Iron Dragon's Advancement Journey

Page 115

　"It's concentrating its energy." The Tide Chanter sensed the energy within Ansu's skeleton gathering towards its core, "preparing to unleash another massive attack."

　The Thinker's reaction was unusually calm: "This is exactly what we want. Now, guide it to unleash its attack."

　The two bronze dragons began to implement their final luring plan. They no longer maintained a safe distance, but boldly approached Ansu, releasing a series of sound waves at specific frequencies. These sound waves, reflected by the seabed topography and refracted by the water ripples, created strong acoustic illusions at specific points, leading Ansu to mistakenly believe that they were there.

　Having located the exact position of the "target," the eerie green flames within Anzu's skeleton shone even brighter, forming a distorted sphere. Then, an even more powerful beam of negative energy was released from its skeleton, striking the location of the sonic illusion—not the weakest point of the crust at the bottom of the trench, but a stress concentration point.

　The negative energy beam penetrated the seawater and struck the seabed. Instantly, the negative energy eroded a huge hole in the Earth's crust at stress points, causing the energy stored in the Earth's crust for hundreds of millions of years to become unbalanced, triggering a series of violent chain reactions.

　"What are you doing?" Ansu finally realized the Bronze Dragon's plan, her voice tinged with fear. "What kind of trick is this?"

　“There is no trickery,” the Thinker replied calmly, “it’s just a shortcut for you to meet your ‘Father God’.”

　Two bolts of lightning-like dragon breaths lit up at just the right moment, knocking Ansu, who was still somewhat exhausted from launching a large-scale magical attack, off balance.

　The seabed began to tremble violently. The unbalanced crustal stress tore apart the rock caprock of the submarine volcano, and cracks spread in all directions from the openings breached by negative energy. The Krakens sensed the impending disaster and evacuated, leaving Anzu alone floating above the crater about to erupt.

　"We should retreat," the Tide Chanter warned via the emergency alarm frequency. The high-pressure lava in the magma chamber had found an outlet, breaking through the last barrier and surging outwards through the newly opened channel.

　The two bronze dragons swam quickly away, leaving Anzu, who had not yet regained his balance, to face the impending disaster alone.

　An underwater volcano has erupted!

　A massive amount of magma erupted from the seabed, breaking through the barrier of the seawater and forming a lava column hundreds of meters high. The surface of the lava column cooled rapidly in the seawater, and the outer layer solidified into a hard shell. Under the internal pressure, it cracked and broke apart, scattering like a technological bomb and pulling out cavitation bubbles.

　Even more dramatic is the release of various high-pressure, high-temperature gases during the eruption. These gases form countless bubbles of varying sizes in the same high-pressure water body. Due to the pressure difference between the seawater and the internal environment, these bubbles continuously expand and contract, converging to create a series of destructive pulsating shock waves.

　Anzu was caught in the heart of this natural disaster, his skeleton violently vibrating amidst the intense heat of the lava and the shockwaves of the bubbles. Negative energy clashed fiercely with volcanic energy, generating a series of complex energy reactions. Even with Baal's divine blessing, Anzu's skeleton could not withstand this level of natural force and began to gradually disintegrate, its eerie green flames being consumed by the scorching lava.

　"boom--!"

　A deafening explosion resounded on the seabed, the final clash between the negative energy within Ansu and the volcanic energy. The energy from the explosion combined with the energy from the volcanic eruption, triggering an unprecedented underwater catastrophe. A massive, wispy cloud stretched out from the point of explosion, and shockwaves spread in all directions, creating a colossal tsunami on the surface of the sea.

　Although the Thinker and the Tide Singer had retreated to a relatively safe distance, they were still tossed about by the shockwave. The seawater, which had been brought to a critical state by the high temperature and pressure of the underwater volcano, swept over their bodies, burning their scales and dissolving their skin.

　"Did we... succeed?" The harpist struggled to steady himself, his voice muffled by the damage to the harp.

　The Thinker was also trying to restore balance: "Anzu's skeleton has been destroyed, but I can't be sure if its core still exists."

　The two bronze dragons swam slowly toward the eruption point, carefully avoiding the still-erupting lava flows and the unstable seabed. As they approached the epicenter of the explosion, they discovered that the entire area had been completely transformed: the original trench had become a massive crater, from which lava was continuously gushing forth, forming numerous black basalt blocks that released bubbles upon contact with the seawater.

　“Thank you, Balance Maker,” the Tide Chanter breathed a sigh of relief. “It seems Ansu has indeed been utterly destroyed.”

　The Thinker remained vigilant: "We need to confirm that its core has also been destroyed. The divinity there..."

　Before it could finish speaking, the seabed suddenly trembled violently again, even more violently than before. The entire volcanic cone tilted downwards little by little, and huge rocks rolled down from all directions, filling the central lava pool.

　The Thinker warned via an emergency frequency, "The entire trench is about to collapse! We must evacuate immediately!"

　The two bronze dragons dared not linger any longer and immediately swam away at full speed. Behind them, the eruption of the underwater volcano grew increasingly violent, as if the entire seabed was collapsing, forming a massive subsidence zone. Lava continuously spewed from the cracks, altering the topography of the entire sea area.

　When they finally swam to a relatively safe distance, looking back, they saw a huge underwater lava lake forming. Critically boiling, sublimated water and gas were mixed together, transforming and rushing straight to the surface, stirring up columns of water tens to hundreds of meters high. White steam covered an area of ​​tens of kilometers and rose into the air.

　This eruption will have a profound impact on the entire Sword Bay region, including potential tsunamis and climate change.

　“We need to warn Waterdeep,” the Thinker said, his voice weary. “The resulting tsunami could pose a serious threat to coastal cities.”

　The Tide Chanter agreed: "I'll send an alert immediately. But first, we need to confirm that Anzu has indeed been destroyed, otherwise..."

　“The negative energy has completely dissipated,” the Thinker confirmed through electric field induction. “Even if Ansu’s core survived by chance, it is buried under a layer of lava hundreds of meters thick and will continue to sink. It will not pose any threat for a short period of time.”

　Although the two bronze dragons successfully defeated Anzu, they paid a heavy price. The Thinker's left wing was almost completely destroyed, with most of its scales falling off, exposing the fascia and bones underneath; the Tidecaller's tail was severely burned by the high temperature and strong acid, and many of its delicate tail fins had melted, making it extremely difficult for it to swim.

　“We need to rest,” the Singer said with difficulty, “but now is not the time. Waterdeep faces other threats, and Casalos may need our help.”

　The thinker agreed with this assessment: "As long as we can return to shallow water..."

Chapter 359

　"I have a way to speed up the recovery in that area. Now, let's deal with those undead legions first."

　Without Anzu's command, the undead army at the bottom of Sword Coast descended into chaos. Some began attacking each other in the confusion, some wandered aimlessly, and many more began to scatter in different directions. Without Anzu's negative energy to sustain them, these undead would soon disintegrate, but until then, they remained a threat.

　The thinker turned to the chanter: “The Kou Tao fishmen and the Sha Hua fishmen can help us clean up these remnants.”

　The Tide Chanter revealed a predator-like smirk: "They are indeed the most suitable 'scavengers,' let the children continue to guide them..."

　97. The Battle of Waterdeep

　Isis and Midnight walked through the streets of Waterdeep's North District, followed by a squad of lightly armored Watchers. The squad moved swiftly yet orderly, clearly well-trained.

　"Are you sure he'll follow?" Midnight's voice came from under her hood, her right hand unconsciously stroking the spellbook at her waist, while her left hand gripped a delicate obsidian staff tightly.

　Isis's eyes emitted a faint blue light, a natural state she displayed when observing the magic network: "Confirmed, Baal is currently five hundred meters behind us, and he is tracking us."

　“How exactly did He find us?” Midnight sighed, a hint of confusion in his voice. “He hadn’t even seen us before…”

　“The gods have their ways, even if He is just a saint now.” Isis’s voice was a little tense. “Midnight, we need speed, we need to bring Him into Shang Castle according to plan.”

　The watchman leading the group gestured, and the group immediately split into two. One group continued to escort Isis and Midnight on their way, while the other group dispersed into the nearby alleys, discreetly setting up a perimeter.

　Before the chaos began, the bustling market area of ​​Deepwater City was teeming with people, but now it was deserted. A cylindrical building constructed of dark gray stone stood in the center of the square—the Merchant Castle, built by the dragon merchant Ratambirol in just a few months. It was fifteen stories high, each floor surrounding a central display hall, forming an intricate three-dimensional structure. The castle's main entrance was wide open, like the mouth of a giant beast awaiting its prey.

　Isis and Midnight quickened their pace, and behind them, a hunched figure leaning on a cane could be vaguely seen struggling to keep up with them. The figure moved slowly, but never stopped, like fate itself—slow yet unstoppable.

　“He’s caught up,” Midnight said in a low voice, glancing back. “The saint’s body looks frail, but His will is clearly propelling it forward.”

　Isis didn't look back, but continued to focus on the route ahead: "As long as He enters Shang Castle, we will have a chance."

　The captain of the Watchers escorting them also noticed the eerie figure behind them and instinctively gripped the hilt of his sword. Despite his countless battles, facing a deity—even one demoted to mortal—still instilled in him an instinctive fear.

　"We're here!" Midnight exclaimed softly, then rushed through the wide gates of the merchant castle with Isis.

　The interior of the Merchant Castle is spacious and bright, with a huge circular atrium running through all the floors at its center, surrounded by circular corridors and rooms. Sunlight streams in through the circular skylight at the top, casting a soft glow on the stone surfaces. The Merchant Castle is cleverly designed so that customers on any floor can overlook the central hall and enjoy the various merchandise displays or performances. But today, a battle for survival will unfold here.

　Shaving Tooth had been waiting at the entrance for a long time. His merchant-like human form could not conceal the majesty unique to the Fang Dragon—he was clearly ready for battle, and the dragon's power was beginning to show even in his human form.

　"He's here?" Shaving asked briefly, his gaze passing over Isis and Midnight, landing on the distant street.

　“Yes, Uncle, they’re right behind us,” Isis replied, panting. “We need to get ready.”

　Shaving nodded, and with a gesture, the watchmen guarding either side of the gate went on high alert. These elite warriors wielded specially made repeating crossbows, their bolts gleaming with anti-magic runes—a masterpiece of Dragonlord, designed specifically to deal with powerful magical creatures.

　“You two go up to the third floor immediately,” Razor instructed in a low voice. “Proceed according to plan. Piergellen is in position. Remember, no matter what happens, do not confront Him directly.”

　Isis and Midnight exchanged a glance and nodded to each other. They quickly ascended the spiral staircase, each floor guarded by watchers armed with crossbows, their eyes scanning the entrance warily.

　"Do you think this will work?" Isis asked in a low voice, her tone unusually uncertain.

　“Don’t be nervous,” Midnight patted Isis on the shoulder. “Although your mentor killed Bane and Milkor, the Great Sage and Kelburn are no ordinary people either. They revised and formulated this new plan, which will certainly work.”

　Isis frowned, wanting to refute something, but in the end she just sighed: "I just hope that not too many people will be sacrificed."

　As soon as they reached the third floor, a suffocating aura of death rushed in from the direction of the door. It was a presence that instinctively instilled fear, as if death itself had come to their aid, inspiring dread.

　Baal, the last of the three gods of death and the god of murder, is slowly walking into Merchant Castle.

　Everyone present could see that the man who walked in was just an ordinary old man—short in stature, slightly hunchbacked, wearing a tattered black robe, and leaning on a wooden cane, looking every bit the beggar. But his eyes were completely out of place with his aged appearance—as black as ink, as if they could devour all light, and the murderous intent they exuded sent chills down one's spine.

　From Isis's perspective, those eyes could also be seen shimmering with a divine, dark golden light.

　“Vibrant, youthful, full of the taste of life,” Baal’s voice was low and hoarse, as if from the depths of hell. “Hand over the stone tablet, and I can spare you some suffering.”

　With a cold snort, Razortooth stretched and twisted in an instant, transforming into a massive, mature fanged dragon. Its scales were a slightly ivory-yellow color, the intricate patterns of its scales subtly flowing beneath its sharp spikes, resembling a fine piece of white jade armor. Its crisscrossing, sharp teeth and claws gleamed coldly, and the two blade-like spikes at the tip of its tail swept across the ground, instantly leaving several deep cuts in the stone.

　"Stop Him!" Rake roared, his terrifying aura fully unleashed, "Activate the barrier!"

　Isis and Midnight, hand in hand, activated the activation crystal placed in the third-floor room. A semi-transparent energy barrier rose from the four walls of the castle, quickly converging at the circular skylight at the top, forming a membrane that isolated the inside from the outside, leaving only an opening in the glass ceiling. Intricate runes appeared and disappeared on the membrane, smoothing out the chaotic magic. It was the highest achievement of the Dragonlord Warlocks and Black Staff Tower Mages in defensive magic; even with the collapse of the magic network, this barrier, fixed to the object itself, could still function normally.

　Baal's gaze swept around, a mocking smile appearing on his face: "A trap? How interesting."

　The Watchers pressed the triggers almost simultaneously, and hundreds of anti-magic arrows shot towards Baal. Each arrow shimmered with a light like arcane fire, and the sound of it cutting through the air was like a shriek.

　Baal stood motionless, seemingly unconcerned about the arrows that could pierce even the most legendary defenses. Just as the first arrow was about to strike His body, an invisible force field suddenly spread out, slowing and deflecting all the arrows, which ultimately fell limply to the ground, failing to even touch His robes.

　“A foolish move,” Baal said softly, raising his cane and short spear slightly.

　Of everyone present, only the highly perceptive Shaving Tooth and Piergulen clearly saw Baal's actions—

Chapter 360

　His wrist trembled slightly, and a faint, almost imperceptible light emanated from his sleeve.

　The next instant, a Watcher who was loading a crossbow suddenly froze on the spot. A small throwing knife was embedded in his chest, piercing through his armor, skin and muscle, and black blood slowly gushed out. The Watcher didn't even have time to groan before he fell to the ground.

　What should not have been a serious injury became a terrifyingly lethal threat, capable of causing instant death, under Baal's divine corruption.

　Razor roared, its massive dragon-like body leaping into the air as it swooped down towards Baal. Its claws were as sharp as swords, capable of tearing through steel, each strike containing the power to destroy an ordinary legendary-level creature. Although Razor had also lost its spellcasting ability, melee combat was what the Fanged Dragon was most proud of. Over the years, Razor had used its innate ability to absorb energy to grow its body to an enormous size, making even the Primordial Red Dragon wary of it in close combat.

　Nevertheless, when faced with the Fang Dragon's attack, Baal simply raised his cane and held it horizontally in front of him to lightly block it.

　Shaving felt an indescribable resistance, as if his claws weren't striking a wooden cane, but rather hitting an invisible wall. That force seemed to be devouring and weakening his attack, making what was originally a powerful blow feel light and airy, almost without any real threat.

　Baal's lips curled slightly upwards, and the tip of his cane flicked out a spearhead, tracing an eerie arc as it precisely pierced the eye of the mangled tooth.

　Shaved Tooth hurriedly flapped its wings and leaped backward, the spear tip grazing the scales of its forepaws, leaving a shallow white mark. Even from this slight contact, Shaved Tooth felt a chilling cold spread from the wound, as if the life force in that small area had been drained. Intimidated by this disgusting effect, Shaved Tooth quickly created distance and readjusted its tactics.

　Just then, the gates of the castle were flung open, and Pilgalen charged in, sword in hand. The son of the paladin wore his father's full suit of armor, which radiated a divine light, and his eyes burned with the flames of determination.

　“Baal, your brother has paid the price, now it’s your turn.” Pilgalen’s voice was firm and powerful, full of the dignity and righteousness befitting a paladin.

　Baal turned around, his dark eyes fixed on Pilgalen as if he were sizing up a lamb about to be slaughtered: "Another mortal who overestimates himself."

　Pilgalen was not intimidated by this oppressive aura. He raised his greatsword and approached Baal step by step. Although the gods no longer answered the prayers of mortals, as a legendary paladin, Pilgalen's conviction was enough to ignite the fire within his soul, guiding a light strong enough to ward off the aura of death.

　Piergaren leaped into the air, raising his greatsword high and bringing it down towards Baal's head.

　Baal deftly sidestepped the powerful blow, simultaneously sweeping out his staff-spear straight for Pilgalen's throat. Pilgalen, a veteran of countless battles, showed no panic in the face of this deadly attack; he smoothly met the spear's edge with a horizontal slash of his greatsword.

　The crisp sound of metal clashing echoed through the castle, sparks flying. Piergelen felt a strange force surge through him, as if something was devouring his life force. He was thrown back several steps, putting distance between himself and Baal.

　Seizing the opportunity, Razor launched an attack from the side, its two serrated tail blades slicing through the air like lightning, heading straight for Baal's back.

　Baal seemed to have eyes in the back of his head; just as the claws were about to strike Him, He rolled forward, easily avoiding the fatal blow. At the same time, His wrist twitched almost imperceptibly.

　"Watch out!" Isis's warning came from above.

　Without Isis's prompting, Piergaren reacted swiftly, withdrawing his greatsword as it flew towards his face, deflecting the dagger that was hurtling towards him.

　Meanwhile, the Watchers began their second volley. This time, they used a crossfire, attempting to compensate for the ineffectiveness of a single arrow with sheer numbers.

　Baal remained standing still, and the invisible force field unfolded once more, slowing and deflecting all the arrows, which fell around him like raindrops on banana leaves.

　“It’s a force field…” Isis murmured to herself. Her demonic eyes could see the strange energy fluctuations around Baal. “He is using… no, some kind of force field-like ability that is constant on Him to weaken all physical attacks.”

　Midnight nodded; she had already prepared a plan. She softly chanted a spell, her hands tracing intricate runes in the air. The warp and weft of the magical net, which should have been coiled up, responded to her, guiding the chaotic magic and reweaving it according to her will, forming a unique magical structure.

　"Stone Wall Technique!" Midnight uttered softly.

　A towering stone wall appeared out of thin air behind Baal, cutting off his retreat. At the same time, Isis completed her spell.

　"Swamp Technique!"

　The ground beneath Baal's feet suddenly became soft and muddy, like a swamp, trying to sink His feet into it.

　A flicker of surprise crossed Baal's face; he clearly hadn't expected anyone to be able to cast magic so smoothly while the magic network was collapsing. But this surprise vanished in an instant; his body suddenly became light, as if unaffected by gravity, and he leaped up, easily breaking free from the swamp's grip.

　“Environmental magic works on Him!” Isis shouted, “Continue!”

　Shaving and Piergellen understood each other perfectly. Instead of trying to attack Baal directly, they cooperated with Isis and Midnight's environmental manipulation to try to trap Baal in a small space.

　The battle within Merchant Castle intensified, with stone walls, fire walls, and ice walls constantly appearing around Baal in an attempt to restrict his movement. Meanwhile, Razorfang and Pilgalen launched feint attacks from different directions, forcing Baal to constantly reposition himself.

　However, Baal's power far exceeded everyone's expectations. Although His movements were slow, each dodge was perfectly timed, as if He could predict the trajectory of the attacks. At the same time, the subtle movements of His wrist continued, and one throwing knife after another precisely reaped the lives of the Watchers.

　"He is too strong..." Isis sighed inwardly. Even the environmental magic she and Midnight used together could only barely restrict Baal's movements to some extent, and was far from truly trapping Him.

　Baal stood in a narrow space between a wall of magical ice and fire, his dark eyes scanning the surroundings before finally locking onto Isis and Midnight, who were standing on the third-floor corridor.

　“The Tablet of Fate,” Baal’s voice was cold and calm. “Hand it over, and I may let you die a quick death.”

　"Dream on!" Midnight roared, an arcane missile already forming in her hand.

　Isis didn't speak, but her magical eyes had already caught the subtle changes in Baal's body language—He was about to act!

　Sure enough, Baal's body twisted as if it were broken, then he did a backbend, lying on his back with his hands on the ground. Suddenly, he moved like a shadow, lightly leaping over the magical barrier. In a few leaps, he arrived at the central pillar of the castle, then clung to it like a gecko with its belly turned up, quickly crawling towards the location of Isis and Midnight.

　"Scatter!" Isis shouted, pulling Midnight quickly to both sides.

　Seeing this, Razor immediately spread its wings and glided towards Baal's location, attempting to intercept His attack. Pilgalen was not to be outdone; he swung his greatsword in a wide arc with both hands and hurled it towards Baal's back.

　Baal seemed to have anticipated this, spinning on the pillar to easily dodge the greatsword's attack. Simultaneously, he drew a short spear from his waist with his knuckles reversed, parrying Razor's claw strike. In this brief exchange, His wrist flicked again.

　A muffled thud came from below, and another Watcher fell, a throwing knife piercing his throat.