Chapter 17 The Chase
Glug!
My stomach started growling again.
Hunger caused Samantha's stomach to cramp and spasm, making her extremely uncomfortable.
It whimpered, lowered its head and gnawed at the unpalatable, damp soil, longing even more for the days under the protection of the Dragon Girl. Even though it was oppressed and bullied by Garus every day, it was still better than the precarious existence it was in now, where it had to eat dirt to survive.
"Should I go and beg Galos to take me in?"
Samantha suddenly remembered what Garus had said when he left.
Although it was unwilling to admit it, it knew very well that Galus was smarter and stronger than it, and deserved to live a better life.
"Even if I have to follow Galos's orders completely, it's fine. Anyway, I don't like to use my brain."
Samantha didn't want to wander anymore.
However, it cannot let go of its inner pride and arrogance.
"No, no, I am a red dragon, destined to stand at the top of the world. How can I be defeated by the wilderness so easily? I cannot let Garos look down on me!"
Samantha gritted her teeth, stood up from the mud, and put the idea of following Galos out of her mind.
"I'm so hungry, I need food, real food, not dirt or bark."
Samantha took a deep breath and dragged her heavy steps through the rain.
Hemlock Hills.
After the rain, the air was filled with scorching heat again. Moist moisture rose from the coniferous forest, gathering in the low-lying areas to form iridescent pools. Broken fir branches lay across the mud, their cut surfaces oozing amber-colored resin.
Galus lay on a huge rock on the hillside.
The golden sunlight fell on him, giving his scales a shimmering glow.
He spread his wings, enjoying the comfort of the sunlight on his body, and lazily squinted his eyes, not wanting to move.
Given Galus's diligence and self-discipline, he has relatively little time to rest, but he also understands the principle of balancing work and rest, and that too much of anything is as bad as too little. While pursuing evolution and becoming stronger, he gives himself opportunities to relax during his free time.
The previous torrential rains lasted for a week.
During this period of time.
Because the wilderness is dry year-round and rain is rare, Garus cherishes the hard-won rainy days. He uses the Dark Gold Tail Ring to train himself again and again, bathing in the wind and rain. When he runs out of energy, he immediately recharges it and trains again. He repeats this cycle over and over. However, he also keeps in mind the dangers of the wilderness and takes breaks in between to conserve his energy and prevent himself from becoming too tired.
And after being washed by torrential rain and tempered by lightning.
Over the past few days, Galos has whipped away all the cushioning scales on his body, and no new ones have grown yet. What's exposed is a layer of black and red scales that are full of cracks and dents, pitted and messy, looking like they've been through a fierce battle.
As for the results...
Besides the increased lightning resistance, Garos also felt a slight, tingling, electric-like sensation in the muscles beneath his dragon scales and skin.
This is also a sign of gradually adapting to evolution.
Sunbathing, Garus's tail, hanging over the rock slab, swayed gently as he turned to the side, letting the sun shine on his belly.
It wasn't until noon, when the sunlight became the most intense and scorching, that the sun began to shine.
Galos did not set off to hunt either.
He decided to give himself a day off and let Mobel go hunting for food.
"Take a short rest."
Galos yawned, closed his eyes, and continued to bask in the sun, feeling drowsy.
Suddenly.
He twitched his nose, as if he had caught a whiff of something, and then opened his pair of black dragon eyes.
—A familiar scent wafted through the air from Galos.
The red iron dragon propped itself up and looked up into the distance.
at the same time.
Samantha ran across the damp, muddy ground of the wilderness, her already crippled right dragon wing wounds worsening, with several poisoned arrows still attached to it.
It flapped its dragon wings as it ran, trying to take flight.
However, after several attempts, its tattered wings and weakened body could not support it to fly into the sky, and it could only run on the ground.
Behind them, dozens of goblin wolf riders were hot on their heels.
The gray giant wolf's claws slid through the mud and water, moving with incredible speed, and the distance between them gradually closed.
Samantha gritted her teeth, gazing at the hills ahead covered with dense hemlocks, a glimmer of hope in her eyes.
"Almost there, almost there."
"I hope Galos is still here, and I hope he can forgive my past ignorance and barbarity."
Even if it meant becoming Galos's follower, lowering her proud head, and completely obeying her brother, Samantha accepted it.
Having endured countless hardships, it has come to a profound realization.
Dignity wouldn't allow me to survive in the wilderness; I was too naive before.
In fact, both Iron Dragon Girl and Dragon Legacy mention that it is not easy for young dragons to survive alone and they need to be extremely careful. However, arrogance and conceit are born along with the dragon vein. Young dragons that have not experienced hardships will always think that they can easily conquer the world.
but.
The Dragon Maiden cannot be taught any of the inherited knowledge.
However, the harsh reality is...
When the torrential rain first started, Samantha had the idea of following Garus, but at that time she was still proud and unwilling to admit defeat to the wilderness.
Bathed in the raging wind and rain.
Samantha tried hunting to replenish her energy and heal her injuries.
But things didn't go as planned.
Creatures that can survive in the wilderness, whether intelligent or wild, all have their own set of survival rules. With Samantha's poor hunting skills and weak body, all her hunts ended in failure.
If it weren't for the fact that dragons are truly resilient creatures.
If other creatures were subjected to this kind of torment, they would be half-dead by now.
After eating tree bark and mud for several more meals, Samantha finally came to understand herself and decided to follow her strong and wise brother.
Unfortunately.
Samantha initially encountered a goblin tribe that was constantly searching for and pursuing the red dragon, wanting to turn it into alchemical material. After a period of tracking, a group of goblin wolf riders discovered its trail, followed it, and gradually discovered the dragon's figure.
"The distance is sufficient, archers, prepare!"
Among the goblin cavalry riding gray giant wolves, several goblin riders drew their ironwood longbows to their fullest extent, with arrows engraved with tiny runes and coated with poison on the bowstrings.
Whoosh whoosh!
Three arrows tore through the air with a piercing whistling sound as they shot toward Samantha.
Samantha's ears twitched, sensing danger from behind, and she rolled away in a flustered manner.
Two arrows missed their mark, striking the damp ground and embedding themselves deep into the ground from tip to tip. Another arrow lodged in Samantha's hind leg, its armor-piercing tip piercing through the dragon's scales. The metal shaft vibrated slightly, emitting a faint metallic tremor.
The pain from being stabbed was secondary.
Worse still, the toxins it carries spread and cause damage.
Samantha is too weak right now.
If it were at its peak, this amount of toxin would have no effect on it.
Samantha felt her last bit of strength fading away, her steps growing slower and slower, her body feeling as heavy as a mountain, and the hemlock hills that were so close yet seemed so far away.
If I were given another chance...
Samantha would definitely choose to cling to her brother's coattails instead of foolishly trying to survive on her own.
(End of this chapter)
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
