The Trap

A streak of blazing fire tore through the quiet wilderness, sweeping past with rolling waves of heat, as though it might set the tall grass growing nearby ablaze.

Three battle-hardened centaur warriors spotted the disturbance at once.

Two immediately raised their longbows and drew them, while the third gripped a spear and assumed a vigilant stance, ready for battle.

A powerful sense of danger came from Sol's chest and upper back, turning into a faint stinging sensation.

A true dragon's eyes possessed not only the sharp vision of an eagle or falcon, but also the keen ability to track movement of a chameleon or frog.

The instant the two arrows left the bowstrings, his feet twisted sharply, sending his entire body along an irregular zigzag that neatly carried him out of their path.

Sol, who had been charging straight ahead, began changing direction constantly, tracing a series of slanted semicircles to the left and right around the three centaurs.

The equine structure of their lower bodies gave centaurs every advantage when running in a straight line, but made it difficult for them to turn nimbly.

For that reason, experienced handlers usually stood beside the flanks of cattle and horses, where it was safest.

"Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!" The air whistled in quick succession as the two powerful centaurs fired their heavy longbows as rapidly as if they were light hunting bows.

Thick, heavy arrows struck the ground beside Sol, some even grazing his crimson scales, sending sparks flying and leaving distinct bloody scratches.

Even so, his extraordinarily nimble movements carried him through to the three centaurs.

From nearly ten meters away, Sol suddenly drew a deep breath. His chest and belly swelled, and he blew forward with all his might.

A true dragon's breath did not rely on the power of its lungs, but was a special action akin to vomiting.

Whenever it breathed, the magic throughout its body gathered in its upper stomach through the basal blood vessels. Then, under the powerful contraction of muscles and a sudden release of magic, it was expelled.

Now, Sol had directed all the little magic remaining in his body into his upper stomach. It surged out along with the heat generated by digesting Coal and the Coal dust that had yet to be digested.

In an instant, a searing glow lit his thick throat sac. Sparks appeared in his open maw, then became roaring flames.

A river of orange-red fire rushed toward the three centaurs. It began as a thin stream less than a foot across, but by the time it reached them, it had spread into a vast fan more than three meters across.

The three centaurs had never imagined that a wyrmling only ten feet long could unleash such a terrifying breath attack, and so they had not thought to dodge.

They had only enough time to raise their hands to protect their vulnerable eyes before their entire bodies were engulfed in flames.

The hair on their bodies caught fire instantly in the intense heat, blisters rapidly rose on their bare skin, and the strings of their bows burst with a sharp snap. Then came their piercing screams.

Sol was in no better shape.

The violent breath attack left him feeling a sharp pain from his stomach to his throat, accompanied by a powerful sensation of something being drawn out of him.

The fierce breath attack lasted only a few seconds before his body could no longer sustain it. He had to stop and cough hard several times.

The blood blisters that the heat had raised in his throat and mouth burst, leaving Sol with a faint metallic sweetness on his tongue.

He threw back his head and roared, then pounced on the three centaurs, who had yet to recover.

"You two idiots, what are you waiting for!!"

By now, the hair on the three centaurs' bodies had been completely scorched, its original color no longer discernible. Their bodies were covered in blisters and reddened, ulcerated skin.

Had they not possessed a degree of magic resistance as magical creatures, they would probably have already collapsed.

Even so, the agony wracking every part of their bodies had almost completely crushed their will to fight. Seeing Sol pounce, they could only hastily draw their scimitars to meet him.

Sol paid no heed to the blades slashing at him from either side. With a movement of his feet, he circled to the side of the spear-wielding centaur and raked his foreclaw viciously across its belly.

His sharp claws easily pierced the tough horse belly, tearing open several bloody gashes with their edges turned outward, almost exposing the organs within.

The other two centaurs' scimitars struck Sol's back heavily. Sparks flew, broad stretches of wing membrane tore, and two wing bones snapped on the spot, hanging limply.

The agony did not make Sol retreat. Instead, it fully unleashed the ferocity in his blood.

He twisted aside from the spear the centaur in front of him thrust down at him, then slashed back at its belly.

The blow nearly tore its entire abdomen open, spilling out some of its intestines.

Just then, two more bright flashes of fire appeared in the distance, accompanied by brash shouts.

"I am the queen of flames! I'll burn you all to ashes!"

"You maggots with hooves, feel the destruction of the flames!"

Rolling waves of flame poured from the two wyrmlings' mouths. Though somewhat smaller than Sol's, they were still quite powerful.

The three centaurs and Sol were all engulfed in the rolling flames.

Unlike the screaming centaurs, however, Sol felt only a slight burning pain, which did nothing to hinder his continued attack.

With Xisitana and Kalpu joining in, the outcome of the battle was already certain.

Before long, three disemboweled centaur corpses lay on the ground.

Once Sol stopped, the fierce battle and his wounds left him feeling somewhat tired.

He glanced at Xisitana and Kalpu, who were also baring their teeth and licking the blood on their bodies, and a barely perceptible trace of approval appeared in his eyes.

Though those two were stupid and hot-tempered, they at least dared to face danger head-on. A cunning green dragon would probably have fled without a fight.

Once his breathing had settled a little, Sol immediately called the two wyrmlings over. They took a centaur corpse in their jaws and dragged it toward the Large Barrel Bomb.

On the way back, he took a moment to glance at the notifications appearing at the bottom of his vision. He was startled to discover that his mental power essence had increased by nearly six points.

Clearly, it had all come from the three centaurs. Three notifications showing increases of more than one point apiece were particularly conspicuous.

Thinking back to when they had appeared, he realized it seemed to have been the moment the centaurs died. Were the emotions a creature gave off just before death especially intense?

Those speculations only flashed through Sol's mind before he put them aside.

This was no time to ponder such things. The flashes of fire from the earlier battle had likely drawn the attention of the main centaur force, so they had to hurry.

Before long, they dragged the centaur corpse to the Large Barrel Bomb.

Sol placed the corpse, which weighed over a thousand pounds, directly on top of the Large Barrel Bomb disguised as a pile of rubble. Then he pulled a tough tendon from a hoof and tied it in a tight knot to the triggering device atop the Large Barrel Bomb.

Everything was ready. All that remained was to wait for the centaurs to come and collect their companion's body-and their own.