Chapter 40: Black Dragon (1)

“Attention!”

With a sharp shout from Skarn, the knights lined up in a square formation immediately straightened their backs, their faces serious as they looked at him.

Vera and Bai stood at the rear of the formation, inexplicably drawn in by the atmosphere, and instinctively straightened up as well.

Skarn scanned the remaining knights, noting their exhausted expressions.

Most were already wounded; some had even lost an arm.

Their once-pristine armor was stained with blood—some from Vampire Beasts, some from their comrades.

They looked utterly battered, yet there was no despair in their eyes, only faith, the unshakable belief in victory!

Clearing his throat twice, Skarn raised his resonant, commanding voice.

“Warriors, we have done exceptionally well on this mission! As always! We struck before the elves and orcs could, eliminating those beasts ahead of time! We have proven to the other races the strength and faith of humanity!”

“But why have we fallen to such a state? For four days now, we have been isolated, under constant assault, pushed to the brink of annihilation.”

Skarn paused, drawing a deep breath.

His eyes burned with fury, and his voice rose even higher.

“It is those damned Vampires who are wreaking havoc! They destroyed our homeland! Murdered our kin! Turned our human brethren into hideous Vampire Beasts! And now, they intend to completely crush the Bloodbreak Knight Order by encircling us here in the Forest!”

“Why? Because they fear us! They tremble at the thought of us mercilessly wiping them out—just like crushing an ant without hesitation! Just like swiftly killing those Vampire Beasts!”

“Warriors! Never forget why we stand here! Hatred! Faith! Guardianship! It all boils down to one thing: we do not fear those wretched bastards! If they want our lives, then let them see if they have the right to take them!”

“We are the Bloodbreak Knight Order! The vampires’ natural enemy! The pride of humanity! We have faced countless disasters on this path, but the scales of victory always tip in our favor! And the Goddess already smiles, ready to welcome us home in triumph once again!”

Skarn spoke with such passion and vigor that his words became a powerful tonic, reigniting the warriors’ spirits.

Their eyes blazed with faith and courage, their hands trembling slightly on their sword hilts, eager to strike down those fiends immediately.

“Victory!”

Someone shouted from within the ranks, sparking a wildfire of passion and rage in the warriors’ hearts.

They roared together, their victorious cry echoing through the entire Forest.

Skarn watched them and smiled.

“Good boys.”

He turned to Aurelia beside him and ordered, “Lead the team forward.”

“Yes!”

Aurelia responded promptly, stepping to the front of the formation and shouting, “All units, advance!”

Dozens of determined gazes moved steadily deeper into the Forest.

At the very back, Vera was so excited she seemed ready to take flight.

Following the formation, her sword—once sheathed at her waist—had somehow already been drawn, and she shouted the battle cry.

If not for the fact that she wasn’t wearing the Bloodbreak armor, one might have mistaken her for a full-fledged member of the Knight Order.

“Victory! Victory! Vic-”

She shouted enthusiastically until Bai, watching beside her with a stunned expression, finally couldn’t help but tug her sleeve.

“What’s the matter?!”

Vera snapped, annoyed at being interrupted.

“Just say it quietly. Your voice is too loud. The Vampire Beasts might hear you. The other knights have already stopped.”

“I’m just excited, isn’t that allowed?”

Vera mumbled.

***

Deep within the Estate of Silence, Yalbera sat motionless as always, staring at the book in her hands, her delicate brows slightly furrowed in impatience.

How many days had passed?

Yalbera briefly recalled.

Only two?

Bai had been gone less than two days, yet Yalbera felt as if it had been nearly a year.

Before, a hundred years would pass in the blink of an eye, so how could two days feel so long?

Moreover…

Yalbera raised one pale, slender hand, her fingers trembling as if yearning for something.

She desperately wanted to taste Bai’s blood.

This fierce, terrifying desire had never ceased since she last did something so uncharacteristic.

Though she drank blood mainly to please herself, enjoying Bai’s struggle and helplessness, now she craved fresh blood like an ordinary member of the Blood Clan.

Her thoughts raced.

Her proud nature forbade her from admitting that she actually desired the blood of a human.

Bai was supposed to be her toy, her servant, a puppet to delight her.

She should tame Bai, train her, shape her mind and soul into what she desired—not like this…

That she would want to crave her.

Was it because of Lian?

No, she would never admit to being so pitiful.

She was not Lian.

She just looked like her, shared the taste of their blood, and a similar temperament.

But she was not her.

She could never be…

Suddenly, an image flashed before Yalbera’s eyes—Lian crying, staring at her.

The tearful expression mirrored Bai’s from a few days ago, indistinguishable from one another.

Was she… really not?

Yalbera lowered her eyelids, irritation growing in her heart.

But then her brows tightened sharply, her gaze turning ice-cold—someone had trespassed into her domain.

“Uninvited guest…”

Yalbera whispered coldly.

With a thought, her figure vanished from the room, reappearing instantly in the courtyard.

Above, in the sky, a massive figure crouched within the shattered barrier—a great dragon.

It beat its colossal wings, enormous enough to blot out the sky and sun.

The terrifying silhouette descended directly before Yalbera, and the fierce wind whipped her black Gothic dress.

“Roarrrrr!!!”

The Black Dragon bellowed, its voice thunderous and overwhelming, shaking the entire space.

But Yalbera remained unmoved, her face expressionless, eyes cold enough to freeze.

Lilith was one thing, but now even a dragon dared to invade her territory?

This was a direct challenge to her pride and power.

She slowly raised a hand and said coldly, “Noisy…”

“Boom! Boom! Boom!”

An invisible pressure crashed down, instantly pinning the Black Dragon to the ground, unable to rise.

It struggled mightily, but its massive body could not move an inch.

“I recognize you—the Pureblood Black Dragon from the Northern Territory, Yarabella’s wretched beast. What’s the rush to break into my domain? Are you prepared to be utterly destroyed?”

Yalbera said with folded arms, a mocking smile playing on her lips, though her blood-red eyes betrayed no amusement.

“Grraugh…” the Black Dragon growled low, still trying to lift itself.

Yalbera’s eyes flashed with slight surprise before the challenge in her gaze deepened.

“Your Bai? Hah, I thought you were a noble Pureblood Black Dragon, but you’re just a mangy dog who’s come sniffing around me for a master.”

“Since you’ve come here with a death wish, let me tell you this—Bai is indeed with me now. She already belongs to me. However, if you’re referring to all of her…”

Yalbera licked her lips and caressed her flat lower abdomen with a teasing air.

“That part is right here.”