Chapter 24: The Brave

A roar!

The land dragon was bewildered. It wasn't very intelligent, and in that moment, it didn't understand what had just happened. It only became more enraged, struggling to rise.

Just then, flames erupted around it. A blazing chain of fire, like a living serpent, snaked around the land dragon, constricting its body.

The land dragon's roar was filled with pain as the flames seared its skin. Corona's expression was grave. Her slender hand gripped her staff, pointing it. One after another, fiery chains appeared, forming burning shackles that restrained the land dragon's movements.

The beast roared furiously. Beads of sweat dotted the young woman's forehead. It seemed Corona had the upper hand, but she was now pitting her magical power against the land dragon's strength.

Even as a High Intermediate Mage, even wielding a sacred staff, it was still an immense struggle. After all, her opponent was a dragon—its power was undeniable.

Time ticked by. Under the relentless burning of the flames, the land dragon seemed to falter. Xu Feng let out a sigh of relief. Just then, a small rabbit darted past Corona's feet. Normally, this would be nothing. Most girls love cute animals; she might even have picked it up for a cuddle. But now, it was a critical moment in her spellcasting, and she couldn't afford the slightest distraction.

The rabbit brushed against the young woman's foot. Corona was startled, and her concentration faltered...

Roar!

The seemingly defeated land dragon felt the pressure suddenly lessen. It immediately stood up. With a mighty roar, it thrashed with all its might. With a thunderous crash, the fiery chains binding it were shattered. The young woman spat out a mouthful of blood.

Magical backlash!

"Corona!"

Xu Feng was horrified. He rushed forward without regard for the danger, reaching the young woman's side and supporting her swaying form. But just then, perhaps due to a sixth sense, Xu Feng sensed danger. The land dragon opened its maw toward them.

Land dragons don't possess the devastating breath attacks of true dragons, but they can spew acid—a corrosive substance even stronger than sulfuric acid.

Xu Feng had read about this in a bestiary. Realizing the peril, he knew there was no time to flee. Gritting his teeth, he made a split-second decision, hugging Corona and rolling them both aside.

"Hiss—"

White smoke rose. The spot where they had just been standing was now a small, melted pit. Xu Feng's face paled slightly. Thank goodness he had reacted quickly.

Thump, thump, thump! The ground trembled faintly. The terrifying behemoth charged toward them. Escape was impossible. The only remaining choice was to fight. But Corona hadn't yet recovered from the magical backlash; she couldn't even move a finger.

What should he do?

In this moment, Xu Feng demonstrated the responsibility of a true man. He stood up, placing himself between Corona and the land dragon. A Fireball materialized and shot toward the beast.

"It's... it's useless." The young woman's voice reached him, weak and tinged with despair. "Land dragons are also members of the dragon race. They possess strong magic resistance. Low-level magic like that... won't work on it."

As if to prove her words, the land dragon didn't even bother dodging the small fireball. Pfft! It struck its body and fizzled out instantly. Xu Feng summoned two Wind Blades next, but they were equally futile.

Roar!

The land dragon roared at the sky, its eyes gleaming with excitement. These two little creatures had injured it. It would tear them to pieces!

Twenty meters, ten meters, seven meters...

It was getting closer and closer. Xu Feng could now see its huge dragon eyes clearly. A cold, resolute smile touched the corner of his lips. Life or death—it all came down to this move!

He had already prepared two Water Arrows. Aiming carefully, he threw them.

Habit becomes second nature. For such low-level magic, the land dragon couldn't be bothered to dodge. Its claw was already reaching for Xu Feng.

Unfortunately, the young man had been scheming from the start. The Water Arrows were aimed at the magical beast's eyes. No creature in the world is perfect. Even a powerful land dragon has vulnerable eyes...

Roar!

An earth-shattering roar, filled with immense pain. Xu Feng's strategy had succeeded. The Water Arrows struck the land dragon's vulnerable eyes, piercing through them.

The behemoth halted its charge, writhing in agony on the ground and kicking up clouds of dust. However, the danger wasn't over yet. Xu Feng gritted his teeth, drew the dagger from his person, and lunged forward. Targeting the land dragon's vital spot—the reverse scale beneath its neck—he stabbed with all his might.

Squelch...

Foul-smelling dragon blood sprayed out. Xu Feng performed a clumsy roll, barely dodging as the land dragon's claw slammed down right where he had just been standing.

"Huff... huff..." The young man panted heavily. That had been a close call—too close for comfort!

The land dragon was grievously wounded, but its fierce nature drove it to struggle on. Just then, a Wind Blade over half a meter in diameter flew toward it...

Boom!

Dust flew. The magical beast's head was severed. The formidable land dragon was finally a corpse. Xu Feng looked back. It was Corona.

The young woman was leaning against a large tree. That super-sized Wind Blade had been her doing. After this brief period of recuperation, Corona had recovered from the magical backlash.

"Are you alright?"

The young woman shook her head, giving Xu Feng a deep look before her gaze finally settled on his right hand.

Earlier, to dodge the acid spray, Xu Feng had hugged her and rolled them aside. He had cushioned the back of her head with his hand. As a result, she was unharmed, but Xu Feng's hand had been scraped by a rock. Blood was still flowing from the wound, not yet stopped.

Corona didn't speak. Gently, she took the young man's hand, pulled a handkerchief from her bosom, and carefully bandaged it for him...

She softly wiped away the blood, then wrapped the clean handkerchief around the wound. Corona remained silent the whole time, yet her movements were gentle, so very gentle...

Due to the earlier fight, many nearby trees had been knocked down. Sunlight streamed down, bathing the two of them, adding a touch of warmth.

The young woman felt her heart was in turmoil. Originally, she had a good impression of Xu Feng, but it was merely that of a friend worth getting to know.

However, what had just happened...

Faced with the terrifying land dragon, Xu Feng hadn't retreated. Even though he wasn't a Warrior, even though he only knew a few low-level spells, he was braver than most powerful fighters. Like a true man, he had shielded her with his own body.

He was attentive. When he hugged her and rolled to dodge, he hadn't forgotten to protect her head with his hand.

He was calm. Faced with a roaring magical beast, he could still devise a clever strategy. With just two Water Arrows, he had grievously wounded the land dragon—something unprecedented in the history of Hailan Star.

He was a noble, yet he possessed none of the habits of Playboys. He treated commoners with kindness and amiability.

He was a miraculous healer, curing even the strange illness that had stumped Your Holiness the Pope with ease and a smile.

...

From Xu Feng, Corona saw so many virtues. Suddenly, she realized her heart was in utter disarray.