Chapter 64: Awakening (Part 5)
Seeing the Red Dragon肆意 massacre without restraint, closing in with terrifying speed, Bennett finally made up his mind—this damned spell-hungry Red Dragon was no match for him. He had no choice but to abandon the Adventure team he’d painstakingly assembled and flee this deathtrap.
"Damn it… I have to get out of here."
"I'm sorry, everyone," Bennett muttered, fabricating a noble excuse. "But I'm still on my path to pursue truth."
As a Mage, he had many ways to escape. Reaching into his chest, he pulled off a silver pendant—its surface etched with a delicate, miniature door.
"Dimensional Gate."
He whispered a prayer to the goddess of magic, and the pendant flared with a shimmering magical aura. The space around him twisted and folded, and slowly, a rift resembling a door materialized—on the other side lay Victoria Harbor, his beloved homeland.
Bennett’s face lit up with relief. He dashed toward the rift, heart pounding with hope.
"Finally… I can get out of this hellhole!"
But before he could take another step, the shadow of the Red Dragon’s wings engulfed him. The Spell Nullification Barrier surrounding the beast flattened the very weave of magic in the vicinity. The dimensional rift began to close—slowly, inevitably—until the space stabilized, as if no disturbance had ever occurred.
"Where do you think you’re going?"
"An uninvited guest."
The Red Dragon loomed above him, voice dripping with cold amusement. Its massive head cast a terrifying silhouette.
Bennett looked up, his hands trembling around his staff. Cold sweat poured down his forehead. His smile was strained, more like a grimace than anything else.
His mage’s robes, sensing danger, automatically summoned a Shield Spell—but it did nothing to ease his terror. If anything, it only added to the absurdity of the moment.
"I… I’m right here. I’m not going anywhere."
Bennett stammered, voice barely above a whisper.
"What are you doing here?" Kai Xiusu’s golden eyes gleamed with faint mockery.
This team had already lost half its members. They were elite—most of the survivors were high-level Professionals, around level ten. If they’d encountered a young, ordinary Red Dragon, they might’ve stood a chance. But they’d walked straight into Kai Xiusu.
And Kai Xiusu wasn’t some mindless slaughterer. There were always more adventurers. Killing them all wouldn’t serve any purpose. Better to extract every ounce of value from them first.
"I—" Bennett froze. The question silenced him.
He glanced at the other survivors—shaking, pale, utterly speechless.
Could he honestly tell this merciless, prideful beast that they’d come to slay it? That would be instant annihilation. Not just death—but being devoured alive.
Just as the silence grew thick and the Red Dragon began to show signs of impatience—
A Minstrel stepped forward, summoning the courage no one else dared.
The man was strikingly handsome, draped in a flowing emerald robe, his lute slung across his back. Now, however, his clothes were torn and scorched—clear evidence of the brutal one-sided battle.
His name was Eugene. He’d come to write the epic poem of a dragon slayer.
Everyone— even the Red Dragon—expected a grand, heroic speech.
Instead, Eugene dropped to his knees, tears welling in his eyes.
"O legendary Fiery Flame Dragon King! Your claws rend all enemies, your fire consumes all things, your strength makes even the gods tremble! We have followed in your footsteps, seeking to witness your true form—only to rashly trespass into your sacred domain!"
"This is a grave blasphemy! They have paid with their lives for their arrogance. But we, the humble remnants, swear eternal devotion to you. We ask only to serve at your side, to gaze upon your magnificent body—should death come, it would be a blessed end!"
The words, delivered in a sweeping, poetic cadence, left everyone stunned.
Then, one by one, the others followed—kneeling, bowing, begging for mercy.
"Damn… that’s actually a real talent," Kai Xiusu thought, watching the performance with quiet amusement. The flattery was absurd, yet flawlessly delivered.
The Red Dragon exhaled a sulfurous breath, hot and acrid, stinging their eyes. Yet not a single soul dared move.
"Your words are… impressive."
Eugene exhaled in relief. He dared a glance up. The Red Dragon’s expression had softened—just slightly.
It’s true, he thought. All dragons are vain. Thank the gods, the rumors were real.
Just as hope flickered in their hearts—believing they might be spared—Dolo’s Great Goblin forces encircled them.
"Still… a bit lacking in passion," Kai Xiusu remarked, not fooled by the theatrics. He found the performance almost laughable.
"Bring them all to the Dungeon."
"Yes, Master."
Dolo snapped to attention, and the towering Dragonblood Goblins seized the trembling adventurers, dragging them away without mercy.
Under the Red Dragon’s gaze, no one dared resist. They knew what happened to those who did—their fallen comrades’ bones were still warm.
Cannibal Magician Lanpu arrived late, floating awkwardly through the air before crashing down with a thud—his Flight Spell still unrefined.
But his face was radiant with triumph. "Master, I told you they’d be here! See? That giant rock looks natural, but it’s actually my doing. It’s the only vantage point from which you can spy on Rockfort."
He pointed to the runes carved into the stone. "Every time adventurers hide here, they trigger my Guardian Glyph first—half-dead before they even know it. Then the Alerting Spell activates. By the time they try to flee through the back passage, they hit my automatic Web Trap. And then the monolith drops—only this time… it didn’t trigger."
There was a hint of disappointment in his voice.
Kai Xiusu’s lips twitched. He was speechless.
Lanpu turned to him. "Master, what should we do with these adventurers?"
"Strip the Mage of all his Spellgear—especially that Dimensional Gate Necklace. Then empty his mind of every spell he knows. Whether he lives or dies doesn’t matter. He can either be transformed into Dragon Kin to serve you, or killed to eliminate any risk."
"As for the rest—half to be killed, half to be let go. But make sure they think they escaped on their own strength."
"And the Minstrel…" Kai Xiusu’s expression softened into a sly smile. "Make him a Court Scribe. Have him write us some public relations pieces. Send someone to monitor his progress—no less than twelve thousand words a day. Even if he has to chug Vigor Elixirs, he keeps writing until he’s done."
"Yes, Master."
Lanpu sighed inwardly. Of all the ways to torment someone… the Master still wins.
(End of Chapter)
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