Chapter 532
In the Name of the Father, the Scaled Iron Dragon, the True-Eyed Blue Dragon
Chapter 532 In the Name of the Father, the Scaled Iron Dragon, the True-Eyed Blue Dragon
Kingdom of Lorthen, Valdo City; Kingdom of Kambrook, Ironstone Fortress; Kingdom of Theo, Silvershine City; Kingdom of Matna, Goldstone City; Kingdom of Reipos, White Rock City.
All the kingdom capitals, and countless duchies, small city-states, and tribal settlements scattered throughout...
All ruling entities located on the Romanian plains experienced severe shocks in a short period of time.
However, before they could process Holden's announcement of a "world change" or devise any countermeasures, a second shock followed.
The Kingdom of Aura followed suit, sending notices to every ruler.
In the name of the great Red Emperor, Garo Ignas.
Effective immediately, a state of emergency is officially declared throughout Romania, including but not limited to the Romanian plains and their surrounding hills, valleys, and all city-states, territories, tribes, and settlements that are subordinate to the Kingdom of Aura.
[This status has no preset end date.]
[All the aforementioned entities, their legitimate rulers, regents, or representatives, must, within three natural days, dispatch plenipotentiary envoys to the capital of the Red Emperor to sign and swear allegiance to the Romanian Wartime Integration Treaty.]
The treaty includes: the transfer of supreme military command; the right to requisition and allocate all human and material resources within the territory; the requirement that domestic and foreign affairs be subject to the wartime coordination of the Dragon Court; the obligation of information transparency and regular reporting; a joint defense system and joint liability clauses...
[To reiterate: This is neither a request nor a discussion. This is the only necessary measure to ensure the survival of Romanian civilization and our own survival and future at this critical juncture of frequent natural disasters and the collapse of the continental order.]
Resistance is hostility; delay is betrayal.
[The Crimson Emperor's Royal City awaits your arrival. Failure to arrive by the appointed time, or sending an envoy without the authority to sign, will be considered an automatic relinquishment of the legitimacy of your rule and the security of your territory.]
[The Emperor's decree is effective immediately.]
The words are decisive and unequivocal, devoid of flowery rhetoric, containing only naked demands and an unquestionable will.
Through this announcement, any ruler with a modicum of reason could clearly sense the resolve of the Kingdom of Aura, or rather, of the Red Emperor who sat high on his throne.
They understood.
Unless one is prepared to immediately become an enemy of the Kingdom of Aura and the Red Emperor who swept across the plains in just a century and established his reputation as the strongest.
Otherwise, they would have no option to refuse at all.
Panic spread in the initial moments.
Some older, conservative nobles cried out about the “loss of sovereignty” and “a great disgrace,” but those who held real power and were aware of the situation outside fell silent.
They recalled Holden's announcement about "anomalies across the continent," especially the alarming description of "a large, unstable abyssal rift appearing near the crash site of the floating city in Middle-earth." Comparing this to the ultimatum from Aura, it also brought a sense of...reassurance.
Yes, don't worry.
Faced with the unknown upheaval sweeping across the continent of Atlanta and even affecting the entire planet of Bernardo, personal power and the vanity of kingdoms appear pale and powerless.
And at times like these.
In their homeland, the Romanian plains, a monarch known for his iron fist and wisdom emerged, ready to unite all forces into one.
Despite the domineering methods and harsh conditions.
But isn't this also a form of responsibility?
It's better than fighting each other out of fear and ultimately being defeated one by one.
"Fortunately... we have an emperor who can make decisions."
Inside the palace of Silvershine City, King Theo looked at the direction of the Crimson Emperor's City on the map and uttered a sigh of relief.
Theo was quick to issue a public response.
His Majesty the King will personally travel to the Red Emperor's capital to meet with the Red Emperor and sign the Wartime Integration Treaty.
They adopted an extremely humble posture and acted with remarkable speed.
With a leader taking the lead, the other kingdoms no longer hesitated.
Rebos, Lorthern, Matna, Kambrook... the major kingdoms on the plains all issued statements that their kings or plenipotentiaries would set off immediately for the Red Emperor's capital.
The principalities and city-states, large and small, were quick to react, fearing they would fall behind.
None of the Romanian countries openly rejected it.
This result was not unexpected by the decision-makers of the Kingdom of Aura.
Since its rise, the Red Emperor's style of conduct and accumulated power have foreshadowed the events of today.
Your Majesty Ignatius, we respect and admire you.
Similar sentiments began to circulate quietly among the common people and some lower-middle-class nobles.
Regardless of whether the ruling class still harbors any resentment.
At least on the surface, faced with an imminent crisis, the Romanian states quickly reached an unprecedented consensus: to obey the Red Emperor's orders.
At the same time, the Kingdom of Aura had already begun its operation.
The Crimson Emperor's Royal City dispatched several sons of the emperor, with their sights set on the distant Central Continent.
The skies over Middle-earth are no longer as clear as they once were.
Dust clouds stained the sky a murky, dark yellow, and the sunlight, filtering through this thick veil, appeared weak and listless.
call!call!call!
Several dragon shadows tore through the oppressive air, maintaining a tight formation as they flew at high speed.
We flew over high mountains and crossed rivers that had become turbulent.
The leader was a red dragon.
His physique had reached an astonishing level, nearly twenty-four meters long from head to tail, with every muscle clearly outlined beneath his red scales.
His dragon neck was thick and strong, his head had sharp lines, and his vertical pupils were sharp as knives even in the dim light. Just by flying there, he naturally exuded a strong sense of majesty and predator.
Red Dragon, Galkro.
The first and representative of the emperor's sons.
Although he is still an adult by dragon standards, his growth rate far exceeds that of his kind, and he is approaching that of a mature adult dragon.
Slightly lower to the side and rear of Garkro, there is a black dragon.
She was only half the size of a red dragon, but she was agile and swift, like a black lightning bolt. The sound of her wing membranes flapping was barely audible, and her scales were dark.
Salia, the Red Emperor's first adopted daughter.
Among the many adopted sons and daughters that the emperor subsequently adopted, she held a rather special position as the "eldest daughter".
Not far behind the red dragon and the black dragon, two other dragons followed closely.
They were similar in size, even smaller than Salia, and closer to the dragons in people's minds in their late teens.
In fact, they have only recently passed through the dormant period of adolescence and are still several years away from adulthood.
One of them is a blue dragon.
Her scales were a deep blue, almost like the sky before a storm, with tiny, steady sparks of electricity crackling along their edges.
What's most striking about her are her eyes.
When she focuses, a light like shattered stars shines deep in her pupils, as if she can see through illusion.
Heloise Ignas.
One of the offspring of the Red Emperor and the Blue Dragon Zolaya.
The other one is the Iron Dragon.
His scales are complex in structure, thick and layered, like wearing multiple layers of plate armor forged by a master craftsman. Sharp thorns of varying lengths protrude from his joints and back, gleaming coldly.
When he flies at high speed, the outermost layer of his body rubs violently against the air, and the edges of his dragon scales even turn a dark red like a branding iron. The high temperature causes the surrounding scenery to be slightly distorted.
Tammy Ignas.
Heloise's twin brother.
"It's not just us."
Garclaw's deep voice echoed in the wind.
He lowered his head slightly, his gaze piercing through the thin clouds and sweeping downwards.
Beneath the clouds, several moving black dots were faintly visible.
Those were griffins, pegasus, and alchemical constructs.
These were vanguard reconnaissance units from other kingdoms or independent forces outside the Romanian plains.
The dragons of the Kingdom of Aura and these ground or low-altitude scouts spotted each other, but both sides maintained a cautious distance, making no attempt to approach or communicate, and there was no sign of conflict.
Their goals are likely aligned.
Travel to Middle-earth to ascertain the truth of the cataclysm.
"There seem to be many who are interested in Middle-earth, or more accurately, who are terrified of that 'rift'."
Iron Dragon Tamuer's voice sounded slightly muffled.
"Holden's announcement was enough to keep all those in power up at night."
Blue Dragon Heloise blinked, the starlight in her pupils flickering: "Yes, I can see the anxiety and vigilance emanating from them... This continent is sliding in a dangerous direction."
"Danger?"
The red dragon Garclaw let out a short, soft laugh.
"No, my dear brother and sister, do not be fooled by the apparent panic. For us, for Aura, this is the best of times. Chaos is the ladder, and strength will determine who can reach the top."
“Brother, your insights are always so sharp.”
Tamuel responded, nodding his armored head, "However, we believe that danger and opportunity are often two sides of the same coin, and can coexist."
Heloise chimed in softly, "Tammuel is right. Great risks often come with great opportunities; the key is whether we can seize those opportunities."
Throughout their conversation, the black dragon Salia remained silent, like a shadow blending into the background.
Her gaze swept across the surrounding sky, clouds, and undulating terrain below, as she adjusted the dragon wings to ensure she was always in the best position to deal with any sudden threats.
The formation continued flying in silence for a while longer.
The emperor's sons were the best of the dragons, the greatest of the dragons, incredibly fast and with incredible stamina. They gradually left the scouting units below, who relied on mounts or constructs, far behind, until the enemy disappeared at the edge of the twilight horizon.
As they went deeper, an indescribable odor began to fill the air.
It was mixed in with the dust and wind, initially faint, then gradually becoming clear.
It was the pungent smell of sulfur, the rotten, sweet stench, and a chaotic odor that acted directly on the spiritual level, causing an instinctive unease.
The aura of the abyss.
Without being reminded, all the dragons became alert.
They stopped talking, their flight formation became more compact, and their eyes scanned the sky and the earth ahead intently.
"Ahead, thirty degrees to the left, there is a sign of life behind that cumulus cloud."
Blue Dragon Heloise suddenly spoke.
The starlight in her eyes shone brightly, her gaze seemingly piercing through thick walls of clouds. "They are demons... about fifty in number, with varying energy levels. The strongest is probably around level sixteen, and they shouldn't exceed level seventeen."
Heloise inherited her father's "True Eye" talent, which gave her an unparalleled advantage in investigation.
In her eyes, creatures shrouded in legend have nowhere to hide.
Life strength, energy attributes, and even emotional fluctuations can be roughly captured.
Even legendary creatures, unless they deploy their domains in advance or employ skillful concealment, will find it difficult to completely evade her senses.
"Oh? Fifty? Level sixteen or seventeen?"
A low, excited sound escaped Tamuel's throat. "Brother, let's crush them! Tear these scum who crawled out of the abyss to shreds and teach them a lesson: the material world is not a place for them to run wild!"
Heloise didn't speak, but the electric arcs flowing around her became noticeably more active.
These young Aura Dragons did not harbor the deep-seated fear of the abyssal demons that ordinary intelligent beings possessed.
Within the Kingdom of Aura, there exist several relatively stable abyssal rifts.
Hunting demons is a regular part of the training program for Aura Dragons.
They were already familiar with the types of demons, their weaknesses, and their evil aura.
"This mess of rubbish is really getting my hands itchy."
Garclaw said slowly, "However, let's go around it. Now is not the time for fighting."
His mission was reconnaissance; his primary objective was to gather intelligence and return safely, not to fight.
Just as the dragons were preparing to circle around, Heloise's voice tightened slightly. "Wait," she said, "they've spotted us!"
Almost as soon as she finished speaking.
The thick cumulus cloud that had seemed still was suddenly stirred up by an invisible hand, churning violently. Then, one after another ferocious figures broke through the clouds, emitting sharp and piercing screechs, and rushed straight towards the dragon horde!
They were a group of demons with bat-like membranous wings.
Most of them were hunched over, covered in rough, obsidian-like keratinous skin, with burning red eyes. As Heloise had said, there were about fifty of them, among whom were a few exceptionally strong individuals with curved horns on their foreheads and wielding rough metal tridents or spears, like minor leaders of this group of demons.
Their attacks, though seemingly chaotic, subtly blocked the dragons' space to dodge left and right.
"Oh? They've come looking for us on their own?"
Garclaw grinned, revealing sharp teeth. "Since I can't dodge it... fine!"
He took a deep breath and then let out a low growl.
"Sons of the Emperor! In the name of our Father, reduce these abyssal bastards who have tainted our world to ashes!"
With a powerful flap of its wings, the red dragon charged towards the densest frontal cluster of demons. Its neck muscles, like tightly wound steel cables, suddenly bulged out, and its throat shone with a blinding light.
boom!
The scorching dragon breath condensed into a continuous jet of flames, like a flaming whip wielded by a god, instantly sweeping past the seven or eight demons charging at the forefront!
"squeak--!!!"
The piercing screams were drowned out by the roar of the flames.
Demons hit head-on by the spray instantly carbonized, falling as charred fragments; those swept by the edge were engulfed in inextinguishable flames, screaming as they tumbled through the air, turning into fireballs.
A particularly strong horned demon with horns like scimitars pounced from the side and rear during a gap in the red dragon's breath, its curved horns slamming into Garclaw's relatively weak shoulder blade joint!
Garclaw did not turn around.
Using the momentum of his charge, he lashed out with his thick dragon tail, snapping the bones of two demons that were lunging at him from the side. At the same time, his shoulders, covered with thick scales, met the horned demon's charge head-on without flinching!
Click!
There was a heartbreaking sound of bone cracking.
The horned demon's horns, powerful enough to pierce steel plates, snapped the moment they collided with the dragon scales. The immense recoil caused its neck to almost cave into its chest cavity, sending its entire body flying backward. It then crashed heavily into another demon behind it, the two tumbling and tumbling towards the ground.
On Garcro's shoulder scales, only a few impact marks and some cracks remain.
A sense of abyss emanates from the crack, attempting to erode it.
But it quickly dissipated under the red dragon's own fiery life force.
at the same time.
The figure of the black dragon Salia appeared and disappeared among the demons.
She didn't launch a ferocious frontal assault like Garcro, but rather moved like an assassin lurking in the shadows.
Her figure blurred as she pounced, as if she could absorb the surrounding light. Each flash of her claws and tail spikes struck a demon's vital points, such as its cervical spine and heart.
When several demons try to surround and capture her, her figure suddenly vanishes into thin air, only to reappear outside the encirclement the next second, continuing her deadly harvest.
Heloise stopped in safe airspace slightly behind.
She didn't join the close-quarters combat; the starlight in her eyes locked onto several demons behind her who were trying to throw javelins or cast curse spells.
Then, she blinked.
Crack! Crack!
Several blue-white ball lightning bolts appeared without warning and struck the target.
"Ugh—!"
The demons struck by lightning convulsed violently, wisps of smoke rising from their bodies, their movements stiff. In that instant of paralysis, Salia emerged from the shadows and easily took their lives.
Iron Dragon Tamuer was besieged by several demons.
Faced with the attacks of several demons, he seemed somewhat overwhelmed, with dull thuds coming from his body as his scales were struck by claws and weapons.
However, the demons soon realized something was wrong.
This iron dragon has very strong defense.
His outer dragon scales will indeed be torn apart, but another layer of strong and dense scales will be immediately revealed underneath!
Moreover, when attacked, the scales on his body will suddenly explode, and some of the sharp thorns will automatically break off and shoot out at great speed, with a peculiar armor-piercing effect, capable of piercing through the demon's body from front to back.
What troubled the demons even more was that the outer scales that had fallen off his body and the broken thorns were regenerating rapidly at a speed visible to the naked eye.
He was clearly focused on defense and almost never retaliated.
However, the demons besieging the Iron Dragon were all covered in blood, as if they were facing a super iron-skinned hedgehog that they had no way to attack.
……
The battle broke out suddenly, but ended quickly.
Although these demons outnumbered the others, their individual strength and teamwork were far inferior to those of the exceptionally gifted sons of the emperor.
Fifty demons were slaughtered in just a few minutes, with only a few attempting to escape, but they were also caught up and killed.
"Inspect the battlefield, look for any special magical marks or remnants of summoning, make sure no one escapes, and act quickly."
Garclaw suppressed his fighting spirit and gave the order in a deep voice.
He looked around, especially at the complex terrain of the hills and the faintly visible valleys below, his dragon ears perked up, catching any unusual sounds in the wind.
The abyssal aura permeating the air was thicker than before, mixed with a faint whisper that seemed to resonate deep within one's mind.
This is one of the corruptions of abyssal energy.
Ordinary creatures with weak minds will soon be seduced and turned into puppets who only know how to destroy.
However, this is ultimately the material world, and the concentration of the slight abyssal aura is not enough to pose a threat.
For the dragons, this level of mental pollution has a limited impact, at most making them feel a little irritable and uncomfortable.
The dragons quickly cleared the battlefield.
Salia even slipped into the shadows, taking the blue dragon with her, and quickly surveyed the area, reporting that no lurking enemies had been found.
"Keep moving forward, maintain the highest alert, Salia, use your talents to cover us."
Galcroze gave the order.
Salia the Black Dragon let out a low growl, and shadow power emanated from her body, like a black veil, quickly enveloping the four dragons.
Their silhouettes became blurred and distorted in the light, and their presence was shrouded by the power of shadow.
This is Salia's specialty, which greatly reduces the chances of being discovered.
The dragons set off again, but at a slower pace and with a more stealthy flight, using shadows to conceal themselves while making the most of the clouds and terrain for cover.
As they get closer to the coordinates of the crashed floating city.
The abyssal aura in the air grew stronger.
The unsettling whispers became increasingly clear.
They encountered several groups of demon squads roaming or lurking in the sky, but thanks to Heloise's warnings and Salia's stealth, they managed to avoid them in advance.
About half an hour later.
They flew over a long mountain ridge.
The moment they crossed the highest point of the ridge, the four dragons slowed down almost simultaneously, hovering in mid-air, their eyes involuntarily contracting as they stared intently at the scene ahead.
Beyond the ridge lies an area that has been completely transformed.
A huge, irregular crack, like an ugly scar on the earth, gaped open there, replacing the original hilly terrain.
The edges of the crack were covered with a purplish-black substance resembling a mixture of asphalt and lava. It was a highly concentrated abyssal energy entity that emitted an unsettling purplish-black light.
The fissure itself is still flowing and expanding outwards at a slow but steady pace.
This is the spot where Holden Sky City crashed.
Today, all that remains of that sky city are large remnants of metal and strange stone, their original forms indistinguishable, piled up haphazardly around the cracks like discarded garbage.
Many of the wreckage pieces are still burning, emitting thick smoke.
However, what weighed heavily on the dragons' hearts was neither the enormous rift itself, nor the ruins.
Centered around the rift, there are countless demons.
The sheer number of them far exceeded any of the scattered groups they had encountered before.
Berserkers, as imposing as mountains and wielding giant axes or chain hammers; countless lesser demons surging like a tide; eye demons floating in mid-air with numerous eye sockets and a central main eye; spider demons resembling a twisted combination of a giant spider and a humanoid creature… They are everywhere around the rift.
The key is:
They did not cause indiscriminate destruction or spread.
Instead, these demons are engaged in a kind of...organized construction.
Around the massive rift, demons are using a substance that appears to be solidified abyssal material, mixed with metals and stone scavenged from the wreckage of the crashed floating city, to construct fortifications, fortresses, and strongholds.
Although sporadic skirmishes still occur among the demons, overall they are subject to a unified will and strive towards a common goal.
"The scale of this abyssal rift..."
Garclaw's voice was deep and solemn, "It's larger than all the others in our kingdom combined, and... more active."
"It's not just a matter of scale."
Heloise's eyes sparkled as she said, "The demons here, their behavior... is completely different from the ones we've encountered before. Those that patrol in the air, the way they build here... their chaotic nature is suppressed."
"The demons we encountered before only knew how to shout for battle."
"The demons here are not expanding wildly outwards, but are instead shrinking their power..."
Blue Dragon seemed to be deep in thought.
The expansion of the abyssal rift is not something that can be achieved overnight. It requires the release of abyssal energy to gradually corrode and assimilate the surrounding land before it can expand.
Under normal circumstances.
Because of their chaotic and evil nature, demons spread outwards as soon as they arrive in the living material world, completely disregarding the rifts and not fighting around them. They are disorganized and undisciplined, always giving the creatures of the material world the opportunity to suppress the rifts.
But the demons here behave differently.
Tie Long nodded slowly.
"To restrain such a large number of demons with chaotic natures... this means that above them there is a will so powerful that they dare not disobey it, a demon leader with wisdom and the ability to command."
Garclaw stared intently at the demon camp.
His sharp dragon teeth rubbed against each other, making a slight crunching sound.
"A legion."
He said slowly, “This is not an accidental invasion. It is an organized Abyss Legion. They know how to establish outposts in the material world and how to consolidate the rift. Their leader... has no small ambition. He is not the rabble we encountered before.”
The red dragon was silent for a few seconds, then turned around.
“We have enough intelligence. Retreat and return to the Crimson Emperor's City immediately.” His voice was resolute. “We must report everything here to Father in detail.”
"A new storm has emerged."
He looked north, towards the Romanian plains, flames burning in his dragon eyes. "And we should prepare to dance against the wind in the face of this storm."
Further on the horizon, a few scattered black dots can be seen, cautiously approaching the area from other directions.
Those were reconnaissance teams from other kingdoms or forces, who had finally arrived at the outskirts of this area.
It is foreseeable how shocked and terrified they will feel when they witness the scene firsthand.
What kind of reactions will this news trigger when it reaches their respective countries?
Faced with such a clear threat, will the many powerful kingdoms continue to fight each other out of fear, or even be wary of and hinder each other, or will they be able to temporarily set aside their disputes and form some kind of alliance?
Garclaw didn't bother to speculate about these things.
That's not a problem he needs to consider.
As the emperor's son and the dragon of Aura, he only knew a little.
When his father gives the order, he, Galcro, will charge ahead and wreak havoc.
The other dragons were clearly aware of the impending upheaval as well.
The thorns on the Iron Dragon Tamuel's body stood up slightly, the arcs of electricity around the Blue Dragon Heloise crackled, and even the usually silent Salia seemed to tense up more under the shadows, like a bow ready to be drawn.
The majesty of the Red Emperor shines upon the world like the blazing sun.
And they, as sons of the emperor bathed in this majesty and glory, whether blood relatives or adopted sons, will prove themselves and win their own glory.
(End of this chapter)