"Quick! He's there, he can't run far!" Hearing the commotion nearby, Zephyr’s already dark dragon face grew even darker. Twisting his long neck to glance back at his back, sure enough, despite the crossbow bolts not being able to penetrate his scales, many were still hanging on him after a series of impacts.
He now truly looked like a porcupine.
Swinging his agile tail, he managed to knock off some of the bolts and took a brief breath. After being chased for so long, apart from sustaining more injuries, things were relatively stable. After all, the crossbow wagon’s speed was limited; once he got far enough, he should be safe... right?
Just as he thought this, a sudden pain shot through his leg, followed by a pulling force that wasn’t strong but successfully caused Zephyr to stumble. Looking down, a bolt had pierced his leg.
Wasn’t it supposed to be unable to penetrate? Why did this one succeed?
Before he could recover, several more bolts flew towards him, embedding into his limbs and wings, completely immobilizing him. Trying to pull them out proved futile due to the barbs, and the attached ropes kept pulling outward.
While struggling against the bindings, a powerful impact hit the back of his head. In pain, Zephyr saw the attacker behind him—a large man wielding a spiked mace—and immediately turned to bite down hard on the weapon.
The attacker, though muscular, was no match for Zephyr and was quickly thrown aside, crashing into a rock wall, blood spreading across it.
Spitting out the deformed mace, dizziness overwhelmed him. "Damn, what’s going on?"
Shaking his head, the previously taut ropes now felt heavy, dragging him along. His vision began to blur.
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"You haven’t lost consciousness? Truly worthy of being a dragon." The branch president remarked, looking at Zephyr, who remained conscious despite his head drooping. The armor-piercing bolts were coated with potent drugs.
Honestly, under such circumstances, a young dragon should have been knocked unconscious.
"...” Staring intently at the approaching branch president, Zephyr tried to bite him but missed as the president dodged in time.
"Not only are you conscious, but you still have strength. With such excellent constitution, why were you abandoned?" the branch president muttered, puzzled, looking at the nearly powerless Zephyr.
Though Zephyr didn’t understand what the man said, his mood was terrible. That guy acted victorious, and unfortunately, he hadn’t bitten him!
Seeing more and more torches around him, Zephyr knew his situation was hopeless. Damn it, he had transmigrated into a dragon and was now hunted by humans. Though they didn’t seem intent on killing him outright, he doubted being captured alive would be better than death.
"Why was I abandoned? I want to know too."
"Who!!!" Both the president and vice president looked shocked toward the source of the voice. They were the strongest present, not intervening partly to maintain control and partly to prevent any external interference.
Those involved in the hunt were trusted members of their families. Even if suspicions arose, it wouldn’t matter—they knew too much!
"Is this all your reaction?" A soft, sweet voice continued, clearly audible yet unseen by those present, even with the area well-lit by torches.
Unable to find the speaker, Zephyr, nearing unconsciousness, wondered how these people couldn’t see her standing right behind the president and vice president.
She was a petite figure, less than half the height of the branch president, dressed in an exquisite dark red dress, wearing a silk hat matching her outfit. Despite the trendy look, she was fully covered except for her neck and face.
Even in his near-unconscious state, Zephyr felt an overwhelming terror seeing her. The air seemed to thicken.
Others continued searching blindly. She was right among them, and even if she was short, lowering their heads slightly would reveal her. Were these people actors?
"Oh? You can see me?" Noticing Zephyr’s gaze, the girl curiously approached him, stepping past the president and vice president. Bending down to look at him, she removed her long glove and gently touched his head.
Her arm was slender and delicate, but upon closer inspection, it appeared streaked with blood, matching her eyes. This sight flickered like an illusion.
Feeling like he was falling from the frying pan into the fire, Zephyr finally lost consciousness.
"What a useless dragon," she murmured, examining where she touched his head and finding no change. Replacing her glove, she stood up. "To be pushed to this extent by mere mortals without even reaching the entry level."
As she put her glove back on, the surrounding people regained their senses, staring in shock at the ‘girl’ now standing before the dragon. None present were foolish or inexperienced; they recognized something extraordinary about her.
"Who are you?" The branch president stared warily at the girl. Though she appeared like an ordinary child, he felt an overwhelming urge to flee.