Chapter 497 Shifting Tides
Arad stepped over the wall, his massive paws landing between the people. Even one of his silver claws almost reached a man's height. The heat started rising, and the slightly wet ground around them started drying as he glared at the infected.
ROAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRR! Arad roared, unleashing his frightful presence toward the infected. And awe was present toward the people beneath him, and they curled at the base of his tail, hiding behind his legs like they were trees.
Mindless corpses? No, they aren't. The host might have died, but the fungus controlling them is still alive, and even it sought its survival. They took a step back.
Arad's stomach flashed red, and the light slowly traveled to his chest and then to his throat. The people who were touching his legs got their hands burned.
The infected turned to run away as they knew it was coming, the dragon's infamous weapon.
ROAR! Arad opened his jaws, releasing a line of red flames across the street, charring all of the infected in one blast and leaving a black tray on the streets.
The people stared at the ashes. Then their gazes shifted to the massive dragon above them.
"Humans! Where did those rot piles come from?" Arad growled, turning his head toward them, but he got no reply. Everyone was too scared to even speak.
"Well, no need to ask," He looked back at the village, "I can ask you instead,"
From the between the houses, a twisted abomination of several mixed humans infected with fungi walked out. The monster stood three meters tall, muscular with seven bloodied arms, five heads, and blistered gray skin.
"Wyrm kind," The infected spoke, "Our lord, doesn't seek to intrude on your kind. If this was your hunting ground, you should have only set your domain, and we wouldn't have entered."
.cοm ^Setting domain, like marking my territory.^ Arad thought, ^Of course I don't have this place marked. It isn't my domain. I bet they won't even come close to Alina since they can sense my magic there,^
Arad extended claws, lifting one of the village women, one that he saw to be in her early twenties. "I do not rule this land. I merely take sacrifices from them," Arad dangled the woman as she screamed.
The infected grunted.
"I came to see what happens to my cattle pen, and I find your kind here," Arad glared, "Zuggtmoy spawns."
The infected gasped, taking a step back and bowed, "By any chance, are you an acquaintance of rot queen?"
^Good! They work for her, that's confirmed.^
Arad put the woman back on the ground, "Get yourself cleaned for when I come back, human,"
He then started walking toward the infected, "Where is your portal to the abyss? I still have my mother's dept to her,"
The infected lifted his head, "Your mother? I never heard of red dragons being that social,"
Arad lifted his claw, conjuring a ball of red flames. "Watch this,"
The ball of flame flashed yellow, exploding into a massive blue ball, rivaling Arad in size. It then shifted to a white color, and it started swirling like a tornado above him.
The infected gasped, "Such magic!"
Arad's eyes flashed as the while flames started sucking air into itself using his gravity magic. Then with a sneaky touch of his void, he morphed the flames to look black by sucking the light out of them.
The ground beneath Arad started cracking, and the dust got sucked into the flames. The infected gasped, holding to one of the houses so as not to get pulled into the inferno.
"We're a long line of fire wizards," Arad growled, "Do not count me with the other lizards,"
"Those mighty flames!" The infected gasped, "Are you of the Shadowend bloodline?"
"Took you long enough," A deep rumble crackled in Arad's throat. He glared closely at the infected. "Maybe I should burn all of your kind and find the portal myself?"
"No, no need for that," The infected apologized, "Our demonic patriarch is up there in the mountain." He pointed.
"I see," Arad nodded, the black flames disappearing. "Lead the way,"
The moment the infected turned, Arad bit him across the torso and lifted him to the sky.
"GRWAAAAAAAAAA!" He growled, fungi spreading across Arad's face.
ROAR! Arad unleashed a second fire breath, incinerating the infection in his jaw and sending the ashes to the sky in a beam of light.
Arad then shook his head, the withering fungi falling off his cheeks and neck. If those creatures took over bodies by growing into them, he only needed to make his body uninhabitable by mixing the void with extreme temperatures.
"ARAD!" Alcott called, walking across the street with the rest. "You're done over there?"
"Their base is in the mountains," Arad replied.
"I see," Alcott looked at the mountain as the man and his wife rushed to the other villagers.
"Do you think she got mixed into this?" Merlin asked.
"I hope not," Nina replied, "I doubt her ability to resist being infected,"
"Same for you, human!" Arad growled, and Nina giggled, "You're right, well. They can infect me IF their roots can pierce my flesh,"
Nina's muscles and bones were so hard that growing into them was akin to growing in steel. It didn't matter where those fungi came from. It just isn't going to happen.
"We're using magic," Merlin pointed at herself and Ginger.
Alcott scratched his head, "I'm the only one that could be affected? No, I doubt they can survive in my body,"
Ginger giggled, "All those types of blood-fighting inside, the fungi would be walking into a warzone."
"Sir," An old man approached Alcott with a scared face, "Is he. Safe?" He looked at Arad.
Arad's eyes shifted to glare at the old man, and he ran to hide behind Alcott. "Well get that woman ready for you immediately!" He cried.
Alcott laughed, tapping the man's shoulders, "Forget about that for now and get the village on its feet. We're going to find someone, and hopefully deal with those monsters."
"Human!" Arad growled, "I won't..."
SPLAT!
Arad's head exploded, as something piercing it at a blinding speed.
On top of the mountain, a demon sat on a stone, pointing his hand toward the village, "Draconic threat eliminated. I repeat, draconic threat eliminated." He stood with a smile on his twisted face.
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