Your Majesty's money, why don't you engrave my name on it?

"Oh, please, you don't actually think only you can accomplish all this, do you?" The skeleton waved its hand, interrupting the other. "Who told you that? Some hag? Getting a single truth out of them is harder than getting them to wash themselves clean. Don't be silly, back then I didn't expect I'd have the chance to wake up now, but now that I've left the coffin, it's better for me to put it into practice myself."

“Give up struggling, give me what’s left,” the flames in the skull’s eyes burned fiercely. “You see, I won’t kill you… Ah, you’re already dead, so you’ll still die without a sufficient supply of magic.”

Joki is not just a warlock. Like Chargigi and Edward, he is also an excellent mage. However, due to the extraordinary bloodline of his family, even the arcane magic of another system is basically based on the use of the warlock's bloodline, which naturally includes the spell that brought Joki back to life.

If Chargigi were to truly strip him of all his power, he would instantly turn into dust, leaving not even a soul behind—he had already refused an invitation to embark on the journey to the dead once, and that door would never open for him again.

"Don't even think about it!" Joki roared like a wounded beast, and magic circles appeared around him with a wave of his wand, spreading out along with tentacles towards Chargigi and even Leslaufer and the others. "This is still your sealed place, and you will lie back in your coffin!"

If only he could seal this place off again!

"Wrong decision. You should have teamed up with them to deal with me—of course, they wouldn't have agreed."

Chargigi's bones seemed to be his magic wand. He waved his arm, creating a large number of colorful phantoms. While intercepting all the incoming spells, he also planned a counterattack. In an instant, the roar of magic exploded in front of and behind both of them at the same time, shaking the surrounding stone walls, but leaving no marks on them.

That was something Richard the Great specifically used to guard against Chargigi, who might not have died completely, so his power naturally couldn't destroy it.

While fighting Joki to a standstill, the demonic undead turned his gaze to Edward on the other side: "Hey, my dragon-loving grandson! Interested in helping me take him down? Isn't that why you came to me?"

"If you're willing to abandon your other schemes!" Ember Crown responded on Edward's behalf, simultaneously unleashing a torrent of fiery dragon flames that incinerated the invading tentacles into charred remains.

Joki has become weaker, almost half as weak! Several dragonborn exchanged glances and immediately launched a powerful, retaliatory attack on the extinct one!

This time, he has no way to replenish himself with the blood of his own descendants. In fact, Joki himself is a prey!

If we don't kill it now, when will we?

"Little Flash, clear a path for Lord Raslaufer!" Frostbane exhaled a breath of frost, freezing all the sticky tentacles around her. As she shouted, bright lightning flashed from her eyes, mouth, and nose. The next moment, a bolt of lightning as thick as a bucket blasted out, heading straight for Joki and shattering all obstacles in its path!

Joki and Chargigi were both on the same route. Although they had avoided it in advance, they felt no relief. They had clearly heard that the blue dragon's attack was not intended to kill them both at the same time, but merely to clear a path for them.

And that person was already standing in front of them!

Clad in the Broken Halberd, Raslaufer's black flame greatsword hurtled toward Joki with unstoppable force. Joki had no choice but to gather all his strength to defend himself. Taking advantage of this opportunity, Chargigi quickly followed, trying to find another chance to absorb all of Joki's remaining power. But just as he was about to succeed, another black and red blade of light slashed diagonally toward his fragile frame!

"What are you doing?!" Chargigi exclaimed in surprise, "I'm an ally..."

"I'm going to kill you!"

Chapter 669 Dragon's Finger Enters the Scene

They came to Chargigi to eliminate the danger; but once the danger was eliminated, Chargigi became the greatest danger!

Leslaufer was confident he wouldn't be wrong about this, so rather than waiting until then, he decided to take him out now!

The moment Dobler entered the battlefield, the magnificent battlefield of magical clashes seemed to suddenly become a gruesome meat grinder. Both Joki and Chargigi had to be on high alert to deal with it, otherwise, if they were not careful, they would face their true death hundreds of years later!

"This is truly unbelievable!"

The skeleton scurried about in a sorry state in the not-so-large tomb, wasting precious magic power. He was indeed a powerful spellcaster, but now he was just an undead, like a white dragon who had stuffed endless jewels and riches into a tattered wooden box. If someone kicked the box even slightly, everything would spill out, and all his efforts to collect would be in vain.

His skeleton was no sturdier than a broken wooden crate, and Raslaufer would never kick him "lightly".

“It seems we have to change our plans, grandson,” Chargigi said, realizing that if things continued this way he might end up with nothing. He then turned to Jogi and tried to make peace. “Let’s get rid of these outsiders first, and then decide who will get the final reward. What do you think?”

Joachim remained expressionless, neither rejecting nor agreeing to his ancestor's proposal. However, just as Raslaufer was about to overwhelm both sorcerers single-handedly, the Extinct One suddenly burst into laughter.

"Hahahaha... Leslaufer, Chargigi! It seems I'll still be the winner in the end!"

Dozens of tentacles suddenly abandoned their struggle against Raslaufer, instead shooting straight upwards and slamming violently into the dome of the tomb with a deafening roar. This sudden action left everyone bewildered, but the next moment, Barbasabalone's scream sent chills down everyone's spines.

"Master, it's the 'messenger'! That Dragon-Finger Fidel has already led his men up there!"

"That golem that allows him to teleport everywhere?!" Daisy, still remembering the preparations for the Dragon Finger, quickly asked, "But which one did he get to?"

The little devil flapped its wings: "Who else could it be but our superiors! They suddenly appeared in the court assembly and, without saying a word, began slaughtering those nobles and officials. It'll probably be very soon—"

Before Barbasabalon could finish speaking, a violent explosion rang out atop the tomb where they were. Joki's report had allowed them to pinpoint their location almost instantly!

"Foolish, aren't you!" The Extinct One laughed with relief. "Reslaufer! You don't need to swagger around here. Someone will deal with you soon enough—look! He's here!"

Raslaufer tried not to follow Joki's lead and divert attention, but just as he was about to hit Joki again, the stone brick above everyone's heads suddenly trembled. Before their faces turned pale, dozens of sword marks simultaneously pierced through the entire stone brick, cutting it into nineteen pieces of varying sizes!

As the barrier above was removed, Chargigi, who had been on guard, let out a whoosh and rushed outwards.

"Thank you for your efforts!" the skeleton laughed. "Your contributions will be rewarded, but for now, I'm going to enjoy my—uh!"

The deafening roar that had shaken the entire ceiling rang out again, accompanied by the skeleton's agonizing scream. This time, everyone also felt the scorching heatwave that followed. Even a fireball spell would struggle to create such terrifying temperatures.

Among the Dragonborn, Jinmian's expression changed instantly upon hearing this turn of events.

“Sister Jin, you…” Edward noticed something was wrong and tried to ask, but Jinmian’s breathing became heavy, as if she was using all her strength to resist some irresistible temptation… or rather, mission.

Dragonborn are not dragons. Among their original ancestors, the vast majority were created to satisfy the needs of dragon gods or powerful dragons. This bloodline has been passed down, and even today, even though the dragonborn of this world are free, they still feel small and insignificant when they are near dragons.

This feeling is especially strong for those who truly have dragon blood—dragons are unlikely to allow themselves and their dragon descendants to reproduce, but they may reward certain very satisfied servants by adding some "spice" to their bloodline.

“It’s a red dragon…” Jinmian’s pupils shrank again and again. “How could they actually get their hands on a red dragon…?”

Being a dragon descendant is one thing, having dragon blood is another, but a true dragon is something else entirely! If Dragon's Finger really finds and persuades a real red dragon to be their henchman, then they... have absolutely no chance of winning!

That's the most powerful race of all dragons! Only the golden dragons can rival them—where are they going to find golden dragons now?

Not long ago, the words of the demon lurking beside the bard flashed back into Jinmian's mind: Justice is always delayed. Perhaps other righteous and benevolent true dragons will sense something amiss and come to quell the chaos, but they absolutely cannot appear now, which means that this time they are probably…

"Hey, wait a minute, why is this a little cub?"

Just as Jinmian was lost in thought, the billowing smoke and dust caused by the cutting of blades and the bombardment of flames above finally dissipated, and the voice of the skeleton, seemingly attacked, rang out once again: "A fledgling dragon? Is your dragon even legitimate?"

If it were a young dragon, that sneak attack could have killed him instantly, or at least severely injured him. Although Chargiji might not be worried about a direct confrontation right now, his current skeletal structure is simply not strong enough to withstand such a beating. The only reason he is still alive is that the other party is not yet an adult.

Even the little dragon looked malnourished.

In Chargigi's time, dragons, giants, and the like had not yet completely disappeared from the stage of history. He had seen what a normal red dragon hatchling should look like.

"Hey, little one, where's your mother? Call her over, she might even have slept with me!"

The skeleton's erratic behavior resulted in a fierce magical clash. After a moment, it seemed that Chargiji was at a disadvantage, so much so that Dragonfinger Fidel's gloomy face appeared at the cave entrance above, looking at Jogi, who was still inside the tomb and unable to escape from Raslaufer's blade.

“Another undead, Joki. It seems your little trouble is quite something. But it doesn’t matter. Time has come to an end, which is also the beginning. All things of the ‘pseudo-era’ will be reborn—except for the garbage that must be cleared away.”

“Rodrigo, this is the Dople I told you about, Reslaufer, kill him.”

Chapter 670 The Army Assembles

A swift sword, like a cunning serpent, descended from the sky, aiming straight for Raslaufer's vital point.

That technique was familiar to Leslaufer; Sid, the apprentice he had killed, was a successor of this school of swordsmanship. And behind this sword, Doppler saw Sid's teacher, a sprightly old man with a full beard and hair.

Did he know about his apprentice's death? Raslaufer didn't know, but that didn't matter. He swung his greatsword back, preparing to counterattack.

But before him, another pink coral rapier struck the blade of the Swift Sword much earlier.

Mary's thick braids did not hinder her movements. She tilted her head slightly, smiled at Raslaufer, and then looked at the old man who had stopped: "You are Rodriguez, the Sword Saint of Corazond?"

The eighty-year-old man had expected his sword to be blocked: his opponent was Raslaufer, the renowned Doppler. If he couldn't even withstand a single move from him, then his reputation was far too undeserved.

But what kind of expert is this girl?

Her appearance suggested she was from West Inas, which bordered Corazond, but Rodrigo couldn't recall her at all.

Especially... she looked exceptionally young, in her early twenties, much younger than her own disciple, Sid.

By the way, Sid... I wonder where that restless guy has gone off to gallivant...

“I am Rodriguez,” the old man sheathed his sword, bringing his thoughts back as well. “I dare not claim the title of Sword Saint, for there are already too many so-called Sword Saints in Corazond.”

“Without you and your disciple, there would probably be even more alive.” Mary’s words were ambiguous, neither sarcastic nor anything else, but she adopted a fighting stance, seemingly ready to challenge Rodriguez to a duel.

“You are no match for me,” Rodriguez frowned. “Leslaufer, are you really going to let this little girl die like this?”

“Margaret Lister of the City of Tranquil Gourmets,” Mary said, not giving Leslaufer a chance to interject, “is also a disciple of Lord Leslaufer. Speaking of which, we have met your disciple, Sid, before.”

“Sid?” Upon hearing the name, Rodriguez’s hand trembled slightly. He sensed an ominous tone in the other man’s voice. “Where is he? What happened to him?”

“He’s dead.” Leslaufer thought Mary was trying to provoke him. Even if Rodriguez was strong, he was already eighty years old. As a human, he was long past the age of wielding swords and spears. If his mind was unstable, it would be even easier to defeat him.

But Mary clearly didn't intend to do that.

“He died during a teaching session,” Mary interjected. “His Excellency Raslaufer tried to teach him, but he ultimately failed to make any progress. And I’ve heard that in Corazonde, if this happens, an exchange of apprentices is necessary.”

If Raslaufer's own disciples received the same level of instruction as Sid, then Sid's death was entirely due to his own weakness and Rodriguez's overindulgence, and had nothing to do with Raslaufer; conversely, if Mary also died at Rodriguez's hands, then it would be reasonable, and the two sides would be even.

Since this rule came into being, it has almost always ended in the second outcome.

“You only know the basics,” Rodriguez shook his head. “Are you really sure you want to do this? Do you even know who the last person in Corazonde survived under this rule?”

“It’s me,” Mary said, without giving her time to think. “You should understand what that means.”

As an apprentice, he was able to survive a furious Corazonde swordsman who had lost his beloved apprentice. Now, if the roles were reversed, Rodriguez would be in even greater danger, ten times, or even a hundred times more dangerous.

This is not something you can joke about with your life.

“Mary…” Angelita hesitated, unsure whether she should step forward, “Uncle Leslaufer should be able to—”

“He has more to face,” Mary shook her head. “So be it. If I die… it’s not such a big deal, is it?”

As he spoke, the tip of the rapier created a brief vacuum in the air, producing a soft sound: "Lord Rodriguez, please enlighten me."

"I'll try to get everything sorted out while you're still alive." Seeing this, Raslaufer didn't try to stop him anymore. Instead, he leaped up and broke free of the tomb to face the remaining enemies.

Mary is right; he needs to face even more enemies.

A powerful black dragon with axe-like horns on its head swung a giant axe at Raslaufer. Dobler dodged to the side and then changed his attack. As the axe swung up again and collided with Raslaufer's sword, its lower edge hooked onto Dobler's sword and attempted to disarm him.

"I am Mascara!" a raspy female voice roared, "This is the name of the man who is about to kill you—"

With a muffled thud, several fangs were spat out of the dragonborn's mouth as Raslaufer swung his fist. Dople punched the dragonborn's scaly face, and the protrusions at the broken man's joints made the blow feel like a warhammer, causing Mascara to see stars.

But more dragonborn rushed up around her, surrounding Raslaufer completely. All sorts of weapons pieced together an impenetrable wall, through which nothing could penetrate except their own breath.

"She's just a warrior..." Longzhi glanced at her twice before looking away. Although he was surprised that a little girl could hold Rodriguez back temporarily, the outcome wouldn't be any different.

As the gaze shifted, the red dragon cub, along with its fire serpent "relatives," wyverns, and several dragonborn, had already engaged in battle and were gaining the upper hand. On the other hand, Joki was chasing after the skeleton that kept trying to escape, and was not of any immediate use.

In that case, let his army deal with the rest.

Fidel hovered in the air, and a road descended from the sky with his incantation, one end connecting to this place, the other stretching towards a certain location in the Kingdom of Latour. The kingdom's army, which had already been turned against them, immediately set off, using the "messengers" of the Dragon's Finger to ignore distance and instantly descending near the Latour Royal Palace. Immediately afterward, Fidel unfolded a second and third road, and the armies of the kingdoms of Fica, Pope, and more than 70% of the entire Western Inasas were mobilized at this moment, converging here to launch a siege against the outnumbered and outmatched Reslaufer and his companions.

With the teleportation completed, even the "messenger" golems themselves could be transformed into combat power, dragging their enormous bodies onto the battlefield!

Chapter 671 Musical Instruments, and Why Must They Be Musical Instruments?

Veruna slicing through the air, deftly dodging the giant fists of the messenger golems, finally landing beside Angrita. As a shimmering shield opened, it protected Angrita and Daisy as they left the tomb below.

Although it was chaotic, it was still much better than being exposed to a swordsman's blade.

"Has Fidel gone mad?!" Daisy shouted through the howling wind. "All this fuss just to give us a taste of our own medicine?!"

This is beyond comparing; it's like using a sledgehammer to crack a nut! How powerful must they be to deserve this treatment?!

“If it were just us, we wouldn’t need this scale,” Veruna said, leading the two through the chaos of battle, gradually carving out a small clearing. “But if word gets out, then he’s probably not doing it in vain!”

"Leaked information? What information..." Before Daisy could understand what was going on, a portal radiating a soft golden light opened out of thin air in the clearing they had just finished clearing. As the portal opened, a familiar gray-green figure rushed out and charged at the nearest enemy soldier without even having time to greet them.

That burly orc was none other than Ironjaw. Behind her, squads of Frost Iron Guards filed out, further securing the gate's position.

Even further back in this army, a yellow horse led the charge, and the countess, sitting firmly on the saddle, raised her halberd and directed her knights and soldiers to form ranks to meet the enemy—it was none other than Skadi!

"How come even you—" The poet was truly dumbfounded. She never expected that her reinforcements would arrive on the battlefield in this way.

Now she finally understood what was going on—Fidel could only create large-scale teleportation using golems, and without this technology, maintaining such a portal would require a large number of spellcasters working together, which was absolutely impossible to keep secret!

“Don’t rush, we won’t be the only ones coming,” Skadi glanced at Daisy with a smile, then her expression turned serious. “Form ranks! Hold the line as planned. We need to clear the way for reinforcements!”

Then, on the illusory door made entirely of magic, Angelita saw a familiar mark with delight: "Was it Professor Paul who called for this?"

“It was him, along with the other priests of Ironforge, as well as Lord Heinrich and Brandon,” Skuld nodded. “They established contact with the Serak priests of several other parishes. Looking across Inathas, I’m afraid only these believers who pursue knowledge have the ability to construct such spells.”

Angrita and Daisy quickly understood what "the other parishes" meant: as the second portal opened, Felix and his men joined the battle, while the third portal brought forth mercenaries from Liondahl's forces and dark elves from the Evans family!

Meanwhile, the reinforcements emerging from the first portal continued uninterrupted. Although almost no familiar faces were among the helpers emerging, both Angrita and Daisy could guess that these were the warbands hired by Dieter.

With the timely arrival of these reinforcements, the one-sided situation on the field was immediately reversed!

"I haven't been on the battlefield for many years!" A white figure charged left and right in the chaos, her lantern-shaped shield mercilessly reaping life after life. It was Kalista. When she appeared here, she seemed to have forgotten what the world was. Wherever she went, she left behind only corpses that had died from deep piercing wounds.

“I knew it! How many decent people can hang out with Old Lei?!” Daisy blurted out. “But now that you’re all here, what about Ironfortress?”

“Of course Duncan is in charge,” Skadi chuckled. She didn’t join the charge but instead sat by the portal directing the operation. Felix was doing the same. “Speaking of which, Daisy, where’s your lyre?”

For bards, musical instruments are like a magician's wand. Without them, even if they can communicate with musical melodies through other means, the effect will be greatly reduced. But Skadi noticed that Daisy seemed to have no intention of taking out her own instrument at all.