Ashen Dragon

The sky above the Wuge Prairie was always clear and pure, but at this moment, streaks of dark shadows abruptly cut across it.

——They were the Aviation Corps of the Ashen Empire, a special military unit composed of wyverns clad in "Skyfire" armor.

Through the intercom came Singo's cheerful voice: "Mantou, you better be careful this time. Don't turn into crispy Mantou again."

Upon hearing this, the other Wyvern Knights burst out laughing.

"Mantou, how much experience did you lose last time you died? Was it ten thousand?"

"Got it, got it."

Mantou's face turned dark, and he responded with irritation.

"What are you all laughing at? If I hadn't given my life to cover the retreat, who knows how many of you would have been slaughtered by that hulking Orc brute."

"Alright, alright, you're the hero among us, sacrificing yourself due to a crash, so let's just call you 'Lao Da,' eh?" Instantly, the intercom was filled with laughter once again.

"You son of a ——"

Mantou's face flushed red as he stifled his anger, choosing to focus on browsing mission data instead.

Their task this time was straightforward: annihilate the breeding grounds of the green-skin Orcs and eradicate this horrifyingly prolific race entirely.

The Empire's Court Mage had gathered significant intelligence using spells: the Orcs originated from the Binder River, more precisely from its source—Yinav Valley.

The valley was filled with dense green mushrooms, and every single day, thousands of newborn Orcs emerged there. As the black-green river water flowed, the spores of Orcs spread all across the Wuge Prairie.

Looking at the intelligence reports, Mantou sighed: "I thought I came to Erezer to be a world-saving hero, but turns out I'm just piloting wyverns and blowing up valleys."

Singo replied, "Those careful, dutiful adventurers you mentioned? They're not even at Tenth Level yet. You should be grateful for the strength you've achieved today."

Mantou chuckled awkwardly: "True, true."

Suddenly, Curtis's voice came through the intercom: "Gentlemen, you are approaching the mission target. I detect an exceptionally strong Beastman Force Field. Activate your protection and stealth systems immediately."

"Understood."

Mantou pressed a button, and from the Skyfire Armor came torrents of light particles, which assembled into countless hexagonal light shields interconnected.

Under these shields' camouflage, the bipedal wyverns disappeared into thin air, blending seamlessly into the sky, returning its usual pristine clarity.

It was worth noting that the Empire had spent a lavish fortune on this mission: each piece of "Skyfire Armor" contained a scale shed by the Ashen Empire's Emperor, imbued with Legendary-level power.

Very soon, Mantou spotted the distant Yinav Mountain, a towering and perilous peak named after the Orc war god, while the valley beneath it was even deeper and unfathomable, exuding an eerie aura.

"This must be the target area." Looking at the misty, pale green valley, Mantou swallowed nervously and thought to himself just how unnerving this place was.

Even with the barrier provided by the protection system, the moment he entered the airspace, Mantou felt his body shudder, and the wyvern beneath him wobbled as if uneasy.

"Emergency braking system malfunctioning!"

"Gravity system malfunctioning!"

"Warning! Encountering magic field disruption! Magic defense system failure detected!"

Red warning letters flashed across Mantou's display screen. He began to panic, sweat trickling down his forehead.

"Damn it, what's going on?"

Thankfully, the disruption hadn't impacted his propulsion system yet, allowing him to steer the bipedal wyvern forward without crash-landing into the Orc lair again.

Faint static noises emerged from the intercom; Curtis's voice broke intermittently: "You have… shhh… already entered… the mission area.

Please ensure… in three days… complete the mission… shhh… grkk."

With a crisp snap, communication with headquarters ceased entirely. It was unknown when it could be restored.

"This place is seriously messed up!" Mantou finally cursed out loud.

The Wyvern Knights chimed in: "Yeah, good thing we've got the protection systems. Otherwise, we'd end up crash-landing just like Mantou did before."

"Be cautious. There are probably some powerful Orcs in this nest, bound to include Legendary-level bosses like last time."

Mantou protested: "Can we stop bringing up my incident already? Let's get this mission done quickly, or we're all doomed!"

Meanwhile, Singo was soaring at high altitude, continuously collecting data as a clear map gradually emerged on his screen.

He shared the map with the rest of the Aviation Corps, stating grimly: "That valley should be the breeding ground of the green-skin Orcs and the source of the Binder River.

And our task is… to obliterate it."

...

Deep within Yinav Valley.

Pale green Beastman spores were thick in the air, while the water churned with viscous, filthy black-green substances. The valley was shrouded in shadow, where clusters of mushroom-like fungi flourished.

Solo stood by the Binder River, gazing at the flowing water, and commanded: "Throw them all in."

"Yes, Great Chief."

The green-skin Orcs untied the blood-soaked burlap sacks they carried on their backs, revealing the contents: fragmented Orc corpses — some were heads with despair etched onto their faces, some were severed limbs, and some were broken torsos hacked open.

Inside the sacks were not only the Clan Leaders who had plotted rebellion but also elite warriors from various clans. Yet now, these once-proud representatives of the Orc race had all been reduced to dismembered remains.