novelraw Chapter 192-2: The Last Believer Among the Half-Dragons (2)
Chapter 192-2: The Last Believer Among the Half-Dragons (2)
[…]
[After a long wait, the familiar footsteps gradually approached.]
[You tightened your grip on your spear and pressed yourself against the rock wall beside the entrance. When you looked over at Broken Horn Sharu, it too seemed very tense.]
[The footsteps drew closer and closer. The hybrid overseer was about to step inside…]
[Broken Horn Sharu nodded to you, then lunged first, its spear stabbing straight toward the overseer!]
[You no longer concealed yourself either, leaping out with Broken Horn Sharu to join the ambush.]
[The hybrid overseer, caught completely off guard, was struck by the spear, but the scene of blood spurting everywhere that you’d imagined did not occur.]
[Perhaps Broken Horn Sharu was too nervous, and its spear ended up striking the overseer’s body right on those patchy, uneven scales.]
[The spear couldn’t pierce the scales, and the ambush merely forced the hybrid overseer back a few steps.]
[And it was precisely this retreat that allowed the hybrid overseer to evade your fatal blow.][The hybrid overseer stared at you in astonishment, then began to laugh darkly.]
[It couldn’t help mocking you, how could you two lowly mining slaves dare to ambush it?]
[As it spoke, its fangs were bared, and it raised its sharp claws.]
[Broken Horn Sharu suddenly stepped in front of you, bluntly declaring that the plan had failed, telling you to hurry and escape the canyon, it would hold off the overseer for you.]
[Valiant Apostle, what will you do?]
[1. With tears of gratitude, choke out, “Brother, I’m really going to cry to death…” then immediately turn to leave the overseer’s cave and flee far away.]
[2. Shout with righteous fervor, “We’re brothers, come cut me down instead!” stepping in front of Broken Horn Sharu to cover its retreat.]
[3. Sing resolutely, “We walk the road ahead together, even if it’s a river, we cross it side by side!” and face death together with Broken Horn Sharu.]
Lin Xun twitched the corner of his mouth.
The first option could be ignored outright, it didn’t fit the half-dragon’s persona.
The second option could be used to push Sharu aside, so Lin Xun could show his true strength and switch to the Earth Giant Shell to flatten the overseer.
Broken Horn Sharu seemed to be a quest-related character. If it died, it would be a shame.
But judging from Sharu’s current demeanor, if he picked the second option, they’d probably stage some sentimental farce of ‘You go first,’ ‘No! I won’t leave, you go first.’
Rather than dithering and giving the overseer an opening, it would be better to attack directly. After all, with the little half-dragon under his Possession, its strength was now worlds apart from before…
Lin Xun ignored the jokey options and simply launched an attack.
[You, ruthless and decisive, chose not to take the ordinary path. Gripping your spear, you went straight for the kill!]
[You stepped past Broken Horn Sharu’s side. Under its stunned gaze, you launched your assault!]
[You raised your spear, driving it straight toward the hybrid overseer…]
[The hybrid overseer was already prepared, swinging its claws up to meet you!]
[Claws and wooden spear clashed. Broken Horn Sharu’s eyes went wide, it had fully expected you to die with your weapon shattered, but instead, you deflected the claws in a single motion and drove the wooden spear clean through the enemy’s chest.]
[The point where the spear pierced was also covered in mottled scales, but even those sturdy scales couldn’t withstand your full-force thrust.]
[The hybrid overseer clutched its chest in disbelief, then collapsed to the ground…]
[You have defeated the Hybrid Half-Dragon Who Gazes Upward. Experience slightly increased.]
[You obtained: Large Chunk Spirit Essence of Steadfast Will x1]
[You obtained: Diagram of the Underground Storage Location (Item)]
[You looked down at the corpse at your feet…]
[Hybrid Half-Dragon Who Gazes Upward: A half-dragon of somewhat noble bloodline. As the overseer who mixed-blood half-dragons, it had withheld many rewards from the mining slaves and possessed considerable wealth. It died to a fatal blow piercing its heart. Compatibility: 83% (+45%)]
[Would you like to Possess this Shell?]
Lin Xun thought briefly. He didn’t rush to Possess the Shell and continued roleplaying as the little dragon, waiting for the event to unfold further.
[Broken Horn Sharu’s eyes went wide, its mouth agape, not even noticing when drool dripped down.]
[It asked you in disbelief how you’d killed the overwhelmingly strong hybrid overseer, when you were clearly so weak.]
[You paused for a moment, then explained that perhaps the hybrid overseer’s body was frail, and overexertion had left its legs unsteady…]
[Broken Horn Sharu tilted its head in thought for a long while, then nodded and sighed to you that it was fortunate the overseer had exhausted itself during its bout with the female half-dragon. Otherwise, today’s outcome would have been at best one of you dead.]
[It urged you to check the Diagram of the Storage Location found on the overseer’s body. All the rewards the overseer had stolen over the years should be hidden there.]
[You quickly examined the diagram. Following the markings, you soon entered the living quarters and overturned the overseer’s bed.]
[A hole leading into the depths of the earth appeared before your eyes.]
[You stepped inside. The hole was piled with over a hundred pieces of jet-black ore, each about the size of a fist.]
[Upon closer inspection, you saw that even the lowest-quality Obsidian Venom Ore here was of Fine-Grade.]
[Broken Horn Sharu shouted with joy. It picked up a chunk of ore, caressed it, then put it down to pick up another and wipe it clean.]
[Broken Horn Sharu called out to you excitedly that with so much ore, you and it could both become Hybrid Half-Dragons, and never have to mine again!]
[You and Broken Horn Sharu were both immersed in your joy.]
[After a long while, it suddenly seemed to recall something. With a grave look, it asked you whether you’d found the secret rite needed to awaken the bloodline on the overseer’s body.]
[You snapped back to your senses at once and shook your head repeatedly.]
[Broken Horn Sharu looked at you skeptically, thinking perhaps you’d searched poorly and missed something…]
[It led you back out of the underground storage and searched the corpse again, but still found nothing.]
[There were still a few more branching passages in the cave. Broken Horn Sharu gestured for you to split up and look. If the secret rite wasn’t found, all the ore would be useless. Once the murder of the overseer came to light, you and it would have no choice but to flee for your lives.]
[You stepped into another passage to search. At the end of the passage, the chamber was filled with strips of dried meat. Overcome with hunger, you couldn’t resist sneaking a few pieces to eat.]
[After rummaging through everything, you didn’t find any item resembling a ‘secret rite.’]
[You left that passage and entered another to continue your search…]
[…]
[After a long time, you and Broken Horn Sharu met back up. From the disappointment on each other’s faces, you both understood the answer.]
Following the flow of the event, Lin Xun was not in any rush. He still had another hypothesis.
Perhaps the secret rite was like a skill, something he would gain automatically upon Possessing the overseer’s Shell.
“Should I come clean with Sharu?”
Lin Xun deliberated for a moment but still chose to continue roleplaying.
[Broken Horn Sharu looked anxious. If the secret rite could not be found, the dreams you and it shared would never be realized, and once the matter came to light, your lives would be in grave danger.]
[It paced back and forth for a long time before finally calming down. It told you that as things stood, you and it could only quietly hide the ore, then destroy the corpse and wait for a chance to find the secret rite.]
[At this moment, there was still plenty of time before the end of the mining shift when the overseer would come to collect the ore, enough time to finish these tasks.]
[Once everything was done, you would return to the mine together and pretend you had been working all along, so no one would suspect a thing.]
[You returned to the underground storage again.]
[You took the blanket Broken Horn Sharu handed you and began wrapping up the ore. Behind you, Broken Horn Sharu busied itself gathering up the pieces…]
[While you were working, you suddenly felt a sharp pain in your back, a spear thrust into your spine.]
[You turned your head and saw Broken Horn Sharu wearing an expression full of guilt.]
[It released the spear, staggered back a few steps, and covered its face, weeping…]