Facing the Norwegian Ridgeback, which lay coiled like a mountain in the centre of its nest, Diego Rodrigues did not approach recklessly.
Even someone seeing such a creature for the first time would know that engaging it at close range was tantamount to suicide.
He took a deep breath of the cold, sulphur-scented air, raised his wand, and chanted an ancient, melodious incantation, a unique form of magic passed down at Castelobruxo that allowed him to communicate with nature and plants.
In the cracks between the rocks beneath his feet, the sparse moss seemed to be infused with new life, rapidly spreading and thickening.
Immediately afterwards, several thick emerald-green vines burst from the ground like awakening giant pythons. Hugging the earth, they snaked towards the dragon's nest at astonishing speed.
The tips of the vines deftly reached for the golden egg shimmering with an alluring glow, intending to wrap around it and carry it away.
"A beautiful opening move!"
Ludo Bagman's magically amplified voice promptly explained the situation to the audience. "We can see that Champion Rodrigues has chosen Castelobruxo's famous plant-manipulation magic, attempting to outwit his opponent! A very cautious strategy!"
A murmur of approval rippled through the stands, especially among the Castelobruxo students, who straightened their backs with pride.
However, the Norwegian Ridgeback was no mindless beast.
Its molten-gold slit pupils coldly watched the "little insects" attempting to steal its treasure.
Just as the vines were about to touch the dragon egg, the enormous dragon suddenly opened its jaws. Without even letting out a deafening roar, it unleashed a blinding pillar of brilliant blue flame with terrifying accuracy.
"Merlin! Blue flames! The Norwegian Ridgeback's breath is incredibly hot!" Bagman exclaimed.
Boom!
Wherever the flames swept, the emerald-green vines were instantly reduced to ashes.
The choking smell of burnt vegetation filled the air. The lingering heat from the blue flames caused the rocks at the edge of the nest to glow faintly red.
After that single attack, the Ridgeback did not pursue him.
It merely closed its mouth slowly, a low growl rumbling from deep within its throat. Its dark golden eyes held an almost mocking indifference as they remained fixed on Diego.
It guarded its nest firmly, its intention obvious: no matter what tricks he tried, he would not get past it to reach the dragon egg.
The attempt to steal the egg from a distance had failed.
Fine beads of sweat appeared on Diego Rodrigues's forehead, not only from tension but also from the scorching heat radiating from the blue flames.
"It seems the Ridgeback is extremely vigilant! Champion Rodrigues's first probing attempt was easily thwarted! He'll need a new strategy!"
A disappointed sigh rose from the stands.
Diego waved his wand again, and the rhythm of his incantation became more urgent.
The tundra vegetation created by the arena began to grow wildly, forming a green wall in front of him.
At the same time, he pointed his wand towards the other side of the nest, and a gnarled, twisted tree shot up from the ground. Its branches lashed wildly through the air, trying to draw the Ridgeback's attention.
"A feint?"
Bagman speculated, "A classic tactic, but his opponent is a dragon!"
"I'm afraid that still won't work," Sagres murmured from the professors' seats, raising an eyebrow slightly.
Sure enough, the Ridgeback merely tilted its head and glanced at the noisy, strange tree from the corner of its eye. It snorted two disdainful puffs of white vapour from its nostrils, but its massive body remained perfectly still.
It had seen straight through the trick.
Diego's expression turned grave. He seemed to have finally made up his mind.
He stopped trying to go around the dragon and waved his wand repeatedly.
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
Several sharp, magically enhanced javelins shot directly towards the Ridgeback's head, eyes, and wing joints, all relatively vulnerable areas.
Although most of the javelins were deflected by its hard scales, bursting into small sparks of magic, the relentless harassment and faint stinging sensation finally succeeded in enraging the enormous beast.
"Rodrigues has changed tactics! He's attacking the dragon directly! It's an aggressive move, but also an extremely dangerous one!" Bagman's voice was filled with tension.
The Ridgeback let out a deafening roar of fury. It was completely enraged.
No longer content to guard its nest, the massive dragon suddenly reared up, its shadow instantly engulfing the arena.
Immediately afterwards, its broad, powerful wings unfurled with a thunderous whoosh, sending dust and fragments of rock flying in every direction.
"It's attacking! The Norwegian Ridgeback has left its nest!" Bagman's voice rose sharply.
Screams of alarm erupted from the stands.
Using the explosive force of its wings, the Ridgeback lunged at Diego like a flying mountain, carrying overwhelming destructive force.
Its claws gleamed coldly, its enormous jaws opened wide, and blue flames began gathering deep within its throat.
Diego Rodrigues's face turned pale. He threw himself awkwardly backwards and to the side while desperately thickening the wall of plants in front of him.
Boom!
The dragon's claw smashed through most of the barrier, sending splinters of wood and shredded leaves flying like shrapnel.
Just as Diego rolled clear, a scorching tongue of blue flame grazed his back. The intense heat instantly charred and curled his clothes, and a sharp pain tore across his skin.
"Dangerous! Far too dangerous!"
Bagman's voice was almost trembling. "Champion Rodrigues is in serious trouble! He's barely holding on under the dragon's relentless assault!"
For a moment, the situation seemed to spiral completely out of control. Diego appeared to be doing nothing more than struggling to survive, narrowly dodging between bursts of dragon fire and sweeping claws, each close escape drawing gasps from the stands.
However, amid the suffocating exchange of attacks and evasions, no one noticed that the roots of the strange tree Diego had previously created as a diversion were silently spreading beneath the dragon's nest like living tentacles.
The thick roots carefully avoided the real dragon eggs and precisely wrapped themselves around the golden egg.
Just as the Ridgeback reared up once more, preparing to deliver a devastating blow to Diego, who appeared to have nowhere left to run, Diego silently completed an incantation and suddenly pulled back his wand.
Whoosh!
The golden egg was abruptly dragged from beneath the nest by the agile roots. It burst through the loose earth, traced a graceful golden arc through the air, and landed securely in Diego Rodrigues's hand.
"The golden egg! He's got it! Merlin's beard! When did he...?"
Ludo Bagman's voice caught in shock before erupting with even greater excitement.
"He's done it! Champion Diego Rodrigues of Castelobruxo, after a thrilling struggle, has successfully obtained the golden egg! He took advantage of the moment the dragon was enraged and left its nest to seize the golden egg! Brilliant deception and execution!"
After a brief moment of stunned silence, the entire arena erupted into thunderous applause and cheers.
The section occupied by Castelobruxo in particular seemed to explode with excitement.
Only then did the Norwegian Ridgeback realise that it had been tricked. It let out a furious, unwilling roar, but the magic of the suspended arena had already activated. Its enormous form began to blur before slowly disappearing into the air along with the simulated nest.
Diego Rodrigues stood alone in the centre of the restored arena, clutching the golden egg tightly in his hand.
Sweat and dust covered his face, and burn marks were still visible across his back, but he stood tall, wearing a relieved yet proud smile.
He had succeeded, passing the first harsh test through courage and cleverness.
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