After Becoming an Evil Dragon, I Was Entangled by the Saintess - Chapter 41

Lucian’s expression was grave. Though she had witnessed Yulxi effortlessly defeat the Earth Elemental, she remained skeptical about her ability to overcome the mage. Three years of imprisonment had left her desperately yearning for freedom. Having finally glimpsed a glimmer of hope, she had no desire to throw herself back into the cage.

Even the Green Dragon and the Drow, natural enemies, had been forced to cooperate. How could an ordinary person possibly stand against such a mage? If they reached the surface, high-level Professionals might sense the mage’s presence and have a chance to deal with him. But here, in the treacherous Underdark, who knew what awaited them near Blay City, the Drow stronghold? Would they defeat the mage first, or become the Drow’s prisoners?

Young adventurers often overestimate themselves, only to end up as scattered bones along the road.

“Your plan is to escape the Underdark through a heavily guarded blockade? That doesn’t sound very clever,” Veranse remarked, her smile widening as she noticed Lucian’s doubts. Seemingly oblivious to the gravity of the situation, she continued in a lighthearted tone, “Lord Yulshi doesn’t take kindly to disobedience.”

Yulxi had already dealt with the goblins and was now speaking with the tall Myconid leader. The Myconids weren’t foolish; they knew Yulxi and her group had drawn the goblins to their territory. While the Myconids and goblins had long been enemies, the Myconids didn’t want waves of goblins invading their mushroom forest and threatening their kingdom’s survival.

Yulxi nodded calmly, ended the conversation, and returned to Veranse’s side. She said tersely, “Let’s go.”

“Lord Yulshi—” Lucian hadn’t given up on persuading Yulxi. “High-level mages possess powerful spells beyond our ability to counter,” she argued.

“Is that so?” Yulxi replied dismissively, completely disregarding Lucian’s warning.

Lucian’s face darkened like an ominous cloud, and she began to doubt her decision. But as a Warrior, she knew she must face death with unwavering resolve, not desert her post. After her words proved futile, she finally abandoned trying to dissuade Yulxi.

“Think about it,” Veranse added. “There’s still treasure involved. Lord Yulshi would never risk his life so easily.”

Lucian’s eyes flickered with confusion at the mention of Mithril. She couldn’t understand why Yulshi hadn’t already left the Underdark to pursue this precious metal. Anyone else would have jumped at the opportunity, but Yulshi seemed utterly unmoved by the prospect. Was he doubting her words? Or was his heart truly empty of desire?

Blay City.

The largest city in the Underdark beneath Mangshui Forest, Blay City was the ancestral home of the Drow. Though its population of just over ten thousand might seem small compared to the vast Underdark, this city—carved into a cavern nearly twenty li (approximately 6.2 miles) wide and long—was a colossal marvel compared to the settlements of other races.

As descendants of elves, the Drow retained their ancestral grace, but their elegance concealed a lethal danger absent in their surface-dwelling kin. Exquisitely carved castles rose like stone thickets, their reputation for slaughter and chaos predating even the reign of their goddess Lolth.

Blay City was divided among numerous Drow families, each vying for power through ruthless intrigue and violence. Periodic genocidal purges reshaped the city’s hierarchy, with some families rising to prominence while others were annihilated. Currently, the Duran Family ruled Blay City, and the most influential figure within the Duran Family was the High Priestess of Lolth.

The existence of the Creationist Society led the Duran Family to ally with the Green Dragon. The city’s other families, meanwhile, were desperately trying to unite against the threat. Yet even with these efforts, bloodshed remained a constant occurrence, with Drow clashing against each other and falling prey to the Green Dragon’s claws.

“Food! Food!” The Green Dragon roared, her voice a thunderous rumble that shook Blay City. Like all dragons, she could devour anything, but her most prized delicacy was Elf flesh. She cared little whether they were the pale-skinned surface dwellers or the dark-skinned Drow of the Underdark; if it was edible, she would consume it. Thus, the conflict between the Green Dragon and the Elves never ceased.

However, now that she had allied with the Drow, the Green Dragon no longer bothered hunting Elves herself. She preferred to remain idle, letting the Drow bring her vast quantities of food, just as her former familiars had done. But on this particular day, the Drow were late.

Blay City had come under attack by an evil mage. The matriarchs and high-ranking priests of the prominent Drow families were gathered in Lolth’s Temple, surrounding the Holy Image of the Spider Queen and praying for her divine assistance. Leading the assembly was Fila of the Duran Family, the only Saint among the priests and the Goddess’s favored child.

“What’s happening?”

Fila’s expression was grave as she shook her head.

It had been a long time since they had heard the Goddess’s voice. Only a faint sense of her presence remained. Had the Goddess abandoned them? Were they not devout enough, their offerings insufficient? How could they appease the Lord of the Abyss?

At that moment, an ominous tremor shook the Temple as the ravenous Green Dragon burst forth, roaring at the sacred hall, “The gods are dead! What’s the point of praying? Food! Food!” Her voice instantly enraged the Drow. Priests and warriors surged forward, weapons drawn, pointing them at the Green Dragon. The Goddess’s dignity would not be defiled by this vile creature! Undeterred by the Drow’s weapons, the Green Dragon opened her jaws and spewed a cloud of deadly poison.

“Our true enemy is the mage outside the city,” an Elf priest quickly cast a Divine Art to dispel the poisonous cloud. An elder priest stepped forward to mediate. Since the alliance had been forged, such confrontations had become all too common.

“The Dragon Gods have merely fallen. The other Deities have only withdrawn from the Fei’er Continent, returning to the Divine Realm to slumber,” a young Drow priest glared fiercely at the Great Dragon. “Mashtadia, you deserve to be enslaved by an evil mage!”

“Food!” The Great Dragon’s sudden, piercing shriek drowned out the argument.

Though the Green Dragon was known for her violent temperament, she possessed considerable intelligence. She would stop at nothing to eliminate any threat to her, and the most dangerous of these was the sinister mage lurking outside Blay City. He commanded an army of undead minions, leaving behind a trail of corruption and mutation wherever he went. The Green Dragon’s pride forbade her from becoming such a monster.

“If we delay any longer, he’ll become a Legendary Mage,” she hissed coldly, her fury giving way to icy calculation.

The old mage Lingler sat in a cave not far from Blay City, his puppet army assaulting the city walls. His brow was furrowed, his wrinkled skin clinging tightly to his bones, making him appear withered and drained of life. Nearby stood several colossal Gray Demons, their bodies wreathed in swirling gray mists that writhed like countless eyes. Lingler had summoned more than just these few; at least ten others were mixed into the vanguard of his attacking forces.

In the Underdark, there was no damned Holy See, and thus no potion to repel the Gray Demons. These immortal entities ceaselessly corrupted any who dared to gaze upon them. Lingler’s greatest desire was to corrupt the Green Dragon, but the cunning beast always managed to find her limits, even defying her own nature by allying with the Drow. Still, it mattered little. Blay City couldn’t hold out much longer.

A smug smile spread across the mage’s face, but it vanished abruptly as a thought struck him. Lucian had disappeared from the goblin camp. Though he could track her location, his Magical Servant reported that the goblins had failed to bring her back. The Earth Elemental, initially tasked with completing the mission, had also fallen to the enemy.

Had Lucian regained her strength?

Impossible. The magic he had placed on her remained intact.

Then, had an even more formidable foe emerged in the Underdark?

The mage stepped out of the cave, his expression blank as he gazed in a particular direction. After a moment, a sinister smile crept back onto his face.

She’s getting closer! Lucian was approaching. Was she walking straight into his trap?

Or perhaps seeking help from the Drow? Hmm, the Mithril should be enough to sway those Drow, but it will all be for naught.

The Demon Lord of the Abyss, Spider Queen Lolth, would never protect this city.

In the winding tunnels, Yulxi and Veranse led the way, their destination Blay City, the Drow stronghold. As they neared, the goblins and Deep Gnomes vanished, replaced by occasional lizards scurrying across the walls. The Drow reigned supreme in the Underdark’s food chain. In this realm of terror and nightmares, they had firmly established their dominion. Naturally, any subterranean creature valuing its survival would avoid provoking them.

“What’s wrong?” Lucian asked, noticing Yulxi’s sudden halt. She gripped her sword, her abilities suppressed by the mage’s magic, but her warrior’s skills remained sharp. She could still effortlessly handle low-level Underdark creatures. Deep down, a sense of unease stirred within her; she watched Yulxi’s every move even more intently than Veranse did.

“Nothing,” Yulxi replied, his gaze lowered. Great Dragons possessed an innate connection to their kin, requiring no Faith Network to sense the presence of another Green Dragon—the creature was in Blay City, at the end of the tunnel.

Meanwhile, the Green Dragon, who had been buried in her meal, abruptly raised her head, her eyes flashing with suspicion and uncertainty.

After a moment of silence, the Green Dragon’s roar once again echoed through the Drow city.

“A Great Dragon! How is there another Great Dragon in the Underdark?!” The Green Dragon bared her teeth, her fury rising. She considered the underground of Mangshui Forest her territory, and it could not tolerate another Great Dragon unless that creature was willing to become a servant to her, the magnificent Lord of the Greenlands!

The Drow were startled by the Green Dragon’s roar.

A Great Dragon…

Is it an ally summoned by the mage, or a malevolent entity come to expand its territory in the Underdark?

Uncertainty hung over the Elves like a dark cloud.

But now was not the time for such considerations.

The mages’ fearless, death-defying army was storming the gates of Blay City, the thunderous roar of their assault echoing endlessly.

The Drow stood on the city walls, firing arrows, but none could hold out for long. The Spider Temple’s protection proved insufficient against the monsters’ corruption. When they first encountered the mages, the Drow had no idea what awaited them until the mutations began. Frequent shifts in guard duty created vulnerabilities, which the mages’ enslaved goblins and gnomes were too dim-witted to exploit, but the mages themselves would not miss such an opportunity.

A massive spell descended, silencing the Drow on the walls. Seizing the moment, the goblins swarmed up the walls, howling madly and gulping down strange potions that instantly transformed them into monstrous forms. The only mercy was that these potion-fueled creatures were not immortal. The Drow’s sharp blades pierced forward fearlessly.