Dragon War

In Istaria, atop towering stone pillars, within a magnificent white altar, white smoke swirls, while Red Dragon lazily reclines on a marble throne.

Beside him stood the Ogre Archmage Lang Pu, and in front of him were huge Magic Image showing the situation in various war zones of the Imperial Wall.

As Keosius watched the Slaughter Devil being surrounded and killed, he asked with great interest, "How many Dragon Scale Monk like these are left within the empire?"

Lang Pu replied, "Master, this project is still in the experimental stage. For now, there are only twenty-one people, and only twelve of them can fight normally and reliably."

"Snap—"

As it spoke, the Ogre's obese body flickered and became somewhat ethereal, with particles of light appearing on its skin.

"I'm sorry, Master, the main body may have encountered a battle, so this simulation is not very stable."

It turns out this was a mock-up of Lang Pu; the real Ogre Archmage had arrived at the front lines, taking command of the battlefield and confronting the spellcasters of the Abyss.

Keosius stared at the strange phenomenon caused by the death of the Slaughter Devil, his eyes narrowed slightly.

"The Slaughter Devil?"

The Slaughter Devil, an absolute predator in the Abyss, is a monster with Challenge Rating of up to 16, which is comparable to some low-level legendary beings.

Despite being within the empire and influenced by the territory of the Keosius Empire Domain, which suppressed the chaotic power within him, this demon's strength should not be underestimated.

Players used to be slaughtered by Vampire and ruthlessly crushed by Frost Giant, only serving as extras in wars.

Now, the most powerful players are able to kill monsters of this level by ganging up on them.

—While this is a result of relying on imperial resources, it is undeniable that players have become an important force that cannot be ignored in the world.

After a moment's thought, Keosius asked again, "Approximately what is the cost of training a Dragon Scale Monk?"

Lang Pu's avatar replied, "Fifty thousand Ginar, Master. The largest portion of the cost is actually the dragon blood materials, but the Empire is not lacking in these things."

The technology from the Technology Department is not yet mature enough. According to researchers in the Cult of Church of the Machine God, known as ' Gene Master,' the cost is expected to be reduced to below 10,000 Ginar.

Keosius nodded slightly and licked the flame from his lips. "Very good. It seems that we will soon be able to mass-produce extraordinary level experts, and all we need to pay is money."

The empire has no shortage of money. Amidst the endless wars on the Feanso Continent, the Embers of the Burned Empire has made a fortune by selling arms and dumping goods on both sides.

The empire's ability to amass wealth was unimaginable to other countries.

As for how much gold was actually in Keosius's treasury, that has gradually become a legend.

Some scholars estimate that this number is astonishing, even beyond the comprehension of most ordinary people, and would be unbelievable even if spoken aloud.

Lang Pu smiled obsequiously and leaned closer, saying, "This matter doesn't even require the use of the Empire's, that is, your, assets."

"It is an unparalleled honor for those Starfallers to be chosen. We plan to collect a sacrifice of 20,000 Ginar Starfallers them as a reward for their favor to you."

Keosius clicked his tongue in admiration and nodded again in agreement.

After more than a decade of practice, this Ogre has mastered the essence of exploiting and oppressing players, even more meticulously than the Red Dragon, and has infiltrated every aspect of life in China.

For example, there are the distinctly imperial-style "Spellcasting Tax," "Gun Ownership Tax," and "Dragon Blood Tax." Pfft—

Keosius twisted his head, snorted, exhaling hot white smoke, and then turned his attention back to the Magic Image of the battlefield.

"The real culprit still hasn't shown up. What a cowardly fellow."

At this time, the war between the Empire and the Abyss Legion had reached a fever pitch.

The Embers of the Burned Empire's artillery barrage was powerless to stop the advance of the Magic Tide, and all sorts of brutal and powerful high-ranking demons emerged one after another.

The Empire also used every means at its disposal, relying on the pre-arranged defenses to hold firm and hold the line, keeping the demon legion south of the Imperial Wall.

In the southern wasteland, the earth was riddled with holes, filled with the Gunsmoke, and everywhere were the corpses of demons, broken shrapnel and bullets.

The demons' purplish-black pus corroded the rocks and soil, forming hideous scars on the earth, as if cursing this land.

The endless screams of demons, the roar of cannons, and the battle cries of imperial soldiers intertwined on the long battle lines and crisscrossed the vast battlefield, converging into a brutal war concerto. The Hall Mountains.

This mountain range is not very high; once you cross it, you can go straight to the northern plains and reach the heart of the empire.

"Roar--"

The dragons, in droves, flapped their wings and surged in like a thick, dark cloud, emitting hoarse, noisy roars.

Normally, such a scene is not uncommon within the empire.

After all, the Embers of the Burned Empire is known as the "Kingdom of Dragons," and it raises tens of thousands of Wyvern. It's perfectly normal for monsters like dragons and Dragonkin to appear here.

But this time, the dragon vein monsters are extraordinary—they come from the Abyss.

The Abyss Dragon Beast resemble their Wyvern ancestors, but their dark red, scaly skin reveals their infernal lineage.

They have powerful bat wings, snake-like, serpentine necks, and razor-sharp claws.

This is the horrific product of an ancient breeding program that aimed to combine the most vile elements of demons, Wyvern, and Red Dragon.

They roam the desolate wilderness of the Abyss, hunting demons and visitors in the same way.

"Aww—"

The roars of the dragons echoed through the Hall Mountains, causing the creatures in the forests to tremble. Their roars were more chaotic and disorderly than those of ordinary Wyvern, filled with the oppressive power of the Abyss.

These Abyss Dragon Beast flapped their wings and recklessly spewed out black and red Abyss fire, burning all living things on the earth to ashes.

On the back of the leading Abyss Dragon Beast, a crimson humanoid creature, wielding a blood-stained longsword, let out a frenzied battle roar.

Burn this place down!

"Offer all things to the Abyss, and let everything here return to chaos!"

The demon was dressed in jet-black armor, with a forked tongue protruding from his mouth and a pair of jet-black horns curving from his forehead to the back of his head.

Those scarlet eyes gazed into the distance, as if burning with raging flames.

"I'm back."

I will make you pay the price!

His name was Licht Morr, a former member of the North Wind Eagle Guard. He narrowly escaped the war that destroyed the nation and was chosen by the Revenge Devil, where he was reborn in the Abyss.

Over the years, he endured hardships on the Blood War, but he never lost his hatred. The scene of the destruction of the Lakman Duchy was etched in his mind.

Hatred also brought him even greater power.

Now, Licht has become the leader of the Abyss Dragon Beast Legion, commanding dozens of elite demon cavalry and hundreds of Abyss Dragon Beast.

His mission was to cross the Hall Mountains, penetrate deep into the Empire, and use his mobility advantage to disrupt the Empire's strong defenses from the rear.

This is a common tactic used by the Abyss Legion; Licht once used this method to conquer a fortress of Hell demons in Avernus.

Therefore, he believed that such methods would also be effective for the empire.

Licht raised his blood-stained, skull-carved longsword high and roared at the men of the legion.

"Friends, we have experienced countless brutal wars and slaughtered countless demons in Blood War!"

This time, our enemy is just a weak Material Plane nation. We will baptize them with flames and blood, and let these Material Plane barbarians feel the grandeur of the Abyss!

For the Abyss!

"Aww—"

Just then, similar roars came from afar, only these sounds were deeper and more powerful.

The demons gazed into the distance.

One after another, Wyvern and Flame Wyvern rose into the air from the other side of the mountain. They flapped their wings, covering half the sky like crimson clouds, and confronted the Abyss Dragon Beast army from afar.

Among the Imperial Legion were Red Scale Conqueror riding Wyvern, Flame Wyvern with flames erupting from their bodies, and even Atavistic Wyvern comparable to True Dragon.

Its imposing presence was in no way inferior to the Abyss Dragon Beast Legion on the south side of the mountain range.

Licht immediately recognized the Wyvern Knight who had destroyed the North Wind Eagle Guard and forced him to flee in disarray; those humiliating memories flooded the demon's mind.

"Red Scale Conqueror"

He gritted his teeth, his eyes blazing with fury, his forked tongue drooping down, dripping thick saliva.

Then, his expression changed from anger to ecstasy, and his ugly red face became distorted, with his mouth stretching almost to his ears.

"Great! Great! Finally, we can get our revenge!"

"I will make them taste what I did, their comrades killed, their country destroyed."

Thinking this, a dazed look appeared on Licht's face. His blackened mask fell away from his helmet, revealing only his eyes, which were filled with the fire of revenge. "Hahahaha! Charge!"

Kill them! Let them experience the terror that even the demons of Hell fear us in Blood War!

"Face the Abyss!"

"Eat up all these ridiculous flies!"

"Roar--"

The demons cheered wildly, brandishing their blood-stained swords, spears, and hammers, while the heads of the Abyss dragons let out terrifying, ear-piercing roars.

No wonder they were so confident. As a product of the most filthy elements of demons, Wyvern, and Red Dragon, the Abyss Dragon Beast was exceptionally large, far exceeding the Wyvern.

Almost every Abyss Dragon Beast can reach a length of nearly fifteen meters, while their leader is over twenty meters long, even surpassing many real dragons.

Compared to these Abyss Dragon Beast, the Wyvern in the Imperial Legion, whose length generally does not exceed ten meters, do indeed appear somewhat petite.

Alger, the Dragon Blood Marquis of the Northern Empire of the Hall Mountains and the commander of the Red Scale Garrison, rode on the back of a massive Dragon Vein Giant Eagle, his eyes coldly fixed on the distant legion of Abyss Dragon Beast.

This former North Wind Eagle Guard had long since completed his revenge. He had witnessed the death of Duke Brad, the rise of the Empire, and the gradual improvement of the lives of the people of the the North.

It also witnessed Tiefling escape from suffering of those who had been wronged, and their subsequent fulfilling lives.

Now, Alger has found a new goal.

He has become the guardian of the empire, and he has vowed to spend the rest of his life atoning for the heinous crimes he has committed.

Alger raised the Eternally Burning Greatsword high, unleashing a dazzling burst of fire.

"Gentlemen—"

"You are children of the Great Red Dragon! These filthy reptiles from the Abyss, these tainted bloodlines, are utterly no match for you! They want to burn down our cities, slaughter our people, and destroy our nation!"

Can you—endure this?

"Cannot!"

The sound was deafening.

Alger nodded in satisfaction, then roared, "Then charge with me! Burn these reptiles from the Abyss to ashes!"

The Abyss Dragon Beast Legion surged and churned like dark clouds, emitting noisy roars as they gradually climbed upwards, attacking the Empire's army.

Faced with the upcoming large-scale air battle, both native inhabitants and players felt their blood boiling and their hearts surging with excitement.

Looking down at the distant demon legion from their high vantage point, they launched an excited dive, letting out passionate battle roars.

"For the Empire!"

"Long Live the Empire!"

"For His Your Majesty Keosius!"

Instantly, hundreds of Wyvern and Flame Wyvern spread their wings atop the mountain and swooped down with a roar.

They cascaded down the mountain peaks like a crimson torrent or a scarlet waterfall, tearing the air apart with their wings, creating a scorching, explosive hurricane beneath them.

Thus, the upper part of the mountain was obscured by the crimson torrent, while the lower part was occupied by the dark, mottled Abyss Magic Tide.

A collision is imminent between the two sides.

Licht looked up at the legion of Wyvern and Dragonkin in the sky, a cold smile curling at the corner of his mouth on his face, which was covered by a visor.

Too weak.

Compared to the dragons transformed by the Abyss Blood Pool, these Dragonkin are far too weak—just like they used to be.

The Wyvern Legion that he once considered invincible now seemed nothing more than a group of weak mortal beings from the Material Plane.

As Licht thought this, he gripped the bloodstained longsword decorated with skulls, the image of him easily severing the slender neck of Wyvern already flashing through his mind.

However, amidst that crimson torrent, Alger raised his gleaming, Eternally Burning Greatsword and commanded in a stern voice, "Gentlemen— Dragon Roar Charge!"

"Roar--"

Instantly, one hundred Wyvern Knight, nearly five hundred Wyvern, and Flame Wyvern roared in unison.

This was the largest and most participated Dragon Roar Charge in the history of the Empire.

Their bodies, flowing with scalding dragon blood, trembled. Their shared bloodlines resonated, connected, and converged, their immense dragon might like a tsunami.

"They're just some ignorant mortals... This... This is simply impossible!"

Licht looked up at the sky, his whole body trembling violently, his teeth chattering.

In the sky, Red Dragon phantom hundreds of meters long appeared among the dragons. It was incredibly majestic and noble, almost enveloping the entire Imperial Legion.

All the knights recognized him as their emperor, the ruler of the Embers of the Burned Empire, the supreme ruler of Anzeta — Keosius!

"Roar--"

The phantom formed from the dragon's might flapped its wings, opened its blood-red maw, and let out an incomparably long and heavy roar.

Instantly, under the Bloodline Pressure emanating from the depths of their souls, all the Abyss Dragon Beast let out painful howls, unable to even flap their wings, and fell haphazardly from mid-air.

Licht also felt that terrifying power; the phantom of the Red Dragon constantly assaulted his filthy, chaotic soul.

Within this strange empire, the existence of the Red Dragon was like that of a god, possessing a certain power of order that caused these Abyssal Devil immense suffering.

But he persevered because of his desire for revenge.

Licht struggled to maintain his balance, repeatedly slashing at the Abyss Dragon Beast's neck with his knife, cursing furiously, "Damn it, that's just a dragon! You are children of the Abyss! Wake up! You cowardly reptiles!"

However, Licht's struggles were futile, and danger was imminent.

"Whoosh—"

A burning, sharp longsword came flying through the air, carrying the immense momentum of its dive and the supreme power of Keosius, cleanly and decisively severing the demon's head.

"No--"

Dark purple blood splattered, and Licht's head flew into the air, his visor falling apart.

The red, ferocious face still held an expression of shock and confusion, as if it could not believe that it had been killed by a mortal from the Prime Material Plane.