VBNWDW - Chapter 90
Chapter 90
You’ve often seen cats and dogs with their fur standing on end, but have you ever seen a dragon with bristling scales?
This rare and unusual sight appeared in Saxon City, on the border of the Heracles Kingdom.
A black dragon, continuously tearing through space to make short-distance teleports, appeared roaring in the sky. Its furious bellows shook the clouds and crashed against the distant mountains.
Wherever the sound traveled, the dragon’s might followed. The endless flood of magical beasts, whether they were running, swiping their claws, or lowering their heads to tear at flesh, immediately froze. The lower-tiered beasts, in particular, practically prostrated themselves on the ground, trembling uncontrollably.
Beasts rely more on instinct than other races and are thus more susceptible to a dragon’s might. Even magical beasts on the same tier as a dragon couldn’t control their fear, unable to even unleash their full power.
This was the race most favored by the creator god. Even the lofty gods themselves were a step below the Dragon Clan.
The great dragon in the sky did not slow down. With a flick of its bony wings, it dove swiftly toward the city wall. Its sharp claws released their grip, and Ivo, clad in a mage’s robe and holding a staff, was tossed onto the ramparts.
Then, with another beat of its wings—bony wings that spanned dozens of meters—it stirred up a gale that sent people and objects below swaying. That simple flap was more intimidating than any spell a novice mage could painstakingly chant.
It shot directly into the air and whipped its tail violently.
Not far away, a magical beast shaped like a goshawk and covered in purplish-black feathers let out a sharp cry. Lightning crackled around its body, instantly coalescing into a sphere that enveloped it.
This was the seventh-tier magical beast the soldier had mentioned—the Thunder-type Purple Cloud Eagle.
Millions of years ago, the Purple Cloud Eagle was just an ordinary magical beast. But somewhere along the line, something happened, and it gained a trace of phoenix bloodline, awakening the rare thunder-element magic. From then on, it joined the ranks of powerful magical beasts.
Looking at the situation, it was clear that this beast tide was under its command. It was unknown what agreement it had reached with the Heracles Kingdom, but the great dragon couldn’t care less.
The tail whip, which even a demigod would have to carefully raise a hand to block, sliced through the air. The large sphere of lightning instantly exploded, and the Purple Cloud Eagle was sent flying.
Before it could react, the space around the black dragon warped for a moment, and it instantly appeared a hundred meters away, right in front of the Purple Cloud Eagle. Another claw came crashing down.
Lightning flashed, and purple feathers, harder than any blade, drifted down.
The previously domineering Purple Cloud Eagle was now like a rubber ball, constantly being batted away.
If its opponent weren’t a great dragon, the Purple Cloud Eagle wouldn’t have been in such a miserable state. It was, after all, a magical beast with a trace of phoenix bloodline, once the overlord of an entire mountain range with few rivals of the same tier. At full strength, it could even fight above its level. Even across the entire plain, its power ranked among the top.
This was the source of its confidence in collaborating with the Heracles Kingdom.
Never mind a single human city—as long as Heracles could pay a sufficient price, half a kingdom wasn’t out of the question.
But the Purple Cloud Eagle, accustomed to running rampant, had never expected to run into an iron plate like a great dragon.
A sharp bird cry echoed throughout the mountain range. Even the witless rabbits in the farthest reaches shivered upon hearing it. It was simply too tragic.
A tail whip sent it flying, a claw swatted it down, and a powerful kick launched it into the sky.
The black dragon showed no signs of stopping, the fury in its gilded eyes growing rather than diminishing.
Lightning flashed, striking the black scales again and again, yet it didn’t leave the slightest scorch mark.
The people and beasts below watched with twitching eyelids. The Purple Cloud Eagle, which just moments ago could cause a city wall to collapse with a single flap of its wings, was now nothing more than a toy for the dragon to vent its anger on.
Another claw swiped down, and a flurry of feathers exploded into the air.
The black dragon was seething with anger. How could it end so easily?
Perhaps even she didn’t fully understand where all this rage was coming from.
Ever since being sealed by the God of Light, the black dragon had appeared calm and unconcerned, but deep down, she was inevitably aggrieved. The Dragon Clan might seem lazy and careless, but they were actually proud and ill-tempered. Otherwise, there wouldn’t be so many storybooks describing wicked dragons.
So what if he was the God of Light?
If she hadn’t just come of age, she would have plucked every last one of his feathers!
The scene from the delivery room flashed before her eyes again. The black dragon narrowed her eyes, and looking at the mottled bird before her, she struck with even greater ferocity.
Take that for collaborating with them! Take that for starting a beast tide! Take that for your incessant screeching!
Half of the Purple Cloud Eagle’s feathers had been torn off and were now drifting down. Its cries grew ever more pitiful.
Below, Ivo pursed her lips and looked at the sixth-tier magical beast trembling across from her.
Its claws were covering its head, making its intention to surrender perfectly clear.
Ivo: “…”
Thanks to the great dragon, the conflict at Saxon City ended quickly. The reinforcements that had rushed over were only responsible for cleaning up the aftermath, such as dealing with the low-tier magical beasts hiding in residential homes.
Meanwhile, inside the central command tent, the sound of intermittent conversation could be heard.
Ivo walked to the front of the tent. She first glanced at the horses beside it, exhausted to the point of foaming at the mouth, then listened to the conversation inside.
“She didn’t give birth until the morning of the second day. It’s a black and white dragon egg with flame patterns, only about the size of two cupped hands.”
“Her Majesty said the dragon egg is very healthy, but she doesn’t know how to incubate it. She could only have someone weave a nest of magical beast hide to keep it by her side at all times.”
“There was a small sound from it earlier. It seemed like the little dragon lord inside was trying to break out of the shell, but after struggling for a long time without making even a single crack, it dejectedly shrank back inside to wait until it’s bigger to try again.”
“The Queen said she has some connection with the dragon egg, but not much. She can only vaguely sense its emotions. If Lord Dragon were there, she would probably be able to feel more.”
The tent flap was blown open. The woman inside had a gentle look in her eyes. She didn’t speak, listening quietly as Mo Wen finished her report. Then, the heart that had been hanging in suspense finally settled.
“Good thing it’s obedient, otherwise I’d smash it and make a poached egg to eat,” Yueqing muttered casually with a smile.
If Her Majesty the Queen heard that, she would surely grab her by the ear and lecture her. But with only the little knight Mo Wen present, she merely twitched her lips, unable to find the words. She could only look up at Yueqing.
The dragon, showing no restraint, kept her eyes curved in a smile. She waved a hand and said, “What else?”
“Also…” The little knight began to stammer, finally forcing out, “Her Majesty told you not to worry, that she can take good care of the Little Highness.”
Yueqing snorted, voicing what Mo Wen had left unsaid. “And then she told me to stay here and focus, and to lead the army to teach the Heracles Kingdom a lesson, right?”
Mo Wen nodded.
Yueqing didn’t know what to feel. She tugged at the corner of her mouth and finally said, “I’m starting to regret it a little now.”
She should have locked the little queen in the castle and stopped her from thinking about the Roy Kingdom all day.
She waved her hand in frustration and called out, “Ivo, take her to sign a contract with that bald bird.”
Mo Wen looked bewildered, but upon seeing Ivo, she instinctively lifted her foot to follow.
Inside the tent, the dragon propped her cheek on her hand and, after a long moment, let out a soft sigh.
What does it feel like to have a wife who’s too much of a workaholic?
The black dragon was now experiencing it firsthand.
Elsewhere, Mo Wen tilted her head back to look at the bald bird, which stood as tall as two people, her expression a mixture of confusion and astonishment.
“Is it…”
Before Ivo could answer, the bird became agitated. Its eyes instantly filled with tears, and it looked at Mo Wen as if she were its savior, desperately trying to say, Take me with you, take me with you.
But Mo Wen paused for a moment before managing to say, “How can it be so ugly?”
Mo Wen, who had received a proper knight’s education since childhood, rarely said such hurtful things, unless it was truly, exceptionally ugly.
With only a few feathers left on its body, a bald head paired with pink skin, and covered in black and blue bruises, “miserable” was not a strong enough word to describe it.
Hearing this, tears streamed down the Purple Cloud Eagle’s face. It was once a beauty among eagles, its purplish-black feathers gliding through the blue sky, drawing cheers and applause from thousands of magical beasts.
As a witness to the entire event, Ivo couldn’t help but raise a hand and clear her throat. “A seventh-tier, thunder-element flying magical beast. It’s very suitable for you.”
Mo Wen fell silent for a moment, then her eyes hardened with resolve. “I don’t want it,” she said with certainty.
Ivo: “…A seventh-tier magical beast.”
“Ugly.”
She paused, trying her best to persuade her. “Its element is the most compatible with yours, and its abilities complement yours.”
Mo Wen turned her head stiffly, her eyes lifeless. “But it’s really ugly.”
Why did everyone else get such good-looking contract partners, while she had to be bound to a bald bird!
Across from them, the Purple Cloud Eagle silently raised a completely featherless wing to cover itself, then lifted its head with a mournful look.
Detestable human! Countless humans had wanted to form a contract with it before, even human Magisters! This intermediate mage wouldn’t have even had a chance to get close to it, and now she dared to disdain it!
“…Could you please not look at me? You’re kind of terrifyingly ugly,” Knight Mo Wen said, her expression one of utter agony.
The Purple Cloud Eagle let out a sharp, mournful cry.
Detestable human!!!
The next day,
Citing the Atl Kingdom’s breach of treaty and collusion with the Heracles Kingdom, the Roy Kingdom officially declared war on both nations.
One front was led by Yueqing, the Dean of the Dragon Academy, and General Ivo, with an army of one hundred thousand soldiers. They attacked southward from Saxon City into the Heracles Kingdom, causing Heracles to lose three cities in just half a month.
The other front was commanded by the former Duke Ander, now the Queen’s strategist, Talia. With Dion, Ogechi, and most of the mages, she led an army of one hundred and fifty thousand against the Atl Kingdom. Although their progress was slower than Yueqing’s, they advanced steadily and had already captured two cities.
After Knight Mo Wen signed a contract with the Thunder-type Purple Cloud Eagle, she returned to Anthelia at top speed to serve as Her Majesty the Queen’s personal guard.
For a time, the flames of war raged, and the name of the Roy Kingdom echoed throughout the Chryse Continent.
That night, the evening breeze blew across the lake, stirring up ripples.
Ivo stood in the forest, staring blankly at the water’s surface when she suddenly heard the rustling of leaves.
She spun around to see Yueqing standing not far away. Her silver hair was draped casually over her mage’s robe, her features as rich and bewitching as ever, but they held a faint trace of guilt.
Yueqing looked up at the sky and spoke first. “Ivo…”
“Look, we’ve already taken three cities. The soldiers are getting tired.”
Ivo, not understanding, nodded slowly.
Yueqing pressed on. “I think we should rest for a bit. Otherwise, what if Talia and the others see how fast we’re progressing and get discouraged?”
Ivo: “…I don’t think they’ll be discouraged.”
Who in their right mind would compare themselves to a great dragon?
Yueqing coughed twice and said seriously, “I still think we should rest for two days.”
“You don’t need to beat around the bush. Just tell me directly,” Ivo said, her tone as cool as ever.
Yueqing, accustomed to this, let her eyes curve into a smile. “I want to rush back to Anthelia for a night. Do you want to come? Mo Wen probably misses you.”
Ivo’s gaze flickered. “You can go without worry,” she said. “Leave things here to me.”
The night was heavy, and the black dragon appeared once more amidst the clouds and mist.
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