The Dragon's Pact: A Princess for the Flame

Chapter 74

The dragon's roar, like a thunderous explosion, pierced through the night like lightning, startling the creatures in the Silvermoon Forest.

A flock of bats tumbled to the ground in a daze, then flapped their wings in terror, making a "flap-flap" sound.

Equally startled were the drowsy human soldiers, as well as Wemons, who was lost in the afterglow, and Meima Gōgōko, who felt nothing at all.

"What was that sound?!"

Wemons pulled up his pants and ran out of the tent.

The night was as dark as ink, the moonlight hazy.

"Whoosh—"

A shadow swooped overhead with a whistle.

"It's a Black Dragon! Be on alert!!"

Wemons shouted loudly, watching the shadow flash past the full moon, alerting the soldiers around him.

The whistling sound came again.

The Black Dragon had lowered its altitude and began to dive.

"Hiss—"

A ghastly green Dragonbreath spread across the sky, ravaging the camp as the Black Dragon flew.

"Scatter, quickly scatter, don't bunch up!"

The soldiers were caught off guard by the Black Dragon and scattered in all directions.

Some soldiers were already ablaze with greenish-blue flames, wailing as they searched for water.

But in their frantic rush, they ignited their comrades.

"Whoosh—"

Su Nian circled in the sky and dove again.

He consciously drove these humans towards the Kobold traps.

The dragon's head tilted slightly.

Ghastly green magma dripped from the dragon's mouth.

A gurgling sound came from his throat.

He targeted a densely populated area where soldiers were pushing a siege crossbow.

The scorching acidic dragon flame spewed once more.

"Hiss—"

A streak of greenish-blue fire shot into the crowd.

Dozens of arrows were fired in return, striking Su Nian's abdomen and wings, but only leaving faint white marks. Su Nian barely felt any pain.

He was no longer the frail Black Dragon he once was.

The human camp was large, and Su Nian couldn't cover it all with his Dragonbreath; each breath could only affect a small area.

Moreover, these soldiers weren't all pushovers.

Most of those brought to slay the dragon were seasoned veterans.

And Wemons held considerable authority.

So after the initial chaos, the human army had reorganized.

They formed a phalanx and withdrew from the camp, which had too many burning materials.

A dozen siege crossbows were brought out, and Su Nian immediately flew higher.

When he had raided the Anrius palace to abduct Anna, these siege crossbows had nearly shot him down.

The ballista bolts, as thick as a baby's arm, with barbs and ropes, were enough to give Su Nian a hard time if they hit.

Charging in now would be foolish.

As Su Nian observed the human army, Wemons was also watching the dragon circling in the sky.

His soldiers had lost over three hundred men, with many others bearing burns, and only a dozen siege crossbows remained; the rest were destroyed by fire.

"This Black Dragon isn't the same as the last one!"

Wemons' expression was grave.

The previous Black Dragon had a skeletal face, was skin and bones, and could only use Acid Breath.

But this Black Dragon was different.

It was muscular, larger, with a short, thick neck, a broad mouth, and demonic curved horns like a crown on its head.

This was a variant Black Dragon.

Variants often meant powerful and troublesome.

Wemons couldn't understand.

Anrius was just a small place; how could two Black Dragons appear one after another? It was maddening.

"Gōgōko, when the Black Dragon dives to breathe again, please cast a spell shield to block it."

"Right now, only the siege crossbows and your Fireburst Spell can threaten it, but if it doesn't come close, we can't do anything."

"Oh, oh..."

Meima Gōgōko nodded, still shaken.

The sudden appearance of the Black Dragon had left her stunned.

A fleeting glimpse in the chaotic battlefield, those pale golden dragon eyes filled with killing intent and coldness, were etched deeply in her mind.

Without seeing a Black Dragon, one couldn't understand the feeling; only knowing from words how terrifying they were.

When truly facing such a mythical creature, Meima Gōgōko felt a chill down her spine.

It was like being locked in a zoo's lion and tiger enclosure, sharing a room with lions and tigers.

The ground suddenly trembled.

"Rumble—"

It was as if a legion was approaching.

But Wemons had no time to worry about that, as the Black Dragon in the sky began to dive again.

"Adjust the ballista angle!"

At Wemons' command, the soldiers began adjusting the siege crossbows' angles, moving with the Black Dragon's flight.

They aimed ahead of the dragon's flight path.

This way, they could not only hit the Black Dragon but also strike its chest and abdomen.

The Black Dragon drew closer.

"Gōgōko, shield!"

Wemons shouted, and Meima Gōgōko instinctively chanted magic, releasing a ten-meter radius elemental shield to protect the siege crossbows, while she began conjuring a Fireburst Spell fireball.

"Closer, yes, keep flying!"

Wemons muttered with a sinister look, calculating the distance.

However, just as it was about to enter the effective range of the ballista, the Black Dragon didn't come closer; it spread its wings and ascended again, as if toying with the humans.

"Damn it!"

Wemons slapped his thigh, cursing the Black Dragon's caution and cunning.

In the sky, Su Nian began issuing commands in Draconic language to the creatures:

"All creatures, attack the ballistae; their ballistae haven't adjusted their firing angles yet."

"Charge in, smash them!"

"Roar—"

A chorus of howls erupted.

From the surrounding bushes emerged countless eyes glowing with bloodthirsty red light, the murderous intent making the soldiers' scalps tingle.

A gale swept through the forest, leaves swirling in the night sky, even the insects' chirping gradually ceased.

"It's creatures, so many creatures, oh my god!"

"By Emperor Xivi! What are these things?!"

"This, how is this possible?"

...

The soldiers were dumbfounded as they watched the charging Gnolls.

They had seen Gnolls before.

But never such strong Gnolls.

These Gnolls stood over two meters tall, their gray manes sleek and shiny, muscles bulging all over, their arms as thick as the soldiers' thighs.

Coiled around their necks were menacing black water pythons, and the leading Gnolls rode on massive Rock-Helmed Crocodiles.

The key was that these Rock-Helmed Crocodiles were incredibly fast, like arrows, instantly reaching the ballista formation.

Even more outrageous, behind the Gnolls were Blazing Rabbits riding Spear Boars.

The Spear Boars had bloodthirsty eyes, sharp tusks, and were taller than the knights' warhorses.

Their backs had muscles bulging into small hills, and the Blazing Rabbits sitting behind them were even more bizarre.

They had fierce eyes and swollen muscles.

Completely different from the Blazing Rabbits served on dining tables.

In the moment the soldiers were stunned, the creatures had already charged into the shield and smashed the ballistae to pieces.

Even a Blazing Rabbit with a gold chain and a cigarette had started beating up a soldier.

The ballistae were all destroyed by the creatures.

Su Nian let out a sinister laugh, flapping his wings and diving down.

"Awaken, it's hunting time!"

"Kehehe..."