Chapter 86
"My perspective is different from the world you see. Every creature outside of the words has a strong presence for me. I can sense even the tiniest details, which allows me to alert you. Those words imbued with magic appear to me as coordinates that can leap..." The paper figure described, trying to explain the principle to Ye Bai.
Seeing a two-dimensional space 'view' a three-dimensional one?
As a three-dimensional being, Ye Bai tried to imagine it... but couldn't.
"Forget it, I don't really understand your two-dimensional world."
The paper figure looked puzzled. "What is two-dimensional?"
Ye Bai replied casually, "You are two-dimensional, and I am three-dimensional."
"Oh..." The paper figure seemed to grasp something, and a thought bubble appeared above its head, filled with a bunch of indistinct black dots, as if it had wandered off somewhere.
"Rustle..." Ye Bai bent down and stepped cautiously through the crack, moving slowly for a few minutes before seeing light on the other side.
It wasn't a long distance, but it looked like there was a thick wall separating it from the treasure vault the paper figure mentioned. To Ye Bai, it was just a bit narrow, but with her dragonborn physique, she couldn't fit through.
Thanks to the paper figure's earlier warning, Ye Bai didn't stick her head out but instead peered out from the shadows of the crack.
After observing from several angles, Ye Bai's gaze sharpened as she spotted a massive stone door, tilted and not far from the passage outside the crack.
The familiar markings on the stone door were unmistakably in Ancient Dragon Language. To Ye Bai's eyes, they were automatically translated, revealing a fragmented warning written in dragon script. This warning was both a message and a magical inscription, a now-defunct alert spell.
At the same time, Ye Bai received a system notification.
[You have discovered the 'Dragon Clan Treasure Vault.' You have gained 20 historical experience points and 20,000 experience points.]
This not only reaffirmed that knowledge is power but also confirmed for Ye Bai that this was indeed the Dragon Clan's treasure vault; the paper figure hadn't deceived her on this point.
After all, NPCs might lie, but system notifications do not.
However, the area outside the treasure vault was not empty.
"Whoosh... Whoosh..."
Rhythmic snoring echoed through the passage. Ye Bai looked down at the base of the massive stone door, where a colossal creature over ten meters long lay sprawled—
Its brown scales had lost their luster, appearing dull and worn, with numerous signs of corrosion that looked like the result of natural decay. Yet, the 'corpse' was still rising and falling in a regular rhythm, suggesting it was 'alive,' occasionally emitting wisps of ghostly fire from the corroded spots.
[Undead Earth Dragon]
Level: ??
Health: ??????/???????
Skills: Corrosive Breath, Earth Walk, ???
Weaknesses: Light, Fire, ???
With a glimpse into the past, Ye Bai received feedback.
This guardian Undead Earth Dragon seemed not to have received any orders and was still dozing at the entrance of the treasure vault. From the feedback, it was clear that this creature was at least a level 70 elite or a boss template.
The vault door was ajar, not completely shut, but the massive body of the Earth Dragon blocked the entrance. To slip through that gap, Ye Bai would have to get past the Earth Dragon first.
Ye Bai assessed the distance between her crack and the treasure vault door, her gaze shifting, but she didn't act immediately. Instead, she retreated back into the crack, looking down at the magic scroll in her hand, and asked:
"So, with that big guy there, how do you plan for me to get in? What will attract its attention?"
The paper figure replied, "I'll attract its attention."
"You?" Ye Bai raised an eyebrow. "How will you do that?"
"There's dragon script on the vault door. I can jump over and move around on the stone door to catch its attention." The paper figure stepped to the edge of the magic scroll and said to Ye Bai, "Just wake it up with an attack like Frostbolt first."
"You've thought this through," Ye Bai complimented the paper figure.
As a 'two-dimensional' being, it had no physical form and was quite agile. Even if it were attacked by the Undead Earth Dragon, it wouldn't suffer injury or death.
"Of course, I would never let you take risks," the paper figure said earnestly, with conviction.
Ye Bai remained noncommittal and peeked out at the treasure vault door. "Go ahead."
"Okay." The paper figure responded, and in the next moment, Ye Bai saw a familiar, bizarre humanoid shape appear on the vault door—indeed, this creature was a blend of text and art.
The strange humanoid used the words on the stone door to enlarge itself, becoming nearly as large as the Earth Dragon.
"All set."
It called out to Ye Bai, but the Earth Dragon was still snoring, seemingly unaware of its voice.
Seeing this, Ye Bai moved her hand, conjuring a Frostbolt outside the crack.
"Whoosh!"
"Whoosh... Roar!"
The bolt struck the sleeping Earth Dragon's nose, and with a startled roar, two points of ghostly fire ignited in its eye sockets, instantly waking it from slumber as it scanned for the source of the attack.
Ye Bai quickly withdrew into the crack to avoid being seen, even from her hiding spot, she could see its health bar, wider than the passage itself.
At that moment, the paper figure sprang into action, immediately making a ruckus on the stone door, contorting into various bizarre shapes.
"Roar!"
The Undead Earth Dragon, searching for its foe, was indeed drawn to this spectacle and unleashed a breath of gray-black corrosive dragon fire at the stone door.
"Boom!" The ominous dragon fire engulfed the paper figure's form, instantly covering it.
Yet the next moment, the paper figure shifted, leaping to another stone door, clearly indicating that three-dimensional attacks had no effect on a 'two-dimensional' being.
The stone door, after the dragon fire, appeared completely unscathed, showing no signs of damage. As the entrance to the Dragon Clan's treasure vault, the magical resistance of this stone was exceptionally high.
"Roar?"
The Undead Earth Dragon let out a confused roar, and this time, it lunged toward the other door, its sharp claws swiping directly at the stone door in a physical attack.
"Scrape—!"
The Earth Dragon's claws were incredibly sharp; 'Earth Walk' referred to their ability to dig through solid ground. With a swipe, even the vault door bore a scratch.
Undead creatures often acted in a rigid manner. As a dragonborn, the Undead Earth Dragon was still bound to guard the treasure vault, but it had no awareness that it could damage the door.
Ye Bai noticed the paper figure was wary of the dragon's claw marks, quickly changing its shape on the stone door to avoid being hit, while it shouted to Ye Bai, "Quick, now's your chance to get in!"
Recognizing this was the best opportunity, Ye Bai leaped gracefully from the crack, rolling toward the door.
At that moment, the Undead Earth Dragon seemed to sense something, ignoring the paper figure on the stone wall and turning to look behind it.
Ye Bai, glancing at the shadow formed by the angle of the treasure vault door, flickered—
Shadow Step!
In the next instant, the Undead Earth Dragon whipped its tail and turned around, only to find nothing there.
"Roar?"
The ghostly flames in its eye sockets flickered twice, revealing clear confusion.
At the same time, in the shadow behind it, a white cloak flashed through the darkness.
The Undead Earth Dragon turned back to the door where something had been, but now it was empty.
"Roar, roar, roar..."
It circled in place a few times, finding no unusual traces, and with a puzzled expression, the Undead Earth Dragon returned to its position at the entrance of the treasure vault.
...
Meanwhile, behind the treasure vault door, Ye Bai silently rolled out from the shadows of the vault.
The first thing that caught her eye was a dazzling array of gems, illuminating the entire treasure chamber.
—She struck gold!
Not just Ye Bai, anyone who beheld this scene would feel their heart race and exclaim in wonder.
In nearly all Western fantasy settings, dragons are known for hoarding shiny treasures, and this was no exception. As a treasure vault of the Dragon Clan, it was naturally filled with gems that reflected their love for glimmering riches.
Moreover, the gems worthy of being stored in the vault were anything but ordinary.
Just how extravagant was it?
Ye Bai, amidst the piles of gems, couldn't find a single one smaller than a fist.
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