Ashen Dragon

The dim underground tunnel, with candlelight flickering, a chilly breeze sweeping across people's faces, and fierce shadows swimming along the walls.

"According to the map I found, this should be Count Donald's secret chamber..."

The Sky Flying Witch, holding a lantern, carefully looks ahead and whispers to Charlotte beside her.

Charlotte glanced at her and couldn't help but sneer, "What's the point of that lousy lantern you're holding? You can't see a thing." She lifted her Magic Wand and knocked on the back of the Sky Flying Witch's head.

"Ow!"

The Sky Flying Witch, rubbing her head, said with grievance, "Boss, why did you hit me? I was just trying to create a bit of atmosphere, like tomb raiding, so exciting."

"Exciting my foot. Hurry up and grab the stuff and let's get out. Trouble will follow once Count Donald wakes up."

"Alright..."

Only then did the Sky Flying Witch raise her Magic Wand, rubbing her head and chanting softly.

[Light Spell]

Suddenly, countless beams of light shot forth from the top of the Magic Wand, and the gloomy tunnel was instantly brightened, revealing everything inside clearly.

The Sky Flying Witch looked at the iron door in the distance and said excitedly, "That's it, the secret chamber specially marked by Count Donald."

She mounted her Magic Wand, ready to fly over there—after all, as a Sky Flying Witch, her actions must live up to her nickname.

However, Charlotte grabbed the long robe and yanked her back.

"Boss, what are you doing...?"

"Are you daft? Forgot the lesson Ramp taught us?"

The Sky Flying Witch remembered the disastrous team wipe-out by Ramp's Trap back in the day, and immediately lowered her head, remaining silent.

Charlotte then took out a spherical metal device from his pocket and threw it out.

The device rolled on the ground and sprouted four legs, with a tail sticking out the back, making barking sounds like a dog.

Charlotte patted its head and whispered, "Go, mechanical dog!"

"Woof! Woof woof!"

The mechanical dog, gnawing its tail, circled around Charlotte, barked a few times, and then charged towards the iron door.

Bright Moon watched all this and couldn't help but marvel, "The Mechanical God Cult's creations are getting weirder and weirder, even a mechanical dog has appeared."

Charlotte said, "Isn't that the truth? It's quite cheap, easy to carry, and has become an essential for exploring the underground city.

It's just that there are some really bad-taste people in there, I heard last time a team exploring the Gloomy Region attracted a bunch of Shark Lizard Beasts because of the mechanical dog's barking, and they even went to the Mechanical God Cult's after-sales service for compensation."

"Oof—Woof!"

Listening to the raucous barking, Bright Moon helplessly pressed her forehead, deeply agreeing.

The mechanical dog ran wild in the corridor, constantly changing positions, until "click" it stepped on a trap on the ground.

Suddenly, a thick poison fog billowed down from the ceiling, quickly engulfing its location.

Immediately after, countless arrows shot out from the wall crevices, dense as a rainstorm; the mechanical dog, however, dodged deftly amongst them.

Charlotte raised his hand and an invisible Magic Wall appeared in front of him, blocking all the arrows and dart attacks.

He patted the Sky Flying Witch on the shoulder and said earnestly, "What did I tell you? If I hadn't held you back, you would have turned into a porcupine by now. You're still too young."

"Oh, got it."

The Sky Flying Witch shrugged her shoulders, displaying an indifferent expression, clearly not taking it to heart.

"Woof woof! Woof!"

In the billowing dark fog, the agile figure was still scampering everywhere.

True to its rave reviews among the player community, the exquisite craftsmanship of the Mechanical God Cult and the Wisdom granted by magic make it more flexible and versatile than a real hunting dog.

"Boom!"

An Explosion occurred amidst the dark fog, clearly yet another magic Trap had been triggered, directly blasting the mechanical dog in half.

Charlotte couldn't help but exclaim, "There are so many spells in this chamber, truly worthy of the Thrace Kingdom, their casting level is far above that of the North."

He remembered the earlier experience and thought to himself, thankfully Count Donald is a good-for-nothing and knows nothing about spells, and also dislikes being disturbed from his pleasures, which is why they found an opportunity.

Otherwise, with Thrace's casting level, approaching a noble rashly would most likely lead to an unmarked grave.

Meanwhile, on the corridor, the mechanical dog, blasted in two, miraculously began to stir and split into two independent mechanical dogs.

"Woof woof!"

They barked excitedly, continuing to race forward, using the magic device inside them to scan all the traps ahead.

Suddenly, a deep unfamiliar voice came from the front.

"What's the password?"

"Woof woof! Woof!"

However, the only response to that voice was the frenetic barking of the mechanical dog.

"Intruder! Die!"

"Boom!"

Just a few muffled sounds and the barking stopped abruptly, leaving behind only the "zzt zzt" of electrical current.

Charlotte waved his Magic Wand again, his eyes slightly narrowed, murmuring words.

[Wind Making Spell]

Suddenly, the surrounding currents surged, and a 50-mile-per-hour gale howled forth from his Magic Wand, blowing towards the corridor ahead.

The deadly black fog was immediately dispersed, and the enemy hidden by the fog was revealed—a suit of Plate Armor holding a Heavy Hammer.

Although there was no wearer, this empty Plate Armor stood up, staring intently at the distant group, red lights flickering from the helmet's eyes.

Below it lay two mechanical dogs, smashed into scrap metal.