Rogue Villain-Chapter 233: Red Tribe

Acquiring some kind of Magic Resistance skill was more difficult than Ackster anticipated. But he wasn’t doing nothing while his dragonling mage cast her spells, so he wasn’t idling around. When his dragonling mage rested and recovered her mana, he asked her to teach him the local language just in case.

Ackster also spent time practicing his martial arts to include weapons when not nolding his skeleton, which he could do almost without a break now, thanks to his increased regenerative capabilities.

And since he was curious, Ackster experimented with Smelting Furnace now and then by eating anything he could get his hands on. Each time he did something like that, his mage got even more motivated to improve and continue satisfying Ackster’s masochistic tendencies.

But was it really masochistic if pain didn’t affect him anymore?

After seeing Ackster’s skeletal form after he returned from fighting the centipede, the dragonling mage had been as obedient as a whipped dog. She was also deathly aware that she wasn’t dealing with something ordinary. Fortunately, she was smart enough to realize that Ackster was satisfied as long as she could continue almost killing him with her magic.

Of course, she gradually realized that while Ackster’s injuries looked fatal, they healed way too quickly and without leaving any scars. He had recovered from only being a skeleton, so she wasn’t even close to killing him. But severe-looking injuries still seemed to satisfy him.

However, the dragonling mage started getting worried when she noticed that she wasn’t doing as much to Ackster anymore. The wounds her magic left behind didn’t look as serious, and they healed quicker than before, showing that Ackster’s body more easily overcame any lingering mana her magic left behind.

The dragonling mage felt a sense of dread and panic and started feeling like her mind was on fire as she did all she could to improve the firepower of her magic. Since it seemed like Ackster didn’t mind waiting for her to recover or cast the magic, that’s all the dragonling mage did.

Of course, she didn’t dare stall for time. But she made the most of the time she got to increase only the destructive power of her magic while ignoring cost and casting time.

Like so, both Ackster and the dragonling mage improved while roaming the Land of Dragons, looking for volcanoes and materials for Ackster’s Smelting Furnace. It took some time, but Ackster eventually concluded that Smelting Furnace was something like Monster Muncher and Iron Stomach in that it turned what he ate into strength.

However, unlike Monster Muncher and Iron Stomach, which relied on organic matter from monsters, plants, and beasts, Smelting Furnace turned everything he ate into materials to strengthen his body. He could eat a rock, and it would lead to his bones, muscles, and skin growing slightly tougher and harder. Of course, a single rock didn’t do anything.

But beasts with hard armor, like the centipede or monsters with sturdy bones, claws, teeth, and horns, contributed greatly to Ackster’s strength.

However, Ackster had trouble finding creatures that could sate his cravings or provide good materials for his Smelting Furnace. He had yet to encounter another being on the same level of strength as the centipede, let alone something stronger.

But, as he was in the Land of Dragons, Ackster had a final goal he wanted to accomplish before leaving to find Wilma and the next stage of Nold’s secret technique.

Naturally, he had to hunt at least one true dragon.

At least, that’s what he wanted to do, but Ackster wasn’t sure he could. So, he would have to settle for the next best thing. It was just that there were a bunch of creatures right below a true dragon in the hierarchy in the Land of Dragons. He could find a strong wyvern, a land dragon, a drake, or a dragonling.

So, he turned to his dragonling mage, Mara.

"Hey. I want to fight with something stronger than that centipede back then."

Mara flinched as soon as she heard Ackster talk, but she turned to him, still surprised at how quickly he picked up the language. Since it was something the dragonlings spoke with their different physique, humans and other non-reptilian races had a hard time making the correct sounds. But Ackster didn’t have any problems.

"...I-I’m sorry. I don’t know...where to find opponents like that."

Mara was strong enough to adventure on her own, but this was the furthest she had traveled from her tribe. So, she had no idea where to find a creature strong enough to threaten Ackster.

"I see. How about any dragonling tribes nearby? They should have strong warriors, right?"

Mara trembled in realization as she took Ackster’s honest question as a threat. If she didn’t give him anything to fight, he would go after her people.

Of course, Ackster didn’t have that kind of intention. He just wanted something to fight and hone his martial arts. But as he saw Mara’s reaction, he realized that he had basically threatened her with the death of her people, considering how scared she was of his strength.

"U-um, the Red Tribe is said to know the location of a true dragon..."

Eventually, Mara decided to tell Ackster something she knew. It might implicate another tribe. But that tribe wasn’t friendly to other dragonlings since they claimed other dragonlings had lost their connection to their history and lineage and so on.

Besides, it was a powerful tribe, so Ackster might meet his match there. Mara doubted it for some reason, despite knowing how strong some of the legendary warriors of that tribe were rumored to be.

Ackster thought for a moment, and he was about to ask Mara where to find this Red Tribe when he sensed a rapidly approaching powerful presence on the horizon. He could instinctively feel that the being was superior to the centipede, even if only in terms of essence, due to the pure and natural air of the presence it gave off as it dominated all the creatures on the ground it passed over.