Chapter 24: The Fleeing Enemy
"Cat’s Grace!"
"Grease on my feet!"
As the Bluefoot Drakesnake reparing anhtning breath, Cassius cast several speed-enhang spells on himself.
His body became exceptionally agile, leaping lightly through the cave, closing in on the Drakesnake.
Although the red dragon’s strength was far less than the Drakesnake’s, and their sizes were vastly different, that wasn’t the only factor in close bat.
He was fident he could prevail in a melee fight.
The Drakesnake spat out several bolts of lightning, but the red dragon, having anticipated this, dodged easily, shifti and right.
The Drakesnake, notig Cassius’s i for close bat, let out a raspy ugh, "Foolish dragon, you dare to challenge me in this cave?"
"Without the advantage of flight—"
"What are you even worth?"
Its twelve pairs of legs scuttled rapidly across the rock walls, moving faster than the spell-enhanced red dragon.
It charged toward the red dragon like a streak of green lightning.
"Bull’s Strength!"
The Drakesnake’s advance was exactly what the red dragon wanted; he instantly cast a strength-boosting spell, causing his muscles to swell with power, steam rising from his body.
"Forewarrike!"
Cassius’s golden, slit-pupil eyes glowed with purple magical light, log onto the Drakestempting to predict its move.
"Ridiculous dragon."
"You’re as feeble as those cowardly human mages!"
Seeing Cassius covered in entments, the Drakesnake was unfazed, lunging forward with its gaping maw.
The red dragon, anticipating this, sidestepped and prepared to terattack with his cws.
Yet he didn’t expect the Drakesnake’s bite to be a feint.
As Cassius dodged, it suddenly shifted, springing forward and coiling its massive body around him like a sso.
It was strig him!
The Drakesnake slowly tightes muscles, pressing the space around Cassius, trying to crush him.
Its body was more than twice the length of the red dragon’s and far stronger, and o had stricted, the oute was decided.
Seeing his predit, the red dragon used his sharp cws to tinuously tear at the Drakesnake’s scorched, exposed flesh, causing blood to sptter.
The Drakes out a pained hiss but did not release its hold.
It khat loosening its grip would mea, and if the stri succeeded, even a red dragon would lose its strength.
However, Cassius’s attacks were far fiercer than the barbarian’s; his cws dug several feet into its flesh, ripping the Drakesnake apart.
"You’re merely my prey!"
Furious, the Drakes out a long howl.
Even while covered in wounds, its body tio coil tightly around the red dragon.
"You’re in your death throes!"
It had succeeded.
The red dragon was bound by its massive, elongated body, trapped like a beast in a snare, with no escape.
He couldn’t move his cws, helplessly struggling, his sharp teeth delivering weaker and weaker retaliations.
About to kill a red dragon.
This made the Drakesnake’s blood surge with excitement, almost fetting its own pain as it tightes muscles with all its might.
This was the dreadful power of an a biological on, its hatred fons carved into its very blood.
Yet, in the moment, the situation took a drastic turn.
"Mist Step!"
The red dragon, firmly stricted, uttered a spell.
As a skilled battle caster, he could still cast spells effortlessly, even in such a restraiate.
Instantly, the Drakesnake felt the coils around its body go sck, with only a silver mist left where its prey had been.
Cassius had teleported teers away to the top of the cliff.
"Damn it!"
It shouted in shock.
The Drakesnake, havied too much force, was twisted into an aosition.
Cassius could have escaped as soon as the Drakesnake began strig.
But he chose to py along, letting it think he was trapped, thus further exhausting his oppo.
The red drago out a victorious roar, leaping from the cliff, diving straight toward the Drakesnake.
"Now, tell me—"
"Who’s the prey?"
The Drakesill tangled and uo dodge, had no choice but to face him in desperation.
It barely mao lift its head to bite.
But Cassius’s agility now far surpassed that of the Drakesnake.
The red dragon effortlessly sidestepped to the left, dodging the attack.
Taking advantage of the opening, he pounced behind the Drakesnake, biting into its exposed, bloodied torso.
Flesh and blood spttered!
Warm blood sprayed into his mouth.
His teeth sank deep, tearing through muscle fibers, sinking even deeper. The sensation filled the red dragon with exhiration.
"Roar—"
The Drakes out an ear-splitting screech, thrashing wildly in an attempt to break free.
But the red dragon’s mouth held firm, his cws digging deep into the Drakesnake’s body, tearing recklessly.
The Drakeshrashed desperately, but Cassius refused to let go.
"Boom..."
The two gias engaged in a brutal, primal struggle.
The rocks in the cave rumbled.
It was as if the entire cave was shaking, with fragments of stone tinuously falling from the ceiling.
"Wuu..."
Finally, the Drakesnake seemed to falter, letting out a weakened whimper.
Yet Cassius refused to rex; he was nearing exhaustion himself, and if his foe had any tricks left, he’d be helpless.
Was it finally over?
Cassius felt the Drakesnake’s body growing weaker, its thrashing subsiding.
A burst of blue-green blood mist suddeed.
"Bang!"
It escaped!
The Drakesnake had severed part of its body to break free.
The remaining seven pairs of legs crawled rapidly along the rock wall.
Although gravely wouhe Drakesnake moved even faster without the burden of its severed half.
"It mao escape after all."
Cassius released his bite, struggling to pull his cws from the remaining half of the Drakesnake's body.
He watched as it fled into the darkness.
There was nothing he could do; he was nearly at his limit.
Moreover, this cave was the Drakesnake’s domain.
Without the ability to fly, it was difficult for the red dragon, relying on his fs, to catch up with the Drakesnake, even in its dimiate.
His light spell had expired, but the torches provided faint illumination.
Cassius simply watched the deep, dark path where the Drakesnake had escaped.
The uapetum in the red dragon's eyes allowed him to see in the dark, giving his gaze a ghostly glow.
However, his vision now was only in bd white.
"That dire leads to the Embers ."
Cassius’s sense of dire was sharp; even in a dark cave, he could pick up on enviroal cues to determine his bearings.
"The Bottomless Pit?"
Cassius suddenly recalled something.
