Chapter 378: Without a legend present, I am invincible! 32

Chapter 378: Without a Legendary Present, I Am Invincible! 32

The storm clouds were as thick and black as ink, hanging so low they seemed ready to crush the entire ridge.

Sharp lightning danced like dragonflies deep within the clouds, each detonation unleashing deafening thunder that lit the vast wilderness in flickers, like an unsettled, turbulent painting.

This was the absolute domain of the Blue Dragons, the home territory ruled by storm and thunder.

The air reeked of ozone’s sharp tang, mixed with the heavy pressure of the driving rain, nearly suffocating.

Yet within this storm realm—where Blue Dragons should have been most at ease, mastering wind and lightning—each of the Blue Dragons now wore solemn expressions, every muscle taut, standing on high alert as if facing a dire foe.

On the horizon, a dark, black tide surged forward with unstoppable force.

More precisely, it was not water at all but a war flood composed of the Molten Iron Tribe.

Countless plates of steel armor flashed coldly in the dim light, and faintly glowing runes here and there only added to the army’s mysterious and murderous aura.

Lava flows through our veins, flames burn between our teeth!

We demand more than mere victory!

If we fight, we will fight utterly, shattering the enemy’s skulls!

If we kill, we will kill with delight, until the river of blood runs dry!

Ogres thundered the earth with heavy steps, the iron-hoofed centaur warriors’ hooves clanged in rhythm; gnolls’ harsh cries and serpentfolk’s hissing tongues rose and fell.

All manner of monstrous races roared; paired with the savage howls of wild beasts and other magical creatures, they composed a rough, majestic war chant.

The wild sound waves surged to the sky, still sonorous and powerful even through howling wind and rain.

Fight, for the supreme Dragon Lord!

Every wound on our bodies will be the most glorious medal of the future!

Every drop of our spilled blood will be the sweetest wine of this moment!

Is that enough? Are we satisfied? No! Far from it!

Tear open more enemies’ chests with our claws! Smash more enemies’ spines with our heavy hammers!

Until the moon hides in blood-stained clouds! Until the sun grows dim before this slaughter!

On the ground, the Molten Iron Legion advanced in fierce song.

Facing them were the followers of the Dominik Dragon Cluster.

These local defenders listened to the enemy’s rousing war cries and watched the fully armed monsters steadily approach; one by one they faltered, morale sinking, rain or cold sweat streaming down their brows.

Above the Molten Iron Legion, the Ignas Dragon Cluster circled.

Led by the Lord of Molten Iron, great dragons beat their powerful wings, shredding gale and rain without restraint, radiating surging dragon might that pressed down on all sides.

Beneath the dragon cluster flew the beast armies led by the phoenix Ankhia.

They swarmed densely together like another low-moving black cloud.

Time stretched inside this tense atmosphere, passing neither too quickly nor too slowly.

Deafening roars and majestic dragon cries tore the silence of sky and earth.

Wherever the Molten Iron Legion passed, trees toppled in swathes and the ground shook violently; the chilling murderous atmosphere they spread seemed to push even the heavy storm clouds aside.

But the Blue Dragons, on their home turf, chose not to meet this monstrous force head-on.

Their follower units continuously retreated, not to block directly but to disperse strategically into the area’s complex terrain.

And just as Iron Dragon Sorog and Blue Dragon Heriam had predicted before the battle,

the Dominik Dragon Cluster fully exploited their superior speed.

Szzzz!

Amid the ear-splitting thunder, several blue dragon shapes darted like phantoms, plunging from the heavy clouds.

They did not dive into the army’s center but opened wide, fang-filled jaws at the extreme range of long-range attack.

Thunder breath!

Thick bolts of thunderous breath streaked across the sky, slamming into the flanks of the Molten Iron Legion among the gnoll and lizardfolk formations.

In an instant, lightning exploded, a harsh singed smell spreading fast; those struck turned to charred remains before a full scream could escape.

More long-range strikes followed in succession.

Young blue dragons hidden and dispersed within the cloud cover acted like agile aerial artillery, using the storm’s concealment to continuously unleash electric breath or cast spells that summoned falling lightning.

These attacks did not aim to kill in one blow.

They were sustained, meant to disrupt the legion’s tight formations, to sow ongoing chaos and panic within the vast enemy array.

A continuous sequence of such harassment unfolded.

Small squadrons of blue dragons—one or two adults with several younger dragons—relied on unmatched mobility to launch swift strikes from unpredictable angles; after delivering a round of breath or lightning spells, they rapidly climbed back into the clouds and vanished, never lingering.

A few especially cunning Blue Dragons guided violent falling bolts and sharp lightning beams to hit key nodes along the Molten Iron Legion’s route:

narrow passes, fragile roads, marshy ground—trying to create physical breaks, forcing the massive army to split into segments.

The Dominik Cluster’s tactical intent was clear.

They tried to leverage speed to divide and drag the Molten Iron Legion apart, constantly creating disorder, then pick off isolated pieces one by one, bleeding the enemy slowly.

At that moment, Gluttonous Ogre Karu looked up and saw an adult blue dragon flying past.

He opened his maw and spat out an orb of destructive energy.

The energy ball steamed away rain along its path and traveled fast—quite fast—but the blue dragon nimbly sidestepped with a light twist of its body, eluding the shot.

The Gluttonous Ogre let out a resentful low roar, instinctively wanting to break formation and chase.

But as he started to move, he remembered the stern orders given before battle and swallowed his rising rage, not abandoning the main force because of the blue dragon’s provocation.

“What irritating flies!”

Red Dragon Kahir roared in anger, spitting scorching flame at a blue dragon attempting to close in.

The other had already turned cleverly; the heat only licked at residual tail embers and sparks.

Like Karu, Kahir was furious but remembered the command and did not recklessly pursue.

“Ignore these small enemy groups!”

Iron Dragon Sorog’s steady voice carried across the battlefield via spiritual energy, “Their goal is simply to delay and disperse our strength. Keep advancing, aim straight for their territorial heart—leave them no retreat!”

Meanwhile Garoth, Sorog, Samantha, and three powerful liege lords—Gold Dragon Alberto and Iron Dragon Leticia among them—all sat like anchors at the center, steadfast as bedrock.

Because of their presence, the Blue Dragons dared not come too close; they only harassed along the edges of the legion’s forces.

Those raids had some effect.

But against the Molten Iron Legion’s vast scale, they were mere annoyances—like a few mosquito bites on a colossal beast, incapable of stopping its determined march.

“Raise the shields! Hold fast!”

“For the great Lord of Molten Iron!”

The ground forces pressed forward resolutely under the roars of each unit’s leaders.

Powerful ogres hoisted giant tower shields, serpentfolk sorcerers, kobold sorcerers, gnoll sorcerers—many spellcasters across the legion supported a combined magical barrier, stubbornly enduring wave after wave of lightning.

Even as casualties fell, subsequent units immediately filled the gaps without hesitation.

The entire Molten Iron Legion was like a colossal monster cloaked in iron and magical scales, bearing thunderous strikes and crushing forward, trampling dominik strongholds, resource points, and forward outposts, steadily closing on their final objective: Thunderclap Cliff.

Thunderclap Cliff lay at the very heart of the Blue Dragons’ territory.

This peculiar cliff was rich in lightning-attributed magical ore; the buried ore attracted charges from the sky, concentrating them, so Thunderclap Cliff’s skies were forever shrouded in heavy clouds—storms and thunder unending year-round.

When the Blue Dragons first arrived, they had spent considerable time and effort securing this land.

They would not give it up lightly unless forced to the last inch.

As time slipped by and the Molten Iron Legion’s edge neared Thunderclap Cliff, the Blue Dragons—who had been trying to delay the advance—grew anxious and impatient.

Their attacks became more frequent.

Slowly, Blue Dragon strikes stopped restricting themselves to mere edge harassment.

At last, six burly adult Blue Dragons with scales crackling with electric light beat their massive wings in unison, punched through the cloud layer, and began chanting as a formation, summoning denser, more violent chains of falling lightning than before to concentrate on blasting the army’s center.

Their attack trajectories dove deeper, and the lethal area expanded rapidly.

They tried to rend the Molten Iron Legion and forcibly split it.

Garoth narrowed his eyes, fixing his gaze on a massive dragon silhouette hidden in the dense clouds above Thunderclap Cliff.

“Ankhia, Ennus.”

Retracting his sight, Garoth looked to the magnificent phoenix and the imposing Amethyst Dragon Lion.

Under the red-iron dragon’s stare, the noble phoenix lifted her slender neck and issued a clear, piercing cry.

“Nosed, horned ugly dragons, let me show you who truly dances in the sky!”

Ankhia cried out, her brilliant flames surging violently.

She became a streak of gorgeous fire and flew out to meet the Blue Dragons diving deeper.

Her wings fluttered with grace, spraying hot flaming feathers like a precise arrow rain that forced the Blue Dragons to dodge repeatedly.

At the same time, the countless raptor beasts and flying monsters under her command followed the phoenix’s lead, joining the coordinated assault against those Blue Dragons.

Ennus, the Amethyst Dragon Lion, said nothing, only releasing a cold, authoritative roar as his spiritual energy shimmered; he charged straight into the Blue Dragons.

Although several adult Blue Dragons were present, individually they could not match the phoenix and Ennus one-on-one.

Moreover, massive flocks of flying beasts had joined the attack.

For a time, lightning and flame tangled ferociously in the air; broken feathers and shattered dragon scales scattered. Those Blue Dragons who dared plunge deep quickly found themselves in bitter fights and soon were covered in wounds.

“Left! Watch those two younger dragons!”

Heriam spotted movement at one corner of the battlefield.

He and Red Dragon Kahir, Green Dragon Ludwig, and Black Dragon Seraphina—this quartet of adolescent dragons—formed a tight combat team responsible for filling gaps, intercepting enemies trying to attack the legion’s flanks or the rear spellcasters.

The four younger dragons leapt out in perfect sync.

Heriam’s lightning breath collided violently with an opposing Blue Dragon’s breath in midair, erupting into a blinding light orb whose destructive power rivaled that of older young Blue Dragons.

Red Dragon Kahir charged straight at a young red dragon in the enemy ranks, fearlessly butting heads.

“You scum who sullied the clan’s honor, today will be your death!”

With a dull, resonant thud!

Although the opponent was older, Kahir’s wild strength matched it blow for blow, holding firm without retreat.

Taking advantage of the opening, the green and black dragons struck in quick succession.

The four adolescent dragons coordinated so tightly they forced two older young dragons into retreat after retreat.

Meanwhile, among the Blue Dragons, the one known as Cloud-Ripper—the strongest adult in the Dominik Cluster, level 16—used his terrifying speed to lead two other adult Blue Dragons, employing the classic dive-breathe-climb tactic with fluid, lethal movements.

Whoosh!

A golden figure tore through the sky at speeds far beyond an ordinary great dragon.

It was Gold Dragon Alberto, who had patrolled above the army, suppressing the roaring fury toward Mountain King’s subordinate forces; as the battle intensified, he found a fitting outlet.

“In the name of order, your guerrilla antics end here!”

Alberto roared like a brilliant golden meteor and smashed into the lead Cloud-Ripper.

The Cloud-Ripper instinctively did not want to trade blows with this powerful gold dragon.

His wings sizzled and flashed violent arcs of electricity as he prepared to accelerate away.

But at that moment, the gold dragon reached out his paw across the air and gripped the Cloud-Ripper from afar; sacred oath runes on his arm flared with dazzling light.

Crown Oath spell: Defend the challenge!

In an instant, an inexplicable impulse surged in Cloud-Ripper’s heart.

He felt his pride challenged like never before; a stubborn urge to defend honor flooded him.

So he spun and abandoned retreat, crazily counterattacking the gold dragon.

Snap!

Cloud-Ripper was struck by the superior power of the gold dragon, scales shattering as he tumbled and flew backward.

Blue Dragons are not renowned for brute force; the searing pain immediately sobered him, and he struggled to beat his wings.

Szzzz! Blinding electric flashes streaked, and his form vanished from the spot, only a residual afterimage; the gold dragon’s massive tail swung and shattered that afterimage.

Alberto did not pursue that slippery blue further; instead he turned his cold gaze across the battlefield, searching for the next suitable target to vent on.

Seeing the shift in battle, Red Dragon Samantha, Iron Dragon Sorog, and the even more powerful Iron Dragon Leticia ceased watching and, after receiving consent, joined the fray personally.

Before long, the Blue Dragons could scarcely carry out even the most basic harassment.

The ground battle likewise grew brutal—if anything, one-sidedly so.

Because behind them lay the irreplaceable core of Thunderclap Cliff, the Dominik Cluster’s followers finally ceased retreating.

A large number of adolescent dragons, young dragons, and even hatchlings under ten with tender scales now served as unit leaders, personally leading followers to clash head-on with the Molten Iron Legion.

The holy spirit deer elegantly leapt onto a great boulder.

Her beautiful antler tips shone white, shooting out sharp rays like rain that struck and precisely killed advancing enemy followers.

At the same time, a healing aura radiated from her hooves like ripples across the battlefield.

Injured Molten Iron warriors were swiftly healed and pressed inexorably forward.

But the mass of feral beasts, magical creatures, and elite troops of the Molten Iron Legion far outmatched the Dominik followers; in moments, defenders were driven back in successive routs and broke ranks.

Finally.

When the Molten Iron Legion’s vanguard could clearly see the scaly crags of Thunderclap Cliff and the lightning flickering among them,

the Blue Dragons’ guerrilla tactics became utterly unsustainable and were declared a failure.

Then...

Boom!!!

Above Thunderclap Cliff, one after another, unprecedentedly thick bolts of lightning struck as if the gods themselves were enraged.

The storm instantly intensified to extreme ferocity; lightning between the cloud layers grew so dense it seemed to have turned into a liquid sea of electricity.

From the deepest heart of the thunderclouds emerged a massive blue dragon silhouette, wrapped in countless dancing bolts of lightning, bearing terrible presence as it slowly revealed its towering body.

It was the Blue Dragon leader, level 20, Heart of Thunder—Perest!

“Your march ends here!”

Perest’s eyes boiled with the purest thunder and storm; he unleashed his dragon might fully, his imposing power dimming even the myriad thunders in the sky.

At his appearance, every Blue Dragon and the other colored dragons withdrew from battle.

They circled and assembled in the vast air behind Perest, forming a powerful and disciplined aerial array.

Although the Dominik Cluster had been pushed back step by step, there remained little true fear or retreat in their eyes.

Because around Thunderclap Cliff, every Blue Dragon received huge environmental enhancements.

In the Blue Dragons’ estimation, so long as the enemy had no legendary-level powerhouse, then in this region the level 20 leader Perest should be invincible.