Thousand-Faced Dragon

Chapter 506 Chaos
Some things are destined to happen from the very beginning.

The sudden arrival of Dania, the reshuffling of local power, and the rise of the new royal aristocracy represented by Rean—too many interests are intertwined, leaving only the option of forced suppression.

If everyone is having a tough time, but can still manage...
"Right now, everyone is outwardly agreeable but inwardly resentful, each believing they can gain more."

And so, war broke out.

Before any party can bear the losses, and before any party accepts the limits of their own capabilities, everyone must use their own hands to fight for more. Since you are blocking my path, eliminating you is the most realistic choice.

Can you win? Yes you can!
"Boom!"

From the moment this swampy area was chosen, it was destined to be a battle that would not be clean and decisive.

Limited by the terrain, neither side could advance nor retreat. Coupled with the mud and chaos, their mobility was severely hampered.

On such a battlefield, the strong stand out even more. The weak struggle to even survive. The war has attracted herds of animals from the surrounding area, which have already begun hunting the wounded and those who have fallen behind at the edge of the battlefield.

"Guiding divine power."

"Solar Realm. Complete Combustion."

"Energy enhancement and flame efficiency improvement."

A constant stream of light gathered around Rean, and in this environment, the range advantage of spellcasters and archers became even more terrifying, especially for those damned mages who completely disregarded friendly fire.

"My Lord, grant me the glory of the sun."

Only at this moment would Rean remember that he still had the priest rank and the empowering effect of the solar domain.

"We live for fireballs! Explode them!"

The red dragon mage, specializing in energy manipulation, activated the red dragon's blessing within his bloodline, summoned the divine power of the solar realm, and expended additional magic power.
"Boom! Boom!"

When that fireball was thrown, everyone around thought they saw the sun.

As the mushroom cloud slowly rose, the surrounding mages looked at him as if he were a demon. Was this still a fireball spell? Was this really not some simplified meteor explosion?!

A normal fireball is just like a mortar shot, but after Rean's multiple enhancements, it has probably reached the level of an anti-ship missile.

"Boom!" Whatever was there before is no longer important. This is much more satisfying than the meteor from the magma giant before it was unenhanced.

The earth was still trembling slightly, and the power of this attack filled Rean with inexplicable joy.

He clapped his hands, dispersing the magic that had been lingering on them, and couldn't suppress the smile on his lips.

He began to understand the red dragon and the mages a little better now; why were there so many madmen who would breathe fire on anyone they saw?

"No wonder there are so many casters who get poisoned by Fireball. It also explains why Fireball is strongly recommended as the first skill to learn."

Watching the sparks slowly rise, with the roar of the explosion in my ears, it was indeed quite exhilarating.

My hands are still warm, and it feels like I could go for another round at any moment.

"The power is a bit beyond expectations."

The explosion occurred in the area inhabited by noble mercenaries, but it was also the site of their battle with the beast-like horned minions, and now only scorched earth remains.

Compared to the previous superimposed state of Dragon's Furnace Fire, it's hard to say which is stronger in the short term.

However, as a "standard spell," Fireball can be enhanced by a series of magical abilities, resulting in considerable power, range, and even explosive accuracy.

This is the effect without Rean using Serpent's Word or Dragon's Word for support. If he had used them, the sheer power might have been stronger, but it would have been more likely to go out of control.

What truly amplified its power by nearly tenfold was the enhancement of the flames from the red dragon bloodline, the divine grace of the solar domain, and finally, the addition of the basic spellcasting specialization of Evocation.

Even if each time it only doubles the effect, after three or four times, well, it might be ten times.

The most impactful, and somewhat surprising to Rean, was the complete burning of Divine Grace, which allowed his magic to unleash its full power.

Standard ninth-ring spells aren't particularly strong compared to various arcane arts and secret techniques. Dragons and elves have their own spell systems, but with each generation of spellcasters improving them, various support, buffs, and overpowered skills have been added, making them the most adaptable. "Next time we go underground together, please be sure to take on the role of the vanguard. And remember to say something before using it. But never mind, saying anything in this scope is useless. Without our permission, it's forbidden to use it."

The first to be frightened were actually their companions; there were just too many stories of groups being wiped out by fireballs in various taverns.

If it were a fireball suddenly flying in from behind, it would probably blow up the entire underground labyrinth.

Rean smiled and shook his head. Divine grace is limited; how could it be wasted so easily?

However, ordinary fireballs, especially those imbued with the Red Dragon bloodline and the Evocation specialization, can still be thrown around freely.

At least, it shouldn't kill the Great Warrior in one hit, right? Hmm, it shouldn't.

"Fireball." So he prepared to cast the spell again.

Rean, breathing heavily, felt his magic power growing increasingly abundant. Having just consumed a "Dragon Soul," he had so much overflowing magic power that he could waste it at will. The cost of a third-tier spell was nothing to Rean at this point.

"Boom!"

Rean and the archmages behind him were steadily casting spells. He did not attempt to go to the front lines to kill, even though he was indeed in monk form. The destruction a melee fighter could cause on the battlefield was completely incomparable to that of a spellcaster, and spellcasters of weapons of mass destruction were never enough.

Fireballs shot out from behind, occasionally accompanied by bolts of lightning. In this environment, the conductivity of the mud would make the lightning bolts very dangerous, but the archmages clearly did not care.

Fire and lightning have always been the main sources of damage on the battlefield.

They were having a great time shooting because, apart from the group defending the position, everyone else was the enemy.

The stench of burning flesh and the flow of blood in the swamp's sewage drew in more and more wildlife. No one was surprised when a group of enormous mutated crocodiles joined the battle.

Finally, the first group of fleeing people appeared.

Those mercenaries who are paid to do things are already quite remarkable for being able to hold on to this extent in the face of dire circumstances.

"Escape? Can you even escape?"

In this chaotic battlefield, retreating is tantamount to collapse, and the weak will have to bear additional costs.

The path back to the surface is completely blocked. Without the Great Mirror Demon's teleportation, the once familiar route has become several times more dangerous.

Those scattered deserters will likely die on the way.

"Maintain the terrain advantage, alchemists, fortify the position, and hold on—our reinforcements are almost here."

Although Rean didn't know why those "heroes" were so slow, he was certain that Dania wouldn't abandon him. Unlike the scattered noble factions before him, his own side, at least at the core, was truly a united front.

Although the reason for this "old buddy (dad)" is somewhat subtle, it also brings a sense of peace of mind.

Even though the white deer kept provoking Rean, Rean wasn't stupid enough to fight it one-on-one at this point. He even held back the eager Purple Rose.

"Since time is on our side, and they are the ones who are anxious, why should we give them a chance?"

On the battlefield, if the difference in strength is not significant, the attacker will generally suffer greater losses due to greater consumption. However, now that there are wild beasts and monsters everywhere, our side should naturally try to conserve its strength and prolong the battlefield.

"call!"

But suddenly, a sound from the sky attracted a lot of people's attention.

When the tainted, toxic dragon breath began to cleanse the battlefield, everyone knew there was no turning back.

One, two, a total of four wild black dragons appeared above the battlefield. Even though they were at most adult wild dragons, they were still a force that could influence the battlefield.

But the first unfortunate target was also a member of the chromatic dragon race.

"Ugh, they're all evil dragons, why do they just come at me and attack my own dragon right away?"

“They are just wild dragons. Other dragons of their kind have invaded their territory, so they will definitely fight them to the death.”

(End of this chapter)