The battlefield outside Ghoul Shelter was filled with chaos...
Zombie Lords clashing with Aegis Mechs, Tyrant Zombies smashing into Warden Units, and the Phoenix Phalanx pressing forward with drugâfueled energy.
For a moment, Alexander thought the tide was turning in his favor.
Then the roar came.
It was not the shriek of Raven Horror in the sky or the growl of the Bloated Chin. It was deeper and louder... It was a sound that shook the marrow of every soldierâs bones!
The battlefield froze as huge wings unfurled in the night sky... Then, the red scales of the creature became visible...
Roan had arrived!
"W-what?! How?!" Alexander was shocked.
He was confident that Roan would not be able to escape since the chains he had used to bind the dragon were the bindings that Zombie Lords could never damage! It had high durability and effects that weaken the restricted target...
It was at this point that the Dragon finally attacked!
Whoosh~
Roanâs first breath was a torrent of flame that swept across the sky...
The Skyfang Flying Crews were caught midâflight...
In just a few moments, their gliders ignited... Even their falcons shrieked as their feathers burned!
Soon, the riders plummeted, screaming into the battlefield below. In seconds, the aerial advantage was gone! The Skyfangâs proud warriors were reduced to ash and wreckage.
The dragon didnât stop as Roan produced another fire! This time engulfing the Tyrant Zombies. Their bodies, once impervious to artillery, melted under the dragonâs blaze!
Rooaaarrr!
Flesh turned to cinders, bones cracked, and the creatures collapsed into piles of melted flesh!
"Go! Kill them all, Roan!" Lysandra shouted in celebration.
She had been holding back because she didnât want Roan to be buried under collapsed buildings. This time, however, she knew that she could finally unleash their full force!
As Lysandra was coordinating with the mages, Roan continued with his attacks!
His flames swept into the ranks of the Phoenix Phalanx Battalion.
It was so hot to the point that their shields glowed red before shattering!
Even their armor melted onto flesh!
"Aahhh!"
"Run!"
"Water! Water!"
Alexanderâs elite soldiers screamed as they were consumed by fire! Even if they were heavily drugged, they still failed to endure the dragonâs fire!
After all, it wasnât just any normal flame that burns objects! It also affects the human soul!
Soon, the Zombie Lords turned their rage on Roan, but even they were no match.
Bloated Chin vomited acid, streams sizzling against the dragonâs scales.
Roan roared, shaking the ground, then unleashed fire that engulfed the swollen monstrosity.
Acid boiled within its own body until it burst apart, collapsing in a heap of charred flesh...
Tongue Reaper lashed its remaining venomous tongue, striking at Roanâs wings.
But the dragonâs claws snapped through the tendrils, severing them easily!
Then, a final blast of flame incinerated the thin creature, leaving nothing but ash and, of course, the red crystal of the Zombie Lord.
Raven Horror then dove from above as it saw Roan as the largest threat around...
With its speed, it would surely hurt Roan if the Zombie Lord managed to hit the Dragon...
However, Roan turned midâair, and bit the Lordâs torso!
Crunch!
With a sickening crunch, the winged predator was torn apart!
It didnât take that long before it was turned to ashes, leaving only the red crystal.
Just like that, the three Lords, were eliminated in moments.
"That was easier than I expected... I guess that drug worked really well." Lysandra muttered.
She knew that Fiona didnât just free Roan... She had also provided him with potions or other pills to recover his power.
To be honest, they were already expecting that Roan was mutilated...
They had considered the worst since they knew how valuable Roan was. His fangs, scales, blood, bones, eyes, and everything could also be used for Alchemy.
They were lucky that Alexander wasnât in a hurry, thinking that his plans were foolproof.
However, it had obviously overestimated its powers. Not even the Overlord Clan could win against them!
There was no way the Phoenix Phalanx could really win against their Clan!
Soon, the other Clans supporting Alexander realized the situation as well.
The Ironclad Brotherhood, who had pressed forward with their shield wall, found themselves engulfed in fire.
Their legendary durability meant little against dragonflame. Shields melted, and their formation collapsed into screams and ash.
The Mystic Gate assassins, hidden in shadows, tried to retreat. But Roanâs aura was overwhelming.
Roanâs eyes were mystical, and they could find the hidden...
Soon, his flames swept across the artillery lines, consuming part of Lysandraâs turrets and the assassins who had infiltrated them.
âOh well...â Lysandra could only ignore those turrets. It was normal to have casualties at this point anyway.
Nonetheless, every ally Alexander had relied upon, the clans, the Lords, the Tyrants, even his elite Phalanx, were annihilated!
***
Through it all, Lysandra remained calm as she watched the situation.
She had expected this moment. Fionaâs signal a while ago had confirmed Roanâs rescue, and now the dragon was unleashed.
Soon, after Roan started calming down, her Aegis Mechs adjusted instantly...
First, they pulled back to ensure that there wouldnât be anyone escaping from the shelter.
They focused fire on stragglers, cutting down any survivors from Alexanderâs side. The Warden Units reâformed their lines, pressing forward with renewed confidence.
Supported by Roanâs rampage, Lysandraâs army surged. The battlefield, once balanced on a knifeâs edge, was now decisively hers.
Meanwhile, Alexander stood frozen. His gamble had turned into a nightmare.
The Phoenix Phalanx Squads were gone. The Zombie Lords were gone. The elite members of the clans supporting him had been annihilated. Even Ghoul Shelter itself trembled as Roanâs flames licked across its walls...
Alexanderâs eyes reflected the firestorm. "Fine... We lost."
With his three barrels of Roanâs blood. He knew that he could recover. For now, he had to leave this place...
Even if he still had a method to fight back, that would only reveal his final trump card, and at most, it would only kill Roan, destroy the Mechs, and Warden Units... However, those Survivors that were too far from his shelter would be able to survive.
âI canât reveal that yet... Next time maybe.â Alexander thought as he turned back and disappeared from the ramparts...
At this point, the members of the Alchemist Labs, Weapons Divisions, Support Divisions, and many others were already waiting for his arrival...
As soon as Alexander saw them, he smiled.
"Letâs leave this place... We need to lie low for now."
***
Meanwhile, inside the shelter, Fiona felt the tremors of Roanâs fury.
The dragonâs roar echoed through the stone. She knew her mission was complete since Roan was free.
Now, she had only one task left, take anything she could with her and escape.
After five minutes or so, she was finally ready to escape...
Her Silent Cloak shimmered, her Hunterâs Dagger gleamed, and her gloves tightened around the hilt.
She whispered to her rat, commanding it to guide her through the shadows.
Outside, the bombardment was beginning.
Lysandraâs turrets and artillery, now unopposed... Soon, they turned their fire on Ghoul Shelter. Shells detonated against the barrier, shaking the fortress to its core!
There were barely any defenders left, but that should be normal... None of them thinks too much of it...
Soon, Fiona slipped into the darkness, her presence erased by her Silent gear.
"Iâm out..." Fiona muttered as she was finally able to cross the wall!
Behind her, Ghoul Shelter burned under dragonfire.
The battlefield was no longer a clash of armies. It was a massacre.
Ghoul Shelter trembled under bombardment, as its remaining defenders were annihilated...
***
A few minutes later, the battlefield had gone silent.
Smoke and ash drifted where Ghoul Shelter once stood.
The bombardment had finished its work... the fortress was nothing more than ruins.
Not too far from the battlefield, inside an armored car rumbling toward the location, Shane leaned back in his seat, as he read Lysandraâs report...
She had just reported that the mission was a success. Then, he opened Survivor Leaderboard and still saw Alexanderâs alias in the list.
"He survived," Shane said, narrowing his eyes. "I guess a highâlevel Survivor really is that hard to kill."
There was no disappointment in his tone, only calculation. Alexanderâs survival was expected.
The man was too cunning, too resourceful to die so easily.
But the destruction of his main shelter was a crippling blow. His forces were shattered, his prestige broken, his allies scattered.
Shane was still satisfied.
This was not the end. It was only the beginning.
"Alexander wonât stop here," Shane thought.
"Heâll retreat, rebuild, and plot revenge. Thatâs what men like him do."
He turned his gaze toward the horizon, where the armored convoy pressed forward through the night.
The ruins of Ghoul Shelter were not his destination... they were his starting point.
"Then Iâll follow him," Shane whispered. "Wherever he runs, whatever hole he hides in... Iâll be there soon..."