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Mantou looked at the enraged Two-Headed Dragon Monster outside the entrance, flashing a smug grin, unconcerned if the creature could understand the common tongue.

“Heh, I love seeing that look on you—angry but helpless.”

“Weren’t you going to eat me?”

Singo ignored him entirely, his brow furrowed as he turned to Born Battle Maniac.

“Battle Maniac, do you feel it? That monster is afraid.”

“This is classic ‘fox borrowing tiger’s power.’ We’re the fox… but what’s the tiger behind us?”

Born Battle Maniac’s expression grew serious as he nodded cautiously.

“You’re saying there’s something even scarier in this passage, enough to make that dragon monster not dare approach.”

“Whatever it is, it’s way out of our league.”

Singo stared deeper into the shadowy corridor, a glint of excitement lighting up his face. “But extreme risk brings extreme reward. We’ve come this far. Want to take the gamble?”

Born Battle Maniac rubbed his bald head and laughed. “Wouldn’t miss it.”

“Mantou, let’s go.”

Mantou, still mid-taunt at the Two-Headed Dragon Monster, snapped out of it. “Oh, alright,” he muttered, quickly catching up.

The corridor was forged from black metal, its surface reflecting a faint, icy glint under the flickering torchlight. It was impervious to most creatures.

Yet the walls were covered in deep claw marks, each several meters long. They bore dense bite indentations and sections where entire metal slabs had been bashed several feet inward, leaving craters nearly five meters wide.

The ground was littered with dried bloodstains and shards of white scales.

It was unimaginable what kind of creature had caused this or how fierce the battle here had been.

Leading the way, Singo turned back, his voice trembling with excitement.

“Guys, if my guess is correct, there’s a dragon in here!”

“Hiss—”

Mantou inhaled sharply.

Without a word, he retraced his steps to collect all the scattered scales, meticulously counting them before running back, beaming with joy.

“Why are you looking at me like that?”

“These are rare materials, dragon scales! If you don’t want them, plenty of others will. I’ll sell them to the Magic Coin group and make a killing.”

Singo sighed, rubbing his forehead.

“Alright, fine.”

“Now let’s figure out how we, a bunch of level-four weaklings, are supposed to deal with—a dragon?”

Silence hung in the air.

Mantou stammered, “Why don’t we… turn back now?”

Since the beta phase, players’ only reference for dragons was the red dragon, Cassius.

This familiar faction leader’s performance at the Battle of Trier could only be described as “insane.” The fiery tornado he summoned obliterated tens of thousands of troops, leaving them as ash. Videos of the war flooded online platforms, with viewers commenting, “You can see the budget burning.”

In the recently concluded “Glacial Annihilation War,” Cassius once again demonstrated overwhelming power, unleashing a black storm that engulfed half of Wahala Glacier and single-handedly wiped out the Frost Giant tribe.

For low-level adventurers like them, facing such an entity was equivalent to being an insignificant statistic.

Born Battle Maniac laughed heartily. “We’re already here. Even if we die, I want to see it.”

Singo turned to Mantou, smirking challengingly. “If you’re scared, go home.”

Mantou knew it was a taunt but still huffed indignantly. “Let’s go! Whoever chickens out is a coward!”

“Alright.”

The three ventured deeper.

The further they went, the stronger the invisible pressure became.

It was an unavoidable oppression, inherent to draconic magic. It resonated from the depths of their bloodlines, causing a primal fear to grip their hearts.

A dragon.

Only a true dragon could impose such a crushing presence on lesser beings.

As if sensing their approach, a low growl echoed from within the passage. The hoarse sound rumbled from deep within a throat, carrying an indescribable chill that raised goosebumps.

Sweat dripped from Singo’s forehead, but he forced himself to remain composed.

“Keep going.”

“It’s just ahead.”

The group stepped into a vast cavern, their surroundings suddenly opening up.

Mantou’s eyes widened as he gasped.

“It really is…”

“A dragon.”

In the center of a hall spanning hundreds of meters, a massive white dragon lay coiled.

Its entire body was covered in pure white, shimmering scales. The creature’s fifteen-meter-long frame was robust, with a short neck and thick tail.

Its head had a rounded contour, a small, sharp beak-like snout, and a protruding jaw. A crest supported by backward-curving spikes adorned its head. Its fearsome face bore scaly cheeks, spiked jowls, and teeth that jutted out even when its mouth was closed.

This was a quintessential white dragon—the weakest among the chromatic dragons, yet still a being that could annihilate an entire northern settlement.

However, its current state was pitiful. Beneath it lay a complex magic circle, and countless intangible magical chains bound it tightly, rendering it immobile. Dozens of needles pierced through its scales into its body, continuously extracting its precious blood into instruments.

The enormous dragon’s body was riddled with wounds. Hundreds of scales had been forcibly removed, leaving gaping, blood-soaked holes in its flesh.

The ground was strewn with various surgical tools—knives, needles, and bone saws—evidence of gruesome experiments conducted on the dragon.

Yet, despite the torturous treatment, the white dragon’s vitality was astonishing. Even in slumber, its heartbeats reverberated through the hall, and the icy breath it exhaled sent chills down their spines.

Mantou crept closer cautiously, spotting a metal plaque in front of the dragon.

Unlike the previous ones, this plaque bore bite marks, bloodstains, and fractures, though it had been crudely repaired and placed back.

Subject 1: 【White Dragon “Tinia”】

“She’s so beautiful.”

“I adore her serene slumber, but I’m even more enthralled by her wild struggles. Without these spells restraining her, her claws would surely tear me to shreds.”

“Ah, this is the perfect specimen—my path to great evolution. A white dragon bearing faint ancestral blood. —Wagner, January 1st, 1346, Third Era.”

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A big thank you to [Leonardo Afonso] for joining my Patreon! Your support means a lot to me.

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