Chapter 172 The Little Red Dragon
After recovering from the jump scare, Archer chuckled and informed the girls about the plan to venture inside the dark tunnel, although they didn\'t seem keen on the idea.
However, both Archer and Sera could see in the dark, so they offered to guide the group. With everyone in agreement, the four of them entered the cave.
Archer took the lead position and scanned their surroundings, receiving multiple pings from his Aura Detector. He wondered just how many creatures were inside the cave.
With caution, they moved forward and entered a chilling chamber. The air weighed heavily upon them, and a spine-tingling sight awaited their gaze.
The entire chamber was soaked in blood, creating an unsettling atmosphere. The walls gleamed with crimson stains, casting a macabre hue over everything.
Puddles of congealed blood dotted the floor, emitting a sickly metallic smell. Flickering torches illuminated the gruesome scene, their dancing shadows seeming to whisper haunting secrets.
Countless tunnels branched out from the chamber, each one leading to a different place. The tunnels stretched into darkness, their depths shrouded in mystery.
Some tunnels appeared narrow and foreboding, while others were wider and beckoning. To worsen the situation, Archer\'s Aura Detector picked up numerous pings emanating from each tunnel.
That\'s when they heard hurried footsteps as a ghoul sprung from the shadows, sprinting toward them with a feral look on its face.
Archer was just about to cast a spell, but Sera darted toward the creature and sidestepped it as she sliced its legs, bringing it crashing down.
Swiftly, Sera impaled the creature with her slender red tail. Content with killing the vile creature, she casually brushed the dust off her dress.
Sera stopped right next to Archer with a mischievous smile etched on her pretty face. That\'s when she slid her tail up his leg, causing him to shiver when he felt it.
Teuila quickly intervened, slapping her tail away and speaking in a hushed voice. "Not the time or place, Sera. Behave yourself."
Sera giggled as she winked at Archer. That\'s when they heard screeching and other creepy noises.
They turned their heads to the opposite side of the chamber and saw a horde of ghouls charging out of the tunnels.
Smiling as he had a chance to try out two of his new spells, Archer told the girls to back up while he tested them.
He stepped forward and cast dozens of Celestial Arrows that circled around him, looking like stars in the sky.
Archer pictured them striking the ghouls like homing missiles, piercing through multiple enemies and turning them to dust.
Ella stepped back and notched light mana arrows. She started unleashing a storm of arrows as the sound of her bowstring snapping could be heard echoing all over the chamber.
As each arrow flew, a ghoul fell, and Ella\'s speed grew. Without concerns for arrows, she focused solely on her mana.
Teuila assumed a defensive stance, safeguarding the trio, while Sera\'s face lit up with pure excitement.
She started unleashing beautiful red fireballs into the incoming crowd, her movements resembling that of a hyperactive rabbit as she hopped around Archer while casting her magic.
Archer laughed at Sera\'s behavior. He could tell she was genuinely happy for some reason, but he turned his attention back to the ghouls as he raised his hand and cast the second spell.
\'Celestial Beam.\'
With a resounding slam, the celestial beam crashed into the horde. The air crackled with energy as the beam encompassed the entire chamber.
The ghouls screeched and recoiled, their undead flesh burning under the celestial light.
The celestial beam lashed out, sending tendrils of pure energy whipping through the air. Each strike connected with pinpoint accuracy, disintegrating the ghouls upon contact.
Their bodies crumbled into ashes, dissipating into nothingness as the spell cleansed their existence.
While the two were casting spells, Teuila skillfully maneuvered through the chaos, her sword flashing through the air with calculated strikes.
She dispatched any ghouls that dared to come closer, blending elegance with deadly efficiency.
Sera\'s glee continued to overflow, her excitement becoming unstoppable. With eagerness, her claws extended, propelling her forward without a care for Ella\'s urgent shouts.
Filled with uncontainable anticipation, her tail thrashed about, brimming with energy, as she fearlessly dashed into the heart of the battle.
The ghouls, faced with her lethal and precise strikes, stood no chance against her razor-sharp claws.
One by one, they succumbed to the relentless onslaught, crumbling helplessly to the ground before her might.
Her agile tail gracefully accompanied her every move, delivering precise strikes that swiftly incapacitated her foes.
In the midst of the chaotic scene, Sera\'s laughter rang out, a joyous melody that echoed through the air. She reveled in the sheer delight of the fight, fully embracing the exhilarating rush coursing through her veins.
As the battle raged on, Sera\'s jumping and swift attacks ceased momentarily. Taking a deep breath, she unleashed a torrent of fiery red flames, obliterating everything in its path.
However, Sera failed to notice as a lurking wendigo lunged at her from the shadows. Just as the creature sprang forth, Archer swiftly cast Blink, appearing between her and the creature.
He whispered, \'\'Draconis.\'\'
Archer quickly raised his wing and deflected the creature\'s claws, his tail plunged into its chest and threw it to the side.
Sera was just looking at him with wide eyes but smiled as she looked away in embarrassment.
He spoke to her. \'\'Be careful next time Sera.\'\'
The last of the ghoul was killed and the sound died down, Archer used Aura Detector and when he did he picked up loads of pings from one of the tunnels.
Archer looked back to the girls and motioned for them to follow him as he walked into the tunnel and made their way toward the pings.
They ventured deeper into the underground tunnel, and a sense of foreboding washed over them.
The air grew colder and heavier, and the distant echoes of their footsteps reverberated eerily through the dark passageway.
As they descended further, the tunnel twisted and turned, leading them into a labyrinthine maze of narrow passages.
Shadows danced and flickered on the walls, casting grotesque shapes that seemed to mock their presence.
Just as they were about to turn a corner, guttural howls pierced through the air, sending a chill down their spines.
The haunting sound seemed to reverberate from deep within the bowels of the earth, echoing through the vast underground tunnels.
As the earth quivered beneath their feet, an eerie rumble filled the air. Waves of vibrations surged through their bodies, unsettling their nerves and causing their hands to tighten their grip on their weapons.
Archer raised a hand, signaling the group to stop. His eyes narrowed as he focused, trying to decipher the source of the unsettling sounds.
Sera instinctively got her claws and tail ready to unleash her spells at a moment\'s notice.
Teuila tightened her grip on her sword, her eyes scanning the dark corners for any sign of danger.
Ella, with her bow at the ready, kept a keen eye on the shadows, her fingers itching to release an arrow.
The piercing howls escalated in volume and frenzy, blending with the menacing growls and snarls of hidden creatures lurking in the shadows.
The intensifying rumble shook the surroundings, dislodging pebbles from the ceiling that cascaded down to the ground below.
As they moved forward, tension mounted, sharpening their senses. The air crackled with electricity, heightening their awareness of the hidden danger.
Turning the corner, their eyes widened in horror. Before them lay a vast chamber, illuminated by eerie glowing fungi on the walls.
Howls and rumbling echoed through the massive space. At the center of the chamber stood terrifying creatures.
Enormous, hideous beings with fiery red eyes and razor-sharp claws. The source of the growls and rumbling became clear: a pack of savage cave trolls that was eating some sort of beast.
When the four entered, the trolls abruptly halted and fixed their gazes upon them, their eyes filled with madness. They all rose to their feet, clutching stone clubs tightly.
Archer took a step forward and whispered, "Draco."
In an instant, he transformed into his dragon form. However, he quickly noticed a difference—his length had increased to 15 meters, surpassing his previous size of 10 meters, and he now stood about 8 meters tall.
The girls were stunned by the remarkable change in his size, and the trolls reacted with furious roars.
In response, Archer reciprocated with a mighty roar of his own, unleashing a stream of violet flames that struck the nearest troll directly, reducing the creature to ashes.
Witnessing this, the remaining trolls grew even angrier and charged forward. Just as Archer prepared to charge as well, a smaller red dragon appeared on his back, emitting its own fierce roar.
He instantly recognized her and was amazed at her vibrant crimson scales shimmering in the light of the fungi, reflecting the fire within.
With a wingspan that stretches wide, she emanates an aura of mischief and power.
Sera may be small, but don\'t let her delicate frame fool you. Despite her tiny stature compared to him, it only adds to her charm and makes her even more powerful.
[A/N - Leave some comments, power stones, and gifts. It all helps support the book. Artwork in the comments or discord]