Tian kept his voice steady. “Harassment isn’t an attack. Just fly close enough that they can see dragons circling the town from a distance.”

  The goal was simple.

  It would pin down the Sword Saint and any reinforcements headed their way.

  They’d know dragons could strike at any moment and wouldn’t dare leave the town to hunt goblins.

  That would buy enough time to breed a large number of third-generation goblins.

  The Amethyst Dragon Mother raised an eyebrow.

  “So we harass them, and what about you? I want to hear how a bunch of goblins plan to take on that madwoman.”

  Tian paused, then laid out his plan: mass-produce Hero-tier goblins and fight Bright Town head-on.

  The Dragon Mother weighed the pros and cons.

  She wouldn’t lose any more dragons—the goblins would do the fighting from now on.

  Her golden eyes gleamed.

  “Fine. We’ll cooperate.”

  “In that case… could you arrange a ride home for me, Dragon Mother?” Tian shifted his weight. “It’s a long way down.”

  The drop made his stomach turn.

  With a snap of her claws, a bipedal wyvern flew over.

  “She’s yours to command from now on. Keep her in your tribe—and treat her well. She’s just come of age.”

  A personal dragon?

  Tian’s heart hammered in his chest.

  He hadn’t expected the ancient dragon to agree so easily.

  He climbed onto the wyvern’s back. Just as he was about to leave, he couldn’t help asking,

  “By the way, Dragon Mother… you’re in breeding season, but I haven’t seen any other ancient dragons on the island. Don’t tell me you’re going to…”

  Compared to her, the wyverns were tiny.

  She wouldn’t even feel it.

  “Are you trying to get eaten?” The Dragon Mother’s voice turned cold. “Compared to me, these wyverns are like goblins to humans—insignificant.”

  “You have one year at most. After that, I return to the ancient dragon lands to lay my eggs. Get it done quickly.”

  With that, she turned away to enjoy her feast of cattle and sheep.

  One year?

  That timeline seemed about right.

  But according to her, there were other places filled with ancient dragons?

  How many more like her were out there?

  Even the Sword Saint couldn’t handle them all.

  The thought alone sent a chill down his spine.

  He urged the wyvern forward and headed back toward the tribe.

  The creature had the intelligence of a Lesser Goblin—it understood simple commands easily enough.

  Easy to control.

  “This… is freedom?!”

  High above the clouds, Tian felt like he was riding the wind itself.

  He soared through white clouds, the blue sky within arm’s reach.

  Diving at high speed, the spray from the ocean below sparkled brilliantly, forming countless tiny rainbows.

  After enjoying the ride, he finally reached the corrupted forest.

  “Alert!!!”

  In the Tian Kuang Tribe, Gob Tian roared in shock as he stared at the massive shadow streaking across the sky.

  Leah’s face went pale.

  “A dragon! Why is it here?!”

  “A wyvern? Did something happen in Bright Town again?”

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  Rodel muttered in confusion.

  The wyvern circled above the tribe. Each flap of its wings sent trees swaying, nearly uprooting them.

  Rodel struggled against his bonds.

  “Untie me! If that thing breathes dragonflame, we’re all dead!”

  “Dragonflame? What?!”

  Leah fumbled with the cage lock.

  Then Tian’s voice rang out.

  “Everyone, calm down. It’s me—I’m back.”

  The wyvern slowly descended and landed on a pile of grass at the edge of the tribe.

  Tian hopped down and gently patted its snout.

  “Rest here for now. Don’t wander off.”

  “Huuff!”

  The wyvern exhaled through its nostrils, as if agreeing.

  “This… this is impossible! A goblin… controlling a dragon?!”

  Rodel’s eyes went wide.

  He’d rather believe he was hallucinating.

  Beast tamers were rare even in the Empire—and taming dragons was nearly impossible.

  Yet now a lowly goblin had returned riding one.

  If he’d had a club in hand, Rodel would have knocked himself unconscious.

  Moon and the others finally breathed sighs of relief.

  “Boss is the best! So cool!”

  “Is he really a goblin?”

  Leah gave a wry smile.

  Gob Tian and Gob Kuang were so excited they were jumping around, pumping their fists and cheering.

  “Boss, what did you go do?”

  Gob Tian asked curiously, staring at the resting wyvern.

  Tian waved it off.

  “How’s the breeding work going?”

  “All done, Boss.”

  Moon replied. Over the past few days, they’d taken the elves out one by one for insemination. No accidents.

  Tian nodded, then headed straight to his hut and collapsed into sleep.

  The journey had been exhausting.

  At least for now, the biggest threat had been pushed back. He could breathe.

  …

  Bright Town.

  After more than half a month of rebuilding, the town had recovered quite a bit.

  A row of gravestones now stood in the center of town, mourning the dozens who’d died and serving as a constant reminder.

  Every passerby saw them—a silent warning that another attack could come at any time.

  The Sword Saint stood alone atop the town’s tallest clock tower, hands resting on the hilt of her sword, motionless as a statue.

  She often stayed there all day without moving.

  Many had tried to persuade her to rest. Her reply was always the same: her negligence had cost lives.

  She shouldn’t have focused only on slaying dragons while ignoring the danger inside the town.

  Suddenly!

  The sound of urgent hoofbeats thundered from outside the town!

  The Sword Saint’s body shifted slightly, then returned to stillness.

  She leaped lightly from the ten-meter-high tower and flashed onto the city wall to greet the approaching group.

  The royal knights!

  Fifteen elite warriors, hand-picked and trained by the royal family!

  Each one was Diamond-rank.

  They were divided into three squads: the Silver Blade Knights and the War Roar Knights—seven members each.

  And the Death God Knights… with only one member.

  Cassimov.

  He was clad in pitch-black, battered armor that hid his face completely. An icy aura radiated from him.

  He looked like a walking corpse.

  “Even Cassimov came? This just got interesting.”

  The Sword Saint spoke softly.

  Seeing her, the knights removed their helmets and bowed deeply.

  “Lady Sword Saint.”

  “You think I wanted to come? All this commotion for that brat.”

  Cassimov muttered coldly before walking into town alone without another word.

  The Silver Blade Captain—red curly hair, twirled mustache—grinned.

  “Lady Sword Saint, it’s an honor to see you again. I must admit… your beauty captivates me once more. How about giving me a chance?”

  “Shut your mouth, Curly. You’re a royal lackey—don’t talk to Lady Sword Saint like that.”

  A bald middle-aged man next to him snapped irritably.

  His armor couldn’t hide his bulging muscles.

  He was the War Roar Captain.

  The Silver Blade Captain’s face fell.

  “Come on, who wouldn’t fall for Lady Sword Saint? Is expressing love a crime now? Oh no! Too dark! Too cruel! Too unfair!”

  “Get lost. You’re being creepy again.”

  The War Roar Captain shoved him aside, grumbling.

  At that moment, the Sword Saint spoke.

  “Since you’re here, stay and hold the line. I’m heading into the corrupted forest.”

  “The royal family’s orders: bring Rodel back—alive or dead. Though he’s probably dead already. In that case, could you bring his body back, Lady Sword Saint?”

  The War Roar Captain quickly called after her.

  The Silver Blade Captain snorted.

  “Alive or dead? Captured by goblins? They’ll have chewed him to the bone. Our job is to slay dragons and wipe out those goblins—simple as that.”

  “I understand. Give me three days. I’ll exterminate every goblin tribe in the corrupted forest.”

  Anger crept into the Sword Saint’s voice.

  The knights felt a chill and didn’t dare say more.

  But suddenly—a terrifying dragon roar echoed from the horizon!

  The heavens and earth trembled!

  “What the hell is that?! It’s huge!”

  “Don’t tell me… we’re here to slay dragons, and it’s that thing?!”

  The knights stared in shock at the distant figure, instinctively stepping back.

  The Silver Blade Captain’s sleazy grin vanished.

  “An ancient dragon… No wonder even Lady Sword Saint couldn’t kill it cleanly.”

  “Damn! I’ve heard ancient dragons were massive, but this one’s insane! Prepare for battle!”

  The War Roar Captain shouted at the top of his lungs.

  The knights drew their weapons, instantly on high alert.

  The Sword Saint stopped, staring into the distance.

  This time, she’d cut that beast down.

  Yet they waited… and waited.

  The Amethyst Dragon Mother never came closer to Bright Town.

  She simply circled the city from afar for about an hour before leaving.

  “Is it scouting?”

  “Probably. Those beasts might be planning another attack—testing us.”

  “Damn it! They show up right after we arrive. If they’re coming, come already! Let’s finish this so I can rest!”

  The sudden disturbance left the knights on edge—they didn’t dare relax for a second.

  The Sword Saint prepared once more to head out and slaughter the goblins to reclaim her honor.

  But the War Roar Captain stopped her.

  “Wait, Lady Sword Saint. If I saw correctly… that was a female dragon. Which means Dragon Island might still have a male.”

  “If both come out, we can’t handle them with absolute certainty. At least… we can’t guarantee the townspeople’s safety.”

  The Sword Saint paused.

  Last time, only the female had attacked.

  She swallowed her words.

  Dragon Island had already suffered heavy losses. If they dared come back, there might be two dragons—or more.

  Still, she couldn’t suppress her urge to wipe out the goblins and cleanse the corrupted forest.

  “Then I’ll stay here on guard. Hunting down the goblins who took Rodel… leave that to the Silver Blade Knights.”

  “That works. We’ll start sweeping tomorrow.”

  The Silver Blade Captain smiled.

  And so,

  For the next few days, the Amethyst Dragon Mother continued harassing Bright Town—flying overhead, keeping everyone on edge.

  Some residents even moved permanently into shelters, afraid to step outside.

  Meanwhile, the Silver Blade Knights rode into the nearest corrupted forest on warhorses, beginning their purge of goblin tribes.

  Any they found were slaughtered without mercy.

  They searched with all their might for any trace of Rodel.