Chapter 3: Luck is Becoming a Father!
Chapter 3: Luck is... Becoming a Father!
The terrifying black smoke shot straight into the sky.
Matthew stood in place, watching the distant collapsing walls and the gradually spreading pungent smell, his heart sinking slightly:
"The people of Sweetwater Town are done for!"
"Even if they weren't killed by the breath directly, the corrosive gas spreading out will burn through their lungs..."
"This is the living world, where you never know if surprises or disasters will come first!"
Not thinking about the black dragon that had disappeared into the distance, Matthew closed his eyes, did some mental fortification, then turned to look at the people in a dazed state, and shouted in a low voice:
"Let's go, we need to take a detour. The poison gas is coming soon."
"Leave everything behind. We can come back after the gas disperses..."
"Also, tear off some cloth, make scarves, soak them in water, and cover your mouth and nose. Hurry to the nearest high ground..."
Before the dazed people could react, the old steward Ralph had already slapped Old John on the head and shouted loudly:
"Did you hear that? Hurry and do as the Lord says; it will save your lives!"
As he shouted, Ralph pulled out the dagger from his waist and quickly stabbed it into a cloth bag, pulling out over ten pieces of linen clothing.
Angela, who had rushed over, drew her sword and with a few swift cuts, split them open and threw them into a bucket of water.
Under the threat of death, the panicked crowd, who had surged forward, was forced back by Angela's raised sword, and Ralph sternly scolded:
"Line up! We have time. If anyone tries to push, I'll break their legs!"
Whether it was Ralph's long-standing authority and fairness or Angela's gleaming sword that worked, after the initial chaos, everyone obediently lined up and followed Ralph's instructions to run towards the distant hillside.
Ralph tied the remaining wet cloth around the mules, who were collapsed on the ground, unable to stand, and sighed.
"What a disaster out of nowhere!"
Locking the door behind him, Matthew got off the carriage and, with Angela's pull, quickly ran into the distance.
Matthew felt the frailty of his body, and a hint of helplessness flashed through his mind as he secretly made up his mind:
"This weak body won't do; strengthening and modification must be prioritized!"
After running to the small hillside, everyone panted heavily, turning to look back.
A thin mist blew in with the wind, and wherever it passed, the lush green plants quickly withered.
The area where the caravan had been was also shrouded in grayish-white mist, and the mules left behind soon let out painful whinnies.
Ralph's face was full of distress; these were the Lord's property, and it was his duty to protect them.
If these mules died, and the supply town Sweetwater Town was devastated, the supplies would have to be moved by human power, which would disrupt the planned itinerary.
Spending the night outdoors with the Blood Moon approaching was an extremely dangerous thing!
Matthew was still unaware of everyone's worries; he was now feeling deeply afraid.
"Fortunately, we were delayed by two hours. If we had already entered Sweetwater Town, I probably would have died before even starting my mission..."
"This is what 'Misfortune 5' brings; a 100% death rate is no joke!"
"But the death crisis is avoided, and the Luck 4 reward hasn't been fulfilled yet?"
Subconsciously rubbing his temples, Matthew sarcastically reflected to himself. Ralph, thinking his lord was worried about the situation, quickly comforted him:
"Lord, you don't need to worry. A creature of the black dragon's level appearing and attacking a town would surely draw the attention of our monitoring spell arrays..."
"That's probably why the black dragon fled!"
With the current power of the Netheril Empire, the Great Arcanists with an average level over 25 would be very happy to capture this troublemaking black dragon.
Whether to bleed it for farming or to use it for spell experiments, both are very satisfying methods.
Just then, a flash of azure light streaked through the sky, and Matthew immediately recognized its origin.
"Teleportation wave!"
As the teleportation array's fluctuations settled, a red figure fell straight to the ground.
A pale face, with a chest corroded by acid, leaving a gaping, bloody hole.
No need to check, they're dead!
But with his keen observation, Matthew noticed the bald head and the iconic red robe on the body.
"Sure enough, it's those mad Red Robe Mages. What were they thinking, provoking a black dragon? Now they've lost their lives and taken a town down with them!"
Well-versed in such matters, Matthew immediately recognized the origin and knew that these mages from the Kingdom of Thay were nothing but madmen and zealots.
Just as Matthew was pondering what the Red Robe Mages had done to provoke the black dragon.
A black, oval object landed in front of Matthew, making a creaking sound.
It was a large, jet-black iron egg, with faint dark green corrosion marks on its surface, emitting wisps of black smoke.
Clearly, it had been heavily damaged in the black dragon's breath attack.
Matthew blinked in confusion at the heavily damaged dragon egg before him, then noticed that cracks were forming on the dark egg shell.
A slightly flattened, dark head poked out from the crack, followed by two chubby claws, and then the whole body.
It was only then that Matthew got a clear look at the little creature.
A flat, broad little head, with three blunt horns on it, a back covered in dark, shiny scales, with a slightly yellowish belly and limbs.
Only its delicate wings bore hints of charred black and small holes, clearly where the wounds were.
Matthew felt like he was looking at a magical version of a black-backed dog, completely unlike the dragon whelps he had seen before.
After struggling out of the shell, the little creature seemed exceptionally weak, lying on the ground unable to stand.
Its round, chubby body trembled, and its life force was gradually fading.
The little thing had clearly been seriously injured in the earlier attack, and without immediate treatment, it might not even get to see the beautiful world before it dies.
A wild and unbelievable thought suddenly arose in Matthew's mind:
"Could this heavily injured dragon whelp be the manifestation of Luck 4?"
"Hiss, if that's the case, then I misunderstood Luck earlier. Please forgive my shortsightedness..."
Without time to savor the irony, Matthew quickly exchanged a glance with Ralph, who, with eyes gleaming in excitement, replied in an incredulous tone:
"Lord, this is destiny! Quickly use the Life Pact, not only to save this dragon whelp but also to heal your soul's damage!"
Surprised, Matthew glanced at the steward, able to hear the sincere concern in his voice without any ulterior motives, and gave him a nod of approval:
"You're really something, steward!"
Without hesitation, Matthew took out the only item left by his mother, the Life Pact, rumored to be made from the leaves of the World Tree.
The Life Pact allows any two creatures to form a life bond, sharing life and longevity, while also compensating for each other's weaknesses, even repairing fatal injuries.
Matthew had previously considered using the Life Pact to form a bond with a transcendent creature.
But weak creatures wouldn't have any effect, and the Serre family had no means to obtain super creatures that could become legendary.
So the Life Pact had been kept unused.
Now, with it finally coming into play, Matthew, even in his second life, never expected such a surprising start.
He squatted down and gently stroked the trembling black dragon whelp, vaguely sensing its desire to survive:
"Form a pact with me! If you don't say anything, I'll take that as a yes!"
The Life Pact, translucent and emerald-like, seemed to sense Matthew and the whelp's thoughts, transforming into glowing particles that merged into their bodies.
Matthew could clearly feel an indescribable gentle power spreading through his body, with his originally weak physique rapidly growing stronger before his eyes.
To his astonishment, a curious and childish voice suddenly echoed in his mind:
"Yaya? Are you Daddy?"
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