Evolving by devouring from a young dragon

Leon emerged from the shadows and walked toward Alduin with steady, composed steps.

He held a rock emblem in his right hand, its earthen-yellow light swirling around it, and another stone emblem in his left hand, its icy-blue light shining brightly.

The stone emblem has a hexagonal earth crystal core in the center, with eight rock spikes radiating outwards, like a blooming flower.

That's the Crystal Rock Emblem.

Two streams of magic coursed around him, their earthy yellow and ice blue patterns intertwining and spreading along the seams of his armor, weaving a thick and resilient barrier across his body.

Auduin's vertical pupils swept across the barrier.

That wasn't an ordinary magic shield; it was the direct effect of the power contained within the two emblems.

The Rock Emblem provides defense, while the Crystal Emblem provides freezing.

The defense makes the barrier indestructible and almost impenetrable, while the freezing effect slows down and freezes any approaching attacks, eventually causing them to collapse. Together, the two form a defense that is virtually flawless.

"Where is the Lion King?" Alduin asked.

Leon raised his left hand and pointed to the layer of grayish-white powder on the stone seat.

"There it is."

Alduin glanced at the powder, then looked at Leon.

"You killed him."

Leon shook his head, his face expressionless, and said nothing.

He then simply spread out his left hand, palm facing the grayish-white powder on the stone seat.

A wisp of grayish-white light rose from the powder, like smoke or silk, and condensed in mid-air into a crystal core the size of a thumb before falling back into his palm.

Those were fragments of the Cracked Rock Emblem.

The complete emblem had long since disintegrated along with the Lion King's body, leaving only this core fragment.

Leon clenched his fingers and gripped the fragment tightly.

"He's dead." Leon finally spoke, "but I didn't kill him. The power of the Rock Crack Emblem was exhausted, and his body turned to ash. That old guy should have done this three hundred years ago, but it was delayed until today."

Auduin narrowed his eyes, not pressing for details, but a sense of unease lingered in his mind.

It's too much of a coincidence that the Lion King died at this particular time.

So what was his purpose? Wasn't all his previous planning in vain?

Or perhaps... the Lion King's death was part of the plan?

Alduin's golden vertical pupils swept over the shard of rift in Leon's hand. This crystal core was too small, and its power was far inferior to that of the complete rift emblem.

But it contains the last bit of the original power of the Cracked Rock Emblem, enough for Leon to use.

Alduin's gaze fell upon the three stone emblems in Leon's hand: the Rock Emblem, the Crystal Rock Emblem, and the Cracked Rock Emblem... fragments of them.

He has already collected three of the four stone badges.

"All that's missing is the one in your hand."

Leon tucked the rock fragment into his pocket, looked up, and stared directly at Alduin with his orange-yellow pupils.

"The emblem of the desolate mound".

"Guess what will happen when all four stone badges are collected?"

Auduin neither took out the Wilderness Emblem nor responded.

He stood at the edge of the square, his dragon wings half-spread, his vertical pupils showing no emotion, but he had already guessed Leon's purpose.

With the three badges in hand, Leon has reached the pinnacle of epic achievement, just one step away from becoming a true legend.

If the Barren Mound Badge is added, and all four badges are gathered, then Leon himself will become a new legend in the North, or rather, even more powerful than a legend.

"When did you start plotting this?" Alduin asked.

"From the day you set foot in the North," Leon said. "No, even earlier, from the day you learned the arcane arts of the soul from the Lich's Notebook."

Auduin's vertical pupils contracted slightly.

"You think chasing me all the way to the North was your choice?"

Leon's lips curled up slightly. "I sent you to chase after them. The prisoners of the royal city, the seal in the memories, the Lion King's position—it was all arranged by me. Every step was part of my plan."

Auduin fell silent, lost in thought.

When the prisoner's memories were searched in the royal city, there were indeed signs that they had been sealed. He thought it was done by the Lion King or some kind of mental expert.

Looking back now, Leon was a spatial mage. Spatial magic and mental magic have something in common at the soul level. He could seal memories and also forge memories.

"Where is the Wolf King?" Alduin asked.

"The Wolf King was an unexpected twist in my plan."

Leon touched the scar on his throat. "I didn't expect him to take action himself, let alone that he would try to kill me, but the Rock Emblem saved me."

That emblem was stronger than I had anticipated. It not only defended against external enemies but also protected life itself; as long as the emblem remained intact, the host would not die.

He lowered his hand, a cold glint flashing in his orange-yellow pupils.

"I lay in prison for half a month, waiting for the Wolf King to leave the Ice Plains. He led his elite troops to intercept and kill you, so I tore open the rift and took the Crystal Rock Emblem."

Leon continued, "The Wolf King thought that killing me and the Lion King would put his mind at ease, but he was wrong."

Auduin didn't reply; he was secretly making plans in his mind.

Leon wields three emblems, making his defense nearly unassailable, but his attack methods remain unclear. However, his opponent has just recovered from a near-death state, his injuries are not yet healed, and his magic power is greatly depleted. The longer this drags on, the worse Leon's condition will become.

Alduin made up his mind, spread his dragon wings halfway, ready to pounce, and stared intently at Leon in front of him, paying attention to his every move.

The grayish-white powder on the stone seat was still flying, and the wind and snow pouring in from the crack in the dome spread a thin layer of frost on the ground. Only the breathing of the two people and the low-frequency sound of the power of the emblem could be heard in the altar.

But then, Leon broke the silence.

"You're planning to stall for time," Leon began, his orange-yellow pupils reflecting Alduin's image. "You've done well; I can't hold out for long. But have you considered... whether holding out until I kill you is enough?"

Auduin did not respond.

Leon chuckled and took a step forward.

The earthy yellow light of the rock emblem spread from the soles of his feet to the ground, filling the cracks and compacting the gravel.

The icy blue light of the crystal emblem climbed up his right arm, condensing into five translucent ice spikes at his fingertips.

The rock fragments were slightly warm in his arms, and a grayish-red halo shone through the gaps in his armor.

The three emblems operated simultaneously, with earthy yellow, ice blue, and gray-red rays swirling around him.

Get started first!

Auduin took a deep breath and disappeared from the spot.

The dragon claw ignited with black and red dragon flames and slammed into the barrier surrounding Leon.

An icy blue light exploded, freezing the dragon flames into black fragments. An earthy yellow shockwave bounced off the barrier's surface, knocking Alduin back several meters. A thin layer of frost covered the scales on his right claw, causing it to tremble slightly.

Leon stood still, without moving an inch.

The icy blue light on the barrier flickered a few times before stabilizing. His right arm trembled slightly, but it was quickly suppressed by the freezing power of the Crystal Rock Emblem.

Alduin shook off the frost on his right claw, his vertical pupils showing no sign of retreat. With a flap of his dragon wings, he pounced again.

This time, Leon did not passively defend. He raised his left hand, and the icy blue light of the Crystal Rock Emblem condensed in his palm into a two-meter-long ice spear, which he hurled at Alduin.

The ice spear pierced the air at such a speed that even its afterimage was not visible.