Chapter 38: Ambush, Arrogance (Requesting Monthly Votes, Requesting Follows)

The pale light of twin moons spilled over the jumbled rocks of Iron Fir Hills.

Samantha was crouched low, her tail held high, utterly absorbed as she scratched crooked grooves into the ground with her claws—not drawing an alchemical array, but teasing ants.

Watching the ants scramble helplessly, forced to follow the paths she had carved.

A pleased smile spread across Samantha’s face.

As a red dragon, she was born to relish the sensation of controlling the lives—and even the fates—of other creatures, like a monarch. Now, lacking the strength, she could only amuse herself with ants.

One claw swept across, connecting the ends of the grooves.

The poor ants crawled helplessly within the maze-like, exitless trenches.

Samantha lifted her chin, gazing down with disdain, mimicking the deep voice of an adult dragon: “Humble ants, cry out to the Great Red Dragon Queen, beg and kneel—perhaps I shall show mercy and spare your insignificant lives.”

The ants said nothing, continuing to crawl.

One clever, strong ant, finding its path blocked, began climbing upward, escaping the trench, and unknowingly reached Samantha’s claw.

The “Red Dragon Queen” let out a curious little “hmm.”

“The mightiest and wisest legendary leader of the Abyssal Demon Ants—you dare defy my decree over your fate, and challenge me?”

“Good. Very good. I admire your courage. As you wish—I grant you—death!”

Splat!

The young red dragon brought down her claw, crushing the “Abyssal Demon Ant” beneath it.

Feeling slightly embarrassed by such a childish game, Samantha only played it when no other creatures were around.

Now that Luo Si was gone and the bear Mogbel was out hunting, it was her exclusive time for amusement.

After another bout of loud, self-indulgent play, Samantha stood, head held high, still immersed in the feeling of being the “Red Dragon Queen” ruling all things, striding with haughty, unrecognizable steps toward the alchemy workshop.

—A crude shed built of stone slabs.

Peering inside, she saw a metal crucible boiling with black oil, emitting strange purple smoke.

“I got carried away and forgot the heat! Oh no! Luo Si will beat me when he returns!”

Her head dropped instantly. Samantha lunged forward, frantically drawing runes with her magic, striking them into the boiling oil, calming it before it could explode.

Samantha exhaled sparks from her nostrils, letting out a breath of relief.

She sniffed the bubbling oil, completely unaware that five dark shadows were watching her in secret.

A wanderer behind a rock raised his crossbow.

The bolt, enchanted with armor-piercing and silence runes, was already nocked, its tip glowing a cold blue in the night—clearly coated in deadly poison.

On the other side.

The golden-haired warrior stepped forward through the shadow of the iron firs, closing in on the young red dragon, then slowly drew his massive door-sized sword from his back, pressing his palm down and giving a single, quiet gesture: begin the hunt.

Without a sound.

A specially crafted alchemical crossbow bolt pierced the night, striking precisely into Samantha’s right wing joint, still trembling slightly, emitting a metallic hum.

The cold blue hue instantly spread, covering a small patch of her wing membrane.

The sudden attack, the searing pain in her wing.

Samantha’s pupils narrowed into slits from agony; she thrashed her tail violently, knocking the smoking alchemical crucible aside, spilling boiling black oil onto the ground, releasing a pungent stench.

“Damn humans!”

Seeing her attackers, Samantha roared.

The golden-haired warrior charged forward, leaping high, every alchemical rune on his greatsword blazing with terrifying power.

Jumping slash!

The heavy sword came crashing down; Samantha raised her dragon arm and swept it sideways.

Weaken!

The necromancer’s pale finger shot forth a dark beam, striking Samantha, instantly draining her strength, leaving her movements sluggish and weak.

The blade split her scales, tearing through flesh.

Whoosh! Another bolt flew in, embedding itself in Samantha’s side.

The golden-haired warrior spun and slashed again, his bloodied door-sized sword striking her shoulder.

Caught off-guard by the sudden assault of these professionals, Samantha was thrown on the defensive. Enraged, molten light flared between the scales of her chest, and a blinding red glow ignited in her mouth.

She would burn these insolent warriors to ash with her dragon breath.

“Haven!”

The golden-haired warrior sensed danger and shouted.

Silence Spell!

The spellcaster completed his incantation; a complex web of runes flew like a silken ribbon, wrapping around Samantha’s neck in a circular seal, forming a force of silence that prevented her from unleashing her breath immediately.

The runes on her neck began to crack.

Samantha roared silently, swiping one claw at the golden-haired warrior. Though he blocked it with his blade, the sheer force still sent him flying, crashing into and snapping an iron fir.

As Samantha prepared to pursue, a skull-like ghostly flame swiftly approached and struck her.

They were bitterly cold—not ordinary fire. Samantha’s fire resistance only lessened the damage; she could not avoid being hurt.

On the other side, white light emanated from the priest, bathing the golden-haired warrior.

He rose, moving faster than before, charging toward the young red dragon with long, determined strides.

As Samantha roared, the silence runes on her neck shattered—but before she could summon her flame breath again, a sphere thrown by the wanderer burst open, releasing an intensely irritating odor. Samantha involuntarily sneezed, spouting fire from her nostrils.

When she looked up again.

The golden-haired warrior was right before her, his door-sized sword descending in a slash.

Overwhelmed on all sides, Samantha realized she was no match for these humans.

Thanks to Luo Si’s teachings, she had grown less arrogant and overconfident than before. Suppressing the urge to fight to the death, she flapped her wings and shot straight upward, preparing to break off the fight and flee.

But she had only risen a few meters.

A net bristling with hooks was flung by the wanderer, engulfing her body. Dense iron hooks lodged into her scales, impossible to shake free.

The golden-haired warrior grabbed the iron net and yanked downward, slowing Samantha’s ascent.

Another spell from the spellcaster was completed.

Anti-Flight Enchantment! Solidified runes locked onto Samantha’s wings, draining their magic.

An ordinary young dragon’s wings, without magic, could not support its heavy body by strength alone. Samantha flapped several times, then finally crashed back to the ground.

She tore open the iron net, her face blazing with fury.

Since escape was impossible, she would fight to the death! Red dragons fear no challenge, no death! Samantha roared and continued fighting the five, though at a disadvantage, wounded repeatedly, she still did not fall.

Meanwhile.

High above in the night sky, between thick, dense clouds.

Luo Si watched the battle below without a sound.

“These adventurers seem weak—they can’t even take down Samantha outright.”

“But as I suspected, relying primarily on magic for flight is a fatal weakness, easily exploited.”

When the battle began, Luo Si had just returned.

Seeing Samantha was not in mortal danger, he did not intervene immediately, instead observing quietly. He found these adventurers far less formidable than he’d imagined.

Next time he faced adventurers, he might not need to be so cautious.

With my current power, I could easily dispatch them.

Adventurers? Paper tigers and clay dogs!

Thinking this, Luo Si quickly shook his head.

“Arrogance always grows quietly—I must remain ever vigilant.”

“These are merely the lowest-tier adventurers, yet they can already challenge a normal young dragon like Samantha—and they seem to want to capture her alive, so their assault isn’t overly fierce.”

Luo Si thought to himself.

Confident these adventurers posed no real threat, he folded his wings, his blade-like dragon wings slicing through the night as he dove downward at high speed.

(End of Chapter)