Chapter 144: One Step Faster

"A lecherous dragon, indeed," Han Shuo muttered under his breath. He issued his command, and the dark creatures he had just summoned slowly emerged from behind their cover. His eyes fixed on the dark elves; he intended to settle the score with both the black dragon and the dark elves at once.

"Come, come!" the black dragon leered, his dozen-meter-long body launching from the swamp. He sent mud flying in all directions with a thunderous roar.

The naked dark elf girl ran in a panic, fleeing desperately toward the spot where Han Shuo, Daina, and the others were hiding. Her prominent breasts swayed with alluring ripples, and her long, slender legs were firm and powerful. The mud splattered across her exquisite, delicate body did not make her look dirty; instead, it added a certain unique charm.

As the girl finally reached the perimeter of Han Shuo’s position, he gave the order to his dark creatures. A dozen zombie warriors, dozens of skeleton warriors, and a pack of ghouls suddenly emerged from their cover, rushing in a massive wave toward the lascivious black dragon.

Simultaneously, Han Shuo signaled the forest troll warriors to hold their ground, while the troll hunters hurled sharp javelins at the black dragon, which had just taken to the sky. The dark elves, naturally, did not relax; almost at the same time, they rained arrows and unleashed various dark elf spells upon the dragon.

"Damn you, you lowly races again!" the black dragon roared. He opened his maw and spewed a torrent of flame, which, as expected, was laced with molten lava. Its power looked truly terrifying.

"Retreat!" Han Shuo shouted. At the old priest’s cry, the forest trolls quickly scrambled backward. The flames scorched the spot where they had been standing, instantly setting the dry brush ablaze.

Various javelins, along with the dark elves' arrows and magic, struck the dragon's hide, but many proved ineffective against his hardened scales. Attacks aimed at his throat, eyes, or head were swatted aside by his iron claws, deflecting harmlessly to the side.

The black dragon’s massive form swooped down over the zombie and skeleton warriors Han Shuo had summoned. With a violent downward strike of his claws, he crushed the skeletons into shards of bone. The zombie warriors were torn to pieces upon contact with the dragon's talons, proving they were nothing more than cannon fodder.

The dragon’s strength was within Han Shuo’s expectations. Watching his dark creatures vanish in waves under the dragon's assault, Han Shuo felt no pity; he simply exchanged a knowing glance with the old priest from afar.

The dark elves' assault continued unabated. Several magic archers in the rear began firing arrows that trailed like ice shards. Others fired arrows that exploded upon impact, creating massive disturbances that only fueled the dragon's rage.

"You cowardly, lowly lives! Today you shall all die beneath the fury of my greatness, Gilbert!" the black dragon roared in anger, continuing his flight amidst the barrage of ice shards and explosive arrows. As he flew low, his claws churned the earth, obliterating the rest of Han Shuo’s summoned creatures.

Following the instructions of their matriarch Daina, the dark elves retreated rapidly after their volley, attempting to position themselves behind the forest trolls to engage the dragon. Unfortunately, Han Shuo had already given his orders. Before the dark elves could move, the forest trolls abandoned their assault on the dragon and fled even faster than the dark elves, rushing toward the rear.

"Block the stone wall!" Han Shuo shouted as he reached a small valley not far behind them, positioned in the center of the forest trolls.

The old priest signaled the troll chieftain, who issued the command. A dozen forest troll warriors standing on the heights above pushed down massive boulders, instantly sealing the valley and shutting the dark elves out.

Han Shuo had eavesdropped on Matriarch Daina earlier and knew she had prepared a trap here, intending to let the trolls and the dragon exhaust each other before swooping in to eliminate the survivors. Daina’s plan was cunning, and had it succeeded, Han Shuo and the trolls would have been trapped. Fortunately, with his keen hearing, Han Shuo had caught her treacherous scheme, allowing him to act first and use the very stones the elves had prepared to seal the valley before they could react.

"What is the meaning of this?" Daina finally revealed her panic, shouting at Han Shuo and the old priest from behind the stone wall.

"Nothing much. I’ve realized this black dragon is far too difficult to handle. Our deal is off, and we have no intention of continuing. Once you kill the dragon, I will certainly return your two carts of gold and jewels, and I’ll even compensate you for your losses. My deepest apologies!" Han Shuo shrugged, offering a look of sincere regret.

Daina never expected Han Shuo to turn the tables on her at such a critical moment. Though he wore an expression of earnest apology, his cold eyes made his malicious intent clear. Realizing what he had done—and recalling her own aborted plan—Daina felt a chill run down her spine. She was suddenly overwhelmed, frantic and unsure of what to do.

"Lowly, cowardly lives, welcome the wrath of Gilbert!" the black dragon roared. He spewed a stream of thick, acidic venom from his maw. A dozen dark elves were caught in the spray, their shrill, agonizing screams echoing as they were consumed by the caustic liquid.

"Fight him to the death!" a handsome male dark elf bellowed. The ornate, intricately carved longbow in his hands suddenly began to pulse, as if feeding on something. As the dark elf’s slender frame began to wither, his flesh appeared to be consumed by the bow itself.

"No!" Daina screamed, her expression frantic.

"Give the order quickly, or my sacrifice will be in vain!" the male dark elf roared. His body became gaunt, his life force surging into the strange bow, which began to glow with a faint, sinister, and eerie black light.

Han Shuo watched the bow with wide-eyed curiosity. After absorbing the elf's life essence, a magical arrow wreathed in black light manifested on the string. As the elf’s body continued to shrivel, the arrow radiated a sense of extreme danger.

Even the arrogant black dragon sensed the threat. Fidgeting with agitation, he charged forward, spewing torrents of flame. With the valley behind them blocked by Han Shuo’s order, the dark elves had no choice but to face the dragon head-on; they had no path left to retreat.

With no other options, Daina gritted her teeth and gave the order. The remaining dark elves stood desperately in front of the archer, weaving various spells to help him withstand the dragon’s onslaught. In an instant, dozens of trapped dark elves were engulfed by the lava-laced flames, turning to charcoal in the blink of an eye.

Just then, a piercing shriek rang out. The arrow finally drained the last of the elf’s life essence and launched toward the dragon. Its speed was unimaginable, leaving the black dragon no chance to dodge.

The strange arrow, formed of black light, struck the dragon and transformed into a swirling mass of black energy, completely enveloping his massive form. A series of crackling, thunderous explosions erupted from within the darkness, mixed with the agonizing roars of the black dragon. It was clear the beast was enduring unimaginable torture.

However, as a super-tier magical beast, the black dragon continued to spew fire and venom blindly even while suffering. His body tumbled from the air into the midst of the dark elves, his claws thrashing wildly within the black shroud, tearing through the elves one by one.

More dark elves perished under the rain of fire and venom. In just a few breaths, over a hundred more were dead. Of the original three hundred dark elves, fewer than a hundred remained.

As the black energy dissipated, the dragon’s massive form was revealed. Han Shuo saw that the beast was covered in blood, his hide charred and blackened. His movements were no longer as swift as before, and it seemed his eyes had been damaged, causing him to thrash about blindly.

"Get ready. We can be dragon-slayers soon," Han Shuo said, offering a sinister smile to the old priest behind him.