A Life-or-Death Escape 1

As time passed, Ryan finally reached the edge of the light and entered the interior of Blade's Edge Cliff. What greeted his eyes was a vast open area, about several dozen meters wide. The sound of trickling water was clear and pleasant, and the ground was covered with lush plants. The entire place was shrouded in mist, creating the illusion of a world separate from the outside, as if it was a hidden paradise.

Ryan couldn't help but marvel at the sight in front of him, never expecting such a hidden gem to exist here.

Ahead of him, in the center of a pond, floated a water-blue, diamond-shaped crystal about the size of a palm. Its radiant glow illuminated the entire space.

Just as Ryan was about to ask Silver Moon if this was the Water Spirit Crystal he was looking for, he noticed that Silver Moon had already positioned herself in a corner of the cave, leisurely sipping from a wine cup, completely absorbed in herself.

Seeing this, Ryan gritted his teeth and cursed inwardly, "Damn, here I am sneaking around like a dog, and you're out here drinking wine like it's nothing. What a jerk."

Silver Moon, seemingly unfazed, casually nodded towards the crystal, confirming that it was indeed the Water Spirit Crystal.

Once he got the confirmation, Ryan didn't hesitate. He activated Phantom Step and, with a few swift movements, reached the edge of the pond. His eyes locked onto the crystal, and he leaped over the pond, extending his hand to grab the Water Spirit Crystal, securing it tightly. With a quick turn of his body, he landed in front of Silver Moon, grinning broadly and shaking the crystal in front of her.

Now that he had what he came for, Ryan knew it was time to leave. However, before he could turn to leave, he noticed Silver Moon's expression change. She covered her face with one hand and shook her head, a strange smile curling on her lips.

Before Ryan could even react to the situation, a powerful gust of wind suddenly blew from behind him. Instinctively, he dodged to the side.

Just as he moved, he heard a loud bang, and the spot he had just vacated was turned into a deep pit. A cold sweat broke out on Ryan's back as he realized how close he had come to danger. Silver Moon had disappeared, and he was now alone.

He turned around to find a snake-like creature, over three meters long, hovering mid-air, glaring down at him. Its tail was thrashing the ground fiercely.

The creature was deep blue, its small, dense scales glistening faintly with silver light. It had a single horn on its head, and sharp spines protruded along its neck and back. Its large, pointed head had rows of small, sharp teeth, and its blood-red eyes were positioned on either side of its head. As it breathed, mist spewed from its mouth, occasionally accompanied by dark liquid dripping from the corners of its mouth, giving it a terrifying, menacing appearance.

Ryan's heart raced as his legs nearly buckled beneath him. He had never encountered a creature like this before.

"Damn it, I knew I was going to run into trouble! This must be the demon beast Silver Moon was talking about—the demon dragon!" Ryan cursed to himself.

Meanwhile, Silver Moon, who seemed to be enjoying the show, was casually sitting on a rock, sipping from her wine cup and letting out a series of high-pitched, mocking laughs. She appeared to be thoroughly entertained by the situation.

Although Ryan could see Silver Moon, the demon dragon didn't seem to notice her at all. It was solely focused on Ryan, its gaze filled with fury, and it emitted a low, growling sound from its throat.

Anger surged through Ryan as he cursed silently, "I can't believe it. I had a shred of hope left for Silver Moon, but that's all gone now."

Realizing that he had no way of defeating the creature, Ryan decided to make a run for it. "When danger strikes, everyone looks out for themselves," he thought, as he took off towards the cave's exit without even bothering to check if Silver Moon was following him.

The demon dragon pursued closely behind, and Ryan could feel its presence growing nearer with every passing moment. He gritted his teeth and pushed forward, trying to reach the narrow exit where he could use the confined space to his advantage.

But just as he thought he had gained some ground, the demon dragon's body suddenly shrank, allowing it to follow him effortlessly.

"What the hell? No one told me it could change size!" Ryan cursed, now in even greater despair.

As the demon dragon shrank, its speed increased, and in just a few breaths, it was right behind Ryan, its enormous mouth open, ready to bite him.

In his panic, a dagger suddenly appeared in Ryan's hand, the very weapon Silver Moon had given him—Parasitic.

Without thinking, Ryan turned and swung the dagger at the demon dragon's head. A flash of dark green light shot out from the blade, and the sound of metal clashing rang out. Both the demon dragon and Ryan were knocked backward, sent tumbling through the air.

Before Ryan could even land, he felt something wrap around his body and yank him back towards the pond. His body crashed into the ground with a painful thud, and a mouthful of blood shot from his mouth.

The demon dragon was also groaning in pain, a deep gash visible along its lower jaw. Dark green blood was flowing freely from the wound.

Ryan groggily stood up, still holding the dagger, and stared down the demon dragon.

The demon dragon, now in its smaller form, eyed the dagger with clear wariness, not daring to make a move. For a brief moment, both Ryan and the demon dragon locked eyes, the tension between them palpable.

Suddenly, the demon dragon let out an angry roar, and its body began to swell again, rapidly growing to a length of five or six meters. Two sharp claws sprouted from its chest, making it even more menacing.

Ryan, feeling the pressure of the situation, cursed aloud, "Seriously? This thing keeps changing size! How am I supposed to deal with this?" He tightened his grip on the dagger, ready to face whatever the demon dragon threw at him next.