On the very same day that Vista Green caused an explosion inside the Chapel, at that exact moment, a violent blast suddenly erupted from the Green Family as well.
Andrea was the first to notice; she was still cradling the huge Emerald Ornament, pondering where in her room to display it, when she suddenly sensed an abnormal surge of Magical Power in the air.
The Magical Power that usually lingered all around without pause had, at this moment, abruptly thinned, as if two rivers had merged, its flow converging with thunderous force toward one point—
“In just a short while, that woman is at it again!?”
Andrea let out a panicked roar, hurriedly tossed aside the emerald, and vaulted out the window, her face tight with worry.
From her vantage, it looked as if the entire Chapel… no, nearly half the Street District surrounding the Green Family had been drained of Magical Power, all of it compressed and piling up in Ailaira Green’s Research Laboratory.
At this moment, the sealed room was already nearing its threshold, yet the Magical Power kept surging inward without stop.
Watching the fragile container about to shatter, Andrea dared not imagine what a chain explosion would mean—whether the Green Family would be left with even a single brick or tile.
She could only act on instinct to try to save what she could.
First, there was Jody, still lingering in the courtyard, completely oblivious to any danger. As Andrea dropped down from the second floor, she adjusted her posture in midair, her legs, clad in Dragon Scales, powerfully kicking off the wall.
With a burst of inhuman speed, she reached Jody in the blink of an eye, hefted her onto her shoulder, and charged straight out of the courtyard.
A baffled Jody only felt a blur before her eyes—then suddenly, she was flying. Watching Andrea, who clutched her as she leapt nimbly across rooftops, Jody only needed a moment to grasp the situation. “What happened?”
If Andrea was this desperate to evacuate someone with no combat power, it could only mean that the Green Family was no longer safe.
Andrea set Jody down beside the chimney on the roof, stomping her foot and grumbling, “Ailaira’s up to who-knows-what in the Research Laboratory! It’s about to blow up!”
“No way, I have to get back before she blows herself up!”
Compared to Andrea’s agitation, Jody remained calm, quietly reminding her, “Do you need me to alert the Gendarmerie?”
“It’d be best if you did, then you’d better run as well. I don’t even know how far the blast will reach…”
Andrea gazed worriedly up at the sky, where dark clouds were gathering. Her Emerald Dragon Eyes grew deeper and more mysterious, reflecting a vortex of Magical Power so dense it was almost solid.
The two split up—Andrea rushing back into the Chapel, trying to reach the Research Laboratory to check on Ailaira, while Jody bought a Horse from a passerby and galloped full-speed to the City’s Gendarmerie Station, asking them to help evacuate the residents near the Green Family.
Thankfully, the Green Family was located on the outskirts of the City, and thanks to their notorious reputation, there weren’t many neighbors anyway.
Back with Andrea—by the time she re-entered the house, the compression of Magical Power had risen yet another notch, like someone had forcibly pressed an entire deck of cards down to the thickness of a single sheet.
Just coming within half a step of the Research Laboratory, the sudden pressure nearly flattened Andrea, and even the small amount of thick Magical Power leaking from the lab left her feeling stifled and nauseous.
Andrea had no choice but to partially assume her Dragon Form. Her reddish-brown Dragon Tail burst through her skirt from behind, helping stabilize her posture, and dark Dragon Scales appeared all over her skin, reducing the effects of the high-concentration Magical Power. Even her Dragon Horns looked more mature than before.
This was Andrea’s first time using Dragon Hybridization since that night her powers had been awakened, and instantly, she sensed a torrent of strength surging through her body, filling her every limb.
The condensed Magical Power that would once have crushed her now felt as harmless as melting spring snow—no pressure at all.
“I really have gotten stronger… but why?”
Andrea simply couldn’t figure out the reason for her sudden growth. By the Dragonkin Age Classification, she was still just a child. Could it really be because Ailaira had… She shook her little head fiercely, shaking off those strange thoughts. Now was not the time to dwell on such things:
“Wicked woman, you’d better not pass out! Or I’ll slap you awake, I swear!”
Now unfazed by the environment, Andrea moved through the Chapel as easily as a fish in water, instantly reaching the Research Laboratory door—only to be astonished that it stood wide open! Judging by the shattered iron door, the explosion had already happened once, but some invisible force was now restraining all the rampaging Magical Power inside the lab.
Yet the source of the Magical Power’s gathering and unrest had not been dealt with, so the pressure just kept building to its limit.
Ailaira Green stood at her favorite workbench, her red-scaled hand firmly pressing down on a writhing, twisting Gray-White Flowing Entity.
The Entity seemed almost sentient, wildly absorbing Magical Power as it struggled to expand and break free from Ailaira’s hold. But no matter how it grew, she kept it compressed inside the Cultivation Dish.
Andrea couldn’t tell what was happening, but didn’t dare step in, afraid she’d be the needle that pops the balloon. She could only shout nervously from the doorway, “Ailaira!”
Ailaira turned at the sound, her gaze still calm, as if the brewing tempest around her was nothing but an illusion. “What are you doing here?”
“What do you think!? Do you want to blow our house into the sky!!”
Andrea thought this woman was impossible. If she weren’t worried about the home she’d finally found being reduced to ashes, she wouldn’t care at all!
Ailaira barely reacted, focusing on suppressing the Gray-White Flowing Entity’s expansion. Yet she didn’t stop it from absorbing Magical Power, her eyes flashing with a peculiar light. “It hasn’t reached its limit yet. It can still absorb and grow.”
But as soon as she finished speaking, a crisp crack rang in both their ears.
The Gray-White Flowing Entity seemed to cross some threshold, suddenly shifting toward a solid form. As it solidified, a flash of gray-white light—cold enough to drain the color from the world—burst forth.
Everything before Andrea’s eyes instantly lost its color, leaving only Ailaira’s back with some lingering hue. Without thinking, as Magical Power exploded outward, Andrea fully assumed her Dragon Form.
Her Dragon Tail coiled tightly around Ailaira’s waist, yanking her forcefully into her embrace.
Andrea curled herself protectively around Ailaira, trying to shield her from the explosion with her own body.
As the gray, oppressive Magical Power surged from the Research Laboratory and was about to touch Andrea, Ailaira’s gaze sharpened.
She stretched out her hand, grasping at the Magical Power. The eerie, sinister energy reversed direction, flowing back to gather in Ailaira’s palm, condensing into a murky Bead.
Premium Chapter
Login to buy access to this Chapter.