Not-So an Extra

—Boom! —Boom! —Boom!

The trees behind them erupted into splinters upon impact, showering Adrian with fragments of wood as he landed. Quickly sprang to his feet, he commenced sprinting.

Sensing a presence, Adrian glanced sideways and spotted a Uxing lunging toward him, its claws poised to attack. Before it could reach him, Fredinand sank beside Adrian and swiftly brandished his sword.

"Rooaarr!!"

The Uxing let out a piercing wail as its body cleaved vertically, green blood splashing across Fredinand's mask and clothes.

"Thank you!" Adrian expressed his gratitude without breaking his stride.

The man nodded in acknowledgment and leaped to the nearest branch to resume his task.

Just as Adrian refocused to the forefront, a Magic Circle formed in front of the Elementalist Orc, hurtling lightning streaks in his direction, compelling him to zigzag between the bolts to avoid the deadly onslaught.

—Boom! —Boom! —Boom!

His previous foothold erupted into a flurry of debris and dust, leaving small craters scattered across the ground. Chanting inwardly, Adrian waved his sword, unleashing a barrage of wind blades toward the Orc.

"Kekeke." Yet, the Elementalist Orc just chuckled before invoking five layers of barriers around itself.

—Boom! —Boom! —Boom!

The floor exploded as the shield deflected Adrian's Magic, dispersing plumes of dirt swirling into the air.

However, the Orc's smug expression faded when a looming shadow cast over it from behind. Turning around, the Orc beheld a massive earthen wall, ready to stamp it.

Reacting frantically, the Orc quickly dismissed the shields and jumped backward, narrowly evading the impending wall. As it landed on the ground, a searing wave of excruciating pain shot through its body, momentarily paralyzing it in agony. Glancing downward, the Orc saw a sword lancing through its chest, verdant blood seeping from the wound.

Without delay, Adrian pulled his sword and swung it horizontally at the Orc's nape.

"Rooarr!!"

Letting out a gut-wrenching cry, the Elemental Orc desperately clawed at the back of its head in a futile attempt to stop the bleeding before ultimately collapsing with a loud thud, motionless.

While his Magic had indeed decreased, at least his SS-rank incantation remained useful, particularly for distracting the enemy.

Sensing an imminent attack, Adrian sidestepped, allowing two Uxings to pass by his left flank.

"Growwll!!" Landed on the ground, the Uxings swiftly pivoted to face him before charging forward.

Adrian, witnessing their approach, flicked his fingers, releasing wind bullets toward them. However, the Uxings deftly evaded the bolts with agile movements.

—Boom! —Boom! —Boom!

The ground behind the creatures erupted, forming craters and stirring dust into the air.

The moment the distance shrank, the Uxings lunged forward, only to collide with an earthen wall that abruptly appeared between them.

"Rraaggh!!" With a crunching sound, the Uxings recoiled from the collision and plummeted to the ground, leaving a green smear on the barrier.

Upon recovering from their momentary stun, the monsters attempted to rise, but a looming shadow drew their gaze upward. There, they found the earthen wall poised to crush them. Scrambling to their feet, the Uxings darted desperately to evade, but it was too late.

—Boom!

The wall slammed down, pulverizing them beneath it and splattering green chunks of flesh onto the ground.

Swiftly redirecting his gaze to the battlefield, Adrian saw Mathias dispatching the last standing Orc.

"Rooarr!"

With a deafened cry, the Orc crashed to the floor, sending tremors through the earth and kicking up a cloud of dust, marking the end of their battle.

Once the clamor of battle subsided and the tension dissipated, the knights breathed sighs of relief and sheathed their weapons. Nevertheless, their duties were far from over.

"Treat the injured knights, and the rest can help gather the monsters' bodies!" Mathias' commanding voice cut through the commotion.

"Yes, Sir!" The knights replied in unison, quickly splitting into two groups to carry out the directive.

The monsters' body parts were valuable resources for crafting armor, weapons, and various other items, serving as one of the Lancaster family's sources of income.

"Your Highness."

Adrian turned to the familiar voice and found Fredinand approaching. Bowing respectfully, the man continued, "Your Highness, please abstain from using your Magic. It's not conducive to your well-being. Should the situation escalate, I will be there to assist you."

Due to the crack in his Mana Pool, Adrian could only access 30% of his Mana. There was a time when he used half of his Mana, and the outcome was disastrous. Overwhelmed by excruciating pain, he coughed up blood and eventually fainted for a whole day.

Adrian nodded, "I understand. Thank you for the reminder."

Nonetheless, despite his efforts, it was difficult for Adrian to break free from the habit of using Magic, considering his lifelong reliance on it.

Just as Fredinand was about to speak, a colossal shadow enveloped the surroundings, prompting everyone to cease their actions and look skyward.

"RROOAARR!!"

Above them, flying between the drifting clouds, was a white dragon.

A hush fell over the knights, their hearts racing with awe and trepidation. Some instinctively tightened their grips on their swords, while others took a step back, their eyes wide with disbelief at the sight before them.

In contrast to the silence that engulfed the clearing, the forest echoed with the shrieks of monsters bolting away in the distance.

Fixating his cerulean eyes on the dragon hovering in the sky, Adrian clicked his tongue in amazement. So the rumor about a dragon living in the Forest of Death was true, huh?

"The hunt is called off! Drop all tasks! We're heading back now!" Mathias' order cut through the silence, snapping the onlookers back to reality.

"Y-yes, Sir!" The knights chorused.

Removing his eyes from the dragon, Adrian shared a knowing look with Fredinand before hurrying toward their steeds, and so did everyone.

Given the dragon's EX-rank status, added with fewer than 40 knights present, engaging it would be tantamount to suicide. Adrian thought that his uncle's decision was the wisest course of action.

With urgency driving them, the knights spurred their horses into a swift gallop through the dense forest, ensuring they remained hidden. Amidst the flurry of activity, Adrian stole a peek at his uncle, noticing that Mathias was busy contacting the other party to inform them of the hunt's cancellation.

"RROOAARR!!"

As a thunderous roar reverberated throughout the forest, accompanied by a looming shadow that once again cast upon them, the knights reflexively raised their eyes upward, only to witness the dragon rapidly hurtling in their direction.

—Boom!

With a ground-shaking impact, the dragon's colossal form crashed onto the earth, sending shockwaves rippling through the ground beneath them, unleashing a powerful gush of wind and dust billowing into the area.

Startled, the horses neighed in alarm, their hooves skidding against the ground as they abruptly halted, struggling to maintain their footing amidst the upheaval.

The moment the dust began to settle, a palpable tension hung in the air, broken only by the sound of heavy breathing and the occasional snort of a frightened steed. The knights watched trepidation as a massive shadow engulfed them, their eyes widening with astonishment.

Standing in front of them was a white dragon with menacing blue eyes.