The mountain range is treacherous terrain.
While there’s no magical realm that isn’t treacherous, it was treacherous in a somewhat different sense from other magical realms.
It wasn’t treacherous because it was an extreme environment where vegetation itself could barely survive, like a desert or glacier.
It was because of its physical form.
Sharp rocky mountains were scattered about, and knife-like stone pillars jutted out everywhere.
The highest peaks even had eternal snow that never melts.
Even for powerful monsters, it’s nearly impossible to freely roam the mountain range.
Since the terrain is challenging even for monsters.
It’s natural that flying-type monsters who are relatively free from these constraints would dominate.
Not as rare as dragons.
Wyverns – monsters much tougher than birds.
As time passed, wyverns essentially became the rulers of the mountain range.
Over a thousand wyverns live in this vast magical realm.
Naturally, such numerous monsters don’t move in an organized way.
They’re divided into dozens or hundreds of groups.
Female wyverns grow larger than males.
Moreover, males tend to leave the group when they grow up, while females have a tendency to protect their group.
That’s why the leader of a wyvern group is called a ‘Queen’.
Considering how combat ability varies greatly between individual wyverns, the same applies to Queens.
Some are no different from ordinary wyverns.
Some have evolved to grow long horns like dragons and breathe fire.
If you searched the vast magical realm, you might even find a wyvern with two heads.
Wyverns that become Queens live much longer than ordinary wyverns.
As long as they don’t die in battles with other groups, they grow stronger through repeated evolution.
The Saturnian Wyvern Queen Chugota was such a being.
She was an ancient wyvern who had survived for over hundreds of years.
After completing dozens of evolutions, she lost her shining scales and gained damp white skin.
She possessed several secret strengths that couldn’t be noticed from appearance.
By the time she got the name ‘Chugota’.
She had already become the ruler of the eastern mountain range.
Most wyverns with white scales came under her command.
Wyverns instinctively form groups according to their body colors.
Over 80% of wyverns were achromatic.
White groups and black groups were the most numerous.
At some point, no, probably from three months ago.
She set out to conquer the magical realm of the mountain range.
It’s unknown how such ‘conquering desire’, fitting for human tyrants, nested in a monster’s small brain.
Was it the influence of evolution? Or perhaps one day she was struck by lightning while flying, planting evil thoughts in that small brain?
It was natural that her eyes eventually turned to the southern part of the magical realm, and to Celeta, the ruler of that south.
Chugota’s loyal White Sword Wyvern was gliding through the sky.
Compared to other wyverns, it had a longer snout with sharp sides, looking exactly like a blade.
“Kuguk.”
Just before, Chugota had fired a light judgment from the sky.
It was an attack aimed at Celeta’s nest while she was away. Like a declaration of war.
The White Sword Wyvern’s mission was to bite to death any surviving babies.
Two were nowhere to be seen, but one was gliding while flapping desperately.
Amazing growth speed for something that seems to have just hatched from an egg.
However, escaping from an adult wyvern is impossible.
The Sword Wyvern tucked its wings and dropped.
Fierce speed.
Just before hitting the ground, it spread its wings wide, changing its flight trajectory with tremendous air resistance.
“Chuiiit!”
The startled baby screamed.
It would soon be torn to pieces.
As drool dripped from its mouth.
Something strange caught the Sword Wyvern’s sight.
A white snake was dangling from a stone pillar.
It was firmly biting the stone pillar to hold on, while supporting one baby with its tail and another with vines protruding from its back.
Distracted by that strange sight, it noticed.
Suddenly a long blade appeared in mid-air.
A weapon used by humans or dwarves.
It was shot at the flying Sword Wyvern.
The wyvern snorted and swung its snout.
No matter how sharp the blade might be, it couldn’t be tougher than its snout.
Snap!
But that sharp sword instantly split the wyvern’s lower jaw and passed through.
Blood splattered.
==
People who have raised Shiba dogs would know.
Their overreaction is especially terrifying even compared to other dogs.
They scream as if stabbed by a knife when barely touched.
“Chuiiik!”
The youngest, Chui, was like that.
Chui rolled on the ground and made a huge fuss alone.
Actually, it was the invading wyvern whose lower jaw was cut and bleeding.
And I was the one rolling around fighting with it!
“Chuchiiii!”
“Kugagagagagak!”
The adult wyvern’s shout was even louder.
The triplets who cry cutely now will probably cry like that when they grow up.
Though that’s regrettable, surviving is better than dying here.
With that thought, I tried to repel the invading wyvern.
Until I blew off its lower jaw, I thought the advantage had shifted to me.
But the wyvern was indeed no ordinary monster.
Even while spraying blood, it tried to pounce on Chui, so I had no choice but to bite its body.
Its scale-covered skin was incredibly tough.
Even when I barely managed to sink my teeth in and inject poison, it wouldn’t fall easily.
「Using Basic Elemental Magic: Fire lv6.」
Whoosh-!
Even breathing fire had no effect.
Its scales weren’t damaged by ordinary firepower.
“It’s not that wyvern scales are extraordinary, but that your flame is pathetic. How are you still stuck at basic elemental magic level…”
Pelerian’s criticism stung especially today.
Indeed, my magic development was much slower compared to swordsmanship.
Like fire magic, beams were ineffective too.
The only attack powerful enough to end its life instantly was stabbing vital points with the Celestium sword.
But that method had drawbacks too.
Biting with teeth or grabbing with tail was somewhat okay, but.
「Using Invisible Hand lv13.」
Invisible Hand’s durability and strength weren’t that great.
Like now, when the wyvern crushed the sword under its foot.
It’s impossible to retrieve that sword.
Its maw struck where I had been.
Bang!
Fortunately, it only swallowed dirt from the ground instead of me.
Pipi and Kei, who had landed with me, bravely pounced on the Sword Wyvern.
“Piaak!”
“Chiit!”
With no skills, all they could do was bite and scratch with claws.
