Ashen Dragon

In Tiniya's eyes, the flames of Volcanis couldn't even match a wisp of residual energy from her master's breath, barely comparable to Cassius's "morning grumpiness" upon waking.

But that's all there was to it.

Seeing that Tiniya hadn't made a move for a while, extreme confidence shone in Volcanis's eyes.

Has this White Dragon been so terrified that she's lost all sense?

Ha, just as expected, a timid and cowardly beast; even with a bit of strength, it can only tremble before my fury.

Then let's end this battle quickly!

She was already eager to unite with that mysterious and noble majesty! Then she would also gain powerful strength and give birth to the most noble offspring!

Thinking of this, Volcanis increased the energy output, the flames burned fiercely, becoming even more vigorous, flowing in the sky.

However, at this moment, the Red Dragon was surprised to find that the White Dragon's eyes showed...contempt?

Was she seeing things?

Or had the White Dragon been scared senseless?

As the flames were about to burn the White Dragon's body, Tiniya let out a long roar, suddenly swung her Dragon Wings, and ice-blue runes like interlaced veins appeared on the wing membrane.

"Whoosh——"

With the swing of the Dragon Wings, an extremely cold Ice Storm howled out, instantly sweeping across the sky, and the blazing flames were extinguished directly!

"What?"

"That White Dragon so easily blocked Volcanis's breath?!"

"Such powerful Ice Magic!"

The female Dragons watching were amazed, this White Dragon created an Ice Storm rivaling Seventh Tier Spells just by flapping her wings!

"How, how is this possible?"

Volcanis was shocked, but hearing the dragons' discussions, unprecedented anger and shame welled up in her heart.

How could she lose to a White Dragon younger than herself!

Unforgivable!

Near the Sword Bay Region, there are some well-known cities, such as Waterdeep City, Elturel, and Neverwinter City. Waterdeep City, built on the former capital of the Elf Empire Ilfaen——Erin Vier, has many temples of the Divine, and the Miracle Temple is the most magnificent Magic Goddess Temple in the game, with luxurious towers, adorned with various paintings and Magic decorations, full of splendid Baroque style. Neverwinter City, on the other hand, leans more towards Gothic architecture, formed after developing for nearly a hundred years from the earliest human settlement, Aegostor. The story's Main City, Bod Gate, is the largest and most prosperous trade city-state in the Sword Bay Region, a mix from Nobles to Commoners and Thieves, regarded by adventurers as a "breeding ground for schemers." The name Bod Gate comes from a Hero named Bodlan, an adventurer from Gray Harbor, who explored the continent beyond the Sword Sea, returned with wealth to Gray Harbor, and led a team to establish the city here.

Based on the residents' social status, Bod Gate is divided into the Noble Upper City and the Commoner Lower District, and the Outer City District scattered around Chenyi Mountain. The gate separating the Upper City and Lower District is called the Bod Gate, after which the entire city is named, serving as a monument to its founder, Bodlan.

Currently, Bod Gate is governed by a council of four, all Grand Dukes, with one as the council leader. If the vote is tied, Grand Duke Elder Ravenclaw makes the decision. The Upper City's security is managed by the elite class official police force, the Guard, while other areas' security work is handled by a mercenary group called "Flaming Fist." Grand Duke Elder Ravenclaw is also the highest leader of the mercenary group. The mercenary group headquarters is located at Bodlan Sea Tower, the strongest fortress against sea invasions at Bod Gate, while Gray Harbor, like a crescent, encloses the economic lifeline of Bod Gate——dozens of merchant ships come in and out daily, bringing Gold Coins and greed and crime.

The Upper City's terrain is relatively high, consisting of Castle District, Temple District, Manoburn District, and Wide Alley District, housing many religious buildings. The Miracle Hall and Supreme Miracle House are the Church centers of the God of Craft, Gund, in Bod Gate. The Miracle Hall showcases Gund's great inventions, while the Supreme Miracle House functions as a workshop. The Lower District is mostly stone houses, with six neighborhoods: Sea Tower District, Blonrich District, Steep District, Crowded Side District, East Road District, and Branpton District. The middle class typically reside in the Blonrich District near the Upper City's influential, while the East Road District near the Stone Lizard Gate connecting the Outer City District is relatively mixed, with many bustling bars and cheap inns. The Sea Tower District is where the Flaming Fist Mercenary Corps is stationed, with their headquarters built on the largest Rocky Offshore Island in the Sea Tower District. The Branpton District and Steep District are relatively rundown, belonging to sailors and manual laborers' living quarters. The Outer City District is located along the Chongsar River, gathering temporary buildings and slums, with a landmark stone bridge——Flying Dragon Crossroad, clustering many stalls, even widening the bridge with wooden planks, and illegal constructions added above. Law and order do not exist here, and even the Flaming Fist Mercenary Corps can only offer limited protection within their range, with some displaced poor or criminals gathering here.

The moss on the sewer vault glows ghostly green under the dim phosphorescent light, while murky sewage overflows the boots, every step stirring a viscous "gurgle." Purple-black goo oozes from the wall cracks, converging like veins towards the drain—this is the characteristic neurocorrosive substance of the Spirit Sucking Monster Nest, inhaled by an ordinary person would lead to auditory hallucinations, as if countless tiny tentacles were wriggling in the ear canal. Suddenly, a dislocated bone "click" sounded from behind a broken cast iron pipe, as if something was twisting through cramped space. Just as three patrolling guards raised their lanterns, the sewage burst open! Four Spirit Sucking Monsters leapt from the water, pale humanoid bodies covered in decay, octopus-like heads with tentacles vibrating at high frequency, releasing visually perceptible purple mind shock wave ripples. The helmet of the foremost guard caved in, his eyes bursting into a bloody mist due to the increased intracranial pressure; the second one was impaled by tentacles in the ear hole before he could scream, his spinal cord pulled from his shell like a marionette; the last remaining survivor staggered back, but the roar of a misfired gun was completely drowned by the sub-frequency screech emitted collectively by the Spirit Sucking Monsters. These Spirit Sucking Monsters were clearly trained in tactics. Two feigned attackers beat the water with tentacles, stirring up a mist screen laden with corrosive liquid to obscure vision; the third descending upside down from the ceiling, using suckers to attach to the guard's skull, a tentacle tip precisely pierced into the foramen magnum—not killing immediately, but manipulating the puppet-like captive to turn around with trembling hands to load ammunition for his companion's firearm. Meanwhile, the fourth Spirit Sucking Monster sliced open the chest cavity of a fallen guard with bone blades on its knuckles, sliding a warm liver into its orifice, pale yellow digestive liquid dripped from its chin, sizzling tangy smoke on the ground. The host was not entirely dead. The guard's remaining body suddenly twitched and rose, with a transparent Spirit Sucking Monster larva's tentacle emerging between neck gashes, his pupils dilating into a murky milky white. He grabbed a dagger to stab his former comrade, squeezing out a non-human synthetic voice through the throat: "Cranium...offered to the main brain...". And the true horror was just beginning to unfold—the sewage pit in the distance began to bubble, more pale figures surfaced, dragging a dozen human captives cocooned in mucus sacs, whose faces twisted into silent screams beneath the casing. When the last gunshot faded, the sewer returned to silent death. Only floating torn uniforms and still pulsing neurocorrosive substance mats testified to the massacre. The Spirit Sucking Monsters hauled their captives into the depths of the drainage pipes, the occasional twitching of these mucus sacs suggested that the "seeds" inside were about to break their shells. Meanwhile, within the mind network of the main brain, the coordinates of these new shells transformed into a stream of cold purple light, merging towards the throbbing giant shadow beneath Bod Gate.