After the Ice-Fire Twin Dragons took off, Jenny Sima and the crew stared at Evan like he'd just sprouted horns and scales—seriously, it was as if he'd turned into a monster overnight! The way things flipped so fast was enough to scramble anyone's brain.
"Evan, what the hell just happened?! Why are you and those dragons suddenly calling each other 'old bro' and 'little bro'? Spill it—what went down in there?!" Jenny Sima stomped over, demanding answers like she was ready to shake the truth out of him.
"Oh, that? Piece of cake! Your man’s just too damn handsome, too talented, and way too legendary! The Ice-Fire Twin Dragons saw my future shining brighter than a Spirit Sun, so of course they wanted to buddy up!" Evan flashed a smug grin, practically glowing with swagger.
"Yeah right! Not buying it for a second. You're definitely hiding something, but whatever—if you don't wanna spill, I'm not gonna twist your arm. Long as you're in one piece, I'm good." Jenny shot Evan a look, already numb to his endless bag of secrets.
"Big Bro, did you get what you wanted?" Macy Mei piped up, her eyes sparkling with curiosity.
"Yep, nailed it! We're basically ready to bounce. Once those dragons smash this illusion, we're outta here! Just chill and wait for the fireworks!" Evan declared, brimming with confidence.
After a bit of banter, the crew looked up just in time to see the Ice-Fire Twin Dragons come crashing down from the sky like thunderbolts, landing right in front of Evan and the gang.
"This is one wild illusion. Never thought the Lord of Frostbane could whip up something this slick! Now that's what you call a peerless powerhouse!" Ice Dragon said, already in human form, eyes practically sparkling with awe.
"Old Ice, you guys really got what it takes to bust this thing wide open?" Evan pressed, not even trying to hide his nerves. If these two couldn't crack it, they'd be toast.
"The illusion’s tough, but it’s ancient history. Plus, it’s wired to the same seal that locked us up. You guys already broke half of it, so finishing the job should be a walk in the park," Ice Dragon said, sounding way more chill.
Everyone lit up like firecrackers, grinning at the Ice-Fire Twin Dragons like they’d just hit the jackpot.
Fire Dragon strutted over to the cave entrance, flicked his wrist, and—bam!—a wall of blazing flames exploded out, painting the cave mouth blood-red.
"Let’s keep the Earth-Fire and cold pool sealed up. Who knows, maybe in a few years, more Iceflame Crystals will show up for some lucky bastard!" Fire Dragon said, waving his hand again—boulders shot over and slammed the cave shut like it was nothing.
Evan couldn't help but gawk at their power. "So, when are you two gonna smash this illusion, old bros?" he joked, half in awe, half just messing around.
"Gotta wait till night. Chill out! If you get bored, just crash somewhere and sleep. By the time you wake up, maybe we’ll have already blown this place sky-high," Fire Dragon said, almost grinning.
Obviously, cracking this illusion needed some secret sauce the dragons didn't want anyone peeping at, so they cooked up an excuse.
Evan’s eyes sparkled. "I've got a plan! Let's go check in with the beast chief, then swing back here tonight for the big show!"
He turned to the dragons. "Just holler if you need anything, old brothers! We'll be hanging around nearby."
"If we need you, we'll call. Take care, little brother! Don't forget to drop by the Dragon Shrine!" Ice Dragon boomed, sounding way too warm for a dragon.
It was obvious—the second Evan and his crew dipped, those two dragons were gonna smash the seal and bolt. After being locked up for ages, they were dying to break free.
Evan flashed a cocky grin. "You two take care, old bros!" Then the crew hopped on Goldwing and shot off, leaving the dragons in the dust.
"That kid’s a total monster. Two eighth-tier beasts, a Bloodshadow Berserker Lion cub—if that bloodline ever wakes up, he’ll own this whole region," Ice Dragon muttered, awe all over his face.
"Smart, gutsy, and bold. If he was pure-blood Golden Dragon, he could run the Dragon Shrine one day. But he’s a human–Golden Dragon mix. Looks like the Dragon Clan's letting him off easy," Fire Dragon said, shaking his head with a sigh.
Ice Dragon snorted. "He called us old bros, so even if he's bluffing, we'll let it slide. Without him, we'd be rotting here forever. We owe him big time, no question."
"Let's bust outta here! We can't get into the Dragon Shrine, but at least we're finally free!" Fire Dragon laughed, sounding ready to party.
Twin beams of light exploded, and two earth-shaking dragon roars ripped through the air. Twin torrents of dragon flame blasted into the void, shaking the world to its core...
Evan had zero clue the dragons had already seen through his bluff. If he found out, he’d probably freak out and drop dead on the spot.
Lounging on Goldwing’s back, Evan watched the scenery blur past, heart pounding with excitement. The haul this time was off the charts—Roxanne’s Vermilion Bird Mark would be history soon, and Evan was dying to see what she’d turn into.
Dragon roars thundered behind them—Evan knew the dragons couldn’t hold back anymore. They were already tearing the illusion to shreds, and with their power, it’d be over in a blink.
"Boss, when are we heading back? Don’t tell me we really gotta wait till nightfall!" Goldwing squawked, sounding totally put out.
"Nah, we’re bouncing in an hour. Let’s hit up the locals and thank them for the backup before we jet," Evan replied, upbeat as ever.
Goldwing swooped down, and all the monsters dropped to their knees for Evan again. He just shook his head—if only folks back home treated him like this, he'd be king of the world!
"Alright, everybody up! I’ve got a few words for you all," Evan called out, sounding every bit the boss.
They all scrambled up and stared at him, making Evan feel awkward as hell. This much attention was enough to make anyone sweat.
He took a breath and said, "We're heading out soon, but you guys keep guarding your turf. I'll leave you some pills and manuals—use 'em well!"
This was all Evan could do—he didn’t have time to stick around and play beast teacher.
As soon as Evan finished, the monsters dropped to their knees again, leaving him totally speechless. He just whipped out dozens of bottles of pills and martial manuals from Sea Dragon Academy and handed them to the beast chief.
"These pills are for healing—if anyone gets hurt, use 'em. The manuals go to your strongest warriors. I’ll leave this scroll as a keepsake—maybe I’ll swing by again someday," Evan said, warmth in his voice.
The beast chief nodded like crazy, tears streaming down his furry face. "Great Deity, we’ll be waiting for you…" he choked out, too moved to say anything else.
Holy crap, this is way too much! The dragons should've busted the illusion by now—time to bounce, Evan thought, itching to get out of here.
"Goldwing, let's roll!" Evan yelled. The crew hopped on and blasted off, leaving the valley echoing with beastly wails that sounded like a pack of ghosts howling at the moon.