out?" Xia Ye Qiu Yu asked, voice serious.
She shook her head. "This tower is sealed by an invisible arcane film. Teleportation spells won’t work here."
Tian Sheng Zhan Kuang cracked his knuckles, grinning. "Then we break through the wall. We’ll carve our way out in blood. I’m sick of these dragon-fueled tyrants exploiting humans!"
Singo shook his head. "There are at least twenty green dragons and over a hundred cult priests in this district. If we cause a disturbance, we’ll be overwhelmed in seconds. We’re dead."
Stuffed Bun frowned. "Then what?"
"I studied the layout," Singo said. "The Dragonkin guards are warriors—no spell-readers. We’ll use Invisibility. Slip out quietly."
He pulled out a crystal, its surface glowing with a detailed map of the corridor.
"See here? Here? These are trigger-based traps. Step on the tiles, and arrows fire from both sides. And the arcane eyes on the ceiling—they’ll activate at the slightest sound."
Stuffed Bun shuddered. "Damn… that’s some seriously dark thinking."
After a brief discussion, they agreed on a plan. Xia Ye Qiu Yu raised her hand, and a wave of high-level Invisibility magic swept over the four of them—making them completely transparent.
Then, a faint Aura flared at her fingertips. Knock—the spell was cast.
Crack.
The illusionary chains binding the door shattered into hundreds of tiny fragments, dissolving into shimmering light. The door creaked open—just ajar.
"Now," Singo whispered.
They moved like ghosts—silent, precise. But just as they stepped into the corridor, distant footsteps echoed. A tense murmur from a Dragonkin soldier.
"Sir!"
"Lord Grotar! Why are you here yourself?"
A massive green form emerged from the end of the hall, walking with calm, deliberate grace—Young Green Dragon Grotar.
His bulk made the corridor feel claustrophobic, leaving only narrow gaps for passage.
Stuffed Bun froze. His fingers flew to the group chat.
“Shit… the green dragon’s back! He’s coming straight for us!”
Singo: Hold your breath. Move fast. Don’t let him see us!
Stuffed Bun stared ahead, teeth clenched, breath held. Cold sweat trickled down his temple. The dragon’s aura pressed down like a mountain.
"One… two… three…"
Now!
He inhaled sharply, then darted sideways—like a mouse stealing grain—slipping through a crack beside the green dragon’s massive leg.
The dragon paused, a faint breeze brushing his scales. He paused, glanced down, then resumed walking—unaware. He was here to humiliate the red dragon hatchling, not notice a shadow.
And so, the invisible intruders slipped past, unnoticed.
Moments later, a furious roar echoed through the tower.
"What?! They’re gone?!"
"Useless fools! How could they escape so quickly?!"
"Lord Grotar, we—"
Then came the screams—crackling, agonized. Flesh torn, bones crushed. The green dragon, enraged, slaughtered several Dragonkin guards on the spot—no mercy, just fury.
Deep in the alleyways of Linying City, the four finally reappeared.
Stuffed Bun grinned, breathless. "Spines on! We actually made it! That green dragon was right next to me—I thought I was dead!"
Singo turned to Xia Ye Qiu Yu. "Did you find her location?"
She nodded. "She’s already in the dungeon. The Dragon Breeding Ground is deep beneath the Inner District. Follow me."
"Let’s go."
They plunged into the sewers, guided by Xia Ye Qiu Yu’s pathfinding. Soon, they reached a moss-covered wall, cracked and ancient.
"Break it."
"Got it!"
Tian Sheng Zhan Kuang grinned, his massive fist swinging like a battering ram.
Boom!
Dust exploded. Debris rained down. The wall collapsed—revealing a group of Dragon Worship Cult soldiers, armored and riding dragon beasts, frozen in shock.
"Wha—?!"
"No time to hesitate!" Singo drew his bow, nocked an electric-charged arrow.
Zap!
The arrow screamed through the air. One soldier’s head exploded in a spray of blood. The others opened their mouths to scream—
Crack!
A blinding flash of lightning erupted from the arrow’s tip, arcing through the air. The shockwave vaporized several of them instantly, their bodies charred and lifeless.
The dragon beast roared, charging. But Tian Sheng Zhan Kuang didn’t flinch. He slid beneath it, swung his battle axe—shink!—the blade tore through thick hide, splitting the beast open. Guts spilled out in a gory flood.
His axe swung like a hurricane, slicing through the remaining soldiers—ripping them apart, turning bodies into mangled heaps.
Xia Ye Qiu Yu was even more terrifying. With a flick of her fingers, a stream of molten flame shot from her fingertip—piercing a soldier twenty meters away through the forehead. Only a blackened hole remained.
"Me too!" Stuffed Bun lunged forward with his longsword—but there was no enemy left. Just piles of broken, charred corpses.
He scratched his head, sheepish. "Guess the real masters only show up at the end."
Singo glared. "Move. We can’t stay. Even if they’re dead, their bodies will be found. We have to strike while they’re distracted."
"There." Xia Ye Qiu Yu pointed to a stone door, its surface carved with ancient seals.
She placed her hand on the door. A shimmering Remove Magic spell flared from her palm—seals cracked, barriers shattered.
Boom!
With a brutal, unrelenting punch from Tian Sheng Zhan Kuang, the stone door exploded inward.
And then—what they saw chilled their blood.
—Tens of thousands of humans, packed into cramped, filthy cages. Filthy, blood-stained, their eyes empty, their bodies covered in sores and waste. They piled atop one another like animals, their bodies stacked with feces, boiling blood, and rotting food scraps.
They stared blankly—numb.
When they saw Stuffed Bun and his companions—dragon-touched—they erupted.
"Divine Envoys! They’re here!"
"They’re choosing the sacrifice again! No! Don’t take me! I want to live!"
Their voices were raw with panic—some could still speak, others only screamed incoherently, like frightened lambs.
And among them—she was there. The woman they’d rescued. Whipped, broken, curled in a corner, silently weeping.
What… what have they done to them?!
Stuffed Bun looked beyond the cages, to the far end of the road.
There, rising like a nightmare, stood a colossal altar—shaped like the gaping, blood-soaked maw of a green dragon. Its jaws were wide open, devouring light, radiating a hunger that felt eternal.
That was Tiamat’s Altar.
The heart of the Dragon Breeding Ground.
(End of Chapter)
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