novelraw Chapter 56: The Value of a Faerie Dragon
Chapter 56: The Value of a Faerie Dragon
The night was illuminated by glowing dust, brightening the surrounding area like daylight for a brief moment, dispelling all darkness and shadows.
However, this only lasted an instant.
Garoth's massive, powerful dragon wings stirred up a fierce gale that scattered the glowing dust, sending countless light points flying in all directions like fireflies, shattering the blinding white light into fragments.
Narrowing his eyes, his vertical dragon pupils locked onto the faerie dragon ahead.
Whoosh!
Dust and debris flew as rocks and dead branches were sent tumbling.
Garoth brutally cleaved through obstructing trees in a straight-line pursuit of the faerie dragon.
The faerie dragon nimbly skimmed across the treetops.
Hearing the tremendous commotion approaching from behind, its silver-gray glowing butterfly-like wings fluttered, producing a melodious sound reminiscent of flowing water cascading down a snowy mountain peak.
Phantom Sound Technique!The sound wormed its way into Garoth's ears, making his mind sway as the scenery before his eyes twisted and distorted.
The scattered rocks on the ground and surrounding trees seemed to come alive, growing limbs that danced wildly while newly formed mouths sang shrill nursery rhymes, creating a bizarre and fantastical scene.
"Illusion?!"
Garoth's heart chilled as he raised a claw and smacked his own head hard.
Without proper countermeasures, physical blows to one's own head could somewhat suppress illusionary effects.
Bam!
Garoth's head buzzed from the impact, leaving him slightly dizzy.
Under this dizzying assault, the chaotic nursery rhymes in his ears vanished, and the dancing rocks and trees stilled, returning to normal.
Taking advantage of Garoth's distraction from the illusion, the faerie dragon Vira fled further away.
Weaving through the treetops, its tail curled around a branch to swing its body forward, simultaneously tossing three small teddy bear dolls woven from yellowish-brown fur toward Garoth.
Phantom Secret Puppets!
The moment the dolls fell, they suddenly expanded into three roaring Rampage Bears charging at Garoth.
These bears appeared lifelike, their movements accompanied by thunderous momentum as if they were real creatures.
"This little thing has quite the bag of tricks."
Garoth raised his right wing like a massive guillotine blade, swiftly slicing through several Rampage Bears and splitting them in half—yet they remained unfazed, continuing their assault.
The young Red Iron Hybrid Dragon neither dodged nor evaded, allowing the bears' attacks to pass harmlessly through his body.
Whoosh!
Scales on his wings rubbed together, sparking a dense shower of sparks as Garoth barreled through the three phantom bears, reducing them back to tufts of fur.
With dramatically increased speed, Garoth streaked across the low sky, closing in on the faerie dragon in an instant.
Extending a claw, he grabbed the faerie dragon's tiny body.
Yet there was no sensation of catching anything solid.
Garoth stopped and opened his claw, finding only pollen-like particles in his palm—no sign of the faerie dragon.
Lifting his head, his gaze swept the surroundings but found no trace of his target. Crouching low with wings spread, he carefully sensed vibrations in the air—still nothing.
After pacing restlessly for a while,
Garoth angrily whipped his tail against the ground, carving deep trenches as he vented his fury for several minutes before finally soaring into the dark night sky and disappearing.
After he left,
About half an hour passed.
Hidden within a rock crevice, the faerie dragon Vira finally exhaled in relief as her Invisibility and Breath Concealment spells expired, revealing her cat-sized body.
"Stupid dragon with dull senses—couldn't catch me, must be furious now."
Her mood brightened considerably, earlier tension and fear evaporating completely.
Red Dragons and Iron Dragons—both formidable in direct combat, savage and powerful—were never known for acute perception. A hybrid of the two shouldn't excel in this area either.
Vira realized her fear might have been unnecessary.
Had she been careful from the start, focusing on maintaining her invisibility and breath concealment spells, that dumb hybrid would never have detected her. She'd only been discovered earlier because she'd panicked and given herself away.
"If it's still living at Rampage Bear Ridge,"
"Next time I'll sneak up quietly—pluck its scales or stuff a stinkflower up its nose while it sleeps, then sprinkle some ash for good measure. That'll teach it!"
Having long inhabited Serene Spirit Wilderness alongside other friendly fey creatures, Vira disliked fighting and killing. This was the extent of malice she could conceive.
Emerging from the rock crevice,
The faerie dragon delighted in her vicious revenge plan.
Imagining the evil dragon sneezing or even vomiting from the stench, she couldn't help rolling gleefully across the leaf-strewn ground, laughing uncontrollably while staring belly-up at the sky.
Then her laughter froze.
She saw a crimson meteor descending from above.
No—not a real meteor, but the Red Iron Hybrid Dragon whose wingbeats trailed dense sparks, resembling a falling star.
After diving from high altitude for acceleration, its speed became incomparable—far exceeding its earlier pursuit pace near the ground. Its terrifying blade-like wings split the night, emitting a shriek that sent panic through Vira's heart.
The faerie dragon's frozen smile
Now adorned Garoth's draconic face.
Grinning ferociously, he declared: "Little one, the chase ends here."
Vira fluttered her wings to take flight, but within seconds was firmly grasped by the rapidly approaching Garoth—this time catching her true form. Having nearly exhausted her magical energy during the escape, she could no longer muster the costly Phantom Body Technique.
"Waaah! I'll never be curious again!"
Tears welled in her eyes as the faerie dragon whimpered under the overwhelming pressure from Garoth's claws, pleading: "Please let me go! I swear I won't stuff stinkflowers up your nose for revenge!"
Garoth studied the faerie dragon intently.
Judging by its size, it should be an adult.
However,
Faerie Dragon adulthood differs from other dragons.
With short lifespans, they're considered adults after age 20—yet even adult Faerie Dragons only reach about life level 6, though they excel at survival and escape.
"Her speech is childish, mentality immature—unlike a dragon over 20 years old, more resembling a hatchling under six. Her origins must be unusual,"
Garoth pondered silently.
"As you can see, I'm no evil dragon."
He told the faerie dragon.
Not evil? Vira blinked, then nodded vigorously: "Yes, yes! Vira could tell immediately—you're not evil, you're a very good, kind dragon!"
Garoth smiled slightly. "Therefore, I won't kill you."
Before the faerie dragon could rejoice, he continued pointedly: "But you must still pay for your offense against me."
Her illusions could help train his mental resistance.
Wild beasts mastering illusion magic were rare in the wilderness, and illusionists scarce even in civilized society. Having caught a Faerie Dragon proficient in illusions, he intended to thoroughly exploit this opportunity to strengthen his mental defenses.
Moreover,
Faerie Dragons themselves held value.
His inherited memories mentioned—
The scales on their butterfly-like wings could stimulate mental faculties, relieving fatigue and tension while enhancing perception, reflexes, and mental fortitude—effective even on fellow dragons, with greater potency than on other creatures.