Chapter 495
She began to try to rethink things.
And the other person's appearance gradually became clear.
One red eye, black energy, wielding a warhammer, his imposing body possessing features of both humans and dragons, or rather...
In between.
Noa frowned, staring intently at the other person.
"That's not a dangerous species, Helena ..."
"What is that? What is that?"
"Dragon."
Noa also took a small step back.
But this half-step was not out of fear, but a choice she made after forcing herself to calm down, in order to take Helena's hand.
"Dragon King."
She gripped her friend's wrist tightly, turned, and ran away.
"Run!!"
Judging from the aura and oppressive feeling emanating from that guy, it must be a dragon king.
This also explains why Noa and Helena felt that fear from their bloodline.
The Dragon King's aura would have this effect on any relatively weak member of his race.
Most of the time, when the Dragon King wants to kill a dragon, he doesn't need to go to great lengths. With just a glance, the dragon will be unable to move and will be at his mercy.
Noa was just a child about to graduate from the Young Dragon Department.
So it's already a miracle that she was able to force herself to think calmly and leave with Helena under such circumstances.
The two best friends raced towards the outer edge of the Nightmare Moon Forest.
Helena's legs were still a little weak. She looked down at the small hand holding her wrist, feeling the warmth and pulse from its palm.
"Noa..."
Helena opened her mouth, about to say something, but then she heard heavy footsteps behind her.
And the footsteps grew increasingly hurried.
Thump!
Thump!!
Every step seemed to tread on her heart, every step seemed to trample on her bones.
She hurriedly turned around to look.
They saw the dragon king, wielding a warhammer, chasing after them.
Helena's pupils contracted, and she cried out.
"Noa! He... he's caught up!"
"I heard you."
Noa did not turn around.
Because she knew that if she turned around, what she saw would intensify her fear, which might weaken her will to survive.
"But... why...?"
Noa kept her eyes fixed ahead, running with all her might while also thinking.
"He must have killed those two A-rank dangerous species just now. Only the hammer in his hand could have caused such exaggerated wounds. But if his original target was only dangerous species, why is he chasing us now?"
Noa's response was Helena's rapid, tense breathing and the sound of footsteps drawing ever closer behind her.
The ground trembled with the God of Death footsteps, shaking off the surrounding leaves and frightening away the birds and beasts in the forest.
Noa wanted to talk to Helena to distract her.
But she felt her friends behind her getting heavier and heavier.
"Run, Helena! We can't stop here! He'll kill us!"
"I just calculated the time; it took us about half an hour to get here."
"At our current speed, we can get back to the outer circle in just ten minutes."
"Once we get there, the teachers will be there to meet us, and we'll be saved."
"Did you hear me, Helena? We have to hurry—"
Boom!--
A huge black shadow leaped over their heads and Falling from the sky, landing on their only way back.
Noa quickly stopped and raised her arm to shield Helena behind her.
She stared at the Dragon King in front of her, her heart pounding faster and faster, and she could even hear her own heartbeat clearly.
"Around five years old, with silver and black hair, blue eyes, and always wearing a cold face. Her best friend is a sea dragon girl."
He gripped his warhammer, looked at Noa, and spoke in a sinister, low voice.
"It looks like the child of the man 'Shadow' mentioned."
Noa took deep breaths to adjust her state, while simultaneously conjuring Thousand Birds in her right hand.
"Lightning magic... then it's for sure."
"Just now, two scoundrels from the college stopped me, saying there was some kind of assessment here and that I wasn't allowed to enter during the assessment period."
"Hmph, what a load of bull, it's just kids playing house."
"I just didn't expect... that while completing the task that Shadow gave me, I would also encounter an unexpected surprise in this boring assessment."
"If I kill you, I'll have to increase the reward I get from Shadow."
As he spoke, he gripped his warhammer and strode toward Noa and Helena.
"Noa... what... what do we do?"
Helena's trembling voice came from behind.
Although Noa was also gripped by fear, she managed to glean some useful information from the man's earlier words:
1. His initial target was not her and Helena, but the dangerous species in the Nightmare Moon Forest.
2. He has a lot of information about her, or rather, about his Dad.
3. This guy is employed, working for the 'Shadow' he mentioned. And that 'Shadow' probably has some grudge against Dad.
Noa put away the Thousand Birds.
At this point, you can't deliberately provoke the other party, otherwise you'll only anger them and make her and Helena die even faster.
Noa then took Helena's hand again.
Keep running! Don't stop!
Running was for survival and also to buy time.
Noa could only hope that the teachers and classmates outside would hear the commotion and send someone to help as soon as possible.
Watching the two Dragon girl hastily flee, Adam slung his warhammer over his shoulder and said leisurely,
"Run, let's see where you can run to."
He paused, as if remembering something, then let out a cold laugh and muttered to himself,
"That child from over thirty years ago was much more well-behaved than you."
The fog in the inner area is getting thicker and thicker.
This did provide some convenience for Noa and Helena.
Under the cover of the thick fog, they hid in a tree hollow.
Noa pressed herself against the tree hollow, looked around to make sure the guy wasn't chasing after her, and then turned back to comfort Helena.
She reached out her small hand, cupped her best friend's face, and looked into her eyes.
Two pairs of blue eyes met, a battle between relief and fear, which was finally resolved by Helena's embrace.
"Are we... are we going to die here... Noa..."
She leaned on her best friend's shoulder, almost sobbing.
Unlike Noa, who had experienced so many real battles, Helena grew up under her Mom's strict upbringing and was just a very traditional, obedient girl.
Noa hugged her and gently patted her back.
"We'll be alright, Helena, I...I promise."
She often heard her Dad say "I promise," and the man always kept his promises and commitments.
But in the current situation... Noa sees no clear hope.
"We'll be alright" was meant to comfort Helena, and also seemed to be a way of comforting herself.
Helena didn't say anything more, but just gripped her friend's sleeve tightly, leaned on her shoulder, and held back her tears.
After a moment, she spoke, her voice trembling.
"Noa... if we can't get out, I want to tell you—"
"We will get out of here, we definitely will, don't say such discouraging things."
"No, no, no, listen to me, Noa, we—"
Squeak! —
The towering tree was snapped in half, exposing the two girls hiding under the tree hole to the thick fog.
They looked up in a panic, like startled birds.
The single, scarlet eye was looking at them smugly, as if scrutinizing prey that was within easy reach.
"So you were hiding here, little Princesses. Well then, are you ready to die?"
As soon as he finished speaking, Adam raised his warhammer with both hands and slammed it down into the tree hole.
Boom!!--
The powerful impact destroyed the tree roots and dispersed the surrounding mist.
But the smile on Adam's face was somewhat subtle.
He frowned.
"It doesn't feel right."
He knew very well what it felt like to hit someone with the hammer and to miss.
Adam slowly raised the warhammer and found that there was no flesh or bone at the bottom of the hammer except for branches and dirt.
"What..."
Before he could react, Noa appeared behind him, carrying Helena in her arms.
Noa knelt on one knee, holding the girl in her arms. Her skirt slowly fell to the ground, and her silver and black hair swayed gently from the inertia.
Nine Hells, Fourth Gate, Divine Speed.
65. Let's go, Noa.
"You managed to dodge my attack with just physical skills... You little brat, you've got quite a few tricks up your sleeve."
Adam slowly turned around, swinging the warhammer in his hand.
"But it's all just a death throes. I've heard of the Gate of Nine Hells, and while I'm surprised you can use it at such a young age, I know very well that this technique puts a tremendous strain on the body."
"Especially for your frail body."