Chapter 16: The Demon Is Smiling
Clarence could hold on no longer. The Azure Wyverns were utterly insane; gravity magic seemed to have no effect on them, and lightning spells were severely restricted by the two adult Azure Wyverns guarding them. With those two adult wyverns as protectors, the two juvenile ones became even more aggressive. That’s how Drayba was torn to pieces by them. Gilbanano was struck in the chest by those damned magical beasts and lay motionless in the lake—survival seemed unlikely.
It was extremely difficult to persevere under such circumstances. Now, the only option was to go their separate ways and try to survive on their own. It wasn’t that he didn’t want to take responsibility, but if things continued like this, once his magic ran out, none of them would be able to escape the clutches of those wyverns determined to tear them apart.
At the last moment, Clarence still decided to make one last effort to create a chance for his companions to escape. Whether they could succeed depended solely on luck. Reciting spells while waving his Yellowstone staff, he managed to dodge the fierce attacks of the Azure Wyverns. Three giant mud trolls suddenly appeared from the muddy ground, blocking the path between the wyverns and the magicians.
“Run!” Clarence plunged downward with his massive body. The already soft, wet ground suddenly collapsed into a huge hole. As Clarence disappeared beneath it, the soil closed back together. This earthescape technique was the most basic escape method for earth mages, especially on wet ground, which was why Clarence could hold on so long without fear.
The Azure Wyverns were stunned by the mud trolls created by Clarence’s magic. Their intelligence clearly couldn’t compare to humans, but seeing the monstrous creatures lunging at them, they understood that these sudden apparitions surely weren’t here to help them. Their wyvern tails lashed violently, and despite their two-zhang-tall frames, the mud trolls couldn’t withstand the fierce blows. Amidst flying mud, one of the mud trolls collapsed and turned into dust. Some of its remaining parts still had residual magic and writhed on the ground, piquing the interest of the two juvenile Azure Wyverns.
When the Clay Golem was summoned by Clarence, all the mages knew it was time to flee. If they didn’t leave now, they would never be able to escape. Shafrey shrunk slightly, and his staff instantly transformed into a massive column of magical energy. As the column swayed, countless dark green vines burst out from tiny holes in it, quickly covering the entire column. These vines stretched out like living things, forming a moving barrier. At that moment, Shafrey also used his not-so-excellent Wind Movement spell. A staff could be recreated or purchased, but life was only once. If he didn’t leave now, when would he?
The Azure Dragon immediately sensed Shafrey’s intentions and roared as it took to the air. But the vines on the column instantly expanded, forming a dense net that enveloped the Azure Dragon. The enraged dragon struggled desperately, but these vines were not easy to break free from. Vines as thick as fingers wrapped tightly around it. If it weren’t for seeing Shafrey flee without even looking back, Sorenberg might have doubted whether the Azure Dragon could escape such restraint.
But the Azure Dragons quickly proved their strength. When they contracted their bodies to their smallest size and then suddenly expanded again, the strained vines broke apart. The freed dragons soared into the air in an instant. But Shafrey, who had already gained time, was long gone from the edge of the ice lake, leaving the Azure Dragons in furious rage.
Compared to Clarence and Shafrey’s successful escape, Burzin and Dravard might not have been so lucky. Light-based attack spells didn’t cause much damage to Azure Dragons. Aside from one or two advanced light spells that could harm adult Azure Dragons, ordinary spells like Holy Light Bath had little effect on them.
When Clarence summoned the Clay Golem, Burzin could only desperately cast advanced Light Healing spells in quick succession. These spells, derived from light magic, were highly lethal to magical beasts and dark creatures but consumed a great deal of magical energy. Several Azure Dragons were simultaneously attacked by these spells. Intense light pierced their bodies like invisible blades, causing them to struggle and roll on the water’s surface in pain. Nearly exhausted, Burzin knew this was his only hope. Ignoring the risk of damaging his own foundation by using his Land Flight spell, he rushed forward at lightning speed, flying thirty meters in an instant.
But the Azure Dragon attacked by the holy light was not willing to simply watch its enemy escape. The fiercest female Azure Dragon suddenly entwined itself with its mate, their two dragon heads overlapping as they let out a furious roar that disrupted the magic crystal energy in their direction. The massive roar, carrying intense sound waves like a storm, caught Burjin off guard—he thought he had already escaped the Azure Dragon’s grasp. The sound waves rushed into Burjin’s body like thunder, and the fierce impact left him unable to flee, causing him to fall from the air. Despite having run nearly a hundred meters, he realized he was doomed under such attacks.
Dravard’s luck was even worse. The emergence of the Skylight Crossing Magic gave him a glimmer of hope. After casting three enhancement spells in a row, he knew it was time to escape. But since he wasn’t skilled in true offensive magic, his escape attempts were ineffective. His simple Wind Walk spell was just the most basic movement spell among wind magic, not even considered a true evasion technique. He hadn’t run more than thirty meters before being targeted by a young Azure Dragon. The icy killing intent made Dravard lament his poor fate—dying in such a place.
As the young Azure Dragon’s scaly claws neared Dravard’s skull, he could only bow his head in despair, waiting for death. But a shrill dragon roar snapped him out of despair. A puppet covered in a metallic sheen swung its scythe-like weapon, emitting a sharp shriek as it passed through the young Azure Dragon’s claws. The sharp scythe severed three of the dragon’s claws, causing intense pain that forced it to dive into the lake and thrash about. The puppet seemed unwilling to stop there; countless bulging bubbles emerged beneath its feet, allowing it to continue the fight on the water’s surface.
Burrowing into the soil, Clarence rushed out three hundred meters away and swiftly moved through the mud. Apart from a slight elevation on the surface that extended outward rapidly, nothing unusual could be seen. Only when he believed he had shaken off the threat of the Azure Dragon did Clarence quietly emerge from the ground to take a breath of fresh air. But as soon as he poked his head out, he realized he was extremely unlucky—a massive dragon spear tip was pointed right at his head. As the mud continued to compact, becoming as hard as rock, it pressed down so heavily that he could hardly breathe. Clarence knew he had encountered a true master of earth magic.
“Mr. Clarence, please get up. We’ve been waiting for you for a long time. Perhaps we can have a proper conversation.”
Shefrey’s escape also came to an end at the same time Clarence encountered trouble. A chilling combat aura instantly locked Shefrey in place. Suspended in the air, Shefrey had no choice but to follow the direction of the cold aura and land obediently. He didn’t know who was waiting for him, but as long as it wasn’t the Azure Dragon, everything was negotiable. Since the other party hadn’t killed him right away, it meant there was room for discussion—his life was probably not in too much danger.
Rebri’s task was the easiest of all. Buljin’s fall to the ground allowed him to complete his mission with no effort. The Azure Dragons that followed were immediately met by those silent, eager individuals. He knew this would be a battle without suspense—the Azure Dragons, already depleted of strength, were no match for these well-prepared dark magicians. He believed it wouldn’t be long before armor made from Azure Dragon skin appeared on some of Kommer’s key subordinates. Azure Dragon skin was a naturally magical-resistant material that offered resistance to almost all magic, especially against water and earth magic.
Rebri was right. The ensuing battle was completely one-sided. When Sorenberg, unable to hold back any longer, shot his spear and pinned the young dragon to a giant tree by the lake, the two adult Azure Dragons also lost all ability to resist under the combined assault of several magicians. With the help of two high-level skeletons released by Mihajic, the mechanical metal puppet successfully completed its mission, its sharp scythe splitting the young dragon in two.
At Komer’s hint, the knights who hadn’t died all vanished completely under Vladkov and Sorenberg’s inspection. Knights were of no use to the Caucasus; their innate upbringing and sense of family prevented them from being utilized. Since that was the case, there was no need for them to exist. But the magicians were different—they required special treatment. A demonically charming smile appeared on Komer’s face.