The beast's roar shook the surroundings. Santner's face turned pale. He hesitated for a split second, but instead of choosing to retreat, he gritted his teeth, accelerated, and charged deeper into the valley.
If he couldn't find the Divine Heavenly Kingdom this time, there wouldn't be a next time. He knew his body was already on the verge of collapsing.
For so many days, not a single drop of fat or proper nourishment had entered his stomach. Eating only wild fruits every day, his body was already suffering from ailments. If he left now, he probably wouldn't have the strength to come back in again.
"I must find the Divine Heavenly Kingdom! I will be immortal!" Santner had lost his mind, sprinting toward the depths of the valley.
"Big Sister, is that man insane?" Salina watched in shock as Santner charged into the valley's depths.
"He's just seeking his own demise," Rhea stated coldly. Her eyes scanned the surroundings, trying to spot where the dragon would emerge from.
"Do not scatter. Stay alert of your surroundings. Move forward." Near the valley entrance, Number Four was leading the special operatives towards the center.
The bolts loaded into the crossbows in their hands were already thickly coated with a powerful anesthetic.
Crack... The sound of breaking branches echoed from the ground. A behemoth charged out from the depths of the valley. Wherever it passed, shrubs and bushes were crushed flat or pushed aside.
"The dragon is out!" Rhea shouted loudly, warning the special operatives below.
"Get out of my way! I'm going to the Divine Heavenly Kingdom!" Santner charged head-on directly at the dragon. His eyes were bloodshot; he had completely lost his rationality.
The so-called "dragon" standing before him was over ten meters long and nearly six meters tall. It moved on four incredibly robust limbs, with sharp claws capable of easily tearing up the earth.
It possessed a very long tail, almost as long as its entire body. It was blackish-brown all over and covered in stiff, dark scales.
Its gaping maw was lined with jagged teeth, revealing a yellow tongue that forked at the tip.
"Roar..."
This creature, dubbed a dragon, snapped its jaws and bit off half of Santner's body in a single chomp. Today's meal had actually delivered itself right to the door.
Thump, thump...
The remaining lower half of Santner's torso collapsed onto the ground, blood spilling everywhere.
"Roar..."
Roaring continuously, the dragon swallowed the chunk in its mouth. Then, it lowered its head and gulped down the remaining half of the torso into its stomach.
Suddenly, the dragon turned its head toward the direction of the valley entrance. It then shifted its massive body and charged rapidly outward.
"Not good! It spotted you! Be careful!" Rhea shouted from the sky, while simultaneously flying forward at top speed.
"Prepare the heavy ballista!" Salina's expression also changed as she shouted loudly.
"Yes!" The three birdkin following behind Rhea and Salina immediately prepared themselves. They had brought a heavy military ballista made of the new alloy, which was much lighter than the previous steel versions.
Crack...
Tap, tap, tap...
The ground trembled slightly.
Number Four knew the dragon was charging toward them. He ordered calmly, "Scatter! Attack the target the moment you see it!"
"Yes, sir!" The others responded in unison. They quickly spread out and took up positions. Their palms had started to sweat, but no one fled.
Crack...
Tap, tap, tap...
A few minutes later, the shrubs blocking their line of sight ahead were knocked down. A behemoth appeared, its massive jaws agape, sending a foul, putrid stench wafting over them.
"Attack!" Number Four's expression changed drastically as he bellowed.
He simultaneously pulled the trigger of his crossbow. The bolt instantly blurred into a shadow, shooting straight into the dragon's mouth.
Swish, swish, swish...
Immediately after, over a dozen bolts followed in rapid succession, striking the dragon's body directly. They pierced its scales and pinned themselves firmly into its flesh.
"Roar! Roar..."
The dragon began to thrash wildly. With its mouth wide open, it violently shook its head and wildly whipped its long tail, snapping nearby trees cleanly in half.
Blood began to flow from the spots pierced by the bolts. The arrow Number Four had shot into its mouth, in particular, caused it excruciating pain.
"Be careful!" Number Four yelled loudly, reloading another anesthetic-coated bolt into his crossbow.
Even though it was coated with an enhanced anesthetic, bringing down such a massive behemoth would still take a little bit of time.
Crack... The dragon went berserk. With a single horizontal sweep of its tail, the small trees nearby were instantly snapped.
"Retreat while shooting," Number Four remained calm as he issued commands.
All the special operatives began to fall back, continuously firing bolts at the dragon's eyes and body.
"Damn it..." Hovering in the sky, Rhea watched anxiously as the dragon pursued the special operatives.
"Big Sister, the ballista is ready!" Salina shouted loudly.
Whoosh, whoosh...
Rhea paused mid-air, instantly folded her wings, and spun around. She took the massive bolt Salina handed her, loaded it onto the heavy ballista, and applied a thick coat of the strong anesthetic. She then had the three birdkin carrying the ballista adjust their aim squarely at the dragon.
"Kill!" Rhea's eyes were filled with hatred and murderous intent. She pulled the trigger without hesitation. The spear-like bolt shot out instantly. The immense recoil caused the two birdkin supporting the front to lose their balance.
Swoosh!!!
The spear-like bolt became a black blur, flashing through the air. With unerring accuracy, it pierced straight through the dragon's body, leaving only the back half of the shaft quivering outside.
"Roar..."
The dragon let out a mournful, agonizing roar. It shook its head violently, trying to throw the bolt out of its body, but its efforts were clearly in vain.
"Fall back quickly! Wait for the anesthetic to take effect," Number Four commanded deeply. With a wave of his hand, he led the special operatives beside him in retreat.
"Roar..."
The dragon desperately wanted to kill the humans before it, but it found its body growing increasingly heavy, and its senses gradually numbing. It collapsed directly onto the ground. Its mouth and nostrils still panted heavily, but it could no longer stand back up.
Swoosh!!!
However, no one approached it just yet. Rhea was even more decisive; she fired another bolt, piercing straight through the dragon's tail.
"Roar..."
This time, the shot only elicited a weak roar from the dragon. It did not stand up again.
"Phew..." Rhea finally breathed a sigh of relief. She landed on the ground and cautiously approached the dragon.
"Miss Rhea, be careful," Number Four rapidly approached with the special operatives.
"It's fine. It's already completely anesthetized," Rhea stated coolly.
Schwing!!
The next moment, she drew the longsword from her back and plunged it directly into the dragon's eye.
Squelaaach!
The dragon's body jerked once, then ceased all movement. Shortly after, blood began to flow from its mouth.
"It's finally dead... Phew..." Number Four exhaled a deep breath, the tension in his heart finally easing.
"We are avenged!!" Salina couldn't hold it in any longer. Tears slid from her eyes. They had finally exacted their revenge.
"Roar..."
Just as they were letting their guard down, a roar echoed from the depths of the valley once again.
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