Chapter 38: Chapter 38: Ambush and Arrogance

The twin moons cast their clear light over the rocky heaps of the Iron Pine Hills.

Samantha was crouching with her tail raised high, deeply focused, using her claws to carve twisted grooves into the ground. She wasn’t crafting an alchemy array; she was teasing ants.

Watching a group of ants helpless, forced to move along the paths she had drawn.

A cheerful smile appeared on Samantha’s face.

As a red dragon, she naturally enjoyed the feeling of controlling the life and fate of other creatures, like a monarch. Since her abilities didn’t allow it yet, she could only get her satisfaction by playing with ants.

With one swift motion of her claw, she connected the grooves’ start and end.

The poor ants crawled helplessly in the maze-like, exitless grooves.

Samantha raised her chin, her gaze arrogant, mimicking the deep voice of an adult dragon, and said, “Oh, humble ants, cry and plead to the great Red Dragon Queen; grovel and perhaps I will mercifully spare your insignificant lives.”

The ants said nothing and continued to crawl.

Among them, a clever and strong ant discovered there was no way forward and began to climb out of the groove, unconsciously reaching Samantha’s claw.

The ’Red Dragon Queen’ uttered an amused “Hmm.”

“The most powerful and wise legendary leader of the Abyssal Demon Ants, are you defying the destiny I laid for you, challenging my rule?”

“Fine, very well, I admire your courage. As you wish, I grant you—death!”

Crunch!

The Red Young Dragon dropped her claw, squishing the ’Abyssal Demon Ant’ to death.

Feeling a bit embarrassed, she only played these childish games when there were no other creatures around.

Now that Galos was absent and Violent Bear Möbel was out hunting, it was her own time for amusement.

After some noisy play by herself, Samantha stood up, head held high in the feeling of the ’Red Dragon Queen’s omnipotence, strutting arrogantly towards the Alchemy Workshop.

A crude shed made of rock slabs.

Inside the workshop, a metal cauldron was boiling with black oil, emitting eerie purple smoke.

“I’ve played too much and forgot about the timing. I’m doomed! Galos will beat me when he gets back!”

Her head, once held high, drooped suddenly. Samantha rushed to the cauldron, hurriedly drawing alchemy runes on the boiling black oil to gradually calm it down, preventing an explosion.

Fire sparks snorted from Samantha’s nostrils as she breathed a sigh of relief.

She sniffed the bubbling black oil, entirely unaware that five shadows were secretly watching her.

A wanderer hidden behind a rock raised his crossbow.

The crossbow bolts, with armor-piercing and silence rune effects, were set, the arrowhead glowing a bluish light, clearly coated with poison.

On the other side.

A golden-haired warrior stepped through the shadows cast by the Iron Pines, approaching the Red Young Dragon, finally drawing the door-plate greatsword from his back, gesturing to start the hunt with a downward wave.

Silently.

A specially made alchemy crossbow arrow pierced through the night, accurately embedding in Samantha’s wing joint, the arrow still quivering with a metallic hum.

The bluish color quickly spread, covering a small area of her wing membrane.

The sudden attack, the sharp pain in her dragon wing.

Samantha’s pupils narrowed into slits from the pain. She swung her tail wildly, sweeping away the smoking alchemy cauldron, spilling boiling black oil on the ground, filling the air with a pungent smell.

“Damn humans!”

Seeing the attackers, Samantha roared in fury.

The golden-haired warrior dashed forward, leaping high, all the alchemy runes on the greatsword glowing with imposing aura.

Jump slash!

The heavy sword swung down, Samantha raised her dragon arm to swat it away.

Weakness Technique!

The pale fingers of the necromancer shot a dark light at Samantha, making her feel instantly feeble, her strength drained, her movements sluggish.

The sword blade cut through dragon scales, slicing flesh.

Whew! Another crossbow arrow shot in, embedding into Samantha’s side.

The golden-haired warrior spun around with a slash, the blood-stained gate panel greatsword striking Samantha’s shoulder again.

Facing the unexpected assault from the adventurers, Samantha was caught unprepared, furious, as molten light shone between the scales on her chest, and a blinding red light appeared in her mouth.

She intended to use Dragon Breath to turn the daring warrior to ashes.

“Haven!”

The golden-haired warrior sensed danger and shouted.

Silence Spell!

The spellcaster had prepared the magic, with complex spell patterns flying out like a ribbon, landing on Samantha’s neck, weaving into a circle, forming a silencing force, preventing her from spewing Dragon Breath immediately.

The spells on her neck kept cracking.

Samantha roared silently, swiping a paw at the golden-haired warrior, who blocked it with his sword, yet the sheer power flung him back, crashing into an Iron Pine.

Just as Samantha was about to pursue, ghostly flames like skulls quickly closed in, crashing onto her body.

They were piercingly cold, not ordinary flames, with Samantha’s fire resistance only partially effective, causing unavoidable harm.

Elsewhere, white light emitted from the priest, shining upon the golden-haired warrior.

He stood up, charging at the Red Young Dragon with mad speed.

With Samantha’s dragon roar, the silence spell on her neck shattered, but before the Flaming Dragon Breath could be unleashed, a sphere was thrown by the wanderer, exploding with a highly irritating aroma, causing Samantha to sneeze, fire spewing from her nostrils.

Looking up again.

The golden-haired warrior was already dangerously close, the door-panel greatsword cleaving towards her.

Restrained at every turn, Samantha realized she was no match for these humans.

Thanks to Galos’ teachings, she had much improved on arrogance and pride compared to before, suppressing the thought of fighting to the death, flaring her wings, soaring to retreat from battle.

But she only ascended a few meters.

A large net full of hooks was thrown by the wanderer, enveloping her body, and the dense iron hooks caught in her scale armor, making it hard to break free.

The golden-haired warrior grabbed the iron net with one hand, pulling it down forcefully, slowing Samantha’s ascent.

The caster completed another spell.

Anti-Air Spell! The solidified spell directly imprinted on Samantha’s wings, dispelling the mana.

An ordinary young dragon’s wings rely on mana, without which, using just their wings’ power is hard to support their heavy body, Samantha flapped a few times and was eventually dragged to the ground.

She tore apart the iron net, her face filled with rage.

If escape wasn’t an option, then fight to the death! A red dragon fears no challenge and no death! Samantha roared, re-engaging the battle with the five, although at a disadvantage, continually wounded, yet not beaten directly.

Meanwhile.

Amid the thick clouds high in the night sky.

Galos silently observed the battle below.

“These adventurers seem a bit weak, unable to take down even Samantha directly.”

“But just as I expected, flying mainly dependent on mana is indeed a major weakness, easy to target.”

When the battle began, Galos had just returned.

Seeing Samantha was not in life-threatening danger, he didn’t intervene immediately, instead watching quietly for a while, realizing these adventurers weren’t as formidable as he thought.

Next time facing adventurers, perhaps I needn’t be too cautious.

With my current strength, I should easily dispose of them.

Adventurers? Mere weaklings!

Thinking this, Galos shook his head briskly.

“Arrogance always grows quietly. I must be vigilant.”

“These must be the lowest-level adventurers, yet capable of handling a normal young dragon like Samantha, and they seem to want to capture it alive, so their attacks aren’t too fierce.”

Galos thought.

Determining these adventurers posed no significant threat, he folded his wings, and like guillotine blades, his dragon wings sliced through the night as he dived down at high speed.

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