Edith looked back at his companions, who were getting smaller and smaller until they were just a tiny black dot in the distance, growing more and more desperate. He, Edith Miller, one of the not-so-great but incredibly wealthy heirs of the Miller family, a rising star in the magical world who would fall before he could rise, the most handsome among the nouveau riche of the imperial capital, and the richest among the handsome youths, was he really going to lose his life in the Midnight Swamp today?
Edith looked up at the sky with tearful eyes, trying hard to open them wide so as not to let the tears fall. Indeed, he opened his eyes wide, but the tears flowed even more.
What was that coming from the other side? A huge dragon with dark bone wings broke through the deepest fog, its wings seemingly flowing with black fire serpents, sweeping across Edith's dark golden pupils without a trace of warmth.
The Black Dragon stopped in front of Edith, "Do me a favor, young man, and hand him over to me."
The Thunderhawk hesitated and released its claws. Before Edith could feel the sensation of falling, the Black Dragon's claw hooked around the back of his neck.
"Thanks," said the Black Dragon indifferently.
The Thunderhawk covered its head with its two non-flying wings, and Edith inexplicably saw a hint of "shyness" in it. It left Edith behind and walked away reluctantly.
Edith couldn't understand what the Black Dragon had said to the Thunderhawk, only knowing that the Thunderhawk seemed to have willingly given up its prey to the Black Dragon. Was it tribute, sacrifice, or taxation? But Edith was sure that his situation had become even more difficult.
Even if they sent the most elite army of the empire, they might not be able to save him from the legendary Black Dragon! How could there be a Black Dragon in the Midnight Swamp, weren't the dragons supposed to have disappeared long ago?
Unexpectedly, the Black Dragon put him under a tree and turned into a pink-haired girl in Edith's astonished eyes. She seemed to be in a hurry, wanting to pull Edith's robe off.
Edith didn't know why he hadn't fainted from fear until now, and for the first time, he hated himself for being so clear-headed before a crisis. Edith closed his eyes and shouted, "You might as well change back! How long will it take you to eat me with such a small mouth?!" He'd rather be swallowed whole by a giant dragon, bones and all than be slowly savored by cherry lips.
Ina looked at him speechlessly and hung Edith's robe on the tree top. "Just wait here," she said before hurriedly leaving.
When the others found Edith, he was leaning against the tree trunk, not daring to move at all. It was all because of the words "Just wait here."
Seeing his companions, Edith's eyes filled with tears, and he was extremely excited as if he was seeing his family. He stuttered, "Thunderhawk, met, I, put down…"
He covered his mouth, wanting to talk about encountering the Black Dragon, but he couldn't spit out those words.
Vila quickly checked his injuries and quietly sighed with relief when she saw that he wasn't seriously hurt. It was truly fortunate. They first encountered a four-winged Thunderhawk, which should not have appeared on the outskirts of the Midnight Swamp, and then someone in the team was taken away, luckily without any severe injuries.
Edith still wouldn't give up. He waved his arms, trying to imitate a dragon's wings, and exhaled to simulate breathing fire. Everyone watched his seemingly insane actions in silence.
After experiencing such a thrilling event, it was understandable that his behavior would be a bit abnormal. Benson draped Edith's robe over him and patted his shoulder comfortingly, "It's okay, you've been saved."
Edith shook his head immediately, the Black Dragon might come back! Thinking of this, he urged everyone to leave as soon as possible, the further the better, and it would be best to leave Misty Town tonight.
Everyone thought that he was just frightened, and it was already too late to leave. They could only make it back to the mercenary camp tonight, which was still relatively safe.
Edith's legs were too weak to stand, so Benson and Gwendolin supported him on each side. The mercenaries offered to carry Edith, but Benson stopped them.
He pointed out that the team's combat power had been greatly weakened. Among the mercenaries, Sage's shoulder was injured, Old John's weapon was lost during the battle, and Simon, carrying Edith's "staff," was severely affected by his movements. Under these circumstances, the remaining people should always be on guard, so it was better to let them support Edith as they walked.
Vila was deeply moved. Ever since Gwendolin started listening to others' opinions, Benson began expressing his thoughts, and Edith... as long as he remained in this dazed state, their team could become decisive and efficient, accomplishing tasks with exceptional effectiveness.
After returning to the mercenary camp, Gwendolin took the initiative to buy today's "hot meal quota" and gently asked Edith what he wanted to eat, which scared him into giving her a ghostly look. Had he been pulled into some illusion by the Black Dragon? Everything seemed too surreal!
The reclusive Benson was chatting with the mercenaries, discussing the procedures a mage would need to go through to accept a mission from the Mercenary Guild.
The haughty Gwendolin gently asked if Edith wanted some hot water, and she even took the initiative to help him treat the wounds on his shoulders and neck.
Vila, who was always busy, was leaning casually by the fire, humming a song and tapping her fingers to the beat with a relaxed expression on her face.
It's all fake! Edith pushed Gwendolin away and looked around, wanting to escape. He wanted to leave this false illusion and return to the harsh reality.
At this moment, Vila suddenly slapped her thigh: "I have something good here!"
She took out several flat bags from her backpack, found eight wooden bowl-shaped flowers, and first poured the contents of the bags into the wooden bowl flowers. Then she covered them with another wooden bowl of flowers. She drilled a hole at the top of the upper wooden bowl flower, poured in hot water, inserted a hollow plant stem, and stirred. She then handed it to Edith, "Drink it quickly."
Edith wanted to refuse at first, but the wooden bowl flower that was handed to him had a faint and irresistible aroma, which made him hesitate. The hollow plant stem was perfect as a straw, so Edith cautiously took a sip. The soft, rich flavor of oats and milk caught him off guard.
He hadn't eaten such normal food in days. Edith actively hugged the wooden bowl flower, his cheeks puffing as he drank the oatmeal porridge. Even if it was fake, he wanted to finish the whole bowl!
Vila prepared the same for the others, and everyone received a bowl of oatmeal porridge.
"What is this?" Gwendolin was very curious. She saw that the contents poured out of the bag were powders and granules, yet they turned into a thick, soft porridge without needing to be cooked.
"It's nutritious oatmeal," Vila explained. "The other day, I passed by the Dragonflame Restaurant and said that I seemed to see someone I knew. Later, I went there again and found out he was a senior in my college's fourth year. He works part-time at the Dragonflame Restaurant while waiting for Professor Derrick to arrive. The restaurant owner knew I was coming to Midnight Swamp, so he gave me some food."
Vila thought of the mysterious and enchanting lady who had also given her two wrapped packages of food and specifically told her to open them after a few days.
She unwrapped the paper box, which had intricate patterns imprinted on the seal. As she tore open the seal, Vila noticed a brief flow of magical power in those patterns, causing the paper box to heat up slightly.
When she opened the paper box, there were eight fragrant fried balls inside. Vila hurriedly called everyone over, "Come and eat them quickly! This aroma must be even better than the meat soup!"
The four mages rushed over and took a bite of the whole fried ball. The outer skin of the fried balls that had been left for a few days was still as crispy as if they had just come out of the pan. When they bit into it, the rich meat juice that seeped out made them glad that they had taken the entire fried ball into their mouths before biting into it, otherwise, the aroma would have been even stronger.
Without time to say much, everyone put a second fried ball into their mouths. They didn't want to eat them too quickly, so they puffed up their cheeks and chewed slowly, taking small bites.
The fried balls were made by mixing fresh meat with eggs, shrimp, and winter mushrooms to create a minced meat mixture. To make it easier to eat outdoors, they were made to be just the right size for a single bite.
"How can these fried balls be so delicious..." Gwendolin mumbled as she finished her first one.
"It's because we've been eating worse than dogs these past few days," Edith interjected. His spirits had improved significantly after eating, and he was no longer so jumpy.
Benson was particularly curious, "How can the fried balls stay warm and not spoil?"
Vila recalled the strange phenomenon when she opened the box and speculated, "This paper box may be a magic item, and it probably has the function of keeping things warm and fresh."
That's right, Ina had placed the incomplete version of Eternal Rune at the bottom of the paper box, and when she put the food in, she activated it by infusing it with magical power. She also used the magic spell "Flame Emblem" on the seal, which could heat the food inside for a moment when it was opened. As for why the Eternal Rune wasn't used directly to preserve the hot food, it was because the incomplete version of the Eternal Rune had limited magic storage, so placing the food at room temperature could prolong its freshness.
Vila gave the other box of fried balls to the "Scavenger" mercenaries to thank them for their protection over the past few days and their valiant rescue of Edith today. The mercenaries listened to the instructions for opening the box, then formed a circle and let Old John open the box of fried balls.
The paper box was opened, and five hands reached in at once, emptying it in an instant. No one spoke as they all chewed their food with their mouths closed. Simon swallowed the fried ball in his mouth and shouted loudly, "Who managed to grab two?"
Everyone shook their heads.