Lord of Caldera - Chapter 212

Chapter 212: Chapter 212

Marquis Serje’s preparations were thorough. It wasn’t just that there was a risk of the territory being attacked; he understood too well the reasons behind this crisis.

A dragon hatchling died within the castle. Their goal is almost certainly this castle!

He wouldn’t have been surprised if the dragons had abandoned the commanders to fly directly into the castle. And the marquis’s intuition was correct.

The dragons sought vengeance for their lost young. They wanted to set the castle ablaze, and as soon as they had the opportunity, they attacked.

“Fire! Shoot everything! Even if you miss, keep them from getting close!”

The dragons shrieked, but the marquis fended them off with near-maniacal determination. As a result, the dragon was unable to withstand the hail of catapult stones, ballista bolts, and arrows and had to retreat.

As it circled in the sky, the dragon caught sight of its dying kin below.

With a roar, it beat its wings and flew down, aiming to rescue its kin. Amid the panicked humans, a lone figure stepped forward.

“Get—lost!”

The shout reverberated through the air, shaking the dragon. It was another beast in human form, a warrior who could stand alone against the dragon.

The dragon hesitated for a moment but wasn’t intimidated. It had already recognized this presence and knew that fighting him directly could be dangerous. Instead, the dragon’s target was the other humans nearby.

Growl.

“It’s preparing to breathe fire!”

“Chieftain!”

“Don’t worry!” the warrior called out, his voice steady. He raised a sharp weapon, ready to hurl it at the dragon.

“You wretched beast!”

The projectile flew, and the dragon twisted its body, a smug grin on its face.

“Did… did it dodge?”

The dragon had learned that humans often attacked right before it breathed fire, creating a brief opening. So, without actually releasing its flames, it dodged, watching the humans’ faces go pale. Then it unleashed its flames with full force.

“Look out…!”

Before the warning was fully spoken, flames swept across the battlefield, catching the tightly grouped warriors below.

The blazing inferno roared through them, igniting everything in its path.

“Aaaagh!”

The luckiest among the warriors were those in the center of the flames, who melted away without feeling much pain. But those on the outskirts, hit by weaker flames, suffered, writhing in agony as they burned alive.

The remaining warriors dropped to their knees in shock.

“This… this can’t be…”

One of the few unharmed warriors muttered, watching the carnage. A single breath of fire had wiped out half of their warriors.

This is an inferno dragon.

He understood now. Until now, the superhuman commanders had kept the dragons from using their full strength, making them seem manageable. But a dragon’s true power was terrifying beyond belief.

“Arrrrgh!”

Ragnar’s anguished roar echoed through the ruined battlefield. Half of his warriors—his loyal comrades and companions—were gone.

The dragon landed, letting out a rumbling laugh. Ragnar clenched his teeth, blood trickling from his eyes in fury, likely from burst blood vessels.

“I’ll tear you apart and offer your remains to the spirits of my warriors!”

With a mighty push, Ragnar launched himself at the dragon, swinging his axe in an attack powerful enough to kill even a dragon if it struck true.

But then, the dying dragon nearby stirred.

It’s preparing to breathe fire!?

Ragnar felt a surge of panic. The range of the fire included both him and the dragon’s kin. And yet, the dragon was ready to breathe fire again. A chilling realization struck him.

It’s immune to fire!

He had suspected that fire dragons would be resistant to flames, but he hadn’t realized they could withstand each other’s flames completely unscathed.

The fury clouding his mind turned icy. While the dragons had fire resistance, Ragnar had none.

“Damn it!”

He was already airborne and couldn’t dodge. He saw the dragon preparing to unleash its fire, and everything seemed to slow down.

Am I going to die like this?

The thought left him hollow. Facing an overwhelming ordeal would have been one thing, but to die in a winnable battle because of a cheap trick?

Just as Ragnar braced himself for death, someone leaped into the air, shoving him out of the way.

Thunk.

“Ugh!”

With the impact of someone slamming into him, Ragnar was thrown through the air. Though he didn’t get far from where he had been, it was enough to escape the flames.

“Who in the world…?”

There was no answer to his question. Red-hot flames engulfed the spot he had just vacated. Ragnar bit his lip as he rolled across the ground.

Was it one of my warriors?

Regret washed over him. If that warrior had survived, they would have surely achieved greatness by Ragnar’s side. But to perish so selflessly in an effort to save him…

He had barely finished whispering an apology to himself when—

Thud.

“Gah! Damn it!”

A figure broke through the flames, crashing onto the ground without having time to brace for the landing. The man quickly rose, brushed off his scorched armor, and grabbed his weapon.

Stunned, Ragnar looked at the man and shouted in disbelief.

“…Bjorn Veldain!?”

“That was close,” Bjorn said with a grin, never taking his eyes off the dragon. But Ragnar didn’t return the smile. Why? Why had Bjorn saved him?

He wanted to grab him by the collar and demand an answer, but there was no time.

The dragon roared and growled, its gaze shifting between the two men.

“Unbelievable. Now we’re facing two dragons,” Bjorn muttered, glancing warily at the monsters in front of him. Alone, they had no chance against these beasts. Fortunately, Bjorn wasn’t alone.

“Attack! Protect Lord Bjorn!”

“Hail Bjorn, Baptized by Fire!”

“Goddess, grant us your blessing!”

Bjorn’s unit arrived, shouting as they charged at the dragon. Startled by the sudden reinforcements, the dragon pulled back.

Thanks to their timely arrival, Ragnar’s unit was spared from further attacks. Planting his feet firmly, Bjorn shouted, “Chieftain, cover the rear! Regroup your forces and come help me!”

Before Ragnar could respond, Bjorn was already sprinting toward the dragon. Ragnar narrowed his eyes at the sight.