Chapter 6: Grand Wyvern’s Descent

Wyverns, creatures a step away from being dragons.

These reptilian beasts bore a striking resemblance to their legendary cousins, the only differences being their smaller stature and the fact that they walked on two legs rather than four.

Flap.

The sound of massive wings cutting through the air echoed above. Molly’s heart skipped a beat, her pale white hair fluttering wildly from the downdraft. Her breath caught in her throat as she stared at the shimmering red scales that armored the creature’s body, each one catching the morning light like polished rubies. Sharp claws glinted at the ends of powerful wing joints, much like a bat’s. A long, whip-like tail trailed behind it, tipped with a stinger that seemed to drip with molten stone. Small horns jutted from its head, framing eyes that burned with a predatory glow.

The Grand Wyvern circled the market square, searching for the right prey to strike. Its wings beat with each pass, sending heavy gusts of wind that threatened to tear the stalls apart.

A frown settled on Molly’s features as she recalled that this wyvern was nothing like the common wyverns one saw every day. According to records from ancient times, Grand Wyverns were creatures that had grown exceptionally large, old, and dangerous.

These dominant predators roamed and hunted alone, their mastery of magic far surpassing that of ordinary wyverns, who could only manage [Tier 2] to [Tier 4] formulas.

Grand Wyverns had the capacity to cast [Tier 5] to [Tier 7] formulas, perhaps even a [Tier 8]. That made them formidable adversaries indeed.

“Inform the heroes!”

“Everyone! Run to the hall!”

“Hurry!”

Molly’s thoughts were cut short by the rising chorus of shouts. Her gaze swept the square as people fled in every direction, abandoning the vicinity to find safety and await the heroes stationed in Sigsug.

As if remembering something, her eyes darted behind her to the young woman who had asked her that question earlier.

The young woman’s orange gaze was fixed upward, her light blue hair spilling around her shoulders. Her mouth hung slightly agape, entirely transfixed by the Grand Wyvern. Her face had gone somewhat pale as she watched the beast circle the market square.

Molly’s expression brightened a little. This was exactly what she needed. With the young woman so distracted, she could slip away and hide somewhere secluded, a place where she could handle the Grand Wyvern before the heroes arrived—

Molly’s gaze snapped upward at a deafening roar. She watched as the Grand Wyvern began flying higher, ascending into the sky. With each sweep of its wings it climbed further and further.

“It’s about to attack.” Not too far from her, she heard the grim voice of the young woman. Her eyes flicked toward her, and she noticed the young woman had grown considerably paler than before.

She looked more like a statue than a person. But she wasn’t completely frozen in fear. Molly observed that the young woman was contemplating something, her hands clenching and releasing in a repeated motion. Molly didn’t know what the young woman was wrestling with, and before she could even guess—

“Roar!!”

Molly’s eyes flew back to the sky, her expression hardening. There wasn’t much time.

She broke into a sprint, clutching the neatly woven basket against her side. Her free left hand gathered the folds of her robe so she could run faster. Her deep crimson eyes darted frantically around the market square, searching for any place to hide, somewhere out of sight.

Her expression immediately softened with relief, a warm smile touching her lips when she spotted a secluded corner tucked behind a larger stall structure.

With a swift motion, she slipped into the corner, carefully concealing herself behind the large stall until no one could see her. Her crimson eyes swept the area, quietly checking if anyone lingered nearby. When she confirmed she was alone, her focus shifted to the Grand Wyvern, which was already descending with alarming speed, its mouth gaping wide as rough white symbols in the air gathered around its maw, rapidly forming a shape.

Molly squinted, unable to make out the formula from this distance. Seeing that wouldn’t do, she sighed and, with a silent command, rough white symbols began to take shape near her right eye. The first symbol to form resembled a cursor, and the last to appear was the structure that bound everything together into a complete spell. The formula dyed red in an instant.

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Molly felt her vision zoom in the moment she cast [Farsight] on her right eye.

A small smile played on her lips as she could finally see the symbols forming within the Grand Wyvern’s open maw.

The first symbols assembled into the image of a giant sigil of fire. The ones that followed arranged themselves into seven long lines, each tipped with an arrow shape pointing outward, beyond the fire image, creating the roots. The final symbol was the structure, which took the shape of a large circle encapsulating the entire arrangement.

Molly’s breath caught. She knew this spell. It was a [Tier 7] formula, [Blazing Fire Burst], an advanced and far more chaotic version of the [Tier 2] and [Tier 3] [Fire Burst]. The arrow-shaped lines pointing outward indicated that the completed spell would be projected from the formula. Had the arrows pointed toward the central symbol, that would have meant an inward pull.

Molly watched as the completed spell abruptly dyed a vivid, seething reddish-orange, creating a perfect and terrifyingly beautiful image for the eye.

Her mind began calculating. If that attack landed on the market square, the entire marketplace would burn. Sellers would lose their goods, the village would suffer a devastating loss, and the people who still hadn’t fled far enough would be caught in the aftermath.

And Molly still hadn’t finished buying all her ingredients. In fact, she hadn’t bought anything but the red lettuce.