Chapter 53 Invasion of the Invisible Dragon

In early June, the air was dry and arid.

The morning sun rose, dispelling the coolness and replacing it with a heat that would last all day long.

Gort, clad in black beasthide armor and with the gem-encrusted sword, Red Blood, hanging at his waist, possessed a pair of sapphire-blue eyes that shimmered with vitality. His handsome face wore a solemn expression.

As he arrived at the castle to receive orders early in the morning, Gort momentarily lost himself gazing at the lord of Flower Town – even the Earl of Coral Island did not possess the captivating nobility that Liszt radiated at that moment.

In terms of appearance, on a scale of 100, Liszt could score 99, with that missing point being a safeguard against his potential arrogance.

Good looks may not fill one's belly, but they certainly brought joy.

Upon waking up each morning and looking into the mirror, Liszt would be in a good mood.

Thomas, his valet, meticulously smoothed out the wrinkles on Liszt's leather armor, for maintaining the noble's appearance was the primary responsibility of a valet.

"Teacher Gort, according to the original plan, we will relocate the farmers from the dairy farm to other settlements and enforce a full lockdown. No resident of the town is to leave their homes under any circumstances. The patrol team should cease their patrols and wait for my command at the administration office to lift the lockdown."

"Understood, Liszt. I'll give the orders immediately."

Gort turned around and rode out of the gate.

Everyone in Flower Town was puzzled by the lord's decision, but obedience had long been ingrained in their bones. Upon the order being given, the entire town fell swiftly into silence.

The stillness was as deep as a slumbering night, punctuated only by occasional barks of dogs.

Not many could afford to keep dogs, so these sounds were insignificant.

As the sun was still ascending in the east, Liszt personally fitted the fire-breathing mare with a bit to prevent any noise: "Mr. Carter, do you remember what I said?"

"The lord said that today the castle gates must be tightly closed, and Mr. Hiddleston and the horses should be secured, with minimal noise. If danger arises, gather all the servants and hide in the cellar. Do not go out under any circumstances until the lord returns. The castle will resume its normal operations only then."

"Very well, just as I instructed."

Worry etched on Carter's face. "My lord, is there any danger in your journey?"

"There might be a little, but I am well-prepared. There's no need to worry about me, Mr. Carter."

Thomas, standing aside, hesitantly spoke up, "My lord, you should have taken me along. Though I have no particular skills, I could buy some time for you in case of danger."

"I'm glad to hear that, Thomas, but it's not necessary." Liszt raised his whip and gently tapped the horse's rump; the Fire Dragon Horse shot forward like a bolt of flame.

The wind whistled in his ears as the horse's hooves kicked up clouds of dust.

Not a soul was seen on the town's roads; clearly, they had received orders to stay indoors obediently.

With a heart full of excitement, he galloped all the way to the dairy farm. Putting on a mask, Liszt climbed up the beacon tower and lit the fire himself—originally, he had planned to let a servant do it, but to minimize the risk of information leakage, he decided to take care of it personally.

There were two jars on the beacon tower, containing crushed juice from smoked grass. Shielding his eyes from the sun, he looked around and, without hesitation, opened the jars, pouring the liquid onto the two old cows below.

The pungent smell spread abruptly.

The two cows wriggled wildly, trying to escape, but bound tightly by ropes, they could only endure irritably.

Despite wearing a mask, Liszt almost choked on the smell, but he forcefully held back his urge to vomit and swiftly ignited the dried smoked grass on the beacon tower. As the flames rose, he leaped down with a sudden burst of energy.

Mounting the fiery Dragon Horse, equally restless and eager to escape, he dashed straight for the Thistle Forest.

Upon arriving at the forest, he tied up the Dragon Horse and took a deep breath to suppress the urge to vomit. After scanning his surroundings to ensure safety, he pulled out the jade box containing the Thistle Bugs from his chest.

"In human hands lies the planning, but success lies in the heavens' will. The outcome depends on this very moment."

Opening the box, he softly addressed the plump bugs inside, "Little ones, come forth and make your home." A silent understanding passed between them.

The Thistle Bugs crawled onto his hand and opened their mouths, spewing out bug grass. As the grass fell onto the low shrubs, it quickly took root and sprouted.

Meanwhile, Liszt had already hastily retreated into the tunnel, bending low as he ran towards the bunker. By the time he reached the bunker, the thistle bug grass should have grown. He forced himself to calm down, focusing his mind to summon the Smoke Mission.

The smoke twisted for a moment before forming the shape of a serpent's script.

"Mission accomplished. Reward: Invasion of the Invisible Dragon."

Seeing that the mission was complete, he couldn't wait for the new task to be issued and wiped away the smoke. Activating his Aura, he cast the Magic Eye spell, looking up into the sky.

The thick smoke from the Smoky Grass swayed gently with the breeze as it rose into the air.

Within the bunker, he could already smell the stench of unwashed socks that had accumulated over half a year, causing him to feel nauseous constantly. Without a telescope, he could only rely on his own vision. Below the watchtower, two old cows seemed to be suffering from the smoke, foaming at the mouth incessantly. Liszt was worried that before the invisible dragon appeared, they might have already been choked to death.

Time ticked by, second by second.

As the time limit for the Magic Eye approached, there was still no sign of the invisible dragon.

"Logically speaking, once the mission is completed, the reward should appear almost simultaneously, just a matter of when it reaches my hands. So why hasn't the invisible dragon invaded Flower Town yet?"

"Could it be that the reward is delayed?"

"If the information about the invisible dragon is true, it should have been lured by the Smoke Grass the moment it appeared."

His eyes were becoming increasingly strained. Just as he felt he could no longer hold on and was about to dispel the secret technique, a faint, translucent figure suddenly caught his attention against the sunlight, next to the column of smoke from the Smoke Grass.

The figure was initially small and faint, but then began to grow larger, eventually forming a vague, grayish-white dragon shape.

It had a pair of massive wings and a streamlined body.

It circled around the pillar of smoke, descending slowly.

His heart pounded with astonishment: "Invisible Dragon!"

"It's truly an Invisible Dragon!" Liszt clenched the Crimson Blood Sword and struggled to muster the remaining bits of his Aura, sustaining the Magic Eye to continue observing this invisible dragon.

This was the first time he had laid eyes on a dragon!

A creature that represented the pinnacle of power in this world!

Even though he could only see the magic aura emanating from the dragon instead of the creature itself, his blood boiled with excitement. "Just like in Griff's Travels of a Ground Ranger, the Invisible Dragon isn't very large. Compared to a straw house, it's only as big as a single room, maybe two or three if you include its wings."

However, the proud demeanor exuded an air of supreme majesty.

From quite a distance away, Liszt could still feel his body tensing up in response to the dragon's awe-inspiring presence – this was the Dragon's Might!

Legend had it that all living creatures would bow before a dragon wherever it went.

"It descended along the smoke of the Smoky Grass..." Liszt's Magic Eye had already collapsed, and his body could no longer support the Aura Secret Technique. The Invisible Dragon's form vanished without a trace.

Nonetheless, there was no doubt that the information provided by the Smoke Quest was accurate – the Invisible Dragon enjoyed the scent of Smoky Grass.

Rubbing his sore and swollen eyes, Lister strained to see towards the watchtower with his naked eye. Although he couldn't spot the invisible dragon, the commotion over there betrayed its presence – the smoke was scattered in disarray, and the old cow lay on the ground, moaning incessantly. Soon, the watchtower itself began to crumble, flames raging fiercely.

"Woo-ee-yah!"

A bizarre, shrill, and chilling howl pierced through the air amidst the flames – it was the voice of the invisible dragon.