Chapter 232: Lutehand Alliance (II)
As a Fey Wanderer, Richard Sieg could not cast spells under the increasingly stagnant Weave of Magic—but he still possessed the spell-like abilities granted by the Supreme Fey. Slowly, he closed his eyes, letting his consciousness sweep across the surrounding area.
【Primordial Awareness】
This ability allowed him to sense Strange Dragons, Elemental Energies, Fiends, and Undead within several miles. It was also the very Treasure Artifact that enabled him to maneuver behind enemy lines with impunity.
In his mind, an immense energy mass surged toward them at terrifying speed—a meteor-like figure streaking across the sky with undeniable intent.
"How… how can it be this fast?" Richard Sieg parted his lips slightly, whispering in disbelief.
By all known standards, the Red Dragon was the largest and most powerful among the Five-Colored Dragons, yet also the clumsiest. Their flight agility lagged far behind the slender Black Dragon or the lean Green Dragon. Yet this Red Dragon moved with a speed that shattered every preconception Richard had about the species.
Cold sweat trickled down his forehead. If he didn’t act now, the beast would descend from the heavens and reduce them to ash.
Clenching his teeth, Richard seized Abeir’s hand.
"Abeir, come with me!"
【Earthwalker】
Under the strength of the Fey, both of them glowed with a vibrant emerald light, darting through the forest at breakneck speed. They moved like spirits of the wild—branches and thorns parted before them instinctively, as if the very forest obeyed their passage.
But in Richard’s 【Primordial Awareness】, the approaching energy mass was still closing in at a pace that defied perception. He could already hear the distant, shrieking roar of wind tearing through the air.
"If this keeps up, we’ll be caught for sure!"
Fat beads of sweat poured from his brow. He knew this was his fault—he had brought this danger upon them. And he refused to drag his companion down with him.
"There’s no choice left!" Richard cried. "Abeir, take the Intelligence back to the Alliance. I’ll draw it away!"
【Invisibility of the Wild】
The Fey’s miraculous strength gathered once more in his hands. In just a few breaths, Richard molded fresh mud, soil, plant matter, and other natural materials into a perfect disguise. With a flick of his fingers, the Elven Assassin was transformed—into a simple, unassuming seedling.
"You—" Abeir started, wanting to protest. But she knew the weight of the mission. She still carried the map of the Kingdom of Ashen, needed in the South.
This was the Lutehand Alliance—bound by duty to maintain balance across the world, to dismantle countless evil plots, even at the cost of their lives.
Yet the enemy’s arrival had come faster than any of them could have imagined.
A high-pitched, spine-chilling scream tore through the air. Scorching winds roared forth from above.
In the sky, a monstrous shadow engulfed Richard Sieg. The overwhelming Aura of Intimidation made his body tremble. The wind nearly knocked him off his feet—but the Half-Elf stubbornly raised his head.
"By the stars…" Richard gasped, realizing with horror that this new evil presence far surpassed all expectations of the Alliance.
It was the embodiment of Cataclysm itself.
Before him stood a Red Dragon, nearly twenty meters long, its entire body sheathed in golden-red scales. Lava-like ripples pulsed beneath its skin, and white-hot embers swirled around it like a halo. Every time it flapped its wings, a searing gale lashed forward, carrying the stench of sulfur.
Thick smoke spread rapidly, blotting out the sky, turning the world below into a living hell.
Kai Xiusu looked down upon the Half-Elf, his golden vertical pupils flickering with barely contained rage.
"Is it you… who disturbed my rest?"
Richard Sieg, still fleeing, froze in terror—realizing the dragon hadn’t said “you,” but “you all.”
"Pathetic disguise."
The Red Dragon slowly unfurled its wings. As volcanic ash billowed into the air, the Kingdom Domain descended without warning. It was as if divine authority had been invoked—every magical force within the area was instantly nullified.
Richard’s Fey power was obliterated.
The disguise granted by the Supreme Fey crumbled instantly, turning back into ordinary dirt and foliage. The stealthy form of the Elven Assassin was now exposed—barely concealed before the Red Dragon’s gaze.
"Abeir, run!" Richard screamed desperately.
But it was too late.
A massive shadow swept across the ground. Even the agile, battle-hardened assassin couldn’t react in time. The colossal claw seized her body without mercy.
Her slender, graceful frame seemed impossibly small against the dragon’s enormous talon.
Abeir writhed and kicked, slashing with her dagger, screaming, “Evil Dragon! Let me go!”
But in the face of absolute power, every struggle was futile.
The dagger struck the dragon’s scales—only to bounce off harmlessly, leaving behind a faint white mark.
Kai Xiusu landed with a thunderous crash, lifting the clawed hand toward his face, smiling grotesquely.
"Do you know… my kin have a fondness for eating Elven maidens. It’s even recorded in our heritage as a delicacy."
"But I don’t share that… barbaric taste."
"I’m merely curious."
"What… would she smell like?"
Abeir froze in panic. Her body trembled. She could feel the sulfurous stench wafting toward her—the breath of death.
She had imagined dying for justice—perhaps pierced by arrows from bandits, falling bravely on the battlefield. But never like this—never to become food, to be devoured, buried in the belly of a monster.
"Richard… run," she whispered, her mind flashing with memories.
Her gaze flickered toward the companion she had grown close to—someone she had shared countless adventures with, someone she had long since known held a place in her heart.
They had never had time to speak of love—never had the chance to confess. Now, they would part forever—tragic, sudden, and cruel.
"No! Abeir!" Richard screamed, despair tearing through him.
Without the strength of the Fey, he was powerless. He could only watch helplessly as his closest ally faced annihilation.
He picked up a stone and hurled it—only to watch it bounce harmlessly off the dragon’s scales, rolling away into the dirt.
"No… no…" Richard sank to his knees, whispering into the soil.
Tears fell from his eyes, splashing into the earth. He could no longer bear to look.
The Half-Elf Ranger had never felt so helpless—never, not even when surrounded by evil robed wizards or cornered in a bandit’s den, had he doubted his own survival.
But now, his cherished Fey strength was gone. His most beloved companion was about to be devoured.
Yet, as he bowed his head, another shadow fell over him.
Was it to be his turn? To die alongside her?
So be it. He had no will to live anymore.
In the belly of the Red Dragon—what a twisted form of dark humor.
Richard lifted his hollow gaze upward—only to freeze in shock.
The Red Dragon still held the unconscious elf in its claw, towering over him, staring down with an overwhelming height. In those golden eyes—cold, merciless, and utterly inhuman—there was no hunger. Only calculation.
"Want her to live?"
"Tell me everything… and perhaps I’ll consider delaying this meal."
(End of Chapter)
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