Tancreed, the Elder Dragon revered by the Rock Molar Tribe that lived in the Pointy Thorn Mountain.
She was one of Pandea's protectors and was the owner of the honorable nickname 'Earth Mother.' Anyone who looked at her scales, tail, wings, or majestic maw would be awestruck by her.
'No way... Why is Tancreed here...?'
Yet, for some reason, Tancreed was now imprisoned within the Crimson Prison and being pursued.
It was hard to find someone as strong as her, which made things even worse.
- Please! This... isn't something about helping me.
- What...?
- This might be about helping the world.
If the being trapped within the Crimson Prison was Tancreed, her words were shockingly close to the truth.
After all, wasn't protecting the guardian of Earth basically helping the world?
Jamad approached the Crimson Prison.
"Tancreed... have you come seeking for me...?"
Tantuinu interjected, "All of Mother's close-aids have been stained. I'm the sole survivor among her descendants."
"That can't be... Who would dare challenge Tancreed...?"
Grrr...
Tantuinu's eyes gleamed with sorrow.
"We slowly fell into despair. Mother grew feeble, and the invaders were strong. We... drifted, relying on the faintest hope. It was during that time... that Mother sensed your presence."
"What...?"
"She sensed your immense energy from the North and remembered you."
"..."
"Mother wanted to see you. She thought you might remember her—that there might still be hope."
"Th-that's..."
Seol fell into thought while listening to their story.
'This feels like...'
An old story often found in books. An old person nearing death seeking a connection from their past.
Although the details might vary, the overall sentiment conveyed was the same—yearning and melancholy.
'This is where the promise ends. If the guardian of Earth is in such danger, the best decision would be to step away, but...'
The success, failure, or difficulty of this task was now secondary. What Seol needed to consider first was... whether this was something that could be refused. ŕ
And, of course...
"Seol..."
Jamad turned to Seol.
"I knew it..."
Seol let out a deep sigh.
"Alright. I'll figure something out."
"Thank you, Brother..."
After hearing Seol’s response, Jamad turned back to the dragon. Tantuinu said words that stunned everyone.
"The one pursuing us is... Azanic."
"..."
"The Sky Dragon, Azanic."
Hearing the answer, Seol felt the weight on his heart grow heavier.
He was undoubtedly the only being with the power and motive to drive the Earth Dragon Tancreed into such a corner.
'Azanic... so you've survived. I wondered where you were hiding...'
Seol had faced Azanic before—no, the word faced didn’t suffice. The two had clashed in a grand, bloody battle so monumental that its legend still echoed as an oral tradition in the region.
The battle between the Winged Mountain's Owner and the Dragon Lord—Azanic, was one of the protagonists of that story.
'Anyway, it's now clear that taking on this task is like an act of suicide.'
Fighting the dragon without Tancreed's help was suicide.
Facing Azanic was a completely different matter from dealing with the East's Evil Dragon, Hwagmu.
Azanic's name was synonymous with death.
"What is it you want?"
Jamad asked the young dragon.
"What...?"
"Do you want to escape from him?"
"That's..."
Tantuinu hesitated.
Seol took note of her hesitation.
'So she's still hiding something. What could that be?'
She nodded.
When Jamad turned around to look at Seol, he nodded in return. With this, they resolved once again to commit themselves to the chase.
Crack...
Jamad watched Tantuinu shrink back into her fairy form, his eyes drifting to the Crimson Prison hanging around her neck.
The one he served was now asking for help, and the only ones who could help her were him and his companions.
Jamad's eyes were brimming with emotion. Seol approached him.
"We'll have to revise our plan."
"Do you think there's a way?"
Of course, back then, Seol had done it through a piece. But he knew what appearance the trees had and what he should watch out for when passing through them.
'If you woke up the Ankle Crusher, you have to face the consequences.'
The orcs were passing through the area where the Ankle Crushers naturally grew.
Due to them growing over a vast territory, as soon as Seol saw them, he climbed a tree and began leaping from branch to branch to move through the forest.
Setting foot in their domain resulted in broken ankles.
"Huh?"
"The vines are wrapping around us! Cut them while you move..."
Crack...
"KAKK!"
"AGH!"
"The vines... the vines... Mmph..."
The vines of the Ankle Crushers enveloped the orcs, made them fall, and then buried their bodies. The hunt turned out to be easier than expected.
'For now, at least...'
The orcs were shouting in their language.
"Mmph... P-Please... help me... Mmph."
"The vines are alive!"
"What?! Burn them!"
Tss...
They tried to set fire to the vines with torches, but unfortunately for them, the vines were saturated with moisture. All they did was produce a faint burning smell.
Kiiiiik—!
Instead of burning, they provoked the Ankle Crusher's wrath.
Whir!
"Cough..."
BOOM—!
It took less time to wipe out dozens of orcs than it would to finish a lunch.
"Alright. We've bought some time for now."
"Impressive. But wouldn't it have been quicker to use your strength?"
"I’m a bit worried about something, so I want to preserve as much energy as possible."
At Seol's response, Tantuinu closed her mouth.
Although her trust in Seol had grown slightly upon seeing the success that just took place, she still didn't fully trust him.
"Wait a moment."
"Is there something more?"
Tsss...
Seol slid down the trunk of the tree and descended to the ground.
Creak... Creak...
The orc's corpses wrapped around the Ankle Crusher's vines were now expelled from their clutches.
"How grotesque..."
The orcs had been drained of nutrients and reduced to mummified remains. Alongside their bodies, remnants that looked like sawdust were expelled.
Seol collected the materials inside a large sack, which soon grew taller than he was.
Curious, Jamad asked.
"What's that?"
"It's something dirty. It's like a byproduct of the Ankle Crusher's feeding process."
"Are you saying it's excrement...?"
"That's about right. Although it doesn't smell or seem particularly filthy, the process is similar."
Tantuinu asked while frowning.
"Why are you carrying something so revolting?"
Seol asked with a sly smile.
"Revolting as it might be, there are those who go crazy for stuff like this. That's why."
"..."
That was also why he chose to deal with the orc horde using the Ankle Crushers rather than his own strength.
'You never know what might happen... It's better to keep it handy.'
The most common mistake made by those fleeing from pursuit was the overconfidence that they could always evade their pursuers.
Seol was cautious against arrogance.
While there probably wouldn't be any major issues as long as Azanic didn't personally step in, one could never rule out the possibility of something unexpected happening.
'I hope I won't have to use it...'
After placing the sack away with his belongings, Seol heightened his senses.
Whir...
Fwoop...
Shadows rose from his cloak and scattered in all directions. These would become his eyes—they were his crows.
Caw!
Caw! Caw!
The crows dispersed throughout the Forest of the Slumbering.
The distance between them and their pursuers would increase again... as long as nothing much happened.