Evil Red Dragon

This time, the reconnaissance team was exceptionally cautious.

They set up camp in a secluded mountain valley outside the border of Chifeng Territory and sent out the most skilled stealth-savvy ranger in the team to infiltrate Chifeng Territory and gather intelligence.

Using his invisibility and superior stealth skills, the ranger silently crossed the border and made his way towards Chifeng.

He carefully avoided the trolls' daily patrol routes, using the terrain and vegetation to gradually approach Chifeng.

On a high slope about a mile from the foot of Chifeng, the wandering knight, with the help of dense bushes, finally saw the scene below Chifeng.

It was a troll camp, larger than he had expected, with neat rows of stone houses and a dragon-shaped totem pole standing in the center.

There were about thirty trolls active in the camp, seven of which were particularly conspicuous.

They are large and imposing, covered in dark red scales, with small horns on their foreheads, sharp claws and teeth, and wielding crude iron weapons. They exude a fierce aura.

The strongest one's aura was close to the peak of level four, while the other six were between the high level three and the low level four.

In addition, there are about twenty-seven ordinary mountain trolls, ranging from level two to level three, the rest of which are not a concern.

His gaze followed the troll toward the entrance to the Red Peak Cave.

On the rocky platform at the cave entrance, a young dragon, about five meters long with deep red scales, was lying on the ground.

She had just had a hearty meal, her round belly pressed against the ground, her tail lazily patting the rocks, and occasionally, when she opened her dragon snout to yawn, a few sparks would fly out.

Judging from its size and characteristics, this is undoubtedly a young red dragon.

He seemed completely unguarded, utterly absorbed in his weariness.

The ranger observed carefully for about half an hour, and after confirming that he had not found any other threats, he quietly withdrew.

He carefully erased the traces and excitedly returned to the reconnaissance team's camp.

Upon returning, he couldn't contain his excitement and reported to the captain:

"Captain, we've confirmed it. There is indeed a troll tribe beneath Crimson Peak, and a portion of them have been transformed into dragonkin..."

"I also discovered a baby red dragon!"

The atmosphere inside the reconnaissance team's camp was instantly ignited.

When they heard the words "Red Baby Dragon," everyone's eyes instantly turned red.

A baby red dragon!

Live, healthy baby red dragons!

Recently on the black market, even a black dragon with ordinary bloodline fetched a sky-high price of 2.19 million gold coins.

As the leader of the five-colored dragons, the Red Dragon has greater potential and stronger strength, and its price will only be higher!

If they can catch it and successfully transport it back to sell... each of them can get at least 200,000 gold coins!

Two hundred thousand gold coins!

The total reward for this reconnaissance mission was only one thousand gold coins, which was divided among twelve people. Even the captain and vice-captain would only receive one hundred gold coins, while ordinary team members would only receive seventy or eighty.

Two hundred thousand is enough for any one of them to completely change their fate, say goodbye to their life of danger, move to a big city, donate a noble title, hire excellent tutors for further studies, or simply acquire some property and enjoy a luxurious life for the rest of their days...

Dreams are within reach!

Their reconnaissance team was equipped with a truly luxurious setup.

The captain and vice-captain are both level 5 professionals, while the other ten are all level 4 professionals, including warriors, rangers, and mages.

With such power, as long as they are determined and disregard the cost, wiping out the troll tribe and capturing that red dragon hatchling would not be a problem.

Once you make up your mind...

Everyone looked at the captain with red eyes:

Give the order, Captain! We crave wealth and luxury!

"Calm down!"

The captain gave a low shout, but his own throat was also dry.

He glanced around at the flushed faces of his team members, knowing that public opinion was irreversible, and besides... he didn't want to go against it.

At this point, any suggestion to back down would be seen as a betrayal.

Faced with wealth that can change one's life, so-called camaraderie is laughably fragile.

"Captain, give the order!"

The wandering knight urged impatiently:

"Those trolls, though transformed into dragonborn, are few in number. The strongest are probably only at the peak of level four. With two level fives and ten level fours, a full-scale attack has a real chance!"

The grey-robed monk echoed:

"That young dragon is very relaxed, making it the perfect time to launch a sneak attack."

"We can focus our fire on it and severely damage it first, then clear out the trolls. If we're quick enough, we can end the battle before it cries for help, and then we can escape with the live dragon whelps."

The captain took a deep breath.

He knew he had no other choice.

Refusing means being immediately abandoned by the team or even silenced.

Agreed. Although the risks are enormous, the rewards are enough to drive everyone crazy.

"Then... let's decide by voting."

The captain's voice was a little hoarse: "Anyone who wants to catch a dragon, raise your hand."

Before the words were even finished, twelve hands were raised in unison, without the slightest hesitation.

Including the team leader himself.

It was approved by all.

The captain suppressed the wild beating in his heart.

From this moment on, the team was no longer there for reconnaissance; they became dragon hunters.

"it is good."

The captain's voice was low: "But we can't act recklessly. Although the red dragon is only level four, there are dragonborn warriors in the troll tribe. A direct charge would result in too many casualties."

"The ranger will continue to monitor and figure out the trolls' patrol patterns and shift change times."

"The three of you mages, begin preparing the binding spell array. Work together with the warriors to control the young dragon in the shortest possible time."

"The archers, the vice-captain, and I are responsible for clearing out the outer trolls and prioritizing stopping the seven dragonborn."

"Remember, our goal is to capture the young dragon alive, so use paralysis and sleep spells, along with net-like mechanisms, to deal with it. Do not attempt to kill it!"

"clear!"

The crowd responded in unison.

The ranger infiltrated again, this time meticulously recording every move of the troll camp.

The mages began setting up their traps deep in the mountain valley, spreading runes and carefully concealing the magical fluctuations.

The captain repeatedly went over the attack plan.

He knew this was a high-stakes gamble that would cost him his life.

If you win, you'll enjoy wealth and glory.

They lost, and their bodies were never found.

But the lure of at least 200,000 gold coins is enough to drive anyone crazy.

Night falls.

At the foot of Chifeng Mountain, a campfire was lit in the troll camp.

Oliveira lay lazily on the rock platform, swishing her tail, completely unaware of the approaching danger.

She was plotting how to squeeze a little more silver out of Alecto.

Deep within the cave, Alecto opened his eyes as if sensing something.

He vaguely sensed something amiss; the flow of elements in the southeast direction seemed to be disturbed.

"Olivera," he transmitted.

"Here!" Oliveira jumped.

"Be alert tonight, I have a feeling... like some bugs have crept in."

"Huh? Oh..."

Oliveira gave a perfunctory reply, turned over, and yawned again.

Alector said no more, closed his eyes again, and his senses quietly spread.

At midnight, dark clouds obscured the moon.

Only the footsteps of the troll patrolling and the occasional roar of beasts in the distance could be heard.

In the mountain valley, the reconnaissance team was ready.

The captain raised his hand and then swung it down sharply—

"action!"

Twelve dark figures moved through the forest like ghosts, stealthily approaching the foot of Red Peak.

A soundproof barrier quietly opened, concealing their footsteps.

The mages' staffs shimmered with a faint light, and binding runes appeared and disappeared.

On the rocky platform, Oliveira was still fast asleep, completely unaware of the impending danger.

As the reconnaissance team quietly approached the foot of Chifeng, the first to notice the anomaly was Rag, a dragonborn troll warrior on the outskirts of the camp.

As one of the first warriors to follow Gru and successfully undergo the transformation of dragon blood, Rag is extremely proud of his newfound power.

Tonight, it was his turn to lead his team to patrol the southeast side of the camp. This area was near the forest and was the most likely direction for outsiders to infiltrate.

Rag carried his newly acquired iron spear and walked at the head of the procession.

His dragon form gave him a perception far beyond that of an ordinary troll, especially his sensitivity to magic.

Just as the reconnaissance team stepped into the 500-meter radius of the camp, Rag suddenly stopped.

Something's not right...

He muttered to himself, then suddenly looked up and gazed toward the forest.

The night was deep, and the only sound in the woods was the rustling of leaves in the wind.

But Rag could sense that something was moving there, and there was more than one.

"alert!"

Rag let out a low growl, holding his iron spear horizontally in front of him.

The five dragonborn behind him immediately gripped their weapons and looked around warily.

Just as Rag issued his warning, three enchanted arrows pierced the air, striking Rag and the trolls on either side of him at a tricky angle.

puff!puff!

The two trolls fell to the ground with a thud, arrows piercing their necks.

Rag barely managed to react and turn to the side, the arrow grazing his keratinized shoulder armor and leaving a deep scratch.

"Enemy attack!"

Lag's roar echoed through the night sky, shattering the tranquility of Chifeng.

The trolls throughout the camp awoke with a start and grabbed the weapons beside them.

Gru was the first to rush out of the stone house, wielding a double-edged battle axe. He instantly locked onto Rag's direction and sprinted away.

Oliveira was startled awake by the roar and looked up blankly:

"What's wrong? Who's making noise...?"

Before the words were even finished, three figures rushed out from the edge of the forest and headed straight for the camp!

The leader was the reconnaissance captain.

He moved with lightning speed, his longsword unsheathed, its cold light pointing directly at Gru.

"Mage team, move in! Target the whelp! Finish this quickly!"

He gave orders as he charged.

"Enemy attack—! Protect Master! Protect Lady Oliveira!"

Gru roared and charged forward, his battle axe slashing down with brute force.

clang--

Swords and axes clashed, sparks flew.

Gru was so shocked that he stumbled back three steps, while the captain only took one step back.

Even though Gru is a dragonborn, there is still a gap in strength between level five and level four.

But Gru was not fighting alone.

Mog and Ug attacked from the left and right, respectively, while Iron Hammer and Iron Spear simultaneously assaulted the captain's flank.

The captain sneered, his body spun around, and his longsword drew an arc, blocking two attacks at the same time.

"A trivial skill!"

He changed his stance, switching from defense to offense, and thrust the tip of his sword straight at Mog's throat.

This forced Mog to retreat.

The other troll warriors roared and clashed with the members of the human scout team.

Seeing the endless swarms of trolls approaching, the vice-captain roared, "Defensive formation!"

Oliveira was awakened by the sudden shouts of battle and magical fluctuations. She looked up in alarm and saw several human figures breaking through the trolls' blockade and rushing towards the rock platform where she was.

"Humans?! How dare you!"

Oliveira was both shocked and furious. She opened her mouth and spewed a dragon's breath at the strongest man who was rushing forward the fastest.

The burly man was prepared; he nimbly rolled away to dodge, and at the same time threw out a dragon-catching net!

Oliveira hurriedly flapped her wings to try to take flight, but another mage's Slowing spell had already landed on her, causing her body to sink.

The dragon net successfully entangled her hind legs and tail, restricting her flight.

"Grab it!"

Various binding spells, grappling hooks, and specially made dragon shackles were all unleashed upon Oliveira.

Without a second thought, she unleashed another burst of dragon breath at the net that had entangled her, attempting to burn it to ashes.

The dragon net remained unharmed by the dragon's breath, clearly indicating that it had been specifically enchanted.

In desperation, Oliveira frantically breathed on the oncoming humans.

But the reconnaissance team was prepared.

With a wave of his staff, the gray-robed mage conjured a light blue magical shield that blocked the dragon's breath.

Flames exploded on the shield, sending out waves of heat, but they failed to harm the mage behind it in the slightest.

Oliveira's heart sank.

"Brother! There are humans—"

She shouted loudly towards the cave.

The three mages quickly chanted, and the Dragon Binding Formation gradually lit up.

Once the magic circle is complete, they can immediately take the red dragon with them.

It only takes a little time...

However, the sky suddenly brightened.

Alecto descended from the sky and crashed down in front of them!

The ground trembled, and dust flew everywhere.

He had already stealthily taken to the air as the reconnaissance team approached the camp, observing their every move.

Only after confirming that the reconnaissance team had no hidden forces did he cancel his invisibility, fully revealing his twelve-meter-long crimson dragon body.

Rainbow light flowed across his scales, his horns stood tall like crowns, and lava churned in his eyes.

He looked down at this group of tiny humans.

"Welcome to Chifeng Territory."

A majestic voice resounded directly in their minds, speaking the common language of the continent:

"I regret to inform you that your sightseeing tour has come to an end."

A mountain-like pressure suddenly descended, and the captain, who was fighting the three demons of Gru, changed his expression drastically.

"Damn it! It's a young man—"

He wanted to call out to the young dragon, but he swallowed the words back.

Although Alekto was enormous, he had not yet reached the standard of a true young red dragon.

Is it a young dragon? Or a young dragon about to become a young adult?

But what's important is that the dragon's might... definitely exceeded level five!

"Retreat! Cover the mage's retreat immediately!"

The captain acted decisively, forcing Gru back with a single sword strike while shouting.

But it was too late.

Alecto flapped his wings and shot towards the mage group like a cannonball, his target the gray-robed mage.

The gray-robed mage turned pale and hurriedly chanted a spell in an attempt to teleport.

But Alecto was faster than him.

As the dragon's claws descended, their combined magical shield shattered instantly before Alecto, as fragile as paper.

The gray-robed mage was slammed into the ground, staff and all, leaving him a bloody mess.

"Samir!"

Another mage, his eyes blazing with fury, pointed his staff at Alekto, and a bolt of lightning shot out.

Alecto neither flinched nor dodged, letting the lightning strike his scales.

The lightning exploded, leaving only a charred mark.

"this one?"

Alector's jaws parted, revealing sharp, white teeth.

He turned to the mage and unleashed a dragon's breath.

The combined effects of high temperature and cutting instantly engulfed the mage and another mage beside him.

The two were instantly reduced to charred remains.

In just five seconds, the reconnaissance team lost three members, all of whom were crucial mages.

The captain's heart sank to the bottom.

That's it, the plan has completely failed.

This red dragon's strength far exceeded their expectations. It was not a young dragon at all, but at least a peak level 5 or even a level 6 young dragon!

They even foolishly delivered the mage group right into the enemy's hands.

"Split up and break through! Every person who can escape is a chance!"

He gave the order in a hoarse voice and turned to flee.