Chapter 149: A Narrow Escape from Death

"Fool, don't go throwing your life away!"

The familiar reprimand echoed in his ears. Joann turned around in a daze, staring blankly at the fey lady who had appeared beside him out of nowhere, too astonished to speak.

"It's too dangerous here, come with me!"

Lianan waved her hand hurriedly, and a radiant burst of magic sparked beneath her feet. Like an orange fountain erupting toward the heavens, it enveloped both her and Joann, causing them to vanish into thin air just moments before the drakonid on the opposite side could unleash her breath weapon. A surging wave of flames followed instantly, scorching the spot where the two had been standing until not a single blade of grass remained.

In that brief, dizzying moment, Joann felt a sudden flash of light before his eyes. He found himself back beside the clear spring where he had encountered Lianan Syde not long ago. The crystal-clear water gurgled as it flowed, surrounded by lush, shady trees, the singing of birds, and the fragrance of flowers—a scene of utter peace. There were no drakonids and no ferocious dragons; the harrowing brush with death felt like nothing more than a nightmare.

Seeing him dazed and lost in thought, Lianan's eyes revealed a faint trace of sympathy. "I'm sorry, but by the time I heard the drakonid's roar, it was already too late. I could only save you from danger; I couldn't save your horse."

Joann considered himself lucky to have escaped with his life, thanking the gods for their favor. He dared not expect any more from Lianan and expressed his heartfelt gratitude to her.

Lianan waved her hand dismissively and said, "The drakonid wouldn't dare trespass on my territory. You can rest safely here."

Joann nodded with a troubled mind and couldn't help asking out of curiosity, "Was that monster that chased me just now a drakonid?"

"Indeed, that's the monster with its head where its rump ought to be," Lianan said with a look of disgust.

Despite having just narrowly escaped death and still reeling from the shock, Joann was almost moved to laughter by her remark. Recalling the drakonid's bizarre appearance, the description "head growing out of its backside" sounded somewhat vicious, yet remarkably apt.

"A drakonid's heart is as twisted as her body. She often conceals her dragon-like lower half beneath the water, exposing only a torso resembling a naked maiden to lure travelers passing by the Great Serpent Waterfall. If anyone is foolish enough to believe they've had the good fortune of meeting a beauty and are about to embark on a romantic adventure, they little realize they are walking straight to their doom. In the end, they are dragged into the water by the drakonid, brutally murdered, and turned into her fine meal." Lianan glanced at Joann, a faint smile touching the corners of her lips. "You are the only man in all these years who hasn't been seduced by the drakonid. It shows your willpower is far firmer than that of ordinary people."

Joann lowered his head and rubbed the back of his neck in silence. He thought to himself that had it not been for his aberrant heritage, he probably wouldn't have escaped the drakonid's charm either.

Lianan walked over to the spring, seated herself gracefully upon a large boulder, and gently combed her fiery red hair, which cascaded over her shoulders, with her fingertips. She murmured softly, "Neither the drakonid nor I have absolute certainty of killing the other, so we've lived in relative peace all these years—until three days ago, when she took advantage of my absence to sneak in and poison the water sprite. Such an act is tantamount to a declaration of war against me. Unfortunately, I lack a reliable weapon at the moment, so I must swallow this grievance for now and settle accounts with her when the opportunity arises."

Hearing Lianan's words, Joann felt an even greater sense of guilt. Had he not destroyed Lianan's pair of daggers, leaving her unable to perform the "Dance of Steel," her situation would not have been so passive.

Gratitude and guilt surged alternately within Joann's heart, prompting him to retrieve the lightning blade. He presented it along with its scabbard to the fey lady with both hands, blushing as he asked her to accept it as a token of gratitude for saving his life.

Lianan glanced at the lightning blade, then scrutinized the blushing young wizard for a long moment, a smile blooming in her charming hazel eyes.

Holding the lightning blade suspended in his outstretched hands, Joann felt awkwardly at a loss for what to do. Every second felt as long as a century. After a prolonged silence, Lianan finally chuckled aloud and reached out to take the lightning blade, releasing him from his predicament at last.

Lianan toyed with the lightning blade and asked Joann with apparent casualness, "Little wizard, you don't seem accustomed to dealing with strangers."

"Indeed I'm not," Joann said, scratching his head sheepishly.

The fey lady giggled, finding this innocent young wizard rather amusing. Joann, however, saw nothing funny about it; when he thought of how his afternoon journey had been wasted and his precious mount lost, a heavy gloom settled over his heart.

After she finished laughing, Lianan returned the lightning blade to Joann. "Little wizard, the enchanting craftsmanship on this dagger is quite out of the ordinary. Who helped you craft it?"

"I made it myself," Joann answered truthfully.

"Oh, really?" Lianan raised an eyebrow in surprise. "If you truly possess such enchanting skills, could you help me make two identical daggers?"

"The enchanting process isn't difficult, but right now I neither have sufficient time nor the enchanting materials," Joann said honestly.

"Where are you rushing off to?"

"Before April first, I need to reach Leyton Port to attend the freshman orientation ceremony at Leyton Academy." Joann let out a depressed sigh. Today was already March 30th, and he had encountered too many unexpected delays on the road. Even if his black foal were to be resurrected, he wouldn't make it to Leyton Port before the semester started. He wondered if he would be punished by the school authorities for arriving late.

"So you're headed to Leyton Port. That makes things simple." Lianan smiled in relief. "I am quite familiar with Leyton Port. I can cast a spell to send you there, ensuring you won't miss your important business. As for the enchanting materials, just name whatever you need, and I will find a way to gather them."

"First of all, of course, I'll need two daggers to enchant. After that, I'll need arcane crystal dust as a magical stabilizer. I carry the rest of the tools with me." Joann pondered for a moment before adding, "Enchanting the two daggers will require at least four ounces of arcane crystal powder."

"Is that all?" Lianan asked, finding it hard to believe.

"That's all," Joann replied with confidence.

"Very well, then let me witness your enchanting skills."

Lianan stood up and cast a spell. A magical vortex stirred before her, countless threads of the Weave curling and intertwining to form a warped, glowing doorway of distorted space, its interior pitch-black and deep. As Joann looked into it, his vision seemed swallowed by the darkness, unable to discern the scenery on the other side of the door.

"Let's go!" Lianan took Joann's hand and stepped through the glowing doorway. Their figures vanished into thin air, instantly teleporting to the front of a small wooden cabin deep in the dense forest, covered in purple morning glories and orange-red nasturtiums.

Vares Monster Manual: Drakonid

A drakonid is a deceptive predator with the upper body of a woman and the lower body of a green-scaled dragon. It does not enjoy mingling with its own kind, choosing instead to share ideas with evil fey and enticing ordinary snakes to serve as mates.

The lair of a drakonid is located in a cavern near calm waters, adorned with glittering coins, jewelry, and silk. Sometimes a drakonid scatters some of its treasure into the water outside the lair to lure curious humanoids. They will also bathe with their humanoid half exposed above the water, concealing the dragon-headed half until the prey enters striking range. Because drakonids can breathe both above and below water, they typically drag their prey into the depths to drown them. The flesh of humanoids is their absolute favorite, though they will accept the meat of any warm-blooded creature without hesitation.

Drakonids are fond of music, and when casting spells, they accompany them with song or rhythmic scale-friction.