Chapter 24: Sister's Sneak Attack
The third year of pregnancy.
Livia had completely grown accustomed to this lazy yet stable life.
Every day, without fail, she slept a full twenty hours. Upon waking, she would wander out unsteadily to find food. After eating her fill and patting her belly, she would fly back to her lair and immediately fall asleep again.
Occasionally, on a whim, she would fly over the Scorched Plains, looking to see if any overly bold adventurers were offering themselves up as rations and equipment donations.
Sometimes she would lie on the platform above the Lava Lake, sunbathing, only to tilt her head and fall soundly asleep mid-sun.
Other times, she would climb up to count the scratches on the cave walls, only to have her mind blank out mid-count, forcing her to sigh and start over from the beginning.
Life was as calm as the surface of the Lava Lake below, perhaps occasionally producing a few bubbles, but overall, unnervingly stable.
She had run into those three infatuated dragons from outside a few times from a distance later on.
The Bronze Dragon, Eldman, the Green Dragon, Verisis, and the Water Dragon, Tide, formed a small clique, loitering outside her volcano every day.
They wouldn't enter, but they would shout at the top of their lungs:
"Miss! Come out and say something!"
"We've been waiting for you for a full three years!"
"I re-sunned the mattress! It doesn't smell at all!"
Livia lay still and deep inside her lair, silent, feigning death until the end.
When they grew tired of shouting, the three dragons would fly away dejectedly.
After three to five days, they would return punctually to report in, cycling over and over—their persistence was enough to make a dragon speechless.
As for Talos, she never saw him face-to-face again.
The system said the 'Aura Concealment' technique had a permanent effect; her scent, dragon might, and tracks had completely vanished. No matter how powerful Talos was, he couldn't find her.
Occasionally, when she flew over the Crystal Desert, she would glimpse the rock formation hiding the pink crystal cave from afar, pausing briefly in the clouds for a second look.
But she never went down.
There was no need, and it wasn't worth the trouble.
Late that night, Livia was sleeping soundly.
It was four months into her third year of pregnancy. Her sleep was already deep and long. The three dragon eggs inside her belly had long since taken firm shape.
Occasionally, they would move slightly inside, like three small fish swimming in her abdomen.
She was long accustomed to this subtle sensation, and when she felt the eggs move in her sleep, she would just comfortably roll over and continue sleeping soundly.
Suddenly—
A sharp, bone-piercing agony exploded from the base of her left wing!
It felt as if sharp teeth had violently bitten through flesh and muscle, tearing off a chunk.
Livia instantly woke up, her eyes snapping open, vertical pupils blazing with fierce light in the darkness.
A dark figure stood steadily at the cave entrance. A pair of vertical pupils shimmered with a cold, eerie green light, carrying undisguised malice.
Caesar Torsayesumola.
Her biological younger sister (her previous name was unsuitable, so she chose a new one).
Three years had passed, and Caesar had completely grown up.
Her body length was about eighteen meters, only two meters shorter than Livia's. Her scales were a deep, dark crimson, like solidified, blackened blood, appearing fiercer than Livia's bright red.
The two horns on her head curved forward aggressively, thicker and sharper than Livia's, clearly indicating she specialized in charging and tearing.
When her wings were spread, the wing membranes bore several distinct claw marks—scars left from real battles.
At this moment, Caesar was biting fiercely into the base of Livia's left wing.
Her sharp fangs were deeply embedded in the flesh. Dark red dragon blood trickled down through the gaps in her scales, dripping onto the rock one drop at a time, making a faint but chilling ticking sound.
Livia trembled in pain and, without thinking, whipped her thick tail with all her might!
Caesar was prepared; she immediately released her bite and nimbly retreated two steps, easily dodging the heavy strike.
She stuck out her tongue and slowly licked the dragon blood smeared on the corner of her mouth, smiling both purely and venomously:
"Sister, long time no see."
Livia barely managed to prop herself up, her left wing trembling incessantly from the pain. Any slight movement felt like being cut by a knife.
She lowered her head to glance at the wound—two rows of deep fang holes, mangled flesh, and a large hole bitten right through the wing membrane, with blood still gushing out.
She slowly raised her head and stared fixedly at Caesar.
Behind Caesar, outside the cave entrance, were dense clusters of glowing green dots.
They were eyes.
Over twenty Fire Hawks, each as large as a young calf, with red feathers and yellow beaks, and claws as sharp as short daggers, squatted neatly on both sides of the passage.
Their wings were folded, their gazes locked onto Livia, just waiting for a command to swarm and kill.
Livia took a deep breath, suppressing the surging pain and fury, her voice as cold as ice:
"What are you doing here?"
Caesar tilted her head, smiling innocently, but her tone was sickeningly malicious:
"I want this volcano. Are you rolling out yourself, or should I help you roll?"
Livia remained silent for three seconds.
She knew every rock in the entrance by heart; she could navigate every bend in the passage with her eyes closed; she had tasted every small fish in the Lava Lake.
Telling her to roll?
In her dreams.
"I choose neither option.", Livia's voice was calm but carried an unshakeable firmness.
Caesar feigned disappointment and sighed, flicking her tail lightly:
"Then I guess I have to choose for you."
She raised a claw and waved it gently.
The next second, the over twenty Fire Hawks lunged forward simultaneously, like a red storm!
Livia opened her mouth and unleashed a torrent of blazing fireballs. The fireballs exploded violently in the narrow passage, instantly hitting the three Fire Hawks at the front.
Their feathers instantly scorched, and they were sent screaming backward.
But the remaining Fire Hawks charged fearlessly, encircling her from both sides, their sharp claws raking viciously at her scales, wings, and limbs.
Livia wildly whipped her tail, knocking two away with one sweep; her foreclaws struck out like lightning, smashing another one; she twisted her head, seized a Fire Hawk by the neck, and violently whipped her head, sending that Fire Hawk crashing against the cave wall like a rag, sliding down and falling silent.
But the enemy numbers were simply too great, so great that it caused despair in a dragon.
One Fire Hawk clamped down hard on her hind leg, its sharp fangs embedding themselves in the scale gaps, causing Livia to convulse in pain.
She swatted that one away with her hind claw, only for another to immediately pounce and bite her tail.
She struggled violently to shake it off, but a third Fire Hawk had already accurately targeted her injured left wing.
The old wound was ripped open again, and intense pain shot straight to her brain.
Livia roared in anger, her entire dragon might suddenly erupting. A few small Fire Hawks were frightened into a brief retreat, but even more Fire Hawks, eyes blazing red, swarmed forward.
Caesar stood calmly at the entrance, arms crossed, watching the show, a mocking smile permanently fixed on her lips:
"Sister, you've gotten slower. Three years without seeing you, how did your agility become so sluggish?"
Livia ignored her taunts, fighting desperately while slowly retreating.
She intended to fall back toward the depths of the main hall, toward the Treasure Room.
All her treasure was inside; these creatures absolutely could not touch a single piece.
If things got really bad, she could retreat toward the Lava Lake and dive into the magma; the Fire Hawks definitely wouldn't dare follow—
Just then, a Fire Hawk fiercely bit her hind leg, causing Livia's leg to buckle, and she stumbled, nearly falling.
Caesar's laughter drifted over slowly:
"Sister, did you know? I've been observing you for a full three months now."
Livia bit off the neck of one Fire Hawk and sharply turned her head to stare fixedly at Caesar.
"I found this place three months ago.", Caesar walked slowly into the main hall, her claws striking the rock with a harsh, grating sound. "But I didn't attack. I just squatted in the distance, watching when you went out, when you came back, how long you slept each day, and how much you ate in one sitting.
You always have to fly far away to find food, right? You ate all the lizards on the Scorched Plains, so you have to run to the Gobi Desert, taking half a day for one trip."
She walked to the very center of the main hall, stopped, and gloatingly surveyed her surroundings:
"This lair is really nice, much bigger than my shabby place. And a Lava Lake? So comfortable. My lair doesn't even have a warm spot; it's freezing in the winter."
Livia fought while retreating, finally reaching the entrance to the Treasure Room. She immediately blocked the entrance with her body, pressing her back tightly against the stone door, refusing to let the Fire Hawks near the treasure pile in the slightest.
Another Fire Hawk lunged wildly; she opened her mouth, bit down on its wing, and fiercely tore off a chunk of flesh. The Fire Hawk shrieked mournfully, splashing blood all over Livia's face.
Caesar watched Livia struggle desperately and shook her head lightly, her tone carrying the pity of a cat playing with a mouse:
"Sister, stop struggling. Look at yourself, your belly is huge, and your movements are so slow. How can you fight me?"
Livia's heart tightened sharply.
Caesar noticed.
"You're pregnant, aren't you?"
Caesar smiled even more happily, her eyes filled with viciousness. "Whose child is it? Did you sneak out to find a male dragon? How come I didn't know?"
Livia remained silent, whipping her tail wildly, knocking away another attacking Fire Hawk.
Caesar continued nonchalantly:
"But it doesn't matter, I don't care at all. You get out, leave the eggs. I happen to need a few dragon eggs to taste as snacks."
The moment the word'snacks' left her mouth, Livia's movements noticeably paused for an instant.
It was just this brief moment of distraction.
Another Fire Hawk took the opportunity to bite down hard on her hind leg.
Pain struck, and Livia stomped down, crushing the Fire Hawk's head, but even more Fire Hawks were already lunging before her.
No, she absolutely couldn't hold on like this; the difference in numbers was too great.
She took a deep breath, the furnace core deep in her chest operating frantically. Her body temperature soared rapidly, and all her scales began to glow faintly red.
The next second, she violently opened her mouth and spewed out a full-power blast of platinum flames!
The flames swept across the entire passage. Six Fire Hawks that couldn't dodge in time were instantly burned to charcoal, while the rest shrieked and retreated wildly in terror.
The passage walls were burned bright red, molten magma dripped slowly down the stone, and the air was filled with the stench of burning.
Livia seized this moment of respite, turned, and rushed deep into the Treasure Room.
Caesar immediately gave chase, stopping at the entrance of the Treasure Room. Her eyes immediately spotted the two piles of glittering treasure inside, and her eyes instantly lit up terrifyingly; she was practically drooling.
"Sister, you're quite something.", she clicked her tongue in amazement. "Hiding this much wealth, much more than me."
Livia braced her injured body, blocking the treasure piles tightly, panting heavily.
The wound on her left wing was still bleeding nonstop, and her hind leg, tail, and back were covered in new bite and claw marks. The pain throughout her body was unbearable.
The three eggs inside her belly were restlessly stirring, as if sensing their mother's desperation and tension.
Caesar raised a foot and stepped one pace into the Treasure Room.
"Get out.", Livia's voice was hoarse but carried the sharpness of a blade in every word.
Caesar took another step forward, her smile growing colder:
"You're telling me to get out?"
"Get out."
Caesar suddenly burst into laughter, stopping her advance. She tilted her head, examining Livia as if looking at a dying prey:
"Sister, in your current state, can you beat me?"
Livia was silent.
She couldn't win.
Caesar pressed forward step by step, her tone cruel yet clear:
"You're injured, you're pregnant, you're slow, and your strength isn't what it used to be. I am young, I am strong, and I brought over twenty tamed Fire Hawks. What do you have to fight me with?"
As she spoke, she advanced another two steps.
Livia could only retreat step by step, her back already pressed tightly against the treasure pile; she had nowhere left to retreat.
Caesar stared at the pile of glittering gold coins and jewels, her eyes widening, and proposed her so-called 'condition':
"How about this, Sister, I'll give you a way out. You leave now, leave the treasure, and leave the eggs. I won't chase you. You can find some shabby little place and start over. After all, you're still young; at worst, you can just hatch another litter later."
Livia was silent for three seconds.
Then, she raised her head, her expression terrifyingly calm:
"What if I don't leave?"
The smile on Caesar's face slowly faded. She sighed lightly, as if regretting a toy about to be smashed:
"Then I'll just have to kill you and take it myself."
She raised her hand again and waved it gently.
All the remaining Fire Hawks went mad and swarmed forward again!
Livia spat fire, bit, slapped, and whipped her tail, resisting with everything she had. But the Fire Hawks were simply too numerous; she couldn't guard the front and the back simultaneously, nor could she protect the left while defending the right.
One Fire Hawk bit down on the old wound on her left wing; she trembled violently in pain.
Another bit her hind leg.
The third actually lunged straight for her bulging belly—
She desperately twisted her body to avoid it, barely protecting her abdomen, but her back was instantly bitten hard again.
Warm dragon blood streamed down her scales, drop by drop landing on the gold coins and jewels, staining the glittering treasure a startling dark red.
Caesar stood nearby, quietly appreciating her wretchedness and despair, smiling so hard her eyes narrowed into slits:
"Sister, you really can't do it anymore. Give up. If you give up, I'll let you die quickly."
Livia remained silent, fighting desperately while quietly inching toward the deepest part of the Treasure Room.
There was a hidden, small fissure there, leading directly to the Lava Lake below.
She could squeeze through the fissure, dive into the magma, and the Fire Hawks definitely wouldn't dare follow; Caesar wouldn't dare go down easily either—
Caesar saw through her entire plan at a glance and waved her hand coldly:
"Block the rear!"
Five Fire Hawks immediately circled around to the depths of the Treasure Room, firmly blocking the fissure leading to the Lava Lake.
The last path of retreat was completely cut off.
Livia leaned against the treasure pile, surrounded in the center by over a dozen Fire Hawks.
Over a dozen wounds on her body were bleeding continuously; her left wing hurt so much she could barely lift it. Her strength was rapidly draining, and her consciousness was starting to blur.
The eggs in her belly were stirring violently, as if desperately reminding her:
You cannot die; you still have us.
Caesar walked over slowly, stopping only three meters away from her, looking down from a height like a monarch pronouncing a death sentence.
"Sister, one last time.", her voice was cold, devoid of any warmth.
"Leave, or die?"
Livia slowly raised her head, staring at the face before her—a face that resembled hers by seventy percent but was vicious to the bone—staring at those vertical pupils that shared her origin but were filled with murderous intent.
Then, she took a deep, deep breath.
Deep in her chest, the long-dormant furnace core ignited violently once more in this moment of ultimate crisis.
The temperature soared at a terrifying speed, and magma-like power roared and surged through her blood vessels.