125: The Beginning of the Dragon Plague

Amidst the violent cold winds, a massive explosion shook heaven and earth, causing even the howling gales to come to a standstill.

The Mage Tower at the center of Frostchill Fortress disintegrated into fragments amidst the intense blast. Great fissures appeared on the majestic ice walls, and then the battlements began to crumble.

Frostchill, which had stood for a thousand years, became history today.

A kilometer away, Ugus watched the collapsing Frostchill Fortress with an excited gaze, the True Ice Club in his hand already itching for action.

“What those black-robes said actually came true; this damned fortress really collapsed on its own.”

“Great King, shall we launch the attack?”

“Of course! Boys, charge with me! Let's go on a looting spree!”

Ugus led the warriors of his tribe southward. The coalition of tens of thousands of trolls swarmed toward the heart of Cold Wind Territory to the south.

Meanwhile, atop the ruins of the collapsed Frostchill Fortress, an eerie army was assembling.

“Archbishop, the trolls have headed south. Do we need to move?”

Orpheus gathered his subordinates, who had already been corrupted by the laws of chaos, upon the ruins. This was an army he had forcibly converted using demonic sorcery; though their numbers were far fewer than before, their strength was much greater.

“Let those brainless fools cause a ruckus first; that is the value of their existence. By the time I convert these Ice Mages into Deception Warlocks, it will be just in time for the start of the next act.”

Giles looked at the over one hundred Ice Mages in the Corruption Array who had already lost the power to resist, the smile on his face becoming uncontrollable—especially regarding the old man in the center of the array whose heart had been pierced.

“Go and bolster the strength of your subordinates first. Throw all the corpses killed by the Corruption Potions into the Sacrificial Array to strengthen your men. Bolster a batch of Horrors and Fanatic Knights as quickly as possible.”

“Yes, Archbishop!”

Orpheus was completely submissive to Giles; deep down, he feared this powerful Archbishop of the Lord of the Devious Path.

At the same time Giles destroyed Frostchill Fortress, a Red-eyed Raven landed within the Golden Hall atop Dragon Peak.

Olivia looked at the arriving Red-eyed Raven with a calm gaze.

“Is it time to begin?”

The Red-eyed Raven glanced at her and then flew out of the hall.

“Then let it begin!”

Below the throne, the three Legendaries—Zelia, Hammond, and Roderick—awaited the Red Dragon Queen's orders.

“Zelia, you lead the main army to Cold Wind Territory. Hammond, you go to Stag Territory. Roderick, you go to Rage Bear Territory!”

“Remember, do not take the initiative to fight the human Legendaries. There are eyes left by the Golden King everywhere within the human kingdoms. Any fluctuations from a Legendary battle will draw the gaze of that King.”

Olivia was extremely wary of the Golden King.

“If you provoke that King, it won't be easy for me to step in and save you.”

“Let those Demon God cultists go and test the Golden King's blade.”

“However, you can make a big scene during the southward march, but do not bash your heads against those heavily defended human cities. If you encounter a strong city, bypass it.”

“Once I obtain the Dragon Crystal, the army will withdraw to the Black Mountain Range.”

Olivia gave these instructions to her three subordinates. She was going there to take advantage of the situation, not to serve as a tool for the Demon God Cult.

“Yes, Your Majesty!”

Roderick and Hammond left the hall to lead their armies out. Zelia was kept behind alone by Olivia.

“It's a pity you didn't take that final step to break through to High Tier Legendary this time. However, there's no need to rush. You have already touched the core of law-strengthening; you will be able to break through before long.”

Olivia comforted Zelia. After absorbing the High Tier Legendary Dragon Crystal, Zelia had failed to break through, which had left her somewhat dejected.

“I understand!”

“On your trip to Cold Wind Territory this time, you must be vigilant of those Demon God Cult fellows. The Demon God Cult has many eerie abilities; do not have too much contact with them.”

“Though those fellows possess extraordinary strength and can even reach the power of an Extreme Realm King for a short time by relying on some of the Demon God's bizarre methods...”

“...In the end, that is not their own power. They stand no chance against the Golden King unless they can truly communicate with the Demon God.”

Olivia snorted coldly, clearly not believing the Demon God Cult was a match for the Golden King.

“Then will our southward move this time draw the Golden King's hostility?”

“He has long been hostile toward us; what more draw does he need? However, he does not dare enter Dragon Peak. Within Dragon Peak, I am the true King.”

“The Golden King and those other old fogies are all waiting for me to run out of Dragon Peak so they can make their move on me. How laughable!”

“I will not step a single foot out of Dragon Peak until I break through to the King level.”

“Once I get that Dragon Crystal this time and break through to Extreme Realm King, I will go settle the score with the Golden King first.”

Olivia still remembered the grudge from an arrow shot by the Golden King several hundred years ago. Thinking of this, her old wounds still throbbed with pain.

“This southward march is also a good opportunity to expend some of the fodder troops below. Dragon Peak cannot sustain so many tribes in its vicinity. Thinning them out will also allow us to screen for those with good potential to be nurtured.”

“Furthermore, I heard from Roderick that there are rumors in the human kingdoms that something might be wrong with the Golden King's health. This is a perfect chance to use the Demon God Cult's hand to test him.”

“If something really is wrong with him, the entire northern border of the human kingdoms will be our hunting ground.”

“If there's no problem with him, you all just retreat. We lose nothing.”

“Crucially, remember: as Legendaries, do not be the first to strike. Some of those old things care a lot about that, and I don't have the strength to deal with those old fogies yet.”

“I understand. Don't worry, I will definitely bring the Dragon Crystal back. You will surely succeed in breaking through to Extreme Realm King this time.”

As the orders from Dragon Peak were issued, countless Dragon-beasts and Alien Tribes began to march southward.

The first to sense the abnormality were the magical beasts and scattered small tribes wandering within the Black Mountain Range.

Wherever the military might of Dragon Peak passed, all magical beasts and tribes that did not submit were annihilated. A large number of magical beasts and small tribes were forced to flee toward the south.

Anatolis of Magic Wolf Peak also felt the powerful military pressure from Dragon Peak. He hastily sealed all entrances to Magic Wolf Peak and fled south with his offspring.

“Has that one from Dragon Peak gone mad?”

“With such a massive commotion, does she intend to declare war on the human kingdoms?”

Anatolis's wolf cubs gathered around him from all directions. The news they brought back was that the army coming from the north was endless.

“I must first go to that kid Renn's territory to give him a heads-up. It would be best if he could seek reinforcements from the Golden King. These dragons have truly gone mad.”

With the path to the north blocked, Anatolis could only head south. Conveniently, he could also deliver a message to Renn.

The Wolf Pack headed south. Not far behind them, six dragons took to the sky, leading a sky-blotting horde of wyverns and other flying magical beasts toward the southeast.

Seeing this scene from afar, Anatolis's pace quickened even more.

“Madness, absolute madness. That Red Dragon has truly gone insane.”

“Could it be that her strength has broken through?”

In Bright Moon Territory at the northernmost edge of Red River Valley, Melissa, who was teaching Alistair magic, suddenly turned her head to look toward the Black Mountain Range in the north.

“Aunt Melissa, what's wrong?”

“There's movement in the mountains. Alistair, it seems we're in trouble!”

Melissa felt an intense sense of crisis approaching, originating from deep within the Black Mountain Range.

“Aunt Melissa, hasn't the Black Mountain Range always been dangerous? What's so strange about that?”

Alistair glanced at the mountains to the north. He only felt a bit of a heavy atmosphere but didn't sense any specific danger.

“No, it's not those ordinary dangers!”

“This feeling is so familiar. I feel like I've sensed it somewhere before?”

Melissa also found it strange; this sense of crisis felt like a memory from the past.

Ariya looked at Melissa curiously.

“Sister Melissa, you're almost about to break through to Legendary. What could possibly make you this afraid?”

“The Great Elder said that those loathsome dragons in the mountains are the most annoying and dangerous.”

Reminded by Ariya, Melissa suddenly remembered the source of this feeling.

“Dragons?”

“Is it them?”