I didn't have time to stop Astrid. I understood that if we couldn't defeat the corpse dragon, the three of us would perish here today. So I chose to take the risk of carrying out the plan in my mind.
"By Thor's mighty name, I wage a war,Against the shadows, dark and more.Lightning storms, descend with grace,Illuminate the world, each hidden place." I chanted the incantation in my mouth and held my Dragon Heartscale sword high in my right hand, gathering light energy on the sword.
The sky convulsed, a tapestry of serene blue ripped to shreds by thunderous clouds like bruised knuckles. Lightning, serpents of silver fire, danced across the heavens, their fangs biting into the gloom. A deafening roar tore through the world, splitting the sky in two. Above me, a swirling abyss of inky blackness pulsed like a malevolent heart, its veins laced with violet fire. With each pulse, the air writhed, its essence sucked into the vortex, raw power twisting and coiling.
Astrid's flame magic ball struck the head of the corpse dragon with a resounding impact. Yet, as anticipated, the fifth-level magic proved ineffective against the formidable creature.
While Astrid recuperated from expending a considerable amount of magic power, the corpse dragon wasted no time in launching a ferocious assault towards her, poised to rend her asunder.
Suddenly, the attention of the corpse dragon was diverted to my position, sensing a looming threat. With a deafening roar, it unleashed a shockwave that sent Astrid reeling backward. Engaged in summoning a thunderstorm, I was unable to assist her. Fortunately, Zoe, positioned behind me, leapt forward and caught her before she could be harmed further.
In fact, my current situation was very bad. My own power attribute was the dark attribute. At this time, in order to defeat the corpse dragon with the same dark attribute, I summoned the magic power of the higher-level light attribute. In the field of magic, light and darkness were two mutually restrained energy attributes. But when the energy of any attribute of light and darkness was strong enough against each other, the damage caused by this energy would be magnified. Although I summoned the energy of guiding light attributes with myself as a medium at this time, I still felt paralyzed by the thunder power transmitted from my sword. As the thunderstorm vortex became bigger and bigger, it was difficult for me to maintain a standing posture.
At this moment, there was no one else between me and the corpse dragon, and we were facing each other. The corpse dragon wanted to rush over and kill me immediately, but it was afraid to see the thunderstorm vortex formed above me. At the moment the corpse dragon hesitated, the thunderstorm vortex had completely taken shape. I immediately used my sword to guide the thunderstorm vortex to strike the hole in the head of the corpse dragon.
The thunderstorm vortex accurately hit the corpse dragon, and the corpse dragon opened its mouth and let out a scream before slowly falling down. I was also exhausted. As soon as I fell, I sat on the ground and gasped for breath.
However, now was not the time for us to rest. Although the corpse dragon had been hit by my attack just now, I could feel that it had not suffered much damage. At least it would never die because of my attack just now. It only caused a similar fainting effect due to the trauma of being hit by light attribute magic.
"Zoe, we need to get out of here, now!" I exclaimed, my tone sharp and unwavering.
Zoe's eyes widened in alarm, her voice trembling as she replied, "David, Astrid has collapsed. She's unconscious!"
A sense of foreboding washed over my face. "This is terrible timing," I muttered, steeling myself for the task at hand. With newfound determination, I rose to my feet and approached Zoe, finding Astrid limp and unresponsive.
Realizing the severity of the situation, I scooped Astrid into my arms and turned to Zoe. "Follow me. We're getting out of here," I declared.
We made our way through the treacherous terrain, I’m carrying Astrid as Zoe closely followed behind. As we neared the exit, a deafening roar echoed through the valley.
"No, it's the corpse dragon! It's awake!" I shouted over my shoulder, not daring to slow our pace.
A shriek of terror pierced the air behind me. "Ah..." Zoe's voice trailed off, filled with fear.
My heart pounded in my chest. I halted and turned, my gaze fixed on Zoe lying on the ground, her ankle twisted at an unnatural angle.
"Zoe! Are you alright? What happened?" I asked, concern etched into my features.
Zoe grimaced in pain as she tried to rise, but collapsed back to the ground. "I tripped and twisted my foot," she explained, her voice strained.
Without hesitation, I rushed to her side and gently lifted her up, supporting her with his arm. "Don't worry, we're almost there. I'll help you out," I reassured her, my voice laced with warmth.
Zoe nodded, a mix of gratitude and determination in her eyes. "Thank you, David. I can endure the pain. We have to get out of here," she insisted, her voice unwavering despite the agony coursing through her body.
At this moment, another dragon's roar came from behind us. Zoe and I looked back and saw that the corpse dragon was chasing us. The corpse dragon was about 100 meters away from us at this moment, and we were about 10 meters away from the exit of the Valley of the Dead. I looked at Zoe and shouted at the same time, "Let's go."
The corpse dragon was extremely fast, and with its huge size, the distance of 100 meters was not very far for the corpse dragon. But when Zoe and I stumbled to the exit of the Valley of the Dead, the corpse dragon also came behind us. The back of my neck seemed to feel the moisture exhaled by the corpse dragon, although the corpse dragon could not breathe.
The corpse dragon lowered its head and crashed into us, and I pulled Zoe to dodge. The exit of the Valley of the Dead was arranged with a strong barrier, and the undead creatures could not pass through. When the head of the corpse dragon approached the exit of the Valley of the Dead, the barrier at the exit was activated, and a wall of light appeared. The head of the corpse dragon hit the wall of light heavily, causing ripples on the surface of the light wall and generating a strong counterattack. The corpse dragon was thrown back by the counterattack of the light wall. Zoe, Astrid on my shoulders, and I were pushed out of the Valley of the Dead by the shock wave generated by the forces of the corpse dragon and the light wall.
Seeing the sunshine outside the Valley of the Dead, I felt a sense of rebirth. At this moment, I lay on the ground in pain. Astrid lay in front of me, and my right hand grabbed her calf. I didn't know if she was injured. I turned my head to look for Zoe, but I saw Zoe crawling over to me.
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"Are you alright, David?" Zoe's voice hitched, her eyes wide with fear as she dragged herself towards me, ankle twisted and useless.
Exhausted, I rasped, "I'm okay. You?”
"Me too," she panted, then her gaze darted to the form sprawled beyond me. "Astrid?"
"She should be alright. I've got her feet. I can feel her pulse, like a hummingbird's tremor.”My eyes scan Astrid's form, searching for a sign, a spark. Nothing.
"Don't worry,I'll go check on her." Zoe crawls closer, her eyes wide with a desperate hope.
Her inspection is swift, yet meticulous. Astrid's body bears only a whisper of harm, a graze barely visible on her arm, a testament to David's shielding embrace. But the real threat lurks deeper, unseen. The corpse dragon's breath, a chilling wind carrying the taint of death, has cast a shroud over Astrid's consciousness, pulling her towards the realm of shadows.
Fear etched lines on Zoe's face as she gazed at Astrid, who lay still, seemingly lost in an unnatural slumber. Zoe, an auxiliary mage skilled in healing and warding, could feel the faint tendrils of death magic clinging to Astrid like cobwebs.
"Don't fret, Zoe," I reassured her, forcing a smile despite the weariness gnawing at my bones. "The corpse dragon's breath is like a creeping shadow, slow and insidious. It won't take Astrid immediately. We have time.”
Hope flickered in Zoe's eyes, like a candle flame in a windswept cave. "But the magic... can you fight it, David? You're drained.”
"I'll manage," I replied, offering her a small, tired smile. "My reserves are low, but once they replenish, purging those wisps of darkness will be like clearing away morning mist.”
Zoe's brow furrowed in concern. "Are you sure? You were closer to the blast. Perhaps I should use some Holy Light magic on you too.”
"My friend," I said, my voice laced with a gentle humor that belied the fatigue, "a knight rests after the battle, not before. We both have roles to play. You tend to your ankle, and I'll tend to Astrid. We'll face this together, when we're both at our best.”
Understanding dawned on Zoe's face, and she nodded. With a soft sigh, she focused on channeling Holy Light, its faint golden glow bathing her injured ankle in warmth.
In less than 10 minutes, Zoe's foot injury was healed. She went nearby to get some water and came back for me to drink. After drinking water, my energy recovered a little. It was dusk now, and we decided to go back to the city first, and then I would help Astrid exorcise the breath of death in her body.
The Valley of the Dead was about 60 kilometers away from Windhaven. From the Valley of the Dead to Windhaven, it took different transportation times. It took 1 hour to ride an ordinary war horse; using magic scrolls to enhance could reduce the time by half. However, such a magic scroll was worth 50 silver coins, and ordinary people could not afford it at all. When I awakened the power of the Dragon Core, I ran at about the same speed as an ordinary war horse. Now that my energy had not recovered, Astrid had fainted, and Zoe was not a warrior. How could the three of us go back to the city?
Seeing what I was worried about, Zoe said, "Our carriage is not far ahead. We can take a carriage back."
I was overjoyed and thought to myself, "I'm so stupid that I didn't expect them to come here in a carriage."
I carried Astrid and Zoe to find the carriage Zoe had mentioned on the roadside about 100 meters from the Valley of the Dead. The coachman saw Astrid on my shoulder and hurriedly asked, "What's wrong? How is the young lady doing?"
"Young lady?" Looking at the luxurious carriage in front of me, I thought to myself, "I really can't see that Astrid is the daughter of a rich businessman or a powerful figure."
"Astrid is fine. She just fainted. Let's go back to the city first and treat Astrid." Zoe said.
Entering the carriage, I was stunned again by the layout of the carriage. The interior decoration of the carriage was very luxurious, and there was a small magic array inside. Under the influence of this magic array, the carriage drove faster, and the interior of the carriage was constantly warm, full of vitality, isolated from sound, and anti-external magic one-way spying. There was a golden candlestick in each of the two corners of the carriage. Each candlestick was placed with a blue crystal the size of a fist. Blue crystals could not only play the role of lighting, but also provide energy for the operation of the magic array.
In this magical world, pure energy blocks such as blue crystals were very popular. According to the size of the crystals, their functions and prices were different. Large crystals could be used as a magic energy source, and the greater function was to make a magic wand. For magicians, pure large pieces of crystal were priceless. At present, the blue crystals in the carriage were worth more than 500 gold coins. Two blue crystals of this size could support the current magic array for 3 months.
Although the fist-sized magic crystal was precious, it could also be bought with money. The magic array used in the isolated environment in the carriage needed to be arranged by people at the level of a great mage, which could not be obtained by money alone.
"Zoe, why did you go to the depths of the Valley of the Dead? You two can't cope with the monsters there at all." I looked at Zoe sitting opposite me and asked.
Hearing my question, Zoe said awkwardly, "Astrid has prepared an advanced magic scroll. We thought we could deal with the corpse dragon. Now it seems that we underestimated the strength of the corpse dragon."
I complained in my heart, "You overestimated your strength." I asked in puzzlement, "Why are you going to kill that corpse dragon?"
Zoe replied, "Astrid wants to give the head of the corpse dragon to his father as a birthday gift."
"What?" I was stunned: "What's the good thing about the head of the corpse dragon? What's the use? These two crystals in the carriage are much more valuable than the head of the corpse dragon."
"I don't understand this either. Astrid said that the head of the corpse dragon was a very meaningful gift for his father." Zoe said helplessly.
"Even so, you can ask others for help, or you can hire mercenaries. Astrid is so rich that he can easily hire a regiment of mercenaries without paying for money. By the way, what does the Astrid family do? How can they be so rich?" I asked in puzzlement.
Zoe was embarrassed again: "I'm sorry, I don't know. I have never met her father. All I know is that her family is very rich."
Looking at the two fist-sized crystals, I understood in my heart that the Astrid family was by no means as simple as being rich.
With the blessing of the magic array, the carriage drove very fast and had now reached the gate of Windhaven. There were many carriages at the gate of Windhaven, waiting in line to enter the city. Usually, carriages entering Windhaven City needed to be inspected by guards. This kind of inspection was mainly used for collecting taxes on goods and preventing the smuggling of goods. Looking at the nearly 60-meter-long carriage train, I thought I needed to wait for a while to enter Windhaven City. Unexpectedly, the carriage drove directly to the special entrance for nobles. The guard still seemed to be a driver and did not interrogate him. He directly let the carriage we were in into the city.
The carriage drove into a castle in the East District of Windhaven, where two servants-like people put Astrid into the castle. I asked a servant to tell Astrid's family that I would come to treat Astrid tomorrow. The driver said he would take Zoe and me home. I told the driver to take Zoe home, and I could walk home by myself.
My home was in Windhaven North District. At my current speed, I could go home in about 30 minutes.
My home was located in a remote location, and there were not many neighbors around. At this time, there would be almost no one on the street. When I was about to get home, the street was as quiet as usual.
As I approached my house, a sudden gust of wind swirled around me. My sword, as if sensing an impending danger, vibrated eagerly within its sheath. I swiftly unsheathed it, Dragon Heartscale, and a crisp metallic clang echoed through the air. In a flash, I pivoted on my heels, my left elbow striking back, forcing my hidden assailant to retreat.
Whirling around, I scanned the surroundings for my adversary. A flash of green caught my eye – it was a spear, wielded by a young man, seemingly around my age. He lunged at me with lightning speed, engaging in a fierce duel.
His spear danced through the air, striking my sword in rapid succession. I parried and riposted, our blades clashing in a relentless rhythm. His speed was astonishing, pushing me to my limits.
Though his speed was his advantage, his strength was lacking. When I closed the distance, his spear's reach became a hindrance. I pressed my sword against his spear and unleashed a powerful punch with my left hand, striking him squarely in the face. He let out a cry and stumbled backward, but quickly recovered, lashing out with his spear again.
I deftly deflected his thrust, but a strange sensation coursed through my sword – a tingling electric shock. Staring at the spear before me, I finally recognized my long-lost friend, Gideon.
Before I could utter a word, Gideon sheathed his spear and exclaimed with a broad smile, "Boss!"
"Gideon!" I cried in recognition.
We embraced each other tightly, laughter and tears mingling as we reunited after a decade apart. His familiar wind power and the ancestral spear in his hand were undeniable signs of his identity.
Gideon had always been my loyal companion, my confidant. We had shared countless adventures and laughed through countless moments of joy. The years had passed, but our bond remained unbreakable.
"I can't believe you're finally back in Windhaven!" I exclaimed, my excitement bubbling over as I saw Gideon standing before me. "Where have you been for so many years?"
Gideon grinned, his eyes sparkling with mischief. "Just got back this afternoon," he said. "You know, I'll be 18 next month. Imperial law dictates that I return by then." A shadow of regret crossed his face. "I'm sorry I missed your birthday."
I nodded, understanding the weight of his responsibility. Imperial law was clear: young people eligible to inherit the Dragon Core must remain in Windhaven on their 18th birthday or face treason charges. If they proved their lineage and inherited the Dragon Core's power, the emperor would bestow upon them the title of Count.
"No worries," I replied, a warm smile spreading across my face. "I'm just glad you're here now."
Gideon feigned a pained expression, clutching his shoulder. "That punch you just gave me still stings," he joked. Then, his expression turned serious. "Boss, I heard you haven't received a title from the emperor yet. Does that mean you didn't inherit the Dragon Core's power? How is that possible?"
I didn't answer, instead choosing to pull Gideon into my home with a knowing smile.