Murky, his tongue tied and anxious, huddled behind a crumbling hut, desperately seeking refuge in the shadows to avoid attracting the attention of the colossal dragon lurking nearby. Perplexity consumed him as fear and fascination intertwined in his mind.
A hundred dragons wreaked havoc on the opposing side, encircling a group of bloodied Draugr warriors fighting for their survival, it made the hair on his back stand up straight and hard.
"The kids, and two girls-"
Murmuring barely audibly, Murky explained the reason why he had left the kid, who had commanded a large flock of poultry dragons earlier, to the care of Rogar.
He knew that the kid and the two little girls would be safe in the underground Rogar of Draugrskins. Plus, Murky was informed that the kid couldn't control Dragon bull horses, let alone handle the presence of these monstrous creatures soaring through the sky, instinctively shooting at everything in sight.
So he just let it be, they had done enough for him. Yet, now, Murky somehow wanted the kid to be here, so he could save these dragons.
After that, he thought that it's better to think of this mission and began to ponder how he could acquire one of those magnificent creatures ridden by the Draugr warriors.
"Poultry Bull horses, remnants of ancient poultry dragons lingering in this forsaken place," Murky muttered urgently.
"If the system predicts their loss, it means they may perish, even with the Draugr warriors atop them."
Murky mumbled, but continued, "However, the fate of the warriors is inconsequential to me. My sole mission is to save at least one, to unlock the secrets of these Draugrskins. I must concentrate on finding a way to achieve that."
He cautiously peered out from behind the hut, meticulously surveying the area to assess the condition of the surviving poultry bull horses.
Soon, Murky's eyes widened as he beheld a monstrous creature with the head of an ox and four colossal horns, its muscular equine body dwarfing ordinary horses. Beads of sweat formed on his forehead, evidence of the anxiety coursing through his veins.
"Damn it," he cursed softly, his heart sinking at the sight of the battered and bloodied poultry bull horses.
Some had their formidable horns severed, others were missing tails, and a few were tragically crippled, their legs shattered beyond repair, such an imaginable look to these glorious and magnificent creatures.
"If I don't act now, their demise is certain and the mission given to me by the system will fail!"
He hesitated for a moment, contemplating which bull horses he should prioritize for protection. Yet, Murky also fully recognized his own physical limitations, understanding that his frail body made scaling the backs of these magnificent creatures an insurmountable task.
"What do I do? How do I save them with this weak body of mine?"
A sudden flicker of recollection sparked in Murky's mind. "Oh, I forgot... I actually have them!"
His hands frantically rummaged through his chest, hastily sifting through the items he had stashed before venturing into the treacherous cave to tame the dragon called Snow White.
Realization widened his eyes as he retrieved a small flask.
Triumphantly raising his arms, he called out, "I've got natural spring water!"
His words echoed through the air, carrying a mix of hope and desperation.
Moments later, a Draugr warrior, wrapped in mysterious Draugrskins, materialized from the depths of the battlefield against the dragons and slowly approached Murky's location.
A glimmer of excitement danced in Murky's eyes.
"Look, he's riding a bull horse! Haha! Luckily, I happen to have the flask of Natural spring water right here with me."
Murky shook the flask, its appearance resembling the gut or intestine of a dragon, while its contents held the precious spring water extracted from the cave, accessible only to those who possessed the awakened dragon gene.
He understood well the rarity and significance of the spring water. When the Draugr warrior caught sight of the flask, a flicker of surprise crossed his face, and Murky sensed the doubt lingering in their eyes.
This sudden appearance must have left the warrior baffled.
"Hey there, young fella, is that flask truly filled with the natural spring water you claim it to be?"
The Draugr warrior inquired, their skepticism still evident.
Ding!
[ Name: Unknown
[ Level: 10.
[ Dragon class: Unknown.
[ Dragon Talent: Unknown.
[ Status: Draugrskins Draugr warrior. ]
"Indeed," Murky replied, cautiously extending the flask toward the Draugr warrior.
Obtaining the spring water is a lengthy process. One must wait for a minimum of five hours to collect just a few teaspoons.
Considering the frail bodies of those Draugrskins who have yet to awaken their dragon gene, not to mention the suffocating atmosphere within the cave, they can only manage to procure two or three teaspoons mostly at a time.
The Draugr warrior in the gate who gave Murky four buckets to fetch the spring water was referring to another spring within the cave, not the one known as the Natural Spring water, which is purer and has a more potent effect compared to the ordinary counterpart.
In his hands, inside the flask, was the precious spring water.
However, instead of accepting the flask, the Draugr warrior's expression contorted into one of anger.
"What the hell are you blabbering about, kid!? Don't waste our precious time!" His hand extended towards Murky, still seething with frustration.
"Don't you dare lie again! Stop fooling around and get your sorry ass out of there, you lucky piece of little shit!"
The Draugr warrior cursed, his rage directed solely at Murky.
As the massive hand neared him, Murky grasped the reason behind the warrior's fury in an instant.
'Did he believe I was deceiving him, that the flask contained spring water and not the coveted Natural spring water?'
He pondered silently.
The usage of spring waters varied, serving as an energy booster, alleviating minor fatigue, healing shallow scratches or wounds, and other minor ailments.
However, the Natural spring water possessed enhanced properties, exerting a more potent effect than its ordinary counterpart.
The reason for the Draugr warrior's anger became clear to Murky. If he possessed the Natural spring water, the surrounding dragons would have undoubtedly detected his presence, attacking him relentlessly.
This was due to the concentration of Ancient Dragon's breath infused within the Natural spring water, which accelerated the genetic development of dragons that consumed or came into contact with it.
"No!"
Murky exclaimed, adamantly refusing to be taken captive. In a sudden display of desperation, he sank his teeth into his own left arm, which was already injured and nearly broken from Snow White's bite.
The Draugr warrior and the bull horse beneath him stared at Murky, their faces frozen in disbelief. Blood trickled from his arm, jolting the Draugr warrior back to reality.
"You damned kid! You know you're not supposed to be here! You just awakened your dragon gene! You should have headed straight to Rogar!"
The warrior's words reverberated through Murky's ears.
Ignoring the warrior's admonishment, Murky swiftly opened the flask he had dropped and consumed its contents.
Gulp!
Gulp!
As the liquid coursed down his throat, a sensation of lightness washed over his body, and his vision seemed to blur, resembling a rapid ride on a speeding bus.
Murky was aware of the Draugr warriors' colossal size, their arms almost as large as his entire teenage body.
It came as no surprise that he was easily overpowered and quickly seized. In the midst of being hoisted onto the back of the bull horse, Murky noticed that the Draugr warrior paid no further attention to him.
"Wait!"
Murky attempted to speak, but both the bull horses and the Draugr warrior disregarded his wo
"GRAAAAAA!"
The warrior bellowed, his voice echoing through the air as he raised his massive steel sword.