Published at 24th of October 2026 9:25 am

Chapter 2137: Traps and Contingencies

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Genevieve ran at her fastest speed, leaping from branch to branch and swinging from vines as she deliberately led the drake deeper into the area she had prepared.

Behind her, the thunder of its footsteps shook the forest, while the blazing heat of its breath nearly overwhelmed her.

Thanks to the drake, there were no other monsters inhabiting the area around the temple. They were all scared of the monster, of course. If other beasts were present, that would have made things far more difficult for Genevieve.

She suddenly changed direction, taking a sharp turn. The drake followed after her furiously.

Then it stepped into the first trap.

The monster charged straight onto a field of perfectly camouflaged flowers that Genevieve had planted a few days ago.

Thanks to Adam teaching her the basics of herbalism, which was the identification of benign and poisonous herbs and natural ingredients, she was able to spot these flowers accurately.

The moment the monster’s massive feet crushed the blossoms, they dispersed a cloud of pollen into the air. The drake subconsciously inhaled it deeply. It was not poisonous. But almost immediately, the monster’s eyelids began to grow heavy. The pollen had a simple effect. It made the creature lethargic.

The chase continued for several more minutes. The drake’s movements gradually became slower and heavier, but its fury remained. It continued pursuing Genevieve through the jungle, unwilling to let its prey escape.

Until it stepped into the second trap.

In its inebriated state, the drake failed to notice the vine rope stretched across its path. Its foot caught the rope. The trap activated. A giant log concealed high in the canopy suddenly came swinging downward.

The log hammered straight into the drake’s flank. The massive creature was thrown sideways, crashing through several trees before finally coming to a stop.

Thwock! Thwock!

Several arrows tore through the air, aiming straight at the monster’s weakness—its eyes.

But the drake was the apex predator of this jungle. Its instincts were sharp. Even though it had been slowed by the pollen and received blunt damage to its ribs from the previous trap, it would still not go down that easily. All it had to do was shift its head.

The arrows shattered against its sturdy scales, barely making a scratch.

Hidden on a branch in the near distance, Genevieve couldn’t help but click her tongue in disappointment. Had she been able to summon the Longevity Cranes, she would have dealt with the monster swiftly.

But this entire place had been sealed off from the spirit world, making summoning magic useless. Moreover, she also wasn’t able to reach out to Vesper, who resided in her shadow.

The objective of this trial was clear—the only person you can rely on is yourself.

The drake slowly rose to its feet. Its eyes burned with rage. It inhaled deeply. The air around it twisted in waves. And then, a torrent of flames erupted from its mouth, sweeping toward Genevieve and engulfing everything in its path.

Genevieve simply retreated deeper into the forest. The fire nearly caught up to her. She never fought the monster head-on. That would have been foolish. The drake’s defenses were simply too strong for someone like her to overcome directly.

Instead, she harassed it relentlessly. She moved from one prepared position to another, firing arrows before retreating again. When her quiver ran out, she reached one of the hidden caches she had prepared beforehand, restocked her arrows, and continued.

Fire erupted behind her. Trees splintered and branches were reduced to ashes. But she never stopped moving. She forced the drake to chase her through the terrain she had prepared over the course of the past week.

The more enraged the creature became, the more reckless its movements grew. Genevieve counted on it. It began tearing through trees and unleashing flames blindly, destroying everything around it in its fury. But its rage only worked against it.

One trap after another was triggered. The drake fell into three more traps. Each one weakened it further. By then, its movements had become noticeably slower. Its breathing was heavy. And its once-furious pursuit had become labored.

Finally, after being dragged through the forest for so long, the drake was exhausted. And Genevieve was ready for the next phase.

She stood before a small clearing at the base of a small hill. The drake appeared before her, breathing heavily but raging nonetheless. The last trap utilized a type of poison that made the monster grow berserk. If it could let its instincts guide it, it would have returned to its lair.

But its instincts were skewed. And all the monster saw was red.

Genevieve herself was extremely exhausted, breathing heavily. Her old wounds had already opened up, dyeing the bandages crimson.

She turned to the drake, raised a hand, and beckoned for it to come forth, as though it would be their final showdown.

The drake roared. Despite its exhaustion, it dragged its battered body forward in one final burst of speed.

Just as Genevieve had expected.

She suddenly jumped backward into the air. The drake charged after her and entered the rocky clearing. The moment it crossed the exact point Genevieve had marked, she acted.

Before it could open its jaws and unleash its flames, the ground beneath it suddenly gave way. The drake plunged into a vast ditch. Sharp bamboo spears rose from the bottom of the pit, positioned to impale the beast as it fell.

But they proved useless. The spears shattered against the drake’s scales. Its defenses really were incredibly strong. Genevieve had expected as much.

That was why she had prepared contingencies.

The pit had never been meant to kill it. It was meant to contain it.

She landed at the edge of the pit and immediately wove a series of hand seals. Mud surged from the ditch, pouring over the drake and covering its legs and lower body. The thick mass quickly hardened around it, restricting its movements and making it difficult for the creature to climb out.

The drake thrashed wildly. But every movement only caused it to sink deeper. For the first time, fear appeared in its eyes.

But Genevieve still wasn’t done.

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