Age of Adepts

The war raged on.

In truth, the conclusion to this battle at the metal fortress had already been determined from the very start.

The only thing that Greem and Gazlowe could do was to make the invading dragonflight bloody themselves before the metal fortress. They had to make them pay the highest price possible for their recklessness and ignorance!

Two Fourth Grade dragons led a dozen Third Grade dragons in an attack against an undefended metal fortress; it couldn’t have been any easier.

The dragons used their long-ranged breaths and focused their fire on the magic energy cannons along the walls, destroying them one by one. After dealing with these annoying ‘thorns,’ the dragons finally approached the fortress to tear it apart.

Gazlowe, expecting the arrival of the dragonflight, had already performed immense adjustments to the insides of the fortress. All the warehouses, workshops, refineries, and pipes had been taken apart. The metal waste products from this process hadn’t been useless. All of it had been put toward the internal modification of the metal fortress.

The place was like a massive metal maze now. Scores of metal walls and layers of metal gates divided the interior of the fortress into battlefields of various sizes. The ten thousand magical machines that had been activated ahead of time were silently waiting for the dragonflight’s arrival.

When one of the Fourth Grade dragons used its terrifying dragon breath to create an opening in the wall, several of the dragons tucked their wings and climbed into the fortress. Naturally, what greeted them was a storm of energy beams and violent magic energy cannons.

Gazlowe wasn’t holding back on the consumption of magic energy or the loss of magical machines any longer. The fierce fire from the magic energy cannons didn’t even avoid the positions of the magical machines. If a dragon could be killed at the cost of a few dozen or even a few hundred magical machines, it would be more than worth it.

It wasn’t easy for the dragons to dodge the rain of attack in such a narrow area. The scales of First Grade dragons couldn’t endure such a brutal beating, and only the Second Grade dragons could survive the storm and go after the heavy firepower.

After several failed attempts to break in, the dragonflight changed their strategy. The Second Grade dragons became the vanguard and attracted the firepower of the magical machines, while the First Grade dragons were responsible for wrecking the cannons and the machines.

The siege’s progress quickened with this strategy.

After just an hour, the outer wall of the metal fortress had fallen to the dragons. All of the magical machines started to retreat to the second line of defense. During this battle, Gazlowe had also made use of his wits and obtained the greatest spoil since the start of the fight.

A Third Grade dragon had died inside the metal fortress.

Ordinary energy beams could barely tickle these Third Grade dragons. Even the magic energy cannons with as much as two hundred points of intensity could hardly threaten them. As such, many of the Third Grade dragons started to take up roles as vanguards and tanks due to their confidence in their sturdiness and defense.

Gazlowe had taken advantage of their pride to lay a trap. He furiously suppressed all the other dragons with firepower while reducing the intensity against a single direction. In doing so, he successfully lured a Third Grade dragon into the midst of the magical machines.

No matter how many of these First Grade magical machines there were, they would have immense trouble dragging this Third Grade dragon to its grave. However, it was entirely possible with magic energy cannons supporting this army of machines.

In the end, seeing was believing. Even the proud dragons had never expected the enemy would be savage enough to unleash that terrifying black sun within their own ranks. By the time the Third Grade dragon sensed the rapidly gathering chaotic magical energy and attempted to escape, its retreat path had already been sealed off by an army of magical machines.

Boom!

A giant, muffled explosion later, the Third Grade dragon reared its neck and roared before melting like a candle in a furnace at the core of the black sun. The destructive effects of the chaotic magic energy couldn’t be more noticeable when it exploded in such a narrow and constrained area.

The dragons that had been trapped in the ranks of the magical machines melted into black goo along with the machines. Molten metal mixed with blood and flesh and was vaporized by the ensuing energy shockwave before it could cool down.

The ferocious and violent magical energy repeatedly crashed and bounced back against the walls of the metal fortress, causing its destructiveness to go up by another level.

The dragons circling outside the fortress only felt the giant metal structure tremble before the formerly impenetrable outer wall started melting like wax. The life flux of the two dozen dragons inside vanished without a trace. No one could sense their soul auras either.

It was clear that the black sun that detonated inside the fortress had not only destroyed their powerful bodies but had also burned away their souls.

From now on, these legendary figures would no longer fly in the beautiful skies of Lance.

The gaze of every single dragon froze when they looked at the fortress that had been ravaged by the magical energy. They hovered in the skies, stunned and silenced. Every thought in their minds had flown away as they looked down upon the smoking and ravaged battlefield below. Their hearts were empty, and no one knew what they should do or what emotion they should have to express what they were feeling.

It was a desolate scene in the place below them, where the metal fortress had once been.

Trees, dirt, and even pieces of the metal walls had been blown away. The exposed black rocks were covered with flesh and limbs smashed to a pulp. Purple-black dragon blood flowed from the twisted ruins, gathered into a stream, and trickled toward the crater produced by the explosion.

The broken dragon corpses laid alongside the shattered magical machine parts like an abstract drawing frozen in time. It was a frightening sight to behold from a distance.

The dragons only saw one or two familiar silhouettes moving about at the edge of the explosion; they were a Third and Second Grade dragon. They might have been fortunate enough to survive the blast, but their once elegant and beautiful bodies were now filled with gouges and wounds of all sizes. Sharp pieces of metal were inside their injuries. Every slight movement would cause the shrapnel to cut into them and cause more blood to flow down their bodies.

A few of the dragons hastily roared and dove down to save these two lucky companions of theirs.

The other dragons let out an earthshaking roar with bloodshot eyes. They started to repeatedly cleanse the remaining structures of the metal fortress with their wild dragon breath.

Most of the magical machines had already been destroyed in the previous explosion. Only a few survivors charged out from the ruins, shooting at the dragons with their energy beams.

Soon, they too were destroyed by the dragon’s wild breath.

The entire battlefield was silent once more!

The dragons had won.

They had obtained victory in this battle in a manner they would never accept!

The dragonflight whimpered in sorrow.

…………

Seventeen thousand kilometers away from Stonetalon Mountains.

The brilliant light of a temporary teleportation portal illuminated every inch of space in a dark cave.

By the time the white light started to subside, Greem, Gazlowe, and Gru had appeared within an array.

The Crimson adepts who had been waiting here stepped forth and offered their greetings.

They had witnessed the heroic sight of the metal fortress’ last battle through a live magical projection.

Greem and Gazlowe had not personally been involved in the fight. However, they had managed to rely on the metal fortress and its strange characteristics to inflict a bloody wound on the dragonflight.

That…that was already far beyond the ability and means that an ordinary adept should possess!

There was no right or wrong. It didn’t matter how Greem had achieved this result. Any adept that possessed such power deserved respect.

After the two Crimson adepts had paid their respects, Third Grade Dragon Arms walked forth in his human form after a bit of hesitation. He too greeted Greem and Gazlowe.

Greem had completed his side of the agreement. It meant that now, Arms could be considered his contracted companion. The two might appear to be equal in status. However, considering that Greem was currently sheltering Arms, there was already a subtle difference in their positions.

Having a Third Grade dragon bow before a Second Grade adept was far too embarrassing. Arms could not bring himself to do something like that yet.

However, Greem didn’t seem to mind at all.

Bowing one’s head was always difficult the first time. However, by the time you got used to doing so, your position and your partner’s would have changed immensely.

With the battle today, Greem had blatantly displayed his might to Arms, Iritina, and the proud green dragons. The fight at the metal fortress once again demonstrated that Greem, and the entirety of the Crimson Clan, possessed the terrifying combat power to kill Third Grade dragons.

That was the only reason Arms was willing to lower his head!

“Arms, you recognize both of the Fourth Grade dragons that attacked the metal fortress today, don’t you? Who are they?” Greem asked as he stepped out of the portal and moved toward the hall.

“They are Gold Dragon Stuart and Amethyst Dragon Toril. The two of them are two of the only seven Fourth Grade Great Lords of Lance.” Arms walked along Greem’s side and started to talk about what he knew, albeit hesitantly.

“Good. Very good,” Gazlowe said resentfully, “Gazlowe, immediately send their information and details to Alice and have her check which witch leader might be interested. Hmph! Since they dare destroy my tower, I want them to pay with their lives and freedom!”

The ruthlessness in Greem’s words caused even Arms to shudder in fright.

That was a group of Fourth Grade dragons!

A ‘mere’ Second Grade adept dared use such a tone to declare the fate of Fourth Grade dragons. It truly shocked the Third Grade Arms.

For a moment, all sorts of emotions welled up in Arms’ heart!