Page 24

“Cat’s Grace!”

“Grease on my feet!”

As the Bluefoot Drakesnake was preparing another lightning breath, Cassius cast several speed-enhancing spells on himself.

His body became exceptionally agile, leaping lightly through the cave, closing in on the Drakesnake.

Although the red dragon’s strength was far less than the Drakesnake’s, and their sizes were vastly different, that wasn’t the only factor in close combat.

He was confident he could prevail in a melee fight.

The Drakesnake spat out several bolts of lightning, but the red dragon, having anticipated this, dodged easily, shifting left and right.

The Drakesnake, noticing Cassius’s intent for close combat, let out a raspy laugh, “Foolish dragon, you dare to challenge me in this cave?”

“Without the advantage of flight—”

“What are you even worth?”

Its twelve pairs of legs scuttled rapidly across the rock walls, moving faster than the spell-enhanced red dragon.

It charged toward the red dragon like a streak of green lightning.

“Bull’s Strength!”

The Drakesnake’s advance was exactly what the red dragon wanted; he instantly cast a strength-boosting spell, causing his muscles to swell with power, steam rising from his body.

“Forewarned Strike!”

Cassius’s golden, slit-pupil eyes glowed with purple magical light, locking onto the Drakesnake, attempting to predict its next move.

“Ridiculous dragon.”

“You’re as feeble as those cowardly human mages!”

Seeing Cassius covered in enchantments, the Drakesnake was unfazed, lunging forward with its gaping maw.

The red dragon, anticipating this, sidestepped and prepared to counterattack with his claws.

Yet he didn’t expect the Drakesnake’s bite to be a feint.

As Cassius dodged, it suddenly shifted, springing forward and coiling its massive body around him like a lasso.

It was constricting him!

The Drakesnake slowly tightened its muscles, compressing the space around Cassius, trying to crush him.

Its body was more than twice the length of the red dragon’s and far stronger, and once it had constricted, the outcome was decided.

Seeing his predicament, the red dragon used his sharp claws to continuously tear at the Drakesnake’s scorched, exposed flesh, causing blood to splatter.

The Drakesnake let out a pained hiss but did not release its hold.

It knew that loosening its grip would mean defeat, and if the constriction succeeded, even a red dragon would lose its strength.

However, Cassius’s attacks were far fiercer than the barbarian’s; his claws dug several feet into its flesh, ripping the Drakesnake apart.

“You’re merely my prey!”

Furious, the Drakesnake let out a long howl.

Even while covered in wounds, its body continued to coil tightly around the red dragon.

“You’re in your death throes!”

It had succeeded.

The red dragon was bound by its massive, elongated body, trapped like a beast in a snare, with no escape.

He couldn’t move his claws, helplessly struggling, his sharp teeth delivering weaker and weaker retaliations.

About to kill a red dragon.

This made the Drakesnake’s blood surge with excitement, almost forgetting its own pain as it tightened its muscles with all its might.

This was the dreadful power of an ancient biological weapon, its hatred for dragons carved into its very blood.

Yet, in the next moment, the situation took a drastic turn.

“Mist Step!”

The red dragon, firmly constricted, uttered a spell.

As a skilled battle caster, he could still cast spells effortlessly, even in such a restrained state.

Instantly, the Drakesnake felt the coils around its body go slack, with only a silver mist left where its prey had been.

Cassius had teleported ten meters away to the top of the cliff.

“Damn it!”

It shouted in shock.

The Drakesnake, having exerted too much force, was twisted into an awkward position.

Cassius could have escaped as soon as the Drakesnake began constricting.

But he chose to play along, letting it think he was trapped, thus further exhausting his opponent.

The red dragon let out a victorious roar, leaping from the cliff, diving straight toward the Drakesnake.

“Now, tell me—”

“Who’s the prey?”

The Drakesnake, still tangled and unable to dodge, had no choice but to face him in desperation.

It barely managed to lift its head to bite.

But Cassius’s agility now far surpassed that of the Drakesnake.

The red dragon effortlessly sidestepped to the left, dodging the attack.

Taking advantage of the opening, he pounced behind the Drakesnake, biting into its exposed, bloodied torso.

Flesh and blood splattered!

Warm blood sprayed into his mouth.

His teeth sank deep, tearing through muscle fibers, sinking even deeper. The sensation filled the red dragon with exhilaration.

“Roar—”

The Drakesnake let out an ear-splitting screech, thrashing wildly in an attempt to break free.

But the red dragon’s mouth held firm, his claws digging deep into the Drakesnake’s body, tearing recklessly.

The Drakesnake thrashed desperately, but Cassius refused to let go.

“Boom...”

The two giant beasts engaged in a brutal, primal struggle.

The rocks in the cave rumbled.

It was as if the entire cave was shaking, with fragments of stone continuously falling from the ceiling.

“Wuu...”

Finally, the Drakesnake seemed to falter, letting out a weakened whimper.

Yet Cassius refused to relax; he was nearing exhaustion himself, and if his foe had any tricks left, he’d be helpless.

Was it finally over?

Cassius felt the Drakesnake’s body growing weaker, its thrashing subsiding.

A burst of blue-green blood mist suddenly erupted.

“Bang!”

It escaped!

The Drakesnake had severed part of its body to break free.

The remaining seven pairs of legs crawled rapidly along the rock wall.

Although gravely wounded, the Drakesnake moved even faster without the burden of its severed half.

“It managed to escape after all.”

Cassius released his bite, struggling to pull his claws from the remaining half of the Drakesnake’s body.

He watched as it fled into the darkness.

There was nothing he could do; he was nearly at his limit.

Moreover, this cave was the Drakesnake’s domain.

Without the ability to fly, it was difficult for the red dragon, relying on his four legs, to catch up with the Drakesnake, even in its diminished state.

His light spell had expired, but the torches provided faint illumination.

Cassius simply watched the deep, dark path where the Drakesnake had escaped.

The unique tapetum in the red dragon’s eyes allowed him to see in the dark, giving his gaze a ghostly glow.

However, his vision now was only in black and white.

“That direction leads to the Embers Nest.”

Cassius’s sense of direction was sharp; even in a dark cave, he could pick up on environmental cues to determine his bearings.

“The Bottomless Pit?”

Cassius suddenly recalled something.