The dragon's harem

Chapter 569 Eaten Alive

Arad sighed, ”Fine,” He tapped his finger beside Merlinʼs drawing, ”We fly straight to the stairs, ignoring every fight.”

”Youʼre right,” She nodded.

”We have one chance,” Amber looked down, ”Can the door open while the guardian is alive?”

”It should open,” Merlin replied, ”This is a common tactic used to skin annoying layers in larger labyrinths.”

Arad stood, ”Get on my back. Weʼre moving immediately,” He said with a stern face.

”Itʼs hot here,” Amber stood, fanning her face, ”Letʼs get out as fast as possible,”

”If itʼs hot, you can strip down,” Merlin giggled.

”And then get sunburned into golden brown like a chicken breast on a pan? No thanks,” Amber stared back at her, ”You go and get burned if you want,”

Merlin looked at her arms and thighs, ”Iʼm not going out of here without some browning, am I?”

”Arad is having it worse. Heʼs topless,” Amber pointed at him, ”How about you give him his shirt back and strip?”

”No need for that,” Arad replied, ”I can heal it later,” None of the injuries he could sustain here matters. As long as he gets out alive, his blood regeneration will kick in and heal him. Sunburns are nothing.

Arad bent down, ”Sit on my back,”

Amber looked at him for a second, ”It really feels wrong to ride you like a horse,”

”It doesnʼt matter now, does it?” Arad looked at her. ”And since when there was a problem with that?”

Arad is always on all four when carrying people in his draconic form. To him this was just like trying to fly without wings and while being far smaller in size.

”Me first!” Merlin jumped on his back with a smile.

”You really are...” Amber sighed, scratching her head, ”Annoying at best,” She slowly sat on Aradʼs back, ”At least show some respect,” Thud! She smacked Merlinʼs head.

Merlin stared at her, ”But this is the plan. Isnʼt best if we get out of here as fast as possible?”

”That doesnʼt mean to jump on his back like you did,” Amber smacked her once again.

”You two, stop fighting on my back and get ready,” Arad sighed.

Merlin looked back at Amber, ”I want you to fire two fireballs. The first one attracts the wormʼs attention away from us, and the second is after Arad takes off to mask it,”

Amber nodded, ”Understood,”

Merlin reached with her hand to the doorknob.

”KYAAAAAAAAA!” She cried, immediately snatching her hand away, ”Itʼs hot!” She started blowing on her palm.

Amber reached with her hand, ”You crybaby,”

”PIKYAAAAAAAAAAA!” She howled, falling off Aradʼs back and rolling on the ground, blowing on her hand, ”It burns!”

Arad looked at them with a worried face, ”You two...at least have some tolerance,”

”You canʼt blame me, can you?” Merlin cried, ”I have soft hands, but sheʼs a fire sorcerer, blame her,”

”You witch-like wizard,” Amber growled.

”It doesnʼt matter,” Arad sighed, ”Just let me open it,” He extended his hand and opened the door. It slightly burned his hand, but it wasnʼt something that could stop him from fighting.

Amber slowly stood and sat on his back, holding her staff with one hand and supporting the weight with the second one. ”Donʼt drop it,” Merlin looked at her.

”It wonʼt,” Amber replied. ”One hand is enough,”

Arad turned his head toward them, glaring at Amber, ”Drop it, and I will slap you,” Cracking his wrist, ”We need you to fire magic, so donʼt fail.”

Amber giggled, ”Of course, I wonʼt drop it. Nothing will stop me from casting the spells,” She stared at him with sweat dripping across her face. She couldnʼt know if it was from fear or the heat.

”Youʼre joking about the slap, right?”

”Of course, Iʼm joking,” Arad replied, and Amber sighed in relief.

”A slap to the butt is called spanking, after all.” He added, ”Donʼt fail,”

”Of course,” Amber replied, almost shaking in place.

Arad slowly crawled outside, his eyes panning across the sand, wary not to step out of the sizzling hot cobblestone.

Amber pointed her staff at the distance, [Fire Ball] [Fire Ball]

She fired two consecutive shots with a five-second delay between them.

Arad waited for the first fireball to explode in a crimson burst.

Tens of massive brown worms emerged at the explosionʼs base, wiggling like writhing earthworms. Merlin was right. There is no way they can fight and win against such massive monsters in their current state.

VOOOM! Arad ignited flame beneath his feet and hands, taking to the sky in the blink of an eye.

The worms sensed his taking off and turned around, but soon the second fireball exploded, drawing their attention again.

PEW! Arad flew across the air with the two on his back, going as fast as he could to reach the stairs to the second layer. As long as they get out fast enough. They wonʼt face the boss.

”I can see the stairs,” Merlin pointed, ”Land there and will get out of here before the worms come back.”

”I know,” Arad replied, shifting his direction toward the stairs they just saw.

But at that moment, the stairs disappeared, and instead, a titanic maw appeared in their place.

Arad gasped, ^A trap? Illusion?^ His eyes panned around, seeing the actual stairs being just a short distance away.

The boss opened its titanic maw, lunging toward Arad like a crock lunging at its prey.

^I canʼt dodge at this speed,^ Arad grunted, turning around and snatching Amber and Merlin off his back, ”GO!” He shouted, throwing them toward the stairs.

”ARAD!” Merlin cried.

CLAP! The boss clamped his jaw on Arad, swallowing him in the blink of an eye.

At the last moment, Amber grabbed Merlin and dropped her at the stairs before landing at her side.

”ARAD! ARAD! CAN YOU HEAR ME!” Merlin shouted, ”Go for the heart if you can find it! Try to escape,”

”Itʼs no use,” Amber growled, ”He canʼt hear you from here,” She took a step forward, her grey eyes shifting orange. The nails on her left hand fell off, replaced by a burning blaze.