Jose had no intention of letting himself be slaughtered. He squeezed out the last bit of strength in his body and struggled with all his might.
"Move!"
Unfortunately, magic's power did not change just because of a strong will to survive. He failed.
Just as despair gripped him, a surge of heat suddenly welled up from his heart and swiftly spread throughout his body. The feeling of restraint vanished at once.
The Magic Array was just taking shape, and everyone had relaxed. They could practically see themselves selling the two Five-Colored Young Dragons and splitting the money on the spot.
Jose suddenly struck. Blazing Dragon Flame surged from his mouth, aimed directly at the strongest member of the enemy team—Oluk.
"No!"
Oluk had complete confidence in the Dragon Binding Spell and had focused his attention on the Golden Dragon and White Dragon. He never expected the Red Dragon to break free so suddenly.
Caught off guard, the nearly completed group teleportation was interrupted. Chaotic magical energy ran wild, triggering a violent reaction.
Bang!
With a deafening blast, the Sanctuary Guardians and the three dragons were hurled away by the violent magical shockwave amid azure magical flames.
Jose rolled across the ground several times, then hurriedly scrambled up and assessed the situation.
Humans did not possess dragons' tough bodies or powerful magic resistance. The fiery breath had burned three people to death, while the fierce explosion blasted the rest into the stone walls before they fell back to the ground. Some lay motionless, while others struggled to rise.
Only one person remained unharmed: the Red-haired Mage—Oluk. Automatically triggered defensive magic had protected him. His hair was merely disheveled, and a little dust clung to his clothes.
Reality was not a game. There was no need to consider class balance. Given enough starting distance, an Advanced Stage Mage could defeat a group of warriors of the same rank, let alone three Dragon Hatchlings without spellcasting abilities.
There was no chance of winning!
Jose turned and fled. Dragon roars from outside the cave were drawing closer and closer. As long as he reached O'Neal, he would survive.
He had never imagined there would come a day when he would be so desperate to see O'Neal.
Oluk raised his staff, and an orange-red fireball the size of a wagon wheel appeared out of thin air. The surrounding air twisted and blurred under the scorching heat as the fireball shot out trailing a long tail of flame.
Explosive Fireball!
The Explosive Fireball was not aimed at the fleeing Red Dragon, but at the rock wall above the cave entrance.
Boom!
With a thunderous blast comparable to an artillery shell, the rock wall shattered amid dazzling flames. Stones came crashing down and sealed the cave entrance completely.
"We're finished!"
Jose turned back just in time to see the Mage instantly cast a Light Spell, illuminating the cave. Those bloodshot eyes fixed on him, and words brimming with hatred and killing intent squeezed out through clenched teeth.
"Now! No one can save you!"
The deep, awkward chant became a death knell. The three dragons felt magical energy beginning to gather, and their scalps went numb.
"Wh... what do we do?!"
Hearing Kashi's anxious cry and sensing the Mage's intense hatred, Jose forced himself to calm down and think of a solution. He glanced at the sealed entrance, and an idea flashed through his mind—only for him to reject it immediately.
Distant water could not quench immediate thirst!
Then he spotted an unconscious adventurer nearby and immediately came up with an idea. He grabbed the nearest one. "Stop! If you keep chanting, I'll kill him!"
Unfortunately, Oluk merely paused slightly before continuing his chant.
"You don't care about your companion's life?!"
The Red-haired Mage answered with his actions. A fireball came tearing through the air.
Jose reacted quickly and threw the adventurer in his hand. The adventurer collided with the incoming fireball and was blown to pieces amid blinding flames.
He felt some sort of liquid splatter down on his face like rain. Some landed on his lips, carrying a rusty taste. It was blood.
The mid-stage Thief, who had struggled to his feet, saw his companion blown apart and cried out in disbelief, "Captain?!"
"Shut up!" The Mage's face reddened as he roared furiously, "Can they escape?! Let them be buried with the enemy!"
The Thief's expression changed sharply. He looked at the teammates around him. Other than himself and the captain, everyone else had lost the ability to move. With his own survival far from certain, he truly could not spare any concern for his injured companions.
Roar!
Hearing the dragon roars drawing ever closer, he finally made up his mind. He pulled out the dagger strapped to the outside of his thigh and disappeared into the darkness.
"Kashi! Use your breath against the Thief! Hold on! Victory will be ours!"
Kashi spewed Frost Dragon Breath and fought the mid-stage Thief forced out of hiding. One was immensely strong, while the other was agile and swift. For a time, neither could gain the upper hand.
On the other side, Jose and Yaligris exchanged a glance, then split apart in perfect coordination, advancing on the Mage from two directions.
Their powerful bodies were the two dragons' advantage. They hoped to engage him in close combat and leave the spellcaster no time to chant.
Yaligris was closer, moving a step ahead of Jose. Taking advantage of the Mage's chanting, she leaped into the air and brought down a Dragon Wing Strike, only to slam into an Invisible Force Field that left her wings numb from the impact.
"Mage Armor!"
Jose heard his companion's warning and saw that the Mage's chant was almost complete. He opened his mouth and spewed raging flames, engulfing the enemy from sight.
Protected by the Invisible Force Field, Captain Oluk was like a reef amid crashing waves. He looked to be in danger, but he stood as steady as a mountain.
Jose had never expected Dragon Breath to defeat the enemy. His goal was to use Dragon Flame to obstruct the enemy's vision and increase his side's chances of evading magical attacks.
While maintaining his breath attack, he continually shifted left and right, making it harder for the enemy to aim.
Moments later, his caution saved his life.
A sharp stone spike traveled upstream through the cone of Dragon Breath, its tip glowing red from the heat.
Jose felt a chill stab toward the center of his brow and hurriedly tilted his head aside. The scales on his forehead were cut open.
Like dancers balancing on a blade's edge, the two dragons desperately interfered with Oluk's casting, but to little effect.
In truth, the dragons' tactic was sound. Unfortunately, they were too weak—so weak that they could not even break through the Invisible Force Field around an Advanced Stage Mage. Or rather, before they could shatter one field, the Mage had already replaced it with another.
But their efforts were not in vain. They had successfully bought time for reinforcements to arrive. The two dragons could already feel O'Neal's domineering Dragon Might, and it was getting closer.
Boom!
Something heavy struck the ground, making the entire cave tremble.
The three dragons were overjoyed. They heard the sound of stones being dug away outside. O'Neal had finally arrived.
The Red-haired Mage and the Thief, on the other hand, looked despairing. He might have seemed formidable before Dragon Hatchlings, but before an Adult Dragon, he was only one breath away from death.
Boom!
A sound even louder than the Black Dragon's landing rang out. Everyone in the cave heard the Black Dragon's furious roar, followed by waves of magical explosions spreading outward. The entire mountain cave shook.
O'Neal had encountered a powerful enemy?!
The three dragons' hearts skipped a beat.
The tides had turned. Captain Oluk's face filled with wild joy. "The Allied Forces! It's the Allied Forces!"
The energy fluctuations grew more frequent and more intense.
Both sides in the cave realized one thing—the final battle had begun!
However, the decisive battle between the Human Allied Forces and the Red Nest could not affect the sealed cave for the moment. The three dragons and the Mage's side glared at one another.
Now, only the victor would have a chance to leave this cave alive.
"Damn dragon brats! No one can save you!"
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