Ancient Dragon in Arknights

He hid behind the tree wall and dug his claws into the ground again. While Nesario was defending against the flock of birds, a large number of tree roots suddenly sprouted at his feet.

Thump— Countless tree roots burst forth from the ground, like a violent explosion, the force of which directly blew Neltharion off of his feet.

Nesario regained his balance the moment he landed, and he appeared to be unharmed.

'Zhanlong's leg muscles and balance are exceptional; otherwise, he would have been finished with that attack.'

Nesario reacted quickly. The instant the tree roots spread out, he stepped on them and used the momentum to push off. The fierce impact did not hit him, but instead sent him flying high into the air.

"The Seal of Igni".

As the familiar incantation rang out, the fan-shaped flames struck again, burning the deer-headed spirit and its tree wall to ashes.

Compared to the physical phenomenon caused by frictional heat generated by Neltharion, Geralt's flames have a more significant effect, and there is a fundamental difference between the two.

"Young hunter, let's join forces and kill it together."

"Ok!"

The silver sword light and the scorching steel tail were poised to strike, just as the flames on the deer-headed spirit's body were about to go out.

The two instantly sprang into action, their silver swords flashing and steel blades swirling, cleaving the deer-headed demon in two at the waist.

"Phew... Thank you, Uncle Geralt."

"Yes. Next, we need to report to the commander-in-chief of the investigation team that the mission has been completed."

"Um...this."

"Meow! It's okay."

Nesario had originally intended to ask some questions about the investigation team.

But his follower stopped him, shaking his head at Neltharion to indicate that there was nothing to worry about.

Geralt launched a signal flare from his waist into the sky, the bright flare illuminating the entire night sky—before he knew it, it was already evening?

It seems that the stag-headed spirit's magic affected Neltharion's judgment of his surroundings, making him think it was still noon.

“Nesario, do you remember what I told you? You can see it in the open area.”

"Could it be!?"

Nesario cast his gaze into the distance—and sure enough, where the tall trees were thinning out, he could see a ship perched high on various buildings.

Why put the ship so high up?!

Nesario had initially thought that the hunter's camp would have a more primitive and rustic beauty, but this spectacular building instantly shattered his illusions.

Chapter Seventy-Five Azure Star

Shortly after the signal flare was fired, a dark-skinned, white-haired man covered in scars led a young and energetic-looking girl toward the corpse of the deer-headed spirit.

Upon arriving at the scene, they immediately spotted Geralt and Neltharion. The composed older man approached Geralt and exchanged information with him, while the seemingly energetic young woman curiously began investigating the Leshen's corpse.

It seems that such monsters are very rare even for local hunters.

"Thank you for your efforts. Thanks to you, we were able to resolve the anomaly in the forest."

"That's the job of a witcher; as long as the pay is right, that's all that matters."

"Of course, we're ready."

While Geralt was exchanging pleasantries with the old man, Nesario learned from his attendant Meow that the old man, whose body seemed to tell a story, was actually the commander-in-chief of the expedition; as for the young lady who had just examined the Leshen's corpse, she was currently taking out her reward from her pocket to give to Geralt.

"No need, the currency of this world can't be used where I am... As payment, give me some of the materials this guy has."

"no problem."

The Commander-in-Chief is a very enlightened leader. Through the narration of his follower, Nesario, he gained some understanding of him. Not only did he do an excellent job in managing the survey team, but he also commanded many large-scale hunts.

"Didn't you say you wanted to be a general? Commander-in-Chief is a great role model, Nesario, good luck."

The follower cat and Nesario stood silently to one side, waiting for Geralt and the Commander-in-Chief to finish their instructions.

"Also, this young man, he is not a hunter in the stronghold; but he has also greatly helped my mission."

"you are?"

The Commander-in-Chief had noticed the hunter earlier, but he didn't recall having such a hunter in the camp. He had assumed he was a helper Geralt had brought.

"Commander-in-Chief Meow, long time no see."

"You are!? That missing follower cat! What's going on?"

Clearly, the follower cat had indeed disappeared from this world, and Neltharion could confirm that what he had experienced was not a dream, but a real world.

'But why am I here? Even if I'm killed, nothing will happen... I can even conjure weapons out of thin air...'

All of this is too fantastical; these questions will likely puzzle Nesario for a long time.

"Anyway, let's get back to the base first."

Even in this extremely formal setting, the follower cat didn't remove his wagging eel headgear, and the Commander-in-Chief didn't seem to have any objections. It seems... the investigation team is indeed a very easygoing place.

......

Geralt left, collecting the materials and entrusting something to the receptionist before departing. According to him, he was also a visitor from another world, and the Leshen's magic circle allowed him to freely travel between the two worlds. This incredible thing became reasonable under the explanation of magic.

Unfortunately, he wasn't skilled in this area; otherwise, Neltharion would have liked to ask him to try and open a portal to Terra. It's time to show that damned continent of Terra what the power of dragons really is.

"So, you encountered a strange power similar to 'magic' while hunting and ended up in another world?"

"Yes, besides me, two other Palicoes perished on their way to the New World, and they also ended up there."

"Yes... Several supply ships bound for the New World did indeed crash due to the storm, and the rescue team began search and rescue operations a long time ago."

It seems there's a reason for the Commander-in-Chief's full head of white hair. Other generals and presidents at most need to think about war, politics, and other routine mental tasks; this Commander-in-Chief of the investigation team even has to deal with visitors from another world, which is not something an ordinary person can easily decide!

This is a collision of diverse worlds! It's enough to drive scholars to complete and frantic research!

"And this one?"

"That's what I wanted to say. Commander-in-Chief, this guy is a native of that world. But when he's asleep, there's a chance he'll arrive in our world—Nesario, you can explain that yourself."

The follower cat patted Neltharion's tail with its paw, signaling him to explain himself.

"Hello, Commander-in-Chief. My name is Nesario, and I'm from Terra—it all started when I was a child..."

Nesario explained to the Commander-in-Chief everything from his first arrival in this world as a child, his first successful hunt, the changes in his body, to the weapons and equipment that appeared out of nowhere.

Neltharion never easily reveals all his secrets, but this time, he trusts his follower, Meowth—of course, even if the investigation team harbors ill will towards him, he's not afraid; what is there to fear in an immortal being? As for binding him, that's useless; multiple expeditions have already demonstrated one thing: his "spawn point" has a high degree of randomness.

However, he still did not reveal the "Ten Thousand Dragons Palace," which would remain his deepest secret.

The commander-in-chief initially listened attentively, but as Nesario continued his narration, he signaled to the receptionist to begin taking notes.

"To be honest, we've never seen anything like this before. The ability to switch freely between two worlds is mysterious enough, let alone a human body with dragon parts growing out of it? Even the ancient dragon people didn't look like this."

"That's it..."

The receptionist overheard the whole thing and curiously walked behind Nesario, looking at his unique steel tail that grew from the end of his spine.

"It really is the tail of the dragon-slaying beast; apart from the size, it is almost identical."

Although the receptionist wasn't a professional ecologist, she had studied various monsters and environmental phenomena, and she was quite surprised after confirming that Neltharion's words were true.

"I believe scholars will be interested in you."

The commander-in-chief smiled and said, "He really is a follower and a very reliable uncle!"

"Hey! Azure Star is back!"

A staff member from the outpost ran over to greet everyone, and the receptionist was the most excited to hear this.

"aibo!"

“Go and take a look. Azure Star is our most capable hunter. You should have something in common with him.”

The Commander-in-Chief heard from his follower that Neltharion managed to defeat both Odogaron and Glavenus without learning any hunter techniques—that's an incredible talent.

Perhaps there will be something to talk about between a genius hunter and a master hunter?

Chapter Seventy-Six: The Investigation Team is Interesting

Neltharion mingled in the crowd. At first, everyone's attention was focused on the front, hoping to greet Azure Star, but soon they were drawn to Neltharion's unique tail and horns.

"Hey bro... is this... custom-made equipment?"

No...it's innate.

Pushing through the surging crowd, Nesario finally saw who this so-called "Azure Star" really was.

Well... how should I put it? It was completely different from what he had imagined. Nesario had thought that a hunter who could gain such popularity among hunters must be the most desirable goal for all hunters.

A strong and robust body, a resolute and rugged face, and a wild and unruly hairstyle—just by looking at him, one can feel the pulse of power.

As it turns out... Azure Star is a girl, and she looks quite cute.

Her silver-white hair was bound by a headscarf, the mane attached to the headscarf tied into a high ponytail at the back of her head, and a blue unicorn stood upright in the center of the headscarf; compared to Nesario's heavily armed appearance, Azure Star's equipment could even be described as light and airy - a white fur shawl, a black chest binder, and white leather armor on all four limbs, with blue lightning patterns on the leather armor.

Her exposed skin wasn't as supple as that of the young ladies of Lontinim; instead, it revealed visible muscle lines and a healthy physique—truly a dashing female hunter!

"Aibo, that's him!"

The receptionist seemed to have a very good relationship with Azure Star; the two of them were whispering to each other, and when they saw Nesario, the receptionist excitedly pointed him out.

At her prompting, Nesario instantly became the center of attention.

Originally, only those around him noticed his difference, but now—everyone has discovered this strange hunter.

"This guy has a tail!"

"And horns—they're not just decorations on the helmet, they grow out of the head!"

Is he a dragon?

"Idiot! We dragon people are just like humans, except we're missing a finger!."

"..."

The topic of discussion was Neltharion. Although the hunters around were noisy, none of them were hostile, and there wasn't even a single one who spoke rudely.