A smile crept up my lips, unbothered by the cut. I ignored the pain.

On the assassination night when my [Dragon Potent] had awakened, it adapted to blood loss, even when I went unconscious. Eventually reaching its peak. Making me immune to blood loss.

Though a fatal blow slicing my head or to my heart would mean death.

I exhaled, my flesh knitted back itself.

"You’ll have to do better than that."

I still kept running. Pushing through the shivering cold in my ribs. Which frosted my skin. Misted my breath.

My robe exposing my legs into thick snow.

As I chased after Amiko, something didn’t sit right. I was missing something.

I slowed my steps, watching Quinette sweep past me, going after Amiko. She streaked, hurling attacks, their sickles blurred with trails of light.

Swoosh. Wretch.

The forest was filled with the violent exchange of blows, while I was chasing down with enhanced speed which made me move fast, my legs didn’t feel like mine.

Then it clicked.

Amiko had used only severing magic, which meant last time she had attacked, she used spatial magic to teleport away... now she was running? If she wanted to escape she could have just teleported herself far from Quinette.

I looked up ahead. My eyes met with Amiko’s for a second as she slipped through two falling trees, crashing behind her in a mist of snow.

Before disappearing into the mist, I caught a smirk on her lips.

She was leading us somewhere. She wasn’t trying to fight us.

This chase is a trap. I frowned. She’s leading us to a trap.

Quickly I surged forward, catching up to Quinette so I could stop her before—

She was putting her mind on getting Amiko at all costs. She didn’t notice.

I watched her sweep her blade through the air, sending attacks while gliding through it.

Amiko then took another turn.

But Quinette was smarter this time. She took a shortcut into the woods. I kept my eye on where Amiko had turned. She was going to get ahead of her.

I quickly understood her plan. While I kept tails on Amiko.

If all goes well we can get her before she reaches the trap planned out for us.

My foot carved into the rough bark of a tree. I hurled myself forward.

Amiko’s figure disappeared into the trees, along just the direction Quinette had followed.

I looked up through the tree canopies. The skull trailed after us. Following its cast, seeing the progress made, I had to be fast, pushing myself past my limit.

[89%]

When I curved into the treeline also, following Amiko’s trails in the snow.

She was already caught by Quinette.

I skidded to a stop.

I witnessed Amiko being pinned down on the ground. Her body pressed against the crunchy heaps of snow.

Quinette knelt on her wings, preventing escape. She gripped the hilt of her sword, pressing it down on Amiko, using her weight.

It didn’t pierce Amiko. As she held the blade an inch from her face, the sharp edge cut into her palm.

Her blood trailed down the blade, dropping on her forehead.

"You good..." Amiko said, her hand trembling, trying to keep hold on the blade.

While Quinette focused on stabbing her, putting in more force. I couldn’t let this opportunity slide. We finally got her. Before she uses spatial magic, things would get more complicated...

I snapped a thick branch from the ground. Flashing to Amiko for a one-shot strike, targeted on her head.

With perfect knowledge of dragons I knew just how to manipulate and control my mana.

Just like I usually amplified my strength with mana, I gripped the stick, channeling mana through my veins, pouring it out from my palm, coating the stick.

It glowed, giving it a threatening look.

But all I had was one shot, since the stick was designed to carry mana. Once I struck it would break.

My robe whipped with the wind.

I swung the stick, aiming for a wild swing, hitting Amiko as Quinette pinned her down.

Quinette looked my way, knowing my intention. She pushed just slightly away so I could get Amiko.

Just seconds as the stick drew closer to her head.

Amiko then whispered something. The words were faint, almost swallowed by the wind, but drawn closer I caught the words.

"You really think you got me? You’re forgetting something."

She raised a finger, holding it to her forehead.

I sneered, knowing what was coming next. Her coward move.

"Spatial magic." The words escaped her lips.

One second she was there, the next, totally gone.

Quinette’s blade freed, stabbed at the ground, digging into the snow. My swing swept at nothing. The displaced air swooshed past Quinette, sending cold wind.

I stared at the amount of momentum I had put into the sweep, yet hit at nothing. For a moment I stayed in that spot, calmly rechanneling the mana from the stick back to myself.

Quinette got up. Swept her blade through the air, weaving the blood from her stained blade.

My breath was ragged, my hand getting number. We’d been out in the cold for too long. I began to feel frostbite. Splinters in my palm burned with mild pain.

The cold wasn’t affecting Quinette yet. Her breath was steady, snow slipped into her hair, misted her controlled breath, yet she didn’t shiver, focused on Amiko too much to acknowledge the cold for now.

Finally I could adapt to the cold. Even if the damage was little, it was enough to trigger Adapt.

[Adapt: Deadly Cold]

[Damage Reduction: 5%]

(The cold will slowly degrade from affecting host.)

I flexed my fingers. Just perfect.

"The cold is getting to you already."

Amiko said. We had chased her blindly to a cliff.

I couldn’t see the ground down the cliff, just a dark presence churning patiently.

What’s that? This was her plan all along.

She stood at the edge of the cliff, foot half out over the edge, planning to jump.

"You haven’t stayed a night yet. Your death is already assured." she added. Amiko pointed at the skull circling over us. "It’s already at 95%. How can you possibly defeat me? You’ve already failed."

Quinette’s mana spiked, without a word.

"Oh? You still want to fight?" Amiko said, pretending to be amused. "Well, you’ll have to catch me first."

She then took a step off the cliff, her body tipping, dropping down to the dark presence.

Her wings didn’t spread to take flight.

I didn’t go after her. My legs remained planted to the ground.

Obviously a trap.

But Quinette didn’t hesitate. She launched herself toward Amiko, spraying a curtain of snow behind with her force.

I raised my hand to block the wash.

She didn’t see it. I wondered.

Amiko was hiding her last magic spell, and that black presence below might just be it. If Quinette jumped into it, it might end badly. I wanted to kill Amiko — still holding the grudge of what she did to me at the mansion.

But still I didn’t let rage blind my instincts.

I caught up to Quinette, about to dive. I reached to stop her.

Unable to reach her arm, I grabbed her tail. Gripped tight as I yanked her back. Though I knew how sensitive it was. Still, this was a life and death situation.

"Eeek." Her body pulled back, collided with me. We rolled in the snow a couple of times before slowing the roll, with me over her body. Snow dusted my coat, cold to stay on.

"What are you doing? She’s clearly leading you into a trap." I raised my voice, before calming down.

Quinette froze, her lips parted slightly as she stared at me. Stunned. Unable to process the sudden touch on her tail.

We stayed in that awkward position then.

[Dungeon spell cast] [100%]

Preparing battlefield.

A burst of mana spread out like a wave through the frozen wilderness. It washed over us.

The landscape shifted with minor details that weren’t there before.

"Tsk. Look what you’ve done."

Quinette pushed me off with more force than expected. I flipped away before landing, composed.

She was angry and terrified at the same time. I could see it in her eyes as she paced around, walking to the cliff. She peered down.

"She’s gone, she escaped because of you. Now we’re stuck in an impossible to defeat dungeon."

"I have a plan." I said, fully having faith in my words. Without a fully realized plan in mind.

"Uh? What plan? To get us killed?" Quinette raised an eyebrow, barely containing her dissatisfaction.

"I’ll tell you once we’re back at the chambers. We can’t stay out in this cold."

Quinette groaned. "...fine." Then walked back to the chambers.

She paused midway. "Also, you don’t touch a dragon’s tail unaware... it’s sensitive." She added then continued her steps.

Not sparing me a glance.

I didn’t regret stopping her. If we are going to get out of here, we’ll need to work as a team, rather than individual random attacks.

I have to work towards that. Cause I wasn’t planning on dying here. Neither was I letting Quinette die.