Chapter 231: The Great Escape
Whoosh! Whoosh! Zoom—
The Holy Lance whizzed by from behind, slicing through the air like a banshee. It zipped past me, narrowly missing my ears, while the turbulent wind yanked a few strands of my black hair, sending them spiraling into the higher night sky.
“Ah, ah…”
I could hardly stop crying, flailing my wings desperately to dodge the incoming attacks, but my movements felt sluggish and heavy. Just as I soared a short distance, bang, I was hit again by the Holy Lance in the back. My sobs stuttered to a halt, and my body tipped in mid-air as I flapped my wings and plummeted a few meters, gritting my teeth to regain balance and take off once more.
Boom boom boom boom boom—
From below, thunder rumbled ominously, and a bolt of blue lightning separated the grassland, igniting it as it surged toward me at breakneck speed, closing the distance rapidly. Before I could comprehend, several bolts of blazing lightning shattered the dark night, illuminating everything in an instant, right in front of me.
“Ahhhhh!!”
Screaming, I twisted my body with all my might to barely evade the lightning strike. The crackling light swept past, making every hair on my body stand on end. My eyes burned from the brightness, and I instinctively shut them tight just as a divine humming resonated through the air from above.
Ding—
A melodious chime sounded from the sky, brilliant golden light showering around me. An unrelenting weight crashed down from above, and I didn’t even have time to grunt before I plummeted like a bird shot through the wing—no struggle left in me under that immense pressure, and with a whoosh, I fell toward the ground.
It’s over…
Despair washed over me.
But in the next moment, I heard the buzzing in my ears grow increasingly clearer. A blinding white light flashed before me as a branch that had pierced my chest floated back out, radiating a gentle glow that dissipated the oppressive golden light enveloping me.
Ding—
The Golden Bell rang for a second time, its deep chime echoing through the night sky. The golden light above grew even more dazzling, but no matter how bright it got, it couldn’t break through the range of the white light that surrounded me. I felt the pressure vanish and, at about ten meters from the ground, I suddenly twisted my body, frantically flapping my fiery wings to soar back into the air, bursting out of the golden glow.
“Ha, ha…”
I gasped for air, a flicker of relief igniting in my heart. The moment I burst free from the Golden Bell’s range, I swung my hand upward, unleashing a torrent of Dead Smoke snakes that twisted and coiled toward the center of the light, swallowing nearly all of the Golden Bell in the blink of an eye.
Crash—
At that same moment, three bolts of lightning erupted from the burning grassland below, while the Holy Lance howled behind me non-stop. With no time to think, I flew desperately into the night sky, relying solely on instinct to dodge the incoming attacks. I fought to keep my eyes wide open to stay alert, although my vision blurred, I could make out more figures rushing through the night, their footsteps swarming closer in a pincer movement.
They’re chasing too closely…
Angel, why did you have to do this…
Why…
I bit my lip, barely dodging yet another wave of attacks. I wiped away my tears, catching my breath, channeling all my frustration and sorrow into strength, grit my teeth, and flew higher into the night sky.
Whoosh whoosh whoosh whoosh—
More and more Holy Lances zipped past me, almost everyone in black robes seemed to be launching attacks from every possible direction. The cacophony of wind whistling, buzzing, the high-pitched screams of the lance slicing through the air, and the chaotic shouts below were tormenting my frayed nerves. I was putting all my remaining strength into “flying higher,” leaving me with almost no energy to dodge. All I hoped was that they would stop hitting me, and no tougher opponents would catch up—otherwise…
At that moment, an earth-shattering dragon roar erupted from the branches of the white tree surrounding me.
“Roar—!!!”
It echoed with the ferocity of a wild beast releasing pent-up rage, freezing me in place. My flight speed noticeably faltered. Yet, it didn’t hurt me; it was like my own roar echoed against the vast night, the wind spiraling around me with visible waves of shock, wildly expanding outward!
Big White…
“Ah—”
“My ears!”
“What the hell is that—”
Shouts erupted from those below, and I couldn’t help but glance down.
In the hazy night, the dim grassland was ablaze. Shadows of pursuers flickered in the firelight. I couldn’t see who they were, but they all halted, covering their ears as the shockwave from my roaring dragon voice surged out, pushing them back. A few aggressive ones stumbled and fell, rolling far into the grass.
The leading bolt of lightning also stopped its advance, the gathered electricity crackling and sparking in all directions, igniting large swaths of grass. A small figure rolled out from the flames—I recognized her as the woman wielding a sword.
Boom—
The aftereffects of the dragon’s roar rippled through the grassland, the shock waves bending the grass as they rolled further into the distant night, buying time for more of them to be stalled in their pursuit.
This moment lingered before my eyes for an instant.
The opportunity had arrived…
Without looking back, I gazed toward the starry sky, repressing the flicker of relief and joy in my heart. My teeth clenched tightly, and with a renewed vigor, I flapped my fiery wings, riding the tumultuous currents, shooting up into the sky.
Thirty meters… Forty meters… Fifty…
I was steadily climbing higher.
Even if I couldn’t break the sound barrier or fly a hundred meters with a single flap, those people weren’t exactly biological radar dishes. After being hindered by the dragon’s roar, they couldn’t react as quickly. Most importantly, it seemed no one could fly as freely as I could.
They can’t catch up…
If I just fly a little higher, they won’t be able to do anything to me…
Gradually, the sounds from below faded away. I quickly left those shadows far behind, flapping my wings and soaring hundreds of meters into the night sky. Until I was utterly exhausted, I spread my fiery wings in the wind, gliding towards the forest in the distance, illuminated softly by moonlight.
Whoosh whoosh whoosh—
The wind whistled past my ears.
No more Holy Lances were shooting at me from behind.
Can they… still see me?
I didn’t know.
Even having flown this high, I felt no sense of safety. My mind was a fog, unable to think. All I knew was that I couldn’t relax yet; I needed to fly further, farther away, until Angel couldn’t find me anymore…
And then I could sleep…
Somewhere safe…
But where exactly… is a safe place…
“……”
My consciousness seemed to halt for a moment.
Until a sudden wave of weightlessness jolted me awake, making me panic in mid-air as I flailed my arms and legs. I realized I was falling and hastily whoosh, flung my fiery wings open again.
I must have dozed off…
Or fainted?
I didn’t know…
I rubbed my temples hard, slapping my face a few times to stay awake, but my vision only grew blurrier.
My head hurt…
My body fluctuated in the air, speed waning, and I nearly fell several times. From the moment I left the Land of Dragons, my body had already hit its limit, and even I had no idea how I managed to hold on this long…
In my daze, the wind against my face didn’t sting as sharply, but the excruciating pain from my forehead, back, and tailbone intensified. I took a few deep breaths, trying to regulate my breathing and fearing I might faint again, as I slowly drifted forward amid intense fatigue and pain.
After a while.
The anticipated pursuit didn’t arrive, and the night turned quiet once more.
Did I escape…
A twinge of relief flashed in my mind.
But why does it feel off…
