Below the flickering torchlight lay a scene of utter carnage — chaotic tracks of destruction, along with splatters of blood and bits of flesh.
It was clear that the Ram-Horned Earth Dragon had toyed with its prey for a while before beginning to feed.
Seeing this, the gathered adventurers' expressions turned rather grim.
Outside the area, a long trail of crimson blood stretched in a certain direction.
"Follow it!"
At Jenny's command, the group immediately raised their torches and gave chase.
The Dark Extreme Domain lay beneath the earth's surface, shrouded in perpetual darkness. However, the humans who inhabited it had not evolved dark vision, so torches and other sources of illumination were essential tools for exploration.
"The footprints on the ground are getting denser!"
Weilin held a torch in one hand while gripping the handle of his steel sword tightly with the other, his knuckles white from the force of his grip.
A pungent, fishy stench began to permeate the air, sharp enough to burn the nostrils, even reminding Weilin of the time he'd worked in a stable as a child.
Then, under the glow of their torches, a small hill of black stone appeared ahead. At its base, a massive hole had been carved out, burrowing deep into the hillside, as though the entire interior had been hollowed out.
"We can't fight it inside its lair — we have to lure it out!"
Jenny took one look and made her decision.
In such dim lighting, fighting inside a cramped lair would inevitably endanger the Dragon Blood Flower Buds. If the buds were accidentally damaged, then even if they killed the Ram-Horned Earth Dragon, it would all be for nothing.
"It's fine. The Ram-Horned Earth Dragon has very low intelligence and is extremely sensitive to the scent of blood. We can use that to set a trap..."
At this point, Jamos stepped forward, and under his direction, the numerous adventurers set up a simple trap in front of the cave.
Because materials were limited and they couldn't alert the Earth Dragon inside the cave, Jamos chose the simplest trap — poison!!!
A black goat-like creature, which Jamos had fed an entire bottle of red potion, was laid horizontally in front of the cave entrance. Its four legs were bound, and a huge gash had been cut at its artery, from which fresh blood flowed continuously, quickly pooling into a small puddle on the ground.
The adventurers nearby had long since extinguished their torches, waiting silently. At this moment, they didn't even dare breathe too loudly.
Weilin gripped his sword with both hands, glancing at the tense-looking Jenny beside him and the stern-faced Jamos, a resolute expression settling on his face.
Thump-thump! Thump-thump!
Only a dozen minutes had passed, but to everyone it felt like centuries. Finally, just as some of the adventurers were growing impatient, heavy footsteps and a faint trembling of the ground reached them.
"It's here! Get ready!"
The adventurers lying in ambush lowered their heads, drawing their weapons and nocking arrows, all aimed at the cave entrance.
"Huff... huff..."
Heavy, labored breathing echoed continuously, and the accompanying stench intensified tenfold! The goat serving as bait let out a piercing scream.
Crunch! Crunch!
Accompanied by the sound of chewing, the goat's screams cut off abruptly.
"So that's the Ram-Horned Earth Dragon?" Being already a Knight, Weilin had rather good eyesight. In the faint light, he could just make out the monster's form.
The creature was roughly fifteen to sixteen meters long, with four massive limbs supporting its bloated body. Its sharp claws carved horizontal grooves into the ground.
Above its yellow eyes, two curved black horns jutted outward, like the mark of a demon, sitting quietly in place.
As its mouth opened and shut, its razor-sharp teeth clamped down repeatedly, tearing the goat to shreds, sending blood and flesh flying.
"On my signal! Attack!!!"
Jamos flung his hand forward! A fist-sized stone sailed through the air and landed beside the Earth Dragon.
BOOM!!!
Immediately, from that stone, an enormous burst of light and heat erupted, as though a small sun had crashed to the ground.
Light instantly dispelled the darkness, flooding the area.
"ROAR... ROAR..."
Under the blazing light, the adventurers all squeezed their eyes shut, tears nearly streaming down.
The Ram-Horned Earth Dragon, which had always lived in darkness, let out a furious roar.
"Quick! It'll be temporarily blinded during this window — strike now!"
Jamos knew very well that a nocturnal creature suddenly exposed to sunlight would inevitably suffer a period of blindness from the shock, and this was their best chance to act!
Moreover, thanks to the Sun Stone's effect, the entire area was bathed in light, making it far more advantageous for their group!
"To create this opportunity, we've used up every Sun Stone that Burt Town could spare for an entire year! What a waste!"
Plenty of adventurers must have shared Weilin's thought, but the notion only flashed through their minds for a moment before they charged forward with fierce battle cries, weapons raised, rushing toward the massive monster at the center.
Under the full illumination, Weilin could even see every detail of the brown scales and muscular membranes on the Ram-Horned Earth Dragon's back.
Swish! Swish!
The first to attack were a group of mercenary archers. They were clearly part of a single unit, wearing matching uniforms, with refined steel arrowheads that glinted with cold light.
The razor-sharp arrowheads pierced deep into the Ram-Horned Earth Dragon's back, carrying tremendous kinetic force.
CRACK! The Earth Dragon roared furiously. Most of the arrows were shaken off, but a stubborn few remained embedded in its back.
"Kill!" The adventurers had also charged to the front.
"ROAR ROAR..." The Ram-Horned Earth Dragon bellowed and whipped around! Tail sweep!!!
Its tail, like a massive steel whip, swept horizontally. The charging mercenaries were sent flying backward. Several were directly struck by the steel tail, spraying blood across the air.
"Such keen hearing and sense of smell!" Weilin marveled inwardly. The Ram-Horned Earth Dragon's eyes were tiny, nearly completely degenerated. Blinded by the intense light, it could see almost nothing. Yet a creature that had thrived in total darkness naturally possessed its own unique means of perception.
Weilin's feet danced nimbly as he dodged the sweeping tail. He then raised his greatsword as a ring of fine, shimmering light enveloped his body.
"Cross Slash!!!"
He unleashed the killing technique from Leilin Farell's secret Cross Sword technique in a single strike!
A brilliant cross of light formed and slashed toward the still-roaring Ram-Horned Earth Dragon.
The explosive wind pressure and intense killing intent immediately caught the Earth Dragon's attention. It raised its right forelimb and swiped viciously in Weilin's direction!
The enormous black claw met the cross of light, and the air erupted with the sound of shattering glass.
"ROAR ROAR..." The Earth Dragon roared continuously. After shredding the Cross Slash with its massive black claw, it slapped directly toward Weilin.
Such incredible power, such blinding speed!" Weilin marveled, barely raising his greatsword in front of himself.
CLANG!!!
The giant claw collided with the steel sword, producing a tremendous shockwave and deafening sound. Weilin felt a colossal force travel up through the hilt, nearly sending his longsword flying.
"AAAH!!!" He gritted his teeth, clinging desperately to the sword as his body was driven backward by the Earth Dragon's force.
"ROAR!!!" The Earth Dragon was clearly enraged. It lashed out with its steel tail again, cutting two charging mercenaries clean in half!
The two mercenaries screamed as their severed upper halves writhed on the ground, intestines spilling everywhere. Such a grisly scene immediately stunned the mercenaries and adventurers into retreating, not daring to advance a single step further.
"What do we do? Jamos, that Ram-Horned Earth Dragon is almost back in its cave — we have to think of something!"
"Almost! Almost there!" Jamos at this moment had both eyes fixed intently on the Ram-Horned Earth Dragon, muttering continuously under his breath.
"ROAR!"
Just then, an anomaly suddenly appeared on the Earth Dragon's body — which had already retreated most of the way back! One irregular boil after another swelled up, then burst open, releasing yellow pus.
"Uuuugh..." The Earth Dragon's roar dropped to a low, agonized wail.
"This is the high-potency bacterial solution I specially prepared for the Ram-Horned Earth Dragon! It reduces the defensive properties of its skin!"
Jamos explained to Jenny in a calm voice, then rapidly chanted several arcane syllables.
A powerful wave of energy particles emanated from the old man who had previously appeared to be nothing more than a butler.
"This is... a Mystic!!! Lord Jamos is actually an esteemed
In the underground world, the existence of Wizards was widely known, and they were held in the highest reverence.
"Mostra Corrosion Sphere!" With the completion of his chant, Jamos swept his right hand forward.
A massive blue sphere traced a brilliant arc through the air, landing squarely on the Ram-Horned Earth Dragon's back.
The blue sphere dissolved into a torrent of azure liquid that mixed with the yellow pus, immediately radiating intense heat and corroding downward.
"ROAR ROAR!!!!" The Earth Dragon's screams rose several pitches higher as large amounts of white steam and chunks of flesh fell from its back.
"What are you waiting for?! Its defenses are at their most vulnerable right now!"
Jamos stood with his hands clasped behind his back, radiating the bearing of a master. The adventurers, jolted from their daze, immediately charged forward once more.
This time, with Jamos providing support, the Earth Dragon's speed had dropped considerably, and the defense of its skin and scales had been reduced by more than half. The mercenaries could easily carve massive gashes in its body with their weapons.
In an instant, the tide of battle had turned.