The Epic Dragon Titan

As the ghost battleship attempted to tear through space to escape, Muria drew back the Starfall Bow in his hands. Lightning and flames surged from his body, converging on the bowstring to form a single, massive arrow.

Whoosh—

Muria released the arrow, and the hundred-meter-long projectile shot forward. After flying a few hundred meters, it split into more than ten smaller arrows of various sizes, all of which rained down upon the fleeing ghost fleet.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

These arrows pierced through the ships, entering from the rear and exiting from the front. One after another, explosions erupted in the sky, obliterating the entire ghost fleet. Brilliant arcs of golden lightning and flames engulfed the ghost ships, leaving not even a fragment behind. Even the holy light shone through, purifying the remnants of the ghost ships.

"That's the third one!" Muria remarked, looking at the ghost fleet he had just annihilated with a single arrow. Glancing down at the city below, which had been massacred, he turned and left. He had arrived too late—everyone in the city had already been slaughtered. Now, he needed to continue hunting down the ghost ships.

After securing the Wind King Eagle's promise to guard his home, Muria began plotting his revenge against Barbossa. Without worrying about his lair being attacked or stolen, he had many options for retaliation.

Coincidentally, Muria noticed signs of ghost ships operating around Synapse. He realized that Barbossa was taking advantage of the situation to replenish his lost forces. Moreover, this region was one that the churches had entrusted him to protect.

The undead plague was a feast for the dead, with ancient liches emerging from their long seclusion to collect the powerful bones and souls they needed. Killing human warriors during this disaster carried no consequences because too many liches were taking advantage of the chaos. Even if someone wanted to pursue justice, humanity lacked the strength to hunt them all down.

"Trying to fish in troubled waters and replenish your strength? Ha!" Muria sneered. "I'll make sure you lose everything."

Muria tore open space and stepped inside. He was determined to hunt down every ghost ship preying on this region, not only for revenge but also to fulfill his promise to protect the area.

The ghost ships were causing immense destruction to the human forces and inhabitants in this region. For the human nations on this continent, these ships were epoch-making weapons.

...

"What exactly is on that Cloud Island?" Barbossa stood on a ghost ship, pondering amidst the battlefield's chaos. The sounds of battle below didn't distract him; it was merely a small skirmish.

"What in this world could possibly threaten me? Even Deimos, before becoming a Dragon King, shouldn't have been able to make me feel that way."

Barbossa couldn't figure it out. He couldn't understand why entering that little brat's lair made him feel like he was on the brink of death. But at the time, he had no choice but to trust his instincts. When faced with mortal danger, who wouldn't run?

"Could it be a legendary being? But that doesn't make sense! Deimos is already gone, no longer in this world. As for Titans, they wouldn't pamper that brat like this."

Barbossa was irritated as he pondered. It infuriated him that he had fled without even identifying the existence that threatened his life.

But now, even if he had the chance to return, he was hesitant. Ultimately, he had only lost some resources and subordinates, which he could easily replenish with time. Risking his life for those things wasn't worth it.

For an immortal lich like him, time was the least valuable commodity. His desire to become a legend stemmed primarily from Deimos.

That audacious Golden Dragon had dared to rob him. Back then, that shameless dragon was far weaker than him, but now it had become a Dragon King, freely roaming the void. Meanwhile, he was still stuck in the main world.

It was a matter of pride. He wanted to catch up to the Golden Dragon's footsteps, not be left too far behind. He didn't want to meet again one day as a mere legendary lich, only to be looked down upon by a Dragon King who would casually remark, "Oh, it's been a while, Barbossa. After all this time, I've become a Dragon King, and you're still just a little lich? How pathetic. By the way, I heard my grandson robbed you recently?"

Imagining such a scenario made Barbossa even angrier. The Golden Dragon had already become a Dragon King, and now his grandson was coming to rob him. Would his great-grandson or great-great-grandson do the same next? What was he, a plaything?

"Damn it, what's in there?" Frustrated and angry, Barbossa looked down at the human duchy's capital. It was now surrounded by an endless sea of skeletons.

The city's population had swelled to nearly a million, crammed even into underground shelters, as his soul senses revealed.

"Why is this taking so long to breach?" Barbossa's voice was sharp with displeasure as he noticed the city's defenses still holding.

During a disaster like this, human rulers would gather all nearby residents into the cities to prevent them from becoming food for the enemy. Thus, during times of crisis, a city's population could multiply several times, making these cities tantalizing targets for powerful liches who collected bones and souls.

"Barbossa, my lord, please calm your anger. The city will fall soon," an Ashen Devil, formed entirely of molten rock, floated up to plead for forgiveness. This creature was Barbossa's top enforcer, having followed him into countless battles.

"No need, I'll handle it myself," Barbossa sneered at the lava creature. His warship slowly descended, parting the surrounding gray mist. The flagship appeared before the human defenders below, spreading despair among them.

Already surrounded by an endless sea of skeletons, they now faced an attack from a fleet of ghost ships. Their situation was desperate enough, and now this colossal ghost ship appeared.

"How could such a massive ghost ship exist?" a legendary warrior of the duchy, armed with a spear in one hand and a sword in the other, gazed up at the towering ship with hopelessness in his eyes. With such a monstrous war machine, the city couldn't possibly hold out.

"I'm sorry," the legendary warrior muttered, making a quick decision. He tore open space and prepared to flee. He had no intention of dying with the city. As long as he lived, he could eventually rebuild a new kingdom.

"Trying to run away? Ha!" Just as the legendary warrior slipped into the spatial rift, the lava-encrusted devil pursued him.

"Must you kill us all?" the human legend roared in fury. His duchy, built through so much effort, had already been destroyed, yet these vile, greedy undead wouldn't let him escape.

"Why ask such a stupid question? Just die and enjoy eternal life with me!"

As the two legends battled, a massive explosion and shockwave shattered the space, forcing them back into the material world.

"My city!" The legend, now back in the material realm, looked toward his city. He hadn't escaped far, and the once-flourishing city had turned into a wasteland. Endless wraiths and skeletons were emerging from its ruins.

"You... monsters!" The legend was consumed by rage as he saw the fate of his people—men, women, children, all turned into undead.

"Shut up!" A skeletal hand engulfed in necrotic flames grasped the legend, giving him no chance to resist as death energy surged into his body.

His blood and vitality were rapidly drained by the death energy, his body withering to a husk. Despite his agonized screams and struggles, it was futile. Finally, a dark soul flame ignited within his skull, with two eerie green lights emanating from his now hollow eye sockets.

"Master!" In just three seconds, Barbossa forcibly transformed the legend into an undead servant.

"Excellent," Barbossa laughed with satisfaction. In normal circumstances, he wouldn't have had such an opportunity to forcibly convert a human legend into an undead servant. But in the midst of an undead plague, he could do so much.

If he slaughtered enough, well, missing the chance to become the council president was still an irreparable loss. The rewards of destroying a few cities or annihilating some human nations couldn't compare.

"Hm?" Just after gaining a new legendary undead servant, Barbossa looked into the distance and spotted a storm giant riding a great roc, followed by a group of cloud giants on flying ships.

"If I'm not mistaken, I've seen these giants in that little brat's lair too." On the Obisto subcontinent, there were giants, but only the most basic types like hill giants, sand giants, and jungle giants—no civilized storm or cloud giants.

"Heh, so I can't attack your lair, but that doesn't mean I can't deal with your subordinates!" Barbossa chuckled coldly and pointed at the giants coming to aid the humans. "Kill them all!"

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