Faul’s POV //

  “Will our lord be alright?” one of the warriors asked.

  “He said it with confidence—so all we can do now is wait for the signal,” replied the dryad calmly.

  “But shouldn’t we help while he’s still fighting?” another warrior questioned.

  “You dare go against your master’s pn?” the dryad shot back.

  Right now, all of us involved in the green dragon subjugation are waiting outside the mountain where the dragon usually rests. We’ve been ordered to remain at a distance so as not to alert it—dragons are known for their sharp senses.

  The pn is for our lord to engage the green dragon alone and weaken it as much as possible. As his servant, I can’t help but worry. His opponent is a seasoned adult dragon, over two hundred years old. Compared to that, my lord’s age is still young.

  At first, his confidence and boldness gave us hope—maybe he really could hold his ground against the dragon. But as I prepared myself to trust in him fully, I realized the depth of the risk. My lord isn’t just a savior—he's a compassionate leader. He blessed my tribe with his protection and formed an alliance with the dryads, guardians of the tree nymphs. He accepted this dangerous request in exchange for access to their resources—food, herbs, and rare seasonings. And instead of keeping them to himself, he shared them freely to his people.

  That’s the kind of person he is—not just a powerful figure, but a true leader. As his loyal servant, the only thing I can do now is believe in him.

  “My lord will be alright,” I murmured, almost without realizing.

  The others turned to look at me, stunned. Unlike them, I have unwavering faith in our lord. If he says he can do it, then all we can do is trust him. To doubt his word would be unthinkable and deeply disrespectful.

  I understand—they were just recently appointed as his servants, chosen by the elders. They’re still adjusting to this reality. So I won’t rebuke them. Not yet.

  Suddenly, a tremor shook the ground—it came from the mountain where my lord had gone, the resting pce of the green dragon.

  “The battle has begun! Warriors, stay alert and be ready to move the moment we receive the signal!” I shouted, my voice echoing with authority. As my lord’s first chosen servant, I was granted the honor of leading the warriors of my tribe.

  “Yeah!” they responded in unison, their voices filled with resolve.

  “Fufu~ On behalf of my people, thank you for offering your strength to aid us,” the dryad said warmly. Her sincere gratitude took the warriors by surprise—they hadn’t expected such heartfelt words from a figure as legendary as her.

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  My battle with the green dragon raged on. The interior of the cave had been completely reshaped by the force of our cshes. Its wind bdes tore through stone, leaving deep gouges in the walls. Fortunately, most of its attacks missed—I moved swiftly and fluidly through the terrain, my smaller body giving me a clear advantage in maneuverability. In contrast, the dragon’s massive frame worked against it, making it harder for it to nd a clean hit. My strikes, on the other hand, nded with precision.

  “Still hanging in there, old-timer?” I taunted as I dodged another one of its attacks.

  “You insolent brat!! Don’t get cocky! One swipe of my cw and I’ll crush you like the bug you are!!” it roared in the dragon tongue.

  This is exactly why hybrids like them struggle to communicate with other races—dragons speak their own nguage, one only they can truly understand. To anyone else, it’s just a series of guttural growls and thunderous roars. Only their actions give context.

  But I’m different. As a superior dragon of primordial descent, I’m capable of speaking the common tongue through magical means. Maybe it’s tied to my reincarnation—it's the only expnation I’ve come up with so far.

  “Heh~ then go ahead and try,” I mocked again, dodging effortlessly. “I’m faster than you.”

  “You!! I’ll rip that cheeky mouth off your face!!” it bellowed, charging toward me in a burst of fury.

  Clearly, my taunts were working. The dragon’s movements grew more aggressive, fueled by rage. As I mentioned before, green dragons, descendants of the wind dragon lineage, are unmatched in aerial speed. Blessed by the wind itself, they rule the skies. But here, in the confines of a cave, that speed was useless—and being mocked by a so-called hatchling only made things worse for it. It was losing control.

  “Heh~ Just another brainless beast, relying on strength gained from centuries of slumber,” I thought to myself.

  The more I understood my opponent’s simplistic fighting style, the more confident I became. I might not even need to exhaust it as pnned—I could win outright. My provocations clearly struck a nerve, sending it into a frenzy. I get it, though. Dragons are feared for their overwhelming power, and no one dares to challenge them. But if people took the time to observe and think logically, they’d realize dragons are little more than arrogant lizards, drunk on the power they gained by doing nothing but sleep and wait.

  Time continued to pass, and with each csh, the entire cave trembled from the force of our blows. I had taken some damage from its wind bdes—shallow cuts covered my body, blood seeping from them—but none were deep enough to slow me down. The green dragon, however, was in worse condition. Old wounds had reopened, and scorch marks from my fireballs now marred its scales.

  Green dragons are incredibly fast in open spaces, but that speed comes at a cost—they ck strong defenses. If my opponent had been a battle-hardened green dragon, it would’ve already retreated from this unforgiving terrain, recognizing it as a disadvantage. But this one was too simple-minded to realize that, and now it was too te.

  “GRAAH!! How?! How am I losing to this brat?!” it bellowed in rage, finally starting to understand that the tide of battle had shifted in my favor.

  “Maybe it’s because you’ve got a bird-brain,” I taunted, deliberately trying to ignite its fury once more—clouding its thoughts was part of my pn.

  In my world, it’s uncommon to use taunts as a combat strategy. But I’ve found that provoking your enemy can be incredibly effective. A distracted mind forgets its training, abandons tactics, and gives in to raw emotion. And as you already know, dragons are especially vulnerable to this—they despise being mocked or belittled, and it drives them into reckless rage.

  “Hmph, don’t think you’ve won, insolent brat!” the dragon growled, trying to save face. “I was already injured before you arrived. I have more important matters to attend to, so I’ll be taking my leave.”

  A weak excuse—clearly an attempt to preserve its pride now that it realized the battle wasn’t in its favor.

  “A loser’s excuse, huh?” I replied, voice ced with mockery. “Just admit you’re running with your tail between your legs—beaten by a mere hatchling.”

  “You!! This is a strategic retreat!” it roared, though its tone betrayed its desperation. It was obvious—it wanted to flee.

  And I can’t let that happen i thought in my head

  “Do you really think I’ll let you walk out of here?” I said coldly. My tone shifted from pyful mockery to deadly seriousness. I had made my decision—this dragon would fall by my hands. My blood boiled with battle spirit, and deep inside, I knew there was more at stake than just pride. I had a reason for not letting it escape.

  “No? But I already figured you wouldn’t let me leave,” the dragon said calmly, its arrogance fading into understanding. “You've been using this terrain to your advantage for some time now. I see it clearly—I’m not suited for close-quarters combat. Without the open skies and the wind on my side, my power is limited.”

  It had finally come to terms with the situation—its earlier rage clouding its judgment was now repced by crity.

  As expected, dragons are intelligent creatures. When they focus their minds, they can learn and adapt rapidly. Whether it was desperation or instinct, this one had quickly assessed its weakness. One thing was certain—dragons are not to be underestimated.

  After making that decration, the green dragon spread its wings wide. At first, I thought it was posturing. But I quickly realized it was preparing something far more dangerous—an ability it had once used to attack the dryad sanctuary, the same move it used to escape their grasp.

  “That attack…!” I gasped. I hadn’t noticed that its wings had already regenerated. It must’ve prioritized healing them, knowing how crucial they are to its supremacy in battle.

  A violent gust began to swirl around the cave. The air shifted rapidly as debris was pulled into a spiraling vortex. Massive boulders were lifted and shredded to pieces. The wind roared with power as a devastating tornado took form—conjured by the green dragon at the peak of its fury.

  “A tornado strong enough to tear through anything in its path… I didn’t think it still had this kind of strength after everything we’ve thrown at each other…”

  “Now, behold my true power and be torn to shreds, you insolent brat!!” it bellowed as it unleashed its ultimate technique—a signature ability of the wind dragon bloodline.

  My vision turned bck as the tornado ripped through the cave. The ceiling colpsed, the support pilrs crumbled, and the very mountain groaned under the force of the attack.