A dark shadow streaked swiftly across the sky above the dragon's lair.
Bird Demon Leader Ji Taimei landed in a flurry, her urgency palpable—she had just witnessed the arrival of a human army.
Inside the lair, Anna Hathaway was gently and carefully feeding fruit into the black dragon's mouth, her demeanor as tender as if she were tending to an ailing patient. Though only a little juice could be swallowed, it was better than nothing.
She didn't know what else she could do for Su Nian/Wotru besides wiping his scales and hugging him for warmth.
Suddenly, a thought struck her—what if her brother, who had slept for so long, became hungry in his dreams?
Anna had experienced hunger many times during her days of being trafficked by humans.
The worst times, she went three or four days without food, her stomach wracked with cramps as if set aflame. She didn't want her brother to endure that kind of pain.
"Mistress! Something big has happened! A human army is attacking!"
Ji Taimei's shrill cry jolted Anna out of her trance as she gazed at the black dragon. The elven girl's face instantly filled with tension, a sheen of cold sweat breaking out on her fair forehead.
She didn't correct Ji Taimei's form of address. Instead, her cheeks flushed, and she bit her pink lips, tacitly accepting it.
She was her brother's, after all; the title was fitting.
"What happened? How far have they gotten?"
"They should be at the outskirts of the Silvermoon Forest by now. Their target is the dragon's lair."
Ji Taimei answered respectfully, not daring to show any arrogance despite Anna's frail appearance as a Mage Apprentice. After all, the girl before her was the black dragon boss's forbidden treasure.
Anna frowned, biting her lip.
The humans had chosen to attack at this very moment—their timing was too precise.
Right now, with the Gnoll leader and most monsters away from the lair, only Ji Taimei and Ji Ge remained. Even the Fireflame Rabbits had mostly left.
What should she do?
Anna had never faced a situation like this, but after her initial panic, her desire to protect someone dear forced her to steady herself.
"Ji Taimei, send two bird demons to find the gnoll leader Grey Wolf. Tell him the dragon's lair is under attack and we need reinforcements immediately."
"Also, tell Ji Ge to take the Fireflame Rabbits and get into the Flame Arrow Towers to prepare for defense."
"And have all the Cockatrices scatter throughout the forest along the path, hiding in the trees and waiting to strike. Don't engage the humans head-on—focus on harassment, hit-and-run tactics."
After only a brief moment, Anna issued a series of clear and organized orders.
Though she still seemed nervous and inexperienced, her time with the black dragon had rubbed off on her—she now possessed a trace of his decisiveness and composure.
Ji Taimei couldn't help but feel a deep respect for her mistress.
Indeed, anyone who could stay by the master's side—even a youngling—was extraordinary.
...
On the outskirts of Silvermoon Forest.
Out of caution, Mei Magogoko and the players advanced even more slowly.
A group of male players walked in front, covering an area of about 100 square meters.
They stuck their butts out, tiptoeing forward as if measuring every inch of ground.
They had every reason to be careful.
Along the way, four or five unlucky souls had already triggered traps and died, sent back to the Novice Village—missing out on their chance to discuss magic with Mei Magogoko that night.
Charred trees surrounded them. Even after the rain, the air still reeked of burnt wood.
But as the players pressed on, the burnt woods grew fewer.
The scenery gradually turned lush and green.
This was a sign they were getting close to the dragon's lair!
The surroundings grew eerily silent—not even the sound of insects. The trees thickened, and the light dimmed.
Something's off!
Mei Magogoko instantly became alert.
Ever since she became a Grand Mage, her sense of danger had sharpened.
Whoosh!
A sinister gust swept past.
Mei Magogoko's instincts screamed danger. She dropped and rolled, dodging just in time to catch, out of the corner of her eye, a basin-sized, razor-sharp claw flashing by.
She dodged, but the player beside her didn't. Instantly, a Cockatrice ambushed from the trees, crushing the player's skull like a melon—dead on the spot.
"Enemy attack! I'm dead, I'm dead!"
"Damn it! They're ambushing us from the trees!"
"Kill them!"
The Sakura players roared, swarming the Cockatrice.
This Cockatrice had been exposed.
It had planned to kill the female human, then use the momentum to leap back into the trees.
But the human dodged.
So it had to settle for less.
But as a result, it couldn't immediately return to hiding.
Sensing danger, the Cockatrice tried to flee, but surrounded by humans, it was quickly encircled by warriors. A few flashes of magic later, smoke curled from its body, and it fell to the ground, its chicken body charred black.
Its death seemed to trigger something. As the players gathered, more Cockatrices leapt from the shadows of the trees, launching fearless attacks.
Swish, swish, swish—
Several cold flashes, and players' heads burst open like watermelons.
"Mages, shields up!"
"These monsters go for the head! Protect your heads!"
"Bakaaa! They're even going for our asses!"
The shouts of the Sakura players mingled with the Cockatrices' screeches.
Mei Magogoko surveyed the chaos, a ruthless glint flashing in her eyes.
She conjured a Fireball and hurled it into the forest, setting the trees ablaze. The Cockatrices hidden in the branches had nowhere to hide and fled in panic.
"Set fire to any trees that might be hiding Cockatrices! Move faster!"
Seeing the results, Mei Magogoko turned and ordered the mage players.
This tactic solved the immediate crisis.
But if they moved too slowly, they might get trapped in a sea of fire themselves.
"Forget the traps! Move!"
Under Mei Magogoko's command, the players sped up.
Though more players died to traps or Cockatrices along the way, they also killed many monsters and finally reached the dragon's lair.
The grayish-blue, nest-shaped structure stood before them, surrounded by familiar cliffs. Compared to the day when it was packed with monsters, the lair now seemed almost deserted.
Sure enough, the toughest monsters weren't here—this was the perfect time to slay the dragon!
Mei Magogoko's gaze locked onto the five Flame Arrow Towers near the lair, her mind racing.
Faced with such heavily armed, cleverly placed defensive structures, the best tactic was to ignore them and charge the lair with everyone at once.
After all, the towers couldn't fire inside the lair—their firing angles weren't wide enough.
Even if many players died, it didn't matter—as long as she wasn't one of them.
With this thought, Mei Magogoko unbuttoned two buttons on her chest, revealing her fair neck and half of her impressive "headlights." Swaying her waist, she faced the players.
Most of the players were men. Their eyes instantly locked onto the exposed skin, like otakus spotting a loli in a crowd.
Their breathing grew heavy.
"Gentlemen, the dragon's lair is right ahead. The evil dragon is inside, and its defenses are weak. Now is the time for us to rise up and attack!"
"Slay the dragon and not only will you earn quest rewards, but whoever chops off its head—I promise to discuss magic with him one-on-one for a whole month. Any kind of magic~"
Mei Magogoko winked playfully as she spoke, bending forward and blowing a kiss. The shadows between her "headlights" seemed even deeper, as if they could suck away the souls of the male players.
"For Miss Magogoko!"
A middle-aged uncle wiped the drool from his mouth, raising his sword and shouting.
The players around him echoed, their cries like a tidal wave:
"Into the dragon's lair! Slay the evil dragon!"
"Kill, kill, kill!!"
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