Chapter 404: Yaya's Majesty
Crack!
Crash!
A heavy machete cleared a path through the dense shrubs, opening a route forward.
The orc soldiers trailing behind, with bloodshot eyes, stared intently for any signs of an ambush.
Despite wolf riders patrolling outside, they didn't dare let their guard down.
Cunning adventurers, hungry for gold, had given these orcs plenty of "surprises."
Traps buried in the ground.
Sudden ranged attacks.
These had inflicted significant casualties on the orcs.
Only after deploying numerous patrol teams did the orcs suppress the adventurers' aggressive tactics.
Following this, the adventurers saved their "surprises" for the night.
Compared to daylight, when swarms of orcs could quickly pursue them, nighttime served as the adventurers' best camouflage.
Bloodthirsty adventurers didn't just target orcs sleeping in tents.
They also aimed for the patrolling and chasing wolf riders.
Since these wolf riders disrupted their "hunting," they decided to deal with them first!
The proud orc wolf riders suffered heavy losses during the night.
Trapped by carefully laid snares, they were pinned down for nearly two hours.
Ultimately, the wolf riders lost 2,000 troops, almost half their number.
Witnessing such significant losses, the orc high commander felt a deep pang of grief.
In subsequent patrols, he sent out orc hunters and seasoned veterans.
The adventurers, sensing the challenge, engaged briefly to gather information but refrained from overt confrontations.
Now, the orc coalition was a day and a half away from Bull Fortress.
The towering Grigg silently marched at the front of the column, his cold, ruthless gaze fixed on an adventurer leaping down from the treetops ahead.
Slowly swinging his long-handled battle axe, Grigg spoke in a deep, rumbling voice:
"Notify the patrols to expand their search. Try to capture a few humans."
A two-meter-tall gray-skinned orc approached, his voice low:
"The shaman foresaw danger…"
Grigg's sharp eyes narrowed, halting his advance. Several powerful black orcs instinctively stopped as well.
They gazed at the three-meter-tall Grigg with reverence, as if looking at a god.
At that moment, the clouds above suddenly parted, and a massive shadow swept overhead, quickly passing by.
The tangible pressure of draconic might caused many orcs to collapse in fear.
They stared in terror at the great beast soaring through the sky, trembling uncontrollably.
Others glared with feral greed, eyeing Yaya as a potential hunting target.
Then Yaya circled to align with the sun, diving straight down toward them.
"Roar…!"
The dragon's thunderous roar accompanied a fiery breath that struck the center of the orc army.
Overwhelmed by fear, many orcs froze in place, unable to dodge, and were engulfed by the searing flames.
Fwoosh!
The deadly breath nearly bisected the orc army.
Some defiant orcs hurled their weapons at Yaya.
But even captured human weapons couldn't scratch the now stronger Yaya.
As her breath carved through the orc ranks, Yaya suddenly sensed danger.
Dodge now!
Clever as always, Yaya never took unnecessary risks.
She immediately closed her mouth to eliminate a vulnerability, then powerfully flapped her wings.
Her massive body spiraled forward, accelerating rapidly and darting away.
A bolt of crackling lightning erupted where Yaya had been breathing moments earlier.
The surge of magical energy demonstrated its devastating power.
Seventh Circle—Lightning Bolt!
The enemy had a high-level spellcaster!
This probe had been worthwhile!
Sensing the threat dissipating, Yaya memorized the subtle magical fluctuations and soared away on gusting winds.
It took a while for the panicked orcs to calm down.
Even though only a portion had directly felt Yaya's draconic aura, fear was contagious!
The restless orcs couldn't stop discussing Yaya.
Their words were filled with unease.
Leading the column, Grigg glanced at the fading dragon breath and the dissipating sense of menace, his face twisting into a feral grin:
"A fine hunt…"
"Roar…!"
Another piercing roar echoed above the orcs.
Many of those still shaken collapsed to the ground in fright.
At full speed, Yaya focused on the elite orcs who had resisted her draconic aura, confirming her suspicions:
"They're among that group!"
Without hesitation, Yaya channeled her fury into a torrent of flames, targeting the area where the threat felt strongest.
"How dare you ambush me?"
Yaya never delayed revenge!
"Ah…!"
"Run…"
"Kill!!"
"Spread out!"
"…"
Even elite orcs instinctively fled under the pressure of imminent death.
Faced with Yaya's unstoppable breath, not even the orcs' robust bodies could withstand the flames.
The rolling inferno descended.
Their final struggles turned to ash.
Except for a few elite orcs who managed to leap away, the rest were obliterated by the dragon fire.
At the heart of the blaze, a massive hand emerged, clenched into a fist.
That's it!
Yaya sensed the threat there, stopping her breath and diving straight for the source!
Yaya acted decisively, recalling Matthew's wisdom about combat:
"For a super lifeform like a dragon, wasting energy and opportunities on fodder is futile."
"Eliminating those who can cause harm and pose threats is the key to victory."
Yaya took the advice seriously and applied it earnestly.
Claws clenched, she refrained from exposing her deadly talons.
She lunged toward the arm, the fiery ground erupting in a cloud of dust as another massive fist swung toward her.
No dodging!
No retreating!
Just before the fist struck, Yaya used her head to block the blow.
Amid flying debris, she relied on keen senses to grab the falling figure.
Bang!
The tremendous impact left Yaya in pain as her entire body was flung back. Despite flapping her wings desperately, she couldn't stop and crashed heavily into the ground.
Dozens of orcs were crushed and torn apart. Before the surrounding orcs could encircle her, Yaya's tail and wings swept out like deadly weapons, smashing and shredding those who approached!
"No…!"
Grigg charged furiously, his three-meter frame moving with tiger-like speed.
Any orcs in his way were smashed or cleaved apart.
Sensing the danger closing in, Yaya beat her wings and soared skyward.
Grigg hurled his massive axe, barely grazing Yaya's tail.
The resulting shockwave stung Yaya, prompting her to abandon any thoughts of counterattacking. She quickly ascended and vanished into the horizon.
Below, Grigg's enraged roars echoed!