Giant Dragon Lord: Starting from Daily Intelligence-Chapter 109 - 106: Summon - Starfall Knight

The "earthen rock," nearly half the size of a house, moved without warning!

More accurately, it split open!

A horrifying fissure stretched upward from the center of the "rock." Immediately after, a gaping maw filled with rows of ghastly white fangs shot out of the mud and snapped shut with ferocious force!

"CRUNCH!"

A horrifying, bone-chilling sound echoed.

The Storm Griffin, too slow to react, was swallowed whole by the massive mouth before it could even let out a cry of pain.

Blood spurted from the cracks of the massive mouth like a fountain, staining the surrounding mud red.

"Watch out!"

Raylo’s pupils contracted as he roared the warning.

Ed’s face turned deathly pale. His hand tightened on the reins unconsciously, his heart feeling as if it were being squeezed by an invisible hand, nearly stopping its beat.

The "earthen rock" that had devoured the Storm Griffin slowly raised its enormous head from the mire, followed by a thick neck and part of its torso, all covered in thick, hard, dark-brown Scale Armor that looked like solidified sludge.

A Giant Beast, its body far larger than Baofeng’s and exuding a suffocatingly terrifying aura, revealed its fearsome form in the mire!

It had a flat, elongated head like a crocodile’s, but several short, thick, bony horns grew from its crown.

A pair of murky, cold, dark-yellow vertical pupils stared fixedly at Raylo’s party in the sky, filled with brutality and greed.

With each of its breaths, a thick stench of blood and rot washed over them.

"A Tier Four Magical Beast... a Mire Crocodile Dragon!"

Raylo recognized the apex predator of the swamp. This was the very target he had been searching for.

The unfortunate Storm Griffin had clearly mistaken this Mire Crocodile Dragon, camouflaged as an earthen rock, for a resting spot, leading to its gruesome end.

A surge of anger and killing intent rose from the depths of Raylo’s heart, but he forcibly suppressed it.

’Now is not the time to be rash. The Power of this Mire Crocodile Dragon is likely no less than Baofeng’s, perhaps even greater, especially here in its home turf of the mire.’

Baofeng let out a series of furious, threatening screeches. The other Storm Griffins also cried out in warning, circling in the air, not daring to approach the deadly mire.

The grief of losing a companion and their fear of the Giant Beast before them made them agitated and restless.

The Mire Crocodile Dragon let out a low roar, as if warning the intruders who had disturbed its meal, and also as if flaunting its might.

Its fang-filled mouth opened and closed slightly, seemingly savoring its recent delicious meal.

"Baofeng, ascend!"

Raylo gave the order. ’Fighting the Mire Crocodile Dragon in this mire would be extremely unwise. This is its home turf. Once a Storm Griffin falls into the mire and gets covered in the thick sludge, it would likely lose its ability to fly for a short time. In a battle against this Mire Crocodile Dragon, that would be fatal.’

’Now that I’ve found the Mire Crocodile Dragon, the ruins of the Giant Dragon Temple must be nearby.’

High in the sky, Raylo looked down.

Beside the enormous mire, a pile of dense bushes and scattered rocks was the only possible location.

"Ed, I’ll lure the Mire Crocodile Dragon to the other side of the mire. After it’s gone, you search that area with the bushes and rocks. The Temple ruins we’re looking for are probably there."

"Baofeng, let’s go!"

The Storm Griffin King let out a high-pitched screech. With a powerful beat of its wings, it kicked up a strong gust of air and carried Raylo toward the other end of the mire like a bolt of Lightning.

The other Storm Griffins also pulled up, circling and waiting in the air.

"Wind Blade!"

Raylo shouted in a low voice.

Magic Power surged in the air. Several enormous, faint-green Wind Blades materialized out of thin air and, with a shriek that tore through the atmosphere, whistled down toward the Mire Crocodile Dragon’s back, which was covered in thick Mud Armor.

"THWACK! THWACK! THWACK!"

The Wind Blades struck the Mire Crocodile Dragon’s Mud Armor one after another, kicking up a large spray of mud and shattered rock.

The Mud Armor was exceptionally hard. Although the Wind Blades failed to cause any fatal damage, the intense impact and pain successfully enraged the Swamp Tyrant.

"ROAR!"

The Mire Crocodile Dragon let out a deafening roar.

Its murky, dark-yellow vertical pupils snapped toward Raylo. Its massive, heavy body churned the mire, kicking up waves of foul-smelling mud. Its posture was clumsy, but it pursued Raylo with extreme speed.

It had clearly marked the human and the large bird who dared to provoke it as its new targets.

Seeing this, Raylo chuckled.

’The plan is a success.’

He steered Baofeng, keeping the Mire Crocodile Dragon at a distance—not too close, not too far—harassing it with Wind Blades from time to time, keeping its attention firmly fixed on him as he led it step by step away from the mire.

High above, Ed watched the scene below with anxiety.

Seeing the Mire Crocodile Dragon successfully lured away by Raylo and moving farther and farther away, the tension in his heart eased slightly. But when he recalled the gruesome scene of the Storm Griffin being devoured in a single bite, his face still looked a little pale.

Ed took a deep breath, suppressing the tremor in his heart, and patted the neck of the Storm Griffin beneath him.

"Alright, buddy, let’s go down. We need to be quick."

The Storm Griffin let out a low cry, as if it also understood the urgency of the mission. It carefully lowered its altitude and flew toward the patch of dense bushes and the pile of rocks at the edge of the mire.

Before his Storm Griffin even landed, Ed nimbly leaped off and strode over to the pile of rocks, which was taller than a man.

’The Lord himself is taking the risk of luring away the Crocodile Dragon. I must hurry and complete the task he gave me.’

The stones were of various sizes, piled together haphazardly. Their surfaces were covered in moss and signs of weathering, indicating they had been there for a very long time.

Ed reached out and tried to push one of the larger rocks.

It was heavy to the touch. He channeled his Fighting Spirit to activate "Giant’s Grip" and pushed with all his might.

"GRIND! GRIND!"

The rock made a dull, grinding sound as it was slowly pushed aside.

As a few key supporting stones were moved, more rubble tumbled down with a rustling sound.

Amidst the flying dust, a grayish-white color that was out of place with the surroundings was revealed.

Ed’s heart stirred, and he quickened his pace of clearing the rubble.

Soon, after he moved the last few large stones with a concerted effort, an entrance, half-hidden by dirt and vines, appeared before his eyes.

The entrance was built from massive stone blocks. Although most of it had collapsed, he could still make out the traces of artificial carving.

On the stone wall next to the entrance, the remains of several broken stone pillars and crumbling ramparts were faintly visible, covered in ancient, faded patterns.

"I found it! Lord, it’s the Temple ruins!"

Ed shouted toward the distance, suppressing his excitement.

However, before his voice could fade, a roar, more violent and furious than any before, suddenly erupted from the distant mire!

"ROAR!!!"

The sound was like a clap of thunder, filled with the rage of being tricked.

The Mire Crocodile Dragon that Raylo had lured away had, at some point, seen through his plan. It violently swung its massive body, throwing up a colossal wave of mud. Ignoring Raylo’s harassment, it turned and charged toward Ed’s position at an astonishing speed!

Each time its enormous feet stomped into the mire, they made a thunderous "SPLASH," sending mud flying and filling the air with the foul stench once more.

Its cold vertical pupils were locked onto Ed, its furious killing intent practically making its eyes bloodshot red.

"Not good!"

Ed’s expression changed drastically, his heart leaping into his throat.

He hadn’t expected the Mire Crocodile Dragon to react so quickly.

In that split second, Ed had no time to think. He kicked off the ground and pounced toward the Storm Griffin beside him with the agility of a cheetah.

Almost at the same instant he leaped onto the Griffin’s back, the Mire Crocodile Dragon’s fang-filled maw, reeking of a foul wind, had already lunged at the spot where he had just been standing!

"CRUNCH!"

The massive mouth snapped shut violently, crushing the few rocks Ed had just cleared. The hard stones were pulverized like tofu under its terrifying bite force.

If Ed had been a step slower, the consequences would have been unthinkable.

"Fly! Take off, quickly!"

Ed roared, still shaken, as cold sweat instantly soaked his back.

The Storm Griffin also sensed the mortal danger. It beat its wings with all its might, let out a piercing screech, and lifted off with Ed, narrowly avoiding the Mire Crocodile Dragon’s sweeping tail attack that followed close behind.

Its thick tail, carrying immense force, lashed the ground, kicking up a cloud of dust and shattered rock.

Ed, still reeling in the air, looked down at the Mire Crocodile Dragon below, which had grown even more frenzied after missing again. He was still overcome with fear.

Raylo, riding the Storm Griffin King, quickly flew back to rendezvous with the other Storm Griffins, circling above the entrance to the Temple ruins.

He looked down at the Mire Crocodile Dragon roaring ceaselessly in the mire, his brow slightly furrowed.

The location of the Temple ruins was confirmed, but the trouble before them was significant.

This Tier Four Mire Crocodile Dragon was incredibly powerful, and especially in its home turf of the mire, it was like a fish in water.

"Lord, this beast is too difficult to deal with!"

Ed said, still shaken.

Raylo nodded, his gaze calm.

’Relying on Baofeng and the remaining twelve Storm Griffins, it’s not that we can’t fight it. In fact, our chances of winning are high.’

’The aerial advantage of the Storm Griffin Group and Baofeng, who has already advanced to Tier Four, are enough to pose a huge threat to the Mire Crocodile Dragon.’

’However, the cost would be too great.’

’These Storm Griffins are a vital aerial force for my domain. The loss of even one of them would be a bitter blow.’

’Moreover, the Mire Crocodile Dragon has thick skin and tough flesh, and its Life Force is tenacious. After a bitter fight, the Griffin group would likely suffer heavy losses. Even Baofeng would be at risk of injury, or even death.’

’This swamp is fraught with danger. Preserving our combat strength is crucial.’

’We can’t fight it head-on.’

Raylo quickly made a judgment in his mind.

He glanced at the Mire Crocodile Dragon still making a show of force below, then looked toward the deep, dark entrance to the Temple. He had made a decision.

He untied an ancient-looking Horn from his waist.

Raylo brought the Horn to his lips and blew softly.

"Wooooo..."

A low, distant Horn blast, as if from beyond a sea of stars, suddenly echoed across the clamorous swamp.

The sound wasn’t loud, but it possessed a strange, piercing quality that overpowered the Crocodile Dragon’s roar and the Storm Griffins’ screeches. Even the mountain wind seemed to freeze for an instant.

Ed only felt a slight tremor in his eardrums and a sense of solemnity inexplicably rose in his heart.

As the last notes of the Horn blast faded, the space in front of Raylo suddenly rippled, like a stone had been dropped into a calm lake.

Immediately after, a speck of starlight appeared out of thin air. It was faint at first, but in an instant, it rapidly expanded and blazed with brilliant light!

Within the light, a tall, slender figure slowly solidified.

A towering Knight’s figure appeared.

He was clad from head to toe in silver-gray Armor of an ancient style, yet it shimmered with a luster like the Stars.

At the joints and edges of the Armor, a faint blue glow of Magic Power flowed, flickering in and out as if breathing.

In each hand, he held a Two-Handed Giant Sword of the same color as his Armor. The blades were wide, their edges gleaming with a cold light. The crossguards were inlaid with deep blue Gemstones that seemed to hold fragments of the Stars.