An Encounter in the Cave

Kobold—Doug was on the verge of tears.

Today, he had encountered three true dragons and had even been honored with the task of leading them.

If the story had ended there, it would have been a lucky day indeed. Serving true dragons could have become something he bragged about, and if luck favored him, he might even use it to attract some kobold girls and finally end his lonely single life.

But the problem was that one of the true dragons had come looking for him again and made a request that nearly scared him into wetting himself—act as their guide and scout the forest beyond the fortress.

What kind of place was the forest outside the fortress?!

It had been nothing much before. He had often gone out to catch rabbits and such. But recently, not a single scouting party had returned intact. Quite a few entire squads had vanished without a trace.

To be honest, he really wanted to refuse, but the cunning true dragons had already coaxed out the fact that he knew the terrain. If he refused...

With a true dragon's fiery temper, one slap would nail him into the ground. He would not even need to pay for a coffin.

On one side was certain death; on the other, a sliver of hope. Any sensible person knew what to choose.

And so, Doug led the three true dragons out through the fortress gates.

"My lords," Doug said miserably, "if we run into enemies after entering the forest, you have to look after me. I haven't even held a female dog's hand yet~."

"Enough! Enough! How many times have you said that already?!" Jose impatiently waved a claw. "Instead of saying useless things, think carefully about what you've seen these past few days. Maybe you'll remember something useful for the mission."

"I've already told you everything I know! Every team I saw returning from outside was covered in blood, and lots of people went out and never came back. I heard rumors that the enemy is human adventurers. They're everywhere in the forest."

The kobold gestured wildly as he spoke, leaving Jose both helpless and worried.

Though the kobold's words contained some exaggeration, they reflected the truth to a certain extent.

The three dragons had not only questioned their kobold guide but also sought confirmation from other monsters. Every answer conveyed the same message: there were many enemies.

The Golden Dragon Loli said indignantly, "Isn't this sending us to our deaths?!"

"Don't be too pessimistic. Even if O'Neal is sending us to die, he'll make sure our deaths have some value. Otherwise, he won't gain anything from it."

Jose surveyed the surrounding mountain forest. "Something must have happened in the forest."

The three dragons and one kobold crossed the strategic buffer plain before the fortress and stopped at the edge of the lush mountain forest.

The Karakoram Mountains lay in a cold region, and most of the vegetation consisted of cold-resistant plants such as pine and cypress. With no human interference and due to this high-magic plane, the trees grew tall and straight. Trees forty meters high were commonplace here.

Forty meters might sound a little abstract, but in more concrete terms, it was roughly the height of a thirteen-story apartment building.

The towering trees had one advantage: even dragons' massive bodies would not feel cramped among them. But they also had a disadvantage: in such a vast forest, hiding something would be far too easy.

"Let's search section by section," Jose said, squeezing the Crystal Ball in his claw. The detection Crystal Ball required magic power to function, and its optimal detection range was three hundred meters.

To archers in a fantasy world, a Dragon Hatchling flying three hundred meters overhead was a living target. Thus, the three dragons did not dare fly and could only enter the mountain forest on foot.

After searching for several hours, they had not seen an enemy, or even a rabbit. The three dragons and one kobold found an open patch of ground and sat down to discuss the situation.

Jose looked at the only one worth consulting, the Golden Dragon Loli. "Yaligris, what do you think?"

Yaligris lowered her head and pondered for a moment. "We found quite a few traces of camps along the way. All of them were at least from last night. Clearly, the enemy has either retreated or gone into hiding."

Jose nodded. "That's what I think too. The main force probably retreated, while smaller groups hid themselves. Even if they all withdrew, they left something behind—something that can interfere with detection magic. That thing is our mission target."

As he spoke, he could not help frowning and muttered under his breath, "I hope we don't find it."

Anyone could tell that if the enemy had gone to such lengths to leave behind a means of disrupting detection magic, they certainly would not let three Dragon Hatchlings destroy it easily.

The moment they found the source of the mission, the three dragons would encounter guards or trigger defensive measures. Facing those with their strength would mean nine chances of death out of ten.

At the same time, Jose understood why Dragon Hatchlings had been chosen for this "mine-clearing" mission.

To use a Crystal Ball, one needed magic power. Red Nest already lacked spellcasters, while dragons were magical creatures. Even Dragon Hatchlings who had not yet awakened their spellcasting abilities possessed enough magic power to meet the requirements for using a Crystal Ball.

Moreover, Dragon Hatchlings were weak in combat. From a superior's perspective, sacrificing Dragon Hatchlings who were of little use in the short term in order to preserve the currently scarce Mages was a trade that barely required consideration.

Of course, those being sacrificed did not feel nearly so pleased about it.

"Damn it!"

Thinking of how O'Neal would rush over to claim the fruits of victory once they found the source of the problem, Jose felt indignant but utterly powerless.

Just as Kobold—Doug did not dare refuse a true dragon, they did not dare refuse the mission either. Refusing a mission meant challenging the ruling order established by the Red Nest Matriarch, and they would be dealt with under military law.

On one side was certain death; on the other, nine chances of death out of ten. Any sensible person knew what to choose.

"Kashi, it's your turn to supply magic power to the Crystal Ball," Jose said, handing the Crystal Ball to the White Dragon.

Even their numbers had been calculated. The three dragons took turns supplying magic power, ensuring that the Crystal Ball's supply would never be interrupted.

"Let's keep moving."

The group set off once more.

Meanwhile, inside a huge cave, around a dozen people gathered in the deepest corner. A circular Altar stood in their midst, with a golden diamond embedded at its center.

A warrior examined the cave. Its entrance was broad and cone-shaped, gradually narrowing toward the interior. There were no bends inside, so anyone passing the entrance could take in the entire cave at a glance.

"Captain Oluk! You truly are brilliant! No matter how those monsters rack their brains, they'll never imagine we're hiding in such an obvious cave!"

Captain Oluk—the red-haired Mage—heard his subordinate's flattery, and the corners of his mouth lifted in a faint smile, though his tone remained calm.

"Do not lower your guard. Although this Concealment Magic Array was personally set up by a Legendary Mage, there is no telling what powerful expert the Red Nest Matriarch might send. Everyone must be ready for battle at all times."

The red-haired Mage turned and looked toward the small Sacred Altar surrounded by the others. "Once the mission is complete in three days and we receive our payment, I'll treat everyone to a good time!"

The sharp-faced Thief rubbed his hands together and grinned lewdly. "Captain! What kind of good time?!"

"Whatever kind of fun you want!"

"Yeah! Long live the captain!" xN

Fortunately, the Concealment Magic Array also isolated sound. Otherwise, the three dragons searching not far outside the cave would have heard them.

After a while, the three dragons arrived before the cave and looked it over. The interior was completely visible at a glance.

"There's a cave here," Yaligris suggested. "How about we rest inside for a while and let our guide eat something too?"

"Fine, we'll rest for half an hour," Jose said, glancing at the panting kobold.

After searching for so long, the three dragons were still far from their limits, but their kobold guide—Doug—was exhausted and gasping for breath.