Chapter 45: Forced Collaborator
The gaze of the Dragon still carried that overwhelming sense of oppression.
Baron Todd looked up, his Crimson Red pupils trembling with fear—no trace of arrogance remained in his expression. Yet, he tried to maintain dignity, hands clasped behind his back, forcing his voice not to shake too badly.
"You're the one... 'Flyflame,' aren't you?"
"May I ask—what brings you to my lands? Is there something urgent?"
Kai Xiusu’s Perception flared sharply at the subtle weave of magic in the air. He knew the Baron was crafting a Spellcraft Model. His expression darkened slightly.
"Baron Todd," he said calmly, "is this how you treat a guest who has traveled far?"
"Using vulgar spells instead of noble manners and proper hospitality?"
The Baron’s face paled instantly. Despite the panic, he fumbled through his formal attire, pulling out vials and jars, hastily retrieving several strands of bat hair. He began chanting.
"Shadow Veil!"
The hair dissolved into ash, and a thick, suffocating black fog erupted from him, spreading outward in a five-meter radius. The darkness was absolute—no light, magical or otherwise, could pierce it. Even creatures with Darkvision were blind within its grasp. Lower-level spells, those below the second tier, failed utterly to dispel it.
Kai Xiusu stood still, watching silently. Then, with measured admiration, he said:
"A fine spell, Lord Baron."
"An ordinary human would be paralyzed with terror. They’d stand frozen, helpless, as you slowly drained their blood in the shadows."
His tone shifted instantly—cold, merciless.
"But do you remember... who you're facing?"
With a sudden, violent motion, Kai Xiusu spun around. His thick, powerful tail lashed out like a whip, striking the fog with devastating force.
The darkness shattered, spilling outward like ink in water. It could block light—but not physical impact.
The Baron, still mid-cast within the veil, was caught full in the blow.
Boom!
He was sent flying meters backward, crashing hard into the ground.
But the Baron was no ordinary man. He possessed regenerative traits. Though every bone in his body had shattered, and his flesh torn apart, the wounds began knitting together at a speed visible to the eye.
Gasping, blood bubbling from his lips, he dragged himself up and fumbled for a dried viper’s stomach sac.
"Mafu Armor Classid Arrow!"
A glowing green arrow shot forth, streaking toward the Red Dragon.
"Shield Spell."
The Red Dragon smirked. An invisible barrier flared into existence before him. The arrow struck and exploded into a cloud of corrosive mist—but not a single drop touched Kai Xiusu.
"Spellcaster?"
The Baron’s face twisted in horror. A Dragon who was also a Mage—this was the worst possible scenario.
He began weaving his Spellcraft Model again.
"Phantom Step!"
In an instant, the space where he stood dissolved into a swirl of silver-white mist. The Baron reappeared, battered and bleeding, dozens of meters away—pressed against the manor wall, where twisted vines hung like living curtains.
Kai Xiusu spread his wings and followed, calm as ever.
"Lord Baron," he said, "there’s no point in running."
"Your little tricks—minor tricks—mean nothing to me."
Fire ignited in the Red Dragon’s eyes.
Seeing the Dragon close in, the Baron forced his exhausted mind to focus once more. He tore a vine from the wall. To his astonishment, the vine began to rise—straight up, perpendicular to the ground—suspended in midair.
Just as the Red Dragon’s claw reached for him—
The Baron scrambled up the vine and vanished. The vine collapsed into nothingness.
"A Magic Rope Spell?" Kai Xiusu mused, intrigued.
This was a well-known escape spell, exclusive to mages. It allowed the caster to enter a small, temporary extradimensional space through any object with "rope-like" properties. The space was impenetrable to attacks or spells, but those inside could still see the outside world—as if looking through a window at the rope’s location.
But when the spell ended, everything inside the space fell out.
Now, the Baron crouched in the hidden pocket dimension, his pale face taut with fear. He dared not breathe—afraid the Dragon might sense something amiss. If he weren’t immune to the need for air, he’d be gasping by now.
Kai Xiusu spoke softly, almost to himself:
"Interesting spell."
"But I already told you—"
"Your little tricks mean nothing to me."
As if on cue, a shimmering barrier of light flared around the Red Dragon, spreading across the entire area.
"Spell Nullification Barrier!"
The extradimensional space cracked like shattered glass. The Baron was ripped from his hiding place and hurled back onto the ground, landing hard.
Before the Red Dragon’s gaping maw, the Baron finally broke. He collapsed to his knees, trembling, begging:
"No! Please—don’t kill me!"
"I’m the son of Duke Brad! A Baron of the Northwind Eagle Lakanman Family!"
"Spared, I can give you gold—far more than what you’d gain from killing me!"
"Dragon Lord! I—I submit to you!"
The Baron, a mage, knew the Red Dragon’s nature—its insatiable greed.
The Dragon looked down, eyes narrowed.
"I only ask three conditions for our cooperation."
"I’ll do anything! I’ll agree to anything!" The Baron cried, desperate, afraid the Dragon would turn him to ash at any moment. Even if the Dragon seemed rational now, who could predict the mood of a creature so fickle, so brutal?
Kai Xiusu gave a slight nod.
"First: I require all your Spell Scrolls. All of them. This is the price for your trespass into Ashen Hollow’s territory. It’s the foundation of our alliance."
"Second: I welcome trade. I can even provide gold. But in return, I want access to everything your people produce—weapons, armor, supplies. Hart will lead this ‘Friendly Trade’ caravan."
"Third: I’ll send some followers to protect the caravan. And I’ll station a garrison in Sg Town—ensuring your safety. You are, after all, my partner."
"Are you not afraid I’ll betray you?" The Baron asked cautiously. The terms were surprisingly lenient. He needed to earn the Dragon’s trust.
Kai Xiusu let out a cold chuckle.
"Lord Baron, I already said—we’re here to cooperate. It’s a win-win."
"Consider this: if you refuse trade with us, you’ll lose your gold. No strong army. No power. You’ll be nothing more than a grain-producing backwater—easily abandoned. A single northern invasion could wipe you out."
"Think about it."
The Red Dragon’s pupils flared, burning like embers in a furnace.
(End of Chapter)
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