Chapter 51: Anke in Danger!

Although the Blue Water Dragon was powerful, it was still a creature of flesh and blood.

The massive wounds inflicted by countless crossbow bolts caused the giant beast to bleed continuously, and it eventually collapsed into the icy waters of the Piranha River.

“What a shame we couldn’t tame this dragon. If we had tamed it, I’d have a stable biological generator.”

Anke watched the giant beast gradually cease moving through his telescope and couldn’t help but sigh.

“Vera, arrange for someone to keep an eye on that dragon, but don’t get close to it. We’ll wait a day, until we’re sure it’s completely dead, before we go confirm the results.”

Anke put down the telescope and instructed Vera.

“Understood, Your Highness.”

Vera nodded and went to arrange the watch.

After assigning several Imperial Guard Knights to take turns on watch, Vera quietly walked to a secluded spot.

She prepared to split off part of her body to create a few Mimic Minions, who would secretly keep an eye on the dying giant beast.

However, just as Vera was creating her familiars, a voice suddenly rang out, forcing her to retract the flesh she had already separated.

“Chief Knight, it’s you. What are you doing here?”

Kaxier recognized Vera and quickly hid the short knife she had drawn behind her back.

“I was just checking for security, seeing if any suspicious individuals had infiltrated. Priestess Kaxier, you’re hiding a knife behind your back? What were you planning to do?”

Vera wiped her hands and looked at Kaxier as she asked.

“My purpose is the same as yours, Chief Knight. I also came to check security, to see if there were any suspicious individuals.

Because my perception is naturally good, I suddenly sensed the aura of a very dangerous magical creature, so I hurried over.”

Kaxier took the knife from behind her back, sheathed it at her waist, and then explained to Vera.

“A dangerous magical creature aura?”

‘Is she talking about me? She actually sensed me? It seems I can’t casually use my racial abilities in situations where these Barbarian priestesses are present from now on.’ Vera thought to herself as she responded to Kaxier.

“Yes, I sensed it. It was a very terrifying magical creature. I just can’t pinpoint the specific type of creature because its aura was too chaotic, having traces of many different races…”

Kaxier stated affirmatively, then fell into muttering to herself.

‘Traces of many different races… that’s exactly me, a Mimic Beast. It’s a good thing this priestess probably doesn’t know about Mimic Beasts, otherwise it would be troublesome.’ Vera thought to herself, feeling relieved.

“Can you sense where that dangerous magical creature is now?”

Vera asked Kaxier, but her body was secretly gathering strength. If Kaxier showed any signs of suspecting her, she would have to deal with Kaxier first.

“No, I can’t. Because that creature’s aura was strange. It appeared for a moment and then suddenly vanished again.”

Kaxier shook her head, then rubbed the back of her neck.

“Huh, that’s odd. Why does my neck feel so cold?”

“Is that so? Then perhaps we were looking for the same creature, and that fellow has been scared off by us.”

Vera relaxed her body. She could be certain that her identity wasn’t at risk of being exposed.

“Perhaps. After all, Chief Knight, your strength is so formidable. Even Centurion Big Barton and Chief Gros are no match for you. It’s normal for an unknown magical creature to retreat because of you.”

Kaxier thought for a moment before speaking.

“Perhaps it’s just as you say.”

Vera went along with Kaxier’s words.

After both Kaxier and Vera had left, a short, thin old man who looked like a monkey, holding a skull-topped staff, finally poked his head out from underground, sweating profusely.

“That was close, so close to being discovered! Who is this Anke, actually keeping a Barbarian priestess! Thankfully, I had an Earth Magic Scroll, otherwise I would have been found out. But now I have to start converting the dragon corpse all over again. Please, don’t let anyone else come. Otherwise, my mana won’t hold out.”

The short old man muttered incantations. As he chanted, countless wisps of fluorescent green necromantic energy began to secretly seep from the ground into the corpse of the Blue Water Dragon.

……

The night passed peacefully. The knights monitoring the Blue Water Dragon reported that the giant beast in the river had completely stopped moving. It should be truly dead.

“Mm, I understand. Let’s go, Vera. Let’s go see that dragon’s corpse.”

Anke nodded, then beckoned to Vera.

“Wait a moment, Your Highness. I think it would be better to test it again. After all, this is Your Highness’s first time slaying a dragon. It’s best to be cautious.”

Vera advised Anke.

“That’s reasonable too. So, who is willing to go check if that dragon is truly dead? I’ll reward them with ten Gold Markors.”

Anke shouted to the assembled crossbowmen.

“Your Highness, I’m willing, I’m willing!”

“Choose me, Your Highness, choose me!”

“I’ll go, I’ll go, I’ll go!”

With a heavy reward, there is no shortage of brave men.

The hefty reward of ten Gold Markors prompted almost all the crossbowmen to volunteer.

Anke finally chose a clever young man and sent him to test whether the Blue Water Dragon was truly dead.

The young man immediately grabbed a spear and ran toward the riverbank. He jumped into the water and carefully swam toward the deceased Blue Water Dragon.

The closer he got to the giant beast, the more he felt an instinctive fear.

He estimated this terrifying creature was at least one hundred and twenty feet (about forty meters) long.

Before this colossal being, he felt as insignificant as a mouse approaching a tiger!

The young man glanced back at the shore, wiped the river water from his face with his hand, then raised his spear with both hands and thrust it forcefully into the Blue Water Dragon’s corpse.

Clang!

After a crisp sound, the spearhead glanced off the Blue Water Dragon’s scales, startling the young man so much he jerked backward.

Then he realized this giant monster must truly be dead; otherwise, it wouldn’t have had no reaction to his strike.

“Your Highness! This dragon is dead!”

The young man excitedly shouted to Anke.

After confirming it was safe, Anke, along with Vera and several Imperial Guard Knights, took a small boat to the massive carcass of the Blue Water Dragon.

“So this is a dragon!”

Anke crouched down and touched the cold scales of the Blue Water Dragon.

On the riverbank, the short old man from the previous night watched Anke fall into the trap and let out a soft, strange laugh. He began to activate a necromantic curse, taking control of the Blue Water Dragon, which had been transformed into an undead puppet.

“Hehehe, here we go! On your way! Fourth Prince!”

Under the control of the short old man, the Necromancer, the Blue Water Dragon’s corpse sank without warning.

Since Anke and the others had been standing on the dragon’s body, they all fell into the water when it sank.

Fortunately, everyone knew how to swim. Simply falling into the water wasn’t a big problem; they just needed to swim back to the boat.

But unfortunately, just as everyone finally got back onto the boat, the Blue Water Dragon, which should have been dead, suddenly emerged from the water.

With a very clear target, it snatched Anke from the boat with one claw and dragged him back into the water.

“Anke!”

Seeing Anke being taken, Vera didn’t hesitate and immediately jumped into the water after him.

Everything happened too fast. The people on the boat couldn’t react in time. They saw Anke grabbed by a claw and pulled into the water, and then Vera jumped in after him.

“Your Highness! Your Highness has been taken by the dragon!”

By the time they reacted, both Anke and Vera had disappeared from the boat, and only ripples remained on the water’s surface.