Chapter Ninety-Eight: The Autra Earth Dragon

On the outer path of the Monster Beast Forest, a group of humans from another world, dressed in clothes utterly unlike those of the local villagers, moved slowly along the road. Each of them led a domesticated mule-beast behind them, its back laden with heavy cargo.

There were forty-seven people in the group.

Twenty of them carried weapons and wore poorly made leather armor. They walked in a loose ring around the remaining twenty-seven, warily watching for any movement along the road.

After traveling a long way without incident, they had begun to relax a little.

But just as they were letting their guard down, a strange cry suddenly rang out ahead. It sounded half like a cow, half like a pig.

Then, from deep within the dense woods, three dinosaur-like monsters burst out all at once. Their whole bodies were blue-green, with a shape somewhat like a cockatrice; they had long necks, tiny forelegs, powerful hind legs, and teeth sharp beyond belief.

The moment they appeared, the three monsters spread out and took up positions in a triangular formation, surrounding the humans as they opened their mouths and gave off that same eerie, grotesque cry again.

"Otela earth dragons!" someone cried out in despair. "Why would such terrifying creatures appear on the edge of the Monster Beast Forest?"

"May the Goddess of Justice protect us!" The humans sheltered in the center folded their hands in prayer, their eyes full of fear.

"I told you not to take this road!" shouted a red-haired fighter. "The village we passed just now had not a single living soul in it. This is absolutely the infamous Monster Beast Forest! You should have listened to me from the beginning and gone around by another route!"

"It's too late for that now! Think about how to deal with those three Otela earth dragons!"

"With the strength of our Four-Star Clover Mercenary Corps, how could we possibly beat an Otela earth dragon? Even a juvenile one could crush us, let alone three adult dragons here?"

"I'm out! This mission can't be completed!"

"Hey! Terras, where are you running?"

"I'm out too!"

"Andy! Don't follow them, it's dangerous!"

"Stay calm! All of you, stay calm! If you panic like this, you'll only die faster!"

"Listen up, all of you. Orders from the captain!" A red-haired girl with a ponytail shouted, sword raised high. "Hold your ground and protect the caravan!"

"Just as I thought, this captain is useless. How could a one-star mercenary corps possibly defeat Otela earth dragons?"

"What a waste. I regret trusting that little girl. You all can keep playing mercenary corps games. I'm running first!"

"Wait for me!"

Of the twenty mercenaries, seventeen or eighteen turned in panic and tried to flee through the wide gaps between the three Otela earth dragons.

In the end, only the red-haired girl wearing the captain's badge, a burly man with an iron rod, and a thirteen- or fourteen-year-old boy who looked barely grown yet held a shield taller than himself remained to guard the caravan.

Before the battle even began, the mercenaries had already lost their nerve and nearly all bolted. The caravan people were even more chaotic.

"I knew we should have spent a little more and hired the famous Sword and Roses Mercenary Corps! But no, you insisted on saving money by hiring the lowest-ranking corps that had only just been formed! Now look, we're all doomed!"

"Who knew we'd run into Otela earth dragons here? We've taken this road countless times before and never encountered even one!"

"May the Goddess of Justice protect us! Please, Goddess of Justice, save us!"

"Don't panic! Don't panic!" the red-haired girl cried herself hoarse, but whether mercenaries or caravan folk, they all fled in terror in every direction.

The three Otela earth dragons quickly began their slaughter, first charging toward the mercenaries who had tried to run.

"No! Don't come any closer!" One mercenary had barely raised his sword before the racing Otela earth dragon snapped at him and bit his body clean in two.

Whoosh! Another mercenary, an archer by trade, turned and loosed an arrow, trying to strike the dragon in the eye. But he was too nervous and missed; in the next instant, he too became the dragon's meal.

A poor caravan member also stumbled while fleeing. When he tried to get back up, the dragon's sharp teeth tore through his throat.

It was a one-sided massacre. Though there were only three Otela earth dragons, the forty-seven humans were driven with no chance to fight back!

"Captain, let's run too!" The burly man swung his iron rod so violently that it whistled through the air, keeping the Otela earth dragon in front of him from daring to approach for the moment, then shouted over his shoulder.

"If our Clover Mercenary Corps fails on its very first mission, what face will we have left?" the red-haired girl roared. "Protect the caravan!"

"How are we supposed to protect them like this?" The burly man shot a helpless glance at the people running about like headless flies, dragging their mule-beasts in frantic circles.

Boom! The boy lifted his shield with both hands, then slammed it down hard onto the ground, the impact of shield against earth echoing like thunder. In a voice still soft and childlike, he called out, "Everyone from the caravan, come over here quickly. I'll protect you!"

But no one paid him any heed at all.

Ha! The red-haired girl sprang into the air and slashed down at the Otela earth dragon before her with her sword.

Yet the dragon was even faster than she was. The instant she jumped, it lunged forward and bit.

"Ah!" The red-haired girl was caught in the left side of her lower abdomen, and the pain twisted her beautiful features into a grimace.

"Captain!" Seeing this, the burly man hurried over at once and brought his iron rod smashing upward with all his strength into the dragon's neck.

The Otela earth dragon, hurt by the blow, released the red-haired girl and turned to pounce on the burly man.

"Reddy, be careful!" the red-haired girl shouted. She quickly pressed her right hand over her wound, and a warm light appeared. The injury began to heal at a visible speed.

"Help! Somebody help me!" The caravan's leader was an obese man, so fleeing was extremely difficult for him. When he saw an Otela earth dragon leap at him, he turned deathly pale and let out a shrill scream.

Boom! The boy immediately raised his shield with both hands and rushed to the caravan leader at astonishing speed, planting the massive shield firmly on the ground.

Clang! The Otela earth dragon slammed headfirst into the shield and actually showed signs of dizziness, its footing wavering.

"Good opening! Attack it now!" The caravan leader was overjoyed at the sight and hurriedly shouted at the boy.

"I only know how to defend." The boy blinked, looking somewhat embarrassed.

"I..." The caravan leader nearly coughed up blood.

"You stay with me, and I'll make sure you're safe!" the boy told him. "Call the others back too. As long as you're by my side, none of you will be harmed!"

The caravan leader gave a bitter smile. Just how many people could this little brat protect? Still, he tried shouting anyway. But faced with the threat of death, neither the mercenaries nor the caravan members were willing to bet their lives on a little boy. No one paid him any attention, and the result was that more and more of them became food for the Otela earth dragons.