[41] Dragon!

Even in such a critical moment, they showed no intention of leading the monster towards Aiden to use him as a scapegoat. Instead, they shouted loudly, warning him to run away.

*Thud* *Thud* *Thud* *Thud* *Thud*

The ground trembled slightly. The adventurers' shouts could not drown out the heavy footsteps of the Infant Dragon.

The sound of the dragon's footsteps echoed in Aiden's ears, and through the dense, grayish-white mist, a gigantic silhouette gradually emerged.

Dragons, like gods, were mythological creatures from Aiden's world back on Earth.

Due to translation nuances, various mythical creatures from Western, East Asian, and South Asian cultures were all given the same name: dragon.

However, they were fundamentally different species. Western dragons originated in ancient Western European cultures as symbols of power and divinity, whereas in Christian culture, they were depicted as embodiments of evil and demonic forces. These dragons could soar through the skies, breathe fire or poison, and possessed immense strength and magical abilities.

In the ancient myths of East Asia, dragons were known as the leaders of scaly creatures. They could appear and disappear, grow or shrink, and call forth wind and rain. They were symbols of good fortune and an integral part of East Asian culture.

In South Asia, dragons were known as Nagas, serpent deities living underground, typically depicted with human upper bodies. These serpentine gods, in addition to possessing venom and regenerative abilities, were worshiped as deities governing life and death. 

Although these creatures were not the same, they shared a common characteristic: they were all symbols of immense power.

In Western mythology, regardless of moral alignment, dragons consistently appeared as powerful beings in legends, games, novels, and comics. Be it chromatic, metallic, gem, or legendary dragons, Western dragons always symbolized formidable strength. The mere mention of dragon implied significant power, except, of course, for the Mana Wyrms in World of Warcraft.

This notion held true in this fantastical world as well. Dragons were among the most powerful monsters in this dungeon.

It is essential to know that the Freya Familia and Loki Familia rose to become the Two Kings of Orario largely due to the decline of the previous Two Kings: the Hera Familia and Zeus Familia.

The downfall of these two familias was primarily because their high-ranking members were all slain while battling a certain monster, and that monster was none other than a black dragon.

Even in the dungeon, dragons are a symbol of immense power, their inherent savagery making them synonymous with terror.

An Infant dragon, as the name suggests, should refer to a juvenile dragon. However, this is not the case. In the dungeon, infant dragons are a type of sub-dragon without wings and hence cannot fly. They walk on all fours, with elongated necks and tails, a pair of dragon horns, and sharp teeth, resembling the dinosaurs from Earth's past, particularly the Amphicoelias, though significantly smaller and possessing horns and sharp teeth.

Infant dragons are rare monsters found on the 10th to 13th floors of the dungeon. They are formidable, and solo Level 1 and Level 2 adventurers should abandon any thoughts of defeating them and instead flee immediately.

This is because typically, a team of Level 2 adventurers is required to subdue an infant dragon.

And this is why, Dunn Mitchell, a Level 2 adventurer and the leader of his team, was in dire straits, being chased by an infant dragon.

He was carrying the mage, who should have been the least likely to be injured, on his back as he fled.

In the distance, he spotted a lone white-haired youth effortlessly battling a few orcs. Judging by the youth's ease, Dunn deduced that he must be an advanced adventurer, though probably not Level 3.

Dunn knew that if he could lead the infant dragon to the youth and let him distract it, his team could escape safely. He understood that his role as a leader was to ensure the safety of his team, even if it meant sacrificing himself to ensure they returned safely to Orario.

However, he also realized that if he did this, the youth would be doomed because of them. The conflict between his conscience and his duty was tearing him apart.

But in the end, Dunn chose to shout, hoping the youth would hear him, his body's instincts surpassing his internal turmoil.

"Hey, white-haired lad over there! The Infant Dragon is coming, hurry and run!"

He knew that by making this choice, he was not being a good leader and might not even deserve to be one. 

He understood that he must pay the price for his choice. Yet, for some reason, in that moment, his heart felt unprecedentedly calm. He turned to look at his teammates, seeing urgency, fear, and unwillingness in their eyes, but no blame.

"If we truly can't escape, at least they can get away."

He reflected on how the world is actually quite fair, with every gain necessitating a loss, and that everything comes with a price.

But, at least, he had found inner peace.

At this time, Aiden was unaware of the thoughts running through the man's mind who had decided to sacrifice himself. After a month of intense battles, Aiden's abilities had significantly improved. All his basic attributes, except for magic, had reached S rank. The reason he hadn't upgraded yet was because he wanted to push his strongest attribute beyond S rank, just like Bell did, to further enhance his strength.

Aiden's rapid barrage of attacks overwhelmed the orc in front of him. After turning one more orc into his experience and wealth, the shouts of the adventurers penetrated the dense fog and reached his ears.

"An infant dragon?" Aiden muttered to himself. He was somewhat familiar with this rare monster, having seen it briefly in the anime. However, compared to the silverback gorilla, Minotaur, and Goliath that played significant roles in the plot, Aiden didn't have a deep impression of the infant dragon.

After all, in the anime, the infant dragon's performance was quite lackluster. It failed to catch a group of adventurers and was quickly defeated by Bell's combo move, Argonaut combined with Firebolt, right after it made its appearance. It didn't leave much of an impact.

It wasn't until Aiden truly became an adventurer and read the bestiary that he realized the infant dragon was actually a mini-boss level monster. The need for a team of Level 2 adventurers to subdue it was not an exaggeration.

As the heavy footsteps of the infant dragon drew closer, Aiden's expression hardened with determination. He could feel the ground trembling beneath him, each thudding step of the dragon echoing louder and louder in his ears. The silhouette of the massive beast was becoming clearer through the fog, its form gradually materializing with each passing second.

Aiden braced himself, his senses sharpening, ready to face the approaching threat. This was no ordinary challenge. The infant dragon, despite its lackluster portrayal in fiction, was a genuine menace in reality. And now, it was time for Aiden to prove his worth against this formidable foe.

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