I, the prince in distress, send money

Chapter 558 Slaying the Dragon
Twenty days after the nationwide war mobilization order was issued and implemented, Chris, who was still in Taiwan, received both good and bad news.

The good news is that, influenced by the war mobilization of the Kingdom of Bagnia, the Reteria Empire and the Bohemian Empire also reacted quickly and began mobilizing their armies.

In particular, just as the Retelia Empire was mobilizing, a large group of fishmen, numbering approximately ten thousand, attacked one of the Retelia Empire's port cities.

A feudal knight force that had been mobilized due to a mobilization order was nearby at the time. Thus, the merfolk who had captured the city's dock area and were besieging the city learned what the impact of a feudal knight horde was.

Even though these knights and their squires numbered only about two hundred, the merfolk were still routed in just one afternoon when these fearless knights charged into battle.

After leaving more than 5,000 corpses on the shore, they fled back to the sea in a sorry state.

This was the only flaw in the war: the knights of Leteria were too powerful, so much so that the murlocs were defeated before the subsequent infantry arrived, leaving half of the menace to trouble the fishermen at sea.

Although the Leytelian navy will certainly go to wipe out these fishmen in the future, it is no easy task to completely eliminate these aquatic creatures on the vast ocean.

If demons were to invade the Greek mainland and land within the territory of the Leterian Empire, they would certainly not fare well.

This is good news, but the bad news is that both empires believe that the Kingdom of Bagnia's war mobilization is aimed at them, and these mobilized troops are currently heading towards the border.

Before the mobilization began, Chris had already instructed the ambassadors of the two empires to indicate that their mobilization was not for war with neighboring countries, but to prepare for a possible demonic invasion.

However, it was clear that such a reminder had little effect. The Bohemian Empire did not believe it at all, while the Reteria Empire was skeptical. Both empires immediately sent troops to the border with the Kingdom of Bagnia.

Well, that's bad news, but not too bad. As long as the Kingdom of Bagnia doesn't actually invade them, neither country will attack Bagnia.

The Ratalian Empire's saltpeter project is still ongoing; their engineers haven't fully mastered the saltpeter field technology yet.

Meanwhile, the Bohemian Empire was also making great strides in its railway project. They were unwilling to risk a deterioration in diplomatic relations with the Kingdom of Bagnia unless the technology, rails, and locomotives were all cut off.

Therefore, Chris's response to the two countries' reactions was simply to have the intelligence agency pay more attention, without prompting the military administration to take any overly obvious action.

Compared to the normal reactions of neighboring countries, Chris is currently more concerned about the battle in the Blue Flame Islands, which is far beyond the storm belt, simply because the outcome of this battle is related to the integrity of the world's crystal wall.

Chris noticed that the demons seemed to be attacking the elven city while simultaneously advancing towards the players' territory.

The players seem to have been somewhat lax in their precautions, and are clearly going to suffer losses.

Should I remind you?
Forget it... there's no need. They've already accomplished their mission by holding on until now.

……

The darkness before dawn is the deepest, with sea fog like a gray shroud shrouding the eastern beach and the strange fortress made up of stranded ships and crude fortifications.

At this time, most players had already logged off, while a small number of those who stayed up late were still wandering around the area or looking for like-minded players to team up and explore the Demon Forest together, hoping to capture a powerful demon that could fetch a good price.

This is currently the most profitable business in the Revenge Fleet. Not only can you earn silver coins in the game, but if you can capture a rare mutant demon, there will also be rich guys willing to pay real money to buy it.

So, while the demons were launching a fierce attack on Mooncrown City, some players thought of sneaking into the forest to fish in troubled waters.

However, at this darkest moment before dawn, when the defenses were most lax, inside the Indomitable, on the outermost edge of the defensive position, on the gun deck, a player who had logged off while curled up in a hammock suddenly opened his eyes. He then jumped off the hammock and rushed to the top deck as fast as he could, shouting loudly at the sentry on the mast.

"Ring the bell! The damn devil is coming!!!"

"What!?"

The players on the mast were still half asleep and didn't immediately realize what the people below were shouting.

"What nonsense! Ring the bell! The brother who was catching demons in the woods ahead just died. He logged off and told me he saw a demon army gathering... Ring the bell now!"

The player on the mast jolted awake, his last vestiges of sleep completely banished by the piercing warning. He scrambled towards the alarm bell hanging from the mast's crossbeam, grabbed the heavy battering ram, and slammed it down with all his might onto the bronze bell!
"Dang...dang...dang..."

The rapid, loud, metallic chimes, like a boulder thrown into still water, instantly shattered the pre-dawn silence and echoed throughout the entire beachhead.

The bell tolled too suddenly and too harshly.

The players who were still haggling, cleaning their equipment, or preparing to slack off in the game were all stunned, and the noisy discussions came to an abrupt halt.

"What are you doing?"

"A wake-up call!?"

"An exercise? We weren't notified!"

After a brief period of deathly silence came even greater chaos.

"Enemy attack! It's an enemy attack!!"

The player who had come to deliver the message on the deck of the Unyielding was still shouting at the top of his lungs.

"The forest is teeming with demons! An army!!"

This time, the nearby players finally heard it clearly.

Players who knew what was happening quickly dropped their goods and tools and rushed to their battle positions or to find the nearest weapon. Shouts, collisions, and the sound of weapons being drawn created a chaotic scene.

However, the devil did not give them any time to regroup.

Just as the echoes of the alarm bells had not yet completely faded, heavy, thunderous footsteps came from the depths of Crystal Song Forest, as if a thousand troops were simultaneously pounding the earth, and even the stranded ships began to tremble slightly.

At the edge of the dense fog, countless burning fel energy pupils, like lights from hell, instantly merged into a surging sea of ​​fire. Silent, black tides carrying the will to destroy surged forth from the woodland.

The leading berserker demons surged towards the defensive wall like a raging tidal wave, accompanied by wild horn calls.
In the sky, the fel clouds churned violently, like a hornet's nest that had been poked open. The howls of countless winged demons converged into a piercing noise storm, and the dark horde of winged demons rushed down towards the position like a cascading waterfall!

The demon army's attack was launched almost simultaneously with the sounding of the alarm bells—swift, precise, and merciless!

In addition, a pressure far more terrifying and soul-chilling than that of ordinary winged demons pressed down from the sky as if it were a tangible force.

From the deepest part of the evil energy cloud, a roar that tore through the sky came, a sound containing endless violence and destructive desire, instantly drowning out all the noise on the battlefield!

Immediately afterwards, a massive, suffocating shadow pierced through the clouds and swooped down.

That was an abyssal dragon.

Its scales are a mixture of solidified lava and dark metal, reflecting an ominous glow in the dim morning light and the firelight on the ground.

Its enormous bone wings, when spread out, cast shadows large enough to cover half of the beachhead.

On its horned head burned two enormous, hellish flames—those were its eyes.

The thick tail ends with sharp bone spikes, which stir up the surrounding air currents with every swing.

The abyssal dragon did not come alone.

On either side and behind its sky-covering wings followed the most elite, larger, and more ferocious winged demon horde, forming a death squad with the demon dragon at its core.

The dragon's dive was incredibly fast, accompanied by a sonic boom that pierced the eardrums, making it difficult for players who didn't have many anti-aircraft weapons to defend themselves.

At the most critical moment, the Abyss Dragon did not spew devastating dragon breath towards the ground. Instead, it acted like a living battering ram, directly crashing into the foremost and most heavily armed targets in the player's territory... those stranded armed merchant ships with multiple cannon decks!

With a deafening roar, the mast and superstructure of the large armed merchant ship, the Unyielding, located at the forefront of the position, snapped and collapsed instantly like fragile matchsticks under the impact of the dragon's chest covered with hard scales.

The ship tilted violently, and the players and cannons on the deck were thrown out by the huge impact, screaming as they fell into the chaotic battle below or were crushed into mincemeat.

Although the dragon also paid a price for the impact, it crawled out of the wreckage of the merchant ship and stood there for nearly a minute, seemingly in a daze.

This was a good opportunity, but unfortunately, the player failed to seize it.

At the same time, the Winged Demon Guard following the dragon, like a deadly swarm of bees, launched a precise and brutal attack on the chaotic positions below.

They did not attack aimlessly, but focused their attacks on the armed merchant ships and gun emplacements that were capable of firing at the Abyss Dragon.

"It's a dragon, an abyssal demon dragon!"

"Quickly, all firepower aimed at it!"

"Damn, watch out for what's above you..."

Players are so caught up in the frenzied winged demons that they have no time to operate the heavy cannons to bombard the abyssal dragon.

It shouldn't have come to this, but many players haven't logged in yet. Even though their characters have been roused by the battle due to the AFK setting, AFK player characters are ultimately no match for the players themselves.

Therefore, the Abyss Dragon successfully recovered from the impact.

Just then, the demonic tide surged from the woods to the edge of the shattered Unyielding, swarming in through the gap.

Just then, the Shanghai Pirate King also received the news and rushed online. He hurriedly rushed out of the captain's cabin of the Iron Justice, went to the bow of the ship, raised his binoculars and looked ahead, and subconsciously shouted.

"Grass mud horse!"

The first thing he saw was the Unyielding Ship's hull, which had capsized like a toy crushed by a giant, and the demonic waves surging in like a flood bursting through the huge gap. His heart almost stopped beating.

The destruction caused by the Abyss Dragon was not just the destruction of a ship; it tore an irreparable and fatal gap in the outermost layer of the player's defenses.

"Fire, fire quickly!"

At this point, the players in the position finally reacted. Several armed merchant ships that were relatively far back and had not yet been completely entangled by the Winged Demons suddenly shook, and thick flames and smoke spewed out from the side gun ports.

A deafening roar of cannon fire erupted, the muzzles pointed precisely at the fatal breach in the wreckage of the Unyielding.

More than a dozen black dots streaked across the low sky with a piercing whistle, crashing heavily into the surging tide of demons.

Rumble…

The sounds of steel clashing with flesh and gunpowder created a continuous roar in the most densely populated areas of demons.

The solid cannonballs carried enormous kinetic energy, carving bloody furrows through the demon horde like an iron plow. Wherever they passed, berserker demons, inferior demons, and some strange and unusual demons were shattered like bowling pins.

Even more deadly were the exploding shells mixed in, which exploded above the demons' heads or on the shallow ground, and the pre-made fragments were like a storm of deathly metal, scattering wildly in all directions.

In an instant, a brief but cruel "flower of death," composed of flesh and mangled limbs, seemed to rise from the gap.

The sudden and intense artillery barrage from the flank and rear had an immediate effect.

The surging tide of demons seemed to be struck hard by an invisible giant hammer. A large portion of the vanguard was instantly wiped out, and the momentum of the subsequent demon charge was halted. Chaos and commotion spread throughout the demon ranks.

This is the main reason why the demons haven't launched a major offensive or directly attacked the players' positions.

Although the terrain of the eastern beach area is easy to attack but difficult to defend, the enemy's artillery is not to be underestimated.

The artillery bombardment bought the players invaluable time.

Before the smoke of the cannon fire had dissipated and the lingering heat scorched the air, in this brief silence and demonic chaos, a wilder, more inhuman roar and howl erupted from the armed merchant ship near the breach.

"For the new materials! For the silver dollars! Slaughter them all!"

"My new arm is itching, come on, you bastard!"

"Brothers with wings, follow me, let's cut through their back row!"

From behind the burning ship wreckage and damaged fortifications, a group of figures of various shapes and fierce auras rushed out... These were the players who had used demonic flesh and blood to resurrect and gained various physical mutation abilities.

They became the first and most frantic wave of fresh forces to plug the gap.

Several players, with bulging bodies, bulging muscles, and dark red or bluish-gray skin, crashed into the demon vanguard, which had just been bombarded and had not yet reorganized, like human battering rams.

They were no longer using the standard weapons of the Kingdom of Bagnia, but rather captured demon chain hammers, enormous bone clubs, and even directly attacking with their own fists and mutated bone spikes.

A player, who used the flesh and blood of a berserker and wore specially made plate armor, had bloodshot eyes and was letting out inhuman roars as he forcefully blocked the giant axe that a berserker was swinging down with his shoulder.

As the clang of metal clashing against metal echoed from his shoulder, a powerful backhand punch, crackling with dark red energy, dented the chest of the berserker demon. Another player, embodying the characteristics of the Florid, transformed his arms into eagle claws, moving with ghostly speed through the demon horde. His claws preyed on lower-ranking demons, maximizing his exploitative tactics and leaving a trail of blood in his wake.

Not all mutated players choose to fight head-on; some players who have gained special abilities participate in the battle in a more bizarre way.

Some players whose fleshy wings on their backs were already capable of supporting short-distance gliding, along with several companions who also had winged demon characteristics, did not directly participate in the ground melee, but instead flew low over the flanks.

They specifically targeted spellcasters or commanders within the demon ranks, precisely eliminating them or throwing short spears, greatly disrupting the demons' subsequent command and support.

The demons were clearly stunned by this sudden, chaotic, and frenzied attack from their "kindred spirits."

These Bagnians are not only approaching their strength, speed, and even appearance, but their fighting style is also more unpredictable and chaotic, yet possesses a chilling efficiency.

In an instant, a chaotic and bloody scene unfolded in the narrow area at the gap, with the roars of demons, the shouts of players, the clash of weapons, the sound of flesh being torn apart, and the sounds of various strange abilities all intertwined.

The abyssal dragon, which had already taken to the air once again under the cover of other demons, was unaffected. Its eyes, burning with fel flames, coldly swept over the figures below that were fighting like ants, and finally locked onto the armed merchant ships that had just dared to unleash cannon fire on it and its legion.

The dizziness from the impact and the minor superficial injuries completely transformed into a furious rage that consumed everything.

Its chest, covered in thick scales, swelled violently again to a visible extent, and deep in its throat, a ghostly green evil energy gathered and compressed with unprecedented brightness, as if giving birth to a small green sun.

The sulfurous smell in the air instantly became incredibly pungent, and even the clamor of the battlefield seemed to be suppressed by this gathering destructive energy.

"It...it's going to breathe fire!!!"

A player operating the cannon looked up and saw this scene, and was so frightened that he screamed in a shrill voice.

The next moment, the abyssal dragon suddenly raised its ferocious head and opened its enormous mouth, large enough to swallow a carriage whole...

"Roar……"

With a roar that shattered the clouds, an incredibly thick, solidified torrent of eerie green evil energy erupted from the dragon's mouth.

This dragon's breath was not a scattered flame, but a highly concentrated energy breath, with the characteristic of annihilating everything. It tore through the sky and accurately hit the armed merchant ship, Langtao, which had just finished reloading and was preparing for a second round of shelling.

There was no violent explosion, but a far more terrifying annihilation.

The moment the dragon's breath touched the ship's hull, the wooden structure of the Waves did not burn. Instead, it dissolved and vaporized rapidly, as if ice had been thrown into strong acid, emitting a terrifying hissing sound.

The hard metal cannon barrel twisted, turned red, and then melted at a visible speed in the eerie green torrent of energy.

The dragon's breath continued to spray, like a green pen of death, sweeping from the bow to the stern of the Waves. Wherever it passed, the decks, cabins, masts, cannons, and players who didn't have time to jump into the sea... everything was instantly decomposed and evaporated, leaving not even ashes behind.

In just two or three seconds, the entire Wave was ripped off from the middle by that destructive green beam of light. The cut was smooth as a mirror, with traces of melting and hissing arcs of evil energy remaining.

The remaining bow and stern sections lay helplessly tilted on the beach.

The dragon's breath, still powerful, swept past the Waves and then grazed the side of another ship, the Sea Serpent.

The side planks and gun ports of the Sea Serpent vanished instantly, exposing a charred and molten interior. The ship tilted violently, and the players screamed as they fell inside, scalded to death by the intense heat.

The entire battlefield seemed to have been muted.

Whether it was the players and demons engaged in battle, or Elunor watching from afar, everyone was shocked by this earth-shattering scene.

The roars of demons, the shouts of players, the roar of cannons... all sounds seemed to disappear, leaving only the chilling buzzing after the dragon's breath and the crackling of the wreckage.

Faced with absolute power, all resistance seems utterly ridiculous.

The abyss dragon slowly closed its massive jaws, and the green light in its throat gradually faded.

It coldly looked down at the battlefield below, which had fallen into a brief silence because of its power. In its burning pupils, there was only endless contempt and satisfaction after destruction.

Then, the Abyss Dragon received an even more enthusiastic response from the players.

"Aha, the boss unleashed his attack! It definitely won't be able to do it a second time anytime soon. Brothers, let's go! Kill it!!!"

A player named Monster Hunter Abuser stood on the wreckage of a ship, brandishing a nicked scimitar and shouting at the top of his lungs.

There was no fear in his eyes, only excitement and greed at seeing the "World Boss" enter its skill cooldown period.

"Dragon scales, dragon horns, dragon heart—they're all mine!"

Another player, whose entire body was covered in rough bone armor, seemingly made from the flesh and blood of some kind of carapace demon, pounded his chest with his fists, making loud thuds, and after roaring to the sky, was the first to charge forward.

With him leading the way, the mutated players at the breach became even more energized, launching an even fiercer attack.

They are no longer content with merely blocking; they are attempting to push back.

Players enhanced with Berserker's flesh and blood charged forward, enduring the demon's attacks. Players with gliding abilities harassed the demon's backline more frequently, attempting to disrupt their formation and create space for the dragon slaying.

Those armed merchant ships that were not completely destroyed became temporary "air defense fortifications".

Despite the poor anti-aircraft performance of the broadside guns, the players didn't care anymore!

"All gun barrels, raise to maximum elevation, open fire, load open fire!"

"Fierce Tiger Descends the Mountain Rocket, Aim at the Dragon's Wing Joints, and Fire!"

"Musketeers, up to deck, free fire, aim for its eye..."

At the command, the remaining cannons roared again, this time firing mostly shrapnel. The dense bullets shot towards the low-flying dragon like a metal storm. Although most of them were deflected by the thick scales, the clanging sounds and the occasional stinging pain from hitting the wing membranes or weak joints clearly enraged the behemoth.

Even more deadly are those rockets that seem to be descending from the mountain like tigers.

The player pulled out all their stockpile and fired them in the shortest time possible. They trailed white flames like shooting stars flying in reverse. Although their accuracy was questionable, their sheer number made up for it.

Several rockets struck the dragon's chest, abdomen, and wings, exploding. Although the shrapnel and shockwaves could not cause fatal injuries, they did make the dragon roar in pain, and its body, which had been circling above the gap in the defense line, swayed in the air.

Those players with fleshy wings on their backs displayed astonishing courage and recklessness at this moment.

Like moths drawn to a flame, they knew they were no match, yet they still struggled desperately towards the demonic dragon.

"For the dragon materials!"

"Take this spear..."

They hurled short spears, throwing axes, and some even carried siege spears that looked like extra-long plungers, circling around the area, looking for the best opportunity.

Most attacks were like tickles, and occasionally a lucky one would manage to pierce the gaps in the scales with their weapon. Although the damage was negligible, this constant harassment greatly attracted the dragon's attention, making it extremely irritable.

The abyssal dragon did need a brief respite from its powerful breath attack. It hadn't expected that these tiny ants would not only remain unfazed but would launch such a frenzied counterattack.

It flapped its wings angrily, and the resulting gale blew several nearby "flying man" players off balance, causing them to fall with screams.

It lowered its altitude, swept its tail across, and smashed the superstructure of a nearby merchant ship to pieces. It even tried to scratch the annoying "flying insects" with its claws.

However, there were too many players, and they were too crazy!

They launched a hysterical siege against this behemoth, a symbol of absolute power, from the ground, from the sea, and from the air, using every possible means.

So much so that when the five fastest and most agile players launched a descent from the air, wielding siege spears like aerial knights in a suicidal charge, the Abyss Dragon was unable to react in time.

At that time, the Abyss Dragon had just swept away a merchant ship with its tail and was looking for its next target to vent its frustration. It did not pay much attention to the five flying insects that were swooping down from different directions with a desperate attitude.

Previous harassment has proven that these creatures' attacks are almost ineffective against its tough scales.

However, this time was different.

These five players were clearly prepared to die. They pushed their flight speed to the limit, like five arrows released from a bow. They ignored the strong winds generated by the dragon's casual waving of its claws and the interception by the other winged demons around them. Their eyes were only on the relatively fragile wing membrane joints of the dragon, or the area with slightly denser scales below its neck.

With desperate roars, they charged violently at the dragon.

The five daredevil players' dives were not all successful. The winged demons surrounding the dragon did their best, but three of them were knocked off course by the winged demons halfway through their flight, or were simply carried away by the demons to other places.

Only two players were extremely lucky; they narrowly escaped the Winged Demon's attack and, with their aim being precise enough, they actually crashed into the dragon.

Only two out of the five people succeeded, but that was enough.

Two muffled, thunderous roars, almost simultaneous, suddenly exploded at the base of the dragon's left wing and below its neck.

The explosion's flames were not a dazzling bright yellow, but rather a dark red and deep black, characteristic of maroon gunpowder. The terrifying shockwave and metallic heat flow were like two invisible giant fists, slamming into the dragon's body from the outside in.

"Ow..."

The abyssal dragon let out its most mournful and painful howl since the start of the war.

At the relatively vulnerable joint at the base of its left wing, a huge, bloody gash was blasted open, and dark red dragon blood gushed out like a waterfall, while broken bone fragments and charred chunks of flesh scattered everywhere.

The dragon's massive left wing instantly lost most of its power, drooping limply, causing its entire body to tilt violently in the air, nearly losing its balance and falling!

Although the explosion below its neck did not cause such a severe open wound due to the cushioning effect of its scales and muscles, the enormous impact clearly damaged its trachea and internal bones, and dark red blood continued to seep out from the gaps in its scales.

The swirling abyssal dragon shook its head in agony, its breathing becoming heavy and labored. Instead of the sulfurous breath it exhaled during its dragon breath preparation, it spewed out a scorching stream of air mixed with blood foam.

The two players who launched the suicide attack were blown to pieces along with their siege spears the instant the explosion occurred, dying a gruesome death from which their bodies could not be found.

But their sacrifices yielded unprecedented results!
The entire battlefield fell into a brief silence once again.

But this time, the deathly silence contained not despair, but an unbelievable ecstasy and awe!
"It...it's a success! It's injured!!"

"Holy crap! The siege spear is awesome!!!"

"Wings! Its wings are about to break!!"

"Quick, keep going, it's failing!"

The players were in an uproar. Their morale, already high due to the dragon's breath, exploded like a powder keg that had been lit.

All the players who could still move, whether fighting on the ground or operating from the ship, went berserk, launching an even fiercer and more reckless attack on the heavily damaged abyssal dragon that was teetering in the air.

The roar of artillery intensified, and rockets like "Tiger Descending the Mountain" and "Hundred Tigers Rushing Together" (which wouldn't explode) were fired at the dragon's injured left wing and neck as if they were free. The surviving "Flying Man" players, their eyes red, searched for any opportunity to throw weapons or launch another suicide attack.

The Abyss Dragon, this once invincible war behemoth, revealed its weakness and vulnerability to the players for the first time.

It struggled to gain altitude, but its damaged left wing made its movements clumsy and difficult.

It was angry, it was in pain, but more than that, it was an instinctive... terror of these crazed ants.

The atmosphere on the battlefield abruptly shifted from the despair following the dragon's breath to a bizarre, chaotic, and even somewhat carnival-like "dragon-slaying feast."

A flame burned in every player's eyes, not the resolute determination to die a heroic death, but... the fervor of seeing a rare elite monster with low health!

Elunor, standing on the stern deck of the Steel Justice, was dumbfounded.

He couldn't comprehend this shift. Faced with such an overwhelming disparity in strength, these Bagnians chose not to retreat or pray, but instead... launched an even more frenzied attack?

Don't they know they're sending themselves to their deaths?
"They...they really are a bunch of lunatics..."

He murmured to himself, his tone filled with an indescribable shock.

The Abyss Dragon, a terrifying being that should have dominated the battlefield, is now temporarily entangled by countless players resembling "locusts".

Although each of its attacks could easily take the lives of several or even dozens of players, the players pressed on relentlessly, using resurrection and their mad will to drag the battle into a brutal and chaotic war of attrition.

Perhaps the beach fortress will fall, but if the Abyss Dragon doesn't run away soon, it will surely die here.

(End of this chapter)