Chapter 24: The Decoy and the True Trial

What, truly, is a surprise? One moment, a massive black dragon and a full-grown human were undergoing a physical examination. The next, both the dragon and the human vanished into thin air.

That, indeed, was a surprise!

The dragon elders gathered in a huddle, beginning their analysis.

“There are traces of spatial distortion. It must be teleportation magic.”

“Theresia’s aura can no longer be detected in this vicinity.”

“The surrounding barrier shows no signs of disturbance, indicating they were teleported away.”

“Well, this is impressive. While we were indeed careless, the use of this teleportation magic had virtually no precursors.”

“More than that, I haven’t found any lingering traces of her teleportation. Could it be a valuable item acquired from the elves?”

“Yet, I still sense the hallmarks of dwarven craftsmanship.”

“Even the markers we placed during the examination have completely vanished.”

The Patriarch strode in with an air of nonchalance. The disappearance of the two individuals did not cause him the slightest alarm.

He had long anticipated Theresia would be wary of them. However, her abilities had certainly grown.

He had been curious why Theresia would accept their assistance while simultaneously guarding against them. It seemed that, just as materials were specifically vetted by elves, Theresia had found a way to utilize their help without falling prey to their schemes.

Truly, the younger generation was formidable. Such a meticulous plan was worthy of the young dragon he had personally nurtured since childhood; she had not disappointed him.

If he were four thousand years younger, he might actually have been fooled.

“Heh heh.”

“Hahaha.”

“Ah hahahaha!”

The Director stared at the Patriarch, who was laughing uncontrollably, and urgently inquired, “Patriarch, why do you laugh so?”

The Patriarch suppressed his mirth, a cold sneer forming on his lips. “I laugh at that young dragon’s lack of wisdom and strategy. Does she truly believe a mere trick can shake me off? Open the surveillance!”

A colossal magical projection instantly appeared in the emergency center.

However, to the utter dismay of the entire team, within the mysterious cavern—illuminated by only a few magical lamps—the empty magic circle held no trace of the black dragon or the human.

This was the trial cave Catherine had led the Patriarch to. Logically, Theresia should have appeared here after her disappearance, especially since her estrus period was imminent.

Data from the magical instruments indicated that they had indeed appeared there, but only for a few seconds before vanishing again.

Where had Theresia and Theodore truly gone?

“Patriarch, what should we do?”

Listening to his subordinates’ cries, the Old Patriarch’s smile faded. He stroked his beard, falling silent.

****

“Heh heh.”

“Heh heh heh.”

“Ah hahahahaha!”

In the *true* trial cave, Theresia was laughing heartily.

Theodore stood beside her, looking utterly bewildered. “Theresia, why do you laugh so?”

“I laugh because that old dragon, though cunning and sly, is completely unaware that I have seen through even his underwear!” Theresia declared triumphantly. “Theodore, tell me, knowing full well that the old dragon might try to trip me up, why did I specifically call that clever Catherine over to participate in my final preparations, even trusting her to be alone with that old dragon?”

“Was it not because even if Catherine were used by the Patriarch, she wouldn’t easily conceal it?” Theodore offered his shallow insight. Though he had already guessed the deeper meaning, as a considerate man, how could he spoil his beloved dragon’s mood?

Theodore’s questioning applause was greatly appreciated by Theresia. She wagged a slender finger. “That’s only one part of it. Catherine’s most crucial role was that of a decoy!”

“I held no hope that Catherine could keep my secret. However, precisely because Catherine is so easily managed, I could use her observations to mislead their judgment.”

“Although Catherine’s behavior upon her return suggested the old dragon was genuinely honest, it doesn’t matter. Whether he was truly honest or merely pretended to be, all he would eventually discover was the decoy trial room I had set up. Well? Isn’t that cunning enough?”

Theresia recounted her schemes with relish. “Not only that, did the old dragon truly believe that the Quiet Crystal was only for passing the trial? A grave mistake! After being processed by the elves and then crafted by the dwarven artisans of the Elven Capital, it can swiftly erase magical traces, preventing the old dragon from tracking me…”

Good heavens.

Although he had already anticipated Theresia’s arrangements, hearing it directly from her lips still made Theodore’s expression quite a sight. *Seriously, what kind of trial is this? Guarding against your own people?*

Theresia continued to speak voluminously, and Theodore did not interrupt, merely listening in silence.

The two sat side-by-side on a long bench. In the tranquil space, only their presence and Theresia’s excited words could be heard.

A faint, sweet scent emanated from the black dragon girl, which the young man could distinctly inhale. Her sparkling brown eyes remained firmly fixed on Theodore.

For a moment, Theodore even wished that time would stop, so that Theresia would forever belong to him alone, and her gaze would forever rest upon him.

Alas, time would not halt for Theodore’s will.

Theresia’s voice suddenly trailed off. Her breathing grew heavier, and her gaze towards Theodore was no longer as pure as before. It had become more aggressive, as if she were looking at a delicious prey.

Theodore immediately sensed the shift in atmosphere and frowned with a hint of worry, asking, “Theresia…”

The reason was simple: Theresia’s estrus period had arrived.

It came without warning, though initially, it wasn’t particularly intense. Theresia merely felt her body temperature gradually rising, and Theodore’s scent became incredibly alluring.

If her willpower hadn’t been exceptionally strong, she might have already pounced on Theodore like a puppy seeing roasted meat, licking him all over.

“It’s about to begin. Be ready here.”

Without daring to delay further, Theresia abruptly rose and quickly walked towards the depths of the cave without looking back. Theodore, concerned, tried to follow, but an invisible wall blocked his path.

Theresia’s voice drifted back. “I will call for you when I need your help, and the magic barrier will disappear. Until then, wait patiently here. There are three days’ worth of food stored in the cabinet over there.”

Theresia did not turn around. She was afraid that if she did, she wouldn’t be able to resist letting Theodore through. It was like playing a game where she had to resist activating a cheat code that would turn the game into a mindless slaughter.

She reached the deepest, most spacious area, where a massive magic circle covered the entire clearing. Being away from Theodore, Theresia’s body temperature rise had slowed considerably.

She immediately pulled out a magic scroll and crushed it. A bone-chilling cold radiated outwards from Theresia, and the terrifying low temperature instantly coated the entire space in a layer of frost.

Theresia’s breath emerged as clear white mist. She murmured to herself, “Hmm, good. Physical cooling still has some effect in the early stages.”

Although the senior’s legacy she possessed had a highly unreliable origin, and all the seniors mentioned within had betrayed their beliefs, their failed experiences and the precious knowledge gained from their experiments were genuine.

The current estrus curse was merely a gentle stream, and the low temperature was just a sandbag against it. What she truly needed was to build a dam capable of withstanding the flood of estrus that would come later. All previous measures were merely to buy time for that.

****

Outside the barrier, Theodore paced back and forth, frowning occasionally as he gazed into the barrier, then tapping it with his knuckles, as if checking if it was still there.

He could no longer hear Theresia’s voice, and this very unknown made him even more worried about her condition. What if Theresia was in dire straits and couldn’t call for help in time?

The sense of powerlessness made Theodore feel exceptionally distressed. The previously comfortable, empty environment now felt overwhelmingly oppressive.

Just then, an unexpected voice reached his ears.

“It seems it has begun.”

Theodore whirled around, surprised to find the Patriarch had appeared in the cave at some unknown moment. Seeing Theodore’s dumbfounded expression, the Patriarch looked utterly pleased. He stroked his beard and clapped Theodore’s shoulder with a broad hand, speaking softly, “Young man, learn from this! The youngsters have many tricks, but alas, they’re not fresh enough. Did you think I wouldn’t see through the problem? What a joke. What self-respecting dragon would entrust such crucial information and tasks to Catherine, eh? Hahaha.”