Doka’s spellcasting—that too was an ability only a Silver Tier Wizard should possess.

’I’m a Silver Mage. The quality of my Spiritual Power is leagues beyond Black Iron. And yet, that one strike consumed more than half of it. Who *is* this?’

Wizard Fei stared intently in the direction where the dust was settling. After getting a clear look at the wielder of the giant blade, his eyes flickered with the same shock as Baron’s and the Palmer Witch Riders’.

He uttered two cold words: "Undead Knight."

A Silver Tier Undead Knight, at that.

His peripheral vision fell on the three Palmer Witch Riders beside him, and his expression suddenly froze.

Of the three Palmer Witch Riders, two were down, and the last one was injured, his body covered in scorch marks.

He scanned the area with his Spiritual Power.

’Carmen is gone... and the Demon Hunter is gone too!’

Before Wizard Fei could issue a new order to pursue, the Undead Knight let out a low roar and charged, brandishing its Giant Sword.

Beneath its faceplate, its pupils were mercury.

’A Silver Tier undead!’

...

At this very moment, Baron and Carmen were on the run.

The Witch was weak from the depletion of her Spiritual Power, so Baron was carrying her on his back as he ran.

The Witch said, "How did you know I was here?"

’I didn’t want to know.’

Baron said, "I don’t know either. Maybe it was luck..."

He added self-deprecatingly, "My luck has always been terrible."

The Witch gave a meaningful hum and said, "But your heart seems to be beating very fast... Don’t tell me you’ve fallen in love with me?"

"How did you know?"

Baron’s expression changed. He thought he had hidden it so well—not his love for the Witch, but the sound of his own heartbeat.

He hadn’t paid much attention to it before while being chased by the Undead Knight, but looking back now, the closer he got to the Witch, the more violently his heart pounded. It wasn’t until the Witch was right by his side and they had briefly escaped danger that the frenzied heartbeat had temporarily subsided.

It had only subsided for a moment; now his heart was racing again.

Baron was certain that his relationship with the Witch, aside from a mutual wariness, was purely a temporary alliance. No matter how beautiful or bewitching she was, at the end of the day, it was just an appreciation for her looks, not so-called love.

At his core, Baron was a very traditional man. If he could, he’d just want a harem.

The Witch ambiguously rested her chin on Baron’s shoulder. "Take a... guess?"

’She heard my heartbeat.’

Baron frowned.

’Why is this happening? It makes no sense.’

’Could it be true, just as the Witch said? Have I actually fallen in love with her without even realizing it?’

His heartbeat grew more and more intense. Suddenly, the Witch on his back hugged him tightly, her soft body practically melting into his back. The searing heat was enough to make one’s mind wander and stir restless thoughts.

But Baron’s keen senses told him the Witch’s body temperature was wrong. It was too hot, almost like a slab of melting butter pressed against his back. It was accompanied by the faint sound of a woman’s panting, but it wasn’t filled with amorous passion, but rather with pain.

The kind of pain from a fire coursing through one’s internal organs.

From the corner of his eye, Baron saw red Dragon Scales beginning to cover the girl’s long, snow-white calves. A thought struck him. "Miss Carmen?"

"Mmm..."

Carmen answered him, but her tone was thick and languid, lacking its usual elegance.

’According to what Wizard Fei said last night, this must be Dragon Fever... She seems delirious.’

Baron said, "According to our original deal, besides giving me your blood, you also said you’d compensate me for my losses with a kilogram of gold to show your gratitude..."

"What are you talking about?" Carmen mumbled against Baron’s shoulder, her voice weak. "It was only the blood."

’She’s not completely delirious, then.’

Baron said, "Is there any way to get rid of Dragon Fever? I’ll help you."

’I don’t know how Silver Wizard Fei’s fight with the Undead Knight is going, but we can’t keep on like this. And my heart is beating even faster... It’s not because of the Witch. It feels like... a sense of unease.’

An intoxicating blush spread across Carmen’s smooth, glistening face. She forced herself to stay lucid and said:

"Fei used a trap to lay an Alchemy Array in this forest... This Array can trigger the Dragon Poison in my body... He has the [Water Ice Flower], which can alleviate the Dragon Poison..."

Having said that, Carmen’s head lolled to the side, and she fell asleep on Baron’s shoulder.

Baron shrugged his shoulders. The Witch didn’t wake up; her delicate brows just knitted slightly, and her palm gripped the hem of his clothes tightly.

"Wait, does this mean I’m supposed to go snatch the Water Ice Flower from Wizard Fei? Miss Witch, have you given any thought to whether I live or die?"

Baron was caught in a dilemma.

If he dropped the Witch now, he could probably escape. But if she was found by her fiancé, he’d lose his chance to get her blood and advance to the Bronze Tier forever.

But if he ran with the Witch, not only would they be easily caught, but he would also attract a lot of unwanted attention.

A fiancé seeing his fiancée being carried off on some other man’s back... that would look really strange, no matter how you slice it.

Actually, Baron had another, bolder idea: to just take this chance and get some of Carmen’s blood.

’As for the Contractor’s approval... according to KK, I could become a Dragon Knight thanks to the Red Dragon’s acknowledgment, not Carmen’s.’

At this thought, Baron skidded to a halt and placed the Witch on the grassy ground.

At this moment, her glistening face, delicate waist, slender legs, and dainty feet were all covered in a layer of red scales.

The scales interlocked, rising and falling with the Witch’s chest. Baron tried prodding them with the edge of his Spear Sword; aside from kicking up sparks, it could barely pierce them.

The Witch bit her lip tightly, her face a mask of pain. A thin sheen of sweat broke out, plastering strands of hair to her beautiful, jade-like face and making her skin seem all the more radiant.

’A Ferrari is still a Ferrari, even with a broken engine, huh.’

Baron sighed, aiming his Spear Sword at the Witch’s fair, delicate wrist.

With a scrape,

he didn’t slice her wrist, but his own palm. Blood began to well up, but he held it suspended in mid-air.

He brought his palm to the Witch’s mouth. The blood trickled down, moistening the girl’s lips.

’Wizard Fei said that Dragon Knights seem to be immune to Dragon Fever. If that’s true, then a Dragon Knight’s blood might have some healing effect on it, too.’

’I don’t know if this will work, but it’s probably the best I can do right now. The rest is up to the Witch herself.’

Because an enemy had arrived.

He looked up and saw a figure standing tall and straight in the distance.

Azure eyes, a high-bridged nose, lips as thin as blades, and wine-red hair hanging loose. His Armor was engraved with a soaring, fire-breathing Fire Dragon... exactly as he’d appeared at the Hunting Competition. The only difference was that he now held a weapon—a golden longspear.

The Sun and Fire Dragon Knight of the Glorious Knight Order, Gawain Lannier.

Gawain’s gaze lingered for a moment on the wound on Baron’s palm. "L, I’ve come to challenge you."

’Is Mercury in retrograde for me today or something? Why is everyone coming after me one by one?’

Baron said, "I’m busy right now. We can fight some other time."

Gawain’s gaze fell upon Carmen’s disheveled clothes and the exposed skin covered in Dragon Scales. He was silent for a moment before saying, "I can wait for you to finish."

"I really don’t have time. If you’re here to get revenge for the humiliation the other day, I suggest you come back another day," Baron said irritably.

Carmen was like a newborn, thirsty lamb, greedily suckling the blood from the Demon Hunter’s wound.

The blood wet the corners of her mouth and her lips, making her already bewitching face seem even more devilishly beautiful.

’Honestly, this is pretty hot.’

"I did not take to heart the matter of you making me kneel three times that day, nor did I wallow in despair, lock myself in the forest outside Fude City for days without eating, and hunt Magical Beasts to vent my anger."

’You’re saying everything you’re thinking, buddy.’

"I have simply, after several days of contemplation, come to understand one thing."

"What’s that?"

"As the Azure Fire Dragon Knight, judging by the Tier of my Contract, not even the legendary Golden Lion Knight should be able to intimidate me that much. And yet, a single glance from you was enough to shake my very soul and make me perform an act so humiliating I wanted to die, like kneeling."

’He says he didn’t take it to heart? Based on that description alone, I’m pretty sure you’re here for revenge, my man.’

"You are a Dragon Knight," Gawain said. "Fight me, and I’ll keep your secret."