Ashen Dragon

"Boom!"

A shell exploded right in the midst of the crowded group, the blast swallowing the unsuspecting Dwarf warriors. When the thick smoke cleared, only a dozen charred, lifeless bodies remained.

King Ed himself witnessed the scene with his own eyes, and his heart burned with anguish—his people were being slaughtered!

They weren't even dying in a brave war but were being brutally killed by the enemy's explosive magic weapons!

"Damn it! We can't just sit and wait anymore!"

Ed gritted his teeth and pressed his hand to the ground, his entire body radiating an earth-yellow glow. Even at the cost of his waning vitality, he was determined to activate the protective array on the city wall.

"Buzz——"

Mountains Protection!

With a deep hum, the ancient Dwarf Language runes on Aivendel's city walls suddenly lit up.

The ground rumbled continuously, booming loudly, and the vast strength of the mountains climbed up the walls, gradually forming a thick shield to block the barrage of shells.

At the same time, Ed raised his warhammer high, letting out a thunderous roar toward the heavens.

Instantly, the earth-yellow light burst from the warhammer, and countless shattered rocks levitated into the air, intercepting dozens of incoming shells, which erupted mid-air.

Not only the Dwarf King himself but also the strongest among the Dwarves came forth, each showcasing their skills—whether firing arrows or hurling boulders—to ward off the Empire's artillery fire.

A reckless Dwarf Berserker even leapt high into the air to meet the descent of a speeding shell, slashing at it with a jump strike that left him covered in soot and shrapnel.

However, the Empire's assault was far from over—the shelling was merely the appetizer. Swiftly following was an aerial assault.

"Buzz——"

A piercing blast echoed through the skies, and dozens of Bipedal Wyverns appeared in neat formation, slicing through the air like arrows, diving swiftly and fiercely.

These wyverns had sharp metallic wing membranes attached to the edges of their wings, allowing them to cut through the air effortlessly, producing shrill sounds.

Their wings inflicted not only physical damage but also mental terror—in fact, to this day, many Aisier people tremble uncontrollably upon hearing the sound, recalling that horrifying bombing.

Seeing the incoming Bipedal Wyverns from afar, Ed's heart sank, and he urgently warned, "Watch out for the wyverns!"

"Swoosh——"

The Bipedal Wyverns swept past Aivendel Dan at high speeds, raining bombs down like droplets onto the Dwarves' heads, detonating consecutively upon impact.

"Boom! Boom! Boom!"

A series of explosions erupted on the city walls, waves of flames once again engulfing large groups of Dwarves, their anguished cries echoing throughout.

"Moradin above!"

"Ah, my arm!"

Although Mountains Protection could withstand shells hitting the city walls, it struggled to defend against bombs falling from the skies.

When the Dwarves finally looked up to retaliate, the Bipedal Wyverns were already ascending high into the sky, vanishing from sight.

Watching helplessly as his people were blown apart one by one, Ed's rage built up inside him like a roaring fire.

"Boom!"

A bomb detonated right beside Ed, but the protective light surrounding him shielded him entirely, leaving him unharmed—though he appeared rather disheveled.

The Dwarf King paid no mind to his soot-covered face and muttered despairingly, "No, my people's fate shouldn't be like this! They shouldn't die so meaningless!"

Glaring at the dragon horde lining up again, Ed's eyes turned bloodshot, nearly flaming with fury: "I'll make you pay—with blood for blood!"

On a section of the wall, Dwarf Crossbowmen struggled to maneuver an enormous steel crossbow over three meters tall, fumbling awkwardly.

Ed approached with a grim expression, suppressing his wrath, and growled lowly, "Step aside, let me handle this!"

"Yes, Your Majesty!"

The Dwarf Crossbowmen promptly stepped back obediently, not daring to interfere further.

With practiced ease, Ed stepped up to the steel crossbow, steadily loading an arrow onto the mechanism.

He grasped the crossbow's arm with one hand, aiming at the distant wyverns, while his other hand turned the massive winch, pulling back the bowstring, storing immense power.

Finally, with a sharp whistle, the wyvern formation entered the firing range of the Dwarf Steel Crossbow at high speed.

"Die!"

With a gentle pull of the trigger, the arrow shot forth with tremendous kinetic force, piercing through two Bipedal Wyverns instantly.

"Screech——"

The wyverns wailed as they plummeted from the skies, their riders falling with them, meeting their deaths shortly after.

Yet the dragon horde maintained its formation, quickly replenished from behind, continuing at full speed toward Aivendel Dan.

Their iron wings tore through the heavens, and the ominous deathly blast rang out again from above.

"Still daring to come? Damnable reptiles."

Seeing this, Ed's face contorted with anger, his eyes fixed squarely on the dragon horde, his muscles tensed, veins bulging across his skin.

With a mighty roar, the Dwarf King radiated an earth-yellow aura: "Evil Dragon Kin, then let me show you——"

"Boom!"

With a thunderous boom and dust flying, the city wall under Ed's feet trembled as deep footprints appeared where he stood.

Ed leapt high into the air, bolstered by the power of the mountains, ascending hundreds of meters like he was flying.

He broke through the clouds, now standing above the horde of Bipedal Wyverns!

Facing the aligned formation of wyverns charging toward him, Ed raised his warhammer high and bellowed passionately, "We Dwarves wield the strength of the mountains' children!"