As they approached the Dragon's palace, a construction site in full swing came into view.
Seemingly expanding the palace, slave humans with steel tools were working, sweating profusely.
'Who are those?'
Xu Xin saw some slave humans on one side of the construction site. These were slave humans wearing quite elegant clothing instead of animal hides.
These specially dressed slave humans were being treated like kings by other slave humans and were performing an unknown dance.
As they waved their arms here and there, sweating profusely, the ground at the construction site rose up, creating a rough structure.
"Those are slaves who have eaten pieces of Dragon's heart. Dragons give magic to some slaves like that to manage other slaves."
Lethe, noticing Xu Xin's gaze, explained.
Eventually, Eve's party entered the Dragon's palace.
Inside the palace were slave humans who seemed to be serving the Dragon. All of them were exceptionally attractive and their clothing was not primitive.
The slaves serving the Dragon, as if they had been informed in advance, welcomed them with great reverence and courtesy.
Thanks to this, they were able to meet the Dragon right away without experiencing any inconvenience.
Eve's party, guided to an enormously spacious area in the center of the palace, faced the Dragon, which was curled up like a cat or a snake.
Xu Xin, with his eyes wide open, curiously observed the Dragon's massive form.
"You've come to receive a piece of my heart."
The Dragon spoke using magical wind.
Eve replied in a calm tone.
"Yes. You've prepared the heart piece as promised to the Primordial Dragon, haven't you?"
"Of course. That promise is absolute."
Suddenly, a radiance burst forth from the Dragon's massive body.
When he reflexively closed and reopened his eyes, the Dragon that had filled the space was gone, and a red-haired beauty had appeared.
Unlike the slender physique of Elves, the red-haired beauty had a tall stature with a sensual figure, and a pair of horns protruded from her head.
"This form will be more convenient for handing over the heart piece."
The red-haired beauty spoke with an arrogant expression.
The palace's slave humans approached her and dressed her naked body in magnificent clothes.
Looking at the vertically slit eyes of the red-haired beauty, Xu Xin thought.
'Indeed, like a Responding Dragon, it can also shapeshift.'
The red-haired beauty strode up to Eve and brought her hand to her mouth.
"Ugh, ugh!"
The red-haired beauty gagged and spat out a jewel-like object covered in sticky saliva onto her palm. It was a jewel like a brilliant red jade, with a red haze flickering like flames.
The beauty continued to gag and spat out jewels one after another.
"Ugh... There. I've taken out as many pieces as you requested, so take them."
Only after both her hands were filled with jewels did the red-haired beauty stop gagging. She held out the jewels in her hands to Eve.
Eve frowned as if they were dirty, but she didn't decline.
'So that's a piece of the Responding Dragon's, the Dragon's heart.'
Xu Xin curiously looked at the jewels Eve received. He had heard that a Dragon's heart was a treasure that holds power similar to a dragon's wish-fulfilling pearl. It certainly looked extraordinary.
Suddenly, Xu Xin felt a tug on his sleeve. Looking to the side, he saw Lethe whispering to him in a small voice.
"Xu Xin. If you eat those heart pieces, you can gain magical force. Do you want to eat one too?"
Xu Xin smiled slightly and whispered back.
"I don't really want to eat one."
Although magical force and magic were powers reminiscent of immortal techniques, he wasn't particularly covetous of that power. So he answered Lethe's question honestly.
"Even if I gain magical force by eating that piece, it won't be enough for me to fulfill the duties of a High Elf, right?"
If it had been possible to gain that much magical force, Eve would surely have fed him a piece. That would have allowed him to become independent.
"If I can't gain enough magical force to fulfill my duties, it means I'll still have to depend on Lady Eve. Then, wouldn't it be a waste for me, who only stays in my quarters, to eat that piece?"
"Hmm."
Xu Xin was grateful and touched by Lethe's thoughtfulness, and he patted her head.
At that moment, the red-haired beauty asked Eve, who had received the heart pieces:
"Since I've given you as many heart pieces as you demanded, my promise to the Primordial Dragon has been fulfilled, right?"
While using magic to blow away the saliva on the heart pieces, Eve nodded.
The corners of the red-haired beauty's mouth turned up.
In that instant, Xu Xin felt all the hairs on his body stand on end. The intuition and instinct of a martial arts master rang alarm bells madly.
His body moved before his mind. Immediately drawing up his spiritual power to the extreme throughout his body, Xu Xin deployed his lightness skill. Cloud Ladder Lightness Skill, which flowed like mist and clouds, was fully unleashed.
"Then give them back!"
The red-haired beauty roared, showing her alligator-like teeth. Sharp nails were swung like lightning.
Although Eve, as a High Elf, possessed transcendental magical force, her physical abilities weren't particularly special. In contrast, the red-haired beauty, being a Dragon, wasn't just strong in magical force.
In magical force, High Elves surpassed Dragons, and in physical strength, Titans surpassed Dragons. But Dragons possessed both magical force and physical strength.
Therefore, the hand swung with all might by the red-haired beauty surged right up to Eve's face in an instant she couldn't even perceive.
'Stupid High Elves. They're so naive, it's so easy to deceive them.'
The red-haired beauty mockingly laughed at Eve, who couldn't react despite death approaching right before her.
'Born too strong, they don't know how to suspect and be wary of others. They've never felt the need for it.'
The red-haired beauty had no intention of trading with Eve from the beginning.
The Titan's corpse was her rightful trophy and possession. Why should she trade for her own possession that someone else wanted to take? Why should she give up a piece of her heart?
'After killing this woman, the purple-headed girl and the black-haired man too... Huh?'
The red-haired beauty, scanning her next prey with her eyes, was momentarily confused. Among those who had come with the High Elf Queen, the black-haired young man was nowhere to be seen.
'Where is he?'
Just before the red-haired beauty's hand was about to shatter Eve's head, the black-haired young man appeared like mist out of nowhere.
His left hand swept away the beauty's hand in a semicircular trajectory. At the same time, his right hand extended like a spear.
Brush aside the arm and extend the fist.
Tai Chi Fist's "Brush Aside Arm and Extend Fist" was unleashed. From his waist through his shoulders to his arms and finally to his fist, pure spiritual power flowed abundantly, strengthening his flesh.
Baaaaak!
A powerful punch exploded on the red-haired beauty's face. The beauty's neck bent back as if it would break.