Life as an Adventurer with the Banished Marquis' Daughter - Chapter 41: The Exiled Marquis' Daughter and the Magical Wilderness, Part 4

Chapter 41: The Exiled Marquis’ Daughter and the Magical Wilderness, Part 4

The Forest Dragon is called such not because it lives in the forest, but due to a common misconception.

The real reason it’s named the Forest Dragon is much simpler: its body looks like a tree. 

Branch-like spines protrude from its entire body, each ending in green, leaf-like structures.

It resembles a moving, miniature forest. That’s why it’s called the Forest Dragon.

A fundamental rule of monster hunting is to always strike first when you have the chance.

Following this rule, I leaped over the Forest Dragon, which was still lying down. 

The moment I pushed off the ground with all my might, the Forest Dragon seemed startled as it lost sight of me and only noticed me above it.

Too late.

In a panic, the Forest Dragon raised its head to bite me as I was in the air. 

I swung my sword down at that moment.

A dull thud resounded, not the sound you’d expect from slicing a living creature. 

The Forest Dragon’s head, forcibly slammed shut, bounced off the ground.

As I landed, I was impressed with how well my sword handled. 

The best part was being able to adjust its sharpness.

Also, there’s no need to worry about the sword breaking.

Even when I struck the Forest Dragon’s hard skin with full force, I didn’t feel any concern that it might break.

When I looked back, Erika and Shara had taken their positions. 

About twenty steps away, the perfect distance for Shara to hit with her most powerful magic.

For a group like us without a shield bearer, this was too close for comfort against a Forest Dragon. 

However, with Erika standing in front to protect Shara, there was no need to worry.

“Oops.”

I took a light backstep.

A foreleg, as tall as I am, swiped past in front of me.

The Forest Dragon glared at me with eyes full of hatred. 

It snorted heavily, clearly very angry.

“Good, keep focusing on me like that.”

I slowly moved sideways, listening to Shara’s chanting behind me. 

The Forest Dragon’s head followed my movement. 

Perfect.

I pushed off the ground with all my might again. 

I definitely wasn’t planning to fight it head-on.

I moved to the side of the Forest Dragon and struck its flank with my sword, an area that didn’t even seem like part of a living creature. 

The Forest Dragon, apparently losing sight of me again, roared in pain and wildly swung its whole body in a frenzied attack.

I dodged the giant tail and foreleg attacks with my sword, constantly moving my body.

The Forest Dragon’s huge size, comparable to a small house, made its wild thrashing incredibly powerful.

In case I needed to escape, I increased my sword’s sharpness to cut its hind legs while using it as a blunt weapon elsewhere. I needed to keep its attention on me and not let it focus on anything else. 

After all, it’s a dragon.

A long battle was inevitable.

Watching the wound I inflicted on its hind leg heal rapidly, I was reminded that I was definitely dealing with a dragon.

Most dragon species possess incredible regenerative abilities due to their immense magic power. 

For an average adventurer like me, a short fight is out of the question, making a prolonged battle inevitable.

In such a case, it’s crucial not to take direct hits from the opponent’s attacks.

Even if I have confidence in my body enhancement, repeated attacks would slow me down due to accumulated damage, a scenario to avoid when fighting a dragon.

After all, with dragons…

“Yeah, if it can’t catch me, it’ll do that.”

I muttered, looking up at the Forest Dragon as it exposed itself by lifting its massive body and gathering a tremendous amount of magical power in its mouth full of fangs.

Dragon Breath, the dragon’s signature destructive force.