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Join the ServerAbove the great desert, a massive, silver-white figure passed silently. If anyone were to look up at the sky under the moonlight, they would behold this colossal form.
A silver dragon beat its wings, moving with remarkable speed. This dragon was none other than Gern, in his draconic form.
He mused, after such a long time without assuming his dragon form, the sudden ability to stretch felt like a body long coiled finally extending itself.
Soon, a group of people and horses appeared below his line of sight.
These individuals were about to cross the canyon ahead. Gern’s colossal golden dragon eyes narrowed slightly, and he accelerated once more.
This was an excellent ambush spot. If he could secure this position before them, he could unleash a massacre upon those below.
Soon, he arrived above the valley, descending slowly, his dragon eyes fixed intently on the ground below.
He had initially considered using the disguise items provided by the witches to pose as a local bandit.
However, he was still unclear about the specific situation here and couldn’t simply apply human world tactics to the current predicament.
To avoid falling into the trap of experiential error, he decided to strike forcefully in his silver dragon form, then deliver these children back to their parents.
Gern had many identities; revealing this one was nothing to fear.
With that, Gern’s massive form slowly shrank, concealing himself above the canyon.
The group below remained completely oblivious to the approaching danger, continuing their journey with cheerful chatter.
“Thanks to your brilliant strategy today, sir, our mission is complete. We can enjoy ourselves for a while longer.”
The Serpentman squad leader, who was at the forefront, fawned over the Fourth-tier Serpentman in the academy uniform.
“Ah, it’s nothing, merely a trifle. We’ll go for a drink together later.”
He chuckled.
The human-shaped Serpentman’s face was alight with smugness, his smile so sickening it made one want to retch.
In truth, the Serpentfolk did not have a mandatory enlistment age of ten, nor did the Serpentman tribe explicitly state that children over ten could not enlist.
They only stipulated that males over fourteen must enlist. As for those under ten, the law made no provisions, allowing them to claim the children were volunteers.
They had exploited a loophole, solely to meet their conscription quotas.
Gern, in his dragon form, possessed extremely acute senses. He overheard the conversation below, surmising that these individuals were likely acting on their own initiative.
This made Gern’s teeth itch with fury, a surging wrath churning within his heart.
He suppressed his internal agitation, quietly observing them as they entered his attack range.
The next moment, the still-joking convoy suddenly witnessed a ball of flame descend from the sky, blocking their path forward.
The group was instantly alarmed, moving forward to investigate. Before they could react, another fireball suddenly struck behind them, cutting off their retreat.
“What’s happening?!”
Now, apart from the leading Serpentman and that humanoid creature, the common Serpentmen grew agitated.
The Serpentman squad leader frowned, turning to look at the rear of the convoy, a fine sheen of cold sweat beading on his forehead.
“Is this… a Third-tier mage?”
The creature, neither fully human nor fully Serpentman, clad in academy attire, sneered disdainfully. “A mere Third-tier mage, that’s all. Don’t forget, I’m a Fourth-tier knight. Watch me shatter his fire wall.”
With that, the individual drew the longsword from his waist and unleashed a sword qi slash towards the fire wall ahead.
The fissure quickly sealed itself, restoring the wall to its original state.
“Oh? This person has some skill.”
The individual’s brow furrowed, and he began to take the situation seriously.
Another sword qi slash tore through the air. This time, the fire wall split open with a large hole, but behind it stood an incredibly sturdy earth wall.
He was momentarily stunned, having never expected someone to be able to consecutively use two different elemental magics to block him in such a short span of time.
Just as everyone’s attention was fully focused on the fire walls to their sides, the cages containing the children opened without warning, as if by some unseen, mysterious force.
The children, witnessing this, all widened their eyes. Some instinctively began to move, eager to escape.
Yet, for some inexplicable reason, a child felt his mouth being covered by a pair of soft, small hands.
This was immediately followed by a soft female voice.
“Shhh, don’t shout.”
The voice was incredibly gentle, seemingly imbued with maternal warmth, instantly causing the children to quiet down and watch as the cages were opened one by one.
After completing these tasks, Gern, hidden in the shadows, shifted his gaze.
With both sides now blocked and no mages among the enemy, his operational space had greatly expanded.
A good idea flashed through his mind.
“Children, come, follow big sister this way.”
As he uttered the words “big sister,” Gern still felt a slight blush creep onto his face, though he was now somewhat more accustomed to the appellation than before.
The children were obedient, following Gern one after another.
Just as Gern was on the verge of success, the individual attempting to breach the earth wall ahead suddenly glanced back, spotting a group of young Serpentmen heading towards him.
“Stop! What are you doing?! Quick, seize them!”
With that furious shout, the surrounding Serpentman soldiers instantly reacted, turning their attention to the carriages holding the young Serpentmen.
‘This is bad,’ Gern cursed inwardly, then urgently whispered to the children.
“Hurry, everyone!”
He then slapped the cliff face, and a small grotto instantly appeared.
The young Serpentmen scrambled into the grotto with incredible speed.
Once they were all inside, Gern formed hand seals and chanted, causing an earth wall to rise and seal the children off from the outside world.
Of course, Gern hadn’t completely sealed it off; he left a few ventilation holes to ensure they wouldn’t suffocate.
The other individual now understood why the children had escaped. His gaze, filled with suspicion, darted about, trying to pinpoint Gern’s exact location.
However, the transcendent nature of Netherworld Steps was beyond the comprehension of a mere Fourth-tier knight. In frustration, he could only issue an order.
“Loose arrows in that direction!”
*Whoosh, whoosh!*
Countless arrows flew towards Gern. He frowned, then opened his mouth and lightly exhaled, unleashing a breath of surging flame.
With a whoosh, the area before him transformed into a sea of fire.
This was a skill he had naturally awakened as his body continued to grow: Dragon’s Breath.
It required little magical support; he could unleash this breath attack relying solely on his physical body.
This was the might of the dragon race—possessing immense destructive power even without relying heavily on magic.
The group had never witnessed such a spectacle. They were all utterly awed by the aura Gern displayed.
For a moment, they even forgot to attack.
A cold sneer curled Gern’s lips. Within his pale golden dragon eyes, a rare, cruel, and bloodthirsty glint appeared.
“Gentlemen, are you ready to embrace death?”
He smiled cruelly, a smile that bore a striking resemblance to Lilia’s.
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