Chapter 790: The Beginning of War
Altar’s eyes were two blood-red crystals, pulsing with an unnatural strength, radiating a deep, chilling glow that sent shivers down the spine.
Above, dozens of Wyverns, Dragon-blooded Bats, and Pseudo-Drakes swirled chaotically through the air, their wings flapping violently.
Before Altar, a thick, viscous river of blood oozed slowly from the dragon’s maw—mingled with severed fingers, chunks of organs, and even eyes still clinging to frayed nerves.
Below, dozens of Black Robe Cultists knelt in silent devotion, their heads bowed in pious prayer.
At the sound of the door creaking open, they all turned in unison. Narrow vertical pupils flared with fury.
"Intruders! Kill them!"
"This is the sacred ritual ground of the Mother of Monsters—how dare you barge in!"
The lead Cult Priest raised his torch high. "Rend them! Their spiritual souls and flesh are the finest sacrificial offering!"
Fiery, unnatural flames lit up the dark cavern, casting flickering shadows across the massive ceiling.
Looking up, the group saw hundreds of Dragon Beasts hanging from above—slender, terrifying creatures, their countless vertical pupils glowing with eerie light. Thick, stinking drool dripped from their jaws.
Stuffed Bun felt a sudden heat on his shoulder. He reached up, touched it, and his hair stood on end—some of the beast’s drool had landed on him!
He shook his hand in disgust, glancing nervously at his teammates. "Shit… what now?"
Singo gritted his teeth, his gaze unwavering. "We stumbled into their prayer. Bad luck. Battle prep!"
"Huh?" Stuffed Bun swallowed hard, staring at the hundreds of snarling Dragon Beasts circling above. "Uh… maybe we should reconsider?"
Xia Ye Qiu Yu spoke calmly. "Based on my spell scan, there are twelve extremely powerful energy sources surrounding the Dragon Breeding Ground—each one rivaling a mature Green Dragon. This is clearly a biological weapon from the Dragon Worship Church."
Singo nodded. "Kill the Cultists, and the threat ends. We carry Dragon Bloodline—we’re immune to their aggression."
At that moment, a piercing wind howled through the chamber, carrying a stench so foul it made the air choke.
"Watch out!" Tian Sheng Zhan Kuang leapt into the air, his massive fist swinging upward like a hammer. The blow crushed the skull of a Dragon Beast that had tried to ambush them—brain matter exploded in a spray of gore.
"Roar—!"
More beasts charged, jaws snapping. Xia Ye Qiu Yu thrust her hands forward, unleashing a cone of searing fire into the air. A blazing barrier erupted, engulfing the attackers in flames. Screams echoed as they tumbled to the ground, writhing in agony.
Stuffed Bun had no long-range options. He pulled out a pistol from his pack and fired at the sky. Bullets streaked upward—luckily, one pierced a Dragon Beast’s chest.
He grinned proudly, hands on hips. "Looks like my rifle skills aren’t that bad!"
"Kill them—by any means necessary!" The Dragon-headed Ritual raised its scepter. A blinding, jagged beam of light shot forth—a pulse of necromantic arcane energy.
It was a Seventh Circle Spell—Death Finger!
A spell so deadly it could instantly kill an enemy with low spell resistance, leaving no chance to resist or flee.
"Leave it to me!" Singo pressed a button on his armored bracer. A thick, gelatinous substance erupted from his wrist, jetting into the air to intercept the beam.
The gel exploded midair, bursting into a thousand sticky fragments. The Death Finger vanished—dissolved into nothing.
Stuffed Bun stared, dumbfounded. "What the hell was that? That… goo… blocked a Seventh Circle Spell?!"
Singo drew his longbow, nocking a strange, intricately carved arrow. "Mechanical Divinity’s micro-slime. They sent me a whole set of slime emitters—perfect for blocking single-life-force spells."
He released the string. The arrow tore through the air with a sharp whistle, streaking toward the distant Cultist.
The Cultists chanted in low, guttural tones. Thick black mist gathered before them, coalescing into a monstrous Dragon Shadow that snapped the arrow in half.
The Cult Priest glared at the intruders, hatred burning in his eyes. Behind him, a twisted, dragon-shaped phantom shimmered into existence. "Why have you betrayed the Great Dragon Queen?"
Singo snapped his fingers.
The fallen arrowhead exploded on the ground, releasing a deafening blast and visible shockwaves.
Instantly, every Cultist clutched their ears, staggered, their minds reeling—like something was gnawing at their brains.
This was a customized distraction arrow, designed to shatter a spellcaster’s focus and unravel their mental clarity.
"Qiu Yu!" Xia Ye Qiu Yu summoned her power. Hovering midair, she clasped her hands together.
A torrent of energy surged through her body, flowing along the arcane runes on her skin and gathering in her palms.
From her hands erupted a thick, blinding column of white fire—so hot it warped the air, evaporating every drop of moisture from the blood pool below.
Channeling the Dragon Favor Covenant, she drew upon the strength of the Emperor of the Ashen Flame.
This was the most powerful spell a Mage Player could wield—Kai Xiusu’s Breath!
Though listed as a Sixth Circle Spell in her character sheet, its raw power rivaled an Eighth Circle Evocation. The scorching flames could incinerate anyone in an instant.
"Boom!"
The blinding column of fire pierced through the black mist, striking the dazed Cult Priest just as he snapped back to awareness.
At the moment of impact, the flames exploded outward, blooming like a fiery blossom.
The Priest’s eyes widened in horror. His pupils reflected the inferno. "This… this is the breath of a Red Dragon?"
He thought of legends—Tiamat’s Breath.
"Impossible!" he roared, disbelief twisting his face. "How can traitors like you—no—!"
But the Dragon Flame came like a tidal wave, consuming him utterly. His screams were drowned beneath the roar of fire.
In the searing inferno, his form shrank, blurred, then vanished—leaving only a pile of ash.
Tian Sheng Zhan Kuang let out a thunderous roar. He leapt forward, covering dozens of meters in one bound.
With a mighty swing, his Battle Axe cleaved through four or five Cultists, splitting them in two.
"Die!"
The axe cut through the air, sending up a storm of blood and gore. Tian Sheng Zhan Kuang charged like a living meat grinder, mowing down the enemy. Limbs and chunks of flesh flew in all directions.
The Cultists chanted vile incantations, trying to summon Divine Spells from the Dragon Queen—but flames, frost, acid—none fazed Tian Sheng Zhan Kuang. He advanced without fear.
From afar, Singo fired arrow after arrow, each one piercing a Cultist’s skull.
Xia Ye Qiu Yu hovered above, using fire to drive back the swarming Dragon Beasts.
Only Stuffed Bun remained crouched in the corner, firing his pistol at random, trying to hit the Cultist—but missed, instead blasting a bloody hole in Tian Sheng Zhan Kuang’s back.
Tian Sheng Zhan Kuang was in a rage state, eyes blood-red. He didn’t even flinch.
Stuffed Bun sheepishly holstered his pistol, pretending not to notice.
Soon, the battle ended—like wind sweeping away clouds.
Dozens of Cultists lay dead in the blood pool. The leader was reduced to ash. A dozen Dragon Beasts fell from the sky. The rest fled into the depths of the cave.
Along the road, prisoners in iron cages trembled in fear, watching the four intruders. Their eyes held astonishment, excitement—but mostly, terror.
The Dragonborn Ritual they’d revered as divine envoys—gone. No body. No remains.
"The god… the divine envoy… he’s dead!"
"What should we do?"
"But… these people are Dragonborn too. They have noble appearances. Are they new divine envoys?"
"Divine envoys? More like a bunch of cultists who deserve to be riddled with bullets."
Singo pulled out an old-looking pistol, aimed at the cage door, and fired.
"Bang!"
The bullet shattered the lock. The cage door creaked open.
"Choose," he said, scanning the terrified faces. He tossed the pistol into the cage. "You want to be human… or just livestock waiting to be slaughtered?"
Their will to rebel had long been crushed by endless blood sacrifices. They cowered like frightened lambs, resigned to their fate.
No one dared move. No one knew if this was another test from the Dragon Worship Church.
Then, a soft but firm voice broke the silence.
"I want to be human."
A severely wounded woman stepped forward from the crowd. She picked up the pistol, gripped it tight, then opened the cage door.
In front of all eyes, she walked toward the four.
"Thank you," she whispered. "I’m not a sacrifice. I’m not prey."
"Good."
Singo tossed a small wooden box. Under the faint spelllight, it swelled, expanding into crates—filled with firearms and hand grenades.
Stuffed Bun’s eyes widened. "Claudew Military Industry Group’s miniature armory? No way… you’re actually loaded!"
The prisoners stared at the weapons. Murmurs spread.
"I… want to live."
One stood. Then another. Then a third.
More and more emerged from the cage, grabbing weapons.
"This is just one corner of Ice Mountain. There are dozens more Dragon Breeding Grounds. Let’s… burn this place to the ground!"
On the distant steps, Tian Sheng Zhan Kuang roared to the sky.
He swung his Battle Axe in a wide arc, smashing the Dragon-headed Altar to pieces. Blood gushed from the broken stone.
Wails and shrieks echoed—spirits trapped within the altar finally freed.
---
Green Valley Town
The streets bustled with people. This once-remote, forgotten village was now alive with energy.
Not only Empire players had gathered, but rebels from across Seleucus had come, drawn by Duke Franz’s victory.
Thanks to the players’ efforts, the town was now ringed with unbreakable, impenetrable fortifications—like a fortress.
Duke Franz and Baron Adrian stood atop the peak, gazing down at their fully armed soldiers. Their silver armor gleamed under the sunlight.
Duke Franz stepped forward, his eyes scanning every face.
"Comrades! Fellow warriors! The evil dragons and their followers have conquered our homeland! They’ve trampled our land, turned our families and friends into slaves! They’ve driven us from our homes—forced us to wander like ghosts!"
"But today… counterattack begins!"
He drew his greatsword and raised it high.
"With courage and will, with blade and steel—we will sever the claws of these evil dragons, cut off their wings, and lop off their heads!"
His beard flared, eyes blazing. "Can you stand by and watch as they brutalize your families, your friends—your loved ones—dragged to the altar as sacrifices?!"
"Can you kneel and beg for mercy from these cruel, greedy monsters?!"
"NO!"
The soldiers roared in unison, their voices shaking the sky—deafening, thunderous.
Duke Franz slammed his sword into the rock. "Even if we die, we die fighting alongside these evil dragons! Let them know—those blessed by the sun are not so easily crushed!"
Adrian stepped forward, standing beside him. He raised his slender silver sword. Sunlight flared from the blade’s tip.
"The Eternal Lord of Light has not abandoned us. We are still the children of the sun!"
"Comrades! Fight for Seleucus! Fight for Sacred Fedran! Drive these evil dragons and their followers from our homeland!"
"For Seleucus!"
"For Sacred Fedran!"
"Overthrow the Dragon Worship Cult’s tyranny! Glory belongs to humanity!"
The soldiers raised their weapons, shouting in waves. The cries echoed across the valley—endless, soul-shattering, unyielding.
These were rebels who had escaped the Dragon Worship Church’s rule.
They had bathed in blood. Witnessed horrors. Endured the worst exploitation and oppression. Their will to fight was iron-hard. Their hatred for the evil dragons ran deep.
Under Duke Franz and Baron Adrian’s command, they marched forward in full formation—southward, toward Linying City, hundreds of miles away.
And in Green Valley Town, the players murmured among themselves.
Each one saw a new prompt appear before them.
【War Mission: Capture Lin Ying City】
(End of Chapter)
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