Ashen Dragon

Curtis's voice came through the headset: "You've been targeted by one of the strongest among the Orcs. According to our energy level detection system, this guy is above Legendary level and emits some sort of undetectable aura...

Evacuate quickly. If you get caught—tsk, then good luck to you."

The call ended.

Mantou looked grim, almost wanting to slap himself for always being such a crow's mouth.

After all, the death penalty deducts experience proportionately. If he died, the enormous amount of experience he had amassed over the past few days would be mostly forfeit.

But then, Mantou gritted his teeth and cursed under his breath: "Damn it, it's just an Orc, right? What, is he going to fly?"

Upon hearing Curtis's orders, the Wyvern Knights of the Aviation Corps simultaneously pulled their control levers, ascending almost vertically to the sky.

With the Skyfire Armor equipped, the Bipedal Wyverns' agility decreased significantly, but their speed increased drastically. Skimming low altitudes posed considerable risk; creating distance by scaling to high altitudes was the best option.

No matter how strong that Orc Warrior was, he didn't have wings to allow him to soar like they did.

Yet Solo's entire body tensed, half-kneeling on the ground, his legs resembling compressed springs.

"Boom!"

With a deafening roar, the earth suddenly caved in, and dust shot skyward. Under that immense strength, Solo's enormous six-meter-tall figure leapt rapidly, surging into the air over a hundred meters high, practically flying.

Meanwhile, the ground was riddled with web-like cracks, and a massive pit several meters in diameter and several feet deep had formed.

"Whoosh—"

The intense velocity caused the Orc's body to rub against the air, igniting streaks of flame that made him look like a meteor rising from the earth into the heavens.

Inside Solo's body, his heart, infused with Origin Beastman Spores, thumped violently, continuously releasing overwhelming force fields and oppression.

Watching the Orc closing in fast and gradually catching up, Mantou's eyes bulged: "What the hell is this monster? Can this thing even be considered an Orc?"

Faced with this scene, the Wyvern Knights no longer held back and all pressed their acceleration buttons simultaneously.

"Whoosh—"

The steel pipes at the rear of the Skyfire Armor erupted flames, propelling them faster and faster, forming scarlet streaks that pierced through the heavens.

But a few seconds into flight, under the constraint of gravity, the Orc's speed began to slow, poised to fall back to the earth.

At this moment, he was only dozens of meters away from Mantou! Yet the final bit of distance seemed impossible to close.

Relieved, Mantou turned around, made a face, and taunted: "Ha! Eat my dragon tail gas!"

"Bastard!"

Solo erupted with rage, his face contorting hideously, the muscles on his arms bulging, veins popping, and terrifying power accumulating.

Spotting the sharp spear in the Orc's hand, Mantou suddenly sensed danger, a chilling premonition forming in his heart: "Wait, this guy isn't about to..."

"Zoom—"

A piercing explosion tore through the sky as the sharp spear sliced through the air, hurling violently toward Mantou.

"Shameless Imperial People! Die!"

The thunderous roar of the Orc followed close behind.

Mantou frantically accelerated, pressing every emergency button on his armor in a panic. The rear of the Bipedal Wyvern erupted flames, lightning, force-field energy, and underwent several emergency evasive maneuvers.

Yet the spear, wrapped in Beastman Spores, was like a ghost charm, shadowing him relentlessly. In an instant, it closed in beneath the Bipedal Wyvern.

"Rip—"

First came a crisp sound, then the chilling noise of sharp metal penetrating flesh. The spear pierced through the armor, puncturing both the Bipedal Wyvern and Mantou consecutively, skewering them clean through.

Mantou lowered his head, staring at the bloodied spear tip protruding from his chest, feeling utterly hopeless.

Fittingly, a sped-up version of "See You Again" drifted through his headset, accompanied by Curtis's amused voice: "Mantou, thank you for stepping up to cover the retreat of the rest of the aviation battalion."

Game over. Careless move.

—That was Mantou's last thought before his mind went blank.

"Boom!"

The self-destruct device in the dragon's belly activated, and the dozen bombs stored inside exploded immediately, forming a blinding fireball in the sky.

Burning fragments rained down on the earth, Mantou's charred remains reduced to scattered lumps of blackened flesh, eerily fitting the accompanying background music.

The Orc Warrior landed thunderously.

"Chief Solo!"

"The mighty Solo! Your strength is awe-inspiring! You actually killed those Wyverns!"

"Wyvern Slayer, Solo!"

"Great Chief, you've avenged our warriors!"

"Enough!"

Solo, however, wore a gloomy expression, feeling no joy from killing his enemies, only irritation. He commanded coldly, "The Imperial People will return. Let's retreat quickly!"

"Yes, Great Chief."

Solo surveyed his surroundings, his face unreadable. At least after such display of strength, these Orcs would temporarily obey his orders—even the Clan Leaders were no exception.

He glanced again toward the fortress on Black Stone Mountain, silently vowing: Aivendel, I will return.

Next time, I'll bring an even stronger Beastman Army here, reclaim Aivendel, and not flee in panic like today.

...

"General Delor, Chief Solo is leading the Red Blood Tribe northward in retreat. Should we intercept them..."

"No, there's no need."

The Great Goblin waved his hand, turning to face the North: "Don't forget His Majesty's command. Our goal this time isn't to win this war, but to completely root out the Beastman forces of the Wuge Prairie."

The Adjudant hesitated: "But the Wuge Prairie is vast and boundless. Once there, it will be the Beastmen's home turf."

Delor shook his head with a sinister grin: "His Majesty Cassius said a Bishop can run away, but the church cannot escape.

As long as they return, we can locate the Green-skin Orcs' source and obliterate their settlements, addressing the Beastman issue from the root."

The Adjudant nodded repeatedly, flattering: "Truly, you are wise and cunning, deeply understanding His Majesty's teachings."

Delor felt pleased with the praise, smugly responding: "Of course. His Majesty personally entrusted me with this mission."

"No wonder you're General Delor; you've earned His Majesty Cassius's trust!"

As success approached, the Great Goblin General began indulging in the thought that he might soon be promoted to Duke, a prospect he relished.

Suddenly, Curtis's voice chimed through the Magic Communicator: "General Delor, we've just lost a Skyfire Armor unit."

Delor furrowed his brows. The armor was incredibly expensive, costing thousands of gold coins. Every unit was extraordinarily precious.

Delor asked, "What happened? Could those feeble Green-skin Orcs harm our aviation battalion?"

Curtis reported truthfully: "We encountered the Beastman's main force and tested them with a probing attack. Among their ranks was a warrior above Legendary level—likely their Great Chief."

"Legendary..." Delor's expression instantly turned grave.

Such beings commanded undeniable power across the continent. Even in the current Empire, individuals of this level were few and far between.

Xuandu Temple cultivated peach blossoms, sourced from Liu Yuxi's poetry, symbolizing detachment from worldly authority.

Jade Seal traded for wine at Hu Ji's, drawn from He Chao's poetry, expressing disregard for fame and official rank.

Handan inn squabbles over delays, drawn from Tang Xianzu's "Handan Dream," ascribed to Ancestor Luu, expressing an aspiration above petty quarrels.

Purple Pavilion painted halls with golden horses, "Purple Pavilion and blue terraces, ornate and interconnected," derived from Emperor Jianwen's poetry expressing disdain for material wealth.