Slash!
Withdrawing his sharp claws from the back of a lone spellcasting Dragonspawn's neck, the black panther followed his animal instinct and subconsciously licked the blood from his paw.
"Ugh... such a strong, fishy smell."
Pushing deep into the core of the lair, Andreas had spent most of his time in silent prowl, aside from ambushing a few Dragonspawn who stood directly in his path. However, as he gradually approached Neltharion's "private chambers," he found that the number of Dragonspawn actually decreased, and there wasn't a single Drogbar to be seen.
In contrast to the decrease in quantity, the quality of the Dragonspawn deep within the lair was steadily improving. Had he not been able to launch ambushes from behind, Andreas couldn't be certain if he could have avoided being noticed by nearby patrolling guards during a prolonged fight.
Neltharion's "chambers" were at the very deepest part of this massive cavern. However, at the end of the narrow passage leading to the final chamber, two massive Dragonspawn captains stood like statues, guarding the entrance on either side.
These two captains were entirely different from the common Dragonspawn Andreas had killed earlier. Not only were they over three meters tall and far more robust, but they were also encased in shimmering, specially-made silver armor, with two thick dragon wings spread arrogantly behind their backs.
Each captain held a long-handled double-edged axe with blades that glinted with a cold light. Andreas could even sense significant energy fluctuations from their weapons and armor—likely enchanted gear bestowed upon them by Neltharion himself.
Andreas hid in the shadows, observing for a good while. No, a frontal breakthrough is impossible. Fighting them would inevitably cause a major disturbance.
Crouching in place in his panther form, Andreas pondered for a moment and decided to risk a new method of infiltration. After carefully scanning the surroundings to ensure no Dragonspawn were nearby, he shifted back to his original form behind a large rock near the entrance of the passage.
He pressed his hands together lightly, and dense shadow energy began to compress rapidly between his palms, causing a localized distortion in space. As Andreas slowly pulled his hands apart, a jagged spatial rift appeared before him. As the distance between his hands grew, the rift expanded until it was large enough for a person to pass through.
Unlike stable spatial portals constructed with Arcane magic by mages, this rift, overflowing with deep purple light, gave off an ominous feeling. The edges of the rift fluctuated irregularly, as if it might collapse at any moment.
Looking at the spatial rift he had created, Andreas hesitated for a split second before gritting his teeth.
Fortune favors the bold. With the residual divine power of Elune protecting me, it shouldn't be that easy to get lost in the Void.
Stepping through the rift, Andreas resolutely entered this purple alien dimension, and the entrance to the rift vanished behind him.
Upon entering the sub-space within the rift, Andreas immediately felt a pervasive sense of pressure, and he felt as though countless eyes were watching him from the darkness.
"Void Walking"—this was the name of the risky spell Andreas was using. Its function allowed the caster to briefly traverse the shadow realm, bypassing heavily defended areas undetected. The downside was obvious: if one couldn't accurately locate an exit or maintain their focus and sense of self within the shadow space, there was a high probability of becoming lost forever, joining the ranks of the hollow souls peering at Andreas from the gloom.
Not daring to linger in this eerie space, Andreas used the faint projections of the physical world visible within the shadow dimension to quicken his pace past the area guarded by the Dragonspawn captains. Since living beings in the physical world cannot be seen from the shadow realm, Andreas could only move forward based on memory and intuition.
Once he was at a safe distance from the two "door guards" and entered a vast cavern filled with piles of miscellaneous items, Andreas finally tore through space once more and returned to the physical world.
"Phew—"
Letting out a heavy sigh of relief, Andreas was just about to look up and inspect Neltharion's "chambers" when a slender black adult dragon first caught his eye.
"Uh..." I'm doomed...
The sudden encounter clearly startled the dragon, who was rummaging through a pile of junk. He instinctively looked toward the entrance with a panicked expression; only after confirming that the two door guards hadn't been alerted did he relax.
Oh? Andreas raised an eyebrow at the dragon's behavior. Clearly, this fellow had also snuck in, likely through some secret back door unknown to others.
"Mortal, who are you?" The black dragon turned around from the pile of junk, deliberately striking a majestic pose. His orange-yellow vertical pupils stared intensely at Andreas. "How did you enter this sacred lair?"
Andreas twitched the corner of his mouth and asked mockingly in return, "I should be the one asking you that. Who are you? Why are you sneaking into Neltharion's lair while he's away?"
"Could it be... a black dragon looking to rebel and usurp the throne?"
"Silence—!" The black dragon almost roared out of habit, but he suddenly remembered the two guards at the door and quickly lowered his voice. "Absurd! I am the eldest son of the Earth-Warden Neltharion, the legitimate heir to the Black Dragonflight. Everything belonging to my father will belong to me sooner or later!"
"Oh?" Andreas looked with surprise at this black dragon, who seemed to have only recently reached adulthood. He had a rough guess as to the other's identity. "Neltharion's eldest son? I am the Druid Andreas Moonshadow. Why don't you state your name as well?"
"Hmph— Mortal, listen well." The black dragon raised his head proudly. "My name is Nefarian, the first offspring of the Black Dragon King Neltharion and Consort Sintharia, the legitimate successor of the Black Dragonflight. You're but a mere mortal; watch your attitude."
Andreas clapped his hands with an expressionless, deadpan face. "Oh, wow. How impressive."
"So, Prince Nefarian, can you tell me why you've snuck into your father's lair while he's out?"
Andreas curiously craned his neck to peek behind Nefarian. This action caused Nefarian to panic slightly as he tried to use his large dragon body to block the pile of junk behind him.
"Could it be that you intend to steal something from Neltharion's vault?"
"Sh-shut up!" The young Nefarian stammered a rebuke. "My father's things will be mine sooner or later anyway! Besides, can taking knowledge from books really be called 'stealing'?"
Andreas stared at the foolish dragon with "dead fish eyes." "Is there any fundamental difference between 'taking' and 'stealing'? Are you sure you want to play word games like that with Neltharion?"
"How annoying!" Nefarian bared his sharp fangs, and sparks of fire puffed from his throat. He attempted to intimidate this arrogant mortal with a fierce posture. "Even if my father discovers my actions, at most I'll receive a lecture. But what about you?"
Nefarian shifted the topic back to Andreas, finally regaining his confidence. A cunning look appeared on the dragon's face. "Tiny mortal, you've come at the perfect time. I'll just pin everything on you. I was merely helping my father protect the lair from being looted by outsiders."