Blackstone Wasteland.
Nausir Empire's forward position is like a thin silver line embedded in the edge of the wilderness.
Elfs don't like rough fortifications.
Although this is just a temporary outpost, the silver-white camps are still arranged continuously and extend in an orderly manner. They look more regular and orderly than the Orc camp. There are wide passages between the camps and the ground has been simply leveled.
At the same time.
A simple yet exquisite tent stood in the center of the camp. The outside of the tent was embroidered with the moon pattern emblem, fluttering gently in the night wind. The curtains were half-covered, and the inside was tied up with ropes woven with silver thread.
Inside the tent, three figures were sitting around a round table.
A magic map is spread out on the table.
Mountains and rivers are presented in miniature light and shadow, and the ripples of the water and the swaying of the woods can be seen in the details.
The area occupied by Orc is marked in dark red. To the south of the wilderness, it occupies most of the area of Blackstone Wasteland. The Elf's position is in the shape of Blue Dragon. In the north of the wilderness, the blank area between the two armies is marked in gray.
Elarian is sitting closest to the tent door.
She put one hand on the edge of the table, raised her other hand, and was tapping the map with a slender finger.
The screen then changed, turning into an image of the first wave of Orc's attack.
The dark green giant Orc army surged in from the horizon, raising dust all over the sky.
Immediately afterwards, the screen flashed, and countless sun-like rays of light fell from the sky. The Orc Legion disappeared in an instant and melted in this light.
"Previously, Orc's first wave of attacks was repelled like this."
She said softly, "Our soldiers haven't even gone to the battlefield yet, their swords and arrows have not been damaged at all, and Orc's legion has dissipated like morning mist meeting the scorching sun."
A calm and clear voice came from the other side.
"There were no casualties among our tribesmen, which is a good thing to be happy about."
The voice came from a tall male Sun Elf.
His eyebrows are high, his eye sockets are slightly sunken, his shoulders are more than half wider than the ordinary Elf, and the muscle lines of his arms are still clearly visible under the armor. His skin is golden bronze, darker than the normal Sun Elf, Talamond, Nausir Destiny Rank, known as the Great Knight of the Sun.
Immortal species and immortal species are also different.
Compared with giant immortal species such as giant dragons and Giant, Elf's bodies are not powerful. They focus more on the cultivation of various extraordinary paths, studying skills, accumulating experience, and constantly improving over the long years like humans.
But it's different from humans.
Elf, as immortals, can often pursue multiple paths at the same time without any burden. Their long lifespan gives them enough time to try different paths.
For example, this great knight of the Sun.
He studied multiple paths at the same time, including knight, warrior, Ranger, and spell. These are also the four paths that many Elf will choose to study in the later stages.
However, different Elf focus on different directions.
For example, Silver-White Arrow Elarian.
She majored in the Ranger pathway and studied other pathways concurrently, all in order to enable herself to shoot the most fatal blow, everything serving one arrow.
In contrast, Talamond's fighting style is more frontal.
The perseverance of the knight, the bravery of the warrior, and the agility of Ranger.
The three achieved a balanced fusion in him, but he ultimately chose to take the knight class as the dominant one.
On the battlefield, he always charges forward, withstands the fiercest attacks, and tears open the enemy's defense line for his comrades.
He believed in a simple principle: a knight's shield is not to protect himself, but to protect those behind him.
In terms of magic, he also learned Abjuration.
Strengthen your own defense to resist the invasion of various elements and curses, allowing you to stand longer in the most dangerous position.
"Elarian, I heard that it was Red Emperor Pale Star who responded to the request in time and then defeated the Orc army on his own?"
Sun Elf asked.
He had been in another war zone and had not been able to witness it with his own eyes.
Elarian nodded lightly. "This giant dragon single-handedly defeated the Orc army formation and scattered their Legendary Realm, causing them to retreat in panic."
She recalled the scene at that time and said in a chant, "He was like a sudden storm, and Orc was like a fallen leaf struggling in the storm."
Sun Elf glanced slightly sideways.
In Destiny Elf's long life, he has seen too many big scenes.
There aren't many people that Destiny Rank Ranger can praise in this tone.
Elarian is not the kind of Elf who is easily shocked. Her calmness and restraint are well-known among Nausir senior executives. Praise like this rarely appears in her mouth.
For her to be so praised, it can only be because Red Emperor Pale Star's performance is amazing enough.
"Although I have never had formal contact with him, his reputation has already reached my ears."
"The dragon emperor of another continent, he established his own kingdom and occupied almost the entire Atlant."
"Bard people described that Red Emperor Pale Star is like a star falling towards Material Plane, breaking all established orbits."
Talamond folded his hands and said.
Another female Elf said, "I cooperated with him once and was equally impressed."
She is located next to Talamond. She is slender and half a head shorter than Elarian.
Her red hair was braided into a neat ponytail, hanging from her shoulders to her chest, revealing her slender neck and a pair of pointed ears. What was striking was that her left arm was densely covered with glowing arcane textures from her wrist to her elbow.
Veylan, Wood Elf, the sage of secret magic.
She also studied the four major pathways.
Mystery, Druid, warrior, knight.
Among these paths, she mainly focuses on the secret arts path. She is good at a large number of weird and strange secret arts, and her methods are so numerous that it is difficult for people to detect them.
But if anyone thinks she can be bullied close by, they are totally wrong.
The Druid path gives her the ability to transform into Beast. Her training as a warrior and a knight allows her to stand firm in close combat.
Talamond's brows raised slightly.
"I know, it happened eight years ago."
"Yes."
Veylan nodded.
"How do you feel?" Talamond asked.
Wood Elf looked back slightly as he recalled the past.
"Blacktooth Tribe's war chief, when he rushed over, he was like a wild boar that broke into the garden, trampling everything. At first, I could only keep restraining him, but I couldn't cause him any real harm."
She paused and continued, "Until Red Emperor Pale Star appears."
Sun Elf said, "I remember he also killed Giant King."
"More than that." Veylan shook his head and said, "After he killed Giant King, Orc Legendary Realm, he provoked another Saint Realm in person. Of course, what impressed me most was when we fought together with him."
She recalled the scene.
The giant dragon swooped down from a high altitude, so fast that even Elf, who was famous for his agility, was surprised.
"I used secret techniques to restrict the War Chief's body and restrain him in place. Red Emperor Pale Star captured that fleeting moment, and then..."
She raised her hand, spread her fingers, and made a downward tearing motion.
"Just one claw down."
"The war chief's Destiny Domain, Orc's strong bodies were torn apart like tissue paper under his claws."
Veylan's voice rose slightly and he said, "I was very close at that moment, and then, I saw with my own eyes that Orc's life ended with the fall of his claw.
Talamond slowly leaned back on the chair and let out a deep sigh.
"Over the years, Orc has been relying on his strong physique and racial attributes to fight as fiercely as a bear, being unreasonable and running rampant."
As he spoke, his eyes fell on the dark red area on the map.
"Facing them, our warriors must treat them with caution, like hunters dealing with ferocious beasts, always on guard against being wounded from the front. Their strength is rough, but heavy enough to crush our skills."
"And now."
He shook his head and said with a smile, "Faced with a dragon with a more terrifying physique, once the opportunity was seized, Orc was directly pinned to death. There was no barbarity and ferocity when fighting us. They are used to crushing others with strength. Suddenly they encountered an opponent whose strength far exceeded theirs, but they didn't know how to deal with it."
"This world is like a mirror that is constantly turning. The positions of the strong and the weak are always changing."
"Exactly."
Elarian took the words, "The strong and the weak are relative concepts, just like moonlight and shadow. Without moonlight, how can there be shadow? Without shadow, how can we set off the brightness of moonlight?"
After the words fell, she stood up.
"It's time to discuss the next strategy."
She said, "Although Orc has retreated, it is only temporary."
Talamond and Veylan also got up.
Elarian continued, "I have summoned the allies for this war, and they are waiting for us."
Then, three figures walked out of the camp.
The night wind blew in my face, carrying the smell of scorched earth in the distance.
The starry sky above our heads is clear and bright, and two moons hang one high and one low on the sky. The larger one is pale golden, and the smaller one is silvery white.
Under the double moonlight, there is an open space in the center of the camp.
This was originally a square used to gather troops, but now it has been transformed into a temporary meeting place.
Many figures were standing or sitting, distributed throughout the square.
There are dragons, Dwarf, humans, and Giant. Without exception, they are all Legendary Realm level beings, who are the upper echelons or leaders of major kingdoms.
There are several Crown Rank among them, but no Destiny Rank exists.
Greenwild Queen is also among them.
Opposite, a Storm Giant Solarton was looking at her from time to time, his eyes full of anger and hostility, but mostly fear.
Greenwild Queen ignored Giant's glare.
She didn't even look in that direction, as if Solarton was just a stone with eyes.
Sun Elf's eyes swept across the crowd, but he did not see the huge figure he expected.
Red Emperor Pale Star hasn't come yet?
He turned to look at Elarian.
Elarian seemed to know what he was thinking and said, "I have just informed you."
She just finished speaking.
The sky was torn apart.
The sky seemed to be torn open from the inside by an invisible giant claw, and a huge crack appeared out of thin air with jagged edges, as if some giant beast had opened its eyes in space. The fragments of space peeled off like glass, gradually became transparent, and dissipated invisible.
Everyone looked up at the same time.
Then, a huge figure jumped out of the crack.
Dark black scales cover the whole body, like the surface of cooled lava, rough and thick, with countless glowing cracks revealed under the black scales, forming complex energy patterns.
The most striking thing is his breastplate.
It is like glass that has been burned to a semi-melted state by high temperature. It is translucent and you can clearly see the energy flow under the scales.
The rift closed behind him.
Dark Red Iron Dragon hovered in mid-air, its wings spread out, covering most of the moon, and its vertical pupils slowly scanned the people below.
For a moment, the entire open space was silent.
Even though he didn't deliberately release the pressure, everyone still felt an aura, like a volcano ready to explode. It was calm on the surface, but inside it was surging with energy that could destroy everything.
The weapon is unsheathed and the spell is condensed.
...Legendary Realms of all races are on alert.
This is an instinctive reaction.
Facing a terrifying dragon that seems likely to explode at any time, any creature with combat experience will subconsciously prepare to defend itself.
Seroel was the only one who didn't respond.
Her green eyes widened slightly, and the body of Dark Red Iron Dragon was reflected in her field of vision. The corners of her mouth could not help but tilt up slightly, showing a pleasant smile, but then she quickly suppressed it and returned to her noble and indifferent queen's posture.
The three Destiny Rank stared at the giant dragon in shock and confusion.
Among them, Elarian, who had just seen Red Iron Dragon before, was the most surprised.
How long has it been since then for such a drastic change in form?
And this doesn't seem to be the first time.
She recalled that the extremely fast and sharp form before seemed to have been formed in a very short time. The dragon's form changed too fast and was abnormal.
At the same time.
Under the gaze of various eyes, Dark Red Iron Dragon slowly descended from the sky, its wings folded at its sides, its long tail trailing behind it, sweeping out an arc-shaped scorch mark on the ground.
"Aura Emperor, Garos·Ignas?"
Nausir's Sun Yao Grand Knight looked at him.
Red Iron Dragon nodded slowly. "It's me, don't be nervous, I just changed my form."
Hearing his calm tone, the atmosphere relaxed slightly.
"Change in form?"
Talamond stared at Red Iron Dragon's dark black scales and looked at them carefully from beginning to end. "This is not an ordinary change in form. You look like you have been forged again from the furnace. You are completely different from before."
Garos Not much to say.
He lowered his eyes and adjusted his stance.
On the other side, Wood Elf Veylan, who majored in the occult path, was observing the dragon with occult vision.
In her eyes, the inside of Garos's body is a chaotic yet orderly energy system. The sun-like energy rises and falls in its chest, and countless small energy veins extend from here, spreading all over the body like tree roots.
Among them, there was an energy signature that she was familiar with.
Manic, chaotic, and full of destructive desires.
Fury Curse.
"Is his change due to the meteorite?"
"No wonder he only asked for meteorites as a condition of commission. Things that normal creatures avoid are actually good for him. Is Red Emperor Pale Star immune to Fury Curse? Or does he have any special method to neutralize the corrosiveness of Frenzied Flame?"
She glanced back and forth over Garos several times to make sure she didn't find any signs of losing control.
If it is truly immune to the curse, the strategic value of this Red Emperor will be even higher.
she thought to herself.
At this time, Elarian, as the commander-in-chief, gathered his thoughts and took a step forward.
"Your changes caught us off guard," she said frankly, "But no matter what, you are welcome and we look forward to your future performance."
Red Iron Dragon turned to look at her, his head tilted slightly, "I also look forward to fighting with you all."
After saying that, he suddenly turned his head and met the eyes of several Giant.
As Garos glanced over, each and every Giant hurriedly lowered their heads.
Solarton gritted his teeth, and the muscles in his jaw were as hard as stone, but he finally lowered his head, and the hatred in his eyes turned into fear.
Nothing to worry about.
Garos made a judgment in his heart.
These Giant do not have the Destiny Rank level of leadership, they are in disarray, and they have lost the courage to confront themselves.
However, since it has been offended to death and there is no possibility of remission, it is best to eliminate the root cause.
Hatred will ferment if left alone.
Garos withdrew his gaze and glanced at Green Dragon.
The two eyes met, and Green Dragon immediately understood and responded with a beautiful yet cruel smile.
Regarding their eye contact, the Elfs who dominated the situation also saw it.
With their keen minds, they have already thought that Giant's future may not be easy. However, they are not prepared to do anything about it.
Even if Giant King is still alive, his strategic value cannot be compared with Red Emperor Pale Star.
Giant King is certainly powerful, but when put on the scale with a dragon emperor who can defeat the Orc army alone, there is no doubt about the outcome.
What's more, Giant King is already dead.
The remaining Giant are just a group of spineless remnants with average value.
On the political scale, it is too easy to settle the account by sacrificing Giant without Destiny Rank in exchange for the support and cooperation of Red Emperor Pale Star.
In peacetime, Elf might still feel a little bit unbearable.
But now is a time of war, not a time for indecision.
"Everyone."
Elarian raised his voice and said, "Although Orc's first wave of attacks was defeated, this is only the prologue, not the end."
Her fingers moved across the table, and the map's perspective moved southward.
The location of the Blood Skull Tribe camp has been enlarged, and then you can see the large tribes entrenched in the other two areas, echoing Blood Skull Tribe.
"They are secretly planning something famous."
Elarian said, "Red Tide Chosen and Bone-Chewing Holy Fang have been silent for too long. Every time they are silent, it is like the calm before the storm. The sea surface is as calm as a mirror, but the undercurrent is already turbulent. We cannot sit here and wait for them to complete their layout."
Her finger tapped lightly on the map.
A silver-white arrow started from the Elf position and pointed directly at the location of the Blood Skull Tribe camp. On the arrow floated the logo representing the main army.
"So, the empire decided to take the initiative."
"Counterattack the Cantum position, disrupt their planned rhythm, and burn the flames of war into their camps."
This decision meant an escalation of the war.
Previously, in the face of the Orcs' aggression, the Elfs focused on defense and did not want to sacrifice too many people's lives.
The population of Elf is growing slowly. The life of every Elf soldier is extremely precious, and the commanders will use their utmost efforts to protect them.
But blind defense cannot win the war.
Orc doesn't care about casualties. They can use failed attacks to exhaust Elf's morale and supplies, and then break through the defense line at a certain time.
Since sacrifice cannot be avoided, they now choose to attack.
"It's not just Blood Skull Tribe that dominates Blackstone Wasteland."
Elarian continued, "In the regional positions where Broken Bone Tribe and Blacktooth Tribe are located, other Nausir Legion will also launch counterattacks at the same time. These three attacks will be carried out simultaneously, making it impossible for the three Orc tribes to support each other."
"But!"
"Please remember that Blackstone Wasteland is the most important main battle zone."
Everyone understood what she meant.
The other two routes are for containment, while this one is for decisive victory.
"After drilling through Blackstone Wasteland, continue south from here and you will see a vast plain. It is almost all plain terrain. There are no natural barriers to stop the army from advancing. There are only a few shoals in the river. Mountain Range is thousands of miles away."
"As long as we tear open Blood Skull Tribe's defense, we can penetrate right into Cantum's heart."
Among the three major tribes of the Kantum Empire, Bloodskull is the most powerful.
They have accumulated a large number of troops in Blackstone Wasteland.
Now, Nausir decided to launch a full-scale counterattack, and paid special attention to Blackstone Wasteland. The offensive and defensive momentum of both sides gradually reversed.
"The specific strategic plan is as follows."
"Using our Nausir Legion as the main force, we will push it to the middle of Blackstone Wasteland in seven days and start a battle with the main force of Orc. The troops of the alliance countries will cooperate on the flanks."
"Giant is in charge of the left wing."
She glanced at the Giants and said, "Your task is to cover the left side of the main force and prevent Orcs from moving back from the flanks. If they encounter skirmishers and rangers, defeat them directly. When they encounter the main force, contain them and wait for support."
Storm Giant nodded stiffly.
"Greenwild Kingdom is in charge of the right wing."
Elarian looked at Greenwild Queen, "There are shrubs and several rivers on the right wing, which is suitable for the Greenwild Legion. If necessary, an auxiliary assault can be launched from the right wing to coordinate with the main force to attack Orc's central army."
Seroel nodded gracefully.
"The remaining allies are flexibly deployed throughout the front according to their own characteristics."
The leaders of each clan nodded.
Elf's plan is quite satisfactory, it is safe and has no obvious loopholes.
The key is that in a large-scale head-on confrontation, there are not many tactical options to choose from. Only the command distribution of the Legendary Realm unit can be more flexible.
At this time, Talamond took a step forward.
"In the name of Sun Knight, I will take the lead and lead the legion to launch the first wave of charge."
"I will break open Orc's frontal defense, forcing their war chief to face me head-on. The knight's duty does not allow me to stand behind."
He raised his eyes and scanned the Legendary Realms present, finally stopping at Elarian.
Elarian nodded. "Talamond breaks through head-on, this is his specialty."
As she spoke, her fingers gently brushed the silver long bow on her back.
The material of the bow body cannot be seen. The bow string is woven with some kind of luminous silk thread, which glows with a faint cold light in the night. This bow has a history of more than three hundred years in her hands and is named Moon's Lament.
"I am responsible for observing the overall situation and looking for the most fatal moments."
"When Orc's Destiny Rank shows a flaw, my arrow will find him, and I will make them understand why my arrow is called the death knell under the moon."
Wood Elf Veylan simply said, "I will provide you with support and containment."
She didn't explain much about her specific mission, as arcane support needed to be adapted accordingly.
Finally, Elarian turned his attention to Dark Red Iron Dragon.
The dragon's face armor was thick, and no specific expression could be seen. The light patterns between the scales on the body flickered slightly, as if it was breathing. His eyes were deep and calm, but there seemed to be some kind of hunger hidden in them.
"Red Emperor Pale Star."
"I hope you won't take action immediately."
Elf said.
Garos's pupils turned slightly and landed on Elf.
Elarian explained, "The enemy must have targeted you. The destructive power you showed in the first wave of battles was too powerful, and it is impossible for the waves you caused not to reach the ears of Orc's top brass. If I were the general commanding Orc, I would definitely formulate tactics against you."
"Orc is not stupid Beast."
"Their thinking is different from ours, but they are by no means inferior, and Greater Bloodskull Tribe's Shaman chief Saltoya is a top Destiny Rank warlock. She will not let you easily defeat her army again."
She paused and gave her suggestion.
"I hope you will first observe the battle situation, then adapt accordingly, clearly see Orc's arrangements, find their methods against you, and then choose the most appropriate time and method to take action.
"Once targeted, no matter how sharp the sword is, it will be blocked by the shield."
"I don't want to see you struggling at the beginning of the war."
Her considerations are not unreasonable.
It is foolish to use the same tactics over and over again in the face of a prepared enemy.
However, after Red Iron Dragon listened to her words, he slowly shook his head.
"This is too much trouble."
"I have a better plan."
Elarian frowned. "What's the plan?"
Red Iron Dragon raised his huge head, and the light patterns between the gaps in his scales became brighter in an instant, like a smoldering charcoal fire being blown away.
"It's very simple."
"As before, I will stand at the front of the legion and destroy the Orc legion, turning them Damnation into ashes and dust in the splendid flames."
"Simple, direct and efficient."
"Orc wants to target me, then let them do it. I will use my unstoppable and irresistible attitude to smash all their ridiculous strategies and put an end to them completely."
Hearing this, Green Dragon Seroel turned his head slightly, with a flash of excitement in his eyes.
Sure enough.
She was right.
The mutation will cause subtle changes in Garos's personality.
The underlying color remains the same, but the way of expression has changed. Strangers may not be able to tell. After all, Garos's calm tone has not changed, and the way he speaks is still as short and direct.
But in the eyes of a dragon like her who is familiar with Garos, this change has been extremely significant.
She heard that Garos is now very aggressive.
No, not exactly aggressive.
Different from his sharp-edged appearance when Sky-Rending Form, he seemed to have some kind of desire, like a burning flame, eager to release his own heat. Seroel flicked his tail and said nothing.
Elarian frowned slightly, and a shallow vertical line appeared between his eyebrows.
She can understand Garos's confidence, but the boundary between confidence and blindness is sometimes blurred.
"You must understand that among the Blood Skull Tribe we face this time, there is a top Destiny Rank Shaman"
She tried to explain again, her tone more serious than before.
"She is the leader of the Greater Bloodskull Tribe, Saltoya, and the right-hand man of Red Tide Chosen. She will definitely not let you repeat your same tricks."
"I heard it."
Garos lowered his eyes and stared at Elf.
"I accepted Nausir's commission."
"But this does not mean that I have become a subordinate of Elf. I know how to fight and will destroy the enemy in my own way. If your arrangement is in line with my wishes, I will cooperate, but if I feel that it is too restrictive, I will act in my own way."
The atmosphere in the square suddenly became subtle.
The authority of Elf has always been stable among Orotara, and few people would reject the command suggestion so directly.
Red Iron Dragon looks as usual.
They just cooperate, rather than superiors and subordinates.
Talamond nodded aside.
"He's right."
"Elarian, your plan is naturally sound."
"However, Red Emperor Pale Star is not a soldier of our Nausir. He is the emperor of the Aura Kingdom. He is an ally who has been entrusted to help in the battle, not a soldier of the legion." He paused and looked at Garos. "Besides, he took the initiative to stand at the front of the legion, instead of hiding behind and waiting for harvest."
"Such a warrior should not be stopped."
"Moreover, he looks completely different now than before. We should trust him to choose his own way of fighting instead of binding him with our rules. After all, who can restrain a ball of fire?"
The great knight saw Red Iron Dragon's determination and chose to support him.
Elarian was silent for a few breaths, then looked at Red Iron Dragon.
"In this case, act according to your own plan. You stand at the front of the legion and launch the first wave of strikes."
"If you are frustrated, or Orc's countermeasures exceed your expectations, then consider my plan. My bow will provide you with support at any time."
"I agree."
Garos nodded and responded.
The opinions are unified.
Subsequently, under the guidance of Commander-in-Chief Elf, the specific details of the strategy were gradually finalized in the following time, mainly involving the legion and Legendary Realm levels.
As for Cantum's Saint Realm...Elarian is not mentioned.
Saint Realm may take action, but Nausir also has Immortal Realm, and at this level of power, Nausir has the advantage, but they want to win at the minimum cost, rather than die together.
Finally, Elarian said, "Everyone, the strategy has been decided."
"The next step is to welcome the iron and blood. Each department will complete preparations according to their assigned positions. Three days later, at dawn, the entire army will attack."
"We will surely win the final victory and regain our Orotara."
"For Orotara." Elf responded in unison.
"For victory."
People from other allied countries also responded in their own languages, and their voices echoed in the night sky.
The entire position was busy preparing for the coming war.
Red Iron Dragon spread its wings and circled in the sky above Blackstone Wasteland.
Viewed from a high altitude, the Elf camp looks like a glowing Milky Way in the night, while beyond the southern horizon, the Blood Skull Tribe camp is hidden in darkness, with only sporadic firelight flickering.
PS: I originally wanted to finish it in one go, but something happened and I can only write the combat part tomorrow, orz.