What should I do if the hero is resurrected in the Monster Girl Encyclopedia?

Chapter 95 The Dragon That Melts Mountains (Part 1) (78)

The dragon was perched at the foot of the mountain.

The dragon's body possessed power and ancient beauty far surpassing other demonic creatures, and even Mirad had to admit that the creature before him lived up to its nickname, the king of the earth.

Its colossal body, stretching for hundreds of meters, resembles a slumbering black mountain range. Its charcoal-black scales gleam with a bronze-like luster, each as large as a city gate with sharp, blade-like edges.

The dragon's head, covered in bony protrusions, hung low in the shadows of the mountain valley, its breath spewing faint, ethereal flames. Wherever it passed, no vegetation was spared, all turning to dust.

The air was thick with the smell of blood and burnt flesh, as the gruesome wounds stretched from its neck down to its chest and abdomen.

The scales, which should have been impervious to blades and spears, were shattered by unimaginable force. A lot of blood from the ripped pieces of flesh flowed into the soil along the dragon scales, and the land that had been bathed in the scalding dragon blood could no longer support the growth of any ordinary plants.

It sleeps here so directly and openly, without any attempt to conceal it.

Seemingly sensing Mirad and the others' prying eyes, the dragon's pupils opened slightly, but the sun-like vertical pupils only glanced at the trees where they were hiding under concealment magic before slowly closing again.

...It undoubtedly sensed the subtle fluctuations of magic, but its arrogance and confidence as the pinnacle of demons made it ignore them. Even though it was seriously injured, it was still not afraid of the intrusion of humans who were like ants!

"We must kill that dragon here."

Mirad's expression was grave. "It's less than two days' journey from here to the capital, a distance it could cross in an instant. Although we don't know how it crossed the battle lines to get here... we can't let it leave."

As one of the highest-ranking monsters, even a sub-adult dragon's breath can easily melt through city walls, destroy defensive magic, and reduce the city to ashes.

The destruction of an entire country overnight... is not just a legend.

Judging from its size and imposing presence, the one before us is undoubtedly one of the best among adult individuals... and may even be the strongest of the existing dragons.

Mirad had seen other dragons on the battlefield, but none could compare to the one before him.

"It's badly injured, and now is indeed the best opportunity."

Orpheus's voice was soft, but without fear. Her finger pointed steadily to the nearly tens of meters long gash that ran through the dragon's neck and chest. "The wound is fresh; it was caused recently."

Aside from the dragon's own scorching fire magic, there was also a demonic magic that did not belong to it lingering near the wound.

"Was he injured in a fight between his own kind?"

Logan peered around and patted his still trembling thigh.

Logan was quite aware of his own strength. The fact that he didn't run away under the pressure of the dragon was already a testament to his loyalty and excellent mental fortitude. At this point, there was no room for him to make any moves.

Now he was just waiting for Mirad's order to run back as fast as he could to call for reinforcements... After all, there was a big difference between running away on orders and deserting in the face of battle. "Do monsters of this level really fight each other?"

"Generally speaking, no. Unless..."

Mirad considered a possibility, and his already ashen face turned even uglier.

If the guess is correct, the appearance of this giant dragon is likely just the beginning.

"Unless it's for the sake of vying for the power of the Demon King, the top-tier demons will fight each other until only one remains... then it will ascend the throne and obtain the power of the Demon King."

Orpheus closed his eyes, seemingly lost in thought. "It is the Demon King's crown prince. Even wounded, it is still one of the most powerful demons in the world. The one who injured it must be another crown prince."

"I always thought this was just a legend... The battles between crown princes have never been directly observed. Most of the time, people only know that a new king has been born, and what happened before that is only speculation."

Mirad sighed. The Demon King hadn't appeared for nearly a century, and he had initially thought the unusual attacks by the demons on the front lines these days were just a coincidence... Now it seemed that these demons, aware of their own weakness and powerlessness, were driven by their instinct to seek advantage and avoid harm, desperately trying to stay away from the battlefield where the princes were fighting each other, lest they be crushed into mincemeat in the aftermath.

Even if this is just a guess, it absolutely cannot be ignored.

The words "The Demon King ascends the throne" weighed heavily on Mirad, making it hard for him to breathe.

Each time a Demon King is born, it leads to a sharp decline in the human population... Countless people die or are injured, and countless countries are destroyed.

Although there are no exact statistics, the estimate that nearly half of the casualties are dead or injured is the most conservative estimate.

"Logan, when you return to the city, remember to tell the old man and the seniors to prepare for battle, and also remind them of the possibility of a demon king being born in each country. Orpheus, take Logan and leave this place..."

Logan nodded halfway through, then suddenly stopped, looking at Mirand incredulously. "Hmm... wait, why do I feel like you're starting to give your last words? Damn, I don't want to inherit your estate! Aren't you pretty strong? Taking down this dragon shouldn't be a problem, right?"

"No problem, no problem, but we always have to consider unforeseen circumstances... such as a demon king that might be born in the future."

Mirad looked at Orpheus; this girl's strength was probably no less than his own, and if she stayed, she would be of great help.

But he couldn't force her to stay and fight alongside him, after all, she had just survived a brutal massacre to reach Creteia...

It would be best if she could get away with Logan safely.

"It is one of the murderers who destroyed Petro, and I will not back down."

Orpheus shook his head. "As for you, with your gray hair, go back yourself."

She chanted the incantation, and complex runes flickered in the air, coalescing into a pair of transparent wings that wrapped around Logan's ankles... It was a speed-enhancing magic, which should also protect the recipient's body from being harmed by excessive speed.

"...Alright. Then you two have to survive. I won't say any more about setting up goals; in short, the heavy responsibility of slaying the dragon is entrusted to you!"

Logan glanced at the two of them one last time, as if he wanted to say something, but in the end he just nodded heavily.

Having grown accustomed to the acceleration magic while standing still, Logan suddenly pushed off the ground, his figure blurring abruptly before disappearing into the forest as a streak of gray-white light. His speed was almost beyond the limits of what the naked eye could perceive.

"What is setting a flag? I've never memorized that."

Orpheus tilted his head, pondering the strange words spoken by the gray-haired man.

This behavior made her seem less aloof than usual, and more charmingly naive, befitting her youthful appearance. Orpheus was clearly bothered by this unfamiliar term, staring at Mirard hoping for a plausible explanation.

"Don't worry about it, that's how Logan is,"

Having confirmed that his friend had indeed moved out of the potential combat zone, Mirad relaxed. "An interesting person. As for you, are you really determined to stay?"

He held the holy sword, its black blade as rough as a stone tool. The divinely bestowed artifact gave him a sense of security in this moment.

"I said I would not back down."

"Ah...that's true. By the Supreme God...may you bless this campaign."

Mirad prayed softly, the tip of his sword pointing at the sleeping dragon of arrogance.

(End of this chapter)