Tower Defense Lord, random Wishing Tower at the start of the game.

Chapter 153 The Great Battle Is About to Begin

The shadow of Andres Castle had not yet completely dissipated when two powerful forces underwent a transformation at the same moment.

Deep within the castle, William was enveloped in a pale golden dragon's aura, with fine golden scales appearing and disappearing beneath his skin. He clenched his fist, feeling the surge of power within him, far surpassing anything he had ever known—the boundless life force and destructive power of a golden-blooded dragon warrior. He knelt on one knee before Lin Chuan, his voice steady and resolute: "My lord, William is at your command at any time."

"The first generation dragon knight?"

Looking at William standing in front of him, Lin Chuan's eyes gleamed.

At that moment, Vivian walked over.

"Your Lordship"

"The most perfect first-generation Dragon Rider."

He then nodded slightly.

William began to unleash his power.

Two forms.

Dragon form.

The dragon skin combined with William himself, and a terrifying dragon soared into the sky.

A powerful dragon's might unfolded.

In an instant, everyone in the castle froze.

They all knelt down on the ground.

Their eyes were filled with terror.

Even Vivian looked surprised at this moment.

"field."

"No, it's the pressure from the gods."

"I never expected that using the skin of this god-level dragon would actually grant William this power boost."

Then he looked at Lin Chuan.

"Your Lordship"

"William is able to suppress enemies who are not gods simply by relying on this dragon's might."

"He has a natural advantage against his enemies, but William's true fighting ability is only at its peak."

"This is the form of a dragon."

"Another one is the Dragon Warrior form."

As soon as he finished speaking, William descended from the sky and transformed back into human form.

His body was covered in wisps of red runes.

"The red dragon bloodline grants William immense destructive power."

"If this state can be maintained for a long time, the strength is at the peak of the Gold-type."

"In a real fight, they could put up a fight against Brilliant."

The first generation of Dragon Riders generally possessed the ability to fight against opponents of higher ranks.

This is a perfectly normal phenomenon.

Lin Chuan nodded.

"With William included, taking down the Black Orcs should be a sure thing."

"After all, this is a Brilliant-level item."

However, Antonia's contract has not yet been completed.

Once that's over, we should be able to enter the grasslands.

Beside the mud pit on the hill behind the castle, the sacred covenant had been forged. Antonia's silver armor seemed to have been cleansed by an invisible holy light, becoming even purer and more dazzling, with intricate holy runes flowing endlessly across its surface. The knight's longsword in her hand bore a lifelike golden dragon emblem on its hilt, the power of holy light and the dragon's might resonating harmoniously within it, radiating a chilling majesty.

The most striking change came from Theresa. Her once lifeless golden dragon body now seemed to be infused with a new life force. The shattered dragon soul, stabilized by the Holy Light Contract, had stopped disintegrating. Although far from full recovery, her enormous dragon eyes had rekindled with golden flames brimming with wisdom and power. A soft holy light flowed along the edges of the fine scales on her massive body, mirroring the radiance emanating from Antonia. Most captivating of all, a pair of enormous and magnificent wings composed of pure holy light energy slowly unfurled behind her. With a gentle flap, the wings stirred up fine golden dust, exuding a sacred and majestic aura.

The Holy Dragon Knight, Antonia Dawnbringer, was born here.

"Thump~"

A surge of pure energy fell from the sky, showering everyone upon them.

At this moment, everyone in the castle felt their souls being purified.

"A feeling of abundance."

"Praise be to the Holy Light."

Antonia emerged from the light.

At the same time, the golden dragon Teresa shrank in size and transformed into a maid who followed her.

"Praise be to the Holy Light."

Theresa echoed this sentiment.

"Your Mightiness."

"How strong are you now?"

"The pinnacle of brilliance".

"If you fight alongside me, you can reach the Saint level."

"Once I gradually awaken my domain, my strength will reach the domain level."

Above the brilliance are saints, domains, and demigods.

I didn't expect Antonia to be promoted so quickly.

Even Theresa was somewhat surprised.

They came to Lin Chuan.

Lin Chuan looked at the completely transformed combination before him, a look of satisfaction flashing in his eyes. Antonia's strength was already close to the peak of the Gold-level, and after contracting with the Holy Dragon, her power level had steadily reached the Brilliant level. Combined with Theresa's dragon language magic and powerful physical strength, they would become an unparalleled sharp blade on the battlefield.

"Very good." Lin Chuan nodded. "Theresa, your choice is wise. This power will be used to end the suffering of this land and fight for our common future."

Theresa lowered her enormous head slightly, emitting a deep and solemn dragon roar, signifying submission and acceptance.

Meanwhile, outside the castle, banners fluttered and iron hooves thundered. With his ruthless methods and the reputation of the Andres family, built up over centuries on the frontier defenses, Reis swiftly completed the mobilization Lin Chuan had requested. Over twenty thousand soldiers with basic training (primarily infantry and lightly armed archers) formed a massive main force. Most came from various castles and villages ravaged by dragon beasts and threatened by black orcs, their obedience to the Andres family (or rather, Reis) was almost blind, driven by a burning desire to "completely eliminate the black orc threat."

Reis himself rode a magnificent black warhorse (he had refused a dragon-beast mount, seemingly preferring the sense of control he felt in his half-dragon form), flanked by dozens of powerful dragonblood warriors (some survivors of the Andres family, others awakened or semi-awakened from other vassal families). This vast legion, a mix of human soldiers, dragonblood elites, and a small number of dragon-beasts Reis had subdued who still retained some semblance of rationality, exuded a unique aura of bloodlust, frenzy, and discipline. Reis's gaze towards Lin Chuan on the city wall held a hint of provocation and anticipation: "My lord, as you wished, the legion is assembled. Now, it's time to go hunting on the grasslands."

Lin Chuan stood behind the towering crenellations of the city wall, his gaze sweeping across the desolate buffer zone to the vast grassland shrouded in mist, seemingly teeming with countless ferocious beasts. Beside him stood Vivian, Lia (responsible for logistics coordination), Victor, and the newly transformed Antonia and Theresa, both radiating brilliance (the latter had retracted her light wings and was prostrate on the wide walkway of the city wall, her massive head looking down).

"The plan remains unchanged." Lin Chuan's voice was calm but carried an undeniable power. "Reis, you will lead your most elite 3,000 cavalry (including those Dragonblood Warriors and a small number of Dragonbeast Cavalry) as the vanguard and set off immediately to penetrate deep into the grasslands."

Reis grinned, revealing his gleaming white teeth: "Just what I wanted! I'll find the main force of those dark-skinned bastards, and while I'm at it—I'll loosen their muscles." His eyes gleamed with bloodlust and excitement.

"Your mission is to scout, harass, and create chaos, to find out the main force's movements and troop deployment, especially the location of their high priest," Lin Chuan emphasized. "Remember, it's reconnaissance, not a decisive battle. Report back immediately after discovering the main force; do not linger in battle. Your legion is bait, but more importantly, it's my eyes and ears."

Reis grunted in agreement, then pulled on the reins, causing his warhorse to rear up. He raised the greatsword, covered in dark red blood-red patterns, which he had found in the Andres family treasury, and let out a deafening roar: "Warriors of Andres! Follow me and crush the plains! For revenge! For survival!"

"Roar!!!" A battle roar like a mountain collapsing and a tsunami erupted from below the city. Three thousand elite cavalrymen, like a black torrent, led by Reis, rushed out of the side gate of the city wall of the Desolate City, kicking up clouds of dust, and galloped into the unknown depths of the grassland.

Watching the dust settle in the distance, Lin Chuan turned to the people standing solemnly behind him: "Daenerys."

"Yes, my lord!" The wolf rider commander stepped forward.

"Your Swift Wolf Riders, as the second echelon, will maintain mobility fifty miles behind Reis. Provide immediate support or cover should you receive a signal from Reis or detect any anomalies. Your mission is to ensure the reconnaissance route remains open and be prepared to cut off the retreat of small groups of Black Orcs at any time."

"Yes, sir!" Daenerys accepted the order and quickly turned to mobilize her wolf riders, who moved like the wind.

"William."

"exist!"

"You will lead the Snow Wolf Knights (whose numbers have been increased to five hundred) and two thousand relatively reliable light infantry and archers provided by the Kattis family. You will be responsible for reinforcing the defenses of our controlled section of the city wall, clearing any potential threats outside the wall, and serving as a reserve force, ready to be deployed at any time."

"Yes, my lord!" William replied in a deep voice, his eyes burning with fighting spirit.

"Vivian, Victor, you will stand with me in the central command. Vivian, your ice magic is a powerful weapon against large-scale charges; Victor, your flame storm will be our clarion call to tear through the enemy lines. Antonia, Theresa—" Lin Chuan looked at the Holy Dragon Knights, "You are our strongest trump card. You don't need to use yourselves unless it's absolutely necessary. Your mission is to deter, and in the final battle, to deliver a fatal blow to the enemy's core—especially that high priest. Maintain your readiness and be ready at any time."

"Yes, Your Majesty!" Antonia stroked the golden dragon emblem on the hilt of the sword, while Theresa let out a low dragon roar, holy light flowing faintly beneath the scales.

"Lia, the logistical support is in your hands. Make sure there are sufficient supplies of food, arrows, medicine, and spare weapons. Chief Katis will do everything he can to assist you."

"Rest assured, my lord, we will never let our warriors fight on an empty stomach." Lia nodded solemnly.

Just as Lin Chuan was making intensive preparations, deep in the grasslands, on the massive altar built by the Black Orcs from rough boulders and animal bones.

Suddenly, his movements abruptly halted, his cloudy eyes fixed intently on the divine crystal. Inside the crystal, the faint red light abruptly became rapid and chaotic, as if issuing a severe warning!

"Roar—!!!" The high priest let out a shrill roar, the sound piercing through the noisy camp, carrying endless panic and anger.

"Disaster! The aura of destruction! It's coming from the south—from behind that damned wall!" His withered finger pointed towards the walls of Desperate City, his body trembling violently with fear and a powerful premonition. "Those dragonblood families—they bring the end! They want to steal the source of the sacred fire!"

Beneath the altar, dozens of orc tribal chiefs and elite warriors, gathered in a dark mass, were stunned by the high priest's unprecedented loss of composure. But the news that the "Source of Sacred Fire" (divinity) was threatened instantly ignited their innate ferocity and protective instincts.

"Rally!!" The high priest's voice was like the cry of an owl, filled with madness and determination. "All warriors who can take up arms! All tribes! Put aside all disputes! Immediately! Gather in the south! For the sacred fire! For survival! Crush those invaders from beyond the walls! Use their blood and souls to quell the wrath of the sacred fire!"

"Roar! Ro ...

The entire orc camp erupted in cheers! The dull war drums were beaten wildly, and the horns blared mournfully across the grassland sky.

Countless strong, dark-skinned, fanged orc warriors poured out of makeshift tents and burrows, and like a swarm of black ants whose nest had been disturbed, they began to converge chaotically and rapidly at the roars of their respective chieftains. Their rudimentary weapons (stone axes, bone spears, crude iron implements) were raised high, and their fanatical battle cries coalesced into a suffocating sonic wave that swept across the entire plains.

They were no longer small-scale raiders, but came out in full force! For the "source of the sacred fire" they believed in, for the space to live, the massive war machine of the Black Orcs, driven by a premonition of the end times, roared into action, carrying a violent momentum that could destroy everything, like a black raging tide, surging towards the desolate city wall that had stood for hundreds of years in the south.

Reis's three thousand iron cavalry, like sharp arrows, plunged headlong into the surging black tide.

On the walls of the desperate city, Lin Chuan stood with his hands behind his back, his robes fluttering in the rising wind. He gazed at the air on the northern grassland horizon, which seemed slightly distorted by the movement of the army, his eyes sharp as an eagle's.

"A storm is coming." He murmured to himself, his voice calm but containing the solemnity of an impending storm.

Beneath the city walls, William directed his soldiers to reinforce the fortifications and move rolling logs and stones; Daenerys's wolf riders patrolled the wide buffer zone outside the walls; Vivian closed her eyes in concentration, a chilling aura emanating from her; Victor examined his staff, fire element leaping at his fingertips; Antonia gently stroked Theresa's massive head, holy light and dragon's might silently merging.

Building momentum.

The air was thick with the rust of metal, sweat, and a heavy atmosphere of "war." Reis's vanguard and the main force of the Black Orcs could clash at any moment on some corner of the grassland. And this crucial battle, which would determine the ownership of godhood and influence Lin Chuan's future divine war strategy, had already begun its bloody campaign.

A great war is about to break out!