The same bell rang three times in quick succession at very short intervals.
As far as I know, the bell hanging from the lead knight's waist is a special alchemical artifact, usually in pairs, though there are also versions with multiple pairs. The dumbbell in its normal state will only ring when the paired bell is rung.
This was originally a simple communication device, commonly used in the homes of nobles who employed a large number of servants. However, as time passed, the noble class was long buried under the yellow earth, but this peculiar alchemical creation survived, even evolving into many different versions.
The current method is being used to transmit warning messages both inside and outside the city.
I knew very little about alchemical products, and it was only during a casual conversation with Lord Anran, when I was invited by him, that I unexpectedly learned the information.
In the private office next to the reception room, the same type of bell was hidden in a secret compartment. It was only allowed to be turned and rung three times in a row when the city faced a crisis that could destroy it, so as to summon all the subordinates and confidants equipped with bells to return quickly and fight together.
However, given the current situation, it is unlikely that this scattered group outside the city will be able to return in the short term, and there is even a possibility that they will be wiped out here.
As they approached, all the martial artists who noticed the bell ringing and then realized that the two leaders had unfriendly expressions were gradually becoming restless, but they quickly managed to maintain a calm facade.
Most of them didn't understand what this meant, but they could intuitively sense that a tricky problem had arisen.
However, the giant beast was right in front of them.
This further exacerbated the team's anxiety.
Looking into the distance, the clearing with fallen trees was laid out before me, but then my gaze was drawn to the huge, dazzling depression and the enormous beast curled up in it, its back arched, like a dark little mountain.
That appears to be a dragon.
The illustrations repeatedly depict a back covered with fleshy scales and wings folded back, a spine densely covered with long, black, sharp thorns from head to tail, and a thick, long tail that sways slowly from side to side behind it, clearly indicating its extraordinary power. The long tail has a chain-like structure, and the fleshy ball at the end of the tail occasionally brushes against the ground, kicking up a large cloud of dust, making people feel fearful, for fear that they might accidentally get hit and end up with broken bones and tendons.
In addition, the limbs, whose muscle contours could be faintly seen from their thick roots, were tucked under their bodies, with only a few claw tips gleaming with a chilling color showing off their sharpness. Hot, foul breath sprayed onto the cave walls in front of them, slowly and steadily dissolving the bright and crystalline colors into a dirty, murky, deep green.
It did indeed look like a dragon, and its shape was similar to the dragon species often seen in legends. However, its head was thick, flat, and clumsy, and the scales covering its face were too wide and lacked any beauty. Its sharp canine teeth protruded from both sides of its muzzle and hung down to a little over half a foot below its jaw. Instead, it looked more like a dog with a long muzzle and dorsal scales. Its overall imposing presence was far from enough to make people tremble with fear or lose their will to fight.
However, its size was much larger than the normal size depicted in the illustration, perhaps because it had lived for a very long time.
The timing of our discovery was impeccable. The enormous dragon beast was fast asleep and hadn't noticed our approach—or perhaps it had noticed but didn't care at all. After all, given its size, even if a large number of people attacked it, it would be nothing more than tiny insects trying to cover up their dander. At most, it would just sneeze, which wouldn't be a big deal.
I even secretly compared the two sides and immediately realized that even without considering the opponent's possible evasion and resistance, just looking at its physical body, even if I unleashed my full power with the same offensive as before, I could only barely pierce a whitish hole in its solid, layered protective scales. At most, I could penetrate two inches deeper into its firm muscles before I could go no further.
This is not a matter of combat power, but a difference in the density of the essential nature of life.
Dragons are inherently unreasonable creatures. Dragon beasts are beasts that resemble dragons, though they are merely a deterioration of their nature, but they still bear the name of a dragon to some extent, making them naturally more difficult to subdue than ordinary beasts.
This is why people are happy to regard those who successfully hunt dragons as dragon slayers and spontaneously compose and write songs and ballads to commemorate and praise them.
Let's get back to the original topic.
Although they didn't understand how or why the dragon had appeared here so silently, after the bell stopped ringing and they confirmed that the dragon was still fast asleep, the two leaders discussed it briefly and, unusually, agreed to retreat slowly and not provoke it for the time being.
This action effectively alleviated the team's previous anxieties, but it was quickly followed by an even more intense sense of vigilance.
What if the dragon suddenly wakes up and attacks them? What if it's just deliberately letting them go, and then pounces on them and kills them when they're glad they escaped?
No matter how you look at it, the other party is a powerful entity that can easily manipulate this small team of less than a hundred people.
Clenching the test tube in my sleeve, I used my expanded senses to observe my surroundings. As I slowly retreated with the group, I glanced at the expressions of the people around me: most people had tense expressions that made them almost cry, while a few, like Hiro, seemed slightly eager to try, though they were being pulled back with a hint of resentment. Standing beside me, Miyuki's expression was slightly more relaxed, her right index finger resting on the hilt of her sword twitching lightly, and a phantom flame burning in her icy eyes.
The students, on the other hand, seemed quite different: although they were all quietly huddled together, some were busy recording data, some were responsible for visual and verbal descriptions, and one even had a suicidal idea of conjuring a spell to trigger the dragon beast. One could only sigh that they were truly good students taught by the academy. Fortunately, the mage leader and the accompanying teacher stopped him at the same time, otherwise, he might have really caused a big mess.
My dear reader, there's more to this chapter! Please click the next page to continue reading—even more exciting content awaits!
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