The once wide and desolate street now felt somewhat constricted due to the arrival of a massive guest. The spiked-back earth dragon surveyed the neatly arranged buildings with its fierce, prominent head, appearing both confused and enraged. Where had those insignificant little creatures gone? As the ruler of this forest, it had not encountered such elusive prey in many years. Though it had lived for a long time, it had come across a few such cunning creatures before. Individually, they were hardly a threat, but when several of these little reptiles worked together, they could be quite troublesome. However, compared to their delicious flesh, the trouble they posed was negligible. As a top-tier magical beast, its life revolved around eating, sleeping, and defending its territory, leaving little room for entertainment. Occasionally encountering a more challenging prey could serve as a form of amusement.
It had been here before, having stumbled into this place without understanding how to navigate the maze-like forest. But its innate instincts warned it that something was amiss; the atmosphere felt oppressive, and the area, filled with strange stones, lacked vitality and offered no prey. After that, it retreated back into the maze. This time, however, it had followed a few prey into this very location. Dragons were not known for their temperance, and having inherited some dragon blood, it was even more prone to rage. In its fury, it disregarded the sense of suppression that typically accompanied encounters with higher beings.
Lowering its massive head, it sniffed the ground, only to find no trace of the insignificant reptiles. The absence of prey in its line of sight and the inability to track their scent made the earth dragon even more irritable. It dashed back and forth along the main street of the castle, its fury affecting the surrounding buildings. Many flimsy structures crumbled under the force of the fireballs it unleashed. It was unclear whether it was venting its anger or genuinely believed that this would force its prey to reveal themselves.
Meanwhile, a few uninvited human guests had arrived before it. Joanna, an assassin by trade, was naturally skilled at concealing her presence. She quickly slipped into an empty house, successfully evading the notice of the earth dragon that arrived a little later, ensuring they remained undetected for the time being.
A spectacular show could not have only one set of protagonists. Fars didn't mind letting a magical beast steal his thunder; he also didn't mind writing a tragic ending for them. For the sake of the unfolding drama, the esteemed Viscount Fars de Hill willingly took on the role of a supporting character, acting as a guide for the spiked-back earth dragon.
This time, the guide was indeed diligent, unlike when he had led Master Perugino and the others through the Qihar Mountains, where they had meandered endlessly. Fars simply mimicked the earth dragon's attacks, unleashing a massive fireball directly at their hiding place.
Whether the earth dragon understood Fars's "good intentions" or not, it was drawn to the commotion he caused. The explosion certainly caught the dragon's attention, and the shadows of several figures darting out from the collapsed building fell into its line of sight. It followed the script that Fars had set, relentlessly pursuing the fleeing figures.
The group hiding in the house felt no difference in this explosion; they assumed it was just the earth dragon accidentally hitting their location. Fortunately, they reacted quickly, dragging the injured mage out of the house just in time to avoid the falling debris. Except for Perugino, who was a seasoned mage, the others were novices when it came to magic and failed to realize that this attack had not originated from the dragon but from the vampire lurking in the shadows. The mage, who had been struggling to maintain his composure, was too focused on stabilizing himself to notice the sudden attack, believing instead that fortune had merely turned a blind eye to them.
Among the five, the strongest mage was severely injured. Sir Dull, the knight, had exhausted much of his energy outside the castle and could barely muster any fighting power. Agno was in poor shape as well; although he hadn't been directly hit by the dragon, he had sustained internal injuries from several collisions. Joanna was still relatively intact and had enough stamina to last a while longer. As for Panas, without the protection of the others, he would have no hope of escaping on his own.
With little chance of finding a place to hide from the dragon, which had locked onto them with its blood-red eyes, it was clear that they would not be released without a fight. They had two options: either make a desperate stand or continue to rely on the terrain to buy time against the dragon. Their hopes rested on the mage, who they saw as their last glimmer of hope for survival. Likewise, the mage needed their cooperation and protection to survive.
Having been pursued for so long and pushed to the brink of life and death, the mage could no longer afford to be cautious. He prepared to use the reward that the Medici family had pre-paid to Master Perugino for this exploration—a legendary spell scroll personally crafted by the legendary mage. Although it didn't seal a legendary-level spell, it was still a product of legendary hands. The effects of the same spell cast by a mage and a legendary mage would differ vastly, primarily due to the depth of the principles contained within the spell. Originally, Master Perugino intended for this scroll to serve as a means to observe and comprehend the profound principles of magic, enhancing his understanding, rather than as a weapon. After all, gaining an apprenticeship under a legendary figure was nearly impossible without deep connections. Having a scroll crafted by a legendary mage would certainly help Perugino navigate his path as a mage with fewer detours.
Fars felt honored to witness the techniques of a legendary mage once again. The first time, he had experienced it firsthand, only to meet a tragic end. This time, he was merely an observer, and the battlefield was still some distance away. The vast area of influence from the top-tier spell diminished the effectiveness of the magical towers at the corners of the castle. Furthermore, the magical towers were inherently robust, so Fars had no reason to worry about being caught in the crossfire.
Perugino used the scroll, which required little casting time, but to better control this spell that exceeded his limits, the master chose to recite the incantation, enhancing the spell's effectiveness and control. Fars, being at a distance, couldn't quite make out what Perugino was chanting. However, when the sky suddenly darkened and ominous clouds gathered, he couldn't help but tremble under the weight of this celestial power. The spiked-back earth dragon, at the center of the spell, sensed the impending doom and immediately turned to flee from the deadly attack. It had felt this overwhelming force before, in encounters with lord-level magical beasts. However, magical beasts did not typically engage in random slaughter, especially not those of lord-level; they were intelligent enough not to attack weaker creatures without reason. To the dragon, even the strongest magical beasts it had encountered were merely insignificant ants, and the pressure exerted by a passing lord-level beast had left an indelible mark on its memory.
The earth dragon was fast, but it could not outrun the overwhelming force of the descending thunder. Countless chains of lightning instantly ensnared the dragon, and its once proud, highly resistant skin crackled under the electric onslaught. The external muscles were likely already compromised, as the power of the lightning invaded its body, wreaking havoc. The anguished roar of the spiked-back earth dragon echoed throughout the castle, so loud that Fars could hear it clearly even with his hands over his ears.
This top-tier spell was not so easily concluded. After the thunderous chains fell, several thick purple bolts of lightning began to gather in the sky. It was undoubtedly an ancient spell, similar to the "Scorching Death Ray" that Master Perugino had used last time, but of an even higher level. Crafted by legendary hands, this spell's power was pushed to its limits. Each bolt of lightning that struck down mercilessly battered the earth dragon, leaving it in tatters.
Yet, the earth dragon was a true top-tier magical beast; it would not simply resign itself to fate. Under the immense pressure of the legendary spell, it awakened the primal power within its bloodline. Bathed in its own blood, the dragon finally erupted as the last and most powerful bolt of lightning descended. This time, it was not a cry of pain but a thunderous roar—a true dragon's roar.
While it was correct to call the earth dragon a dragon, its roar had merely been a beast's growl; it could not produce a true dragon's roar, as it only had a few drops of dragon blood in its veins. In the face of death, the overwhelming power of the legendary spell and the irresistible force of nature ignited the earth dragon's will to survive. Its blood, bright red, enveloped the dying dragon, and for a moment, the darkened sky, shrouded in clouds, was filled with an unstoppable crimson light. The spiked-back earth dragon poured all its life force into a final confrontation with the last and most powerful bolt of lightning.
The collision of bloodlight and lightning erupted in a dazzling display in the sky. The dragon was not dead; Fars could still sense the life force flowing within it. Now, its flesh was torn and exposed to the air, and the scent of its blood, laced with dragon essence, tempted Fars immensely—far more enticing than the blood of the wolf king.
The faces of those who had hoped for the dragon's immediate demise changed as they saw it still alive. All their available means had been exhausted, yet they had not managed to eliminate the spiked-back earth dragon. However, the dragon was indeed in a dire state; having burned its life force to block the final bolt of lightning, it was on the brink of collapse, and death was merely a matter of time.
The dragon continued to burn its life force, barely propping itself up. Even if it were to die in the next moment, it was determined to take a few of those insignificant reptiles with it.
Faced with a dragon that had long since abandoned its will to live, the group could only scatter in a panic. Staying together could very well lead to their demise. As for those unfortunate enough to catch the dragon's attention, they could only blame their bad luck. None among them had the strength to protect others. The saying "every man for himself" had never been more fitting. Among them, only the mage capable of using flight magic sensed the impending danger. Without hesitation, he cast the spell on himself and flew toward the castle's exit, no longer caring about the fates of the others.
Fars's script had not been written this way; he had not anticipated that the dragon would be driven to such desperation. However, the unfortunate mage was now flying directly toward the direction of Fars's magical tower, rendering the script irrelevant.