Nie Yan and Xie Yao walked into the pet shop, where only a few players were moving around inside.
More than ten beast tamers were feeding some pets.
Nie Yan approached the tamer at the front, who turned out to be Colinson, the same person who had previously helped Nie Yan hatch his Dark Winged Dragon.
“Respected Mr. Colinson, greetings,” Nie Yan greeted.
Colinson appeared flattered and replied, “Revered Great Prophet Nie Yan, how may I assist you?”
Nie Yan could clearly sense that Colinson’s attitude had become much more respectful than before.
“It’s like this—my Dark Winged Dragon perished in battle. Could you please help me resurrect it?” Nie Yan asked. Having become a Great Prophet, he no longer needed to be as humble as before; these NPCs would naturally be willing to assist him.
“Have you brought its body with you?”
“Yes,” Nie Yan nodded.
“Besides its body, you must have a medium such as a Wish Crystal or a Resurrection Crystal for me to bring it back,” Colinson explained.
“I have a Resurrection Crystal here,” Nie Yan said, taking out a resurrection crystal. The black crystal radiated a mesmerizing glow in his hand.
Colinson’s attention was immediately drawn to the crystal. Surprised, he exclaimed, “A black Resurrection Crystal!”
“Are Resurrection Crystals actually categorized by color?” Xie Yao couldn’t help but ask.
“Of course. Each type of crystal comes in different colors, and the color determines its subtle differences in function. Black is a rare type, certainly unearthed from underground, and contains powerful dark energy. If used to resurrect a dark-element pet or flying mount, it will provide a certain boost to its dark abilities. With some luck, it might even enhance its growth potential,” Colinson explained.
Upon hearing Colinson’s explanation, Nie Yan felt somewhat surprised. He had purchased this Resurrection Crystal from an NPC named Kinston for a total of 900,000 gold coins. After acquiring it, he had kept it in his backpack for quite some time. Along with this Resurrection Crystal, he had also obtained a black gem and a large black egg. The black gem, which boosted arcane damage, had been given to Tang Yao. As for the black egg, Nie Yan had kept it in his backpack without hatching it.
“Mr. Colinson, please help me resurrect my Dark Winged Dragon.”
“Revered Great Prophet Nie Yan, resurrecting the Dark Winged Dragon will cost 600,000 gold coins, but as a favor, I can offer you a 30% discount, bringing it down to 180,000 gold coins,” Colinson replied. The pet shop had a strict pricing list, and a creature of the Dark Winged Dragon’s level was among the highest category, hence the high cost.
Eighteen thousand gold coins might be unaffordable for an average player, but for Nie Yan, it was merely a drop in the ocean. He readily paid the 180,000 gold coins.
“Please follow me,” Colinson said, leading the way deeper into the pet shop.
Nie Yan and Xie Yao followed Colinson behind. They passed through a narrow corridor and down a flight of stairs, entering a spacious room approximately 20 by 20 yards in size. Nie Yan hadn’t expected such a place to exist behind the pet shop. The room was empty except for a large magic formation at its center, glowing with flowing magical light.
“Please summon your Dark Winged Dragon and place it at the center of the magic formation,” Colinson instructed Nie Yan.
Nie Yan summoned the corpse of the Dark Winged Dragon. After a flash of light, the massive body of the Dark Winged Dragon appeared at the center of the magic formation, lying motionless without any sign of life.
Colinson held the Resurrection Crystal in his left hand and walked toward the magic formation while chanting spells. The black magic from the crystal swirled and danced, gradually flowing onto the body of the Dark Winged Dragon.
The magic formation emitted dazzling black light. Nie Yan and Xie Yao were blinded by the intense light, barely able to make out Colinson and the Dark Winged Dragon’s positions.
After a while, the light from the magic formation gradually dimmed. Nie Yan finally saw the Dark Winged Dragon rise from the ground, standing proudly.
All the wounds on the Dark Winged Dragon’s body had completely healed. Its radiant eyes made Nie Yan feel that the Dark Winged Dragon was somehow different from before, though he couldn’t pinpoint exactly how.
The scales covering the Dark Winged Dragon’s body resembled a special type of indestructible metal, reflecting a dazzling array of colors.
The Dark Winged Dragon was still at level eight, but due to the effects of the dark crystal, its body had been completely renewed.
“Revered Great Prophet Nie Yan, keep exploring. You will gradually discover the unique qualities of your Dark Winged Dragon. Your 180,000 gold coins were definitely well spent,” Colinson smiled knowingly, implying something more.
Nie Yan and Xie Yao were both captivated by the radiant glow emanating from the Dark Winged Dragon. Although it was still an eighth-level flying mount, it was clearly much more powerful than Xie Yao’s Phoenix. The auras they emitted were entirely different.
In theory, both the Dark Winged Dragon and the Phoenix were eighth-level creatures, so the difference between them shouldn’t have been that significant.
After being resurrected with the Resurrection Crystal, the Dark Winged Dragon had undergone internal changes that paved the way for its eventual promotion to ninth level, although its current strength was still far from sufficient.
“Thank you, Mr. Colinson,” Nie Yan said.
“My pleasure to serve.”
Nie Yan recalled the Dark Winged Dragon into his pet space and took out the large black egg, asking, “Mr. Colinson, I also have this pet egg. Could you please identify it for me and tell me what it is?”
Colinson’s gaze fell upon the large black egg, and he found it difficult to look away, his expression showing surprise.
Seeing Colinson’s reaction, Nie Yan could guess that the pet inside the black egg was probably no ordinary creature. He wondered what it could be. Given the egg’s size, it was likely a dragon-type creature, though not necessarily a dragon. It could also be another type of large pet. If it turned out to be a dragon-type creature, Nie Yan would be in luck. With the Zainard Sword in his possession, he could have three dragon-type pets and two dragon-type flying mounts simultaneously.
Colinson slowly ran his right hand over the large black egg.
Nie Yan watched Colinson anxiously, his heart pounding in anticipation. He hoped it was a dragon-type creature!
“Revered Great Prophet Nie Yan, it’s a Ghost Dragon, a very powerful dragon-type flying mount that excels in spiritual attacks,” Colinson said, feeling a chill in his palm that made him feel a bit fearful.
Colinson’s words were like the most beautiful music in the world. It was a dragon-type flying creature, which thrilled Nie Yan greatly.
“Mr. Colinson, please help me hatch it,” Nie Yan urged.
Colinson placed his right hand on the large black egg. After a while, the egg slowly cracked, revealing a small dragon creature flapping its wings, though it still landed on the ground.
Nie Yan checked his interface and saw that next to the Dark Winged Dragon’s status bar, a new pet slot had appeared—this newly hatched Ghost Dragon. Like other dragon units, it was a sixth-level flying mount right from hatching.
The Ghost Dragon was also a dark-element flying mount, which made Nie Yan slightly disappointed. He would likely have an even harder time obtaining dark-element crystals in the future.
Nie Yan issued his first command to the Ghost Dragon. Its body quickly grew larger, reaching a size similar to that of the Dark Winged Dragon when it was at sixth level. Unlike the Dark Winged Dragon, which was covered in scales all over its body, the Ghost Dragon had a semi-transparent, ghost-like appearance. When touched, it felt tangible.
The Ghost Dragon’s defense was not strong, and its physical attacks were weak, but it possessed powerful magical abilities. At sixth level, it already had two spiritual attack skills: one was Ghostly Roar, which could instill fear and trembling in surrounding creatures, and the other was Soul Possession. Using the Soul Possession skill, the Ghost Dragon could possess an enemy’s body, controlling its actions for three minutes. The skill had a cooldown time of one hour. If the enemy died or the skill’s duration ended, the Ghost Dragon would escape from the enemy’s body.
Flying mounts with skills were relatively rare, making up only about one-tenth of all flying mounts. The Dark Winged Dragon, for instance, gained only one breath attack skill after reaching eighth level. The Dark Winged Dragon primarily relied on its powerful physical body in battle, whereas the Ghost Dragon belonged to a completely different system, functioning as a skill-based flying mount, similar to the Flame Roc.
In his previous life, neither the Ghost Dragon nor the Flame Roc had appeared in the game, and there were no official resources or information about them on the game’s website. Such skill-based pets that had never been seen before were excellent for catching opponents off guard. Their first appearance would definitely create a surprising effect.
Thinking about the Flame Roc of the Angel Dominion, Nie Yan’s expression darkened. He intended to use the same tactics against them—letting them experience the skills of the Ghost Dragon firsthand.
The flying forces of the Bull Man Tribe were lagging behind the Angel Dominion. With Nie Yan’s eighth-level Dark Winged Dragon, the more flying mounts he could defeat in guild battles, the less pressure his guildmates would face. Thus, even if it meant risking his life, he would do his best. However, after this ambush, Nie Yan had become much more cautious. He would only act when he was certain of success.
Nie Yan took out a dark-element crystal from his backpack and tossed it to the Ghost Dragon.
Just hatched, the Ghost Dragon was somewhat indifferent to Nie Yan, showing low loyalty. However, upon seeing the dark-element crystal, its eyes lit up. It immediately grabbed the crystal with its mouth, chewed a few times, and swallowed it.
This Ghost Dragon seemed to be more intelligent than the Dark Winged Dragon.
Nie Yan recalled that mage-class NPCs typically had higher intelligence than warrior-class NPCs. Perhaps this principle could also apply to dragon creatures—skill-based dragons might possess greater intelligence than strength-based ones like the Dark Winged Dragon.
The higher the intelligence, the harder it often was to cultivate loyalty. The Ghost Dragon’s loyalty would have to be gradually built over time.
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