The night was terrifyingly desolate. Under the moonless, pitch-black sky, dense, ink-like dark clouds obscured the brilliant stars, creating an oppressive, suffocating atmosphere.
Here, in the desolate wilderness, sparse withered trees stood silently, as if recounting endless sorrow. In the distance, a faint, flickering red light could be seen.
And upon this wilderness, upon closer inspection, a tall structure sprawled—a fortress. Soldiers on the battlements gripped their guns, their gazes fixed intently on the faint light in the sky.
"Damn this cursed weather."
A soldier muttered under his breath, drawing in a harsh breath and wiping his hand on his clothes. His lips were tinged with blue from the cold, his knuckles a purplish hue, yet a sheen of sweat beaded on his palms.
The soldier beside him chuckled softly, observing the tense newcomer. Unfazed, he glanced at the badge on the other soldier's chest and teased,
"Little Zhang? New here."
"Yeah, just arrived the day before yesterday," Little Zhang swallowed, his voice trembling slightly. "Old Li, why hasn't 'it' arrived yet?"
"Hmph, so scared you're hoping for its arrival. Don't go dropping your gun when it does." Old Li patted his metallic, box-like gun playfully. "Relax, at least no one's dying today."
The gun in his hand boasted exquisite lines, its silver casing adorned with vibrant blue patterns, exuding a futuristic aura. It was the army's most advanced weapon—the Amos. Compared to the older Gatling guns, its rate of fire and penetration were more than three times greater, while the recoil was negligible.
"But, we're facing a B-class dragon," Little Zhang looked at the relaxed Old Li with surprise. He then noticed that not just Old Li, but everyone else seemed uncharacteristically calm.
Though he had only recently transferred from logistics to the front lines, he had witnessed everyone's anxiety during dragon encounters. Since dragons first appeared, had anyone ever been this composed when facing one? Dragon Knights, capable of resonating with dragons and confronting malevolent dragon tribes, were few. They, ordinary individuals, could only compensate with numbers, and every battle had resulted in heavy casualties.
Dragon classifications ranged from high to low. Only dragons below C-class were relatively easy for the regular army to handle. The intel this time was about a dragon approaching B+, a battle that would likely result in severe losses.
"I told you, you're still green. The inspector here today is the head of the Bai family. What's there to fear?" Old Li raised his eyebrows, a somewhat lecherous grin spreading across his face. "Just watch, as long as Miss Bai can keep that B-class dragon occupied, dealing with the remaining E or F-class dragon attendants will be a breeze with our Amos."
"One person?" Little Zhang looked incredulous. He glanced back at the highest floor of the building behind them. There, an exquisitely shaped window reflected a tall, slender figure. Silhouetted against the light, her contours were indistinct, yet a single glance was enough to evoke a breathtaking beauty.
Cold, delicate, beautiful, but… could she really fight?
Little Zhang's disbelief was evident.
"You haven't even heard of the Bai family, have you…" Old Li stared at Little Zhang's expression with utter astonishment. "Although Miss Bai cannot resonate with dragons, but…"
"Sky! The sky!"
"It's here, they're here!"
The crowd suddenly stirred. The ink-black night sky turned crimson, an endless expanse of blood-red color spreading in an instant. The blood-red clouds churned as if roaring. In the distance, accompanied by the crimson hue, a vast swathe of densely packed crawling creatures appeared.
These creatures resembled lizards, with bulging bones and rough scales. They sported two short horns on their heads, giving them a ferocious appearance.
Even knowing that Bai Cha was stationed here, the soldiers couldn't help but panic.
In fact, their fortress was considered the weakest, with only one Dragon Knight stationed here. That was why Bai Cha had been dispatched. If not for the Bai family's resounding reputation among their ranks, they would have likely lost all composure.
"‘It’ is here!"
On the rooftop, with the window open, a young man in his early twenties suddenly stood up as if facing a formidable enemy. Perched on his shoulder was something semi-transparent.
At first glance, the small creature resembled crystal, as if veiled in a layer of mist, possessing a surprisingly pleasant appearance. It bore a resemblance to the crawling lizards outside, but was incomparably more exquisite, even possessing a pair of delicate crystal wings.
"Clink."
The teacup gently tapped against the windowsill, rousing the tense youth. He immediately straightened, standing respectfully to the side, daring not to speak.
"What are you shouting about?"
A clear, cold voice echoed from upstairs, carrying an unparalleled sense of reassurance, instantly quieting the agitated crowd.
Her voice, melodious like jade, truly was a magnificent instrument!
In the sky, the crimson clouds churned, gradually coalescing into a viscous, dark red. The wilderness emitted a low hum, and thunder rumbled from beneath the earth, approaching from afar. In the distance, sandstorm raged, as if a thousand armies were galloping.
Amidst the whistling wind and sand, the crimson clouds suddenly ceased their churning, and a colossal crimson dragon emerged. A fiery, crimson radiance instantly bloomed, a light that seemed to originate from another world.
The dragon was magnificent, its uniform crimson scales like polished mirrors, shimmering with a heart-stopping luster. Its colossal crimson horns pointed directly at the heavens, and its jaws, lined with sharp fangs, opened with a roar like muffled thunder.
"Heh."
On the rooftop, before the window, the woman’s face, as cold and pure as a winter star blossom, finally showed a hint of satisfaction, causing the young man beside her to momentarily lose himself.
The woman appeared to be no more than seventeen or eighteen years old, still retaining a touch of youthful immaturity. Her long, shapely legs were further accentuated by the form-fitting black attire, showcasing her exquisite figure. Beneath her slender waist, a silver metallic belt bore two palm-sized silver boxes on either side.
"Lola, proceed as planned."
With those words, the woman left. The silver box on her right suddenly ejected a silver rope, its end tipped with a grappling hook. In an instant, it latched onto the scales of the crimson dragon in the sky. The next moment, the rope retracted, and the woman vanished from the window.
"Yes, Miss Bai."
The crimson dragon was immense, comparable in size to a two-story, 180-square-meter house. Each scale was like a shield, yet it was suddenly pierced by a grappling hook.
The grappling hook, made of an unknown material, had broken through the scale's defense, leaving a crack, and had firmly embedded itself into the dragon’s flesh. The dragon roared in pain. Before it could react, another wave of agony struck as Bai Cha, wielding a short sword emitting a blue glow, thrust it into the dragon’s body.
The dragon, in pain, opened its mouth to bite. It dared not unleash its dragon fire, fearing it would scorch its magnificent scales.
However, its bite missed. At the moment it lunged, the small box on Bai Cha's left also ejected a silver rope with a grappling hook, grabbing another scale and narrowly pulling her away from the dragon’s maw. She then plunged her short sword into another location.
Meanwhile, the battlefield below was considerably calmer. Those lesser dragons, merely two meters tall, were a disorganized rabble, held at bay by soldiers armed with Amos guns spitting blue bullets, unable to advance an inch.
Little Zhang wiped the cold sweat from his forehead and looked up, his pupils constricting violently.
A black figure, like a swallowtail butterfly, flitted above and around the enormous crimson dragon. Each time the short sword pierced the dragon's body, the blue light on the sword dimmed slightly. The dragon, twisting and turning to bite, repeatedly missed, appearing utterly flustered.
"Roar!"
The crimson dragon could no longer tolerate such mocking attacks. Roaring and twisting its massive body, its very scales vibrated at high frequency, attempting to shake off the persistent human like a fly.
Little Zhang watched with wide, tense eyes, unconsciously holding his breath. He saw the young woman, light as a wisp of smoke, deftly evade the attack. A rope from her waist shot out like lightning, precisely grasping the wall in front of him, startling him. Immediately, the rope retracted, and within the span of a single breath, the girl was on the parapet.
The grappling hook retracted, snapping back into the small box at the girl’s waist with incredible speed.
The girl's ink-black hair, like silk, flowed in the night sky, revealing her peach blossom eyes, like the stars of a winter night. The tips of her eyes slanted upward, adding a touch of allure to her indifferent face.
She was truly beautiful, cold and mysterious, drawing a gasp from Little Zhang. However, he had no time to admire her beauty. Accompanying her was a massive stream of dragon fire, as thick as several people embracing. Even from mid-air, Little Zhang could feel the searing heat, and the surrounding air seemed to warp.
If this attack landed on the city wall, it would be catastrophic! The defenses would be breached!
Little Zhang broke out in a cold sweat.
"【Dragon Calamity: Void】."
A young man's voice sounded from behind him. The semi-transparent dragon on Lola's shoulder merged into his body. With a hoarse, labored incantation and swift hand seals, the sky above suddenly distorted. The dragon fire in the air, along with the warping air, simply vanished.
After using this move, Lola's face visibly paled. The dragon he had subdued granted him the power of Void, allowing him to turn any energy or object within his capacity into nothingness, though it could not be sustained.
The dragon fire just now was the dragon's full-power strike in its rage. Dissolving it with Void was no easy feat.
However, apart from the paleness, a strange flush also appeared on his face.
With the sudden disappearance of the dragon fire, the dragon clearly paused. Before it could react, the woman who had descended to the ground appeared again before its massive left eye. This time, she held not a short sword, but a silver handgun, pointed directly at its left eye. From the black muzzle, the dragon sensed the imminent threat of death.
The dragon instinctively tried to close its eyes, contorting its body to dodge the attack. However, its body suddenly stiffened, its nerves seemingly paralyzed. Especially the wounds left by the short sword, they tingled uncontrollably.
The short sword was poisoned! Could it be a neurotoxin?
The dragon was greatly alarmed. It could not speak, but dragons of B-class and above possessed a certain level of intelligence, so it quickly understood what was happening. It now regretted not having unleashed its flames at all costs, even if it meant scorching its precious dragon scales, to kill the human before it.
But it would have no further chance for regret. The trigger was pulled, and a silver bullet pierced its massive left eye, exploding within its brain, turning its brain into mush in an instant.
Meanwhile, Bai Cha had already been pulled back to the ground by the rope from her waist.
Watching the dragon, its majestic glow extinguished, plummet to the ground and send up a dust cloud several meters high, Little Zhang swallowed hard. He hadn't expected that a B-class dragon, which even a Dragon Knight had to struggle with, would be so easily dispatched by an ordinary girl.
Without their leader's command, the dragon attendants naturally fell into disarray, retreating in a tidal wave. The bloody sky ceased to spread, the crimson hue slowly receding until the night sky returned to its former blackness.