Dungeon of Pride, Laplace

Seeing the battered and beaten appearance of the Lightning draconic Serpent, Simon panicked and his brain immediately went into overdrive trying to think of some ways to salvage the situation.

If the Lightning draconic serpent was beaten here, it would be subdued by the orc general which means that he wouldn't be able to keep his words with Aldebaran. He had to subdue the three overlords of the north and bring them under his rule within a year. If even one of them was missing, it wouldn't be seen as him keeping his words.

All this while he had been thinking that he wouldn't even have to step into this battle since he believed that the orcs were no match for the Lightning draconic Serpent. However, surpassing his expectations, the orc army, especially the orc general was able to overwhelm the overlord of the north and bring it down.

"This is bad, the Lightning draconic serpent looks like it is already weakened to the point that it can't get back up. I have no choice but to get involved…" Simon made a serious expression and hid his presence even further so that he could act at a moment's notice.

"Hmm… are you by chance thinking of getting involved in all of that? Hmph, you are overestimating your abilities. Forget about that orc that brought down that serpent, you won't even be able to handle those two orcs by his side. Not to mention there are eight more of those orcs similar to your level".

The voice of the mysterious woman sounded out once again.

It was also at this moment that Simon realised that she was still here and the orcs weren't the last of his troubles. The situation had gotten so out of hand on the battlefield that he had completely forgotten about her presence.

He did not turn around to face her and continued to look towards the place where the Lightning draconic serpent had fallen.

Even without the need of her telling him, Simon was already aware of the limits of his powers and there was no way he would overestimate himself. He was only taking action because the situation was dire enough to force him to do so.

Otherwise, he had no interest in meddling with the battle between two entities hundreds of levels higher than him.

"Hohh~ it seems that I am right. It is so easy to read your thoughts. Well it's not like you are trying to hide it in the first place. It is your wish if you want to stick your nose where it doesn't belong. Even if you go out there it's not like you can accomplish anything" the mysterious woman snickered seeing his plight.

Finding her a little annoying, Simon couldn't help but bark out loud "Shut up".

The mysterious woman immediately flared up at his comment "Wha…?? Why you little. You dare humiliate me… do you think that I'm as weak as those ants playing over there? Hmph… ah! what a waste. Here I was just thinking of telling you a way to turn the situation in your favour. Sigh~ But it seems that you don't need it". <br/><script>ChapterMid();</script>

The woman folded her hand and said exaggeratedly. Her tone was condescending and looked down on all of them. Well given her power, she might have the right to do so.

Simon did not like it when someone who was not being helpful, acted so high and mighty.

"You don't even know me… why would you even go out of your way to help a stranger. If you believe that I would beg you to help me, then fat chance".

"Hohh~ are you telling me that you have thought of a plan other than to jump out and sneak attack your enemy to create a chance for that serpent to get away?" narrowing her eyes, the woman asked with a smile.

Simon's face reddened a little when his thoughts were being read so easily.

Indeed he was planning to use all of his skill and powers at once to attack the orcs and create a chance for the Lightning Draconic Serpent to get away.

Blinking her eyes in surprise when she saw Simon being so serious, she couldn't help but sigh out in exasperation.

"Let me tell you… your barbaric plan has a 98% chance of failing. Even if you are successful in diverting the attention of those orcs towards you, did you think that Serpent would flee using the chance that you created?"

"Do you even know what kind of existence the Lightning Draconic Serpent is? Even if it's just a Serpent claiming to be a dragon, it still possesses the bloodline of a dragon no matter how slight. There is no way a being like that would fall so low as to run away from the battle. It would rather choose to die than submit or run".

Although Simon found her haughty attitude that looked down on everything annoying, he had to admit that she was right. There was no guarantee that he would accomplish something if he just jumped there at this point.

While he was wrecking his brain trying to think something out, a furtive smile appeared on the mysterious woman's face before quickly disappearing.

"I know of a way that can help you out of this situation. Hehe, but I'm only willing to help if you apologise to me for what you did to me earlier" Making her intentions clear, the woman puffed her chest that was already threateningly big.

His eyebrows continuously twitching, Simon did his best to not get swept by her pace and impassively said "Forget about it. I'm not going to apologise, in the first place it was your fault for sneaking up to me. Even without your help I can think something out".

Fat chance If she thought that she could manipulate him by the nose. There was no way he was going to believe her who had suspicious intentions.

"Hmph, quite the prideful fellow aren't you? But there is no way you can achieve your objective without my help. It is plainly written in your face that you want to be the one who subjugates that serpent. Forget about what I said earlier… Just this once, I'm willing to help you"

The woman offered while still maintaining her distance because of that repugnant smell coming off of Simon.

Narrowing his eyes, Simon observed the woman. He must say that the woman truly had a fiery body with well-defined curves and a face so beautiful that it wouldn't lose out to the woman named Zelda he had met back during the Walpurgis.

Seeing the demon intensely scanning her body, she instinctively covered her chest with her hands. "Hey where are you looking at?" a dangerous light flashed in her peach coloured eyes.

Tearing his eyes away from those desirable curves that could generate intense emotions from men, Simon asked "Why have you suddenly changed your mind? Didn't you just say that you won't help until I apologise? What are you planning?".

With a haughty tone that was inborn to her, she looked at Simon and stated "Hmph… you are so weak that I don't need to scheme anything to snip your life out, all it will take is just a snap. The only reason I'm helping you is because I don't like the way these orcs are ganging up on that lone serpent".

"Although it was more powerful than them, it couldn't help but succumb to their numbers at the end. I hate it when someone uses their numbers to oppress others. You can rejoice! With my help, you can easily accomplish your objective. Well, my assistance will just be a teeny tiny bit so whether you can accomplish what you have in your mind or not depends on you".

Simon thought over his options and decided that he couldn't dilly dally any more. In the end, he couldn't come up with any better plan and had to take the woman up on her offer.

"Alright, I agree to you helping me. However, do remember that if you double-cross me and if I don't die here, I'll definitely make you regret this".

The woman scoffed and breezed through his warnings as a passing joke.

"So what is that plan of yours that you are so confident of?" Simon asked looking at the distant orc general who was taking his time and trying to recover some of his stamina and mana.

"Hehe, it's simple. Run towards that serpent and tell it to subdue to you" the woman said smiling beautifully.

Simon blinked his eyes a couple of times before asking in a dead-serious tone "Are you messing with me? The Lightning Draconic serpent denied so vehemently to be subdued by others. How on earth am I going to convince it otherwise?".

The woman smiled mysteriously and her tangerine coloured eyes suddenly lit up with a peculiar light "You can go and try it, leave everything else to me".

Simon did not know why he had chosen to believe this woman; nonetheless, he still did what he was told and sneakily approached the Lightning Draconic Serpent while hiding his presence to their limits.

The previous prestigious body of the Lightning Draconic Serpent which was covered in magnificent scales and gave off a powerful aura, was now battered to the point where every scales in its body was broken and wounds littered every corner of its skin.

It no longer looked like the overlord that reigned supreme in these parts of the forest. A large pool of blood that seeped out of its body lay underneath it and stained the ground red.

Simon silently approached it… twenty meters.. fifteen meters.. ten meters.