Chapter 29: Descending Upon the Dragon Nest
The Astral Dragon Clan is not a race native to the Mycroft Continent.
At the dawn of the world's creation, there were no Five-Colored Dragons or Metal Dragons in the heavens and earth. What existed were only various types of enormous dragon beasts known as Primordial Realm Dragons.
Those super-monsters called Ancient Dragons multiplied across the land, but over the course of endless time, they fell one by one into an almost eternal slumber. They left behind their bloodlines, which gave rise to all the magical beast prototypes in the world. And it was during this primordial era, when the Ancient Dragons had fallen silent and all manner of beasts were proliferating, that the Astral Dragon Clan appeared within the sight of humanity.
No records exist that can accurately pinpoint the time of their arrival. One can only say that their existence is as ancient as human civilization. Human scholars speculate that these colossal beasts, who came to this world with caution and wariness, were fleeing from something—refugees escaping from their original world.
These refugees had lost the vast majority of their technology, culture, and knowledge. They were forced to adopt a policy of isolationism, refraining from involvement in worldly affairs and minimizing their conflicts on the continent. Over time, this principle of conduct became their habit.
But this was by no means their true nature—the nature of the Astral Dragons.
---
**Northern Lands, Extreme North Icefield, Snowy Mountain White Dragon Nest.**
A colossal nest constructed from unyielding ice, like a flawless work of art, reflected an incomparably brilliant radiance under the sun's light.
Several white dragons were entering and exiting at the entrance of the ice nest. Some were flying through the sky, casting their shadows upon the ground, while more dragons remained inside the nest, lost in their own thoughts.
And in a certain enormous ice chamber within the nest.
Two white dragons, noticeably larger than ordinary members of their kind, were engaged in a serious discussion.
"Agam."
A massive white dragon sat coiled in its place. The scales on its body surface had become crystalline and translucent under the infiltration of arcane power, resembling transparent ice. Before it lay countless strange vessels and arcane runes. While manipulating these implements with its magic, the dragon inquired in the Draconic tongue to another dragon standing nearby: "Why have you come to see me? You should be preparing yourself now, waiting for the next divine oracle from the Five-Headed Dragon God."
"Yakov, don't change the subject."
The dragon called Agam had scales as sturdy and unadorned as white marble, with an ice-white arcane power flowing across them, making them appear incredibly hard. This powerfully built, robust dragon vibrated its throat to shake the air, producing a deep and low voice: "The Dragon God has decreed that we lie in wait, bide our time, and then strike at human settlements. So why have you recklessly sent out those incompletely modified test subjects to attack those insignificant towns and villages?"
Agam's voice carried a hint of anger: "This gives those humans a warning and time to prepare!"
Hearing his companion's accusation, Yakov stopped using his magic to manipulate the vessels and runes before him. He turned his head to look at the powerfully built dragon and said disdainfully: "Listen, it wasn't me who sent those dragon beasts out—they went on their own. No one can restrain those lowly mongrels. They carry within them the most ancient and fearsome beast bloodlines of this world. They are the embodiment of wildness, a power that cannot be controlled."
"And rest assured, those humans won't discover that we are manipulating things from behind the scenes. They'll just see it as an unexpected but not uncommon beast attack—thank the natural laws of this world, countless incidents like this have occurred over the past few centuries."
The dragon's voice was full of confidence: "They won't catch on."
"Perhaps you are right."
Agam fluttered his dragon wings. The wings, patterned like rock, stirred up a gale within the chamber. He was unimpressed by the white dragon's words: "But I still feel that you are slacking off. I can see that you are greatly dissatisfied with the Dragon God's oracle... No need to argue. Your expression of disgust is already written all over your scales."
Yakov responded with a low dragon roar, as if sneering: "Don't just say 'feel.' In fact, I never intended to argue in the first place. From the very beginning, I found this command utterly baffling."
"Launching an all-out war against humanity—making such a decision, even if it comes from a god, I think it has gone mad."
He raised his head, his ice-blue eyes staring directly at his companion: "I will not deliberately defy a divine oracle, but I must still say that this decision is incredibly foolish. It is practically a way to bury the special status our Five-Colored Dragon Clan has held on this continent for millions of years."
"We dragons..."
"Our dragon population simply cannot sustain such a war."
Yakov interrupted his companion's words. He lowered his head, turned around, and continued manipulating the vessels before him with his magic, conducting an experiment that no one knew the purpose of: "The lofty status of Dragon Island was built upon our clan's strong average combat power and our absolute neutrality. That was a covenant established before human civilization reached its peak. Even back then, we already knew we had no chance of replacing humanity's position as the 'main body of civilization' and the bearer of the flame in this world. So we settled for the next best thing and obtained the right to thrive and multiply."
"And now, although humanity has not regained the power of its golden age a thousand years ago, powerful individuals still emerge in an endless stream. We have four Dragon Kings and two Dragon Gods, but on the surface alone, humanity has nine Legendary experts. Who knows how many more are lurking in the shadows? They also have seven deities. What was the Five-Headed Dragon God thinking when it made this decision? The Myriad Steel Dragon (Metal Dragon God) would never support such a resolution."
"So we are to use the modified Mad Dragon Plague to control those nearly endless dragon beasts."
Agam said in a solemn voice: "The Myriad Steel Dragon has already been won over by humanity, forgetting the pride of the Dragon Clan. We are a great race from the far reaches of the star realm. Even if we have temporarily declined, we should not become vassals of other races. The Dragon God merely wishes to restore the status we deserve, nothing more."
"Easier said than done."
The white dragon with translucent scales was silent for a moment, then let out a long, drawn-out sigh: "I have sensed an ill omen from the power of the frenzied dragon beasts. Our ancestors left their homeland due to a great calamity and came to this world. They imprinted the taste of that calamity into our bloodline... And now, I have detected the same taste in that purple-black mist. This makes me..."
**"BOOOOOOM!!!!"**
A tremendous roar suddenly came from outside the dragon nest. The terrifying tremor shattered the ice layer on the ceiling of the ice chamber, instantly causing countless ice particles to fall like an ice storm. A semi-transparent magical barrier appeared around the bodies of both dragons, shielding them from the ice debris. They exchanged glances, their faces filled with shock and uncertainty.
Someone was attacking the dragon nest?
Who had such audacity!?!
**"BOOM!!!"**
A second roar came, shorter in duration but even more violent in its tremor. Countless cracks had already appeared around the ice chamber. It was only the flow of arcane power from the magic arrays laid down by the dragons that barely maintained its structure, preventing it from collapsing.
"Teacher Yakov! Elder Agam!"
A somewhat panicked dragon roar came from outside the ice chamber, calling out the names of the two dragons: "Enemy attack!"
---
And in the center of the dragon nest, inside a huge circular council hall.
The dome, constructed from ten-thousand-year-old ice and countless magic arrays, was trembling violently. High-heat red patterns spread across the white ice layer, scorching it into boiling steam and shattered ice. Under a wildly ferocious force, the already precarious dome was completely shattered in an explosive roar, collapsing into countless massive ice blocks that crashed down, bringing with them a powerful shockwave and gale.
And then, a figure riding a horse, wielding a greatsword and a giant axe, pierced through the ice layer like a crimson meteor, slamming heavily into the very center of the hall. Instantly, a tremor like an earthquake shook the entire dragon nest. Amidst the excited neighing of the warhorse, an infinite blaze of battle qi exploded layer by layer, sweeping away the ice dust and steam.
And the fully armed figure of Joshua appeared before the eyes of the dragons who had just rushed over.
Behind his helmet, two points of crimson light flickered. Then, a heavy male voice, like the clashing of steel, resounded throughout the dragon nest.
"All of you... must die."
(To be continued.)