After lunch, Werther and the others resumed tracking the creature.
This time, Werther had learned his lesson. He used Geppo to survey the forest from high above.
He had only learned the Six Powers recently, and his fighting style was already well established, so he kept forgetting he could use them. A move as incredible as Geppo deserved more practice.
At last, Werther found another clue to the powerful creature's whereabouts. This one was easy to follow: a long trail of footprints.
The moss underfoot had disappeared, exposing the forest's damp soil.
After following the prints for a while, Werther made another major discovery. He had found the creature's lair.
The lair had once been a tall mountain peak, but the middle of it had been hollowed out by sheer force, leaving a spacious, comfortable den.
Werther motioned for Tuski and Anita to wait below, then climbed the mountain toward the lair.
Inside, Werther found it far larger than he had imagined, nearly a hundred meters high.
And contrary to what he had expected, the interior did not look as though it had been crudely gouged out. It was remarkably smooth. The walls were not bare rock, either, but a somewhat translucent black crystal.
Werther stared in surprise. How did that thing carve out a lair like this?
He looked toward the back of the cavern. There was no creature there, only a pile of miscellaneous objects on the ground.
Just as Werther was about to inspect the pile, he heard movement outside.
"Roar!"
A thunderous roar came from outside. Werther knew the creature itself had arrived. Forgetting the objects, he charged out of the lair.
At his speed, he was outside in seconds.
The sight before him set his blood surging.
It was a dragon of Western legend. A