At this moment, the sunlight became brighter, piercing through the clouds in the sky and casting its rays onto the battlefield.

The Golden Dragon stood against the light, its wings outstretched and suspended in the air, each scale on its body shimmering brilliantly, dazzlingly radiant. Due to the backlighting, it cast a massive shadow over the sea, eclipsing the sun and creating an imposing presence.

Many soldiers and monsters were enveloped in this shadow.

The Gryphon Knights and monks, slightly lower in altitude than the Golden Dragon, were also shrouded in the dragon’s shadow.

Since the encounter with the Golden Dragon, only ten short minutes had passed. The battle between the human legion and the monsters had just begun and had not yet reached a fever pitch.

However, in the aerial battlefield…

The strongest of the human legion, the Gryphon Knights and monks, were already on the verge of losing their will to fight.

“Candela, I have a strong premonition that we don’t stand a chance of winning.”

The monk’s dark face was filled with gravity as he spoke with difficulty.

His body, tempered through countless trials, was now covered in wounds. Due to the multiple heavy blows in a short period of time, even his Primordial Form could not restore the monk to his peak condition.

On the other hand, the situation of the Gryphon Knights was not optimistic either.

The knight and his mount, the Golden Feather Gryphon, both had significantly weakened auras. Their shared life force allowed them to bear physical and mental injuries for each other, which also meant that both the knight and the gryphon would hit rock bottom at the same time.

“Damn it, I have no choice but to use this move.”

The Gryphon Knight took a deep breath, his eyes resolute under the immense pressure of the Golden Dragon.

He gently stroked the uneasy Golden Feather Gryphon’s head, whispering words of comfort, “Old buddy, we live together, we die together, don’t be afraid, we fight side by side.”

The anxious heart of the Golden Feather Gryphon calmed down, and it let out two sharp cries.

At the same time, the knight’s hand shone with a white brilliance, which enveloped both him and the gryphon like water, and with a pained and suppressed groan that seemed to herald rebirth, the light finally merged inward, revealing a new form.

“Hmm? Interesting.”

On the other side, the Golden Dragon stood upright, arms crossed, its molten gold-like dragon eyes reflecting the knight’s current visage.

The Gryphon Knight no longer had a human form but had become a humanoid monster about three meters tall.

A pair of dazzling golden wings sprouted from its back, bulging muscles tore through the armor it wore, its arms transformed into beast-like powerful claws, and its legs followed suit. On the humanoid face, a pair of eyes were as sharp as an eagle’s.

Through a secret knightly art, the knight and the Gryphon had merged into one, becoming a true whole.

This caused the knight’s aura to surge, approaching the level of a ninth-tier, unprecedentedly powerful.

“Candela, you… sigh.”

Seeing the Gryphon Knight in such a state, the monk was more worried than pleased, letting out a sigh.

Because this secret art was not without cost. Though the knight and the gryphon now shared one mind, they were ultimately different entities. To perfectly merge two different beings, each minute would consume nearly a year of their lifespans.

“At such a cost, my lance in hand must pierce through the dragon’s heart! I will not rest until death!”

The Gryphon Knight roared, his gaze becoming sharper and more menacing.

Behind him, his wings spread, and countless golden feathers detached and continuously gathered towards the broken lance of the Gryphon Knight, quickly reforming it into a complete Golden Feather Lance. The feathers on it trembled rhythmically as if alive, opening and closing like breathing.

At the same time…

A thick, reassuring female voice, like a mountainous barrier, rang out.

“Candela, Bertus, it’s rare to see you in such a sorry state.”

The Golden Dragon turned its head, following the voice to a spot in the sky.

A woman in a bright yellow mage’s robe appeared on the battlefield, her voluptuous figure barely concealed by the large robe, front protrusion and rear lift, holding a black spiral staff. She was enveloped in an invisible layer of Elemental Energy, drawing closer.

She had noticed the plight of the Gryphon Knight and the monk.

The female protective mage had come to their aid.

On Saiga Planet, no, even in the entire multiverse, Casters were considered the most noble path of the Extraordinary, and this was undisputed. The status of a seventh-tier Caster was often no less than that of an eighth-tier warrior, and sometimes even more esteemed.

“You’ve arrived just in time.”

The Gryphon Knight and the monk’s eyes flickered, the shadows in their hearts dissipating somewhat, their fighting spirit reigniting.

At this moment, the female protective mage stared at the dragon and said in a deep voice:

“Dragon, I know not whence you came, but if I were you, I would choose to retreat now, rather than wait for your head to be severed and regret in the agony of death.”

The Golden Dragon maintained its arms-crossed, defiant stance, backlit and casting a shadow that blotted out the sun with its wingspan over thirty meters.

Sparks flew from its nostrils as it couldn’t help but let out a sneer.

“Ants in numbers mistakenly believe they can threaten a dragon.”

Twisting its neck, the Golden Dragon’s arms dropped, its claws menacing, then it looked down with a cold gaze and said, “Witness true power. You will regret making an enemy of me!”

Whoosh!

In an instant, the Golden Dragon vanished from its spot.

Where did it go?

The Gryphon Knight and the monk’s hearts tensed to the extreme.

At the same time, the female protective mage suddenly felt the sky darken, her petite body overshadowed by a shadow, and in front of her, the sound of a massive creature’s heavy breathing filled her view with a golden wall.

In battles involving Casters, the first to be killed is the Caster—this was a consensus among all creatures.

Whoosh!

A gust of wind howled as a claw larger than the protective mage herself came swooping in.

At the same time, a psychic explosion erupted in the protective mage’s mind, intended to prevent her from casting spells.

However, the protective mage’s face showed no fear.

“Casters never fight unprepared!”

Passive trigger spell—Intelligent Protective Fortress.

As a qualified protective Caster, her defenses against psychic attacks were as solid as a fortress.

This protective spell was similar to a Psychic Fortress, but it was not a psychic effect. Saga’s Electromagnetic Force had no effect on psychic defenses, and the psychic explosion was successfully blocked by her defenses.

However, the dragon’s claw was already upon her.

At the same time.

With a flip of her hand, a space crystal inscribed with mysterious runes appeared in the protective mage’s hand. She infused it with Magic Power, shattering it instantly, then cast a protective spell—Banishment!

Hum. Invisible ripples touched the dragon’s body.

Space began to undulate, and under the will of the protective mage, it connected to the Casserly Exile Abyss, attempting to banish the Golden Dragon to the most desolate prison plane.

The Exile Abyss was a mix of creatures, many of whom were prisoners thrown in by space banishment spells.

As the space ripple touched the Golden Dragon’s body…

The Golden Dragon’s movements paused momentarily.

The protective mage took the opportunity to distance herself, increasing her efforts to continue the banishment.

However, the terrifying consumption of Magic Power within her body, like floodgates opened, and the Golden Dragon, situated in the twisted, trembling space, remained immovable as the space undulated around it.

Frowning, the protective mage realized something was wrong and actively canceled the banishment spell.

If she hadn’t, in this tug-of-war, her Magic Power would have been drained in less than thirty seconds.

On the other side, as space returned to calm and the effects of the banishment spell dissipated, the Golden Dragon moved again, still targeting the protective mage.

Psychic Step could not be used consecutively in a short time.

The Golden Dragon flapped its wings, its massive body charging towards the protective mage with unstoppable momentum.

At the same time, the Gryphon Knight and the monk stepped on air, intercepting the dragon’s path.

It was a consensus to fight around a Caster.

Although it had been a many-against-one situation before, because both the Gryphon Knight and the monk were close-combat types of Extraordinary Beings and could not complement each other, they were still suppressed by Saga.

But now the situation was different.

At least, the Gryphon Knight and the monk thought it was different.

They flanked the dragon, one on each side, one with invisible Qi wrapped around his fists, the other with a majestic aura already at the ninth tier, the Golden Feather Lance sharp and ready, standing in front of the protective mage, and together they charged at the Golden Dragon.

The temporarily safe protective mage calmed her heart and quickly cast protective spells.

Enhance resistance!

Both the physical and energy resistances of the Gryphon Knight and the monk were improved.

Shield Spell!

Several shields made of Magical Elements surrounded the Gryphon Knight and the monk, rotating close to their bodies.

Frost Armor!

A layer of visible ice crystals appeared on the surfaces of the Gryphon Knight and the monk.

Magic Barrier!

A spherical barrier of Magical Element Energy enveloped the two.

A series of mid-tier protective spells were effortlessly constructed by the Caster, providing defensive buffs to the Gryphon Knight and the monk, then she concentrated on preparing more advanced spells for them.

The most welcomed by close-combat Extraordinary Beings were often protective Casters.

When cooperating with protective Casters, there was always an unparalleled sense of security.

At the same time, the Gryphon Knight and the monk had also reached the Golden Dragon, engaging in close combat.

“Die!”

At this moment, the Gryphon Knight, with the strongest aura, roared, his body covered with numerous protective spells, and with a dragon-like thrust of his lance, he aimed straight for the dragon’s head.

The monk used Rapid Strikes again, creating hundreds of afterimages, surrounding the Golden Dragon with a storm-like assault.

Both were convinced that the invisible barrier on the dragon’s body was not invincible; as long as the attack exceeded the load, it could be completely shattered.

And indeed, it was so.

If too many attacks were sustained at once, and Saga’s computing power couldn’t keep up, it would lead to oversights.

However, the attacks of the Gryphon Knight and the monk had not yet threatened Saga.

He temporarily ignored the monk, whose movements were agile and whose reflexes and combat instincts were sharp, only slightly wary of the penetrating Qi, then braced against the monk’s Rapid Strikes, focusing on the now greatly empowered Gryphon Knight.

The right claw swept across, aiming at the oncoming Gryphon Knight.

A massive gravitational force burst from the dragon claw, affecting the Gryphon Knight’s movements and involuntarily pulling him towards the dragon’s claw.

Whoosh!

With a powerful flap of his wings, the Gryphon Knight broke free from the pull of gravity, spinning his body as the Golden Feather Lance, like a bolt of lightning, continued to thrust at the dragon.

Suddenly, the Golden Dragon’s majestic horns lit up with dazzling lightning.

In the next instant, a thick bolt of lightning struck the Gryphon Knight faster than the speed of sound.

Layer upon layer of defense was dissolved.

The dragon’s claw swept again, and the Gryphon Knight, unable to avoid it while the defense shield was not yet completely shattered, flapped his wings and dodged the dragon’s strike, coming to the side of the dragon, the lance raised.

Boom!

The long dragon tail lashed out a golden afterimage, cracking the air, landing on the Gryphon Knight.

His lance had not yet fallen when he was sent flying, his skin torn and flesh laid open, his bones cracking loudly, many breaking, blood spilling everywhere.

An invisible hand of magic caught the Gryphon Knight.

The protective mage showed a pained expression, taking out a goose egg-sized top-quality magic diamond, whispering as she crushed it.

The diamond dust shone with a crystalline magic glow, sprinkled onto the Gryphon Knight.

This was a method of using magical materials to quickly cast spells.

Restoration!

The Gryphon Knight’s injuries rapidly healed.

At the same time.

The Golden Dragon laughed heartily, displaying a domineering presence, its massive body swiftly turning, its claws coming together, and slamming down hard.

The monk, moving at high speed, failed to dodge in time and, like a moth to a flame, crashed into the dragon’s claws.

Using force field perception to discern the changes in the force field arcs caused by the monk, Saga predicted his movements.

“Hey, got you!”

Like swatting a mosquito, the Golden Dragon clapped its claws together fiercely, squeezing the monk within.

The monk roared, his Qi circulating on the surface of his body.

At the same time, the protective mage’s heart sank, a white gem floating beside her, cracking apart.

Teleportation Shift!

Boom!

The dragon’s claws came together.

The monk’s roar abruptly ceased, his shields crushed layer by layer by the dragon’s overwhelming strength, including his True Qi Armor.

At the same time, spatial fluctuations appeared on his body.

At that moment, time seemed to slow down. Before being teleported away, the dragon’s claw crushed down, compressing the monk’s tempered body inch by inch, his bones shattering.

Time appeared to stand still, the monk’s memories flashing by, his life experiences replaying in his mind.

Boom!

The dragon’s claws collided, the force even generating a shockwave.

However, at the last moment, the monk was transferred away, severely injured but spared from being crushed into a pulp.

The Golden Dragon raised its head slightly, its gaze narrowing as it looked to the other side.

In front of the protective mage, the Gryphon Knight, treated by the Restoration spell, barely recovered his breath, and the monk, also undergoing Restoration treatment, had eyes full of fear and relief. In that instant, the monk felt he was about to die.

The knight, who had merged with the Golden Feather Gryphon and enhanced himself with a secret art.

And the arrival of the protective mage.

These did not turn the tide of battle; the human side was still at an absolute disadvantage.

The gloom in their hearts reemerged, and in the eyes of the three humans, the figure of the Golden Dragon became more ferocious and towering, the sense of oppression intensifying.

At the same time, Saga’s face wore an expression of nonchalance.

“Humans, you’ve piqued my interest, but only just a little.”

“It ends here. This battle should be over.”

As he spoke, the Golden Dragon’s wings tore through the gale, its body bathed in brilliant arcs of light, roaring towards them.

Its speed had surpassed that of sound.

When the dragon was only a stone’s throw away from the high-ranking humans, the thunderous roar and the sonic boom of the air being torn apart came like a tidal wave.

At this moment, neither the Gryphon Knight nor the monk had recovered.

Feeling the terrifying pressure surrounding the dragon, the protective mage, who had been bold at first, now had twitching eyelids and couldn’t help but feel a trace of fear.

At the same time, her low chanting ended, the last syllable of the spell falling.

Greater Force Field Array!

Hum!

With a wave of the protective mage’s staff, centered on herself, numerous arcs of force fields vibrated, and a spherical invisible force field expanded in an instant, protecting all three within.

Eh?

Feeling the boiling energy of the force field, Saga paused for a moment, then, while soaring at high speed, opened his mouth wide and inhaled fiercely.

The protective mage was first stunned, then her eyes showed disbelief, unable to maintain her composure, she exclaimed:

“How can this be?”

Like water being siphoned by a whale, the force field energy surged, the spherical force field array around the protective mage, the Gryphon Knight, and the monk twisted and deformed, the force field energy leaking out like a waterfall, all converging into the Golden Dragon’s mouth.

With one gulp, the spell constructed by the protective mage became food for Saga.

On the other side, the Golden Dragon, having consumed the force field energy, was invigorated, its speed greatly increased.

Watching the imposing dragon approach, the protective mage showed a panicked expression, then took out a diamond-shaped crystal, one of her treasured high-tier spells, and crushed it fiercely.

Shattered Mountain Lance!

Hum!

Once again, a vast amount of force field energy gathered, forming an invisible lance tens of meters long, piercing through space, aimed at the Golden Dragon.

“Another unexpected gain?”

The Golden Dragon showed a pleased rather than shocked look, its mouth opening wide, actually biting towards the force field lance capable of penetrating and shattering mountains.

In an instant, the destructive force field lance entered the belly of the Golden Dragon.

Not only did it not harm it, but it also strengthened the dragon’s aura a bit.

The protective mage’s eyes widened in disbelief.

Then, the Golden Dragon, with its overwhelming presence, drew near, and the three had no choice but to engage in battle again.

It was still the Gryphon Knight and the monk at the forefront, with the protective mage creating distance to construct spells.

This was a reasonable way to fight, but it didn’t have any good effect.

As time passed, the dragon’s vigor grew stronger, and the high-ranking humans were forced to retreat step by step.

Neither the Gryphon Knight nor the monk could withstand the dragon’s heavy blows, even though they had been enhanced with numerous protective spells.

On the other side, the protective mage occasionally cast one of the few offensive spells from the protective series against the dragon.

However, she despaired to find that any spell related to the force field was nourishing to the dragon. Among the protective spells, a significant part was related to force field energy.

Most importantly—for this battle, Saga was getting a bit tired.

Because it was his first battle after ascending to a higher tier, Saga, in order to better control his power and wanting to stretch his limbs, did not rush to use his full strength, even when facing four beings of the same tier or even higher than himself, he had not really put in much effort.

When Saga brought out even stronger power…

The scales of victory instantly tipped completely.

Boom!

The dragon punched down, and the terrible force caused the Gryphon Knight, who was hit by mistake, to plummet towards the ocean. All his protective spells were shattered, and as he fell, his merged body was torn apart, reverting to a human knight and a Golden Feather Gryphon, then they both fell unconscious, splashing into the sea.

The tail lashed out, hitting the monk’s chest.

The protective spells crumbled like paper, and the monk’s True Qi Armor shattered.

Before the monk was sent flying, Saga quickly reached out with a dragon claw, grabbing the monk in his golden claw, no matter how the monk struggled, the robust power was immovable like a mountain.

The Gryphon Knight and the monk had both lost their ability to fight.

The female protective mage was left unsupported and decided to retreat decisively.

However, with her Magic Power largely depleted, it was already too late to run.

The dragon simply extended its claw, pointing it at the protective mage from afar.

Whoosh!

Gravity, like an invisible hand, gripped the protective mage’s body, pulling her towards it, and then she was caught in the dragon’s claw.

One by one, the Golden Dragon’s gaze narrowed, and a deep voice echoed from its mouth.

“Submit, or die.”

The noble Caster, her face filled with indignation, refused to yield, saying, “You can imprison my body, but you cannot coerce my will. I will not submit to a monster’s violence.”

The dragon’s face remained calm as it leaned closer to the Caster, its scorching breath sweeping across her face, saying:

“In fact, I can.”

As a Mind Warlock, Saga had plenty of means to force the noble spirit to submit.

After a pause, the dragon grinned, revealing sharp dragon teeth: “But, I’m in a good mood right now. Since you long for death, then, I shall grant it to you.”

Crack!

The dragon claw squeezed tightly.

The protective mage’s numerous magical artifacts shattered, the dense shields clinging to her body, but all were in vain, breaking layer by layer.

A second later, Saga flicked his claw, and a shapeless mass of flesh scattered and fell.

“Now it’s your turn, monk.”

The Golden Dragon’s gaze narrowed, looking down at the monk.

The monk, with his dark complexion and resolute expression, managed a weak smile and lowered his head: “Your Excellency, the True Dragon, Bertus is willing to serve you.”

Monks varied greatly.

Some monks truly lived only near their monasteries, isolating themselves from anything that might disturb their cultivation, some vowed to forsake their faces, willing to become assassins in the dark, obeying leaders who had subdued them.

Most monks did not refuse to interact with the world; on the contrary, they would often deal with other beings.

The monk named Bertus was not one solely focused on cultivation.

His dream was to open his own grand monastery, to become a revered and respected monk master. The Pola Duchy accepted him, funded him to establish a monastery within the duchy’s territory, and in return, he needed to respond to the duchy’s call when necessary.

This monk himself did not belong to the human duchy of the Grayrock Archipelago.