Before Elefseria could even give out a gift, he received a "specialty" that Chris had brought all the way from Magnolia.
"What is this?"
"I thought you claimed to know everything, so how do you not recognize this? It's a Magic Mobile Phone!"
While Darwin took the opportunity to explain how to use the device to the old man, Chris explained the reason for bringing it.
"My Dad told me to give this to you."
"He said that a bachelor like you, staying in the guild all day, must be incredibly bored. So he specifically had me bring this to you to play games and pass the time."
Although Elefseria was elderly, his mindset was quite young and he was exceptionally brilliant. After fiddling with it for a moment, he completely grasped the usage and principles of the Magic Mobile.
"Wonderful! Simply wonderful!"
"I never imagined he could apply the Super Archive magic to such an extent. I don't know if anyone will ever surpass him, but he is certainly the first to achieve this!"
"And the materials used to craft this phone are quite extraordinary!"
"Perhaps even the alchemists of Guiltina couldn't replicate this!!"
Darwin had pre-installed many games on the phone for Elefseria. The old man tapped one open, and the phone immediately let out a crisp notification sound.
Hearing that sound, Darwin's body twitched reflexively, and he couldn't help but lean in close.
"Whoa!"
"You're playing such an intense game?"
"Can your reaction speed even keep up, old-timer?"
Elefseria gave a cold snort. "Don't joke. This old man is a powerhouse who has reached the 'Dragonified' state of Dragon Slayer Magic. How could my reaction speed be lacking?"
True enough!
The physical faculties of a Dragon Slayer are far superior to a normal human. Even though the old man was aged, his reaction speed might truly be on par with a teenager in their twenties. Otherwise, he wouldn't be able to hole up in his room playing games all day.
"Wait a second, why is your character's damage so high?"
"I am the Law Dragon Slayer; over 90% of the information in this world is transparent to me. Not to mention I am proficient in tens of thousands of spells and have researched Super Archive and Letter Magic. Is it really that hard to modify the background data of a single-player game?"
Darwin fell silent. "...I have no retort for that."
"Fine, fine, you're amazing, okay?"
"Anyway, Grandpa, you enjoy your games here. We'll be taking our leave now!"
"Take care, I won't see you out!!"
Bam—!!
Closing the gates of Magia Dragon, Darwin and the others shared a helpless smile before turning to set off toward the northeast.
Several days later.
In a valley, beside a high cliff, three figures stood side by side.
"How is it? Any discovery?"
"Judging by the scent, this valley should be the nest of the dragon the old man mentioned."
Darwin tilted his neck high, sniffing the air repeatedly.
Seeing her brother acting like a hound that had caught the scent of meat, a hint of disdain crossed Chris's beautiful face. "Even without smelling it, just looking at the weather patterns and the massive magic power in the air—so different from a human's—you should know the target is right here!"
The young girl raised her hand and pointed toward the distant sky.
Dark clouds blotted out the sun, and thunder roared incessantly, yet not a single drop of rain fell. Instead, golden snakes of lightning slithered through the clouds with a momentum that seemed ready to shatter the earth. Some struck straight down, exploding in brilliant sparks, while others branched out like leaf veins, tearing the sky to pieces.
"It seems we don't need to analyze what attribute the dragon hiding in that valley has."
"A Thunder Dragon... huh?"
Erza murmured softly, "I wonder if my armor can withstand it..."
Darwin looked at Erza. "I recall you have the Lightning Empress Armor and the matching Spear of the Thunder God, right?"
"Yes!"
"The Lightning Empress Armor can provide a degree of immunity to lightning magic, and the Spear of the Thunder God can release a significant amount of it."
Erza paused, carefully recalling the elemental strengths and weaknesses, then continued, "However, if the target is a Thunder Dragon, the spear might not be very effective. Switching to the Sword of the Wind God or the Blade of the Sea King might be a better bet."
Chris reminded her, "Your Thunder Empress armor was designed to deal with wizards. Facing a Thunder Dragon and actual heavenly lightning, it might not be fully effective. Don't rush too far ahead when we start; test the defenses first. If you feel you can't block it, retreat immediately. I'll cover you!"
Erza gave a knowing smile. "That's very reassuring, Chris!"
As they spoke, the distant clouds approached at a visible speed, soon blanketing the area above them. The sky darkened instantly.
The next moment, a massive golden figure burst through the clouds, descending majestically into the valley.
"The target is here!"
"Let's go!!"
With a sharp command, Darwin took several quick steps and leaped directly off the cliff!
Two seconds later...
Whoosh—!!
A giant bird wreathed in blue flames, accompanied by a hurricane-like wind, soared up from the bottom of the cliff.
Simultaneously, Erza and Chris jumped forward in perfect sync, landing steadily on the back of the blue bird.
The mountain wind whipped the blue flames on the bird's back, causing them to flicker around the girls' knees, but neither Erza nor Chris felt any heat. The flames didn't damage their clothes or shoes at all.
This was because it wasn't ordinary fire, but the Flames of the Phoenix.
The Phoenix's fire has no killing power; instead, it has healing properties. Contact with it doesn't burn; it eliminates fatigue, dispels illness, heals wounds, and clears the blood...
This flaming blue bird was Darwin's Phoenix Form after using his transformation magic!
Carrying the two girls, Darwin flew toward where the golden dragon had landed.
The Thunder Dragon was resting in a wide, open clearing surrounded by mountains with few trees—a perfect place to go all out. Currently, it was lying on the ground with its eyes closed, napping.
"Is that guy sleeping?"
Chris's eyes flashed as magic power transformed into strands of wind-rope encircling her, with sparks of electricity flickering through them.
"It seems he ate his fill before coming home. We're right here, and he hasn't even noticed..."
Erza stepped forward, her clothes shifting from her usual attire into the silver-white Lightning Empress Armor, and she summoned the Sword of the Wind God, which was wreathed in a swirling gale.
"Why sleep after a meal? He should get up and get some exercise for digestion!"
Darwin grinned, flapped his wings, and dove down at full speed.
"Let's give him a proper greeting!!"