The Monster King's Legacy - Chapter 120

Chapter 120: Illusion
‘What?’ Lance thought to himself, seeing Aelyndra lying just outside on top of the mountain he had emerged on.

“Took you long enough.”  She said, stretching her wings.

“How come you’re conveniently here waiting for me? This is fishy.” Before Lance could deduce any further, the guardian emerged from the ground between him and Aelyndra, facing her.

“He had passed the test. I assume you are satisfied with his performance. Take care, Aelyndra, the dragon.” Without waiting for a response, the guardian sunk back into the ground. If Lance could say, the guardian looked to almost be in a hurry.

“What was that all about?” Lance asked, looking at Aelyndra for answers.

“You were taking too long, so I asked the guardian of the forest to speed things up a bit. Before you get upset, you have been in the forest for three days now.” Aelyndra said.

Her words came as a shock, after all, Lance had yet to spend twenty-four hours from his knowledge, how come it had been three days? Also, Aelyndra didn’t have a reason to lie, so there were merits to her words.

‘Three days…’ He thought to himself. ‘Was that why I felt so exhausted, physically and mentally?’ When he thought about it, it made sense, but even then, it was still difficult to understand how it had been possible for his perception of time to be warped so much.

He looked down, noticing that the forest was below the mountain they were on top of. “This forest really is something.” He said.

“You’ve only scratched the surface of this place, but it isn’t meant to be right now. You’re too weak to survive in this forest. Perhaps, when you become stronger in future, you can return.”

Aelyndra motioned for Lance to climb on top so they would leave.

Lance for one was curious as to what he could gain from this forest. Perhaps there was some kind of hidden treasure, or a hidden secret that could change someone’s life… ‘Surely, such a place would not just exist without benefits to compensate for the immense danger.’ He thought to himself, making a mental note to return in future.

“Where are we headed next?” Lance asked.

“It should take us a day or two to get there. Before you get to the sacred dragon realm, you have to pass through two extreme regions, the Desert of Flames, and The Frozen Pass. The first one, is the Desert of Flames.”

“Sounds extreme indeed.” Lance said. Now that he was out, the tiredness from not getting any sleep for a long time had come over his body, and it didn’t take much longer before Lance fell asleep, completely passed out.

“He’s fallen asleep? We can go directly to the desert then.” Aelyndra said to herself, setting her sight far ahead.

…

In only a day, they reached the desert, and just as Aelyndra had warned, it was no place to take lightly at all.

The heat of the Desert of Flames was unlike anything Lance had ever experienced. The air shimmered with waves of heat, and the ground beneath his boots was so hot it felt like it could melt the soles, not only that, but he felt as though his own flesh inside his boots were being cooked.

The endless expanse of golden sand stretched out in every direction, broken only by the occasional jagged rock or the faint flicker of fiery creatures darting in the distance.

Lance tugged at the damp collar of his shirt, sweat pouring down his face. “Whose idea was it to come through this oven?”

“You wanted adventure,” Aelyndra said with a smug tone, walking beside him, her massive form seemingly unaffected by the oppressive heat. “You didn’t think it would come without discomfort, did you?”

Lance shot her a glare, his voice tinged with sarcasm. “Discomfort? I’m practically cooking alive over here. Meanwhile, you look like you’re enjoying a nice stroll through a park.”

“Dragons are built for extremes,” she replied, her wings flaring slightly to emphasize her words. “Humans, on the other hand, are naturally… fragile.” She said.

“Thanks for the reminder,” Lance muttered, shielding his eyes from the blazing sun as he scanned the horizon. “Let’s just find somewhere to rest before I turn into a pile of ashes.”

“Surely, you jest. Until the sky darkens, there is no escaping this heat. Perhaps, you will feel better in my shadow?”

“Sure… though it didn’t seem to help much before.”

As they trudged through the scorching sands, the faint sound of crackling flames reached their ears. Lance tensed, his hand moving to the hilt of his sword. “What was that?”

“Fire elementals. They dwell in this desert also, drawn to the heat. They’d normally be found in volcanic regions, but this environment is also conducive.”

Before Lance could respond, a small whirlwind of fire erupted from the sand in front of them, forming into a humanoid figure with flickering flames for hair and glowing embers for eyes. More followed, surrounding them in a circle of heat and light.

“Well, this looks friendly,” Lance said, drawing his blade.

“Physical attacks are useless. Let me handle this,” Aelyndra said, stepping forward. She roared, a deep, reverberating sound that sent waves of heat rippling through the air.

The fire spirits hesitated, their forms flickering as if reconsidering their attack.

“I think they’re backing off,” Lance said, lowering his sword slightly.

“Of course they are,” Aelyndra replied. It could have been his imagination, but Lance could have sworn he noticed her puffing out her chest. “It’s useless for them to challenge a dragon.”

Just as the words left her mouth, one of the larger fire spirits lunged at her, its flaming body colliding with her golden scales. Though it didn’t harm her, the force of the attack pushed her back a step.

Lance smirked. “It’s useless, huh?”

“Quiet,” Aelyndra growled, swiping her tail through the air. The fire spirits scattered, staying for a while before their flames dimmed as they retreated into the sand.