Low-hanging dark clouds, like thick lead-gray cloth, tightly wrapped the western sky, preventing light from passing through. The entire land was shrouded in darkness, and it was impossible to tell whether it was morning or dusk.
Reinhart is walking on a once lively and prosperous road.
The road is now cracked and overgrown with weeds, flanked by large swaths of charred farmland and collapsed houses.
When he passed an area, he saw several corpses that had not been buried in time.
They were scattered on the roadside, and the crows squatted on the corpses and pecked at the carrion. Alerted by the footsteps, they flew up with fluttering wings, circled a few times under the low-hanging dark clouds, and then fell back to their original places.
Reinhart didn't look any further and continued walking forward.
After walking for a while, he passed a village.
In other words, a place that was once a village.
There are only a few charred walls left here, standing crookedly, and the outlines of what were once houses can still be seen on the walls.
There was a thick wooden pile in the center of the village, with a shriveled corpse hanging on it.
The neck of the corpse was strangled by an iron chain, and the other end of the iron chain was nailed to the top of a wooden stake. The corpse was hanging like this. Under the weather and sun, it had become like a piece of dried bacon, and its original appearance could not be seen.
There are words carved on the wooden pile.
"Tax Resistors".
Several ragged villagers poked their heads out from the ruins, and when they saw the figure of Reinhart, they quickly shrank back. Their eyes were empty, and all hope had been drained away from them.
Reinhart walked past the village with an expressionless face.
He didn't stop.
Continuing forward, the road becomes wider and wider, and the ground begins to become smoother. There are fewer corpses on the roadside, replaced by more ruins and more charred walls.
After walking for a while, Reinhart arrived at the royal city of Helmode Dragon Brood.
The city wall is tall and thick, made of huge stones, and its surface is smoked black. The city gate is open and there are no guards guarding it. However, there are several giant dragons hovering above the city wall, and their shadows are projected on the ground, passing by like dark clouds.
The scene inside the city is not much better than outside the city.
As soon as he entered the city gate, Reinhart saw a long team.
The team moved slowly along the street, as far as the eye could see, like winding snakes. There were humans, Dwarf, Halfling, etc. in the team. They were tied together by thick iron chains. The iron chains passed from one person's neck to another person's neck, and then to the next person, like grasshoppers strung together.
Some people could no longer walk and fell to the ground, being dragged away by those behind them.
The iron chain was strangling his neck, his face turned purple, his eyes were bulging, and he was making a whooshing sound from his mouth.
The people next to me were indifferent to this.
Everyone's eyes are empty, exactly like the villagers in the village outside the city.
The dragon's servants walked back and forth on both sides of the team, holding whips in their hands, beating those who walked slowly from time to time. Among the servants were Troll, Gnoll, Kobold, etc. They themselves also wore collars around their necks, but they held whips in their hands and whipped those who were more miserable than themselves.
How long has it been since?
Reinhart Take a deep breath and look forward.
At the end of the depressing scene is a magnificent Temple.
Temple is majestic and majestic, located in the center of the royal city, occupying an entire block. The outer wall is inlaid with the emblem of Chromatic Dragon Queen, and its dome towers into the clouds, almost touching the thick layer of dark clouds.
Ahead is a huge square with a statue standing there.
Its main body is a five-headed dragon. The five dragon heads face five directions respectively. The dragon's neck extends from the same body, winding and stretching. Each dragon head has its mouth open, as if roaring at the same time, looking down at the entire earth.
In the square, countless servants are busy.
Several giant dragons were hovering in mid-air, their wings spread out, covering a large area of the sky. The roar of the dragons was deep and deep, coming down from high in the sky, making the air tremble.
Reinhart stood in the distance, watching all this.
His fists were clenched.
Then release.
Hold on tight again.
The anger in his heart could hardly be suppressed. He could feel the blood boiling in his veins and his temples beating suddenly.
At the same time, for the first time, he realized clearly as never before how much of the name "Evil Dragon" Romanian States had given to Red Emperor was slander and prejudice.
If Red Emperor is Evil Dragon, Theo Kingdom may no longer exist.
Aura Kingdom under the rule of Red Emperor is in good order and has strict laws.
Although there are conflicts and frictions between various races, on the whole they are living in harmony, living and working in peace and contentment, and have found their respective positions under the will of Red Emperor.
Aura's vassal states also put an end to war under the will of Red Emperor.
Those kingdoms that had been enemies for generations now sit together to discuss affairs, and although they occasionally quarrel, there has never been a large-scale war.
In contrast, the dark era that Theo Kingdom once thought he had passed through was as sweet as honey.
"The entire Atlant should come under His Majesty's rule."
Reinhart thought slowly in his heart, "In this way, the intelligent creatures on this continent will usher in a better life."
His admiration for the emperor deepened at this moment.
Reinhart took steps and walked towards Temple.
His pace was neither fast nor slow, he didn't hide his aura, nor did he deliberately release it. He just walked swaggeringly on the wide avenue, heading towards the main entrance of Temple.
So, he was discovered.
A huge Black Dragon walked out from the shadow of Temple's flank.
Black Dragon is covered with pitch black scales. Each scale is the size of a palm, with edges as sharp as knives. His eyes are dark yellow, with constricted vertical pupils. He stares at Reinhart closely like a feline, with a low and dangerous purring sound coming from his throat.
"Stop."
"Human, this is not the place you should come. Tell me why you are here, or I will chew your bones into pieces one by one."
Reinhart stopped and looked up at Black Dragon.
Black Dragon's head is bigger than his whole body, and his mouth can be opened to swallow him in one bite, but Reinhart's expression does not change at all.
"I'm here to meet Lord of Thunder."
he said.
Black Dragon stared at Reinhart for a few seconds, and then let out a low sneer.
"Based on you?" Black Dragon tilted his head, and his vertical pupils shrank tighter, "A tiny insect? Who do you think you are? Who do you think the great Lord of Thunder is? If any human comes and asks to see him, he will have to see him?"
Helmode Dragon Brood What goes up works.
In the eyes of this Black Dragon, human beings are as lowly as insects and ants. They are not qualified to stand here, let alone say Lord of Thunder's name.
At the same time as the voice fell, Black Dragon's wings suddenly spread out, setting off a gust of wind.
His body suddenly jumped forward, and his bloody mouth opened wide, revealing a mouth full of sharp fangs, trying to swallow Reinhart in one bite.
Reinhart stood there without changing his expression.
When the distance between the two was only a dozen meters, Black Dragon seemed to suddenly feel something,
His body stiffened suddenly, his scales trembled violently, his eyes widened, and his vertical pupils dilated. Then, he suddenly lifted his body upwards, drawing an arc in mid-air, and moved away from Reinhart in surprise.
"You should have heard my name."
"Reinhart."
Hearing this, Black Dragon's body paused in the air.
Of course he has heard of this name. All Atlant Continent, intelligent creatures with a little knowledge have heard of this name.
Destiny Swordsman under Red Emperor.
Black Dragon was slightly shocked inside, but his eyes were still unkind.
"Wait here."
He was going to report the news to the superiors.
But at this moment, there was a dull thunder in the sky, and then, a dazzling lightning tore through the thick dark clouds and struck straight on the ground in front of Reinhart.
Boom!
Gravel splashed and dust flew.
The lightning left a deep, charred pit on the ground. Smoke was still rising from the edge of the pit, and the stone slabs were melted into a glass-like substance by the high temperature.
Reinhart did not go back.
He raised his head and looked at the dark cloudy sky.
The dark clouds rolled like boiling black Ocean, and the thunder roared, one after another, continuously.
A huge figure slowly descended from the clouds.
The dragon was even bigger than Red Emperor, and its entire body was covered with blue to almost black scales. The scales shone with a cold luster under the lightning, as if they were coated with a layer of metal. The dragon's wings spread out, covering the sky and the sun, and fine current flowed on the membrane, making a snapping sound.
The most eye-catching thing is his dragon horns.
A total of three pairs of dragon horns extend from both sides of the head, winding and intertwining with each other, forming a crown shape above the head.
It is Lord of Thunder.
Destiny Storm Dragon.
He looked down at Reinhart. There was no emotion in his eyes, only a condescending indifference, just like a person looking at an ant. "Reinhart, Aura Emperor's minions----bend your spine and kneel down to me."
Reinhart did not kneel down.
"I'm sorry, but I obey."
He said, "I am not your servant, and my Lord will not allow me to bow down to other dragons."
After saying that, Reinhart bowed slightly and performed a simple courtesy. Then he straightened his spine and looked at Lord of Thunder floating above his head with neither humility nor arrogance.
Lord of Thunder is not angry.
His expression didn't change at all, still indifferent. He just narrowed his eyes slightly and asked, "Why are you here? To convey Red Emperor's will?"
"On behalf of His Majesty, I congratulate you on breaking through Destiny Rank and becoming Storm Dragon."
Reinhart said.
At the same time, he changed the topic slightly.
"However, I also have a personal problem that I don't quite understand."
He looked into Lord of Thunder's eyes and said bluntly, "Why would a Dragon Race hero like you choose to give up your faith? Sacrifice your free will and become the puppet of the evil god?"
The air solidified.
The rolling speed of the dark clouds suddenly became faster, as if being stirred by an invisible giant hand, thunder roared in the clouds, and lightning intertwined into a huge power grid in the sky.
The servants who were busy around Temple fell to their knees one after another.
Their bodies were trembling, their foreheads were pressed to the ground, and they did not dare to raise their heads to look at the sky.
Lord of Thunder is suspended in mid-air with an expressionless face.
He looked at Reinhart and said, "You little human being, you are not qualified to talk to me. If you want to know, ask Garos to come over in person."
Reinhart nodded.
"A human being is indeed not qualified to discuss issues of faith and choice with a dragon."
He said, "But, as Destiny Rank, I have another unwelcome request."
"Say."
"I feel a little ashamed to say that I am Destiny Rank, but I lost to His Majesty at Crown Rank level. This makes me really confused. I don't know whether I am strong or weak in Destiny Rank."
"So, I want to know from the bottom of my heart how big the gap is between myself and other Destiny Rank."
"I wonder if you can make it happen?"
Dark clouds rolled and thunder roared.
Lord of Thunder looked down at Reinhart, with something akin to interest appearing in his eyes, and his pupils dilated slightly.
"You want to challenge me?"
"You could also say that."
Hearing this, the giant dragon let out a deep laugh, like rolling thunder, rolling out of its throat and echoing in the sky.
"There is also a gap between Destiny Rank." A few seconds later, Lord of Thunder stopped laughing and looked down at Reinhart, "How stupid you dare to challenge me."
"Maybe."
Reinhart said, "But stupidity can sometimes bring unexpected results."
Lord of Thunder said no more.
He raised his head slightly and let out a low growl.
The dark clouds suddenly rolled up, like boiling black Ocean.
Thunder roared in the clouds, and lightning gathered from all directions, jumping, entwining, and intertwining on the dragon's body, making him look like Deity came to the world.
Then, he suddenly flapped his wings and soared into the sky.
The dark clouds opened a gap in front of him, like a door being pushed open. The dragon's body sank into the dark clouds, and the gap closed behind him, swallowing him completely.
Reinhart Take a deep breath.
Two big swords, one light and one dark, appeared beside him.
The lightsaber emits a soft white light, while the dark sword absorbs the surrounding light, like a Black Hole, while slowly rotating around him, with the sword tip pointing towards the sky.
Whoosh!
His body was like an arrow, shooting straight into the dark clouds.
His figure was also engulfed by dark clouds.
Immediately afterwards, two Destiny Rank auras collided together deep in the clouds, bursting out with dazzling light and a terrifying power. The dark clouds kept rolling, but never dispersed, and the thunder and lightning became increasingly dense.
Small World li.
The roar of the mountains falling to the ground has completely subsided.
Instead, there was a frenzy of spells.
Afra is hanging in mid-air, with dense magic runes flowing all over his body.
Above her head, the giant Magic Arrays nested in layers were slowly rotating. Each layer of Magic Arrays was engraved with dense incantations and connected to each other by complex magic circuits.
Countless powerful spells poured down from it, bombarding the body of Red Iron Dragon in front of him like a heavy rain.
--
The dragon scales Shatter, Bloodflame burned at the wound under the impact of the spell.
Garos quietly endured the rounds of spell bombardment, his body motionless, and he only occasionally let out a low hum.
But he never dodged or blocked.
Just stand like this and let Afra bang as hard as you want.
After a while, the frenzy of spells finally subsided.
Afra was hanging in the air, a layer of fine sweat appeared on her forehead, her chest was heaving, and her breathing was obviously becoming rapid. The Magic Energy in her body had almost dried up, and the light of those runes had also become much dimmer.
She lowered her head and looked at Red Iron Dragon opposite.
Garos's body was covered with wounds, the skin was torn, and even bones were exposed in some places.
But Afra noticed that all wounds were healing at a speed visible to the naked eye. New granulations grew from the edges of the wounds, and scales began to cover them again.
And the further she hit the back, the harder it became for her to cause effective damage to Garos.
You know, she is a Spellcaster with penetrating properties. In principle, if such a Spellcaster can bombard her without any scruples, not even a giant dragon can withstand it.
But Garos is almost the principle itself.
Afra made a secret calculation in her mind. She felt that if the emperor's form had not undergone some changes recently and his defense seemed to be weaker than before, the damage she caused would probably be lower than it is now.
"Your Majesty."
Afra fell back to the ground and admired sincerely, "Your body is as strong as a god or a devil."
Red Iron Dragon opened his eyes, felt the tingling sensation all over his body, and gently tapped his chin.
It hurts.
The spell effect can also cause physical damage, which is very comprehensive. After this round of spell baptism by Afra, he feels that his all-round defense has been slightly improved.
There is progress.
But it's not enough.
Garos thought for a moment and said, "Next time, bring your magic tower with you."
If there is a magic tower, Afra can cast more powerful spells at a lower cost, and the effect will definitely be much better than now.
Afra nodded and said, "My magic tower is almost completed. It still needs some adjustments to the runes Magic Array. It will be as you wish in a short time."
Her magic tower was blown to pieces by Garos's Dragon Aura Bomb.
After intensive repairs during this period, most of the structure has been restored, leaving only the final rune debugging.
Garos changed the topic. "Is there any progress in the things you are responsible for building?"
After experiencing the effects of Cold Sacred Spring, Garos also wanted to build a similar healing holy land for himself, so he gave this task to Afra.
Of course, he doesn't expect Afra to create exactly the same thing as Cold Sacred Spring.
That would be too difficult for her.
As long as it has a similar effect, it is acceptable. A few grades difference is acceptable. It can be slowly improved and gradually perfected in the future.
"Your Majesty, it is still in the design stage." Afra lowered his head slightly and said softly, "I already have some ideas, but the time is still too short. More experiments and research are needed to verify whether these ideas are feasible.
Garos nodded and said calmly, "You can do experiments as much as you like without worrying about material loss."
Aura Kingdom does lack top-level foundation accumulation, but because it occupies three-quarters of the Atlant land and is extremely rich in resources, its overall wealth actually far exceeds that of any single Dragon Realm.
There is absolutely no problem in supporting such R&D consumption.
"I will do my best to come up with a result that satisfies you."
Afra said seriously.
Red Iron Dragon said nothing more. He flicked his tail and was about to let Afra build an overweight area and then start the next set of strength training.
At this moment, Mind Link was dialed.
It's Reinhart.
"Your Majesty, I lost."
Reinhart's voice sounded tired, "I'm sorry, I couldn't find out much useful information."
Garos narrowed his eyes slightly, but his expression did not change much.
"Tell me the process."
Reinhart sorted out his words a little and said, "I first unfolded Dark Domain and merged with the darkness, then I drew my sword towards Lord of Thunder, and then----the storm came."
Speaking of this, there seemed to be a hint of lingering fear in his tone.
"Countless lightning surged out from the wings of Lord of Thunder, lighting up the entire Dark Domain, and swept towards me. I quickly realized that Dark Domain could not affect him at all, so I immediately switched to Light Domain and used light to amplify myself, but I still couldn't break through the storm and lightning he created."
"I narrowly escaped death and left scars on him."
"But after that, I never met him again."
Reinhart's characteristics allow him to still cause huge damage when facing a dragon with a very high racial value, but the premise is that he must be able to hit the opponent.
"In terms of magic-like attainments, Lamorien----Lord of Thunder may already be comparable to Evocation's Destiny Rank."
"His thunder and lightning are not poured out randomly, but like living creatures, they will constantly chase me, as if the entire storm itself is an extension of his body and is completely under his control."
"I'm sorry for this again, Your Majesty."
"You gave me trust and orders, but I didn't bring back much valuable information."
Reinhart's tone was full of shame.
Before Destiny Rank, he had always been very low-key and unobtrusive. After Destiny Rank, he officially "debuted". Then he faced two powerful people, Garos, and Lamorien, who was promoted to Storm Dragon.
We lost both times without any surprise.
But this cannot be blamed on Reinhart. He is definitely not a weakling at the level of Destiny Rank, but the two he encountered were monster-level beings.
Red Iron Dragon After listening to his report, he said, "You have done a good job."
"At least, you have confirmed one thing. Lamorien has indeed become Storm Dragon, the real Storm Dragon, and not just covered with a thunder shell or having a similar appearance."
"This piece of information itself is worth the trip."
Among Chromatic Dragon, Blue Dragon has the most destructive Spell-like Ability, and Storm Dragon is the ultimate form of Blue Dragon.
A real Storm Dragon can create thunderstorms like Calamity with just a few movements. Reinhart's test this time has basically confirmed that Lamorien has indeed become Storm Dragon.
This is not good news.
"One more thing, Your Majesty."
"What?"
"When I retreat—I'm already ready to ask for help from you."
Reinhart's voice slowed down a bit and he said, "At that time, my field was already Shatter, and my speed was far inferior to him. Lord of Thunder was fully capable of chasing me."
"I can feel that when his light falls on my back, it's like a bolt of lightning has locked onto me and can fall at any time."
"If he really takes action, I will most likely not be able to leave."
"But he didn't."
"The moment I had the intention of retreating and turned around to evacuate, he gathered the storm instead, with no intention of chasing me."
Reinhart thought for a while, then said thoughtfully, "I guess, maybe his condition is not stable."
"Perhaps his breakthrough at the Destiny Rank level has not been fully consolidated, or perhaps there is still some flaw in his Storm Dragon form, which makes him wary of using excessive power."
Garos was silent for a few breaths.
"Maybe."
He said this with his mouth, but he didn't think so in his heart.
What kind of dragon is Lamorien?
Among Chromatic Dragon, he is one of the rare ones who knows how to use his brain to solve problems instead of just using his minions.
He is obviously a complete racist, but he can suppress his true thoughts to cooperate with other races. He is cunning, tolerant, and good at surviving in the cracks.
If such a dragon really has any flaws, he will definitely hide them well.
If he accidentally exposes his own flaws, he will kill the self-attacker at all costs and let the secret sink to the earth with the body.
Instead of letting him go, let him return to Aura safely with the suspicion that "Lord of Thunder may be defective".
This is not exposing a flaw.
Is this a ---- signal?
"Lamorien is sending me a message." Garos thought to himself, "He could kill Reinhart, but he didn't kill him. What did he want to express?"
Showing kindness?
Warning?
Or is it simply to show off how powerful you are at this time?
Red Iron Dragon's eyes were filled with wisps of light Psionic Energy, and his thoughts were running like lightning.
After thinking about various possibilities, he is more inclined to believe that Lamorien is expressing that he currently has no intention to be an enemy of Aura, or to be an enemy of Garos himself.
Otherwise, he will definitely kill Reinhart at any cost.
If you think about it, Garos himself would definitely not watch a Destiny Swordsman return alive to the enemy's camp.
After thinking for a moment, he took out a thunderball-shaped Communication Artifact.
Direct communication?
Ask him personally?
This idea swirled in his mind for a few seconds, and then he rejected it.
"Lamorien is now the chosen apostle of God and has no real free will. Everything he does will be affected by Deity. All actions are to safeguard the interests of Deity. Even if he can still make some decisions on his own, he cannot go against the will of Deity."
Garos thought to himself.
Now Lamorien is under the watchful eye of Deity at all times.
Negotiating with him directly is risky.
And--what can be said now that things have come to this?
Just as he was thinking like this, Communication Artifact suddenly lit up.
He didn't start it.
Red Iron Dragon narrowed his eyes slightly and said nothing.
There was a deep breathing sound from the other side, mixed with the faint sound of sizzling electricity, but the other side was also silent, and no one spoke first.
A few seconds passed like this.
The light of the props went out in silence.
Immediately afterwards, the thunderball-shaped Communication Artifact began to tremble slightly, and cracks appeared on the surface one after another. Finally, with a click, the entire prop completely Shatter fell off.
"Your Majesty."
At this time, Reinhart's voice sounded again, "How should we deal with Lord of Thunder next? He is our biggest threat now, if we do nothing--"
"We will not sit idly by."
Garos interrupted him.
"Lamorien is the God's Choice, Destiny Rank, and Storm Dragon. These three identities overlap, which means that if we confront him head-on now, even I am not completely sure."
"The risks of rushing into war far outweigh the benefits."
"But fighting is not the only way to solve problems."
Fire ignited between Red Iron Dragon's claws, turning Communication Artifact's pieces into ashes.
He watched the ashes being blown up by the wind, watching Light and Dark sink, and continued, "Blood Tax, tyranny, and the terrifying means of razing the entire city to the ground, these can indeed subdue Western States in a short period of time, making them crawl in front of the Dragon Queen's altar and tremble."
"But fear is a double-edged sword."
"Reinhart, remember, when people's fear reaches the extreme and life itself becomes more unbearable than death, they will take up arms again and start to resist regardless."
"Western States has a huge territory. No matter how strong Helmode Dragon Brood is, the number will be limited after all."
"Lamorien can personally suppress the rebellion anywhere, but his dragons cannot. The fire of rebellion will be ignited everywhere. If you are thirsty for water, there will eventually be no water to fish."
Garos's voice was very calm, as if he was stating something that was destined to happen.
He has always been very far-sighted.
It's just that his power is so powerful that this is often overlooked.
"Next, we will not go to war with Helmode Dragon Brood, but we will turn the west into a swamp."
"Weapons, gold coins, intelligence, scrolls----"
"Everything the rebels need will flow continuously from the border of Aura to the west."
"We don't need them to win, we just need them to live, fight, and keep Helmode Dragon Brood's minions stuck in the quagmire of counterinsurgency, unable to stretch an inch out of the west."
These arrangements are to gain time.
Garos knows very well that his growth speed is his major advantage. As long as Lord of Thunder is not determined to make a desperate move and kill him immediately, then he will definitely not be in a hurry.
The further back he goes, the stronger he becomes.
Next, let's see Lord of Thunder's reaction.
If he doesn't immediately start a war with him, it means that he may not have completely succumbed to Deity's will.