Chapter 171: Devout Believer

EeDechi stashed the stone golem into the Constructs Storage Box.

A tall dragonborn woman strode toward them, her back adorned with tough, azure dragon scales. Her sleek tail curled and swayed with each step, and her two muscular hands sported curved, razor-sharp claws.

Her face had the delicate contours of a human, but her skin was a vivid azure, and her eyes gleamed with strange, golden, slitted pupils. If you ignored the draconic traits, she was strikingly beautiful.

EeDechi figured this dragonborn woman would probably gush with tearful gratitude. After all, it was their trio of adventurers who had raided the lizardmen tribe, giving her the chance to slip away from the altar and avoid having her heart ripped out as a sacrifice to the Dragon Progenitor.

Sure enough, the dragonborn woman dropped to her knees. She tilted her head skyward, arms outstretched, and cried out:

"Great Dragon Progenitor above, thank you for sparing my life and granting me the chance to live on! I understand now—you've set my fate back on its true path. My purpose is not yet fulfilled!"

EeDechi: "???"

It was clearly their trio that had stormed the lizardmen tribe and unleashed the Constructs golem to squash the lizardmen shaman flat. Yet the first thing this dragonborn did after being saved was thank some cryptic Dragon Progenitor?

Sure, EeDechi wasn't one to chase after praise, but this dragonborn was straight-up spouting nonsense with her eyes wide open. Did she forget that the whole reason she was tied to that altar, inches from getting her life snuffed out, was because the lizardmen were hell-bent on sacrificing her to their precious Dragon Progenitor?

"Hey there, you three charming human adventurers," the dragonborn woman said with a grin, greeting EeDechi and her crew. At least she seemed to remember who'd pulled her ass out of the fire.

"Yo," Franco piped up, stepping forward eagerly, offering his pale, soft hand for a shake.

His eyes slid over the dragonborn's gorgeous face, then lingered on the curve of her azure chest, half-covered by leather armor, before dropping to her well-proportioned, muscular thighs adorned with fine azure scales.

They exchanged introductions and got acquainted. The dragonborn's name was Draevor Flame, a wanderer from the northern reaches of the continent, traveling on foot to see the world.

Her mother, wounded in the war against the Sorcerer Kingdom, was desperate to reunite with her son and rally the dragonborn and dragonkind forces. So Draevor Flame had set out to track down her little brother.

Oh, and get this—her mom was a red dragon, and her dad? A human adventurer.

EeDechi couldn't help but smirk to herself. Apparently, bold dragon-riders like Franco weren't exactly rare these days.

"So, how'd you end up nabbed by the lizardmen?" EeDechi asked, curiosity piqued.

"I let the lizardmen catch me," Draevor Flame replied, catching all three adventurers completely off guard.

"Why?" EeDechi was floored.

"I was passing through the lizardmen tribe, and they didn't dare mess with me. But I found out they were holding a ritual to sacrifice to the Dragon Progenitor. Problem was, they couldn't find a worthy offering—just some scrawny humans and satyrs—and they were freaking out that the Dragon Progenitor would be pissed.

"So I stepped up and told them to offer me as a sacrifice to the Dragon Progenitor. Figured my insignificant soul and life might bring the big guy a bit of joy."

EeDechi's eyes nearly popped out of her head. "You *do* know sacrificing yourself means dying, right? Like, getting your heart carved out and bleeding out?"

"Duh, of course I know," Draevor Flame said with a casual shrug, looking at EeDechi like she was making a big deal out of nothing. "But death's not the end. My soul and body will be consumed by the Dragon Progenitor, becoming part of its eternal existence. I'll live on forever in it."

EeDechi shook her head, completely baffled by this dragonborn's logic. After a moment's thought, she pressed on: "If you were so set on offering yourself to the Dragon Progenitor, why'd you jump off the altar and start attacking the lizardmen shaman when we stormed the tribe?"

"Because that was the Dragon Progenitor's will!" Draevor said with fervent conviction. "Your arrival was a message from the Dragon Progenitor, telling me the time wasn't right—that it wasn't my moment to die.

"Besides, this sorry bunch of dragonblood lizardmen couldn't even hold their own against you lot. They're weak as hell, not worthy of serving the Dragon Progenitor, let alone sacrificing me."

EeDechi realized this women had spun a bizarre, airtight loop of logic. Offering herself as a sacrifice? Dragon Progenitor's will. Getting saved? Also Dragon Progenitor's will. Everything under the sun boiled down to the Dragon Progenitor. Talk about a hardcore believer.

"But…" EeDechi wasn't ready to let this slide. The truth gets clearer through debate, and she was gearing up to tear into this zealot dragonborn.

Barrett clapped a hand on EeDechi's shoulder. "Don't bother arguing. You won't win. Religion's got a way of tying up all the loose ends."

EeDechi nodded, deciding to drop it. Time to move out and head back to the village they'd stayed at last, to share the good news that the lizardmen nest was toast.

"I'm looking for my brother, a gorgeous young red dragon. His wings span thirty meters, loves soaring through the skies, and his blazing dragon breath can set a whole forest on fire in a flash. You seen him?" Draevor grabbed Franco, her voice brimming with urgency.

"Sorry, my lovely dragon lady, we haven't crossed paths with any young red dragons. Maybe he's out there, tearing up the skies right now," Franco replied, striking a suave, noble pose.

"Hmm… so where you guys headed?" Draevor Flame asked.

"We're off to the Eight Greed Kings' desert to poke around some ancient ruins, hunting for lost treasure and magic," Barrett said coolly.

"I'm coming with you," Draevor said, practically buzzing with excitement. "I've already trekked through the northern and central parts of the continent, leaving my tracks all over forests and wilds. But no luck finding him in those remote spots. Maybe he's out in the Eight Greed Kings' desert, busting his scales robbing camel caravans, enslaving desert locals, or digging up the Eight Greed Kings' gold and jewels!"

"Sounds like your dear brother's not exactly a saint," EeDechi said, frowning. She flicked on her Innate Talent to check Draevor's Justice Value.

Draevor's Justice Value was a measly -61, pretty low. But Barrett chimed in, explaining that dragons were mostly a brutal, reckless bunch. For a tough, lone dragonborn like Draevor to avoid torching and looting human towns, she was already doing better than most.

The three adventurers and the dragonborn woman headed back to the village, packing up their gear and stocking up on fresh water and food. The villagers took one look at Draevor and nearly pissed themselves, bolting their doors and hiding. That pretty much backed up Barrett's take on dragonborn.

The old village chief, shaking like a leaf, welcomed EeDechi and her crew. He gifted them a hefty bundle of dried beef strips donated by the villagers, plus a dozen lake trout caught nearby, sun-dried, and salted.

The kind-hearted chief warned the adventurers that heading deeper south would lead to a barren wasteland. The ancient power of the Eight Greed Kings pulsed there, with terrifying magical storms tearing across the desert.

But one spot stood out: Moonstone Spring, a never-drying fountain that gushed clear water, forming a crescent-shaped pool. Lush pine forests grew around it, and a small village called Moonstone Hollow hugged the pool's edge—the only safe haven in the region.