Lord: Starting from a Goblin Nest

They had always known that a young Mire Throat Monster roamed the Delusional Land.

This species becomes an ambush predator after a period of frenzied feeding. That growth period, however, only lasts a single month.

It had fallen into the sewers, and Ron’s group, even if they wanted to eliminate it completely, lacked the means to do so. It was better to let it be, as long as it wasn’t foolish enough to come feeding in their territory.

But they never expected this Mire Throat Monster to actually emerge and try to take a bite out of a Black Dragon.

”It seems to be the will of the Deities! They want me to add this creature’s name to my list of victories!” Sera stuck out her tongue and licked her dry lips. ”Chieftain, I ask that you grant me this honor. The final blow to kill this monster—it’s mine!”

”Humans?!” By now, the young Black Dragon had also spotted them, its tone filled with astonishment and shock. ”What are you doing here? Get out of here! This creature is extremely dangerous!”

”You, your task was to drive them away, not lead them here! My days of ambushing humanoids are long gone!”

”But Master—” The Ghost Fire’s voice was tinged with grievance. ”I think they have a point. You need help to deal with it!”

The Black Dragon’s tone was full of irritation. Its kind was indeed the foulest-tempered of the Dragon Race. ”I don’t need any help! You brainless fool! They’ll only distrac—”

”GURGLE—”

Before the Black Dragon could finish, the Mire Throat Monster opposite it seized the opportunity of its distraction and shot out its deadly tongue.

”See, I told you—ROAR!”

A chunk of flesh was torn from the young Black Dragon’s shoulder, and it retaliated with a breath full of Strong Acid.

This Mire Throat Monster was nearly an adult, making it an even match for the still-young Black Dragon. A single moment of carelessness could be fatal.

In half a month at most, the Black Dragon would have no choice but to flee from it. Even compared to small beasts, the Mire Throat Monster’s growth rate was fast. The Dragon Race was powerful, to be sure, but their development took far too long.

For at least the next ten years, the young Black Dragon would be no match for an adult Mire Throat Monster. Blue Dragons, capable of breathing lightning, were its natural counter, but they were in the desert, a world away from here.

But this Black Dragon was clearly lucky. It had a relatively quick-witted Ghost Fire, and the helpers it had brought along.

”Get back!” Aive yelled, raising her tower shield. Ever since the fight with the Scorpion-tailed Lion, the Gemstone had been moved and embedded in the shield.

Both the Half-Elf and Victoria, who had helped, thought it was ridiculous for a tower shield Warrior to have to set aside their shield just to cast Magic.

Of course, this had its downsides. If the Gemstone came loose during battle, things could get a little awkward.

”Wha—” The Black Dragon didn’t know what this group intended to do, but a sense of danger in its blood made its body react before its mind could.

”BZZZT—CRACKLE—”

A thick Lightning Bolt instantly shot out from the hillside next to the lair, completely engulfing the Mire Throat Monster in an instant. As the electric light faded, Ron’s Flaming Arrow and Delaford’s arrow followed close behind.

But the Mire Throat Monster seemed to react more strongly to the damage from the latter.

”Mire Throat Monsters are resistant to fire damage, Mage!” the Black Dragon let out a grating laugh. ”You should try a different kind of Magic!”

”Like this, for example—”

The Black Dragon tilted its head back, seeming to brew something. Just as the Mire Throat Monster was about to shake off the negative effects of the lightning’s impact, a viscous Strong Acid Arrow was finally spat out by the Black Dragon, slamming hard into the monster’s body.

”Ha, looks like I got here just in time!” Sera rolled nimbly, dodging the splash from the Strong Acid Arrow and the Mire Throat Monster’s hasty attempt to grab her. As she rose, her double-bladed great-axe struck like a giant crocodile raising its sharp teeth from an ambush in the water, carving a long, deep gash in the Mire Throat Monster’s body.

But the barbarian’s fighting style had always been brave yet reckless. The Mire Throat Monster wasn’t killed by the single blow. Its maw swept low across the ground, and Sera could only watch in horror as the terrifying organ shot straight for her face.

”Command Skill: Stand Firm!”

”Mage’s Hand!”

Ron and Victoria began chanting at almost the same time. Victoria’s goal, however, was to stop the Mire Throat Monster’s follow-up attack, while Ron used Mage’s Hand to block in front of Sera.

Victoria’s spell proved ineffective. The monster’s maw shattered the Mage’s Hand in an instant, but it still bought Sera a moment to breathe.

She swung her great-axe again, easily ending the Mire Throat Monster’s life.

”Grom is watching over me!”

The barbarian roared at the sky, though Ron couldn’t tell if it was a boast, a show of piety to her deity, or an emotional release after surviving a close call.

Or perhaps all three.

”You really need to change your ways,” Victoria complained, reaching out to check if Sera was injured. ”I can’t just reattach your head to your neck and bring you back to life!”

”That’s what I have you guys for!” Sera bared a set of sharp fangs in a goofy grin. ”You’d never let a ’poor fool’ like me die, right?”

”You work well together,” the Black Dragon said, getting to its feet with some effort. It gave a symbolic clap with its claws. ”I’d been fighting this thing for a long time, and it was obvious we would have kept going—if you hadn’t come.”

”Thank you for the rescue.”

”You should thank your servant for that,” Ron said, nodding to it and You. The Ghost Fire immediately responded with a rhythmic flicker of its light. ”If it weren’t for it, we wouldn’t have come here—it’s just too far.”

”I detected the Mire Throat Monster’s trail while hunting in the underground river. At the time, I thought it was heading for you, so I sent You to drive you away,” the young Black Dragon sighed in a human-like way. ”I didn’t expect the thing to have such a big appetite. It was actually after me.”

”You speak the Common Language quite well,” Ron said, looking at the Black Dragon. ”I thought the Dragon Race disdained learning other languages.”

”Black Dragons generally do, yes. But my ’teacher’ instructed me that I should study it, so I did,” the young dragon chuckled, though the sound was by no means pleasant.

”Oh, right. As the master of this place, I should introduce myself. Allow me to speak a short phrase in the Dragon Language to state my name.”

”My name is—Aiksuuri Druseno (Aiksuuri of the Delusional Land)!”

Ron and the others: ”...Uh, that’s it? It’s over?”