Translator: AnubisTL
"Are you really going to let that human go?" Samantha asked.
Garos folded up the map and glanced in the direction the rogue had fled. He then withdrew his gaze and said, "Do I seem like a dragon who breaks his word? I said I would allow her to escape my territory, and I will give her the chance."
Since Garos had spoken, Samantha didn't press further. She began clearing the battlefield, meticulously searching every corner to collect the adventurers' equipment—some intact, some damaged, and some completely destroyed.
"My dear brother, can I have these alchemical items?" she asked, her eyes wide with anticipation as she gathered the equipment in her foreclaws.
To Garos, the adventurers' equipment and alchemy items were relatively low-grade, utterly insignificant compared to the Legendary Alchemical Artifacts he possessed.
Yet he didn't immediately agree. Instead, he asked, "What do you intend to do with them?"
Samantha replied excitedly, "I want to dismantle them, melt them down, and try to forge new alchemy items suitable for dragonkind using their materials."
Given its current level of alchemy, the chances of failure were high.
But regardless of the outcome, it could learn a great deal from the process.
Garos flicked his tail and said, "Refurbish your alchemy workshop. These alchemical equipment are yours to use for crafting alchemy items, but don't neglect your black oil extraction duties."
Samantha's eyes lit up.
"Ah, my dear brother! I'm certain I can successfully craft alchemy items."
"Just wait and see—you'll be so proud of me!"
Her final tone sounded less like a conversation between dragons of the same age and more like addressing an elder.
In truth, Garos had once again appeared at a moment when she was overwhelmed, turning the tide and providing Samantha with a sense of security that even the iron dragon maiden had failed to offer—after all, there was no danger to be found within the iron dragon maiden's territory.
Her initial reluctant compliance had gradually transformed into a deep dependence on Garos.
At heart, Samantha was still just a six-year-old young dragon. Though she possessed the dragon heritage, her mind remained immature, far from matching Garos's maturity.
It saw Garos as someone to rely on, a goal worth learning from and striving to surpass.
Whoosh!
Garos flapped his wings, stirring up a whirlwind of dust, dry branches, and withered leaves.
"Where are you going?" Samantha asked, her head buried in rebuilding the alchemy workshop—a crude rock slab shelter.
"To deal with the Downstream Wanderer," Garos replied.
"Huh? Didn't you say you'd let her go?" Samantha asked, puzzled.
"No, I said I'd let her leave the territory," Garos corrected her.
Let her go? That was a joke.
Adventurers, if not wiped out completely, would relentlessly hunt him down unless he abandoned his territory. Moreover, many adventurers were formidable. Letting the rogue escape would only endanger him, and Garos would never allow that.
From the start, he had no intention of sparing the rogue.
As for why he let her run ahead first, it wasn't to toy with her or amuse himself. He simply wanted to see if there were any other adventurers lying in wait outside.
The possibility was slim.
After all, when hunting dragons, they should all attack together to ensure absolute success.
But what if?
It's always better to be cautious.
Before acquiring sufficient power, Garos remained extremely cautious to safeguard his life. Most imprudent young dragons ended up buried in the wilderness.
He spread his wings and soared into the sky, merging seamlessly with the night.
"As expected of my brother Samantha," she mused, "utterly evil. I'm still too naive; I need to learn from Garos."
Samantha sighed inwardly and continued repairing her small alchemy workshop.
Meanwhile,
The clear moonlight cascaded from the sky, bathing the wilderness in a silvery glow.
The rogue gasped for breath. Having shed her leather armor and alchemy items, she was nearly naked, her body covered in small cuts from sharp branches and jagged stones. She had already fled to the outskirts of Hemlock Hills.
Given her current state—
No companions, no equipment, and weakened by injuries—even escaping Hemlock Hills wouldn't guarantee her safety in the wilderness. Survival seemed nearly impossible.
But there was still a glimmer of hope.
"Damn it! Damn that evil dragon!"
"Do you think I'll die in this wilderness, so you think I'm insignificant?"
The rogue clenched her fists so tightly her nails nearly pierced her flesh, her heart burning with fierce determination.
"I will escape this wilderness. Then I'll return with stronger allies and make you pay dearly for your arrogance!"
Two young dragons.
A red young dragon and an even more formidable Hybrid Young Dragon.
For adventurers, this was an irresistible temptation. If she could escape the wilderness and spread the word, adventurers eager to join a dragon-hunting party would flock here in droves.
Ignoring her exhaustion, the rogue lowered her head and sprinted onward.
First, she needed to get far away from the Hemlock Hills.
As time passed, the rogue leaned against a slope, panting for breath. She glanced back at the Hemlock Hills. The dragon hadn't pursued her, hadn't reappeared. It seemed it had truly let her go.
Crunch.
The sound of claws stepping on loose stones suddenly echoed nearby.
The rogue's senses instantly sharpened as she peered ahead.
Through the trees, a pack of Needle-Fur Wolves, drawn by the scent of blood, slowly converged from different directions, their eyes fixed on the rogue.
The scent of blood roused the wolves' frenzy. Sensing her weakness, they abandoned any pretense of caution and lunged at her.
Already weakened and stripped of her equipment and alchemy items, the rogue stood no chance against the pack. Within a minute, she fell, consumed by the wolves, her death marked by resentment and rage.
I'd rather have died at the hands of a dragonkind, she thought bitterly as her life ebbed away. At least that would have been a glorious, swift end.
Meanwhile, Garos circled high above, silently observing the scene below.
"No other adventurers present," he murmured.
He had been tracking the rogue for some time, but found no sign of anyone coming to her aid. Just as he was about to strike, he noticed the wolves closing in. Suppressing his urge to intervene, he watched as the rogue met her end in the wolves' jaws.
Soon, not a single bone remained on the ground.
The wolf pack vanished as well, moving on to other territories.
This was the harsh reality of the wilderness, a universal truth across countless worlds: the weak are devoured without mercy, their survival hanging by a thread.
With no further distractions, Garos returned to Hemlock Hills and once again unfolded his map under the moonlight.
The circled area on the map grew increasingly familiar as he studied it. After a few minutes of careful thought, realization struck him.
"The marked location is the abandoned mine where the Rock-Crushing Worm swarms dwell."
Abandoned mines dotted the Sierre Wilderness like stars in the night sky—countless and impossible to enumerate. When the rogue had first mentioned the dungeon being located beneath an abandoned mine, Garos hadn't given it much thought. Now, he was somewhat surprised.
This was indeed quite a coincidence.
But as Garos considered it further, he realized it made perfect sense.
"The worm king possesses extraordinary mental abilities, directly controlling the life and death of other Rock-Crushing Worms. This isn't a typical skill for a worm king."
Garos pondered deeply.
Could it be that the Legendary Alchemical Artifact influenced it to evolve mental skills?
Even Garos, with his disciplined nature, struggled to suppress his greed at this thought. He yearned to abandon all caution and immediately investigate, determined to claim the Legendary Alchemical Artifact.
In that moment, he envisioned himself casting aside all restraint, ascending to the pinnacle of dragonkind. With his dragon might alone, he would crush any creature daring to call him an evil dragon.
He would dominate the world!
Rule without restraint!
Live until the end of time!
"Stop! Stop! Stop!"
"Garos, snap out of these unrealistic fantasies!"
Huff! Huff! Huff!
The red iron young dragon shook his head violently, then took several deep breaths, exhaling slowly. He repeated this cycle, using deep breathing to calm his agitated emotions. Glancing at Samantha, he saw her as a cautionary tale—a reminder that he must never succumb to the common flaws of evil dragons, lest he suffer a similar fate.
Greed—second only to arrogance and hubris—remained the most dangerous weakness that could plunge dragonkind into peril.
(End of the Chapter)