Don’t move. This woman is strong! Mom shouted inside Arad’s head.

“Come on, don’t move, little one! Care to become familiar?” The woman asked with a smile, tightening her leg grip on Arad’s back and keeping her wand close to his head.

Arad stood still, slowly lowering his head.

“Ho! You’re more obedient than I thought,” The woman said with a smile, but then Arad whipped his head like a snake.

“Heh!” The woman gasped, seeing his neck twist, aiming his jaw at her. ROAR! Arad unleashed a point-blank void breath at her.

ZON! CRACK! As the woman’s vision turned back, a crystalline barrier covered her body, protecting her from the breath as her body got flung away.

That was risky! Mom shouted in his head. ^We need to run away!^ Arad turned away to run, but green veins grew from the ground, tying him in place.

“Pretending to submit and then counter-attacking? That’s more intelligence than what a wyrmling has and that strange breath of yours.” The woman walked toward Arad, scratching her butt. The fall was painful. “I have never seen a wyrmling like you. What are you?” she smiled.

Arad glared at her. SWOSH! Her body burst into flames, burning the veins.

^Mom, do you have any idea?^

We can run with a void walk, but we must find an opening to use it and hide.

“Fire? You aren’t a red wyrmling. Or are you the ugly duck?” The woman pointed her want at Arad, “Don’t worry, I like your appearance better than your mother. Come to your new mommy,” Her staff crackled, and two giant dirt hands rose from the ground.

Arad leaped back, dodging their grasp. SWOSH! The woman flew around and behind him instantly, “I see. You want me to prove my strength. Dragons are prideful, after all,”

A blast of air exploded from her want, blasting Arad away without hurting him.

Thud! CRAWL! Arad stopped after rolling a bit, using his claw. He then glared at the woman. ^She was strong and fast. What was that earlier?^

She’s a wizard,

^I know that. I asked what spell those were.^

I don’t have your mother’s magic knowledge, But that last one was wind magic.

^Using multiple elements? Fine, I will play her game.^

Arad opened his jaw. Several orbs of magic appeared around his body. A blazing flame, crackling lightning, flashing light, ominous dark void, hard stone, whistling wind, frozen icicle, and even a semi-transparent ball of pure magic.

^Are those all?^

This is as much as you can do now,

“Heh?” The woman stared at Arad with a puzzled face. A sweat dropped on her face. “What is that?” She mumbled with her wand, slightly drooping.

^Void can conjure all the elements, I might not master them all, but they are a good distraction.^ ROAR! Arad unleashed all of them at the same time.

“Damn it!” The woman swung her staff, covering her body in a stone dome. Puff! The spells made a disappointing sound as they hit, quickly informing her they had no power behind them.

“Don’t tell me!” The woman shouted, lowering her barrier to finding Arad gone. “He ran away,” She sighed, looking down.

“Those spells were real. A wyrmling did conjure all those elements. But they had no power,” the woman sat cross-legged. “But that black thing before was strong. That must be his primary element.”

Thud! She fell on her back, “A black element. It didn’t seem like darkness. A new species of dragons?”

“GRWAAAAA!” She screamed, swinging her limbs like a kid throwing a tantrum, “Come back! Come back! I won’t hurt you!” Frustrated at missing such a rare creature.

***

Arad ran away, never looking back. ^That was close,^

It was, but you did better than I expected.

^Have a little bit of trust in your son,^

Any mother would get worried if her son is facing any risk,

^And your worry was me submitting her?^

No, I asked you not to move so I can get a few seconds to think of a safe way to run away.

^Is that true? Have you come up with any ideas?^

She was sitting on your back half-naked. What if you zapped her with a lightning version of a flame cloak?

Guh! Arad gasped. ^That would have been easier…^

Next time, let me think,

^Sorry,^

Arad returned to the tree, where he hanged the woodland goat. He quickly climbed it and poked the corpse with his claw. ^It’s dead,^

He quickly put it into his stomach and leaped out of the tree like a rooster gliding with his wings.

***

Aella was scouting in the trees when she saw Arad approaching the camp. She quickly jumped to greet him. “Arad! Did you get anything?”

Arad waved his hand, dropping the woodland goat’s corpse. Found this. It should make a good dinner.

Aella smiled, “I found those!” She showed him a batch of grass.

“Are those edible?”

“Yes! We elves use them as foraged rations.” She smiled. She can’t eat meat, after all.

Arad and Aella carried the goat together as they approached the camp. He can’t have Lydia or Merida know about his stomach because that would be suspicious.

Alcott had already gathered enough firewood, so after leaving the goat with Ginger and Merida to butcher it, Arad approached the fireplace.

“Should I ignite it now?”

“Yeah, I got more firewood than we need,” Alcott replied, smiling.

Arad used a Bonfire spell to ignite it.

“I heard some noise in the distance. Did you fight a big monster?” Alcott asked, smiling.

Arad stared at him. ^You heard it and didn’t come?^ He wanted to scream, but then thought, ^I should be able to care for me. He’s the reverse of mom,^

Arad quickly told him about the fight with the woman wizard. “A half-naked wizard with a big chest? That’s too vague to know who she was,” Alcott shook his head. He can’t just guess her from the top of his head.

***

Later that night, just as the dinner was ready, Arad heard something moving around the camp in the grass.

“Alcott,” Arad looked at Alcott relaxing around the carriage,

“A humanoid is coming directly toward us, almost like he doesn’t mean harm.” Alcott stood.

Aella looked at them, “He would be sneaking otherwise.”

A moment later, the woman emerged from the trees, “A camp! And isn’t it Alcott over there!” She smiled, waving her hand.

Guh! Alcott gasped, “What is she doing here?”

“That’s her,” Arad whispered to Alcott.

Alcott sighed, standing up and approaching the woman, “She’s Merlin, Alina’s archmage.”

Merlin stared at him, smiling, “Is that all for my introduction?”

Ginger approached her, “That’s all. What brought you here?” ．

“I was looking for a Lava core, but monsters attacked my camp when I was hunting for it.” she smiled, scratching her chin, “They are all my rations. I did kill them but ended up with my clothes soaked in blood.” she lifted her arms, her robe was dripping wet.

Alcott sighed, “Low on MP, hungry and wet. Sit beside the flames. We can’t have you get sick or die here.”

Merlin smiled, “Thank you!”

Since Alcott approved of her, no one questioned her further as she sat beside the fire.

Merlin’s eyes darted around the camp, “You even have an elf! I haven’t seen one in a while,” She stared at Alcott.

“She isn’t at my party.” He replied, sitting back beside the wagon.

“Hemm,” Merlin looked around, and her eyes stopped on Arad, “Are you a mage?”

“A sorcerer,”

“I feel like I’ve seen you before,” Merlin smiled.

She’s sharp,

“I was wandering around Alina’s plaza. We might have crossed paths there.” Arad replied, looking away.

“What kind of sorcerer are you?”

“Fire, red draconic bloodline,” Arad replied with a sigh.

Merlin went silent for a moment, staring at the flames. “Are you with Alcott?”

“I’m not at his party. I have my own.” Arad replied.

“Shame, I was looking for assistance in my next project.” she sighed, leaning on her hands.

“The city is full of people. Find someone else.” Aella glared at her.

Merlin closed her eyes, “I would have done so if I could.” she looked at the flames, “I’m working on a city heater and want to get it done before the winter. A red draconic bloodline sorcerer would be the best assistance to send into the blazing forge for repairs and monitoring.

“I’m not immune to flames,” Arad glared at her.

“Even if you don’t have innate immunity, red draconic bloodline sorcerers are immune to fire while covered in their flame.” Merlin smiled, “I’m willing to teach you flame coat and give you MP potions to work.”

Arad stood, approaching the campfire.

“I’m immune to flames?” He extended his hand over the flames. And it burned him a bit. “Now, let’s see,” KA-DON! He used Firefist.

After a while, Merlin smiled, “See? The nonmagical flame cannot burn you like that.”

Arad stared at his hand and at Merlin, “You know a lot about magic.”

“I’m an archmage, after all!” She cried, sensing surprise in his voice.