The instant Ronald's shout of "Run!" exploded in his ears, Orum's muscles reflexively tensed.
In the next moment, an aura spanning several kilometers, as overwhelming as a mountain range, descended from the sky.
In an instant, the surrounding air seemed compressed by an invisible force, transforming into a viscous gel so heavy it was suffocating.
Terrible pressure wrapped around every inch of skin. Under this crushing weight, Orum couldn't even lift a finger! This wasn't purely physical sensation but a spiritual crushing force!
Orum had once heard that a single dragon's roar from an ancient wyrm could shatter the souls of the weak in an instant, while the oppressive weight of a dragon's gaze alone could make a warrior's heart explode!
At this moment, Orum felt the same dizziness as Felix, perhaps even stronger.
His ears filled with thunderous noise, as if he'd been thrust into a primordial age when thousands of dragons roared in unison, shattering the heavens and tearing apart the world!
It was an indescribable sensation, like being hit head-on by a truck at full speed, his soul nearly knocked from his body and scattered to the winds.
The blood in his body seemed to suddenly freeze, and the fighting spirit that had just ignited in his mind was instantly crushed.
The absolute dominance of a higher being made the fear in his heart surge uncontrollably, swallowing his reason like a tsunami!
Just as Orum's body went rigid and he was about to lose consciousness completely, the two scalding hearts in his chest beat violently like war drums!
Waves of searing blood burst forth, pushed by the two powerful hearts toward every limb!
Under the wash of this scorching torrent, his body revived as if brought back from the dead, regaining sensation!
His 8 Constitution points, perhaps mixed with a trace of luck, allowed Orum to withstand the terrifying dragon aura contained in the dragon's roar and maintain consciousness!
"Hah—"
Orum gasped, his lungs desperately sucking in air. His chest felt like it was exploding, radiating intense pain!
His feet didn't dare pause for even a moment, instinctively sprinting away at full speed in a direction opposite to Raygore!
"Dawn Lord above…"
Behind him, Ronald's face had turned ashen. Though his body was reasonably strong, it was nothing compared to the monstrous physical prowess of Orum and Raygore.
At this moment, under the oppressive dragon aura, Ronald's breathing had completely stopped. He stumbled, his body swaying, about to collapse to the ground!
At this critical life-or-death moment...
Ronald's pupils suddenly contracted!
"What is this?!"
A pale golden light suddenly flared around him, enveloping his entire body!
As the divine power-infused golden light flashed, the crushing weight on Ronald's body instantly lessened by more than half. His strength returned in an instant, and his ability to move was restored!
"Thank you, Dawn Lord!" Tears and snot streamed down Ronald's face, fear and wild joy mingling in his expression.
Ignoring the pain in his legs, he scrambled and crawled forward with all his might, fleeing as fast as he could!
Just as Ronald ran beyond the village outskirts, he suddenly felt the surrounding air become scorching hot, as if he were standing in a volcano where the air itself could sear his windpipe with each breath!
"Something's wrong!" Alarm bells rang in Ronald's mind, and he reflexively threw himself to the ground.
Almost the instant he hit the dirt, a massive crimson torrent of flame roared overhead, bringing with it a searing wave that instantly ignited his hair and outer clothes!
"Aaaaahhh—"
Ronald screamed as he rolled violently on the ground, desperately slapping at the flames consuming his body.
The next moment, a sudden tremendous force struck, immediately extinguishing the flames on his body.
Then that same force grabbed his collar, giving him no chance to catch his breath, and dragged him forward!
Ronald felt scorching wind blast his face. In his field of vision, roaring flames like a carpet of death advanced madly, rushing toward him as if alive!
Ronald was dragged sideways across the ground at a frenetic pace, forced to move in a half-lying position, watching as his feet were about to be swallowed by the inferno!
Fortunately, whoever was dragging Ronald possessed the physical constitution of an inhuman monster, with incredible strength and agility.
Moving far faster than the spreading flames, they ran on the edge of death itself, forcibly pulling Ronald away from the all-consuming fire!
Having narrowly escaped death, Ronald was drenched in sweat, gasping for breath.
He struggled to turn his head and saw that his rescuer was none other than Orum.
Halfway through his escape, Orum had discovered the priest was still alive, turned back, grabbed Ronald by the collar, and violently yanked him out of the flames' path.
"Run!" Orum yanked Ronald to his feet, giving him no chance to rest. His form shot forward like an arrow from a bow, sprinting ahead without hesitation.
Ronald gritted his teeth, forcing himself through the searing pain in his legs, pushing himself to chase after Orum's rapidly disappearing figure.
Only after Ronald had frantically run more than a kilometer away did he dare glance back.
In Ronald's trembling, terrified gaze, the scene before him was like the end of the world.
The massive crimson dragon plunged down from the sky, spewing breath that incinerated everything in its path.
The brilliant dragonfire was like a second sun exploding on earth, instantly transforming the entire village of Locke into a roaring sea of dragon flames.
This ultimate destructive power could only inspire soul-deep awe and despair in any creature on the ground.
Ronald didn't dare look anymore.
He twisted his head around and ran desperately toward the camp, wanting only to get one step further from this living hell.
Behind him, that crimson shadow dove from the sky like a meteor carrying the aura of destruction, crashing hard into the center of Locke Village.
The earth crumbled like tofu, houses collapsed one after another with mournful groans, swept into a massive, pitch-black crater.
...
In the camp, several survivors had already packed their belongings, preparing to leave for a nearby village to seek shelter for a time.
They had remained at the camp because Felix had assigned them the task of watching the wagons.
After all, this was the wilderness. If left unattended, the two tethered horses could easily fall prey to hungry beasts.
But with four adults present and the blazing torches lit in the camp, most wild animals wouldn't dare approach.
Once the Ice Hawk Company adventurers returned safely, the survivors could depart.
After a night's rest, these survivors' emotions had stabilized considerably.
They no longer constantly wore expressions of grief, and the despair in their eyes seemed worn away, replaced by an almost hollow numbness.
This emotion was common among those who had survived catastrophic disaster and lost all their loved ones.
Though the most precious, irreplaceable things in life had been destroyed, and their hearts were filled with grief to the point of collapse, their bodies' survival instinct produced a protective numbness.
It safeguarded the mind teetering on the edge and forcibly drove people to act for the sake of survival.
They still ate, drank water, slept, surviving mechanically day after day. After a long time, one day, their souls would finally realize that living had no meaning whatsoever. At that point, they would choose death to end everything.
In the wilderness, there were no clocks.
The villagers had no habit of precise timekeeping. They simply packed their belongings and waited quietly in the camp for the adventurers' return.
However, as the appointed time approached, not only did they fail to see the adventurers, but a terrifying phenomenon appeared in the direction of Locke Village...
A massive black column of smoke shooting straight into the sky, its top spreading out like a mushroom cloud, stood prominently in the center of the heavens like a harbinger of apocalypse.
Even from several kilometers away, that billowing black smoke, rolling upward like a ferocious dragon, left all the survivors paralyzed with shock and filled with tremendous unease.
"Something's burning in the direction of the village?" someone asked tremulously.
"What's happening?!"
"The adventurers are still over there… should we, should we run?!"
Just as these unfortunate souls were filled with doubt and panic began to spread...
"Boom, boom, boom—"
Rapid, incredibly heavy footsteps approached, as if a charging rhinoceros was speeding through the dense forest, each step making the earth thunder!
"A monster?!" The villagers' faces went white, their hands and feet beginning to shake uncontrollably!
Yesterday's goblin attack had caused them severe psychological trauma. Today's scene felt like a nightmare repeating itself!
Just as they were about to turn and flee...
A massive shadow, standing a full two and a half meters tall, suddenly burst through the brush ahead and appeared before them!
"Ahhh—!"
The already terrified survivors saw the giant figure and immediately erupted in screams filled with terror!
Raygore had no intention of comforting these common folk. His face was covered by a fearsome iron mask, his gaze devoid of any emotion. He simply waved his hand roughly at them and let out a roar like rolling thunder:
"Go! It's extremely dangerous here! Get to another village immediately!"
Not bothering to check if the survivors understood his message, Raygore quickly placed the unconscious Felix in the wagon, released the brake lever, and set the two horses in motion, fleeing forward!
The pressure that red dragon had exerted on Raygore was simply too intense, almost like the sky collapsing and the earth cracking, the apocalypse descending!
Perhaps only mid-tier or even high-tier professionals would dare fight such a terrifying existence!
For Ice Hawk Company, a group of adventurers who hadn't even obtained their professions yet, being crushed by it would be as simple as crushing ants.
The only thing they could do was run for their lives! The farther, the better!
The wagon slowly started, setting out on the muddy road. Under Raygore's rough urging, the two horses began to accelerate.
The wagon broke through the fierce wind ahead. Against the backdrop of the massive smoke column rising in the distance, the towering Raygore drove the wagon, speeding along the road ahead.
"Thump—" A muffled sound, as if something heavy had been thrown into the wagon bed and landed on the floor.
"Ow…" Roughly tossed into the wagon, Ronald clutched his agonizing back, his whole body twisting in pain.
Immediately after, an agile figure leaped onto the wagon. Orum landed steadily beside Ronald.
"Orum, you saved my life… From now on, you're like a brother to me," Ronald said, his hand gripping Orum's pant leg tightly.
With the salvation of one who had narrowly escaped death, tears streamed down his soot-blackened face.
Orum ignored him and suddenly looked back.
Several kilometers away, within that massive smoke column piercing the sky, a crimson dragon shadow could be faintly seen.
After destroying the entire village of Locke, the red dragon still circled above the ruins.
Something here seemed to hold a powerful attraction for the red dragon, so it had no interest in attacking the Ice Hawk Company members and simply ignored them.
Orum's heart slowly sank.
The appearance of the crimson dragon meant that the danger of exploring the 'Black Gate' far exceeded his current capacity to handle.
With his current strength, forget passing through the 'Black Gate,' even approaching it like today could cost him his life.
"After we get back, I must find every possible way to grow stronger."
"Also, these discoveries about the 'Black Gate' must be reported to the monitoring station and the Adventurers' Hall."
"If I can attract the kingdom's serious attention, I might be able to leverage the kingdom's vast power to help me analyze the Black Gate's secrets and uncover the truth behind it."
...
The wagon jolted along the road. Pulled at full speed by the two robust horses, it quickly traveled dozens of kilometers, leaving that massive smoke column of destruction far behind.
The red dragon ultimately didn't pursue them, which finally allowed Orum to relax.
Three hours after Ice Hawk Company began their flight, Felix, who had been unconscious all this time, finally began to wake.
The first thing Felix did upon waking was confirm the survival status of the three team members.
Discovering that Raygore, Ronald, and Orum were all alive, Felix visibly breathed a sigh of relief.
Then Felix openly praised Orum's actions in saving his teammates:
"Orum, you risked your life to rescue important members of Ice Hawk Company from certain death.
This is both noble character and glorious service to the team!"
"That's exactly what I'd expect from you, Orum. I'm very pleased to see you accomplish such a heroic deed!"
"Not only will Ronald express his gratitude, but Ice Hawk Company will also reward you generously."
"Happy to help. I'm glad I could save Ronald," Orum replied with a calm nod.
In his heart, he still held a slight resentment toward Vice Captain Raygore for choosing to save only Felix during the crisis.
After all, being abandoned at a life-or-death moment, watching the escape wagon pass by without stopping for a single second, couldn't feel good no matter what.
As an adult, Orum could understand Raygore's actions.
Within Ice Hawk Company, the captain's importance far exceeded everyone else's.
To increase Felix's survival rate, Raygore would unhesitatingly abandon the equally trapped Ronald, or any other member.
In fact, Orum himself hadn't immediately rescued Ronald either, but had helped him escape only after avoiding the first wave of lethal danger.
However, in Felix's words after waking, Orum could still feel deep respect and sincerity.
Orum also believed that the reward Felix had just promised would certainly be a number that satisfied him.
Amid the subtle shift in atmosphere, within the cramped wagon, the small rift that had just appeared in the team during the life-or-death crisis was quietly and soundlessly mended through their mutual understanding.
After waking on the jolting wagon, Felix quickly learned the current team situation from his companions and immediately began directing their next steps.
"So all the 'otherworldly remnants' we worked so hard to collect are completely lost?" Felix frowned, his face showing poorly concealed frustration.
"Not just lost, but completely incinerated," Ronald replied.
"I think the red dragon destroyed the entire village of Locke for something specific."
"Could it be those 'otherworldly remnants'?" Felix wondered, pondering the possibilities.
Felix and Ronald discussed it for a while without reaching any useful conclusions, so they temporarily dropped the topic.
"Damn dragon!" Felix cursed unusually, losing his composure.
"That one breath, who knows how many merits we lost!"
Taking a deep breath, Felix immersed himself in grief over losing a full pack of "otherworldly remnants."
Just then, Orum pulled something from his pocket and spoke:
"Captain, I brought out one 'otherworldly remnant.'"
Orum handed the "Divine Light Rod" to Felix:
"I don't know what it does. Since it was small, I just took it along."
"Oh?! An unexpected gain!"
Felix's eyes lit up as he eagerly took the plastic toy from Orum with both hands.
After carefully examining the Divine Light Rod's material and structure, he solemnly announced:
"This might be a high-level magical device from another world!"
"Pfft—"
"What are you laughing at?" Felix asked curiously.
"Nothing, I just thought of something funny," Orum waved his hand, his expression becoming serious and composed again.
"Let's hurry back to Blackwater Town. I feel like I'm falling apart," Ronald said weakly, lying on the wagon floor.
All his burns had been healed with divine magic by now, though his appearance was still charred black and his clothes tattered, making him look like a refugee in flight.
"Ronald, don't forget we still need to pick up that little girl Mia from the Green Grass Inn," Felix reminded him.
Hearing Felix's words, Ronald suddenly perked up and sat straight up: "Right, there's that!" He'd almost forgotten he needed to pick up that poor little girl Mia, cured of leprosy.
He'd promised to take Mia to the relief house.
Ronald also remembered that in the gray house at the Green Grass Inn, there was evil that needed to be eliminated!
Felix looked at Ronald and Orum, seriously reminding them: "Don't tip our hand about that gray house yet."
"As adventurers, not peace officers, if we just find some ordinary contraband without catching someone red-handed, we have no authority to act directly.
If we break in forcibly and kill the evildoers, according to kingdom law, the aftermath will become very complicated."
"But if it involves magic or monsters, that falls under adventurer jurisdiction. We can legitimately punish these villains and earn merit."
With that, Felix laid out a plan for their next move:
They would sprinkle magic-detection powder on the gray house's walls.
If they found no trace of magic or monsters, they'd report it to the guard unit and let law enforcement handle it.
If, on the other hand, they detected magic or signs of monster presence, then as Ronald wished, they'd show no mercy, bring justice to this land, and eliminate the evil.