Dragon King's Harem Chapter 394. Earth Prison

Dragon King's Harem Chapter 394. Earth Prison

I stepped back in midair, my wings keeping me hovering as I processed what we were witnessing. Eir was right—Sky Serpents didn’t belong underground. They were creatures of the open skies, hunters that soared through the air, not beasts that burrowed into the earth. The idea that there could be a Sky Serpent beneath us was beyond bizarre.

I growled low in my throat, signaling to the soldiers to stay alert. They were already on edge, their eyes scanning the ground, their claws flexing in preparation for whatever came next.

The fifth serpent, still grunting in desperation, continued to claw at the ground. It was frantic, its massive body heaving as it struggled to break through the surface. Dirt flew into the air as its claws dug deep into the earth, but it wasn’t making much progress. It roared again, this time with frustration, its head jerking back toward me as if pleading for help.

“Your Majesty,” Eir said, his voice tense, “I don’t like this. There’s something wrong here.”

I couldn’t argue with him. This was all wrong!

Another roar, faint but growing louder, came. The sound made my scales prickle with unease. Whatever was down there, it wasn’t natural.

I turned to the fifth serpent, its eyes still locked on mine, filled with desperation. It was clear it wanted something from me—something only I could provide.

Eir, who had been watching the fifth serpent’s frantic attempts to claw at the ground, turned to me, his brow furrowed in confusion. His wings beat steadily as he hovered in place, waiting for some explanation. "What’s going on, Your Majesty?” he asked, his voice tense. “Why is that serpent so desperate to get to the ground?”

I didn’t answer. With a deep breath, I activated my Observation skill.

Almost instantly, the details of the structure beneath us began to reveal themselves in my mind.

[Name: Cursed Earth Ensnarement]

[Description: A structure formed by corrupted earth mana, twisted by dark magic. The mana flows around the area are severely disrupted, creating a cage-like effect underground. The flow was not always like this—it has been tampered with, causing an unnatural disturbance.]

I frowned. The mana here was wrong, tainted with corruption. It wasn’t just natural earth magic, it had been twisted, manipulated by something—or someone—with a very dark purpose. The Sky Serpent was trapped beneath the ground, caught in a magical snare that distorted the mana flow and held it there.

“There’s something buried down there,” I muttered, my voice low as I took in the information from my skill. “It’s a cursed structure—a magical snare, designed to trap something between the earth and the sky. The serpent isn’t just digging. It’s trying to free one of its own.”

Eir’s eyes widened in shock. “A Sky Serpent? Trapped in the ground? That’s impossible. How could a creature of the skies be bound like that?”

“I don’t know,” I admitted, my gaze still fixed on the struggling serpent below. “But someone—or something—has messed with the mana here. The flow is corrupted, twisted. This wasn’t natural. Whatever trapped that serpent did it on purpose. Someone—or something—has messed with the mana here. The flow is corrupted, twisted. This wasn’t natural. Whatever trapped that serpent did it on purpose.”

Eir’s jaw tightened as he processed the information, his eyes narrowing in frustration. “Who would even want to trap a Sky Serpent like this? And why? It's just a monster.”

I shook my head, unable to give him a clear answer. “I don’t know yet. But this is dark magic—something powerful, something old. And it’s not just affecting the serpent. It’s warping the land itself.”

The fifth serpent roared again, its claws scraping futilely at the dirt, and I could see the desperation in its movements. It was losing strength, its wings drooping with exhaustion, but it refused to give up.

“I’ll free the trapped one,” I growled, my voice low but determined as I turned to Eir. “Secure the perimeter. The mastermind behind this might still be around, and whoever they are, they’re toying with this world’s balance.”

Eir’s eyes flashed with understanding. “Understood, Your Majesty,” he replied, without hesitation. With a powerful beat of his wings, he and the soldiers moved into action, circling the area to ensure we weren’t ambushed while I dealt with the cursed magic.

I watched them briefly as they spread out, scanning the surrounding forest and skies for any sign of an enemy. But my attention quickly returned to the task at hand.

The fifth serpent, exhausted but still determined, let out a low, weary roar as I descended toward the ground. The other Sky Serpents, still circling overhead, slowed their flight, watching me with cautious eyes. Their wariness was understandable. I was about to mess with something dangerous, something unnatural.

I landed softly. My claws sank into the strange, hardened ground—a surface that felt more like ancient, petrified rock than regular soil. The earth around this spot was different from the rest of the landscape. It had been twisted, reshaped to create a prison of sorts.

I stepped forward. My wings folded behind me as I focused on the ground. I could feel the cursed magic pulsating beneath the surface. I let out a low, guttural roar, signaling the serpents to step back. They complied, retreating a safe distance as they watched me with wary eyes. The fifth serpent, though desperate, understood my command. It moved aside, giving me space to work.

‘Destroying this place outright would be easy,’ I thought, assessing the situation. But destroying it without hurting the trapped serpent? That’s a different challenge altogether.

I slammed one of my forelegs into the ground with force, the impact sending a tremor through the cursed earth.

‘Gravity!’

[Warning! You are in dragon form!]

[Gravity will be activated for 10 Kilometers range!]

The ground beneath me trembled violently. The cursed structure groaned, cracks forming in the surface as the pressure built. The earth itself seemed to resist, the corrupted mana pushing back against my efforts. I could feel the strain of it, the way the twisted magic fought to hold its prison intact.