The dragon staying in the lake is big. It's twice the size of most dragons we fought back then and even the dragon in Luminous Continent is half of the size of the dragon we are seeing right now. If it was still being considered as a game, this is going to be a field boss or a Raid boss depending on how dangerous it was.
Based on its appearance alone, it is indeed similar to a poison wyrm the only difference between the two creatures is that the former is much smaller and looks more like a flying violet snake rather than a dragon and usually is missing hind legs.
As for this one in the lake, even if we are a distance away, I can clearly see the prominent features of the dragon. It's a huge jewel on its chest and forehead, four folded wings growing on its back, back sails that are very similar to a poisonous fish, and glowing violet color skin of the dragon that attracts the attention of anyone nearby.
But compared to the size of this dragon, the Grand Lake is just something much bigger than the dragon itself. In fact, the Grand Lake looks like the sea. If not for the fact that it was surrounded by land in an enclosed space rather than a big body of water, I would immediately assume the Grand Lake was a sea.
The Grand Lake looks amazing and something that I can say is more like a tourist spot if it exists on Earth. But seeing all the poison in the water contaminating it, its beautiful image is ruined.
"So our task this time is to eliminate or just shoo away that dragon?" Riko seems is not looking confident about the task and tried to reconfirm again the task that we have been given.
"The best possible outcome would be to slay it, as it may just come back if you drive it away or it may terrorize another place. But if it's not that easy in the slightest, I am not going to force you all to do the impossible. Just do what you can."
If that is the case, we have to prepare a lot like we are going on a raid. That thing is huge and although my guess is that it's not that strong compared to some of the monsters I have beaten before, there is still a chance that this dragon might be similar to the beasts present in the Frozen Regions. I just hope it's not the same case as when Cath Palug did his rampage before as well.
"Is it safe to go near the Grand Lake without alerting the dragon?" Pandora asked.
"Although I have not personally gone there, I tested it by using my seed mimics to test out whether it will react or not but I found out that this dragon is blind."
"Blind?" Pandora seems to get some interest in the dragon.
"Yes. Both of its eyes are missing and it was like it got gouged out for some unknown reason. There are signs that the eyes have been gouged out just recently when I visited it. That was three years ago though so perhaps the wound has healed already."
A blind dragon. It does sound like it wasn't gonna be hard but even if the dragon is blind, it is not going to be something easy to kill by just sneaking on it. Its senses are still going to be a problem. But since the seed mimic didn't die due to the disturbance and didn't awaken the dragon when they approached it, that must mean the dragon is too weak right now. And if possible, it is trying to heal by resting in that place.
"Does the Grand Lake has any healing capabilities?"
"Not that I am awareof," the Elder Treant answered.
If that is the case, then why does this dragon stay in the Grand Lake? Is there a hidden reason? We will have to find this out.
...
...
...
Because Almira is eager to make the Elder Treant healthy once more, we accepted the request. Also, there is something the Elder Treant needed to tell us once we have done the request or at least, have driven the dragon away from that place. I don't know what it was but it seems that it is a bit serious.
Although the Dragon is far, we have to put the mansion where it was currently and stop it from descending to the Grand Lake. Aside from the fact that the mansion has minimal defenses, we don't even know whether the dragon will be violent or not. We just needed to descend there personally instead and camp out nearby.
But first, we will have to scout out the area. With the Grand Lake on the way, we will have to find a way to fight the dragon without going directly into the water. Not only the water is poisonous, but there is a chance that it also has become corrosive as well, making the matter troublesome. With the dragon staying in the center of the lake, we have to find a way to lure it off there and attack it on land, or else, we will have to find a way to fight the dragon on the water without getting exposed to the contaminated water.
First, is to scout the area and map it out. Since no one else aside from me has the capability of making a map, I took the job by myself. To make the map a lot easier to make, I have to fly into the sky to check it out. I also have to fly a lot higher than usual and be under [Stealth] to ensure that I won't be detected. Despite what Elder Treant said, I still don't think I want to risk it by lowering my guard.
As for the others, they will be scouting the surrounding areas and eliminating threats present as well so that once we are ready to engage in a fight with the dragon, we will have more advantage and also lessen our worries due to the prowling monsters that might join due to the dragon's beck and call.
As for the Elder Treant, he decided to retreat back from the mist though he is nearby to ensure the safety of the surroundings of the mansion. Since the mansion's location is mist-free, the Elder Treant said that it would be strange if both the mansion and a big tree suddenly appeared out of nowhere here.
Then, we started the operation. I carried my mapping materials with me and although my mapping skills are no longer tied to my Cartography Ex job, I am still doing fairly well.
I started with the nearest surroundings and then made some rough sketches for the final product. Not only that but I am also checking every nook and cranny of the Grand Lake as well.
Compared when looking at the distance, looking above the Grand Lake shows the damage the poison has done to the surroundings. It's not only the Grand Lake looking dead but also the plant life surrounding the lake. The nearest trees are all corroded, the grass that should be growing the lake is gone, and I can see a few bones of monsters littered all over the area.
"Damn, the damage is very bad..." I muttered.
"Indeed. After all, that's not just normal poison."
I was surprised when Cath Palug appeared on my shoulder.
"Looks like you know something, huh?" I frowned and look at Cath Palug.
"Eh, not really. But I do recognize the poison. The damage it has done is pretty big but all I can say is that this is pretty normal. Who would have guessed that this poison would appear once more in the future."
"Wait, this poison has appeared in the past?"
"Yes. And looking at that dragon, it seems the dragon is suffering on it so badly. Not only that but based on his scales, the poison is spreading slowly but surely on its body. What the Elder Treant said is right, you needed to get the dragon away to cleanse the water but the poison will not disappear once the dragon is defeated. You needed something else as well. Since this happened recently, it seems someone found the poison and started utilizing it once more," Cath Palug explained but his explanation give little answer to my question.
"Wait, wait, wait. Don't tell me this poison that has already mixed into the water is an ancient poison..."
"Didn't I tell you that? Oh wait, I didn't. Yes, that abominable thing is an ancient poison. You can even say that it's part of the tools used during the Primordial Goddesses War Era. Seeing it here means someone or something decided to utilize it again to wreak havoc again in this world," Cath Palug looked concerned.
"Why are you looking concerned that this is happening? Shouldn't you be happy that the surroundings are getting destroyed?"
"Kid. I enjoy watching things getting destroyed if it was me who was doing it. This? I am not enjoying someone else's work. I would rather do it than watch someone else do it."
Still, a primordial poison. If that were the case, then this will be hard. After all, everything that is related to the Primordial wars are either lost or no longer present in this world and seeing this, I have a bad feeling.
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