Nightmare ripped open the last remaining hut with his razor-sharp claws. Although Nightmare wasn't as tall as a full-grown dragon, he did stand nearly nine feet tall.

"Oh my god!"Ñ00v€l--ß1n hosted the premiere release of this chapter.

"No no no no no"

The two lieutenants stumbled backward in fear. Nightmare moved his head closer to the two lieutenants, the hot smoke coming out of his nostrils brushed past the two lieutenants. Like many other bandits, they peed themselves. They never thought they would see a dragon this much closer.

The fire reflecting on its crimson red scales made him more terrifying.

"Let's go for a ride" Nightmare's rage-filled growl almost made the two lieutenants faint. He swept the two bandits off the ground before flapping his red wings to take off. The wings sent a shock wave that was powerful enough to put out the fire around him.

Nightmare flew higher and higher into the sky. Realizing how high they are in the sky, they stopped struggling under Nightmare's clutch. If they were to be put down by the dragon, they couldn't even imagine the output.

"Where...where are? you...taking us?"

Nightmare didn't answer as he continued to soar through the sky. After flying for another ten minutes, Nightmare started to descend. The bandits expected the dragon to bring them to the sect except the dragon brought them to the middle of the forest. Although they were flying for only ten minutes, they crossed several kilometers.

Everywhere the bandits turned, there was nothing but trees. The thick canopy barely let the light through, hence their surroundings were dark and gloomier. The moment Nightmare released them, their instincts to escape kicked in as they tried to crawl away.

However, an invisible force prevented them from moving any further. Soon, the force lifted them up in the air. The bandits hovered in the air while Nightmare began to interrogate them.

"Tell me where Quinn is and I'll grant you a quick, painless death or I'll slowly roast you two like chicken and eat you"

Nightmare's body began to glow more and more, indicating the dragon's flame forming inside his body.

"He's in Royal land, meeting someone. That's all we know!"

Nightmare was slightly taken aback by surprise. He never expected the two lieutenants to break so easily. The bandits he interrogated before either tried to fight him and died or never answered him until Nightmare roasted them alive. Ever since Jack was found dead, he was hunting the bandits day and night. He blamed himself for not being there when Jack was murdered. The guilt drove Nightmare crazy.

After decimating many bandits camps in the forest around the sect, Nightmare finally found the leader of these bandits, Quinn. Considering they had no leads whatsoever in the murder of Jack, Nightmare targetted the bandit leader who's responsible for all the bandit camps around the sect. He wanted to find the murderer before Gaya comes back. Jack was an annoying little brother to her. The whole sect was afraid of telling Gaya about Jack's death. Including Nightmare, everyone knew she would go berserk.

His death affected the entire sect more than anyone would imagine. Jack was one of the disciples who never left the sect even when the sect was on the verge of closing. He was loyal to the core.

Nightmare stared at the two bandits for a few seconds. The look in their eyes told Nightmare that they weren't lying.

"Please, let us go!"

"Please"

The bandits begged Nightmare to let them go. If it was before Jack's murder, Nightmare would have found some mercy in his heart but after he saw Jack's body, he felt no mercy for kings like bandits. The more he grew, the more he understood the meaning of Ghost and Gaya's words. They always told him to be ruthless and unforgiving. After Jack's death, he realized why. There was someone in this world who was ruthless enough to kill a kind, loving person like Jack in cold blood, so he knew what this world would do to people like Ghost, Gaya, and him.

"No" Nightmare sent a puff of hot breath towards the flowing pirates. The bandits tried to wiggle but the hot breath melted them in a blink of an eye.

Even their bones falling onto the ground were partially melted by Nightmare's breath.

He felt no pity for the bandits. As far as he was concerned, the sect would be safer with fewer or no bandits in the forests. With another flap, he took off into the sky, it was time for him to return to the sect.

************************************

"Kid, why did you stop us?" Ethan asked,

"How may I address you, sir?"

"It's Lord Winston of the Proud House Winston. We are going to meet with Sunrise Sect Leader Claire" one of the guards answered the young man,

"With all due respect, Lord Winston, the sect is closed to outsiders. Sect Leader Claire and Nightmare's orders"

"Closed? Why?" Ethan asked with a confused face. He wondered what made them close the sect as it was pretty unusual for a growing sect to close their doors on outsiders.

"Recently one of our brothers was killed in the vicinity. Until we find who was responsible for such evil deed, the sect is closed-"

Roar!

The young man stopped talking as the Winston soldiers immediately retrieved their weapons after hearing a thunderous roar. Even Ethan clenched the sword hilts on his waist when he heard the roar.

A few seconds after the roar, a huge shadow cast down on them, darkening the area.

"What the?" Ethan's jaw dropped as he looked up at the sky to see a dragon descending.

"Dragon!"

"Protect Lord Winston!"

'

"Dragon attack!"

"Holy gods!"

The guards immediately surrounded Ethan and the carriage with the swords in their hands. Felix the old man was as pale as a white paper looking at the dragon. When the dragon landed on the ground, Ethan saw its crimson red eyes staring at everyone.

"Stand down" the young man shouted at the guards before they could do something stupid like attacking a freakin dragon.

"Who are these people?" the dragon's voice made the guards even more terrified,

"You've grown little dragon"

Nightmare's vertical slit pupil became rounded when he heard a familiar voice. He stared at the carriage standing on his two legs.

"Lady Diana!"

"Dian, go inside" Ethan ordered but still, his wife stepped outside the carriage with a smile on her face.

"Lady Diana" Everyone was stunned to see the dragon tilt its head looking at Lady Diana. Gently brushing off Ethan's hand, she walked forward with no fear in her heart.

************************************

((Michael's action will be resumed in the next chapter))