Chapter 192 - 154 One Bright One Dark_1

Chapter 192: Chapter 154 One Bright One Dark_1"Can I really leave?" Shanoba asked, a bit incredulous. Was her captor really letting her go so easily? "Really, just pass through this portal, and you will be free." "I can really go, I really can leave..." Shanoba mumbled as she tentatively moved her feet. The Half-Elf, the Elf, and the Red Copper Dragon just watched her; none of them made any move to stop her. It was only then that Shanoba realized how wildly wrong her previous assumptions had been. This Half-Elf here held absolute sway over everything, including the Red Copper Dragon, which was completely obedient to him. But one question continued to elude her understanding. If the Half-Elf had already tamed the Red Copper Dragon, why had he hung below it instead of riding upon the dragon saddle? Testing the waters, Shanoba walked through the Dragon Oak Portal and emerged at the summit of Eagle Cliff. Looking up at the azure sky, Shanoba couldn’t help but let out a roar, seemingly venting the dissatisfaction that had built up inside her. She threw her clothes aside, transformed into a wyvern, and took to the sky, flying toward the western Rocklands. Only a fool would take on such a thankless task. The Santarin Association was no group of idiots; drawing their ire wouldn’t make for a good life either. The smartest decision right now was to run as far away as possible, to steer clear of this mess, and to never cross paths with that damned Half-Elf demon again. How would he control her then? Yet, even now, Shanoba couldn’t understand what kind of poison or magic he had used to achieve such a peculiar effect. ... No sooner had Shanoba left than the agitated Young Red Copper Dragon asked eagerly, "Gaven, Gaven, how did you do it just now?" Both Aivensa and Virginia were full of questions and curiosity, as the glint in Virginia’s eyes also betrayed her bewilderment. Her mind brimmed with curiosity. She couldn’t figure out how Gaven managed to control a wyvern, unlike the Command Spell, which didn’t directly control an enemy’s actions. She hadn’t sensed the slightest energy fluctuation, whether magical or a Special Ability. Most importantly, Gaven had come to her for help at Spring Bud Fortress earlier because he was at his wits’ end. How did he come up with a scheme she couldn’t understand in the blink of an eye? Gaven shrugged and said, "Didn’t I explain just now? I didn’t give her an ordinary Dragon Blood Potion. It was a Control-Type Dragon Blood Potion with a special ingredient." "Liar, Gaven is a liar, Gaven is a big liar," Aivensa called out loudly. "That was a potion made from my blood, just a normal Dragon Blood Potion without any other ingredients." "Alright, alright, you caught me," Gaven conceded, giving Virginia a meaningful look. "Actually, just now your Sister Virginia was playing along with me, controlling her. It wasn’t me, it was Sister Virginia." Aivensa stared skeptically at Gaven for several seconds, then turned to Virginia and asked, "Really?" Behind Aivensa, Gaven was winking and gesturing with his hands pressed together. Virginia felt somewhat amused by the relationship between this man and dragon; they were quite the team as she covered for him, "Really, just a few Command Spells, and that woman was fooled." "Boring," Aivensa deflated, muttering under her breath, "I really thought there was something that could control others!" Virginia gently reminded Gaven on the side, "Aren’t you afraid that this pawn of yours will simply not listen to you and run away?" "By now, she should be about to return. Wait for me for a moment, I’ll go out to welcome her," Gaven excused himself and stepped through the Dragon Oak Portal. The moment he showed up at Eagle Cliff, he saw Shanoba, transformed into a wyvern, wobbling back. Her movements were incredibly stiff, as if unseen strings held her aloft, and the fury in her eyes was about to erupt. At the sight of Gaven’s smug face, her rage dissipated, replaced by an endless dread. This devil was toying with her, demonstrating through his actions that no matter how far she fled, she could not escape his manipulation. "I forgot to tell you something earlier: I don’t need to be face-to-face to control you. So, don’t harbor any illusions of escape. Simply do the task I’ve given you, as that is your only way out," Gaven’s voice was even-tempered as he made his most vicious threat, "Even in death, your soul won’t go to the deity you worship but will return to me." At his last words, Shanoba, having regained control of her body, shuddered involuntarily, nearly tumbling out of the sky. Deep down, she knew the truth in Gaven’s words. What kind of devil had the Santarin Association provoked? You involved yourself with this devil, but why drag me into it? Since it was you who put me in this spot first, don’t blame me for playing you in return. This time, Shanoba didn’t even ask; she simply turned around and flew off into the distance. Because he didn’t allow her to go, she simply could not leave. The Dog Demon Andrew yawned as he stepped out of the shadows. He truly wanted to make an appearance and tell this junior not to think of any cunning tricks. Just honestly accept your fate, fulfill the task given by the senior, and then you will discover that the future is vast and wonderful. If you are intent on resisting, or want to cause trouble, you will find that your current master is even more ferocious than a Demon Lord, even craftier than a Devil Lord. "You have a lot of free time?" Gaven glanced at the Dog Demon from the corner of his eye. Andrew’s second yawn was abruptly halted, and he replied with renewed vigor, "Always ready for the master’s tasks. Should I follow her to keep an eye on things?" After a moment of consideration, Gaven nodded, "Go, same rules, report every two days, and without my permission, do not make direct contact with her." The Dog Demon had both the capability and intelligence. Since signing the Soul Enslavement Contract with Vick, it had completed the tasks given to it with near perfection. Having spent much more time by Gaven’s side than by Vick’s, there was no opportunity to tempt Vick to fall. In Gaven’s presence, it never dared to speak more than necessary. Not only at the beginning was it frightened by the rough treatment, but because it dealt with the most secretive affairs around Gaven, it knew how ruthless and fierce Gaven was. Behaving like an obedient working dog was the wisest option. To the uninitiated, it seemed nothing more than a Zuo Lang pet that Gaven kept. However, the title of devil was too notorious, and Gaven never dared to trust it too much. After all, their betrayals came without any burden of conscience. "Understood." The Dog Demon nodded sagely, "She’s the overt operative, and I’m the covert one. As long as she acts according to the plan, I’ll just watch and not interfere." Talking with someone smart made things simple and convenient. Gaven waved dismissively, "Go ahead!" The Dog Demon scurried off, chasing after the Wyvern. Compared to staying by Gaven’s side, the Dog Demon preferred to be on missions; at least there was a bit of freedom. As for whether the Dog Demon could track down a flying Shanoba, Gaven wasn’t too worried—he wasn’t just any ordinary Zuo Lang, but a true Dog Demon. His informants were scattered throughout every nook and cranny of Dragon Oak Territory—every wild wolf was his subordinate. Sёarᴄh the ηovёlFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. After Gaven’s persistent meddling and regulation, this Dragonborn named Shanoba had clearly lost the will to flee. After leaving Eagle Cliff, she took the High Road and kept searching along the way, presumably for traces of the Santarin Association. The Dog Demon easily caught up to her. To seek out the middle-aged woman who appeared in Old Axe Village, Shanoba definitely had no clues, but the other party had left her a lead, that scout who helped to guide her. That person was probably still in the same place because in total, she had been delayed less than half a day. Without experiencing it personally, she could hardly imagine that she had been captured, released, and played with all in the span of clapping hands. Shanoba had already noticed the guide before, but not wanting to get too entangled with the Santarin Association, she had simply ignored them. The methods of the other party were simple and practical. They had stationed a caravan at the edge of the High Road. In the space encircled by the wagons, white pebbles formed the nickname she had in Old Axe Village, "Fire Hair." Shanoba swaggered around the caravan before landing on the outskirts, reverting to dragon form. She used her black dragon wings as clothes, wrapping herself up. Indeed, it took only a few seconds before someone darted swiftly towards her from the caravan. It wasn’t the guide, but the middle-aged woman who had appeared in Old Axe Village. The woman was fast on the road; catching up so quickly suggested a likely possibility that she had a flying mount. The middle-aged woman’s harsh face was filled with clear dissatisfaction, "You went to Blackwell on your own? Why didn’t you meet up as arranged?" Obviously, the woman had planted informants in the Blackwell Tribe, and news of the Wyvern’s circuit had already reached her ears. "What difference does it make?" Shanoba appeared impatient, "If I could find Blackwell myself, why would I need to meet up with your people? You have the nerve to ask me when you didn’t even inform me that the Blackwell Tribe was armed with ballistae and catapults? They even captured Gnolls. If I wasn’t cautious, those Gnolls would have shot me down." The woman’s rigid face flashed with a hint of embarrassment, "I had no idea they had so many ballistae... Those traders, for a bit of petty profit, are absolutely insensate..." "They may be crazy, but is the Santarin Association any less so? Heh... If the price is right, you’d sell Fireball Spell Wands to Goblins..." Shanoba’s cold laughter rang out, "You even dare to call yourselves the Dark Intelligence Net, and you can’t even grasp basic information about your enemy. When planning against others, do you know that Eagle Cliff, just over a dozen kilometers away, is also under the Blackwell Tribe? Just now, I almost suffered a big defeat there." The pinnacle of lies is nine truths mingled with one falsehood. After spilling important information about the Blackwell Tribe, she immediately dispelled the middle-aged woman’s doubts, who was somewhat astonished, "They’ve expanded so quickly?" "What’s so surprising? Gnolls have always been turncoats, siding with the strongest. With the booming business of the Blackwell Tribe, they certainly don’t lack food or equipment. It’s easy for them to merge with a large Gnoll Tribe. Now I’m beginning to doubt your identity. Are you truly from the Santarin Association? The so-called Dark Intelligence Net that claims to have spies everywhere? How come you don’t know anything? You even provoke others, almost dragging me down with you!" With some resignation, the middle-aged woman said, "The Blackwell Tribe is a bit peculiar; they are all Gnolls, living and eating together, with most staying within their mine caves, rarely coming out. It’s hard for outsiders to infiltrate." "Isn’t that easy? Just find someone who knows the Alter Self spell, turn into a Gnoll, or directly charm one." "We tried that. Several shapeshift spy creatures sneaked in, but to this day, not a single one has come out, and there have been no deaths. It’s very likely they are trapped in the mines, mining away." The woman’s demeanor grew even more bitter. "Those ordinary Gnolls know very little, their concerns are limited to eating, drinking, mining, and Dragon Seeking Meditation. As for the Gnoll leaders, they either stay sequestered or are always escorted by a horde of Gnolls. There’s never an opportunity to act, clearly, they are on guard." Thinking of her own master’s methods, Shanoba really wanted to tell the middle-aged woman to be more confident and to remove the word "possibly" because her spies were not only mining for them but also probably in the deepest parts of the cave.