They could have warned Ronan Mountwell to return and hide within the obsidian room.
A dragon's massive body could destroy blocks, but it was powerless against the extreme hardness of obsidian.
Unfortunately, led astray by the previous bullet chat, Takeshi Sable hadn't noticed anything unusual at first, truly believing—as the comments suggested—that an angel had been sent to them.
"Mountwell!"
Takeshi Sable let out a grief-stricken cry.
Although two players had been selected, there was a small mercy: since Kira Oakmoor was still alive, they wouldn't suffer the death penalty.
But in their current situation, every single player was extremely precious and important!
Ronan Mountwell's death was an absolutely massive loss for the Samurai Nation!
'No, there's still hope... the Totem of Undying!'
Suddenly remembering something, Takeshi Sable frantically scrambled to pull out a special wooden statue.
The Totem of Undying in the game could negate one fatal blow for a player; even as a real-world prop, its effect remained unchanged.
It could still ward off death for a player.
He used it directly on Ronan Mountwell, and the Totem of Undying dissolved into a pile of sawdust.
One second passed, then two, then three.
Half a minute went by, yet there was no change at all. There was no difference from before the item was used.
"If the item worked, the effect should have manifested by now. Which means Mountwell..."
Saburo Oakmoor sighed beside him.
Mountwell was his own player too, and while he felt regret, the deed was done.
They couldn't fight the Fire Dragon, so they could only suffer in silence.
"My Totem of Undying! Mountwell!"
It was arguably the Samurai Nation's most precious item, and he only had one left.
Seeing it wasted for nothing, Takeshi Sable's heart ached even more.
"Galen Yu! Damn you!"
Left with no other choice, and knowing the Fire Dragon was summoned by Galen Yu, he could only redirect his hatred toward him.
Over at the Alliance.
Looking at the remains of Ronan Mountwell as they vanished, the members exchanged uneasy glances, their expressions grim.
They were told help was coming, but then the dragon turned around and insta-killed Mountwell? What was going on?
Moreover, by the look of it, the Fire Dragon was furious—it didn't look anything like 'salvation.'
"Respected Lord Fire Dragon, we meant no offense. Please, calm your anger!"
Soren Park was the first to react, kneeling toward the dragon to show his respect.
With him leading the way, the other members also realized the gravity of the situation.
"Lord Fire Dragon! Don't kill me!"
"We want to help you, not oppose you!"
"We aren't enemies, we're friends!"
Flames snorted from the dragon's nostrils. After killing Ronan Mountwell, its rage had subsided slightly.
Seeing the remaining seven people kneeling before it, its eyes narrowed slightly.
It heard them clearly this time; these people weren't mocking it, they were trying to surrender.
They weren't with that man who had offended the dragon clan earlier!
"So that is how it is," the dragon spoke in a low, rumbling voice as it scanned the crowd.
Hearing the dragon speak, the Alliance members were stunned.
This was the first time they had seen a non-human creature talk.
However, remembering how the dragon had just torn through zombies and shattered stone with a single swipe, they all lowered their heads again.
"Yes! Respected Lord Fire Dragon, if you have any difficulties, we can help you!"
"Help me?"
The dragon forced open a chest, using its sharp claws to pick out the only food left in the chunk.
It stuffed all the cooked beef into its mouth and swallowed it in one go.
This was the very last of the chunk's food supply, but looking at the dragon, no one dared to speak up.
Ronan Mountwell's tragic fate was still fresh in their minds; no one wanted to be the second victim.
After eating all the beef, the Fire Dragon's health recovered slightly, and it began to observe the Alliance members more carefully.
On second thought, the Fire Dragon really couldn't think of anything it needed help with.
It had plenty of food and lived a comfortable life. The internal conflicts within the dragon clan caused by different species were not something a few servants could solve.
But then, it thought of Galen Yu.
That detestable human had actually mastered the lost art of dragonsteel technology!
If he could master it, then could these other humans master it as well?
If it could control a group of servants like this and have them kill each other...
With its limited intellect spinning, the Fire Dragon quickly made a judgment.
"Disturbed by the zombies, your lives must be very difficult. I can take you to a new world."
Hearing this, the bullet chat was filled with pleasant surprise.
"The dragon really is here to help us!"
"That scared me to death! I knew God wouldn't abandon us!"
"Mountwell's death was just an accident. Why else would the dragon kill only him and not Mark?"
"Exactly! God is still protecting us!"
"By building a relationship with the dragon, we can do exactly what Galen Yu did!"
"A new world! Will we be able to have our own dragons too?"
"Definitely! God will bless Mark!"
Though it had cost Ronan Mountwell his life, they finally felt they had some security!
With a dragon protecting them, the zombies would surely find it hard to trouble them anymore!
[SYSTEM: SMALL CHUNK LORD, FIRE DRAGON HAS SENT AN INVITATION. BECOME THE OTHER PARTY'S SERVANT?]
Become a servant?
Mark was a bit dazed.
This was different from what he had imagined. In his mind, the dragon was supposed to be an angel sent by God, and he would become a Dragon Knight.
But having come this far, he could only nod.
"Yes! I would very much like to serve you!"
[SYSTEM: YOU HAVE BECOME THE FIRE DRAGON'S SERVANT.]
Feeling the connection established with Mark, the Fire Dragon was very satisfied.
The others looked at each other with strange expressions.
But for the sake of survival, none were willing to stay here and wait for death, so they all made the same choice.
"Very good!"
Flapping its wings, the Fire Dragon exhaled its dragon breath, setting the surrounding area on fire.
A large circle of zombies was instantly incinerated. Surveying its surroundings, the Fire Dragon nodded, preparing to depart.
"Wait, aren't you going to take us to the new world?" Mark cried out hurriedly, seeing the Fire Dragon's intention.
"I have indeed activated the key to the new world for you. Simply head in that direction to proceed."
"I shall wait for you there."
After saying this, the Fire Dragon didn't give them another look as it soared back into the sky, quickly vanishing from sight.
The seven of them were left staring at each other, the scene falling into an eerie silence.
"This is what it means to 'establish a connection' with the dragon?"
"Stop, you're going to make me die of laughter!"
"Why bother being Block World players? You'd be better off as comedians! Hahaha!"
"Mountwell was the clown, and you guys are the monkeys!"
"The dragon isn't even willing to give you a lift, and you really thought you'd lucked out?"
"Actively choosing to become a monster's servant? How heroic!"
"I still don't understand where you guys get the courage to even try comparing yourselves to God Yu."
The Nine Provinces audience was doubling over with laughter.
They thought they had truly gained the dragon's protection, but it turned out the dragon didn't care about the Alliance at all.
It wasn't even willing to carry them, making them walk there on their own!
Jett tried to console the others.
"At the very least, it cleared the zombies for us and opened the key to the new world. That's a good thing."
"But did Ronan Mountwell's death really only buy us the chance to be servants?"
Was this really a good thing?
...