The Sinister Fire Dragon

The remaining contestants had no idea that their every word and action was being observed by Sean, and some even came up with some strange combat methods.

The elites of Newmontgard lived up to their reputation, and through cooperation, they came up with many reasonable and practical solutions. Among them, many people possessed some unorthodox spells, most of which were obtained by accident or inherited from their families, and they were quite useful in the current situation.

Of course, this only works if they are facing a real Fire Dragon —and that Fire Dragon is unaware of their battle plan.

"...Then it's decided. However, there's one last thing that everyone needs to commit to," Pena concluded, then looked at the others seriously.

"Newmontgard only values the process, not the result. In the past, most of them would have preferred to act alone in such situations. They have gathered together now because the opponent is too strong, so—" Pena narrowed his eyes, "I don't want to see anyone betray their teammates at a crucial moment. Ha, don't look at me like that. We've dealt with some of these people before, haven't we?"

Among the students who were half-squatting, a few looked slightly unnatural.

The educational philosophies of Newmontgard and Hogwarts are completely different. Aside from the differences in daily school life, the most obvious difference is that Newmontgard know how to cooperate, but they value their own interests more.

Perhaps due to the prevalence of the lone wolf mentality, the students in this castle rarely act in groups, and in their past experiences, betraying teammates often occurred.

Pena still remembers Newmontgard Day two years ago, when the competition was a treasure hunt. Professor Grindelwald set up a maze with many traps.

At the time, Pena, who was a fifth-grader, formed a team with a few others. With their outstanding skills and a bit of luck, they made it to the end. Then, as Pena turned around, she was hit by her teammate's Stunning Spell.

This is the competitive environment of Newmontgard —as long as no one dies, isn't that enough? Compared to friendships with classmates, most people will prioritize their own interests.

Pena knew that if their plan went smoothly and the Hungarian Horntail fell, someone would definitely be unable to contain their own ambitions, so it was necessary to make things clear beforehand.

His tone grew increasingly serious. "As the initiator of this collaboration, I first promise myself that I will not betray my teammates, and what about you—"

The remaining people also responded to Pena's words, but Pena didn't seem to have any intention of believing them at all.

A slight smile curved his lips, making him appear sinister and cold.

"You're making promises too? That's too fragile, I don't believe it. I don't expect a single experience-based competition to make anyone better. Rather than pinning my hopes on this fragile agreement, let's be direct—if anyone betrays their teammates later on, I'll make sure you have some fun for the rest of your time at school, and after I graduate—"

"The fun will only get more intense—you should know the main target of my spell."

He laughed heartily, "Stealth Spells and Curse Magic."

"Pena, you..." someone's expression turned ugly.

"Yes, Brando, you understood correctly, I am threatening you and a few other clueless guys." Pena was very direct.

However, the effect of these words was quite obvious. Although being threatened was unpleasant, those few people with ulterior motives knew that Pena was telling the truth.

There's no need to get into big trouble for a prize from a competition...

"How will the rewards be distributed? There are so many of us here," someone asked.

"Based on contribution, I will offer ten points to Professor Goodman to determine everyone's contribution in this competition. Whoever contributes the most will get the bigger Golden Egg. As for those who don't get one, the others will compensate them. How about that?"

Pena's suggestion was quite fair, and no one would question Professor Goodman's judgment; everyone nodded in agreement.

At the mountaintop, Sean almost burst out laughing.

They're already plotting how to divide the spoils before they've even taken any action? And with so many traitors in such a small group, that's just ridiculous.

Dave the Swooping Evil has exceptional perception. While Pena was speaking, he relayed Pena's words and also told Sean which people's heartbeats had accelerated slightly.

More than half of them harbored ulterior motives...

It must have been tough on the boy who led the group. However, the seventh-grader named Pena performed exceptionally well, demonstrating clarity of mind, decisiveness, and the ability to eliminate potential threats before taking action.

Since Grindelwald had spoken with Sean a few times, he has become increasingly interested in building his own power base, and he is now subconsciously observing potential allies.

However, that's not his main objective right now. He needs to deal with those guys quickly so he can go home and have dinner.

Flying Broomstick, huh? Eye-Blinding Charm, huh? Sean pursed his lips. Do I look like Fire Dragon that follows the rules?

He spread his wings, grabbed the wooden box beneath him with his claws, circled once, and then, to everyone's astonishment, disappeared into the cave he had come out of.

The students in the stands looked at each other in bewilderment.

"Has that Fire Dragon gone back to its nest?"

"Yes... and took the Golden Egg with him..."

"What can we do? Who dares to go to the Fire Dragon's lair..."

The players who had been keeping an eye on the Fire Dragon in the arena also learned of this news, and everyone was stunned.

They discussed various battle plans, but the premise was always that the Fire Dragon was on a prominent mountaintop—wouldn't it be a bit too unethical for you to go into that dark cave?

The size of large Magical Creatures is both an advantage and a disadvantage. While their massive bodies provide high magical resistance and vitality, they also make it more difficult for them to evade wizards' spells. Therefore, when dealing with creatures like Fire Dragon, a dozen or more wizards usually work together to ensure the spells hit and have their power.

However, in the cave where visibility suddenly drops, the wizards have much less space to avoid attacks, and any touch from any part of the Fire Dragon's body is fatal.

Most importantly, the Fire Dragon can also Breath Attack, which is practically impossible to counter in the cave.

Pena and the other contestants were dumbfounded. The behavior of this Hungarian Horntail was completely out of the ordinary – wouldn't a normal Ridgeback Dragon chase after a wizard like a mad dog after smelling the scent of a wizard in its territory?

Why are you leaving get off work so early?!

Sean had no time for that. He returned to his rough and simple cave, and then, recalling his human form in his mind, the enormous Hungarian Horntail transformed into a second-year wizard after a twist.

"Phew, being Fire Dragon all the time really makes me hungry..." Sean stretched and then raised his wand.

You guys can worry about it outside for now, I'll come up with a little trick...

After making his arrangements, Sean transformed back into his Fire Dragon form, placed the wooden crate in the middle of the haystack, and then revealed a satisfied smile full of sharp teeth.

Come quick, come quick, I'm waiting to get off work...

Outside the cave, Pena led a few people cautiously to the very edge.

He poked his head out and glanced into the dark cave, his face grim. "The visibility is terrible, and the space is too cramped. If the Fire Dragon Breath Attack, none of us will escape."

"What should we do then? Should we Disillusionment Charm to go in and check the situation?" someone suggested from the side.

"It's too dangerous. Although it's not mentioned in textbooks, Campbell's experience has shown that Fire Dragon, or rather, Hungarian Horntail, have the ability to see through Disillusionment Charm. They might even be able to sense the flow of magic..."

If Sean heard this, he would probably burst out laughing. How could Fire Dragon sense any flow of magic? Even wizards can't sense it—it's just that Campbell, that idiot, stepped on a blade of grass without even realizing it.

The remaining contestants gathered outside the cave entrance. Not much time had passed, and they were becoming increasingly anxious.

"What do we do now? Going into the cave to fight a Fire Dragon is suicide!" a student said angrily.

"Wait... did you hear something?" the tall girl who had been following Pena asked.

The group listened intently for a moment, and then they noticed a panting sound coming from inside the cave. The sound was like that of an old, broken bellows, and the breathing was calm with a rhythmic rise and fall.

"That guy, is he sleeping?" The group exchanged glances, all seeing the surprise in each other's eyes.

Pena frowned, and with a wave of his wand, he turned a rock in front of the cave into a cat.

"Let it go in and scout the situation. Everyone step back. If the Fire Dragon comes out of its nest, everyone should run away."

Seeing the cat trot into the cave, everyone else retreated to the nearest cover, only sticking their heads out to observe what was happening.

A moment later, the cat appeared before everyone unharmed.

"It seems like she's really asleep? Should we give it a try?" someone suggested.

Pena hesitated, but if the Fire Dragon didn't come out, they couldn't keep waiting here. Not getting the Golden Egg meant failure.

After pacing back and forth for a moment, he said, "No, going into the cave is too dangerous—I think it's better to lure the Fire Dragon out of the cave."

"But how do we lure them in? How do we get someone inside to chant Explosion Charm at close range and provoke them?"

"That's the only way. We can't cast the Delayed Detonation Charm if we can't see the target," Pena took a deep breath, her eyes calm. "I'll go in and provoke the Fire Dragon. One person will stay behind to cover me. The rest of you, prepare according to our previous plan. Once the Fire Dragon comes out of its lair, we'll attack immediately!"

It was all the better if someone was willing to take the lead, and the plan was quickly put into action.

Pena took a deep breath and cast several defensive spells on himself. His figure slowly faded into the air. Behind him, the girl also held her breath and cast Disillusionment Charm on herself. Then she followed Pena at a distance.

The students in the stands only saw this scene, and they were all puzzled, wondering what the contestants were planning.

Inside the pitch-black cave, Pena, who was invisible, tried his best to keep his breathing down. He dared not cast Wand-Lighting Charm, so he could only use a spell to increase his field of vision before entering, which would allow him to barely see the scene inside the cave.

The dark cave was filled with jagged rocks. Fortunately, it was just a simulated Fire Dragon's lair created by the professors, and there were no bats or other cave creatures to cause trouble.

Pena moved forward silently, unharmed, and after slowly passing through the dark passage, he finally saw the innermost scene.

It was a rough nest, with hay and glass gems arranged inside. In the very center, the wooden box containing the Golden Egg, the target of this competition, lay quietly on the haystack.

However, the Hungarian Horntail, which should have been there, was nowhere to be found.

Pena's eyes widened in disbelief. He couldn't comprehend how such a huge Fire Dragon could exist.

Although the scales of the Hungarian Horntail are black, its barbs and skin are yellow or bronze, making it impossible for it to hide its form in such an environment.

Moreover, Fire Dragon, being apex predators, have never known the meaning of concealment.

So... where did the Fire Dragon go?

Outside the cave, the others took their positions as planned, all staring at the entrance, ready to unleash their prepared spells as soon as the Fire Dragon appeared.

However, to their surprise, the person who finally appeared at the cave entrance was Pena, who was frowning.

He beckoned everyone over, then said with a strange expression, "The Fire Dragon is gone..."

"Gone?"

Pena nodded. He had just carefully explored the cave but hadn't found any trace of the Fire Dragon.

"What's going on? Does the Fire Dragon know how to use Disillusionment Charm...?" one student joked.

"But that big guy is definitely gone...it seems to have left through another passage..." Pena even looked at Grindelwald in the stands with a puzzled expression. Now that the situation has changed, should the game be stopped?

However, the professors made no comment.

The contestants looked at each other in disbelief, never expecting that this thrilling competition would end in this way.

"What about the Golden Egg?"

"They're still inside. I checked the situation and came back..." Pena's words suddenly stopped.

"Then what about us?" The students, who already had their own agendas, exchanged glances, all seeing the Greed in each other's eyes.

The Fire Dragon is gone, but the Golden Egg remains...

Without any prior notice, the previous promises became invalid, and the students ran into the cave.

The rest of the people realized what was happening, and Pena cursed in frustration before also starting to run.

The students in the stands noticed this.

"Hey, why are they running headlong into the Fire Dragon's lair like that?"

"What happened? Fire Dragon stayed up all night last night and died suddenly today?"

The athletes had no time to think about anything else; everyone was sprinting as fast as they could.

"Golden Egg!" The people who ran away first saw the wooden box on the haystack.

"Stupefy!" Without any hesitation, the newcomer cast a Stunning Spell on the back of the student in front.

"Damn it! Expelliarmus!"

"Acupunct Internus!"

The scene suddenly turned into a chaotic melee.

"Tsk, finally we've all gathered together—" Sean, who had been hiding in the corner of the cave, revealed a smile.

He raised his wand, and his body suddenly grew enormous.

"Roar!" A deafening dragon roar echoed throughout the entire cave!

Pena's eyes widened in horror. Hadn't she just checked that corner?!

How come that Fire Dragon is still there?!

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