After Becoming an Evil Dragon, I Was Entangled by the Saintess - Chapter 38

Veranse was itching to stir up trouble in the Underdark, eager to test Yulxi’s limits. Her eyes gleamed with mischief, the malicious glint vanishing as quickly as it appeared. The pressure on her shoulder grew heavier, as if Yulxi intended to crush her bones. Hmm, given Yulxi’s temperament, she wouldn’t kill me outright, but she’d definitely find a way to ditch me halfway through, wouldn’t she?

As this thought crossed her mind, Veranse’s brow furrowed slightly. She didn’t want to be separated from Yulxi. Having tested Yulxi’s patience, she decided to back down gracefully, smiling sweetly. “As you wish.” After a pause, she added with a mock complaint, “You’re hurting me, you know. In your roughness, you’re just like a Great Dragon.”

Yulxi released Veranse and made a “hush” gesture. Her gaze fixed on the cave wall, and moments later, a rustling sound echoed through the tunnel. A group of Deep Gnomes cautiously emerged from the stone passage. Barely reaching Yulxi’s waist, their skin blended seamlessly with the rock. Armed and alert, they eyed the two surface intruders with suspicion.

“Stone above,” a Deep Gnome muttered in Undercommon.

Veranse raised an eyebrow. She had learned many languages, and despite this being her first time in the Underdark, she had no trouble communicating. She turned to Yulxi, wondering if the Great Dragon was equally versatile.

“What brings you here?” the Deep Gnome leader asked proactively. His group frequently traversed the tunnels and were accustomed to surface adventurers. As long as the newcomers didn’t steal their gems or discover the Gnome kingdom, the industrious miners preferred to avoid conflict.

“Where’s the goblin camp?” Yulxi asked in a deep voice. Deep Gnomes, Goblins, and Drow were all enemies, and it was precisely this hostility that made them intimately familiar with Goblin ways. The question caused a stir among the Deep Gnomes. Beyond Yulxi and Veranse’s hearing, they communicated telepathically.

After a long pause, the leader grumbled something and pointed in a direction. Eager to avoid further interaction, they quickly retrieved their petrified companion and retreated from the dark tunnel.

“Reliable? Shouldn’t we capture one as a guide?” Veranse asked, raising an eyebrow. Her tone was indifferent and casual, clearly too lazy to bother with her usual mask.

Yulxi replied calmly, “Capturing one would mean antagonizing the entire clan.” She had no intention of making enemies of the entire Underdark. She needed to confirm whether this settlement posed a threat to the development of the Red Maple Territory.

Yulxi and Veranse navigated the labyrinthine tunnels, occasionally emerging into vast caverns. The sudden bursts of open space were followed by the return to the dim, winding passages. The torch Veranse had been carrying had vanished, along with her footsteps and even her physical presence. They were now moving beneath the rock, gradually approaching the goblin camp.

“Screaming Mushrooms nearby,” Yulxi’s gaze shifted slightly. She swiftly gripped Veranse’s wrist and pulled her closer. Screaming Mushrooms were intelligent fungi that, true to their name, emitted piercing shrieks when any creature approached. These plants were commonly used as early warning systems in Drow cities and homes, but their presence in a goblin camp was somewhat peculiar.

“Hmm? Another Artificial Demonic Servant?” Veranse raised an eyebrow, pressing even closer to Yulxi. Artificial Demonic Servants were creations of mages, psychically linked to their masters, capable of transmitting everything they saw and heard. The servant’s movements deliberately avoided the Screaming Mushrooms, yet its unrestrained and casual demeanor clearly indicated it wasn’t an intruder. “The Goblin is likely a prisoner of some mage.”

The warm breath brushing against the hair at her ear sent a strange shiver through Yulxi. She shook her head slightly, ignoring Veranse’s closeness. Her gaze darkened with speculation, suspecting the mage belonged to the Creationist Society.

After all, the Goblins appearing on the surface seemed to have already been corrupted by the Creationist Society. And this goblin camp was the closest to Mangshui Forest. It was unlikely Goblins from distant regions would travel thousands of miles across countless rocky terrains to reach the Red Maple Territory, right?

Uncertain of the mage’s level or whether they were hiding nearby, Yulxi refrained from a direct assault on the goblin camp. Instead, she found a cave with a clear vantage point and concealed herself within.

“Want something to eat?” Veranse asked, sitting across from Yulxi, her eyes filled with anticipation.

Yulxi lazily lifted her eyelids and tossed Veranse a packet of jerky.

Veranse scrutinized the jerky with a critical eye. As a snack, it would have been perfectly acceptable, but—

She shot Yulxi a reproachful glare, her eyes brimming with unspoken resentment.

Having already glimpsed Veranse’s true nature, Yulxi pretended not to notice her pointed look.

In the sunless Underdark, it was difficult to gauge the passage of time. Judging by the increasing clamor from the goblin camp, it must be nightfall. Yulxi’s chosen cave overlooked the camp from a high vantage point. The entire goblin settlement glowed with bright light as the goblin warriors returned, seemingly caught up in a frenzied celebration. Among the unfortunate captives were not only Gnomes but also Kuo-toa, lizardfolk, and Drow—a detail that surprised Yulxi.

“No mages,” Veranse signed to Yulxi, urging her to unleash the Great Dragon’s fury upon the ridiculous goblins.

“Let’s wait a little longer,” Yulxi said patiently, her gaze fixed on Veranse. “If you have your own plans, we’ll part ways here.”

Veranse’s expression flickered momentarily before she flashed a sweet, innocent smile at Yulxi, winking. “Lord Yulshi, I am your servant. How could I possibly act independently without your permission?”

What harm could I possibly do? At most, I’ll just make the spectacle a little more… interesting.

As the goblins’ clamor subsided, the deathly silence of the Underdark night pressed in like a looming beast, the dripping of water echoing clearly.

Yulxi didn’t use this time to meditate. When the goblins were quiet, her attention remained fixed on Veranse.

“If you keep staring at me like that, I’ll think you have ulterior motives. Don’t you agree?” Veranse brushed aside a strand of golden hair, shifting closer to Yulxi. Her gaze drifted to Yulxi’s leg, and she wondered, without reason, what Yulxi would do if she sat there. Her thoughts stirred, and a fire ignited in her heart. She wouldn’t dwell on the reasons, nor did she care about right or wrong.

If I want it, I’ll take it.

Yulxi’s voice remained calm, like the still waters of an ancient well. “I’m merely guarding against thieves.”

“Do you truly see me as a thief?” Veranse covered her face, feigning hurt. But the Black Dragon, with her heart of iron, offered no comfort, only a scornful snort. Veranse clicked her tongue and deliberately closed the distance between them, her hand landing on Yulxi’s leg. Seeing no reaction, she began to stroke upward, her fingers tapping lightly, neither too hard nor too soft.

“What are you doing?” Yulxi frowned, seizing Veranse’s wrist.

Veranse hummed, a mischievous smile playing on her lips. “I’m a little hungry.”

Yulxi stared at her expressionlessly. “Do you want dragon meat to satisfy your hunger?”

“I couldn’t possibly afford such a delicacy,” Veranse blinked. “But a little touch is harmless, isn’t it?”

Yulxi: “……”

Veranse continued, “If you mind, I can offer compensation.”

Without waiting for Yulxi’s reply, she straightened up, placed her hands on Yulxi’s shoulders, and casually settled onto her lap, fulfilling her earlier desire.

Something still feels missing, Veranse thought absently.

The sudden closeness magnified Veranse’s radiant smile before Yulxi’s eyes, causing her eyelid to twitch. ? Just then, a commotion erupted from the goblin camp. Yulxi shoved Veranse away, but, fearing she might fall, quickly reached out to steady her.

“Something’s happening at the goblin camp,” Yulxi murmured.

Veranse’s brow furrowed slightly, a hint of annoyance flickering across her face, as if she resented being interrupted. The piercing cries of Screaming Mushrooms pierced the air, like the wails of a hundred infants. Torches relit the goblin camp, revealing a small squad of goblin warriors chasing after something. “The prisoner escaped,” Veranse scoffed coldly.

The prisoner was fleeing through the tunnels, heading straight toward Yulxi and Veranse’s position.

“They’re getting closer,” Veranse’s eyes gleamed with an unnatural light.

Yulxi paused for a moment, then said, “Move behind me.”

“Are you going to protect me?” Veranse asked with a teasing smile.

Yulxi: “……” She suspected Veranse was in a foul mood, fearing the prisoner—their potential source of information—might be incinerated along with the goblins.

The first thing that caught her eye was a staggering woman, her face gaunt and her eyes deeply sunken.

Despite her frail appearance, she still managed to fend off the Goblin assault with a battered weapon.

Yulxi raised an eyebrow, instantly recognizing the pitiful human’s origins.

Name: Lucian

Race: Human

Status: Former Guild Master of the Star Merchant Guild

Class: Swordsman

Tier: Fourth-Tier (Currently Imprisoned)

True God: God of Light

Faith Level: Devout Believer

Potential: Highly Profitable

Yulxi knew little about the Star Merchant Guild, but the words “Highly Profitable” immediately piqued her interest.

Red Maple Territory desperately needed funds for development.

Abandoning her concealment magic, she patted Veranse, who was preparing to teleport everyone away, and said, “Stay put.” A sword materialized in her hand.

The sudden appearance of this newcomer stunned the Goblin Warriors for a moment. Then came a storm of attacks that sent the Goblins scrambling in terror. The clash of metal echoed relentlessly as the Goblins proved utterly defenseless.

Veranse stood nearby, arms crossed, watching the “art of combat” unfolding before her with keen interest. As for the human lying half-dead on the ground, she didn’t even deign to cast a Healing Art.

For Veranse, refraining from using Dark Sacrifice was the greatest mercy she could show this person.

The poor swordsman’s abilities had long been sealed by the mage’s spells, but she had once been a formidable warrior with an exceptionally strong will. She didn’t lose consciousness. With great effort, she lifted her head, using the faint light to make out Veranse’s face. “H-Holy Maiden?” she gasped in disbelief.

“Hmm?” Veranse’s eyes flickered. After a moment’s hesitation, she abandoned the thought of silencing the witness. A warm, pure smile bloomed on her lips as she gazed at Lucian. “You’re injured?” she asked. Raising her hand, she tossed a simple Healing Art toward Lucian and added reverently, “May the Lord God protect you.”