Arthur took the bottle from Nessa's hand and then heard her complain, "Honestly, I don't know what injured that black dragon. I saw it flying away from the castle. It must have gone to find something to heal itself. How could it come back so quickly?"
"Besides, it's flying toward British territory. King Uther doesn't have the same temperament as my mother. If he sees an invading enemy, he might actually order the black dragon to be shot down."
As she spoke, Nessa climbed to the edge of the dragon's nest, leapt off, and instantly activated her runes, landing lightly on the ground.
"Alright, let's hurry. When we get back, put the dragon blood into the magic cauldron, filter it, and then I'll prepare something delicious for you."
"Let's hope it doesn't turn out like last time. Those burned biscuits tasted like they were baked with the fires of hell…" Arthur muttered.
"Don't worry! This time, I'll definitely make something delicious!" Nessa said, visibly embarrassed, fully aware of how terrible her previous cooking had been.
"That's good, but it's better not to use dragon blood in cooking. Something like that shouldn't be wasted," Arthur said.
"So you still look down on me, huh?!" Nessa smacked Arthur on the shoulder angrily.
"It's not that I look down on you. I'm just stating the facts—"
"That's the same thing as looking down on me! I'll definitely teach you a good lesson when we get back!"
While arguing along the way, the two headed toward the forest's exit.
Roar!
At that moment, a terrifying roar echoed through the forest, accompanied by a violent gale that sent wild animals scattering in all directions.
"The Black Dragon is back!" Nessa's expression changed slightly. "We need to get out of here as fast as possible!"
The two accelerated, their runes boosting their speed, and sprinted toward the forest's exit.
Roar!
With another roar, Nessa's expression changed drastically.
Without a doubt, the black dragon had discovered that its essential blood had been stolen, and she could feel it rapidly flying toward them!
Nessa's guess was correct. Almost immediately, an enormous black dragon, its shadow blotting out the sky, hovered above the two. This creature possessed extremely high intelligence; it did not wish to destroy the forest and was waiting for them to leave so it could attack.
"Why isn't it attacking?" Arthur asked.
"The Black Dragon wields the power of the four elements, but it isn't invincible in the forest. It has other natural enemies in this region, and if it provokes them, the situation could escalate into a fierce battle," Nessa explained.
"Then wouldn't we be safe if we hid in the forest?" Arthur asked suddenly.
Nessa shook her head. "Its body is also extremely durable. Even without elemental power, we'd have a hard time withstanding its physical attacks…"
"In other words, it can confront us directly with brute force…?" Arthur paused slightly and glanced back as he said this.
The black dragon beat its wings and slowly descended into the forest, its golden eyes shining like daylight as it coldly observed the two thieves.
Roar!
It roared again, flapping its massive wings as it dove toward Arthur and Nessa.
"What do we do now?" Arthur asked, quickening his pace.
"It's fine. We're almost at the exit," Nessa said.
This forest was not far from the Land of Shadows. Once they left the forest, it wouldn't take long to reach Dun Scaith, after which they would be completely safe.
Arthur stopped talking and continued running forward.
He knew that speaking now would only waste energy.
With the help of runes, the two quickly spotted the forest's exit ahead.
Arthur's face lit up with joy. Once they left the forest, they would soon reach the Land of Shadows. If his master were there, she would surely be able to drive that black dragon away.
However, before he could take another step forward, Nessa suddenly grabbed him by the collar and yanked him backward.
Bang!
Arthur stumbled back as the massive body of the black dragon slammed down, blocking the forest's exit and making the ground tremble. Its proud golden eyes now stared coldly at the human who had stolen its essential blood.
Roar!
It let out a furious roar, unleashing a violent gust of wind. Arthur's expression darkened as he took half a step back, only to find the dragon's golden eyes fixed coldly upon him.
As if remembering something, Arthur pushed Nessa away. "The dragon essence is with me. It'll come after me. Go find Master while I hold it here!"
With that, Arthur decisively charged deeper into the forest.
Nessa clenched her teeth, then turned resolutely and ran toward the forest's exit.
Staying here made no sense. What she needed to do now was call Scáthach and ask for help.
Saying something like, 'No, I'll stay and die with you' at a time like this would be pure idiocy.
However, something unexpected happened.
Surprisingly, the black dragon did not pursue Arthur. After examining the two small humans with its shining golden eyes for a moment, it turned and attacked Nessa instead.
Feeling the oppressive presence behind her suddenly disappear, Arthur couldn't help but turn around. He stopped abruptly, staring at the scene before him in disbelief.
"Why?!"
The black dragon charged at Nessa, its black scales as sharp as blades. It attacked her without restraint. It was easy to imagine that anyone struck by such a colossal body would be instantly reduced to pulp.
"Nessa!" Arthur shouted. He wanted to help, but the distance was too great, and there was nothing he could do.
The black dragon lunged at Nessa, but instead of being crushed as expected, she leapt nimbly, her body enveloped in a layer of green light. She lightly stepped on the dragon's head and, with a single bound, landed firmly beside Arthur.
"Run!"
Before Arthur could react, Nessa grabbed his hand and sprinted deeper into the forest.
However, Arthur had already exhausted most of his strength during the frantic escape and was now panting heavily, unable to keep up with Nessa's speed. He exclaimed hoarsely, "Nessa, let go of me."
"Are you an idiot?!" Nessa shot Arthur a furious glare. "Don't move!"
After saying that, she suddenly raised her arm and scooped Arthur into her arms, moving even faster than before.
Clearly, with the help of runes, Arthur's running speed was far below Nessa's limit; only now was she unleashing her true speed.
Arthur lay in Nessa's arms, looking up at her. He had once fantasized about the day he would carry a girl like this, but he never imagined that he would be the one being carried by a girl instead.
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(End of the chapter)