Leylo and Master Barnaby entered the cave newly exposed by the landslide, moving one after the other with practiced caution. As they delved deeper, the natural light faded. Leylo retrieved a magical illumination crystal from his spatial ring; its soft glow instantly dispelled the gloom.
The interior was drier and more spacious than expected—a massive, naturally formed karst cavern. Scattered stones and dry grass littered the ground.
"Master, look at this." Leylo's sharp eyes caught several silver scales, no larger than a fingernail, nestled near a pile of dry grass.
Barnaby hurried forward, picking up a scale to examine it closely under the light. He rubbed it between his fingers, and his expression shifted to one of intense excitement. "Yes! This is it! These are spatial-attribute dragon scales! The mana fluctuations are so pure—this is definitely an Ancient Dragon species!"
"Gods above, it's a hatchling of a Spatial Great Dragon!"
He paced back and forth, as if he had just discovered the world's greatest treasure. Leylo was equally shaken. Spatial Dragons were legendary—among the most mysterious and powerful of the ancient kin. Once fully grown, they could tear through space and traverse planes with ease.
1. The Nest's Secrets
The duo pushed further into the cave's depths. Soon, Barnaby found a small pile of dried, blackened droppings. Ignoring the filth, he took samples with his tools.
"Judging by the digestive remains, this hatchling has a varied diet, primarily mana-rich ores and high-tier beast meat. Moreover, it's incredibly young—likely less than a year old," Barnaby analyzed.
"There's more here!" Under a protruding rock, Leylo found a delicate, milky-white tooth, no longer than a pinky finger, with a faint trace of dark red blood on the tip.
Barnaby took the milk tooth, his eyes shining brighter. "A hatchling's milk tooth! Perfect! Based on the wear and the lingering scent, this little spatial dragon left the nest about two months ago."
"It likely finished its first molting and teething, gaining enough self-defense capability to head out and roam the world."
"Two months ago..." Leylo felt a pang of disappointment. Had they found this sooner, they might have intercepted a legend.
Barnaby sighed, tucking the scales and tooth into a specialized box. "Yes, just a bit too late. What a pity!"
2. The New Master
Just as they were lamenting their timing, a heavy thud echoed from the depths of the cave, accompanied by raspy, labored breathing.
Thump... Thump... Thump...
Each step vibrated through the ground and into their chests.
"Something's coming!" Leylo's face hardened as his hand gripped the hilt of his knight's sword.
Barnaby's smile vanished. "This aura... it seems we've disturbed the new owner."
Before he could finish, a gargantuan creature burst around the corner. It was a hideous beast the size of a mammoth, covered in thick, grey-black scales that looked carved from solid rock. Its limbs were corded with muscle, ending in massive claws that bit deep into the stone floor. Its head was a nightmare of folds and keratin, with interlocking tusks and blood-red eyes brimming with tyranny. It looked like a dragon-scaled bear, radiating raw, savage power.
"Damn, an Earth-Shaking Bear-Dragon! A Tier 4 magical beast," Barnaby hissed. "Thick hide, immense strength, and most annoying of all—near-impenetrable defense! The space here is too narrow to fight. Move!"
The Bear-Dragon roared, charging like a mobile hill. Barnaby didn't panic; he flicked his wrist, smashing a crystal vial against the wall. Pungent, yellow-green smoke billowed out instantly. The potion was so potent that even the Tier 4 beast recoiled, its charge momentarily halted by the irritant.
"Go!"
The two bolted for the exit. The Bear-Dragon quickly recovered and gave chase, its heavy steps causing the cave to tremble and rocks to fall. They burst out of the entrance just as Tempest and the Wyvern were beginning to pace anxiously.
"Get on!" Leylo shouted, leaping onto Tempest. Barnaby scrambled onto his Wyvern, and both mounts surged into the sky.
The Bear-Dragon's massive head poked out of the cave just as they rose, letting out an indignant roar that made the mountain stones hum.
3. Returning to Blackstone
"That brute has claimed it as its new den," Leylo said, looking down at the raging beast with lingering fear. Being cornered in that narrow space would have been a death sentence.
Barnaby clutched his chest, panting. "Close call. Luck favored our feet today."
Since the spatial dragon was long gone, they turned back toward Blackstone Castle. By the time they arrived, twilight had faded, leaving only a few sparse stars. The exhaustion of the day finally began to settle into Leylo's bones as his boots hit the stone courtyard.
Barnaby, still fueled by academic fervor, rushed straight to his lab with his "treasures." Tempest went to his usual spot to rest.
Leylo patted the griffin's neck and instinctively looked around the courtyard. It was only then that he realized he hadn't seen a certain silver-white shadow all day.
"I wonder where that little rascal has run off to now," he muttered with a touch of weary indulgence. Moonlight was missing.