1RomanceEB Chapter 16 Explosion
Chapter 16 Explosion
The withered weeds were ignited by the dragon's breath. Even though the battle had long ended, the flames continued to burn incessantly in the wilderness, and with the night wind blowing, they seemed poised to spread in all directions.
As Lunaris gazed at the distant flames soaring into the sky, a sudden sense of unease welled up within him.
He waved to his personal guards, and a ginger-yellow centaur immediately pulled a horn from its back and blew it loudly.
The powerful horn sound echoed far and wide across the wilderness, and the centaur rangers who heard the signal immediately gathered in the direction from which the sound came.
The centaurs who had gone out began to return one after another, but as time went by, the squad sent in the direction of the firelight was nowhere to be seen, and Lunaris's mood sank to the bottom.
Would three red whelps be able to defeat three centaur rangers? Logically speaking, that should be absolutely impossible.
Their breathing organs are not yet mature, and their magic has not yet awakened. Apart from their relatively strong physical attributes, they are no different from ordinary wild beasts.
Those well-trained centaur warriors were all strong and powerful, with rich combat experience. Equipped with sharp spears, blades, longbows, and heavy arrows, they should not have been the defeated side no matter how you looked at it.
It seems something unexpected must have happened.
Lunaris waited no longer and, with his already assembled force, raced toward the direction from which the firelight was coming.
The hard iron hooves pounded heavily on the earth, making thunderous footsteps, and dust rose into the air, like a rolling yellow dragon of smoke.
The centaurs charging at high speed are incredibly fast, reaching speeds of nearly 70 kilometers per hour, which translates to about 20 meters per second.
The flames grew larger and larger before their eyes, and soon, even the ground beneath their feet was wreathed in flames.
The intense heat did nothing to stop the centaurs. They trod on the crimson sparks and soon arrived at the site of Thor's battle with the centaurs, where they immediately saw the two corpses on the ground.
The once valiant centaur warriors are now unrecognizable, their bodies charred black and covered with bite marks and scratches.
The flesh and fat sizzled under the flames, emitting a strange odor mixed with the smell of burning and meat due to the Maillard reaction.
"vomit!!"
"Damn beast!"
"We absolutely cannot let those three reptiles get away!"
After a brief silence, a chorus of angry roars erupted from the centaur ranks, and some centaurs even vomited, feeling a nausea in their stomachs.
Lunaris gritted his teeth as well, his bloodshot eyes flashing with a sharp light as he carefully scanned his surroundings.
There are only two centaur corpses here; one is missing, most likely dragged away by the red whelps as food.
It's important to know that a centaur weighing nearly a ton is not light, and dragging it away would definitely leave obvious marks on the ground.
Sure enough, they soon found a drag mark on the ground not far away. After taking a few steps forward and crossing the area burned by the wildfire, they could see large patches of fallen grass with bloodstains on the blades.
"A few of you stay behind to collect the soldiers' bodies, the rest of you follow me!"
At a command, the thunderous sound of hooves echoed across the wilderness once more, and the group quickly chased after the direction Thor and his men had left in.
…………
From afar, Thor heard the thunderous sound of hooves echoing across the land. He looked up at the dark wilderness and grinned coldly.
He called to Sistana and Kalp, then turned and darted away, skimming the ground.
This time he didn't run too far. He stopped in a dense patch of grass a thousand meters away and began to wait patiently.
The powerful dark vision allowed the young dragons to see clearly in the dark. In the distance, a group of faint black dots first appeared, and then gradually expanded into the shape of centaurs.
The centaur carcass covered by the large exploding barrel stood out conspicuously in the desolate wilderness. Lunaris and his companions, who had followed the trail, spotted their former comrade almost immediately.
Like the previous two corpses, this centaur corpse was also covered with charred marks and claw wounds, with blood seeping from the wounds, almost soaking the small pile of rubble beneath it.
To the centaurs' surprise, the red dragon hatchlings did not devour their companions. Was it because they were short of time, or were they performing some kind of strange ritual?
A group of centaurs surrounded the corpse, standing in a loose semicircle, their eyes constantly scanning the surroundings, but they still couldn't spot the few baby dragons.
It seems that the red reptiles heard the footsteps and fled in advance.
The darkness not only blocked the falcon's vision but also concealed the subtle traces left by the fledglings; otherwise, the centaurs would not have scattered their ranks, giving Thor and his men an opportunity.
"Where did those dragon cubs go?"
"Damn coward, a hide-and-seek reptile!"
"Once I catch them, I must..."
Roars rose and fell from the centaurs, some of them even raising their forelegs in frustration and stomping heavily on the ground.
Lunaris was equally filled with rage, but he managed to maintain a basic level of composure. He beckoned, and two centaurs stepped out from the ranks, intending to collect their companion's corpse first.
They stretched out their strong arms, grabbed the sides of the centaur carcass, their muscles bulging slightly, and lifted the approximately 1000-pound object.
However, they did not notice that a tendon torn from a horse's hoof was buried deep in the rubble below. As the body was pulled up, the tendon gradually lengthened, making a crisp "snap!" sound.
The trigger device at the top of the large explosive barrel was activated, and the flints inside collided with each other, instantly igniting the gunpowder.
Lunaris felt a sudden surge of intense crisis rising from the depths of his heart, and the hairs on his body stood on end, as if he were facing a blazing demon from the abyss.
He opened his mouth as if to roar and warn his companions ahead to be careful, but faster than the sound was the rapidly expanding pile of rubble in front of him.
A tiny spark suddenly appeared, followed by a blinding burst of light. A deafening roar seemed to fill the entire world, and intense pain coursed through my entire body.
A massive fireball exploded in mid-air, and the terrifying shockwave sent the centaurs surrounding it flying.
Even more terrifying, the rubble and needle-fruit seeds stuck to the surface of the exploding barrels transformed into high-speed flying blades under the thrust of the explosion, mercilessly ravaging the centaur's flesh and blood.
All of this happened so suddenly. Who could have imagined that three baby dragons could get their hands on such a terrifying bomb?
In this world of swords and magic, gunpowder is generally only found in the hands of the Gif, dwarves, gnomes, and goblins.
…………
Lunaris was undoubtedly lucky; firstly, he was far enough away that the shards of rock that were aimed at him were almost all blocked by his companions in front of him.
Secondly, his strength is sufficient. With a challenge level of twelve, he has already reached the threshold of a high-level professional. His well-trained body is as tough as steel, and the magic flowing in his blood forms another layer of protection.
Even so, he still felt a sharp pain in one side of his face, and several gruesome bloody holes appeared on his lower body.
As the ringing in his ears from the explosion gradually subsided, a series of mournful cries reached his ears.
Looking around, all that could be seen was desolation; severed limbs were scattered haphazardly all around, and blood almost soaked the ground beneath one's feet.
Almost none of the centaurs who came with him were unharmed; they were all clutching their wounds and howling in pain, and some were lying motionless on the ground, long since lifeless.