Snowflakes swirled in the wind, forming a pale curtain.
A figure loomed across from him, drawing closer and closer.
At first glance, it resembled a burly man, over two and a half meters tall.
Only as he drew closer did his hideous features reveal themselves.
He wasn't so much a human as a giant lizard, walking upright!
His entire body was covered in green scales.
A thick, long tail trailed behind him.
It swung with each step, sweeping the snow.
The strange figure's face was three parts human, seven parts dragon-like.
Horns sprouted from his head, and a mouth full of fangs.
His vertical pupils gleamed with a cold, malevolent light.
He was a subgiant with green dragon blood.
One of the many bastard offspring of the evil dragon Kroshir.
Coming specifically to hunt down Allen!
"Blue boy, you can't escape."
The dragon man grinned and strode closer.
Alan took a deep breath, clenched his fists, and braced himself for a powerful foe.
At that moment, the dragon man suddenly used his tail to propel himself from the ground, boosting his feet and leaping into the air!
The dragon man's tail, like a spring, provided powerful momentum for his sudden leap!
In the blink of an eye, the dragon man had leaped ten meters high.
He flipped mid-air, swooping down like a giant hawk, directly over Allen's head!
The swoop was too fast, and Allen quickly rolled on the ground.
Just a hair's breadth away, he narrowly avoided the dragon man's flying kick.
Bang!
The dragon man's foot landed on empty air.
He sank below his knees into the frozen ground covered in snow.
Alan flipped over and stood up.
He swept his leg, kicking up a large cloud of snow!
The snow, mixed with mud and sand, pelted the dragon man.
Forcing him to cross his arms to shield his eyes.
Alan's face was grim, and he seized the opportunity to lunge forward.
Magic power infused his fist, his muscles swelling like iron.
He suddenly thrust his fist forward, piercing the dragon man's heart!
BANG!
A burst of bone-piercing force sent the dragon man stumbling backward.
Alan's own fist was numb from the shock of the dragon's scales.
He looked up.
The dragon man retreated three steps and then found his footing.
He clutched his chest with his dragon claws, breathing rapidly, his face gloomy.
He had suffered internal injuries, but not serious.
With this punch, Alan used five points of magic power, barely breaking through his defense. The toughness of dragon scales was beyond imagination.
"Green-scaled bastard, you're quite durable!"
Alan sneered and clenched his fist again.
He poured 10 points of magic power into his palm!
He aimed to break through the defense with one strike, a swift and decisive battle!
Anger flashed in the dragon man's eyes, and he suddenly opened his mouth, unleashing a wave of green air!
The air wave expanded in a cone, breaking through the curtain of wind and snow, sweeping straight towards Alan!
The breath of a secondary green dragon contained a terrifying level 4 toxin!
Alan held his breath and closed his eyes.
He raised his left palm.
Bone spurs erupted from his palm, madly absorbing the poisonous gas!
The poison corroded the skin of his palm, emitting a teeth-grinding hissing sound.
Alan's left palm was poisoned, blisters formed, and large areas of it festered, the pain penetrated his bones!
At least his left hand was crippled in this battle.
Enduring the excruciating pain in his palm, Alan summoned his magic.
Hound Step!
His figure flashed, disappearing into the snowstorm.
After the dragonman's spit, he was exhausted, his concentration and reaction speed diminished.
Suddenly, Alan's presence vanished, and he was stunned.
Suddenly realizing something was amiss, he turned hastily.
The towering figure of the poison demon appeared behind him.
An iron fist tore through the air, accompanied by a piercing whistle, rapidly enlarging in his field of vision!
Alan struck the dragonman in the face.
A sudden burst of bone-piercing force, imbued with immense destructive power, erupted!
With a bang, the dragonman's head shattered under his punch!
Broken green dragon scales.
Crimson fragments of flesh and blood.
Mixed with milky white brain matter.
Splashing all over the sky!
Before dying, the dragonman fought back desperately.
A pair of sharp claws slashed across Allen's chest, leaving four deep scratches.
The wounds ripped the flesh outward, blood dripping, like a pair of crimson lips.
"Get out of my way!"
Alan roared and kicked.
The dragonman's headless body flew far away, tumbling into the snow.
Unable to bandage his wounds, Allen had to rush to rescue his adoptive mother's four daughters.
Not far away, he saw the four sisters lying back to back, surrounded by a group of ogres.
They were all injured to varying degrees.
He held a large club in his hand, his eyes mingled with resentment and fear.
The ogres besieging them were also from the Iron Stomach Clan.
Once close comrades, now ordered to hunt them down.
The leading ogre, holding a large crossbow, aimed at the youngest of the four sisters.
"Hehehe... If you don't surrender, I'll release my arrow..."
The ogre's threat still echoed in the air as his expression suddenly changed.
An indescribably intense, spicy taste filled his mouth.
"Wow!"
The ogre screamed in agony.
His wrist flicked, accidentally triggering the crossbow.
The crossbow bolt, as large as a javelin, missed its target.
It flew past the four sisters.
With a whirring sound, it pierced another ogre, the one chasing the sisters.
After performing his "seasoning spell," Allen immediately threw out two bags of lime, creating a cloud of choking smoke that intensified the chaos on the battlefield.
While the ogres were blinded by the lime smoke and coughing profusely, Allen quickly rushed to the four sisters and led them through the encirclement.
The five of them ran as fast as they could, deep into the mountains.
It wasn't until dusk that they escaped their pursuers.
Safety was only temporary.
The footprints left on the snow would sooner or later reveal their whereabouts.
Alan and the four sisters set a deceptive trap, leaving a trail of footprints leading to the icy lake.
When they reached the shore, they turned back.
They followed their own tracks, heading back up the river, then jumped into the ice-strewn river, drifting downstream.
It wasn't until late at night that the five of them finally reached the riverbank.
Finally, they had completely eliminated all traces and scents left along the way.
The five fugitives, shivering with cold, their lips purple, found a cave in the mountains and quickly retreated inside to rest.
Inside the cave was a hibernating black bear.
It was half asleep.
At the sound of noisy footsteps, it opened its eyes and roared, its teeth bared.
Trying to scare the uninvited guests away, the black bear quickly regretted its impulsiveness.
Five minutes later.
Alan sat with his back against the cave wall, beside the disemboweled black bear's carcass.
Watching the four sisters light a bonfire and carve up the bear's meat.
The second sister tore off the black bear's tender liver and handed the most delicious morsel to Alan.
The eldest sister also came over and gently bandaged Alan's wound.
Hiding in the cave, well fed and well watered, they temporarily weathered the immediate crisis.
The four sisters had time to reflect on their sorrows, their eyes welling up as they hugged each other, sobbing softly.
Alan knew they missed their mother.
Alan missed his adoptive mother, too.
But there was no turning back.
The Iron Stomach Clan, their former home, had changed.
They were no longer welcome.
If they returned rashly, not only would they miss their adoptive mother, but they would also face death!
…
Three days ago.
The green dragon Kroshir, not satisfied with the Iron Stomach Clan's verbal pledge of allegiance, appointed a new chieftain for the ogres.
The new chieftain, Augustine, Kroshir's son, was a half-green dragon ogre.
Upon arriving in the Iron Stomach Clan, this tyrannical bastard immediately took a fancy to Alan's beautiful adoptive mother and sent for her abduction.
Not only that, but Augustine also instructed the ogres who were his vassals to slaughter all of his new love's children, putting an end to any future trouble!