Chapter 66

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Chapter 66: Giant Dragon Falls

Flames burned in the sky, fragments of light airships tumbling in the sky, with occasional small explosions from larger pieces. The sky momentarily felt like doomsday, with dark rain clouds and stars igniting. Whatever weapons they brought, they shattered with the airships, no longer a threat.

Arborists on the ground cheered softly, many needing to treat their eyes afterwards, the explosion’s light brighter than the sun. Nature manipulators still bowed their heads, holding their staffs, sweat falling heavier than rain. "Success!" as companions relayed the victory message, everyone swayed, some leaning on staffs slipping down.

What power can control the weather?

Unlike artificial rain, this was no easy feat. These nature believers communicated with the clouds, guiding water vapor with human souls, as if steering a river with a wooden oar. They guided, persuaded, deceived – the storm a miraculous creation, achievable but draining their energy.

Rain clouds dispersed after some fell, like a sudden summer storm, pouring all water within minutes. The resilient stardust in the sky flickered out by rain, watering the earth leaving no sparks. Vines held up Druid, a nature manipulator, surrounded by exhausted comrades, soon to be taken to the dungeon for rest or healing. Others pondered on restoring the stirred weather, anticipating a chance after the war.

The sky clear, the war’s process and outcome swiftly reached the other side in battle.

Officers in the command room fell silent, none daring to look back at the general. The highly anticipated airship fleet was lost in the initial battle, the colonel proposing the airships leading left speechless as the explosion blanked out scout birds’ images in the distance.

A hand wearing leather gloves patted the lieutenant colonel’s shoulder, making him jump up from his seat like a spring. "I’m very sorry, General!" he replied loudly, his voice tense with fear. "My mistake led to…"

"You should feel sorry," the general said coldly. "How is the progress of the Second Battalion?"

"We expect to reach Ribe Lake this week!" the lieutenant colonel replied hastily.

"Excellent," General Shirel said. "You will lead the troops in the assault after it’s done."

"Yes!" The lieutenant colonel clicked his heels, saluted, and his tone was hard to tell if it was bitter or relieved.

Only a little wreckage was left of the light airships, they were blown to pieces in the sky, even the best craftsmen couldn’t repair them. The only salvageable parts were a small portion of Magic Stone, a crystal hard but fragile like glass, most of which had been blasted into invisible dust, even the keenest Ahuang couldn’t find it.

"Unfortunately, Magic Stone is a magical crystal that is unstable and can vaporize upon reaching a certain level of instability," Victor sighed. "That’s why wizards used to hate the Dwarf Craftsmen, those fellows who loved explosive gadgets could annoy the wizards who carefully controlled the magic."

But this was not a waste either.

Tasha could sense a subtle change, like animals in the desert keenly detecting moisture gathering. This amount of "moisture" wasn’t enough to create rain, but it made the dry air comfortable. The debris of Magic Stone lost its form but didn’t truly disappear, they scattered into this world after the explosion.

The giant dragon opened its eyes underground, its eyes reflecting other flying dragons in a golden red color.

The "nest" is located below the slime storage room, close to the Magic Pool and Dungeon Core. This is the most magical place in the dungeon, where surface creatures feel uncomfortable, but dungeon creatures can quickly recover here. The dragon breathes in the magic overflowing from the Magic Pool, its shattered scales healing between each breath. The gnome directly brings Magic Stone fragments from the surface into the nest, at the request of the dragon – it has a keen intuition similar to an injured animal seeking herbs in this regard.

The Magic Stone fragments that once served as the cores of light airships are piled around the flying dragons, subtly influencing their recovery with the barely visible lightning attributes carried by the Magic Stone. Just like when repairing a statue, certain materials or colors are sealed inside simultaneously. Their damaged wing membranes slowly heal, charred scales and necrotic flesh gradually regaining vitality, ensuring that the next time, a similar scale of electric shock will not knock them down again.

Half of the dragon riders are injured, but they have double the amount of reserve personnel – the number of dragons in the dungeon is limited, but the trained dragon riders are not. As long as the flying dragons can continue to fly, different units of dragon riders with different faces will continue to soar and fight in the sky.

Everyone is busy in the intervals between the two battles, waiting for the next opening.

The night at Ribe Lake is quiet, all the entertainment venues are intermittently closed. There are no more overlapping wine glasses or swaying dances of sleepless nights. It seems that overnight, all the wealthy families have returned to the days of a hundred years ago. The prominent merchants reminisce about that era, but they have to get used to it, rather than have no entertainment, they are even more unwilling to be exposed to torture and death.

The traitor’s head is still hanging in the central square, fully armed soldiers guarding the tall wooden poles. The general claims this is to lure out the impatient remnants, while others know it’s more of a warning. When passing by in a carriage, they drop the curtains and close their eyes. But if you walk past it, everyone forces themselves to maintain a normal expression, a perfect look of disdain to keep their distance. Be careful, be careful, the general’s eyes are everywhere.

Leaving Ribe Lake is simply not an option, whether you want to return home to relatives or recuperate in the countryside, the soldiers guarding the transportation routes will not allow anyone to pass through. Submitting an application will only draw the attention of the general, and no one wants to appear on that list. People say that General Shirel has a memorandum filled with the names of enemies, most of whom have been personally removed by him in a form of death. No one wants to personally test the credibility of the rumors.

"This is great!" many people exclaimed happily at first, "Those arrogant wealthy folks should have been restrained a long time ago. How much have they wasted, and how many have suffered under dirty money!"

Unfortunately, the rich were not the only ones affected.

Normal citizens’ lives changed even more, but people often stayed silent about it. When they could still get by, who would dare to confront the military officials? The streets became emptier, workers kept their heads down, pretending not to see the closed buildings.

Many schools stopped classes, ensuring that no child would say anything dangerous ("Why haven’t those tough sisters and people with big dogs come to class? – Yeah, we’ve all been to their classes.") before everyone could enjoy their holidays. Many shops closed indefinitely, with notices posting various harmless excuses like renovation, redecoration, staff vacations, and so on.

The owners of entertainment venues worried about not making enough money, while small merchants who might not be able to eat after just a few weeks of closure were tearing their hair out at home. Of course, they didn’t complain- who would dare to complain? Half of the people had handled goods from the southeast corner, and in the increasingly interconnected society, apart from those who bitterly hated Hybrids, hardly anyone dared to say they had no connection to the southeast corner. If soldiers really came to investigate, could you be sure nothing would happen to you if you had bought furniture made by southeast artisans in your shop or had potted plants from there on your windowsill, maybe even parts from there even if they didn’t have Southeast Chamber of Commerce labels? Shopkeepers looked at their kitchens and cupboards, scratching their heads, unable to figure out which part was completely innocent, so they closed the shop doors.

Later on, many shops that believed they were completely innocent also had to close. When only one shop was left open on the entire street, soldiers patrolling the street came ten times a day, and valuable customers fled when they heard the sound of military boots, being genuine locals, human beings, law-abiding residents, just not wanting their pockets to be emptied during checks. Soldiers at Level One Alert had the authority to question anyone suspicious and confiscate any suspicious items.

If there were no customers at all, closing for good might save some money.

"But for our safety, all this is worth it," people said, not knowing if they truly believed it or were just comforting themselves.

Some people were genuinely thrilled: those who strongly hated Hybrids, many of whom had planned (or already contributed) to expelling Hybrids "with their own efforts". People who had vandalized Hybrid products in the past were once called criminals, but now they were hailed as "great heroes unafraid of authority". These people were warmly welcomed, and each face glowed red with excitement under the general’s encouragement.

"I knew this day would come!" they exclaimed excitedly, "Justice will prevail, the corrupt traitors must be eliminated, for Aryan!"

General Shirel gave them special medals and armbands representing the army’s approval, and then they marched together with the army on the main street. Following tradition, this group, who had organized themselves voluntarily during the war for the sake of humanity, was called the National Defense Army. The local National Defense Army members knew every corner of Ribe Lake. They blocked every pathway, charging towards every traitor they knew, with even more fierce loyalty than the real army.

"But it’s just a basket of vegetables!" complained the housewife whose dinner ingredients were being searched. "What can a few eggs do?"

"Let’s calm down," her husband repeated, trying to pacify her. "It’s only a basket of vegetables."

There could have been much greater losses than just a basket of vegetables.

The closed gallery was broken into, the artists’ gathering place and residence were invaded. "It’s them, officer!" proudly exclaimed the informant with a small beard to the National Defense Army. "Every painter here is colluding with Orcs, their artwork is the proof! The widow Laura is their sponsor, the traitor has fled to the Hybrid’s place before the Army of Justice arrives!"

"If we were treasonous, why would we still be here?!" exclaimed the artist Walke angrily. Though he had received hints from the sponsor, he refused to leave with them. "We are not traitors! We all deeply love Aryan, and humanity!"

"You mock the army that conquered Orcs and yet claim to love humanity?" countered the National Defense Army, examining the paintings they found.

"It’s because we love Aryan that we want it to become better, just like trying to help a dear brother change his ways!"

"How dare you compare Aryan to your brother, and accuse our great empire of having flaws?" shouted the informant, seizing the opportunity. "Even if you are not commiting treason now, you have the intention to betray!"

Half of the painters had already burnt the paintings from The Call of the Wild exhibition, while the other half hadn’t. They insisted they were not betraying anyone and were taken away.

"Excuse me, could there be a mistake?" the landlady said cautiously, wiping her hands on her apron. "They are all good young men and women, never did anything wrong, just painting. How could drawing hurt anyone? They are all young and naive…"

"Are you in cahoots with Orc too?" the National Defense Army asked with a stern face.

The landlady shook her head repeatedly, retreating in alarm.

Starting as painters, later becoming poets, novelists, screenwriters, and newspaper contributors, the National Defense Army searched for clues in their words, believing a sentence hinted sympathy towards Hybrid, and the story implied discontent towards generals, armies, and the National Defense Army. "Even if there’s no act of treason, there’s the intention of treason!" they echoed the words of a man with a little mustache, finding them fitting. Another common slogan was "For the Aryan!" so noble and right, no one dared to criticize any action in its name – do you not agree with this statement? Then you must be a traitor.

General Shirel stood atop a high building, listening to the shouts echoing from all directions, a satisfied smile on his face, like a smoker taking a deep drag. "Listen," he said contentedly, "this is the voice of the people."

Perhaps when there aren’t enough soldiers, following past wartime practices, there could be conscription for all.

The second troop arrived at Ribe Lake on the last day of the week.

Unlucky residents heard strange sounds in the early hours of that day, thumping, thumping, clattering, clattering. What could those sounds be? They couldn’t imagine or comprehend, as the soldiers had already nailed their windows shut the night before.

On the road where the second army passed, there were soldiers guarding closely. Even birds flying over were shot down. Along the way, small shops had to close (if they hadn’t already), residents were nailed inside their homes and forbidden to leave; mechanical birds patrolled in the sky. After the last quick response in the southeast corner made the general suspect spies, this time, in order to achieve a thunderous strike, the information was tightly sealed.

Aryan’s new weapons were unknown, but the information risked by spies only let Tasha know that the war was about to begin. The mystery was revealed when the second army set foot on the battlefield. She looked towards the direction of the approaching human army through the watchtower, took a deep breath softly.

They were a row of enormous objects.

It might not be entirely accurate to say, but compared to airships, they were quite small, just much larger than ordinary people, like giant circus wagons. Instead of six horses pulling in front, there were six pairs of wheels rolling beneath them. These wheels, rolling on their own, were connected to a flat metal track that allowed the heavy vehicle to travel across uneven sandy and muddy terrain.

"What’s that?" Victor whispered.

Tasha could tell him what it was, as the metal body and tracks were too typical. It was a row of dozens of armored vehicles, with many mechanical birds parked on them, a shovel-like arm extended in front, and human soldiers following behind.

Tasha knew that the traps set by the Craftsman Dwarves on the battlefield were probably useless.

The "shovel" of the armored vehicles probed the land ahead, triggered various traps, detonating magical landmines developed by the Craftsman Dwarves. The long metal nails next to the shovel were driven deep into the soil, piercing several meters, tracing an arched path, lifting the soil abruptly when detecting hollow parts. The partition in the vehicle opened, and a small mechanical device with a drill bit emerged, drilling into the ground like a well-digging machine. Tasha quickly realized that this device was specifically used to find dungeon entrances.

Paladin Alexander could punch open the passage to the dungeon, this machine could do the same thing as long as the dungeon was below them. Implementing tactics to collapse the tunnels became obsolete, risking exposing a vulnerability if they dug the passage under these armored vehicles.

If we wait a little longer, there might be a better solution available…

But Tasha discovered something behind the first row of armored vehicles.

The human army ran behind, clearing triggered traps, and constantly adjusting the condition of the armored vehicles. Behind the lead mine-repelling armored vehicle, there was another larger one with no front arms, only a "tail hook": from that open hatch, two rows of metal tracks were being laid down, forming a long track behind it leading towards Ribe Lake, maybe even further.

The residents of the dungeon had never seen metal tracks before, Tasha didn’t know what would come out of it, but she wouldn’t let the enemy lay down tracks leading to the dungeon.

The Dragon Knight and the dragon swooped down, breathing fire towards the convoy, covering the last armored vehicle. The army scattered suddenly, the dragon rose after the dive, preparing to fly away from the possible explosion. Just as it was about to ascend, it plummeted without warning.

"Trap!" Douglas shouted in the telepathy link.

The track emitted an ominous glow, several front armored vehicles were melted into iron blocks, the last one miraculously remained undamaged. On the top of the giant armored vehicle, the previously empty steel plate revealed huge circular symbols, like a projector, magnified several times in mid-air, tightly capturing the falling dragon. It was an incredible sight, the massive body of the dragon suspended in mid-air, struggling in vain in a fit of rage.

"Magic array?" Victor said in astonishment.

"There’s such a thing? You never mentioned a word about it!" Tasha demanded.

"I’ve never heard of a magic circle that could trap a dragon in an instant, at least not in that era! Dragons’ magic resistance gives even demons a headache!" Victor argued, "If such a magic circle existed and could be easily engraved on a steel plate to carry, the wizards would have exterminated the dragons long ago!"

However, the dragons that stayed with Aryan had indeed disappeared without a trace.

As the soldiers closed in on the weakening dragon struggling in the non-pursuit moment, Tasha immediately gave the order.

A buzz rang out in the sky.

In the forest ahead, the mechanical bird, which had been hidden by trees, took off. The Craftsman Dwarf learned from the enemy and with an abundant supply of Magic Stones in the dungeon, could mass-produce these small flying machines. Although the control method was not as precise as that of humans, the dungeon’s mechanical bird had its own unique features.

Sharp at the top, incredibly fast in speed, but with fragile armor.

The last point, on one hand, was to enhance the drone’s speed, and on the other hand… it wasn’t really a disadvantage.

The mechanical birds on the armored vehicle also took off, or at least they attempted to. The humans’ decision not to let the mechanical birds fly directly over proved to be a huge mistake later on in order to conserve energy.

The dungeon drones came aggressively, like a swarm of wasps attacking a bear, and swooped down ferociously. When they arrived, many mechanical birds hadn’t had the chance to take off, leaving these steel birds with no opportunity to fly again.

A group of drones plummeted loudly from the sky. They were not very high-tech, unable to perform fancy aerial maneuvers like mechanical birds. However, the action of crashing down didn’t require any technical skills. All the solidifying technology was used on the top of the drones. They pierced through the bodies of mechanical birds like narwhals, causing them to crash heavily to the ground, on soldiers’ heads, and on armored vehicles.

Then, the fragile armor cracked and the explosive substances inside exploded loudly.

A small drone can’t carry much magic explosive, but what about five? Ten? One hundred?

A rain of steel fell from the sky, creating dangerous and deadly splashes. The easily torn fragile armor turned into numerous tiny steel bullets. When the contrast was against flesh and blood, they were not fragile at all. The mighty bodies of dragons and Dragon Knights only suffered minor scratches, while the surrounding soldiers were swept away.

Amidst a chaotic cry of despair, other armies from the dungeon appeared.

Halite’s repeatedly expanding troops rushed down, cavalry in the front, infantry in the back. Despite having futuristic weapons like armored vehicles, the northern human soldiers still fought with cold weapons, turning the battle into a period of cold weapons. When these people were chaotic due to the shrapnel, the charge of the cavalry was like a long spear, deeply piercing into the dense army from the flanks.

Druids teamed up with Amazonians, and Shape-shifters carried archers to the best positions, enabling them to shoot accurately. Arborists’ seeds entwined at the tips of the arrows. Arrows seemingly shot into the air pierced into the ground, quickly sprouting into a large mass of vines that entangled several nearby soldiers. They fell on the rapidly changing battlefield and couldn’t get up amidst the trampling. Beast Speakers’ spirit pets, the falcons and hawks, swooped down skillfully and could blind soldiers with just one claw.

The army was the main force, with Professionals providing support. The army from the dungeon fought against soldiers far outnumbering them. There were reinforcements waiting in the rear, and hospitals refreshed with natural energy would only become stronger than before.

But the armored vehicles were still troublesome.

When the smoke cleared, many soldiers by the armored vehicles were injured or killed, but the steel giant beasts only had a few dents. The thick steel plates protected them from the impact, and when the drivers regained their senses, they started moving in a reckless manner.

The soldiers from both sides quickly mixed together after the charge, but the driver of the armored vehicle didn’t care about the casualties. The steel giant beasts roared mechanically on the battlefield, their tires spinning fast and their tracks gripping the ground tightly, like mad elephants charging into the crowd. The crowded battlefield left no room to escape, and soldiers from both sides were knocked down, then crushed by them. Their bodies only caused the armored vehicles to shake a bit as they smoothly rolled over the corpses, leaving blood everywhere.

With other armored vehicles clearing the way, the armored vehicle carrying a dragon was evacuating the area.

The vines of the Arborist intertwined with the tracks, but as the armored vehicles increased their power, the vines broke apart with a screeching sound. The flying dragon had not fully recovered, the dragon riders were absent, and a few brave soldiers managed to break open a small window of an armored vehicle, shooting arrows that killed the pilot, causing the armored vehicle to leave the battlefield—the cost was high. Tasha hoped they would collide with each other, but they didn’t. These enclosed steel giant beasts seemed to avoid each other’s direction repeatedly… Wait, a thought struck Tasha, perhaps there was indeed a connection between them.

A guess and a need for a highly mobile tactic appeared in Tasha’s mind.

By chance, there was another type of unit besides dragons and drones that could launch aerial attacks in the dungeon.

Tasha soared into the sky.