Mr. Dragon Knight, the dragon girls are chasing you!

The moment the last word fell, a dark dragon breath, condensed to its extreme, spewed out from her mouth!

That was no longer the miniature dragon breath of before, but the true destructive power belonging to the Black Dragon King.

Although its power was greatly reduced due to its weakness, the primal aura of the dragon race contained within it was still enough to instill fear in any low-level creature from the depths of its soul.

The Shadow Panther let out a terrified roar from the depths of its soul, desperately using all four limbs to roll and dodge to the side!

But it was ultimately a step too late.

The jet-black dragon breath grazed its hind legs, and the domineering dark energy instantly eroded and tore at its flesh and bones. The sizzling sound of corrosion echoed through the forest, and billowing black smoke rose into the air.

Half of the Shadow Leopard's fur and muscles were instantly corroded and rotted, blood gushing out. Its mournful howl tore through the dense forest. Its massive body rolled uncontrollably against the ancient tree, its entire body covered in blood.

The extreme pain completely unleashed the ferocity of this overlord monster!

Ignoring the severe injury that nearly destroyed its hind legs, its eyes flashed with murderous intent, and it slammed its limbs against the ground, its body transforming into a streak of black lightning as it desperately counterattacked, lunging straight at the exhausted and weakened Eluvia!

Its sharp fangs were aimed directly at her slender neck, intending to fight to the death and perish together.

But at this very moment—

"Dragon Thrust!"

A dark golden spear light, like a thunderclap from a clear sky, pierced through from the side!

puff!

The sharp spear tip instantly pierced through the Shadow Panther's gaping maw, went through its throat, and emerged violently from the back of its neck!

The Shadow Panther's cold, lifeless amber pupils suddenly contracted violently, and the last trace of bloodthirsty ferocity in its eyes quickly faded.

The extreme forward momentum dragged its massive, heavy body forward two more steps, its heavy hooves crushing the damp soil, kicking up blood and broken leaves, before finally crashing its massive body to the ground with a dull thud.

Its limbs twitched and struggled uncontrollably, its sharp claws digging into the soil, and faint whimpers escaped its throat. After a moment, it stiffened completely, all life extinguished, and the dark shadow elements on its body slowly dissipated.

Luo Ye knelt on one knee, one hand gripping the spear that pierced the head of the Shadow Leopard, the other hand tightly clutching the still bleeding wound on his chest. His face was as pale as paper, and his breathing was rapid and disordered.

Even in the face of such extreme pain and exhaustion, he still managed to straighten his back.

Despite being torn apart by three fatal wounds that could severely injure or even kill an ordinary adventurer, causing his life force to rapidly drain away, he did not flinch. With his honed will to survive, he gritted his teeth and stood firm. At the critical moment when the Shadow Panther launched a desperate counterattack, he delivered this decisive thrust that ended the battle.

As the battle came to a complete end, the nerves that had been stretched to the limit suddenly relaxed, and the exhaustion and excruciating pain instantly swept over the whole body.

The hard, rough ironwood spear slowly slipped from his exhausted palm and fell into the muddy pool of blood with a soft "clang".

Luo Ye swayed violently, his shoulders drooping limply, and he finally knelt on one knee again. His muscles trembled uncontrollably, his vision blurred, and he almost fainted.

But he paid no attention to looking down at his bloody and horrifying injuries.

He braced himself against the swaying body, turned his head with difficulty, and his gaze swept urgently to his side, landing on the mini black dragon that had lost its strength in mid-air and rolled into a thick pile of fallen leaves.

At this moment, Eluvia had long since shed her half-human form, and her size had shrunk back to the original size of a raven. Her petite dragon body looked exceptionally thin and fragile.

"Are you... alright?"

Luo Ye's voice was hoarse and weak, filled with uncontrollable pain, but the worry in her eyes was real and undisguised.

Eluvia slumped into a pile of fallen leaves, staring blankly at him.

Looking at the hideous wound on his chest, at the horrific sight of half his body stained with blood, at how he could barely stand but still immediately asked her if she was alright.

She opened her mouth, as if to say something.

But the voice that came out trembled slightly, without her even realizing it.

"You...you idiot!"

For the first time, her voice lacked its usual arrogance and feigned composure, revealing only raw anxiety and lingering fear: "Why didn't you dodge! You clearly saw its attack! Why did you use your body to block it!"

Luo Ye tugged at the corners of his pale, chapped lips, managing a faint, gentle smile. The smile was weak and thin, carrying the exhaustion of being severely injured and overdrawn, yet it was exceptionally firm: "Because... it attacked you."

"So what!" Eluvia's voice suddenly rose, tinged with a hint of panic and exasperation, as she tried to maintain her last shred of dignity.

"I am the rightful Black Dragon King! The ruler of the eternal night! You mere Shadow Leopard of the Forest, a lowly predator, even in your weakness..."

You are very weak right now.

Luo Ye spoke softly, calmly interrupting her defiant explanation, his voice unusually firm: "I know you are strong. In your prime, you could bring rain with a wave of your hand, burn mountains with your breath, and crush this leopard with a single breath."

"But you might not be able to do it now."

He slowly raised his blood-stained, red-fingered hand, his movements extremely gentle, and carefully covered her small dragon head, gently stroking her smooth, cool scales.

This time, he deliberately avoided touching her most sensitive and private dragon horns, leaving only pure tenderness and care.

"I promised you, and I have never forgotten a single word of what was promised in the contract."

"I will become your sword, cutting through all the thorns in your path and sweeping away all enemies."

"I will be your shield, protecting you from the storms of the world and shielding you from all harm."

"So, until I completely collapse, no one... no, nothing can hurt you in the slightest."

"I am a dragon knight! A dragon knight is supposed to protect his dragon!"

Eluvia was completely stunned. Her petite dragon body stiffened slightly on the spot, and even her breathing slowed down unconsciously.

She looked at the human in front of her, covered in blood, pale-faced, yet still smiling.

She has stood in the world for more than four thousand years and has seen too many kinds of living beings.

I have witnessed the extreme fear of the weak facing the strong, the deliberate reverence of subjects for their kings, the greedy covetousness of adventurers for the bloodline of dragons, and the hypocritical alliances and betrayals among companions.

She was already used to the wickedness of people's hearts and the indifference of all races.

But she had never seen anyone like that before.

No one would so nonchalantly and calmly step in front of her when they themselves are on the verge of death and covered in blood.

No one would abandon their own safety in a life-or-death situation and make a promise to protect someone to the very end in the gentlest yet most resolute tone.

Her heart skipped a beat in her chest.

It was a strange, throbbing feeling that she had never experienced in her more than four thousand years of life.

[Warning: The contracting party's emotions are fluctuating drastically, triggering the Dragon Soul Resonance passive skill.]

[Elvia - Wings of Eternal Night Affection: 47 → 50]

Your status in her heart has risen from "temporary contractor" to "trustworthy guardian".