Proofreader & Editor: Lotas
Grayrock Isle.
Amidst the rugged and jagged boulders,
the adult male Storm Giant, Weym, and his mate, the adult female Storm Giant, Atiraya, gazed into the distance. Their view reflected the approaching army of the Topaz Dragon kin, led by the soaring Topaz Dragon Lord above.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
The sea roiled with countless waves churning violently.
A sixth-tier Sea Dragon, its body rippling with dense water elemental power, sent visible ripples across the sea surface.
Numerous Sea Lizard Warlocks surrounded the Sea Dragon, casting spells in unison.
Under the influence of their magic, the once calm sea now surged with towering waves.
The waves, as if alive, carried the kin's monsters—such as Centaur Warriors, Hyena-men, and Giant Jaw Hounds—allowing them, not adept swimmers, to race swiftly through the ocean.
Hundreds of meters above,
the Topaz Dragon Lord flapped its wings, casting a massive shadow over the sea, locking gazes with the Storm Giants from afar, the air crackling with tension as if charged with invisible electricity.
This was the grandest island assault to date.
The Topaz Dragon Lord made no secret of its intent to attack the Storm Giant clan, its might drawing the covert observation of many other powers.
The Grayrock Archipelago was known for the restlessness of the Topaz Dragon Lord and the Storm Giant clan, where conflict and friction were most likely to erupt.
The other powers of the archipelago maintained neutrality, selling weapons and armor to both sides.
On the other side,
Grayrock Isle's Storm Giants and their kin stood ready for battle.
After some time, as the Topaz Dragon's legion neared the island and entered the Giants' attack range,
"Prepare the boulders! Send them to a watery grave!"
The Storm Giant leader commanded in a deep murmur.
At his word, the towering and powerful kin of Giants sprang into action.
Werewolf Giants, Ogres, Trolls, Minotaurs, and other monsters eagerly picked up the surrounding bizarre boulders.
Twisting their bodies, muscles flexing—especially in their arms, bulging like steel and iron—their sinewy strength was palpable.
Roar!
With a snort and a roar, the Giants hurled the boulders, each at least half a meter in diameter, with ferocious force.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
In an instant, a barrage of boulders soared into the sky, forming a dense cloud before descending in dangerous arcs upon the Topaz Dragon's monster legion.
The Storm Giants also unleashed their long-range assault.
Two adult Storm Giants and their four young offspring raised their arms high.
Crackling with fine arcs of electricity, the air suddenly darkened as fierce winds howled and a vast expanse of clouds gathered, obscuring the sun and flashing with thunder and lightning.
The Storm Giants' spell-like ability—Call Lightning!
The young Storm Giants typically did not use Call Lightning, and these two were no exception. However, their presence bolstered the power of the spell, led by the two adults.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
The sky darkened with thunderous clouds.
The Topaz Dragon Lord looked up, its eyes narrowing.
A gray-white aura of negative energy surfaced on its body.
Taking a deep breath, the Topaz Dragon Lord let out a deafening roar.
The negative energy surged with the roar, piercing the clouds above.
The Dispel Magic—based on the energy level, it could directly dissolve the target spell or weaken it.
Affected by the negative energy, the lightning within the clouds vanished significantly, weakening the Storm Giants' Call Lightning. But with four Giants combining their power, the Topaz Dragon Lord couldn't completely dispel it.
Meanwhile, the Call Lightning was ready.
As the defenders, the Storm Giants held a certain initiative.
Suddenly,
lightning bolts struck down from the heavens.
The sky-splitting lightning and boulder projectiles enveloped the Topaz Dragon and its kin in a deadly dance.
Crack!
A Hyena-man struck by lightning fell into the sea, charred and silent.
Crash!
A Centaur Warrior, standing atop the waves and sweeping its giant spear, shattered several incoming boulders.
Suddenly, its hair stood on end as if locked onto by something.
In the next second, another blinding bolt of lightning struck.
Too fast to avoid, the Centaur Warrior felt the threat of death looming.
At the last moment, the path of the lightning veered, attracted to a gray-white vortex in the sky.
This was a vortex of negative energy.
At its center was the Topaz Dragon Lord.
All the lightning bolts, drawn to the vortex, poured into it ceaselessly, sparing the army below any harm.
The boulders hurled by the Trolls and other kin were unaffected.
Most were dodged or shattered mid-flight, with only a few monsters hit, and even fewer killed on impact. Their vitality was strong; those knocked into the sea, bloodied and bruised, soon climbed back onto the surging waves and continued their relentless advance toward Grayrock Isle.
Seizing the moment when the sky was distracted by lightning, the Blue Dragon flapped its wings and soared into the clouds.
The azure figure vanished, engulfed by the dark clouds.
Seconds later, the clouds flickered with erratic lightning, then suddenly blazed brightly, engulfing the entire cloud layer.
Crash!
The clouds dispersed, revealing the young Blue Dragon.
Its scales bore scorch marks, but it was spirited and triumphant, stretching its wings wide. Glorithia had destroyed the Call Lightning from within.
Watching the circling young Blue Dragon and the Topaz Dragon Lord,
several Storm Giants frowned, their eyes filled with enmity.
"Damned dragons, you think you have the upper hand?"
"This time, you won't return. Your bones will adorn our houses as trophies."
The Storm Giant leader whispered darkly, his gaze narrowing with dangerous resolve.
As the Topaz Dragon's legion drew closer, the Giants switched their attack method, no longer hurling ordinary boulders.
Instead, sharp iron-tipped stone spears replaced the boulders.
The towering Ogres, Trolls, Minotaurs, and others leaned back, arms flexing, taking a few steps forward to hurl the iron-tipped spears with vicious force.
The spears tore through the air with a piercing whistle.
More precise and deadly than irregular boulders, the rain of iron-tipped spears descended.
The Topaz Dragon's negative vortex had no effect on physical weapons. Using its psychic powers, it deflected many of the spears, while the Blue Dragon twisted and turned, smashing the spears with its tail and claws.
Both dragons remained unscathed.
As for the ordinary kin, they suffered casualties under this fierce assault.
Many Hyena-men and Gnolls were pierced by the spears, flung into the air, their blood spraying in arcs before falling into the sea, tainting the waters with spreading red.
Roar!
The Sea Dragon roared.
The Sea Lizard Warlocks cast their spells together.
The sea boiled, and a wall of water, dozens of meters high, rose before the advancing army, intercepting the iron-tipped spears.
"Hmph."
The Storm Giant leader's eyes flashed as he snorted.
Stepping forward, he raised his massive right arm.
Crack!
Electricity gathered in his hand, forming a tangible spear of lightning, which he hurled with great force.
His target was the Sea Dragon.
The Topaz Dragon Lord's eyes narrowed, its crystalline spines rising to form a shield, intercepting the lightning spear.
The spear exploded into a shower of sparks upon the crystalline shield.
"Weym, take to the skies and battle me!" the Topaz Dragon Lord roared deeply.
Storm Giants could levitate, fighting briefly in the air, but battling a dragon in flight was not wise. The Storm Giant retorted, "Matthias, set foot on Grayrock Isle, and I shall oblige you."
The Topaz Dragon Lord declared,
"Fine! Coward, await death's arrival!"
Negative energy spread, seeping into the sea and turning the azure waters a strange gray-white. All colors seemed to lose their luster, and in this gray area of negative energy, the approaching monster legion's agility was amplified, their speed surging.
The Storm Giants watched solemnly, eyes fixed on the Topaz Dragon and Blue Dragon, ready for battle.
On Grayrock Isle, the Storm Giants lacked long-range offensive capabilities, mostly adept at close combat. Boulder throwing, Call Lightning, and spear hurling had only caused minor losses to the Topaz Dragon Lord's legion.
As time passed,
the invading legion drew ever closer.
The Giant kin had no intention of entering the sea, standing vigilant on the island.
Thud!
The Sea Dragon leaped from the churning waves, the first to set foot on Grayrock Isle, its roar heralding the start of a great battle.