After Becoming an Evil Dragon, I Was Entangled by the Saintess - Chapter 3

After marveling at the “miracle” of ordinary food as if it were divine sustenance, Yulxi joined the Dragon Hunting Team on their adventure.

Veranse gazed at Yulxi with a smile, her curiosity evident in her eyes.

Ilti led the way, while the Elven Ranger Flah chattered incessantly, peppering Yulxi with questions about her previous occupation.

Could she be a master chef? Flah wondered. But Yulxi had tasted the cuisine of Ilti’s family chef, and it was only marginally better than ordinary fare.

As the cacophony echoed in her ears, the smile on Yulxi’s already aloof face grew even rarer.

Legend painted elves as elegant and haughty, disdainful of conversing with humans. Yet this sparrow-like creature before her, aside from her signature silver hair and pointed ears, bore little resemblance to the fabled race.

“What lies within Mangshui Forest?” Veranse interjected, cutting Flah off before the team disbanded before even reaching the forest’s edge. She was keenly interested in the Black Dragon—no, rather, she was far more intrigued by how these adventurers planned to hunt it down.

Ilti unfurled a parchment scroll—a map of Mangshui Forest. She had brought it from home, and it was far more detailed than any map sold in the city. Meeting Veranse’s mysterious and beautiful gaze, she explained, “Demonic beasts frequently appear in Mangshui Forest, which is roughly divided into several regions. The most important are the Graveyard of the Undead, the Underdark, and the Rotting Swamp. According to adventurers’ reports, the Dragon’s Nest should be located in the Rotting Swamp to the west.”

The malevolent Five-Colored Dragons favored different environments. Black Dragons, for example, preferred swamps and dark, shadowy areas.

“To reach the Rotting Swamp, we’ll have to pass through the Underdark—specifically, its surface. It’s dangerous, yet not too dangerous,” Ilti added. The Underdark referred to the subterranean cave systems where underground creatures dwelled, including the city of Blay City. Many malevolent races thrived there, such as Gray Dwarves, Kuo-toa, Goblins, and Drow Elves, all of whom were notorious for giving adventurers a headache. Only skilled adventurers would dare venture to Blay City.

Fortunately, they didn’t need to venture into the Underdark itself, merely pass through the surface. Surely their luck wouldn’t be so bad as to encounter subterranean creatures venturing above ground?

“I heard Blay City isn’t ruled by Drow elves, but by an adult Green Dragon,” Flah remarked, her lip curling in undisguised disdain for her underground relatives.

Ilti chuckled dismissively. “Those are just rumors.” The entrance to the Underdark’s caverns wasn’t far from Red Maple Territory. If a greedy Green Dragon truly reigned there, human settlements would have been plundered long ago.

Amidst Ilti and Flah’s banter, the group reached the edge of Mangshui Forest. Even Ilti’s expression turned serious, and the Elven Ranger’s pointed ears twitched. “Besides demonic beasts,” she warned, “this forest harbors deadly poisonous plants. We must be cautious.”

They followed a path cleared by previous adventurers, where most of the dangerous flora had been eliminated. Yet some plants possessed remarkable camouflage, their true nature undetectable unless approached closely.

Ilti and Flah seemed like textbook adventurers.

Yulxi, meanwhile, listened casually to their warnings about the dangers of Mangshui Forest while observing the surrounding terrain. During her youth, she had indeed resided in the Rotting Swamp, though she spent most of her time in slumber. The remaining time, however, had been sufficient for her to thoroughly explore Mangshui Forest. The only area she had never truly ventured into was the Underdark, for the rumors were true: an adult Green Dragon dwelled within. She had no desire to recklessly confront such a creature. After all, even members of the same dragon species would fight each other for territory, let alone dragons of different colors.

“Why are you both so quiet?” Flah, the Elf, glanced at her two silent companions.

Before Yulxi could respond, Veranse smiled humbly and said, “This is my first time in Mangshui Forest. When faced with the unknown, our merciful Lord teaches us to listen.”

Flah frowned, once again feeling that Veranse should have become a Holy Maiden in the Holy See.

Yulxi stated flatly, “There’s a Living Wood fifteen feet directly ahead.” Living Wood was a sentient plant, lacking strong emotions like good, evil, love, or hatred, and it wouldn’t actively attack travelers passing by. Resembling an oak tree in appearance, it was often mistaken for one. Only upon closer inspection could one discern the twisted, human-like face embedded in its trunk.

Flah paused, startled.

Ilti’s expression turned grave as she cast a first-level detection spell ahead. The spell revealed the presence of objects nearby. Just as Yulxi had predicted, a Living Wood stood ahead. Its twisted face seemed to writhe in pain and sorrow, and its trembling branches resembled the Living Wood’s anguished screams.

“Someone attacked it recently,” Yulxi added.

Ilti sighed. Living Woods didn’t naturally hoard treasure, but they could sometimes be persuaded to hide valuables within their root systems. This led greedy adventurers to dig around their roots whenever they encountered one.

“It’s moving!” Flah’s pointed ears twitched as she heard the roots shifting. Living Woods could uproot themselves to attack intruders. She swiftly drew her finely honed twin blades and stepped in front of Ilti. Mages possessed powerful spells but were physically vulnerable, often requiring Warriors for protection during expeditions. “Ilti, Fireball Spell!”

“Wait—” Veranse began, but it was too late. Before her words could finish, Ilti had already launched a hand-cast Fireball Spell. She executed the spell with practiced efficiency, the incantation time so brief it was almost negligible.

A wry smile crossed Veranse’s face.

Watching the Living Wood emerge unscathed from the Fireball Spell, now thoroughly enraged, she sighed softly.

“Huh? Isn’t the Fireball Spell supposed to be effective against plants?” Ilti asked, puzzled.

Veranse explained, “Living Wood secretes a liquid that makes it immune to fire. Moreover, toxins, lightning, and poisonous gases have no effect on it.” She now realized that Ilti was a self-taught mage who had likely never attended a mage tower or academy.

“Then what do we do?” Ilti asked, looking up. Flah was already battling the wildly thrashing branches with her twin blades.

Veranse remained silent, gazing at Yulxi with a faint smile.

In this situation, they had no choice but to rely on their Warrior.

The Living Wood’s roots were thick and sturdy, nearly impossible to sever with ordinary weapons. The swirling mass of roots blotted out the dim sunlight, creating a heavy, rustling wind. The Elven Ranger moved with agile speed, twisting the roots into tangled knots, but without cutting them, the barrier remained impassable.

Yulxi raised an eyebrow.

Staring at the chaotic tangle of roots, she drew her longsword.

Her weapon was superior to the Elven Ranger’s, and her strength far greater. With a single swing, she cleaved through the thick root that had nearly struck her face. After Yulxi severed six roots in quick succession, the remaining tendrils recoiled.

Flah sheathed her blades and fixed her gaze on Yulxi. “Swordsman,” she said.

Yulxi didn’t argue. Though she had grown up as a Great Dragon, her innate abilities differed from those of ordinary dragons. In addition to the physical and magical attacks inherited from her dragon lineage, she also possessed spells from her original world, such as wind, lightning, water, and fire—distinct from the four elemental forces of the magical world: earth, wind, fire, and water.

“Rangers are both warriors and forest guardians,” Yulxi said calmly. “As an Elf, you should have a deep understanding of the forest.”

Flah’s face flushed crimson. Fine, so my knowledge is a billion points behind that of an average Elf. So what? Does that mean I can’t follow the path of nature? As long as I’m resilient and wise enough, I can still be an Elven Ranger.

The Living Wood fell silent, and Yulxi refrained from delivering the final blow.

Ilti wiped the sweat from her brow. “Mangshui Forest is even more dangerous than we imagined.”

“Is this your first time here?” Yulxi asked.

Ilti fell silent. She had ventured on adventures with Flah before, but they had always chosen relatively safe missions, like retrieving eggs from cuckoo chickens. Her face quickly turned as red as Flah’s, and she glanced helplessly at Yulxi, at a loss for words.

Veranse smiled knowingly. “Rest assured, Miss Ilti has rehearsed this countless times before we set out.”

Ilti lowered her head in shame.

Flah, however, nodded vigorously in agreement with Veranse. “We’ve prepared thoroughly.”

Even with pioneers having cleared the way, reaching the Rotting Swamp remained a perilous journey.

In just half a day, they had already faced attacks from no fewer than ten types of demonic beasts, and encountered several groups of adventurers along the way. These adventurers, all Third-Tier professionals, greeted them with condescending warnings and thinly veiled attempts to dissuade them.

“Your brother is as insufferable as ever,” Flah spat, watching the departing adventurers. “May the God of Life curse them to wander lost in the swamp.”

“Isn’t that a bit harsh?” Ilti hesitated.

Yulxi glanced at her, thinking, This noble lady is truly kind-hearted.

But Ilti’s next words shattered Yulxi’s assumptions. “My brothers worship the God of Light,” she said. “Praying to the Elf deities would be useless. We should beseech the God of Light to grant them grace, so they may make a great contribution to nurturing this land.”

Yulxi lowered her gaze.

Ah, human nobles are all the same—warlike and prone to infighting among the Lord’s heirs.

“Lady Veranse, could you pretend to be a Priest and say that thing?” Flah turned to Veranse, her eyes brimming with anticipation.

Veranse smiled brightly, raised her hand to cast a light spell, traced a symbol on her chest, and cleared her throat. “May the Lord bless you and grant your wishes.”

Whether the Lord exists or not is beyond my knowledge, but the Black Dragon—

He will surely send those arrogant fools to hell, won’t he?

Yulxi: “……” She still couldn’t see Veranse’s status panel, but if she were a devout believer, she probably wouldn’t be committing such blasphemous acts, would she?