After Becoming an Evil Dragon, I Was Entangled by the Saintess - Chapter 2

The True Dragon’s Eye activated on the strangers, and a panel materialized before Yulxi.

Name: Ilti

Race: Human

Class: Mage

Tier: Second-Tier

True God: God of Light

Faith Level: Casual Believer

Ability: A Wise Man Knows When to Yield

Name: Flah Galannod

Title: Elven Royal Descendant

Race: Elf

Class: Ranger

Tier: Second-Tier

True God: Goddess of Life

Faith Level: Devout Believer

Ability: Her Talent for Tarnishing Elven Honor is Unmatched

“Apologies,” the speaker said, shrinking under Yulxi’s cold gaze. “I overheard you discussing the Black Dragon.” She ducked her head and apologized to Yulxi and Veranse for the interruption.

But the Elven Ranger Flah Galannod yanked Ilti forward, planted one foot on a stool, and glared at Veranse. “Even a Great Dragon’s excrement holds considerable value,” she declared. “There are plenty of foolish mages willing to buy it.”

Ilti tugged at Flah’s arm, but the Elven Ranger’s strength far surpassed her own.

“You’re right,” Veranse agreed, her expression unwavering.

Yulxi scoffed, her tone mocking. “With just Second-Tier combat skills, you’ll hardly achieve your goals.” Neither the human nor the elf were particularly gifted; they’d be swatted aside like flies.

Ilti started to speak, “We know our limitations, so—” But Flah clamped a hand over her mouth. Ilti, well aware of her own capabilities, had only intended to join the fray for the excitement and to scavenge any scraps. Even if they found nothing related to the Great Dragon, picking up trash in the Mangshui Forest would be better than nothing. But Flah wouldn’t let her speak.

“Do you know who she is?” Flah asked, gesturing to Ilti.

Yulxi lazily lifted an eyelid, uninterested in knowing.

Veranse feigned curiosity. “Who is she?”

Flah cleared her throat. “She’s the daughter of Lord Count Unos, one of the heirs to the Red Maple Territory. This Black Dragon extermination campaign was ordered by the Lord himself. With his support, even if we were only First-Tier, we could still take down the Black Dragon.”

Ilti: “…” That was true, but unless her entire family died, she would never inherit the Red Maple Territory. She was treated like a servant at home, completely disregarded. Forget commanding the Red Maple Territory’s mercenaries—even avoiding scorn was a victory. Otherwise, why would she abandon a comfortable life to wander abroad?

“Is that so?” Yulxi asked casually.

Flah, an Elf from the Moonlight Forest, showed no shame in lying. She nodded solemnly and said, “Yes.”

Yulxi had initially planned to ignore these two strange individuals, but Ilti’s status as the Lord’s daughter changed her mind.

She disliked causing trouble, but when someone struck first, retaliation was only natural.

The Rotting Swamp wasn’t a suitable Nest Cave for her, and hiding in caves felt cramped. What she truly desired was a palace.

Ever since news of dragon hunting spread from the Red Maple Territory, she had claimed the territory as her own.

Having the Lord’s daughter as a puppet would be an excellent choice, but she needed to assess her character first.

Yulxi smiled faintly. “I’ll join your Dragon Hunting Team.”

Veranse added, “I’d like to join too, if that’s alright.”

With each additional member bringing more strength, Ilti and Flah had no reason to refuse.

After exchanging names, Ilti began questioning Yulxi and Veranse about their professions and abilities.

Yulxi raised an eyebrow. Asking now? Isn’t it a bit late? If I’m not a Transcendent, would they just kick me out? These mages and Elves are equally reckless.

“Second-Tier Warrior,” Yulxi casually replied, making it up on the spot. Warriors, along with Rangers and Paladins, belonged to the Warrior branch of classes. Warriors themselves could be further divided into Gladiators and Swordsmen.

Veranse smiled. “Second-Tier Mage.”

“A mage? I thought you were a priestess,” Ilti exclaimed in surprise. Mages and priests were distinct. Mages wielded Arcane Magic, while priests, like druids, belonged to the Priest branch, holding divine office. Their power stemmed not from Arcane Magic but from Divine Art. Through fervent prayer, they could petition the Gods for spells. Of course, if their faith waned, their abilities would vanish with it.

“Your demeanor is perfect for a priestess,” Ilti remarked. “And your name… it’s the same as the Holy Maiden of the Holy See.” She didn’t dwell on it; common names were hardly rare, especially in the Red Leaf Province, a remote borderland. Why would the Holy Maiden of Light leave the Holy See to come here? They needed dragon hunters and demonic beast slayers, tasks the Holy Maiden had no need for. Her duties were simple: daily prayers and demonstrating divine grace to mortals.

Veranse smiled enigmatically, offering no reply.

Yulxi, however, glanced sideways at Veranse after hearing Ilti’s words. She had no interest in the Holy See and hadn’t bothered to learn the Holy Maiden’s name. This self-proclaimed mage before her was no ordinary person. To conceal herself beneath the True Dragon’s Eye, she must possess legendary Golden Equipment.

The Dragon Hunting Team was officially formed as the four members raised their glasses of Flame Wine in a toast.

Ilti arranged to meet them outside the Gold and Silver Tavern the next day, from where they would journey together to Mangshui Forest. Since the Lord posted the notice, several groups had already entered the forest. With such a large force clearing the way, even the most dangerous demonic beasts would likely avoid confrontation.

The following day, Yulxi arrived at the Gold and Silver Tavern as agreed.

The weather was pleasant, with white clouds drifting leisurely across the sky and warm sunlight bathing the desolate, untamed land.

Arriving early, she borrowed Kasha’s kitchen to make sandwiches.

Unlike the Black Dragon, she had no interest in raw meat. In the Primordial Realm Heavenly Court, she could subsist on wind and dew. But on the Fei’er Continent, her Black Dragon body required vast amounts of energy to grow. During her youth, she was forced to conform to the Black Dragon’s habits, but through that endurance, her Primordial Spirit gradually transformed her body. Her appetite no longer required mountains of food. Instead, her energy replenishment came from merit, faith, and incense offerings.

In a sense, she resembled the gods worshipped on this continent. After all, all paths converge on the One. Different languages carried the power of the Dao, each with its own effects. Only by reaching the level of Divine Art could one grasp the true nature of the Dao and understand that all origins stem from the Great Primordial.

However, Yulxi didn’t demand fervent devotion from her followers. Simple reverence and worship were enough to make them her subjects, bringing her incense offerings and faith.

Unfortunately, since arriving here, she hadn’t yet found the opportunity or a suitable location to build a Dragon God Temple.

She needed a territory to develop, using it as a foundation for her path to godhood.

As a Great Dragon, Yulxi didn’t need to study; the history of the Fei’er Continent was ingrained in her ancestral memories. The continent’s First Era was the Age of Divine Rule, when the creator gods walked the earth. As the number of gods grew, so did their conflicts, culminating in the War of the Gods. This conflict marked the twilight of divine authority, paving the way for the rise of the Great Dragons and ushering in the Second Era, known as the Dragon Era. During this age, the Dragons reigned supreme over all living beings. Yet the fading gods had not perished entirely, leading to a second cataclysmic war. This time, the consequences were far more devastating: the Fei’er Continent shattered into fragments, the Dragon Gods of Dragon Island were all slain, and the surviving gods retreated from the continent into slumber.

The present-day Fei’er Continent is the largest remnant of the shattered Feier Plane. If planes were ranked, Fei’er would be considered a low-tier continent, incapable of sustaining divine descents. Even if the gods were to awaken and turn their gaze upon Fei’er, they could only manifest fragments of their will by possessing Saints. With the absence of divine warfare, the continent stabilized, ushering in the Third Era—the current age.

The plane’s inability to bear divine power also meant that Sixth-Tier Legendary Wizards represented the pinnacle of power on the Fei’er Continent.

The time might come when she would have to leave this plane or elevate the Fei’er Continent to a level capable of withstanding the power of the Gods, but those were concerns for the future.

For now, she needed to deal with the trouble brought by the Dragon Hunter.

The tavern was nearly empty early in the morning. Kasha, the Black Cat, snatched a sandwich from Yulxi’s hand, sighing, “This is what a cat should be eating,” before curiously asking, “Yulxi, are you really planning to join the Dragon Hunt? Do you think that Human Mage and Elf might be frauds pretending to be young?”

“Why not?” Yulxi replied to the first question, then looked at Kasha, who was devouring the sandwich, and asked, puzzled, “You’ve eaten this so many times. Why are you still so eager?”

Kasha rolled her eyes at Yulxi, mocking, “Have you forgotten how you wanted to vomit after eating that meat broth salty enough to kill you, moldy cheese, stinky salted fish, and black bread hard enough to kill someone?” Before, Kasha had never questioned the food, since even nobles ate the same way. But after secretly tasting Yulxi’s meat broth once, she was utterly amazed. Her entire understanding of food was shattered. As for why a Black Dragon would know how to cook, Kasha had no doubts whatsoever. After all, who would ever imagine a cat could become a Legendary Wizard?

Yulxi fell silent. The cooked food here was worse than gnawing on raw meat—no, it was worse than eating dirt.

A dragon’s stomach could digest almost anything, but her taste buds couldn’t tolerate it.

In the Primordial Realm, even the most unpalatable dishes would be considered delicacies here. The only saving grace was the existence of magical plants similar to spices, which could be used as seasonings.

Yulxi silently finished her sandwich.

By the time Veranse and Ilti arrived, only the lingering aroma of the food remained in the tavern.

“Good day, Your Excellency,” Veranse greeted her aloof companion first.

Yulxi responded with a curt nod.

Ilti’s face radiated enthusiasm similar to Veranse’s, while the Elf lady trailing behind her looked decidedly grumpy, as if she’d woken up on the wrong side of the bed.

Forget hunting dragons—a team like this wouldn’t even succeed in hunting dragon-blooded monsters.

“Let’s set out!” Ilti exclaimed excitedly, seeing that everyone had arrived.

Veranse hummed in acknowledgment, answering Ilti. With her hands clasped behind her back, she circled Yulxi, a sly smile playing on her lips. “You carry the benevolence of the Earth Goddess and the rich, mellow aura of the Goddess of Abundance…”

Yulxi stared at Veranse, her expression blank, and cut her off. “Get to the point.”

Veranse blinked. “I simply wanted to ask, Lady Yulxi, what did you have for breakfast?”

Yulxi paused, then retrieved three beef sandwiches from her spatial equipment and handed them to her teammates.

Ilti, still marveling at Yulxi’s wealth—possessing spatial magic equipment at such a young age—found all such thoughts vanishing the moment the sandwich touched her hand.

Flah, unburdened by Elven elegance, blurted out, “So, everything I’ve eaten before was just ¥@%?!”

Knowing Flah’s true nature, Ilti swiftly cast a silencing spell.

That vulgar Elf! Just shut your mouth.

Nearby, Kasha elegantly licked her paw.

She no longer needed to worry about Yulxi. Her Dragon Hunting Team truly seemed more likely to cause trouble than achieve anything.