Venturing deeper into the forest, breathing in the cool night air, while the scent of damp earth slightly overwhelmed Noir’s senses as he rose several centimeters above the ground.
Ever since he left the Magic Valley, he has been practicing his flight, which he does instinctively but has not yet fully mastered.
...Although the young dragon’s real reason for doing this was completely different from what he wanted to make sure of.
’If I can fly, why walk?’
Yes, that’s the reason Noir is practicing flying, so he doesn’t have to walk. It’s pretty amazing, isn’t it? Very dragon-like.
Although, according to him, dragons are lazy creatures; if that weren’t the case, they wouldn’t spend decades in caves, guarding their treasures, which they borrowed for an indefinite period of time.
That means they’re thieves... Of course not; they "borrowed" it; that’s not theft, is it?
Noir shook his head slightly with a smile; it seems he’ll never stop being amazed by how unique and magnificent his thoughts are—worthy of a dragon like him.
The young dragon continued walking calmly. Darkness had completely enveloped the forest, but that wasn’t a problem for him; after all, he had night vision.
"We need to find a place to rest."
Uki perked up his ears and let out a little bark.
The golden sphere descended a few centimeters, barely illuminating the path ahead.
For several minutes, absolutely nothing happened. Only the sound of the wind and the distant chirping of a few insects broke the silence.
The clouds slowly moved across the sky, revealing a silvery moon that bathed the forest in its light.
A gentle night breeze rustled through the branches of the trees and bushes, creating a spine-chilling sound. In the distance, the murmur of a river and the buzzing of nocturnal insects brought the forest to life.
In the midst of that place, a young black dragon, a white wolf, and a golden sphere made their way forward.
As he walked past a bush, a swarm of red fireflies fluttered about, illuminating the air with reddish flashes. Several nocturnal birds—moon hummingbirds and pink swallows—took flight, startled by his presence.
Noir let out a little yawn.
"To tell the truth... today had been a strange day."
Nothing out of the ordinary had happened; the settlement was the same—nothing new—except for the half-human who arrived that afternoon and the shadow of the creature he couldn’t identify.
The young dragon raised its head slightly. The first thing was to find a safe place to spend the night, and the second... was to hear a faint roar coming from the forest.
"...Food." His stomach chose that exact moment to growl; Noir looked down at his belly and muttered, "Yeah, I’m hungry, too."
Uki responded with another bark, wagging his tail enthusiastically. The wolf seemed to feel the same way.
The Draconic Senses slowly spread into the surrounding area, detecting various small creatures, insects, and common animals.
Thanks to his recent evolution, Noir had received enhancements to his racial abilities and those he had gained through his unique ability, Devourer. This allowed him to survey his surroundings more clearly.
Then... he sensed a slightly stronger presence; it wasn’t particularly powerful, but it was strong enough to sustain them both.
Noir slowly turned his head to the right, and his pupils narrowed.
"It’s about three hundred meters away—let’s go take a look."
The three of them changed direction without making a sound.
***
"MONSTER!!"
"HELP!!"
"It’s in the pen!"
"Get the kids out!"
"Close the doors!"
A man ran off with a torch in his hand while several chickens scattered in all directions. The dogs barked frantically, and the horses whinnied in sheer terror.
An older woman was hugging two small children while several villagers tried to get organized amid the chaos.
But it was impossible.
Something moved too fast; a shadow darted across the rooftops. Every time someone thought they’d seen it... it had already vanished.
"Over there!"
"No, behind you!"
Then... a blood-curdling screech rang out near the stable.
The enormous creature leaped.
Its body was the size of a large bear, but it was covered in dark gray fur that clung to its exaggeratedly defined muscles. Its front legs ended in enormous curved claws capable of tearing through tree trunks with ease.
Its back was covered with long black spines that writhed as if they were alive. Its head... vaguely resembled a goat’s, but it was completely deformed.
Two enormous, twisted horns jutted out from an elongated skull. Its snout was filled with jagged fangs; it had no lips, only teeth—and there were far too many of them.
Its completely white eyes stared at the villagers without the slightest trace of emotion.
The creature sniffed the air and then smiled—a smile that seemed impossible for something that should never have existed.
"Step back!!"
Arlene came running from the square. Her enormous hat nearly flew off as she raised her cane with both hands. Her expression had completely changed.
The clumsy young woman who had arrived that afternoon was gone. Now there was only a sorceress and a stream of mana flowing across the floor beneath her feet.
The first runes began to appear around the staff, forming a green magic circle, and Arlene cast the spell.
"Blooming Garden."
The ground shook, and within seconds, enormous roots covered in white flowers burst through the earth like living snakes.
The roots completely wrapped around one of the monster’s front legs. Then, a second and a third emerged from below, trying to grab its neck.
The villagers watched the scene, completely motionless.
"She caught him!"
"The mage caught him!"
The creature let out a deafening roar, and the roots began to snap, as if they were mere branches.
’What strength...’
Arlene frowned and extended her staff once more. Several flowers began to bloom around the monster. Each petal glowed with a faint emerald hue.
"Sleeping Blossom."
The wind swept away dozens of glowing petals. When they touched the creature, they exploded, releasing a fine green pollen.
For a moment... the monster seemed to stagger; its movements slowed, and its eyes began to close.
Arlene breathed a sigh of relief.
’It worked...’
Then... the monster opened its eyes again, this time completely bloodshot.
"What...?!!"
With a violent, full-body movement, it snapped the remaining roots.
The flowers were flung in all directions.
The creature charged.
Arlene barely had time to raise a barrier of vines; the impact sent her flying several meters backward. She rolled across the ground until she came to a stop against a wooden cart.
A trickle of blood slowly ran down the corner of her lips.
’...It’s much stronger than I expected.’
The creature didn’t attack again; instead, it slowly turned its head toward the forest and fled into it.
Arlene didn’t hesitate; she gripped her staff tightly.
"You won’t get away again..."
Without waiting for the villagers, she ran after it.
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