Chess Mage of Faerûn

Chapter 92 The Singing of the Mage and the Rainbow Dragon

Zhang Yuan was so engrossed in this unprecedented scenery that he was awakened by a chirping sound.

How can there be sounds coming from here? And these sounds can even directly enter one's thoughts?

By maximizing his sensory abilities, he finally "saw" the source of the sound: a dragon. Its body was enveloped in rainbow light, the dazzling brilliance obscuring its form, making it barely recognizable as a dragon.

Are there dragons here? In this ocean of magic and spirit, there are actually living beings, or even legendary dragons?

After his initial shock, he remembered a legend he had heard before, which was recited by a wandering poet named Fei Yan in a tavern.

The world is like a ring, constantly circulating and revolving;
Everything that has a source must have an end;

Neon lights shimmered, and brilliance flowed.

The End Mountain, the Rainbow Dragon.

In some myths and legends, among the rainbow dragon race that appears almost exclusively in myths and legends, there are some ancient dragons or even primordial rainbow dragons who, summoned by the source of the magic network, follow the echo of the final mountain to this place where all laws converge.

So, could what he heard be the legendary song of the rainbow dragon on the final mountain? Zhang Yuan was somewhat incredulous yet had no choice but to believe it.

Putting aside the legends and into reality, Zhang Yuan is currently considering what he should do, or rather, what he can do here.
Perhaps we should climb that Rainbow Mountain? Zhang Yuan had only thought about it for a moment when he found that his mind was already connected to the final mountain.

Zhang Yuan, who had arrived at the foot of the mountain in an instant, was almost caught off guard. When he tried to move himself up the mountain, he found himself in an endless ocean of runes, knowledge, and spell models, as if he had fallen into a vast ocean instead of at the foot of the mountain.

Fortunately, he was prepared in advance. Once he calmed down, Zhang Yuan was not overwhelmed by the complex and endless information and became at a loss. He tried to use his own thinking to depict and outline the structure and circuit of several spells that he already knew by heart.

The moment he finished, a portion of the surrounding magic and runes seemed to be drawn towards him by an invisible force. Zhang Yuan, who was prepared for this, opened his mind and allowed this power to flow into him.

As this process continued, in his sea of ​​consciousness, in addition to the nine existing spell models, three more spell models appeared here, as if drawn by starlight and runes.

At that moment, Zhang Yuan understood that he had finally become a true monk.

Having achieved his goal, Zhang Yuan was unwilling to take the risk, even though the scenery ahead was beautiful.

The moment the thought of leaving crossed his mind, an unseen force instantly pulled him back into his body in the material plane. When he opened his eyes again, he saw an old face staring at him with big eyes.

Relieved to have returned safely, Zhang Yuan shook his head and asked, "How much time has passed?"

"Not long, less than half an hour after you fell into a meditative state."

"Only half an hour? I thought a long time had passed." Zhang Yuan was a little surprised, but considering that the scale of the mental world was different from that of matter, he stopped thinking about it.

"Hehe, men always think they can last longer, it's not surprising that you have this misconception." The old rogue was shameless as ever, immediately mocking the newbie opposite him.

"..." Staring at the old scoundrel in front of him, Zhang Yuan was speechless for a moment.

"Tell me, what spells have you learned? Did you run into any trouble along the way?" Old Banter waved his hand dismissively at Zhang Yuan's supposedly fierce gaze, treating it like a fart. "Five-Colored Ball, Shield Spell, and Seven-Colored Jet," Zhang Yuan honestly replied, completely at a loss with the old rogue in front of him.

"Not bad, you've learned three new spells at once. Even though it's only the first level, it's still quite remarkable."

“Oh, right,” Zhang Yuan suddenly thought of those strange sights: “When you entered the Magic Network before, did you see that mountain?”

"What mountain?" Old Bante was taken aback.

Somewhat surprised by the other party's reaction, Zhang Yuan truthfully recounted what he had seen and heard at the final mountain.

Old Banter's mouth gaped wider and wider, his eyes widened, and finally he roared, "The Final Mountain? You said you saw the Final Mountain?"

Even if Zhang Yuan was stupid, he would realize now that the place he had come into contact with, that final mountain, was not a place that ordinary spellcasters could reach. Even the old man in front of him, Old Man Terry, did not seem to have had such an experience.

He also realized something: why he had rarely heard of such a magnificent sight before, and could only glimpse it in those legendary stories.

If any mage could enter the final mountain, there's no reason why there shouldn't be any record of it in the scriptures I've read and studied before, not even Old Man Bartley mentioned it.

There is only one explanation for all of this: the final mountain he visited was like those legends lost to the ages, secrets hidden behind history, with few concrete records, only fragmentary rumors remaining.

Zhang Yuan and Banteli, these two clowns, the old rogue staring at the young rogue, neither of them knowing what to say.

After a long while, it was Old Banter who spoke first: "The final mountain, the final mountain! I always thought it was just a rumor and a third-rate story made up by those lousy bards."

Old Bentley, his hands trembling, grabbed the pipe to bring it to his lips, but accidentally poked it into his nose. After several attempts, he finally succeeded and took three big puffs to calm himself down.

"Phew~ I haven't heard much about the Final Mountain, only some unreliable anecdotes and rumors." Putting down his pipe, Old Banter tried hard to recall those fragments of memory he had almost discarded.

"The Final Mountain is said to be the core of the inner ring of the magic network, its source and its final destination. The magic network, which connects countless planes, gathers their energy and flows endlessly within it, which is then distributed throughout the universe. The Final Mountain is the core hub of this cycle."

"Moreover, it is said that because of the crucial location of the final mountain, which is almost the center of the flow of magic in the entire universe, there are many extremely mysterious unknowns, dangers, and certain taboos within it."

Old Banter continued to explain the few rumors he knew, while Zhang Yuan listened intently: "The most outrageous rumor I saw was in an ancient parchment scroll that was supposedly unearthed from the desert ruins of Xia. It said that the ring where the final mountain is located is the true inner ring of the magic network, but after the inner magic network was closed by the goddess of magic, few people could ever see its location again."

"What's going on with those rainbow dragons? Why were they able to enter that place in physical form?" Zhang Yuan suddenly thought of the dragon roars he had heard.

“That’s understandable. It’s said that after passing through the stage of the Great Old Dragon, Rainbow Dragons will gradually undergo a strange change, and their bodies can transform into something that is similar to an elemental form and a physical body.” Old Bentley said his judgment. “Perhaps they entered the realm of the final mountain by means of this state.”

"So that's how it is," Zhang thought to himself, suddenly realizing the truth. He was now quite pleased with himself, a country bumpkin who had seen scenery that others had never had the chance to witness, especially such a mysterious place that sounded incredibly impressive.

Bang! Another attack on the back of his head. When Zhang Yuan turned around, he saw Old Banter slowly putting away his pipe.

"Stop grinning like an idiot and tell me what you've gained on this trip. Don't go into the dragon's lair and only end up with your hands covered in dragon dung." The old rogue started off with a sarcastic remark.

(End of this chapter)