Chapter 129 The Dragon's First Step Into His Lair

"Heh?" the mage gasped, seeing the woman's sword approach his face at a tremendous speed.

[Shield] In an instant, a semi-transparent blueish shield covered the mage, blocking the slash. CLANG! "Who are you?" The mage screamed his lungs out.

BAM! The woman jumped back, pulling her sword back and running forward with her legs slipping on the ground.

SWOSH! SWOSH! SWOSH! SWOSH! SWOSH! She rushed forward, swinging her sword like a massive spinning blade.

"OIOI!"The mage cried, lifting his wand and casting a spell [Fly]. He wanted to escape as quickly as possible.

CLANG! CLANG! CRACK! When the woman's sword connected to his shield, it only took two strikes to break it, and the mage fell to the ground. His [Fly] failed as he panicked.

[Action surge] The woman grabbed her sword with two hands, keeping her eyes on the mage. ZAN! Six slashes rushed at the mage simultaneously.

CLANG! CLANG! CLANG! Three men rushed in, deflecting three hits but getting slashed by the rest.

SWOSH! The woman's body raced above the mage, landing a few meters back with her left hand touching the ground as she stopped.

Clench! The mage bit the inside of his cheek and tongue, glaring at the woman. ^Keep calm! Don't panic!^ He lifted his wand, ^Magic needs concentration. Even hesitating for a moment can lead to a significant drop in power and speed,^

"I don't care who you are, but you picked the wrong opponent," The mage's wand flashed with a blue light, [Forced Cube Teleportation] Flash!

In a bright light, the woman and everything surrounding her in a three-meter cube disappeared.

The mage stood, gasping with shaking hands, "Who was that?" He looked at the three dead men, "Those were six slashes with [Action surge], I presume, must be at least a twelve-level fighter." With a snap of his fingers, the bodies disappeared.

The guards rushed in as they saw the brief exchange from the walls. But when they arrived, no one was there. Not a single drop of blood was left.

CLACK! Merida fell inside a room, glaring at multiple pots and vases, "Where am I?" she sat, looking around.

"I saw you flung inside a teleportation spell. Are you all right?" When she looked behind her, "The owner of Lisworth's greenhouse, Cain?" Merida said, and Cain coughed the blood, leaning on his cane.

"Are you all right?" Merida looked at him.

"Yeah," Cain replied, "I just exhausted myself a bit,"

"You shouldn't be using magic," Merida stood, glaring at Cain with a worried face.

"We're business partners, aren't we?" Cain smiled, "You sell clothes to nobles, and I sell them plants. I can't have you die," He replied.

Merida smiled, "Thank you for saving me," she bowed slightly, "If only you weren't injured in your days of adventure, you might have been a living legend like Alcott or Merlin,"

"Don't think about it, girl," Cain walked back to his desk, sipping water from his old cup.

***

Arad and Aella split with Jack and headed to their house. To their luck, the workers had left for the day.

Arad walked inside the house, looking at the uncomplete frame with a smile, "It seems bigger than we expected,"

Aella looked away, "I hope the price isn't as big," She laughed.

"We still haven't checked with the city lord yet. And we still could take more lucrative jobs. Paying won't be an issue." Arad replied with a smile.

"I hope you know how to manage money," Aella looked down, sighing, "I've seen many people's lives get ruined because they can't control their spending." She added with a pained smile.

"I'm not the one to speak, but I think a house is a solid investment," Arad replied, knocking on the wooden frame, "We will need a base, and I need a lair. Soon this place would be filled with gold and gems!"

"I would have laughed at you if you weren't a dragon," Aella giggled.

"You did laugh," Arad replied, "Did you ever see a dragon without a hoard?"

"Yes, you." Aella giggled, looking at Arad with a teasing smile.

"I didn't have much time to gather it! And I can't just steal people's money." Arad looked at the basement door, "Let's implant the dungeon core. I want to sleep,"

"Do you have enough food? You might hibernate for days," Aella said, poking Arad in the stomach.

"I have enough for months. I should be fine," Arad replied, poking Aella's stomach.

"What are you doing?" She looked at him, poking her stomach multiple times.

"You're soft on the outside, but the moment I push a bit, I feel something rock solid under your skin," Arad asked.

"You're tickling me. So my muscles tightened," Aella replied, turning Arad toward the basement door, "Get to hibernating so you can give us a ride across the clouds."

Arad smiled, opening the basement door and walking down the flimsy-looking ladder. The thing was built from slightly thick sticks gathered from the forest. A makeshift ladder is a generous description.

Arad pulled the dungeon core from his stomach and laid it on the ground. Light flashed momentarily as it sunk to the ground, and a gate opened.

"Let's hope the monsters aren't hostile. Otherwise, I would cry," Arad looked at Aella.

"I don't want to face the ants again," She looked worried, but the moment they walked inside, something was different.

"This place doesn't stink!" Aella smiled, looking around.

"I mean, I bet the goblins had enough time to start shitting all around the place," Arad replied without a moment's hesitation.

Just a few steps in, Arad spotted the first goblin walking across a corner. He lifted his palm and conjured a fireball, "Damn, they appeared again!" He growled.

The goblin turned toward Arad with a scared face, rushing to bow, "Master, please have mercy. Gob was behaving well!"

Arad and Aella stopped, looking at the strange goblin, "You can speak?" Arad asked.

The goblin nodded as strongly as he could. "Gob can speak. Indeed, Gob knows words!"

"Is there a reason for us to fight?" Arad asked, pointing the flame at Gob.

Gob stepped back, scared, "No, please. Gob doesn't want to fight his Master. Gob will die again." He crawled like a scared cat.

"We won't hurt you. Where are the rest?" Arad asked.

"And did you say, die again?" Aella looked at Gob with a puzzled face.

"Ah! Yes, we're born with the dungeon and live with it. You killed Gob before, an arrow to the throat." Gob waved his hand as if Aella is supposed to remember him. Sadly, she can't tell goblins apart.

"Yeah, I remember you. The one I shot with an arrow." Aella said, just to save herself.

"I asked you where are the others?" Arad glared at Gob.

"GIH! Please don't be mad at Gob. Gob only has one mouth to reply." Gob stepped a bit away from Arad with his knees shaking.

"Then how about you answer my questions?" Arad glared at the poor goblin, igniting a flame in his palm.

"Yes! Gob will reply! Gob wakes early. The others sleep longer than Gob." Gob pointed at the back of the tunnel, "Gob was going to wake them up,"

Arad nodded, "I assume everyone is as obedient as you?"

"Gob think they are," Gob replied with a smile on his green, blister-filled face, "Gob doesn't want to die again. They don't want to die either."

Arad and Aella followed Gob to the other room, where all the goblins lay on the ground, unconscious. "Wake up! Gob is telling you to wake up!" Gob shouted, and the goblins slowly jerked to life.

After just a moment, All the goblins bowed to Arad and Aella, "Please don't kill us again. We promise to serve you," The hobgoblin said with a deep growl.

Aella looked at them with a smile. But she then asked, "How about your food?"

"We eat people other than Master who come inside. If no one came, we go out and hunt," The hobgoblin replied.

"I can't have you do that," Aella scratched her chin, "Leave it to me. I will make sure you have a source of food from the forest," The guild would send a hunting party if goblins start appearing in the forest, so she needs to keep them hidden.

"Who is your leader?" Arad asked, and the Gob walked forward, "Hob is the strongest and the leader," He pointed toward the hobgoblin.

Arad looked at them, "I hope you can behave for a week. I need to take a nap,"

"You can nap for a week? Gob is jealous, all the dreams!" Gob looked at Arad with a smile. "Can Gob do that?"

Arad shook his head, "No, look," Arad shifted into his draconic form, and the goblins panicked.

"A dragon!" Hob gasped, falling on his back.

"Calm down, he doesn't bite," Aella waved her hand, patting Arad's back, "See?"

Arad shifted back to his humanoid form, "So, please follow all of her orders while I'm sleeping in the lower levels. Otherwise I will eat you,"