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——It seems to be a purebred two-legged flying dragon.
In the dark shade of the dense forest, a pair of purple eyes peered through the gaps in the foliage, gazing solemnly at the three lower dragon breeds by the lakeside who were gradually letting down their guard. As time passed, the corners of the onlooker's lips slowly curled into a smile.
"Snap!"
Two quarters of an hour later, accompanied by a crisp snapping of fingers, the staggering two-legged flying dragon at the lakeside, foaming at the mouth with white froth, fell to the ground with a thud.
One by one, their massive bodies twitched uncontrollably like flayed frogs, their legs and wings convulsing.
"Hmm, the paralytic and hallucinogenic effects of Mandrake are quite good, effectively slowing down the target's reaction time. However, the dose of Coniine seems insufficient; I underestimated the poison resistance of the two-legged flying dragons. Had I known, I would've fed those two goats more medicine..."
With the air twisting and writhing, a low murmur came forth as a silver-haired, purple-eyed handsome youth casually strolled towards the scene of the incident, jotting down notes as he walked.
The traces between the strokes were neat and upright, seemingly distinct from the linear script of Greece.
"Roar~!"
An intruder's sudden appearance in their territory instinctively raised the alarm in the three two-legged flying dragons. They lifted their dizzy heads and spat out a mass of dark green venom.
Generally, as hybrid subspecies, two-legged flying dragons naturally couldn't use the powerful dragon breath like their pure-blooded superiors. Yet, they could spew highly corrosive venom through their biological characteristics.
Splash after splash of dark green venom fell forward, sizzling as it hit the nearby shrubs and ground, leaving large patches of charred and withered traces.
And that figure, bearing the brunt, was left riddled with holes, dissipating into nothingness.
Illusion!
In a haze, the three two-legged flying dragons watched a dense mist in front of them break apart, their sluggish brains suddenly realizing that something was amiss.
"Pfft! Pfft! Pfft!"
But before they could react, a dazzling purple light arc exploded; intense pain shot through the back of their necks. The three black heads felt the world spin before tumbling to the ground, their eyes filled with deep confusion and anger until death.
"Despicable," might be the only adjective they could think of at that moment.
As the massive bodies lost support and crashed to the ground, golden-red blood gushed from the severed necks, while crimson "drops of rain" sprinkled down. Then, an almost transparent human silhouette emerged from illusion to reality.
Done.
Looking at the two-legged flying dragons acting independently, the handsome silver-haired youth, or rather, the grown Luo En, revealed a trace of satisfaction on his face. He then gripped the bronze dagger in his hand in a reverse grip, stabbing methodically into the foreheads of the two-legged flying dragons, finishing them off cleanly.
The two-legged flying dragons had snake-like traits, and snake magic beasts were known for their tenacious vitality. Even after decapitation, the snake heads could remain active to some degree, sustaining life for a time with a very low metabolic rate and retaining the ability to bite.
Rather than being bitten unexpectedly by the heads on the ground, it was more prudent to stab a few more times beforehand.
After confirming that the three two-legged flying dragons were utterly dead, the handsome youth with silver hair and purple eyes finally relaxed, eyes gleaming as he looked at the bounty of the hunt.
Dragon teeth could be used as materials for witchcraft and alchemy, dragon scales for armor, and the medicinal and toxicological value of the venom sac went without saying. Moreover, the precious dragon heart and Dragon Crystal were quite valuable as magic crystallizations and prized offerings... In short, every part of them was valuable.
——And a certain strong sense of dissonance.
"Use your brain, use your brain! Red dragons are solitary with strong territorial instincts and prefer hot environments. How could one possibly nest on a damp island, living as neighbors with a bunch of two-legged flying dragons?"
Luo En on the ground scolded irritably while prying open the pair of claws pressing against his chest.
"Besides, which magic beast would have such a heavy scent of incense and herbs on it?"
As their bodies made contact, the once majestic and ferocious giant dragon shattered like a soap bubble, its massive form rapidly shrinking, transforming into a petite girl with pointed ears, pink long hair, rainbow-colored pupils, eagle wings on her back, and a small stature.
Circe, the Witch of the Eagle, who presided over the moon and love, a demigoddess, and the ruler of Aiaia.
——As well as the foster mother and teacher who picked up Luo En from the beach sixteen years ago and raised him.
At this moment, under her disciple's continuous scolding, Circe clearly had some difficulty maintaining her pride, promptly crossing her arms in front of her chest, and snorting haughtily.
"Tsch, what's there to be proud of with a little cleverness? If that had been a real giant dragon earlier, you'd have been torn to shreds, failing the test with a zero!"
"Ah, right, right, right."
Confronted with Circe putting on her teacher's mantle, Luo En adopted an apathetic dead-fish attitude, nodding his head perfunctorily while looking despondently at the burden pressing down on him.
"So, can you get off me now, Teacher?"
Perhaps intentionally or not, the witch, having released her transformation magic, happened to have settled right on Luo En's stomach with her legs astride.
Time flies, and in the blink of sixteen years, the once infant had grown into a man.
And the Great Witch Circe, who still stood steadfastly under one meter fifty in height, inevitably felt a strong contrast in front of Luo En, who was now one seventy-five.
It looked less like a teacher educating a disciple and more like a "daughter" throwing a tantrum at her "father."
The belatedly self-aware Circe, realizing the awkwardness of the situation, got up sheepishly, turned her head away, and huffed a command.
"Enough, the two-legged flying dragons that made nests on the island have been dealt with, let's head back."
Luo En got up from the ground, rubbing his abdomen while complaining.
"But Teacher, can I make a suggestion?"
"What is it?"
Circe stopped in her tracks reflexively, turned her head back, and looked askance at the one behind her.
The certain disciple lowered his head, his disdainful gaze landing on the barren and scratched land, then lazily dropped his eyelids and earnestly advised.
"The ground was so hard it made my whole body ache; next time, you might want to eat more and put on some weight..."
"..."
After a moment's silence, the Great Witch who got the insinuation abruptly looked up and, watching the fleeing back of that disrespectful pupil, her expression gradually became sinister and twisted, with a series of crackling sounds coming from her sleeves.
Her fists were clenched tight.