Chapter 6
Jade rose to his feet as he watched the cloud of dust billow upward after the explosion.
The shockwave caused by the collision was one thing, but he was also curious about what kind of beings were fighting.
-Let's go see! I'm curious!
“I am too, but if we're unlucky, that attack could come flying here.”
-At our current level, getting yourself out even from the inner regions wouldn't be difficult! If things get really bad, I can reveal my true form!
“That's true. My mana keeps steadily increasing, after all.”
-Let's go! Let's go!
Silestin pestered him.
There were not many beings in the Great Forest capable of causing that much destruction.
Since they were clearly among the top predators, Silestin urged Jade on.
“Then we'll just go take a look.”
-Watching fights is the most fun!
Seeing Silestin at his usual high tension, Jade wore an expression that said he had no choice and summoned Sylaphe.
As expected, Sylaphe lowered its body.
It was making it easier for Jade to mount.
“Thanks.”
Whinny!
At Jade's warm voice, Sylaphe flapped its wings.
It wore an unmistakably pleased expression.
Before long, Sylaphe carried Jade through the air at high speed toward the place where terrifying beams of light were still pouring forth.
Its eyes were filled with tension.
“Is that a drake?”
-A Gold Drake and a Black Drake.
Unlike the tense Sylaphe, Silestin's eyes sparkled.
While Sylaphe trembled in fear at the power of the two drakes, Silestin clapped its hands and watched the giant monsters fight.
“They're enormous.”
-Among the dragonkin of the Middle World, they're second only to dragons. They can't use magic, but their physical abilities are comparable to those of dragons. They're incredibly powerful monsters. But they normally don't fight one another.
Silestin looked slightly puzzled.
Drakes possessed such great power that they generally did not fight among themselves.
Even when they did fight, they did not battle to the death like this.
“Judging by the atmosphere, they seem intent on fighting to the bitter end.”
KRAA-BOOM!
Both of them looked well over thirty meters long. The winged Gold Drake had a nimble air about it, while the wingless Black Drake looked heavy and massive.
Yet judging by their physical attributes, the Gold Drake should have had the advantage, but the situation was the exact opposite.
Instead, the Black Drake, which could not fly, was pushing forward.
It was even meeting the breath attacks head-on, despite being able to dodge them easily.
-Something's strange. Why are they fighting like that?
“Exactly.”
The Gold Drake blocked the Black Drake's path, as if trying somehow to stop its headlong charge.
It was engaging the Black Drake in close combat without making the slightest use of its advantage in flight.
They were similar in size, but their builds were different, and the Gold Drake's body was quickly covered in blood.
The Black Drake had also been torn in several places, but it was obvious that the Gold Drake was in much worse shape.
ROOOAR!
Perhaps aware of that fact itself, the Black Drake let out a triumphant roar.
But even after seeing that, the Gold Drake did not change its fighting style.
-Drakes aren't stupid at all. Besides, the Gold Drake has the advantage in terms of elemental compatibility.
BOOOOM!
As if to prove Silestin's mutter, the Gold Drake won the clash of breath attacks.
Its lightning breath pushed back the Black Drake's acid breath.
But the difference was not all that great.
KUUUUNG!
The Black Drake charged in while taking the Gold Drake's breath attack head-on, slamming its body into the other drake.
The Gold Drake was pushed backward by the simple but formidable body slam.
Even so, the Gold Drake somehow managed to hold its ground.
“Its energy seems unstable.”
-It looks that way to me, too. Is it nearing the end of its life? But if that were the case, there'd be no reason for it to keep fighting like this.
Drakes were powerful monsters, but they were not immortal beings.
As dragonkin, they lived for a long time, but they nevertheless had a definite end.
And they sometimes chose where they would die.
That was why Silestin found their battle increasingly difficult to understand.
“It isn't moving from that spot, to an almost bizarre degree. Even if its lair is there, it wouldn't need to fight like that.”
-Ah!
“What is it?”
-I figured out why. So that's what it was. No wonder.
Pity appeared in Silestin's eyes.
Jade had wondered why it was acting that way, but as expected, there was a reason for the Gold Drake's behavior.
“What is the reason?”
-There are eggs inside the lair. Gold Drake eggs.
“Ah.”
Jade let out a sigh before he knew it.
If that was the case, its behavior made perfect sense.
Being a monster did not mean it lacked maternal love.
-The reason its energy is unstable is that it hasn't fully recovered yet.
“Hmm.”
Jade's gaze shifted to the Gold Drake, which was fighting the Black Drake desperately.
Though it had been bitten and torn in several places and was covered in blood from head to toe, the Gold Drake still did not retreat.
Instead, it attacked the Black Drake while spraying killing intent in every direction.
It was as if it intended to die together with its opponent.
-What are you going to do?
Silestin watched Jade's reaction.
True to its emotional nature, it seemed to secretly hope that Jade would help the Gold Drake.
Of course, its wounds were so severe that there was no guarantee it could survive even with help, but Jade could at least give it a chance.
And the Black Drake was also badly wounded, so this was a fight Jade could reasonably take on.
“It is a good opportunity. I haven't fought at full strength recently.”
-If you eat the Black Drake's heart, you can become much stronger than you are now! It's exactly the elixir Jade has been looking for!
“Honestly, that's what tempts me the most.”
The biggest reason Jade was hesitating was the Black Drake's heart.
For someone desperate for an elixir, there was nothing better than the heart of a Black Drake.
Besides, judging by the way it fought, it seemed to have lived for quite a long time.
-And a drake's corpse would be incredibly useful! Claws, teeth, hide, and all sorts of other things! If we find a dwarf and have them turn them into weapons and armor, we could arm ourselves properly!
Apparently swayed by the Gold Drake's maternal love, Silestin began listing one reason after another like a salesman.
But even without that, Jade's resolve had already begun to waver.
The Black Drake's heart was simply too tempting to pass up.
‘If I strike while it's exhausted and wounded, I should be able to manage it. The problem is the Gold Drake.’
There was a saying that the enemy of one's enemy was a friend, but the Gold Drake was not human.
It was known to be intelligent, but it was still a monster.
That was why Jade considered the matter carefully.
-Don't worry about the Gold Drake! Surely it won't attack someone who helped it? And if things go wrong, we can just take the Black Drake's heart and leave.
“You're right.”
Having made up his mind, Jade summoned Sallaime, the upper fire spirit.
But Sallaime, which had taken the form of a flaming lion, melted like a slime in midair before instantly wrapping itself around Jade's entire body.
A moment later, Jade was wearing full plate armor with flames flickering across it.
-That looks cool, Spirit Armor!
“Let's go.”
Jade, clad in armor made of flames, gave the command.
Sylaphe flew toward the Black Drake without hesitation.
Grrrrr!
Perhaps sensing Jade's approaching energy, both drakes turned their heads at the same time.
They looked toward Jade in the middle of their battle.
But the emotions in their gazes were completely different.
‘A sword aura would only leave a scratch at best. In that case…’
Although he was carrying a sword, Jade did not draw it.
He knew very well that unless he used an Aura Blade, he could not inflict even a single wound on the Black Drake at his current level.
But his real profession was that of a spirit summoner.
If he fought as a spirit summoner, he was confident he could face even a Black Drake.
“Shall I start by saying hello?”
-Sounds good!
-I will merely follow your lead.
After Silestin, Sallaime answered as well.
Hearing the voice filled with loyalty, Jade grinned and compressed Sallaime's energy again and again.
He displayed his trademark precise yet daring control.
“I'm curious how far my power will work on it, too.”
FWOOSH!
The flames compressed again and again in his palm shot toward the Black Drake like a single laser beam.
They struck the Black Drake squarely in the face.
Blood spurted into the air.
-Yes!
“It works.”
Jade grinned as he watched the distinct wound left by the red beam.
Fortunately, the power of an upper spirit seemed to work against it.
However, the wound did not appear to be very deep, and the Black Drake let out a terrible shriek before swinging its tail.
-It won't work!
The attack moved at a terrifying speed despite the creature's enormous size, but Jade had Sylaphe.
Unlike the Gold Drake, which had to protect its lair, Jade had no such restraints and made full use of the open air.
BOOM! BOOM-BOOM!
At the same time, Jade repeatedly fired compressed flames with both hands.
He aimed precisely at the centers of the wounds the Gold Drake had inflicted.
KRAAA!
The Black Drake was already irritated by how Jade kept dodging, and when he targeted its wounds with infuriating accuracy, it let out a rough roar.
At that moment, the Black Drake's mouth opened wide.
‘This is dangerous.’
Alarm bells rang in Jade's head.
Even while wearing Spirit Armor made with Sallaime, taking that breath attack head-on would be dangerous.
So Jade recalled Sylaphe and immediately summoned Silairon, the upper wind spirit.
He could not be certain that Sylaphe's speed would allow him to evade the Black Drake's breath attack completely.
KWAUUU!
At the same time that Silairon, in the form of a phoenix, was summoned, the Black Drake's breath attack pierced through the air.
It was aimed precisely at Jade.
SHHHK!
At the same time, Silairon, carrying Jade, banked at full speed.
But the Black Drake was no pushover.
It turned its head while continuing to exhale its breath, keeping its aim on Jade to the very end.
If it had been Sylaphe, it would not have been able to evade the attack as Jade had just done.
-That was an excellent decision!
“Fortunately, the Gold Drake doesn't seem ready to join in.”
-It needs to catch its breath first.
Jade muttered as he evaded the Black Drake's attack.
In the meantime, the breath attack lost its force.
The Black Drake had stopped once it realized Jade was not going to be hit.
BOOM! BOOM-BOOM!
Taking advantage of the opening, Jade continued firing flames.
But he only succeeded in provoking the Black Drake and could not inflict any major wounds.
“So they count as solid hits, but not critical ones?”
Jade clicked his tongue at the sight of the Black Drake bleeding yet moving as if nothing were wrong.
He was definitely wounding it, but the injuries did not seem to be doing much damage.
So he changed his approach.
-You're going to fight it on the ground?
“Yeah. I think ranged attacks have their limits.”
-Wouldn't that put you at too much of a disadvantage? It might be better to drag this into a long battle.
“I'll tire out first. The same goes for my mana. Unless it loses its mind and starts recklessly spamming breath attacks.”
THUD! THUD! THUD! THUD!
After landing on the ground and recalling Silairon, Jade saw the Black Drake charge at him as if it had been waiting for that moment.
It came at him with enough force to stomp him flat in a single instant.
But Jade had not descended to the ground without a plan.
“Noes.”