Chapter 45: The Scouts have Arrived
After an entire night of interacting with the villagers, Bloom had gained a wealth of information regarding Agatha, Max, and Mia.
Bloom paid special attention to Max and Mia.
After all, the two Dragon Hatchlings would serve as a great warmup for Bloom.
After learning all he could about the Red Dragons residing in the desert, Bloom left Deer Heart Village.
…
Half a month had passed in the blink of an eye.
Half a month was neither long nor short.
During this period, Max and Mia’s daily routine consisted of only eating and sleeping.
As a result of Max’s masterful cooking, Mia had gradually forgotten the pain of Agatha’s departure, and before long, she had regained her cheerful attitude.
However, one night, Max was startled awake by a certain ruckus.
It was in the dead of the night, and Mia was still sleeping. Max had no intention of waking Mia up. Thus, he silently snuck out, and with a soft flutter of his wings, he took to the skies and approached the source of the ruckus.
At this moment, a dozen of fully armed soldiers riding on top of horses were advancing in an orderly manner.
The leading soldier was holding a torch in his hand.
About 50 to 60 meters away from this group of soldiers, there was another small group of soldiers moving about.
As a former human, Max immediately understood what they were doing.
“They’re searching the area.”
Max frowned slightly. He could not understand why the humans would suddenly encroach into the desert.
“Could it be because of those three adventurers from before?”
Max could not help but recall the three adventurers who had almost ended their lives in the past.
Putting aside the swordsman and the woman, Max was certain that Tahir was a man of great status in the human world.
‘Perhaps the humans have learned about Tahir’s death and they’ve come to seek revenge?’
‘Their targets are most likely, me, Agatha, and Mia.’
Max feared that another the humans had yet another monster like Tahir within their ranks.
Thus, he determined that the smartest choice would be to avoid battle.
Even though Max was confident in his abilities to protect himself, not to mention the Battle of Existence, Max was unsure whether he could guarantee Mia’s safety.
After all, the system had told him once before, that unless someone were to protect Mia during her youth, it was unlikely for her to reach adulthood.
‘We could settle the score with them once Mia has fully developed her abilities.’
By Max’s rough estimation, Mia would surpass Tahir in terms of magical abilities in a century or so.
In another 20 to 30 years or so, Max believed that Mia would finally be able to protect herself.
A century was a very long time for humans. It was long enough for one or two generations of humans to be born.
However, for Ancient Dragons who had a lifespan of 10,000 years, a hundred years was equivalent to only one human year. As it stands to reason, 20 to 30 years was merely like the blink of an eye.
Right as Max was about to return to his lair and bring Mia away, a robotic voice chimed in Max’s head.
“Ding dong!”
[ Host Max, your tracks have been discovered by the human soldiers. Before long, the humans will locate your lair, and once you’ve been found by the kingdom’s soldiers, you will be attacked continuously. Please choose how you’ll respond to the situation. ]
[ 1. Aren’t they just some weak humans? Before the noble dragons, they are mere ants. ]
[ —— Ignore the threat. Reward: Mia’s probability of death increased by 500% . Before dying, Mia will learn an ability related to the Language of Death, and she will protect the host. ]
[ 2. I am only a Dragon Hatchling at the moment. I am still not capable of taking on the human kingdom. ]
[ —— Flee the lair. Reward: You will receive the undead spell, Undead Calamity. Upon death, you will immediately transform into an Ancient Undead Dragon. As a result of this transformation, you will gain the enmity of the Mother Goddess, Tiamat. ]
[ 3. Dragons are not pushovers! Anyone who dares to invade the lair of a Red Dragon shall pay the price with their blood! ]
[ —— Rise up and resist. Reward: Invincible Golden Body. Upon use, you will immediately become invincible. You will be impervious to all damage unless inflicted by gods. The ability lasts for 3 seconds. Cooldown time: 24 Hours! ]
Max was stunned. He did not expect the system to issue him these choices at this moment.
As a loving brother, Max naturally ruled out the first option.
There were countless ways to become stronger. Why did he have to sacrifice Mia?
Moreover, Max had learned of his future potential via the previous two Battle of Existences.
The strength the celestial being displayed was not something that could be obtained by sacrificing his sister, Mia.
As for the second choice, it had left Max rather confused. He could not, for the life of him, understand why the system wanted him to become an undead dragon that badly.
Moreover, the reward was an undead spell. Unless he died, it would never be activated. Obtaining that spell was essentially the same as giving up on his own life.
On the other hand, the fact that would turn into an Undead Dragon upon death, was in a sense, the same as obtaining a second life.
When all was said and done, the offer to immediately become an Ancient Dragon was an attractive proposition to Max, who was still a mere Dragon Hatchling.
Although Max’s gut was telling him to leave immediately, Max decided otherwise. Although obtaining a second life was extremely attractive, it was built on the premise of his death.
Max then looked at the third option.
‘Resist?’
Max gulped hard.
Max had yet to display the full extent of his abilities ever since he absorbed Tahir’s strength.
Even Max himself was uncertain of his full power.
All he knew was that he was very, very strong.
Moreover, the Invincible Golden Body ability was no less attractive to Max than the undead spell provided by the second option.
After all, he would be immune to any damage that was not inflicted by the Dragon God for 3 seconds!
As long as he used it properly, even the Dragon-vanquishing Ballista would be useless against him.
More importantly, the third option had the least drawbacks.
Max no longer hesitated and chose the third option.
[ Ding Dong! ]
[ Detected that the host has chosen the third option. Rewards are being distributed! ]
[ Congratulations to host for obtaining the ability: Invincible Golden Body! ]
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