Silence.
A deathly silence enveloped the palace.
Gazing at the mutilated remains of the Fury General, the king’s teeth chattered slightly before he urgently ordered the court mages to activate the palace’s protective array and broadcast the battle outside the royal court through arcane methods like the Eye of Secrets.
At the same time.
In the silent stillness, a heavy and invisible shadow gradually shrouded the hearts of all present, including the king.
“Are we doomed to repeat history?”
The King of the Near Seas had brazenly invaded the Rosen Kingdom with unparalleled might, reminding them of the days when the Hell Queen rampaged unchallenged, plunging them back into the fear of dragon domination.
Above White Oak Isle, midair.
The black and gold dragon, having just slain a legendary fourth-tier general, remained calm as if the creature it killed was not a legendary being but an insignificant mosquito.
At this moment.
With countless magical runes dancing, ripples spread out like water, forming an inverted dome-shaped energy shield that enveloped the entire royal court, exuding an unbreakable texture.
The black and gold dragon glanced indifferently at the array protecting the Rosen Kingdom’s nobility and king.
Withdrawing its gaze, the dragon slowly turned its head, surveying the legendary powerhouses converging from all directions, intent on surrounding it.
A legendary warrior with a proud posture and a chilling sword light.
A knight in silent and majestic steel armor.
A caster in a long robe, with lightning flashing and the fabric moving without wind.
The Dawn Bishop with a solemn and dignified face, wielding a flail in one hand and a round shield in the other.
A gunner with an ammo belt, dual pistols in hand, a sniper rifle on the back, and unmanned floating cannons circling around.
Led by a legendary gunner who was just one step away from becoming a high-tier legend, and supported by a legendary fifth-tier Dawn Bishop, a legendary fourth-tier berserker, a legendary fourth-tier steel knight, a legendary fifth-tier lightning caster, and dozens of other legends floating in the air, they surrounded the black and gold dragon.
Compared to the Rosen Kingdom’s response to the Hell Queen’s rampage, their current formation was undoubtedly stronger.
Even so.
The legendary powerhouses present harbored no underestimation of the King of the Near Seas.
The ease with which the Fury General was slain served as a constant reminder that the figure before them was not to be trifled with and might even be more formidable than the Hell Queen of the past.
At that moment, the gunner Danseon Ross exhaled.
Staring at the King of the Near Seas, he warned:
“King of the Near Seas. Whatever your purpose, I advise you to leave immediately.”
Danseon Ross was not a man of the Rosen Kingdom.
The gears and levers emblazoned on his attire marked him as a citizen of the Mechanar Empire.
In fact, many of the legendary mechanics present were stationed in the Rosen Kingdom by the Mechanar Empire, partly to provide protection and partly as a deterrent to prevent the Rosen Kingdom from harboring any second thoughts.
“A Mechanar Empire mechanic.”
After a long silence, the black and gold dragon’s gaze shifted slightly, and it spoke in a deep voice that thundered into everyone’s ears.
“This is a grudge between me and the Rosen Kingdom.”
“But if you wish to intervene, be prepared to face death.”
Hearing the dragon’s audacious words, Danseon Ross’s brow furrowed.
Although the dragon before him had proven its strength, surrounded by so many legends, Danseon Ross did not believe it could cause any trouble.
At most, it would be arrogant for a while, then flee in a sorry state under the siege of the many legends, driven away.
As for killing it, considering the terrifying defense and high mobility it had shown, it was likely impossible.
At the same time.
The Rosen Kingdom’s lightning caster stepped forward, thunder flashing in his eyes as he sternly asked, “A grudge? What grudge does our nation have with you? The Rosen Kingdom has never invaded the Near Seas, nor has it ever waged a campaign against you.”
Lightning casters were a type of elemental mage.
Among elemental mages, the most common were fire, water, earth, and wind, but there were also special types like ice, shadow, and lightning mages.
“A grudge?”
The black and gold dragon slightly raised its hand, its voice booming like a bell, causing the surrounding air to twist.
“People revere me as the King of the Near Seas, the Emperor Dragon of Armageddon.”
“But I have another identity—the son of the Hell Queen, the Lord of Thorn Isle!”
The voice paused, and amidst the silence and astonishment of the crowd, the black and gold dragon smiled coldly:
“Now, do you understand our grudge?”
The Rosen Kingdom’s people, who had a deep feud with the Hell Queen, were taken aback by the revelation of the King of the Near Seas’ identity and understood why he had come.
Below, within the royal court.
The king’s face was grim, his teeth clenched.
“Twenty years ago, the Hell Queen ravaged our country, causing countless casualties with her torrential evil fire, leaving a lasting negative impact to this day.”
Bang!
The king’s fist slammed heavily onto the armrest of his throne, bursting with rage:
“Twenty years later, her offspring dares to come to my country to wreak havoc and commit atrocities!”
“When has our Rosen Kingdom, with a history spanning thousands of years, become a target for humiliation?”
“If we let this King of the Near Seas succeed, our Rosen Kingdom will lose all its glory and dignity, a disgrace to all the kingdom’s ancestors!”
Anger made the king forget the fear deep in his heart.
He immediately ordered the hesitant legendary powerhouses to take action at all costs, to surround and kill the King of the Near Seas.
Upon receiving the king’s command, the lightning caster, as explosive as a fire caster, was the first to strike.
Legendary casters, due to their growing understanding of the essence of the world, no longer needed to chant or prepare for most spells.
The lightning caster simply raised a finger.
Thousands of electric arcs crackled and danced like a swarm of snakes, striking towards the black and gold dragon.
The fuse for the great battle was lit, and the other legends no longer hesitated, boldly attacking the imposing black and gold dragon.
The lightning caster’s attack was characterized by its sharpness and swiftness.
The dense electric arcs hit the dragon’s body in an instant.
But, to the lightning caster’s dismay, those arcs were reflected back at him, targeting himself.
Without dodging, the lightning caster caught the attack with his hand.
The electric arcs turned into lightning elements and re-entered his body.
“There’s an invisible barrier on its surface that can reverse attacks.”
“Let’s see what your limit is.”
The lightning caster took a deep breath, began a low chant, and retreated behind the many legendary powerhouses, brewing a powerful legendary spell.
As the lightning caster chanted, the sky churned with clouds.
The bright sky darkened.
Clouds gathered, thundering mightily within.
Battles between legends changed in the blink of an eye; a legendary warrior could shatter mountains with a single strike. Compared to that, casting a legendary spell took time and had significant limitations.
However, even among legends, casters remained the most noble profession.
The reason was simple: a successfully constructed spell had the power to turn the tide of battle.
Meanwhile.
The black and gold dragon, enduring the strikes of many legends, not only did not retreat but fought back fiercely, targeting the closest opponents.
“Naga, prepare for me a piercing bullet that can tear through the target’s defenses.”
Danseon Ross did not strike immediately.
As a skilled gunner, he wisely kept his distance from the King of the Near Seas and retreated to the rear.
While the King of the Near Seas was entangled with the Dawn Bishop, the steel knight, and many legendary warriors, he took down his heavy sniper rifle and spoke to a female ammunition specialist not far from him.
The female ammunition specialist nodded solemnly, then closed her eyes, her hands coming together.
In a pale blue glow, a bullet with extreme piercing power took shape in her palms—anything requiring long preparation matched its power.
Keep in mind, mechanics are a type of caster.
The casters were brewing powerful attacks.
At the same time.
The legends directly facing the King of the Near Seas were under tremendous pressure.
Magnetic Cold Dragon Might and psychic storms swept through continuously.
Below the mid-tier, legends below the fourth tier had to resist psychic attacks while enduring the intense cold and heat on their bodies. Both mind and body had to be constantly tense, without any slack.
But even so, it was difficult to directly confront the King of the Near Seas.
A third-tier legendary warrior clutching a spear raised his weapon, a point of brilliance gathering at the tip, then, with a nimble dragon-like movement, he thrust at the King of the Near Seas’ flank.
However, before the attack could land.
A wave of Magnetic Cold Dragon Might and a psychic storm swept over, and the legendary warrior, whose body was as tough as steel and mind as firm as iron, felt as if struck by lightning. His head throbbed, he felt dizzy, and his body became numb and stiff in the extreme cold, making his movements awkward and rigid.
Boom!
The black and gold dragon’s claw collided with the Dawn Bishop’s radiant hammer, shattering it into a shower of light.
The dragon’s long, scale-covered tail, quick as lightning, struck the legendary warrior attempting to ambush it.
In an instant, a mist of blood filled the air.
And only then did the sound of the dragon’s tail whipping through the air and bursting forth resonate.
Only those who faced the King of the Near Seas knew how powerful and terrifying it truly was.
The many legends believed it was reasonable to gang up on the King of the Near Seas, given their numbers, setting aside their pride as legendary powerhouses and not hesitating to mob the enemy. Normally, legendary creatures are proud and reluctant to gang up on the few.
The key was that the King of the Near Seas also felt it was reasonable to fight the many alone.
Apart from the mid-tier legends like the Dawn Bishop, the berserker, and the steel knight, the other legends, respected powerhouses in their own right, appeared weak as infants before this dragon. Any hit could instantly end their lives, dying ignominiously.
And the dragon, displaying such terrifying combat power, was only at the second-tier of life, just like them.
“Evil Dragon, meet your end!”
The roar of engines thundered through the sky as a mechanic piloting a twenty-meter-tall giant mechanical construct charged towards the black and gold dragon.
The construct’s arm swung.
With the whirring of countless gears and levers and the flicker of magical runes, a dazzling light sword extended, tracing a dangerous arc through the air towards the dragon’s head.
“Merely metallic machinery, you wish to contend with my dragon body, tempered a thousand times?”
The black and gold dragon sneered, standing upright.
With a mighty flap of its wings, it sent the berserker flying while its right arm rose to block the incoming light sword.
Sparks and light fragments flew, but no matter how the construct pilot pushed his machine, its light sword could not penetrate the dragon’s scales.
Boom!
The black and gold dragon’s other claw reached out effortlessly, piercing through the construct’s shield and shredding its metal body, precisely crushing the pilot within.
The construct’s engine died, and as the dragon withdrew its arm, it plummeted to the ground, creating a huge crater.
At the same time.
The highest life-tier gunner raised his heavy sniper rifle, locking onto the black and gold dragon.
Numerous runes and energy pathways lit up, forming nine rings at the muzzle, and then the armor-piercing bullet, meticulously crafted by the ammunition specialist, shot out. Accelerating through each ring, it reached an unbelievable speed and instantly hit the black and gold dragon’s chest.
Saga had been keeping an eye on this gunner all along.
But even with his attention, the gunner’s attack was so swift that Saga could hardly react completely.
However, by anticipating the changes in the force field arcs, he had already prepared his defense.
Deflecting force fields from other areas were withdrawn, relying on equally hard scales to withstand other relentless attacks, focusing the force field defense on the chest.
Clang!
The armor-piercing bullet, the culmination of two mechanics’ efforts, hit the deflecting force field.
It was highly penetrative, and the strike’s lethality had reached the high-tier legendary level. Even Saga’s deflecting force field couldn’t fully resist the force, denting, twisting, and shattering at the impact point.
The bullet pierced through the force field and lodged in the dragon’s chest scales.
But that was all.
Having penetrated the deflecting force field and embedded in Saga’s scales, the armor-piercing bullet exhausted its power and did not inflict real damage.
“?”
Witnessing this scene, both the gunner and the ammunition specialist were taken aback, slowly forming a question mark.
“By the Machine Spirit, what kind of monster have I encountered?”
The gunner was confident that this strike could severely wound even a high-tier legend.
But it seemed not even a drop of blood was shed by the opponent.
Because he did not belong to the Rosen Kingdom and did not want to lose his life over its grudges, the Mechanar Empire mechanic had second thoughts and quietly retreated to the rear of the battlefield with the ammunition specialist.
In reality, while Saga appeared unharmed, the cost was a massive amount of Power Essence.
The gunner’s strike had consumed more of his Power Essence than all previous attacks combined.
A few more hits like that, and even with Saga’s foundation, it would be a strain.
But it seemed the gunner was already frightened, his subsequent attacks merely going through the motions, choosing to preserve his life, significantly reducing the threat to Saga.
The black and gold dragon grinned, surveying the surroundings, its voice thunderous.
“Anything that stands in my way shall turn to dust.”
The dragon roared, weaving through the many legends.
One by one, the lives of the legends were extinguished in an instant.
“Hammer and shield, death and life, both wield divine punishment and heavenly grace.”
Seeing several legends perish in a very short time, their lives as fragile as ants, the Dawn Bishop’s expression darkened, veins bulging on his forehead. He raised the flail and cried out.
“Hammer of Divine Punishment!”
Hum!
The gloomy sky suddenly brightened a bit, a beam of light pierced the clouds, landing precisely on the black and gold dragon, and then countless rays of light converged from the heavens, rapidly solidifying into a mountainous hammer.
With a sacred and inviolable majesty, the Hammer of Divine Punishment descended from the sky, aiming to crush the black and gold dragon.
At the same time, the steel knight stretched out both hands towards the dragon.
Clang clang clang, countless metallic fragments whirled, interlocking around the black and gold dragon, quickly forming a cage.
But the super-heavy black and gold dragon merely needed to ram into it.
The cage created by the steel knight instantly shattered.
As for other binding skills deployed by the legends, they could hardly affect this super-heavy dragon body with maxed-out attributes.
The black and gold dragon flapped its wings, agile and spry, easily dodging the mountainous Hammer of Divine Punishment.
As the massive hammer passed by the dragon, it exploded into countless light hammers, raining down furiously under the Dawn Bishop’s control.
Bang bang bang. The black and gold dragon stood amidst the barrage of light hammers, unshaken.
The full power of the Hammer of Divine Punishment was tremendous and not to be ignored, but the dispersed version was of no concern to Saga.
The black and gold dragon looked up, inhaled, and exhaled rolling flames.
As its neck turned, the Dragon Breath swept towards the legends, causing them to dodge rapidly like fleas, none daring to test the power of Saga’s Dragon Breath.
Dragon Breath was a signature skill of dragons, powerful and lethal.
But because all creatures that fought dragons were acutely aware of this, they remained vigilant in their hearts. Unless the right moment was found, a dragon’s breath was somewhat difficult to inflict effective damage, mainly used for breaking free and intimidation.
The Dragon Breath didn’t hit the legends, but it incinerated countless light hammers around it.
The black and gold dragon’s body ignited with golden dragon fire, and with a flap of its wings, it burst into flames.
Numbers lost their meaning before him, even the quantity of legends, who were exalted in the eyes of mortals, were no match for him if they were below mid-tier.
Catching up to the closest legend, a claw reached out, a great suction pulling the opponent into an abyss, then smashing them into a blood mist.
Suddenly speaking, it exhaled a swift electromagnetic pulse Dragon Breath, instantly vaporizing three legends.
The body flashed, accompanied by a psychic glow disappearing from its original spot, and instantly reappeared behind a legend, its shadow enveloping them, then both fists came together, smashing down heavily.
In less than a minute.
Several more legendary warriors were dead, and over ten were severely injured.
During this time, the fourth-tier steel knight, due to a moment of carelessness, was hit squarely by the dragon’s Superheavy Dragon Punch, and his supposedly indestructible steel body was instantly flattened into a thin sheet of metal, from three-dimensional to two-dimensional.
The Dawn Bishop and the berserker also suffered serious injuries.
Such casualties made the other surviving legends hesitate to approach.
The pride and courage of the legends had been crushed by the terrifying black and gold dragon before them.
And only then, the thunder rolling in the sky suddenly paused for a moment, and the lightning caster’s chanting also stopped.
The spell he had been carefully preparing was finally ready to be cast.
The Dawn Bishop looked up to see a massive array of interwoven thunder serpents, forming a colossal array of nested rings, branded among the rolling clouds, radiating destructive vibrations.
“Graff’s spell is finally ready.”
Looking at the apocalyptic scene, the Dawn Bishop exhaled in relief, a smile appearing at the corner of his mouth.
“Lightning magic is unparalleled, a spell prepared for so long is enough to turn the tide of battle.”
Casters were among the few transcendent beings capable of killing targets beyond their tier, as long as they could successfully construct the spell.
At that moment, thunder and lightning flashed in the lightning caster’s eyes as he locked onto the black and gold dragon, pointed his staff, and activated the long-prepared spell.
Twelfth-circle lightning magic—Wrath of the Thunder God!
Boom boom boom!
The colossal array in the sky began to operate, thunder rolling across the heavens as if the gods themselves were roaring in anger.
In the next instant, the Dawn Bishop saw a dazzling, incredibly thick, nearly hundred-meter-wide terrifying thunderbolt descend from the dark clouds, illuminating the gloomy world as bright as day, and instantly engulfing the targeted black and gold dragon below, its terrifying might chilling the hearts of the legends present.
“It’s over!”
The Dawn Bishop’s face lit up with excitement.
But unexpectedly, a twist occurred.
Roar!
A loud dragon chant burst forth from within the thunderbolt, overpowering the sound of thunder, reaching the ears of the Dawn Bishop, causing a sinking feeling in his heart.
Then, he saw the silhouette of the black and gold dragon in the dazzling thunderbolt, faintly visible as it bathed in the torrent of lightning, spreading its massive wings while standing tall and proud, its three pairs of horns atop its head growing brighter and more brilliant, and the thunderbolt gradually dimming.
Another earth-shaking dragon chant followed.
Accompanying it, numerous thick bolts of lightning shot out from the columnar thunderbolt, speeding towards the surrounding legends.
“Ah?”
Including the Dawn Bishop.
Caught off guard, the incoming lightning engulfed him completely.
Then, time seemed to stretch.
It felt like ages, yet it could have been just a moment.
When the Dawn Bishop’s consciousness, blurred by the lightning, cleared, he saw the black and gold dragon standing aloof above a field of ruins, its horns flickering with fine electrical arcs like a crown of thunder, enhancing its regal and domineering presence. Around the dragon, one by one, the charred bodies of the legends fell from the sky, utterly lifeless.
ps: The double monthly ticket event is ending soon, I’d appreciate your monthly vote.