Adam’s gaze drifted to Lilith, curled beside him with her head resting against his shoulder. Her breathing was slow and even, her silver-threaded gown rising and falling gently with each breath. The fierce, teasing woman from moments ago had vanished, replaced by something softer—almost vulnerable.

’She’s exhausted,’ Adam thought, his internal voice quiet. ’Yesterday really took a lot out of her.’

His hand moved unconsciously, brushing a strand of pale hair from her face. She didn’t stir.

Then a voice drifted from behind him, barely a whisper.

"Finally... some peace and quiet."

Isolde’s hood was still pulled low, but Adam caught the faint curve of her lips beneath the shadow. She was watching the clouds, her pale eyes distant.

Adam glanced back at her. "Are you enjoying the trip?"

Isolde’s expression flickered—surprise, perhaps, that he had heard her. Then she shrugged, the motion casual.

"Not bad. Better than the last time I flew."

Adam’s eyebrows rose. "Hee. You can fly?"

Isolde shook her head. "Not me. I used wyverns." She paused, her gaze drifting to the horizon. "They’re usually wild, but they can be tamed. Useful for transportation."

Adam nodded slowly, filing the information away. ’Wyverns. Tamed for transport. Good to know.’

Isolde’s eyes narrowed. She leaned forward slightly, her voice dropping.

"Speaking of which... I remember there being wyvern territory around here." Her gaze swept the sky ahead, sharp and alert. "We should be careful. If we enter their airspace—"

Before she could finish, shadows flickered across the clouds ahead.

Three of them. Sleek, winged silhouettes cutting through the sky with predatory grace. Their scales glinted in the fading light—deep greens and browns, blending with the forest below. Long tails swept behind them, tipped with barbs that caught the sun.

Wyverns.

Adam’s body tensed. His hand moved instinctively to Lilith’s shoulder, shaking her gently.

"Lilith. Wake up. We have company."

Lilith’s crimson eyes fluttered open. For a moment, she looked disoriented—then her gaze followed Adam’s, landing on the approaching shapes. Her expression shifted, sleep vanishing, replaced by sharp, focused alertness.

"I see them."

Isolde pulled her hood tighter, her voice low and tight. "Don’t engage if you don’t have to. They’re territorial, not mindless killers. If we just pass through—"

One of the wyverns broke formation.

It banked sharply, wings folding as it dove toward them. Its mouth opened, revealing rows of jagged teeth, and a screech tore from its throat—high-pitched, piercing, a clear challenge.

"—or they might attack anyway." Isolde’s voice was flat.

Ignis’s draconic head turned, her eyes blazing. "Should I burn them?!"

Adam’s voice cut through, sharp and commanding.

"No. Ignis, keep flying. Don’t engage unless they get close."

His hand shot out, dark energy gathering in his palm.

"I’ll handle this."

The wyvern swooped low, claws extended, aiming for Ignis’s exposed flank.

Adam’s arm snapped forward.

[Tempest Sovereign].

A vortex of cutting wind and crackling lightning erupted from his palm, meeting the wyvern mid-dive. The creature screamed as the storm tore into its scales, sending it tumbling sideways through the air. It recovered quickly, wings flaring to stabilize, but its momentum was broken.

The other two wyverns faltered. Their formation scattered, wings beating erratically as they reevaluated the threat.

Isolde stared at Adam, her pale eyes wide.

’He... he just swatted a wyvern like it was a fly.’ Her internal voice was a mix of disbelief and grudging respect.

Adam’s voice was calm, almost bored.

"They’re hesitating. Keep flying. Don’t slow down."

Ignis’s wings beat harder, carrying them forward. The wyverns circled once, twice, their screeches fading into the distance as they retreated back toward their territory.

Isolde let out a breath she hadn’t realized she’d been holding.

"That... was reckless," she said finally. "What if they’d all attacked at once?"

Adam shrugged. "Then I would have killed them all."

Isolde’s lips pressed into a thin line. She said nothing.

Lilith yawned delicately, covering her mouth with the back of her hand. Her crimson eyes, still heavy-lidded from sleep, tracked the retreating wyverns with mild disinterest.

"They gave up so easily," she murmured. "How boring."

Isolde shook her head, her hood shifting with the motion. "Wyverns have some intelligence. They know when to attack and when to retreat."

Adam nodded slowly. "Makes sense. They were probably just testing us."

Before anyone could respond, a sharp whistle cut through the air.

Ignis’s body twisted violently, wings folding, diving sideways in a maneuver that sent Adam’s stomach lurching into his throat. Lilith’s arms tightened around his waist, her usual composure cracking into a startled gasp. Isolde, unprepared for the sudden shift, lost her balance entirely.

Adam’s arm shot out, catching her around the waist and pulling her against his side. Her body pressed against his, her hood slipping back to reveal her crimson hair, her pale eyes wide with shock.

A dark bolt—the size of a spear—shot past where Ignis’s chest had been moments before. It struck a distant tree, and the trunk exploded into splinters.

Ignis’s voice rumbled through her chest, furious.

"They’re still attacking! That was close!"

Adam’s gaze followed the trajectory of the bolt. His eyes narrowed.

Above them, silhouetted against the setting sun, a new figure descended.

It was massive—nearly the size of Ignis herself, its scales a deep, midnight black that seemed to absorb the fading light. Its wings stretched wide, each beat sending gusts of wind that rattled the trees below. A row of dark spikes ran along its spine, from the crown of its head to the tip of its tail, and its eyes—two pools of molten gold—fixed on them with predatory focus.

[Shadowfang Wyvern Lord - Lv. 71]

[Alpha of the Verdant Expanse Wyverns]

Adam’s eyebrows rose.

"Hoo... So he’s the alpha."

The wyvern lord circled once, twice, its golden eyes never leaving them. Its tail, barbed and thick, swayed slowly behind it like a serpent preparing to strike.

Isolde, still pressed against Adam’s side, spoke through gritted teeth.

"That’s the alpha. If we kill it, the rest will scatter." Her voice was tight, controlled. "But if we run, they’ll chase us to the border."

Lilith’s lips curved into a slow, dangerous smile.

"Then we kill it."

Adam’s arm tightened around Isolde’s waist, steadying her. His crimson eyes locked onto the wyvern lord, assessing.

"It’s strong. Level seventy-one. Almost as big as Ignis." He glanced at Lilith, then at Ignis’s draconic head.

Ignis’s flames flickered brighter, her scales heating with anticipation.

"I can take him."

Adam’s crimson eyes locked onto the wyvern lord circling above, a fierce grin spreading across his face. His voice rang out, sharp and commanding.

"No, Ignis. You focus on flying. I’ll handle this."

Ignis’s draconic head twisted, her golden eyes wide with indignation. "Ehh?! But I want to fight him too!"

Lilith’s voice cut through, calm but firm. "Don’t argue, Ignis. We’ll handle the lesser wyverns flying around. They won’t stay still either."

Isolde’s gaze swept the sky, counting the dark shapes circling in the distance. Her voice was tight, controlled.

"There are too many wyverns. I’ll be overwhelmed." She turned to Adam, her pale eyes sharp. "Adam, give me your blood."

Adam’s eyebrows shot up. "Ehh? No way." He shook his head, already unfastening his cloak. "Just drink the blood of those wyverns instead."

Before anyone could argue, Adam’s wings snapped open—broad, dark, edged with the faint shimmer of his aura. He launched himself from Ignis’s back, the wind catching him, lifting him toward the wyvern lord.

Isolde stared after him, her mouth opening, then closing. Her internal voice was a chaotic mix of disbelief and frustration.

’Is he insane?!’

Ignis pouted, her flames flickering with disappointment. "Adam is so stingy..."

Lilith’s lips curved into a serene smile, her crimson eyes tracking Adam’s ascent. "Enough, Ignis. Let Adam handle it. If more enemies appear, you can be the first to attack."

Ignis’s pout deepened, her wings beating with sullen force. "Ughh... fine..."

Adam shot upward like a dark comet, his wings slicing through the air with precision. The wyvern lord’s golden eyes tracked him, its massive body rotating to face the approaching threat. For a moment, they hung there—predator and predator, suspended between earth and sky.

Adam struck first.

[Mirage Cascade].

He blurred into three afterimages, each one diving at the wyvern lord from a different angle. The creature’s head snapped left, right, center—confused, uncertain. The real Adam materialized at its flank, his fist already cocked back, dark energy coiling around his knuckles.

[Abyssal Pierce].

The punch slammed into the wyvern’s ribcage.

CRACK—BOOM!

The sound echoed across the sky. The wyvern lord’s body lurched sideways, its wings flaring to stabilize. But when the dust of impact cleared, the creature’s scales were barely scratched—a faint crack, a trickle of dark blood, nothing more.

Adam’s eyes narrowed. ’Tough scales.’

The wyvern lord recovered quickly. Its tail whipped around, barbed tip aimed at Adam’s chest. He twisted, the spike passing close enough to ruffle his hair, and launched himself upward to avoid the follow-up claw swipe.

The creature’s maw opened. Dark energy gathered in its throat—the same kind that had nearly hit Ignis.

Adam’s instincts screamed. He dove.

The bolt of shadow energy shot past him, close enough to singe the edge of his wing. He rolled, came up beneath the wyvern’s jaw, and drove his palm upward.

[Tempest Sovereign].

The vortex of cutting wind and lightning erupted at point-blank range, tearing into the soft underside of the wyvern’s throat. The creature screeched and thrashed wildly, its wings beating erratically.

Adam didn’t let up.

He pressed the advantage, his fists and feet finding every gap in the wyvern’s defenses. Ribs. Spine. The joints of its wings. Each strike landed with the force of a battering ram, but the creature’s scales absorbed most of the damage.

’Its hide is tough,’ Adam thought, dodging another tail strike. ’Not as tough as Orion’s, though. That old dragon’s scales were like hitting a mountain.’

He could feel the wyvern lord’s confidence wavering. Its attacks, once precise and controlled, were becoming desperate—wilder, less coordinated. It hadn’t expected prey that could fight back.

Adam’s lips curved into a cold smile.

’Gotcha.’