Ryder knelt on the ground, trembling violently, his heart a volatile mix of terror, worry, and wild ecstasy.
Duka was dead just like that. As long as he clung tight to the coattails of the young red dragon before him, he could naturally step up to become the highest-ranking person in this cult convoy.
When that time came, he would become a true dragon scion, possessing noble status, a long lifespan, and mighty strength!
Just like Duka had been!
And what did this red dragon need? He needed someone to help manage the convoy, and he needed Duka’s death concealed from the cult hierarchy.
After all, with the greed inherent to true dragons, being forced to pay compensation of even a single silver coin would send them into a towering rage.
With that in mind, Ryder hesitated for only a fraction of a second before clenching his teeth and making up his mind. Scrambling forward on all fours, he dragged Duka's headless corpse and pitched it straight into the marsh.
Before long, piranhas and alligators in the swamp swarmed the body, greedily tearing apart and devouring the still-warm flesh suffused with draconic blood.
Ryder remained on his knees and said with utmost care, "Lord Dragon, Duka of Blackwood Town was ambushed by rebels and slipped into the mire. It had nothing at all to do with your lordship. I shall report it truthfully to the church.
"By the way, my name is Ryder, the second-in-command of this detachment."
Not far away, the young red dragon gave a nod of satisfaction. "At least you know what's good for you. From now on, you will replace that scumbag as the head of the transport convoy."
Still kneeling, Ryder beamed with overwhelming delight, crying out in tearful gratitude, "Thank you for your grace, Lord Dragon! I am willing to be your most loyal thrall!"
"Get up."
The young red dragon cast him a cool glance.
Ryder hurried to his feet, then looked toward the woman who was shivering from head to toe, nearly fainting from sheer terror. "Lord Dragon, what about this woman...?"
"Send her back to the ranks. Don't act on your own initiative," the young red dragon ordered.
"Yes, my lord."
Ryder tugged the iron chain, returning the quaking woman to the group of captives, before trotting back to the very front to lead the way for this "exalted scion of the ancient dragons."
Immediately after, he instructed the cultists to bring forward their finest wine and roasted meats, having them attend closely to the young red dragon's flanks so the creature could indulge at any moment. He even presented all the plundered gold and jewels to the young dragon as an offering.
Mantou was carried along right in the center of the convoy, basking in the cultists' meticulous, fawned-over service. It felt immensely satisfying. He thought to himself:
*So this is what it feels like to be on top of the world—no, on top of the dragon chain?*
*In a word: awesome!*
For a brief second, he even felt an urge to join the Cult of the Dragon. Their treatment of dragon scions was simply absurdly good!
Soon, however, a notification pinged on his interface—a private message from Singo.
Singo: *Mantou, take this chance to squeeze some intel out of that cult NPC. And make them pick up the pace.*
Wo Qu Chi Mantou: *Why should I? My loyal servant, Dog Egg~* [Smirking face]
Singo: *Piss off. Don't forget you're only staying in dragon form thanks to that Shape-Locking Scroll. If the spell wears off after two days, we're all screwed.*
Tiansheng Zhankuang: *Hey Mantou, am I your loyal servant too? What kind of name are you gonna give me?* [Fist-rubbing emote]
Wo Qu Chi Mantou: *No, no way, Brother Zhankuang! I was just about to go gather intel.* [Dry laugh]
Xiaye Qiuyu: *Then what are you waiting for? Get to it.*
Mantou closed the party chat with a touch of embarrassment, adopted an arrogant sneer, and called out in a low voice, "Ryder."
"My lord!"
Hearing the call, Ryder scurried over at once, bowing low as he awaited instructions.
Mantou shot him a sidelong glance, twin jets of white smoke puffing from his nostrils. "I have questions for you."
At those words, Ryder drew his wooden staff and cast the sound-dampening cantrip once more before answering with a fawning grin, "Please speak, my lord! I swear to tell you everything I know, holding nothing back."
"Why are these humans being transported to Forest Hawk City?"
"They are all sacrificial offerings," Ryder murmured. Worrying that the dragon might not fully grasp the context, he went on to explain: "Only by sacrificing enough souls, flesh, and treasure will the great Five-Colored Dragon Queen, the Dark Lady, bestow her blessings and cause more dragonbeasts to emerge from the breeding pools.
"You might not know, but recently some arrogant humans started a rebellion in the north, seeking to overthrow the rule of our Cult of the Dragon. Lord Rotting Fen ordered us to gather more sacrifices to create a dragonbeast army vast enough to sweep across Seleucia."
"Despicable."
Mantou cursed under his breath, internally denouncing these cultists who treated humans as livestock for sacrifice, as well as the brutal, tyrannical dragons behind them.
Ryder chimed in with righteous indignation, "Indeed! Those humans are utterly abominable, daring to imagine they could overturn the reign of the dragons!"
Though their inner thoughts were worlds apart, their words aligned seamlessly.
Mantou pondered for a moment, then asked, "Who is the current overseer of Forest Hawk City?"
Ryder replied, "It is Lord Gottfried. He is a mighty ancient green dragon, as well as one of the many direct offspring of the Lord of the Rotting Fen. Were you hoping to see him, my lord?"
Mantou gave him a cold glare. "That is none of your concern."
Ryder bowed his head in haste. "My apologies, my lord, I overstepped."
Changing the subject, Mantou remarked casually, "Still... do you wish to become a dragon scion?"
Ryder struggled to suppress the wild thumping of his heart. "O-of course, my lord! What would you have me do?"
Ordinary humans had to undergo baptism in a breeding pool and receive Tiamat's blessing to become a dragon scion. The requirements were extraordinarily harsh, and typically such a chance was granted only by offering up immense hoards of treasure.
Years ago, Duka had ransacked the entire town of Blackwood, laying all its wealth before that ancient green dragon just to earn that precious opportunity.
Mantou gestured to his flank. Singo stepped forward immediately, taking out a parchment scroll and a pen.
"Write down everything you know about Forest Hawk City. Do as I command, and I will grant you the chance to become a dragon scion."
Ryder froze for a second.
*Could... could he be fishing for intelligence?*
*No, that makes no sense. He's a red dragon, the most favored of the chromatic kindreds. He surely worships Tiamat just like the rest of us.*
Soon, another possibility occurred to him—the Cult of the Dragon had its own internal factions.
His group belonged to the Green Dragon Sect, serving the Lord of the Rotting Fen, while this young red dragon most likely followed Kazur the Crimson Ember!
Friction between the Red Dragon Sect and Green Dragon Sect was common knowledge. Word had it that just days ago, Grutar, an adult green dragon, had been attacked by members of the Red Dragon Sect and had yet to recover from his injuries.
Yet the Red Dragon Sect stubbornly refused to admit fault, plainly intending to escalate the conflict.
Mantou narrowed his eyes, putting on a front as if about to lose his temper. "What—unwilling?"
If those vicious, treacherous...
An opportunity like this was certainly not one to miss!
Ryder gritted his teeth, took the scroll handed to him by the wyvern knight, and poured everything he knew about Forest Hawk City onto the parchment without holding back.
"If I find out you've fabricated even half a word, your fate will match that human's from earlier!" Mantou bared his fangs in a vicious scowl.
"O-of course not, my lord!" Ryder's voice trembled slightly.
Mantou took the scroll back with a slight nod. Casually tossing Ryder a teleportation scroll, he said, "Human, once you arrive there, give them the name of Mantoufsky, and you will be granted your baptism."
"Thank you, my lord! Thank you so much!"
Ryder treated the scroll like the most precious treasure in the world, tucking it reverently into his robes.
*This must be a scroll to the south of Seleucia! Once I get there, I can receive baptism and become a mighty scion of red dragons!*
With that settled, Mantou instructed, "Let's move. Pick up the pace. I want to reach Forest Hawk City before the sun sets."
"Yes, my lord!"
Feeling the scroll safely in his pocket, Ryder felt newfound strength surge through his limbs, his stride growing brisk and energetic.
From now on, he too would be an exalted dragon scion!
Meanwhile, Mantou, Singo, Tiansheng Zhankuang, and the others were sharing the intelligence they had gathered in the party chat, sketching out a rough map of Forest Hawk City and formulating a plan to infiltrate the hatcheries.
***
Forest Hawk City was a strategic military hub in Seleucia and one of the largest cities in the kingdom's northern territory.
It was encircled by a continuous expanse of towering, forested mountains where the cries of falcons and hawks frequently echoed. Once, a Favored Godblood Legion composed of hawk-headed humanoids had been stationed here, which was how the city earned its name.
Several years ago, however, the city had been conquered by Erebus, the Lord of the Rotting Fen, becoming a major stronghold for the Cult of the Dragon's Green Dragon Sect.
Every day, vast numbers of cultists converged from all directions, transporting abducted human sacrifices and plundered treasures to Forest Hawk City as tribute to the greedy, deceitful green dragons.
The entire northern region of Seleucia groaned under the harsh exploitation and tyranny of the green dragons, with Forest Hawk City serving as the hub of the entire system.
The walls of Forest Hawk City stood tall and imposing, constructed from heavy timber and stone. Overhead, numerous wyverns wheeled through the sky, casting monstrous shadows across the ground.
A hazy poisonous mist lingered all around the perimeter of the ramparts, carrying spine-chilling roars and eerie rustling sounds from within its depths.
Only by following the main road could one avoid the corrosion of the toxic fog. Anyone attempting to sneak into the city through the mist would be mercilessly torn to shreds by the dragonbeasts lurking within.
The road was choked with various cultist convoys—some driving wagons laden with treasure, others herding ragged lines of human captives just like Ryder's group.
"My lord, Forest Hawk City lies just ahead," Ryder said, turning around deferentially.
Mantou, who had been dozing atop a palanquin borne by several cultists, stirred and said, "Very good... Let's enter the city."
Ahead of them, many cultists were waiting in line. Stationed at the city gate were four ferocious dragonbeasts glaring hungrily at the passing crowd, poised to shred any intruder to pieces at a moment's notice.
There were also more than thirty heavily equipped dragon scion soldiers gripping spears and blades, regarding the arriving cultists with sharp, scrutinizing eyes.
Suddenly, a terrified screech erupted from the line ahead, swiftly drowned out by the roar of dragonbeasts and the angry shouts of soldiers.
"Seize them!"
"Rebels trying to sneak into the city using illusion magic! Charge! Tear them apart!"
"Don't let them escape! Hurry!"
Mantou's heart skipped a beat, assuming their cover was blown. Singo, Tiansheng Zhankuang, and Xiaye Qiuyu gripped their weapons, ready to fight their way through in a bath of blood.
Moments later, however, a familiar voice drifted over from a distance: "Holy shit, how does this NPC know how to cast Dispel Magic?!"
"Things are hot, bolt!"
"Brother Lang, we're done for, we're surrounded!"
"What are you standing around for? Assassin's Creed Rule Three: If your identity is compromised, kill everyone who saw your true form! Charge with me!"
Hearing that voice, Mantou instantly burst out laughing and started hammering out a message in the party chat.
Wo Qu Chi Mantou: *It's the Lang-beast! They got caught by the cultists!*
Singo: *Convenient. They're drawing aggro for us. Nobody move without my say-so. Just sit back and watch the show.*
Xiaye Qiuyu: *Got it.*
Tiansheng Zhankuang: *Hahaha, awesome!*
Soon, two battered silhouettes appeared in the distance. Draped in black cloaks, their skin was pale and bloodless, with faint remnants of transmutation magic clinging to their forms.
It was none other than the vampire players, Langlibaitiao and Anyezhilang.
Not long ago, the two of them had also targeted a cult transport convoy. Using transmutation magic, they had disguised themselves as two gold bars and hidden inside a treasure chest, intending to hitch a ride straight into Forest Hawk City.
They hadn't anticipated that a cult priest well-versed in magic would be stationed at the gates, easily unraveling their disguise during inspection.
*Twang—!*
The cultist soldiers atop the ramparts drew their bows and loosed a volley. Arrows rained down like a tempest straight toward the pair, threatening to pin them like hedgehogs.
"Run!"
Langlibaitiao swept his cloak aside. A gust laden with the stench of blood whipped past as his body dissolved into a crimson mist that streaked toward the outskirts.
Anyezhilang tried to follow suit, but could only transform into a smaller vampire bat, instantly getting riddled with holes by the cascading arrows.
The cult priest leveled his staff, unleashing a jet of dark energy that slammed directly into the bat.
"Aaargh!"
Anyezhilang was violently knocked back into human form, his body perforated with bloody wounds. A dragonbeast clamped its jaws onto his arm from behind, and the encircling soldiers pinned him to the ground, leaving him utterly immobile.
"Wolfie, I'm sorry! I'll avenge you!"
Reforming into his human shape, Langlibaitiao glanced back, let out a performatively sorrowful sigh, and sped outward without looking back, accelerating so violently that he left a trail of blood streaks in his wake.
"Vile mongrel! Don't you dare think of escaping!"
The cult priest snarled, raising his dragon-head scepter high. Beams of dark light burst from the carved dragon's eyes.
In an instant, countless snarling dragonbeasts with vicious glares surged out of the mist, thick, foul-smelling drool dripping from their maws as they lunged toward Langlibaitiao.
*Roaaar!—*
"Holy mother of crap!" Langlibaitiao cried out, executing an emergency midair swerve that made the oncoming dragonbeast bite empty air.
The dragonbeast's rows of sharp teeth snapped together with a crisp, brutal *crack*.
From his flank, the venomous tail of a wyvern whistled through the air, darting straight for his skull. Ducking his head just in time to dodge the blow, he dove clean through the opening between the wyvern's hind legs.
Relying on his superb aerial maneuvers, Langlibaitiao dodged and wove through the pack of dragonbeasts, miraculously tearing through the encirclement.
Even Mantou, watching from not far off, was left wide-eyed in amazement. He couldn't help but marvel in his mind: *As expected of the Lang-beast. His experience with being hunted down is just on another level. No matter how recklessly he plays, the guy just refuses to die...*
Chapter 783