Academic gathering with a lich-Chapter 679 - 630 Dreams and Interests

Lyle reluctantly accepted the gap between reality and imagination, realizing he might possess an abnormal talent for seeing the world around him differently. Lyle decided to shift even greater blame onto Andrey’s academy-style education; indeed, everything should be blamed on those damned Liches.

I did nothing wrong, I simply blended into this wrong world!

With his mood uplifted, the Plague Doctor gently curved his lips upward, casting a longer shadow in the firelight of Mackenbert.

"The Baron of the Garden did quite well, but that’s just it, quite well."

"I should fan the flames a little."

By the time Lyle arrived at the great furnace in his Fire Evader armor, the Flame Elementals were cleaning up the mess after the performance, assisted by the Life Warlord and the Dwarves volunteers. Imelt had never learned how to land with such massive kinetic energy, so when she descended with the Red Dragon powered by the Flame Elementals, she actually plunged headfirst into a pool of molten lava. The huge waves from the explosion were unintentional, but luckily the Dwarves thoroughly enjoyed her impromptu performance.

The Floating Island within the great furnace blasted open under Imelt’s rocketing headbutt. Broken shards of flaming crystals, like blooming flowers, punched through the resting caverns of the Flame Elementals, and what was worse, this was right below Mackenbert’s location. That is to say, the Red Dragon’s performance almost punctured the foundation of the Dwarven city; unfortunately for the Flame Crystals, which were hard enough to fill the collapsed gaps thoroughly, this prevented the Dwarves and the Flame Elementals from getting any cosier in their relationship, avoiding becoming roommates instead of mere upstairs-downstairs neighbors.

At this moment, the Baron of the Garden was floating over the lava, directing the post-disaster reconstruction efforts, and everyone was joyfully basking in the afterglow of the celebration.

"Oh, my Red Dragon wife! Someone fell into the lava!"

Unexpectedly bad news caught everyone off guard, and when they reacted, they only saw several Flame Elementals carrying a charred humanoid form up the embankment of the great furnace.

"I’ll heal him immediately!!!" Imelt leaped next to the burned Dwarf, desperation in her draconic eyes. Without a second thought, a breath filled with the life force of dragons sprayed onto the pitiful Dwarf.

As it turned out, the life force that the Father of All Dragons had granted to the Red Dragon was incredibly potent, rivaling even the might of the Holy Light.

The surface layer of carbon cracked and fell away, revealing the steamy rocky interior that once again transformed into tough flesh and blood; the Dwarf opened his eyes. Wearing several pieces of molten armor scraps, and with his hair and beard completely burnt off, he looked up shyly at the towering Red Dragon with an awkward appearance.

"Ah, my lady, you have just used your Dragon Breath to save my life in person. I, Anxi Ranzu, have nothing to repay you with, and can only offer myself in devotion!" The young Dwarf, eager to fulfill his promise, was carried away by the Flame Elementals, his bald head still wobbling midair.

"Let go!!! I am the Red Dragon’s true love!!! I’ve been kissed!!! I’ve been sprayed by her Dragon Breath!!!"

As the Dwarf was carried away, the scene fell into silence, and in a space of over a hundred people, all that could be heard were the sounds of flames burning and lava bubbling.

Then...

Thump thump thump thump thump...

"Oh my God! I’ve accidentally fallen into the lava!!!"

"It’s so hot!!! I’m going to die!! Only the kisses of the Red Dragon can revive me!!!"

"Get out of the way!! Jump further away, damn it!!! Don’t block my feng shui hotspot!!!"

"Lady Imelt, look over here!!! I can’t swim in the lava!!! I’m going to die!!! Ahhhhh!!!

The Flame Elementals collectively fell silent as they dragged a slew of Dwarven skewers onto shore. Some charcoaled forms with hands over their chests had faces too unclear from the roasting to make out clearly, yet the pouted thick lips were distinctly discernible.

Lyle realized that these Dwarves were beyond hope, more so than he had thought. Just a moment ago, near him, a Dwarf had taken the opportunity when the Life Warlord was distracted to dive headlong into the lava, and amidst the fish-frying splashes, Nia gave a score of zero.

Imelt smiled helplessly, exchanged a glance with the Baron of the Garden and the Red Dragon Priest, and sighed.

"Gather them up. I need some time to prepare for a large-scale Dragon Breath."

"Wait! Great Red Dragon!!!" The Life Warlord, maintaining order, stepped forward, their forehead’s bulging veins threatening to split their helmets. As Imelt’s trusted aides, due to the emergency, they had already allowed the noble Red Dragon to be taken advantage of, and now that they’d come to their senses, they could not let these rascals continue to have their way.

"Your newly bestowed armaments possess powerful healing powers as well, please let us help you with these casualties!!! We also want to exert ourselves for you."

"Well... Okay then! I’ll leave it to you guys." Kind-hearted Imelt, not wanting to disturb the intimate interaction among the Dwarves, left the task of fostering relations to the Life Warlord.

The silly kids lying on the ground were still fantasizing about the Red Dragon’s breath, without realizing that their kissers were the iron hammers of their elders.

"You guys are truly fucking talented! Even daring to jump in lava! Keep jumping! Keep jumping!!!"

The young man lying dead on the ground started hopping around again under the Life Warlord’s thrashing.

Today, Mackenbert flourished under the blaze of the Red Dragon’s flames.

On the other side.

The Baron of the Garden greeted Lyle with an apprentice’s humility, sincerely receiving education on management from his mentor Lyle.

"Mr. Lyle, how do you think I’m doing with my work?"

"Not bad at all."

"Do I still need to improve?"

Lyle placed his hands on his hips, while Nia’s tentacle touched his chin, putting on an unfathomable look. That gaze, which the Baron of the Garden captured with his keen infrared vision, had a touch of superiority and confidence.

He understood that Lyle was about to teach him something new.

"Garden, not to criticize you, but this Red Dragon flying show you’ve prepared, what benefits have you reaped from it? Look, you’ve helped Visergg with city planning, blown up your old home of the Great Furnace, and your Flame Elementals didn’t gain any benefits. Is this what you call management? You’re running a charity here!"

The Baron of the Garden’s fiery head morphed into a big question mark.

"But, Mr. Lyle, we are in the business of idol operation, spreading the dream profession of the Red Dragon’s faith."

"Dreams? People can’t just live on dreams alone, they have to eat, right? It’s the same for you Fire Elementals. How come some fools always think they can generate electricity with love?"

The Baron of the Garden pondered for a moment, then shook his head.

"Your Highness Lyle, it’s difficult for me to accept your perspective. I really like Little Mel, her perseverance, her gentleness - it warms my heart. Even as a Mad Element, I want to support her without reserve. If that support incorporates profit, I feel like the emotion is tainted!"

Lyle, as if he had been there before, patted the warm air beside the Baron of the Garden...

"I understand, I understand... But, Baron of the Garden, your view is too narrow. I’m going to teach you the second lesson in idol operation right now."

"What is it?"

"You’re not profiting for your own sake; you’re profiting for Red Dragon Imelt. Do you get it? We help the Red Dragon so that we can live better ourselves!"

"...I don’t understand."

Lyle laughed.

"Let me put it this way, you’re working hard because you want everyone to like Imelt, and you want everyone to be willing to follow him, right?"

"That’s right."

"So, if you, as the operations officer by Imelt’s side, become better yourself, isn’t that more convincing? Because you follow the Red Dragon, you visibly reap benefits, and isn’t that promoting the allure of the Red Dragon? It makes everyone believe that by following the Red Dragon, they can make a better life for themselves!"

"I think... I’m beginning to understand."

Lyle was quite satisfied with the Baron of the Garden’s expression of amazement.

"Talking about dreams is indeed a noble choice, but it’s hard to resonate with others. Material gain is tangible and more enticing. And even the purest of fires needs fuel, like wood, right?"

"Hearts can cool off quite easily."