Chapter 102: Sea Dragon
In the border territory of the Dragon and Human lands, deep in the forest, a young girl was sprinting, glancing back every now and then.
She looked panic-stricken, as if avoiding a deadly pursuit.
Despite there being no one chasing her, she dared not stop for even a second.
Besides evading those three guys, she also needed to lead them away far enough so her Old Man wouldn’t be discovered.
However, long-distance running wasn’t exactly the strong suit of an Artillery Master, and her movements were quickly detected by the trio.
Above her, the sound of rustling leaves echoed, like an invisible cage gradually enclosing her.
Suddenly, a man’s voice pierced through the darkness of the forest, “Don’t run, Rebecca, just give up and come back to the Empire with us.”
Rebecca reacted swiftly and immediately raised her handgun, firing three shots in the direction of the voice.
The gunfire scared off the birds in the trees, but it didn’t seem to hit her pursuers.
Rebecca knew very well that such weapons were completely ineffective against those three.
She continued her escape, even though she didn’t know where to go; buying time was all that mattered.
If she could just stall until the Captain arrived, her Old Man might just be saved.
Holding onto this belief, even though her stamina was nearly exhausted, Rebecca didn’t slow down one bit.
She dashed deeper into the woods.
Meanwhile, the three figures standing atop the trees watched Rebecca. To them, her frail silhouette was nothing more than a dying rat desperately struggling.
“She must know the meeting place of Taige and Leon, and the details of that Lionheart Association. Lord Scott wants her alive, remember?” said Gini, the leader of the trio.
“Yes, Captain,” came the chorus from the others.
After a brief pause, Gini noticed one of his companions hadn’t responded. He looked up and asked, “Jimei, didn’t you hear the command?”
The man named Jimei stood on a nearby branch, and after hearing Gini’s words, he looked down at his empty right arm and asked, “Captain, can I at least take her arm for revenge before we bring her back?”
“The one who took your arm was Taige, not that Artillery Master; make sure you’re seeking revenge on the right guy,” Gini snorted. “Forget it; these people are not going to live much longer anyway. Just make sure they’re still breathing, and do whatever you want after that.”
Hearing this, a smile crept onto Jimei’s face. “Thanks, Captain! I won’t hold back!”
With their discussion settled, the trio flashed into action, continuing their pursuit through the forest.
Rebecca’s flight was far from over.
As she reached a thicket, she took advantage of her small stature and hid herself away.
Whoever said being short had no perks?
This was practically the innate talent of being a crouching grass thicket saint!
With the rare chance to catch her breath, Rebecca seized the moment to restore her energy.
Leaning against the bushes, she slightly closed her eyes.
Her thighs and ankles trembled slightly, her exhaustion making it hard to grip the g*n tightly.
Rebecca checked the remaining bullets in her magazine.
“Only four shots left.”
Despair crept into her heart.
An Artillery Master relied heavily on her firearms; if it came down to close combat, she was no match for the Sharp Blade Trio.
After all, those three could wipe out a Dragon King, just like Leon back in his day.
Her Old Man had fought tooth and nail to sever one of their arms earlier, buying them a little time to escape.
But that was merely a stalling tactic; the trio quickly caught up with them.
Now, Rebecca’s only hope was that the Captain would arrive in time to save her Old Man.
As for herself…
Rebecca’s little head leaned against the bushes; her twin tails slipped free, the soft blue hair cascading down, giving her a look of shattered beauty.
“If I can just get the evidence to the Captain… he’ll overturn that mutt of an emperor.”
From the moment she chose to stand with Leon, Rebecca had anticipated this day would come.
This journey had been fulfilling; she had unearthed the Empire’s conspiracy, formed the Lionheart Association, and become friends with her beautiful sister-in-law.
As for regrets, perhaps it was that she hadn’t hugged the Captain and her sister-in-law’s three adorable daughters yet.
And… not being able to see the Captain clear his name and topple the Empire.
“Well, no matter what… I’ve lived without regrets.”
She comforted herself and slowly rose to her feet, pushing through her exhaustion.
Once again, the rustling of leaves echoed above her.
The next second, three shadows landed around Rebecca in a pattern like a “pin.”
“Finally caught up with you, little girl,” Gini said with a satisfied grin as he emerged from the shadows.
Rebecca raised her handgun, aiming at Gini’s forehead, and without hesitation, pulled the trigger.
Bang!—
One gunshot later, and Gini was completely unscathed.
A white magical barrier appeared before him, blocking the b*llet.
“As the Empire’s once-top Artillery Master, you should know that unless bullets are enchanted, they can’t penetrate a magical barrier…”
Gini chuckled, continuing, “Or are you too exhausted to enchant your bullets?”
In response to Gini’s taunts, two more bullets flew out.
But, as Gini had said, unenchanted bullets stood no chance against magical shields.
“The Empire’s standard pistol holds 13 rounds; since we fought a few hours ago, you’ve already fired 12.”
Gini spoke slowly, “So, little girl, you have one b*llet left, right?”
“Captain, stop wasting time with her! Let me chop off this chick’s arm and then we can interrogate her about Taige’s whereabouts!” the one-armed Jimei eagerly said.
“Easy there, Jimei. Don’t you enjoy watching the despair on your prey’s face?” Gini walked up leisurely, “I quite like that mixture of stubbornness and desperation in her eyes.”
Having slaughtered several Dragon Kings in battle, the Sharp Blade Trio found it an effortless task to hunt down an Artillery Master.
But they preferred to toy with their prey, just like they did with those Dragon likes that they tormented to d*ath.
Seeing those weaklings begging for mercy brought them unparalleled satisfaction.
Having emerged from thousands and undergone hellish training, risking their lives to fuse with Primal Power was all for days like this.
So, Gini planned to savor every moment of the hunt.
“Little girl, if you tell us where Taige is right now, once we return to the Empire, I might say a few good words for you in front of Lord Scott and maybe even spare your life.”
Rebecca’s tense little face suddenly relaxed. With a cold smirk, she disdainfully replied, “Since you’re so desperate to find out where my Old Man is, I won’t tell you, just to drive you insane, you creep.”
“Truly ungrateful,” Gini stood firm, his icy gaze scrutinizing the girl before him. “Rebecca Clement, formerly an Artillery Master of the Empire’s Dragon Slayer Army, now wanted for treason after committing various crimes within the Empire and spreading falsehoods. You are hereby arrested; if you resist, we have the right to take violent measures.”
Rebecca’s brow furrowed, her teal eyes radiating fierce defiance. Looking at Gini, she enunciated clearly, “Go. to. hell.”
“Seems you’re quite determined to be arrested. Fine, then we have justification for taking violent measures. Jimei, you can proceed.”
“Been waiting for you to say that, Captain!”
One-armed Jimei stepped forward, gathering Primal Power in his left hand.
Rebecca turned her head slightly.
If that level of magical energy hit her, she’d blink and become a wreck!
By then, those guys would have all sorts of ways to extract information about the Captain and Old Man from her head.
Rebecca would never let that happen.
“You three creeps, the Captain will definitely not let you off the hook.”
“The Captain? Leon Casmod? Heh, don’t worry, once you’re dead, he’ll be joining you pretty soon,” Gini added, pausing to say. “Of course, that’ll be after we’ve extracted information from your brain.”
“Ha… you’re not getting anything from me!”
With a furious shout, Rebecca suddenly aimed her g*n at her own temple.
The trio thought she was shooting at them again, so they quickly activated their magical barriers.
But to their surprise, Rebecca pointed the g*n at herself!
“You’re right; I only have one b*llet left. An unenchanted b*llet can’t penetrate your magical shield, but blowing my own brains out is an option.”
She had always been this unhinged girl; even in d*ath, she would decide how to d*e.
Gini’s heart skipped a beat, and he hurriedly ordered, “Stop her! If this crazy girl dies, we’ll never find out where Taige is!”
As soon as he spoke, the three of them dashed toward Rebecca.
Even the Sharp Blade Trio’s speed couldn’t match Rebecca’s finger poised to pull the trigger at close range.
Her index finger slowly pressed down, her eyes slightly shut.
A tear slid from the corner of her eye; she smiled, whispering, “Goodbye, Leon.”
Gini and his men lunged at her from three different directions.
In that moment when she pulled the trigger, time seemed to freeze.
Rebecca could distinctly hear the crisp sound of mechanical parts engaging in her g*n, the b*llet being chambered, the dark flame gushing from the barrel, as the bronze deadly round spiraled toward her delicate head.
“b*stard!!!”
Gini shouted in anger as he lunged forward.
He never expected that this little girl would choose such a method to thwart their questioning.
Primal Power greatly enhanced Gini’s senses, strength, self-healing capabilities, magical potency, and speed.
But even the fastest couldn’t catch a b*llet at such close range.
d*mn!
How could anyone possibly keep up with a b*llet?
That was utterly absurd.
Yet, as Gini questioned his own speed, a flash of blue lightning cut through his vision unexpectedly.
Its speed was astonishing.
The lightning stirred up a cloud of dust, forcing the trio to pull back a few meters.
After gaining a safe distance, Gini looked back toward Rebecca.
As the smoke began to clear, a black handgun fell to the ground.
Meanwhile, the b*llet that should have pierced Rebecca’s head embedded itself into a nearby tree trunk.
On the ground, a man protectively shielded Rebecca beneath him.
Blue arcs of electricity danced around his body, and as he slowly rose, he sighed in relief upon confirming that Rebecca was still alive.
Startled, Rebecca slowly opened her eyes, incredulously gazing at the man before her.
In the next moment, tears streamed down her face as she tightly embraced him like a child who felt wronged.
Leon gently patted her head, “It’s alright, it’s alright, Rebecca.”
The Sharp Blade Trio stood frozen in place.
Was that really Leon Casmod…?
His speed just now… did he really exceed that of a b*llet?!
“How is that possible… how is that possible…?”
Even Gini found it hard to believe what had just happened.
With the enhancement of Primal Power, the three of them were the most powerful humans around.
Yet this guy… seemed stronger than they were.
“Want to become a Dragon Rider, Rebecca?” Leon asked gently.
“What… do you mean?”
“Sorry, hang on.”
“Ah? Wait, no, ahhh!—”
Before Rebecca could react, Leon tossed her little body into the air.
Then, a silver figure swiftly soared past and caught Rebecca securely.
By the time she opened her eyes again, she found herself lying atop a massive dragon.
“Sister… Sister!!”
“Hold on tight; we’re going somewhere else to wait for Leon.”
“Okay!”
Roswiser flapped her dragon wings and accelerated away from the forest.
At that moment in the woods, Leon stood facing the Sharp Blade Trio, clearly with no intention of engaging them in combat.
He and Roswiser had been on their way to the ravine cave when they heard the commotion and rushed over.
They just happened to find Rebecca being pursued by the Sharp Blade Trio; clearly, the whereabouts of Master had been exposed.
Instead of fighting these guys here, it was better to find a safe location and formulate a longer-term plan.
Though Leon was eager to test the trio’s might, the current situation left no room for impulsive behavior.
Leon surveyed the trio, finally settling his gaze on the one-armed Jimei.
Breaking through Jimei’s position seemed to be the best option.
Having quickly laid out a plan for his escape, Leon opened the Nine Gates of Hell, condensing the Thousand Birds in his hand, and charged directly toward Jimei.
“Jimei, watch out! This guy is ridiculously fast—”
But before Gini could finish, Leon had already ambushed Jimei right in front of him.
Jimei paused in surprise at Leon’s speed but instantly reacted to get ready to counterattack.
He summoned Primal Power, preparing to launch an attack at Leon.
But Leon didn’t confront him head-on; he took advantage of Jimei’s defensive lapse and slipped past through the side with the largest gap in defense.
By the time Jimei turned to execute his second attack, he found that Leon had vanished without a trace.
The entire encounter took just an instant; the living, breathing Leon had simply disappeared before their eyes.
The Sharp Blade Trio stared into the dark woods ahead, a sense of chill creeping over them.
After a moment, Gini finally spoke, quietly stating, “We retreat.”
…
Having shaken off the Sharp Blade Trio, Leon quickly found Roswiser.
Once they regrouped, the three flew toward the ravine cave.
“Rebecca, have you and the Master’s whereabouts been discovered by them?” Leon asked.
“Yup, from what they said, it seems like they figured out my and my Old Man’s movements during Andi’s tenure. Now that Andi has been dismissed due to Constantine’s rampage, Scott took over and immediately began searching for me and my Old Man.”
Leon blinked, “What about the Master? Where is he?”
Rebecca’s gaze dimmed as she heard his question.
“My Old Man… got seriously injured. I’d hidden him in the cave, intending to lead the Sharp Blade Trio away to buy you time.”
Leon nodded and patted Rebecca’s shoulder, “Thank you, Rebecca.”
Upon hearing that Taige was badly injured, Roswiser accelerated again, heading straight for the ravine cave.
Half an hour later, they arrived at the cave behind the waterfall.
“Old Man! Old Man, the Captain and the others are here!”
Rebecca rushed inside in a hurry.
Leon and Roswiser followed closely behind.
“Cough, cough—”
In the cave’s darkness came the sound of an old man coughing.
Leon’s heart dropped, and he quickened his pace.
Yet when he stepped inside, he was left stunned.
Taige lay on a dusty patch of grass, bl**d streaming from his chest, soaking his clothes and staining the yellow grass beneath him.
“Master! Master, you……”
Leon rushed over, checking Taige’s condition.
“In the process of fleeing, the Old Man fought valiantly and severed Jimei’s arm to give us a chance to escape, but his own heart sustained severe damage,” Rebecca’s voice was heavy. “I used healing magic to stabilize his condition, but it won’t last long—maybe six hours at most. Captain… wounds of this magnitude—”
Leon had witnessed the sacrifice of comrades multiple times; he understood what Rebecca was trying to say.
Wounds of this severity could only be temporarily sustained by healing magic.
Once the magic wore off, the person would entirely lose their life.
Crack—crack—
Leon clenched his fists tightly, his teeth gritted as despair and helplessness washed over him.
The Master had raised him, trained him to be the Empire’s strongest Dragon Slayer. It was no exaggeration to say without the Master, there would be no Leon today.
Upon learning that Leon had been framed by the Empire, he fought tooth and nail to clear his disciple’s name.
What Taige had done for Leon far exceeded the responsibilities of a father.
But now, to see him in such a state…
For a moment, self-reproach filled Leon’s heart.
“Kid… Kid…” Taige weakly murmured.
“Master! I’m here, Master.”
“Sea… Sea…”
On the brink of d*ath, the old man’s vision was growing dimmer, talking became a struggle.
“Sea what? Master, I’m listening.”
“Sea Dragon Race…”
Leon’s eyes widened in shock, his pupils quaking violently.
“Go… to the Sea Dragon Race, kid, take me to the Sea Dragon Race!”
