"Human, you have some nerve!" Saron declared in the common tongue of the continent.

It was the first time in either this life or his past that Saron had killed a man, biting off half of his body in a visceral act. Blood dripped from the corner of his mouth, but he seemed to relish the sensation rather than be repelled by it.

"Kill him!"

Soros, coming back to his senses and thinking of Bill's gruesome end, was filled with profound grief. Saron shook his head at the sight; if that was their wish, then so be it—death would come for them. He met Soros's charge head-on, biting down hard on the giant shield.

With a crisp crack, the shield broke under Saron's bite, and he chewed thoughtfully before swallowing the piece. Not bad at all.

Soros was shocked; he had to suppress his sorrow. The creature before him, appearing as a young dragon, was clearly beyond their ability to defeat. "Go on ahead, I'll hold it off. If even one of us—"

But as Soros looked to the side, he saw that the Laurie brothers had already taken the whelp and fled. Only Delia stood resolutely behind him. "Laurie, Kent, how could you!" she cried out.

Soros was consumed with despair. He had never imagined that in their direst moment, the brothers he had considered as close as his own kin would abandon their friend.

Saron watched the unfolding drama with scorn. One should never attempt to test the nature of humans!

"Delia, you must go!" Soros said, keeping an eye on Saron.

"Soros, I—" Delia began, but was cut off.

"Go now!" With that, Soros charged at Saron.

"None of you will escape," Saron stated coldly, contemptuous of their belated show of brotherhood. Were these weaklings serious about trying to steal a dragon?

He unleashed all his power.

Tears in her eyes, Delia fired a few arrows before leaping onto a tree branch and fleeing the scene.

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Tink, tink, tink—the arrows left only superficial marks on Saron's scales. One found its way between his belly scales, but it was caught by the muscles underneath, not even drawing blood.

Saron's claws gripped Soros's shield and with a powerful squeeze, sent it flying. Soros drew a long sword from his back and slashed at Saron, who countered with a spray of acidic saliva.

However, Soros's aura blocked the acid. Unperturbed, Saron headbutted Soros, sending him flying. Yet Soros quickly regained his composure.

As Soros continued to push forward, he glanced down at his chest. A black dragon claw had pierced straight through his body. Blood spilled from his mouth in heavy, ragged breaths.

"We... should not have... been greedy!" he gasped.

The light in Soros's eyes slowly faded, and as he looked up at the distant sky, his gaze was filled with longing. He had a wish unfulfilled—a silent affection for a beautiful yet reticent elf.

"You were a true warrior, but our stances differ," Saron said, watching Soros fall. In this world ruled by the survival of the fittest, had the tables been turned, Soros and his companions would have captured or killed Saron without hesitation. He could have ended up enslaved or had his dragon blood, scales, and bones turned into potent magical artifacts.

Whether it was the iron jungles of his past or the magical realm he now inhabited, the law of nature remained—only the strong survive. If he did not wish to die, those who sought his death must face their own.

With this resolute thought, Saron ceased his contemplation. He approached the corpse of the mage, Bill, and began to search it, finding only a shattered amulet-like object. Turning his attention to a ring on Bill's finger, he removed it and sent his psychic energy inside, discovering a small space filled with various armors, ores, coins, and magical scrolls.

So this was a magic storage device—a product of spatial mages. Bill's background must have been extraordinary, judging by the wealth contained within. But now was not the time for inventory.

Suddenly, the swamp and the adjoining forest were filled with a furious dragon roar. Beasts, whether magical or feral, trembled, and some creatures were struck dead by the sheer terror of the dragon's might.

Saron knew that the Dragon Mother was enraged. He swiftly hid the magical storage device in his mouth and waited in silence.

A vast shadow descended from the sky, and the Dragon Mother's immense form towered in front of him. Her sixteen-meter length and the unrestrained release of her dragon's presence were overwhelmingly oppressive.

"Saron, where is Hannah?" She looked down at the bodies strewn about—her first words since Saron had entered this world.

"They were taken by some mercenaries. I fought with all my might, killed two, but I couldn't stop them," Saron feigned exhaustion.

"Fool!" The Dragon Mother, furious beyond measure, lashed out with her tail, sending Saron flying. She didn't even question how Saron managed to slay a level five warrior and a level four mage.

Uttering draconic spells, she cast a tracking charm and flew off in pursuit.

Once the Dragon Mother was gone, Saron stood up, noting that she had struck him in anger but not with lethal force.

Meanwhile, the Laurie brothers were frantically escaping with Hannah. "Laurie, is it really okay to just leave our leader and the rest behind like this?" Kent asked.

With a look from Laurie, the brothers had understood each other and chosen to flee without words. "The leader and the others are clearly no match for them. If they can buy us time to escape, that's all we can ask for. We will be grateful to them for the rest of our lives," Laurie said, his eyes filled with indifference.

"But…"

"There are no buts," Laurie interjected. "The leader said we are brothers, and if they can die for our future, it is a worthy death."

Kent sighed at his brother's words.

"We're almost at Kaleni City. Once we're inside, even an adult black dragon can't touch us," said Laurie, eyeing the city walls in the distance.

"Then let's hurry!"

The brothers quickly left the forest and made for the walls, which were now tantalizingly close. Seeing many other mercenaries entering the city, they breathed a sigh of relief.

But their relief was shattered by a dragon's roar that blanked their minds instantaneously. The Dragon Mother's might completely paralyzed them.

By the time they regained their senses, it was too late. The massive wings seemed to cover the entire sky.

Alarms rang out from the walls of the city far and near!