Defeat the entire world with the power of one dragon!

Chapter 555 Cloud Engine, Primal Stone and Wild God
Daniels took half a step forward and looked up at the red iron dragon on the high platform.

"Your Majesty, for the sake of Atlantis, and for the sake of Aura himself, please grant my request."

His voice was earnest, and his eyes were sincere as he said, "As long as we unite against external forces, no matter how powerful the invasion from the Abyss may be, we will surely be able to turn danger into safety, quell the chaos, and rebuild a stable order."

Then the problem is coming.

Who brought the abyss here? And who caused the chaos?

Galos did not respond immediately.

He looked down at the young human messenger.

Daniels' black pupils, like embers after a raging fire, reflected his figure, yet they held an enigma of what lay within.

A brief silence fell over the hall.

Only the sound of the wind whistling through the cracks in the windowpanes, and the sunlight streaming in from outside cast dappled shadows on the stone slabs. On the high platform, the dragon's scales gleamed with a dark luster, like solidified lava.

After a moment, he slowly spoke.

"Holden sent you here with earnest words and a respectful attitude, praising you greatly and speaking of many perilous matters."

"But you haven't mentioned a single thing from beginning to end."

Daniels was slightly taken aback.

"what?"

"The source of the abyss's invasion is none other than you, Holden."

Red Iron Dragon's gaze fell on him, making Daniels feel an invisible pressure.

"Did this disaster start because of you? You were the ones who developed the abyss, you were the ones who extracted energy, you were the ones who brought those things into this world, and now you want others to bear the consequences."

"You want me to step in and clean up your mess."

"But you didn't say a word about Holden's responsibility from beginning to end."

Upon hearing this, the envoy Holden fell silent. He lowered his head, his gaze falling on the stone slabs on the ground, looking at the mottled light and shadow.

A few seconds later, Daniels looked up again.

"Your Majesty, you are right."

He did not refute or defend himself, but chose to stand at attention and face the sharp question head-on.

"It's all our fault."

"We explored the abyss, extracted energy, and thought we could control everything, that our wisdom and caution were enough to deal with any risks, but we were wrong."

“We paid the price, and the whole of Atlanta is bearing that price for us.”

He paused, then said, "We're aware of that too, and now, all we want to do is remedy the situation and try to minimize the losses."

"This is not to shirk responsibility or to comfort ourselves, but because we have to do it."

"After resolving the crisis in the Abyss, Holden will use the entire nation's resources to restore Atlantis from the damage it has suffered."

Red Iron Dragon nodded slightly.

Regardless of whether it's feasible or not, this attitude is at least acceptable.

When problems arise, instead of shifting blame to the abyss, demons, or anything else, one should directly admit that it is one's own fault. Not many people can do that.

“You said that in Atlantis, only I can destroy the fallen floating city.”

Galos changed the subject, saying, "However, Holden's influence is not limited to Atlantis."

“I am not irreplaceable in the whole of Bernardo. The orcs of Kantum, the elves of Nausir, and the strongmen of other continents, there are always people who can do the same thing.”

"Why didn't you ask those beings for help, but instead came to me?"

"In the most widely circulated ranking system, I am just an ordinary high-level legend, insignificant."

Daniels shook his head.

"Your Majesty, you have no need to be modest. To us, you are irreplaceable."

His tone was firm, without any hesitation.

"The orcs of Kantum seem to thrive on chaos."

"For them, the invasion of the abyss is not a disaster, but an opportunity, an opportunity for chaos, an opportunity for killing, an opportunity for plunder. The god they worship is a chaotic and evil higher being, no less dangerous than a demon."

"Expecting them to help fight the Abyss?"

"No, they'll only take advantage of the situation, stab us in the back, and make things even more complicated."

"The elves of Nausir are not our allies. However, to be honest, if they were not entangled in the Curse of Fury, they might have offered their assistance. But they are currently facing both the Calamity of Fury and the orcish invasion, and are too preoccupied to help us."

"And outside the empire, there is no suitable person."

Daniels said, "Take the dragon race for example. Those metal dragon kings are powerful enough, but they won't leave their own dragon domains and won't take that risk."

"And a malevolent dragon like the White Peril will only take advantage of chaotic times to stir up trouble."

"They would love for the world to be as chaotic as possible, because the more chaotic it is, the more opportunities they have."

"Most importantly, not all destiny-ordained beings possess the power to destroy a floating city in one strike."

When he said the last sentence, Daniels' tone carried a hint of surprise.

He raised his head and looked up at the red iron dragon on the high platform.

"Your Majesty, we have witnessed your strength."

“You have cleaved the rift twice, including against a great demon. We know better than anyone what these achievements mean.”

"Your level is indeed not high, but that's because you've far exceeded the usual level measurement standards."

The Red Emperor of the Kingdom of Aura is very young.

In the life cycle of dragons, two hundred years is just the beginning.

Many dragons at this age are still accumulating power and exploring the world, but this red iron dragon has already stood at the center of the world stage, and its performance is completely beyond the comprehension of common sense.

This is definitely an immortal form.

Barring any unforeseen circumstances, he is highly likely to ascend to immortality and become the strongest dragon in all of Bernardo.

In the past, Holden would never have allowed such a dragon to grow unchecked.

They will assess the risks and devise countermeasures, either recruiting him and binding him to their cause with resources and benefits, or stifling him and eliminating the threat before he truly grows up.

but now……

Fighting the abyss is the most important thing.

After speaking, Daniels waited for Red Iron Dragon's response.

Red Iron Dragon listened to Holden's explanation.

His expression remained unchanged: "You want me to take action, to destroy the floating city that is about to spiral out of control, to stop the abyss from encroaching, and to prolong the existence of the empire."

He paused, his eyes narrowing slightly.

"But what will you offer in exchange?"

"I have lived for over two hundred years, from a young dragon wandering the wilderness to where I am today. I have seen empty promises, I have seen people go back on their word afterward, and I have seen kingdoms that made solemn vows at the beginning but turned their backs faster than turning the pages of a book."

"If you come to me with nothing but enthusiasm and a few nice words to ask for my help, then let's not talk about it."

Daniels looked enlightened.

He bowed slightly, his movements respectful.

"Your Majesty is right, I was just about to tell you about this."

He straightened up, clasped his hands in front of him, and stood up straight.

“Saviors deserve rewards, and so it is. Although Holden is in a precarious situation, he still has the resources he has accumulated. We are willing to pay a substantial price to get His Majesty to intervene.”

Hong Tielong didn't speak, he just looked at him quietly.

Under his gaze, Daniels began to list them one by one.

"First, legendary-level items."

"Holden's treasury contains exquisite artifacts left behind by powerful figures throughout history."

"Weapons, armor, accessories, and functional items. A wide variety, all of superior quality."

“We will give you a list. For each floating city destroyed, you can choose any three items. If you have any special needs, we can even customize something just for you. Holden’s craftsmen are the best in all of Atlantis.”

The dragon's claws rose and fell.

Thump, thump, thump. The sound echoed in the hall, as if urging him to continue.

Daniels understood and continued, "Secondly, ancient gems."

"You should know that almost all of the rough stones are in our Holden inventory."

“The mines in Middle-earth, those legendary places where treasures are said to be hidden, have long been emptied out by us. What other kingdoms can find at most are some inferior products; the real raw stones are all in our hands.”

“We can give you a Power Gem first.”

Galos's gaze narrowed slightly.

The Kingdom of Aura has a considerable number of gems in its treasury, accumulated from mining over the years, seized from enemies, and presented as tribute by vassal states. These gems come in a wide variety of types and qualities, but there are none that are truly ancient gems.

These types of gemstones also have a general name.

——Raw stone.

It refers to the most primitive, oldest, and most powerful gemstone.

It is said that they were formed from the blood of the primordial gods during the war between the gods and the original gods, that is, the primordial wild gods. Each primordial stone contains a trace of primordial power, and therefore carries various unique and powerful effects.

Take, for example, the Power Stone that Daniels mentioned.

If you embed it in your body, it can provide a power boost to the host for a long time, enough to tip the balance of battle. You can also swallow it directly to obtain an extreme power burst in a short time, but the price is that the gem will disappear completely.

It's worth mentioning that Holden has raw stone testing technology.

That was their unique technology, capable of detecting the existence of raw stones deep underground. Relying on this technology, the empire monopolized and mined almost all the raw stones in Atlantis. There are still many mineral veins in Middle-earth, but there probably isn't a single raw stone in them.

"Like legendary items, we'll give you a gem for every runaway floating city you destroy."

After saying that, Daniels looked up at the red iron dragon. But he still didn't speak.

He simply nodded slightly, signaling Daniels to continue.

The envoy took a deep breath and continued, "Your Majesty is farsighted. In addition to the props and gems, we have also prepared alchemical techniques for you."

"Black oil crystallization technology".

"This is one of our proudest technologies, which enables the purity of black oil crystals to break through level ten, reaching as high as level twenty."

"You should know that the highest purity of black oil crystals circulating in the market is only level eight or nine."

"Only Holden can produce anything above level ten."

Black oil crystallization technology...

This stuff is really useful.

Aura is now heavily reliant on black oil.

Whether it's the alchemy workshop, the golem drive, or daily energy, everything relies on black oil. It's like blood, the energy that sustains the entire kingdom.

Most importantly, he needs black oil crystals, and the higher the purity, the better.

With Aura's current black oil crystals, the quality is gradually becoming insufficient to satisfy him.

Red Iron Dragon nodded slightly.

"continue."

Daniels remained silent for a few seconds.

His expression became somewhat complicated, as if he was weighing something, and then he spoke.

"Your Majesty, please forgive my bluntness, but besides the conditions mentioned above, we only have one last thing left."

"explain."

"We can share the alchemical technology that allows cities to float in the sky."

His voice was earnest.

"Linguistic technology?"

"Yes."

Daniels nodded.

"With it, you can elevate the Crimson Emperor's capital to the clouds, overlooking the entire Lyon Plateau. Even, if you wish, you can build a new capital in the skies above Middle-earth, overlooking the newly acquired territories like a god."

"You will become the true Lord of the Sky."

Galos said calmly, "Your engines will be corrupted by the abyss; you're better off without them."

Daniels shook his head.

"Your Majesty is unaware of this."

"The eroded engine is our fifth-generation Cloud Engine."

"Its core design does indeed rely on abyssal energy, which was a choice we made in pursuit of the ultimate. The fifth-generation engine has more than five times the power of the fourth generation, but consumes very little power. We have staked a lot on this advantage."

"But we also have the fourth-generation Cloud Engine."

"It doesn't require any abyssal energy at all; it only needs a massive amount of black oil or other suitable energy sources to operate. Although it consumes a lot of energy, it is stable, safe, and unaffected by corrosion."

At this point, the envoy Holden sighed slightly.

"Back then, in order to promote the advancement of the entire nation, we gave up the fourth generation and chose the fifth generation."

"Everyone thought that the fourth generation was outdated, that it was outdated technology, and that it should be phased out. Now that I think about it... maybe that was a mistake."

Galos raised his head.

He looked out through the skylight at the distant silhouette of the suspended city.

Almost all dragons prefer the feeling of looking down at the world from high above.

The commanding view from above, the sense of overlooking all the mountains and feeling as if the whole world is at your feet, is an irresistible temptation for all dragons.

To be honest, Galos likes it too.

One of his great hobbies was standing atop the Dragon Court and admiring the vast and magnificent scenery.

Standing there, watching the sea of ​​clouds surge beneath his feet, the sun rising from the east, his kingdom awakening in the dawn, was the most relaxing moment of his day.

But no matter how high the Dragon Court is, it is not truly standing in the heavens.

If we had the technology to manufacture this cloud engine...

He turned his gaze away and looked at Daniels.

"continue."

Daniels was sweating profusely.

“Your Majesty, we need your strength, and we will naturally offer something of sufficient value to show our sincerity. But…”

That's all.

He said, "Legendary items, ancient gems, black oil crystallization technology, levitation technology. This is all that Holden can offer in exchange for your participation."

“We can discuss the specific quantities of the first two, but this is all we can offer.”

Galos scrutinized Holden's envoy.

almost.

No amount of pressure can be squeezed out of them.

Therefore, Galus decided to stop while he was ahead.

"Yes. I can feel Holden's sincerity."

He said.

Daniels breathed a slight sigh of relief.

"Thank you for your understanding, Your Majesty."

He bowed slightly and said, "Specific details regarding the technology handover and delivery of supplies will be discussed with your country by a specialist later. What do you think?"

At this point, Galos only needs to nod to signify his agreement.

But Hong Tielong did not answer immediately.

His dragon claws gently tapped the edge of the platform, producing a low, muffled sound, each sound seeming to fall into the messenger's heart, striking upon his expectations.

a bit.

Two times.

Three times.

A few seconds later, the red iron dragon spoke.

"Did Holden send any other envoys to other kingdoms?"

He asked.

Daniels paused for a moment, then nodded.

"Yes, we have sent several envoys to several powerful kingdoms. Holden needs all the forces he can win over; fighting the Abyss requires the efforts of everyone."

He paused, then added earnestly, "But I can assure you with my life that you are absolutely the most valued person."

Galos asked, "What can they do?"

Daniels thought for a moment and replied, "Clean up the demons, contain small and medium-sized rifts, and provide support if necessary."

"We predicted that more cracks would spread, but on a small scale."

“They can hold the ground, prevent the spread of demons, and prevent the spread of small and medium-sized rifts, but... we don’t expect them to destroy the floating city. The only one in all of Atlantis who can do that is you.”

“Other powerful individuals may be able to destroy a city, but they cannot destroy it with a single blow, nor can they guarantee that a rift will not form.”

"Only you can do it perfectly."

Garus's dragon claws stopped striking.

He looked down at Daniels, his eyes gleaming with contemplation.

Holden has shown sufficient sincerity, including technologies and resources that would never have been shared before, such as black oil crystallization technology and levitation technology. These are the foundation of Holden's nation, and now they are willing to share them.

The envoy also adopted a very humble posture.

Daniels remained respectful throughout, admitting his mistakes, accepting criticism, and cooperating with the negotiations.

This, to some extent, illustrates...

They basically have no other choice.

After a brief deliberation, Galos made up his mind.

There's not much to think about.

Regardless of whether Holden's attitude will change in the future, whether their gratitude is genuine or merely a temporary measure, or whether they will turn against each other in the future, at the very least, they are now in the same boat.

If Holden falls too early, Aura will also suffer.

Once those floating cities fall, creating more large fissures, Aura will not be able to escape unscathed.

Moreover, Holden wasn't just talking nonsense.

What they provided was substantial, and both parties got what they needed.

He looked at the messenger.

"You can go back now. Have the people in charge of the negotiations come over."

Daniels' face lit up with joy, and then he bowed deeply, performing a grand salute.

"Your Majesty is wise."

Holden will be prepared, and we will notify you immediately should any floating cities become out of control.

(End of this chapter)