Evil Red Dragon

As the Church of Light issued its mission, one adventure team after another set out, plowing through the wilderness inch by inch like locusts.

But those dragonborn trolls vanished as if they had evaporated, disappearing into the vast forests with hundreds of kobolds.

In the prayer room of the church in Greystone, Linus knelt alone before the statue of the God of Light.

Soft white light shone down, illuminating his solemn face.

According to Marcus's description, the Dragonborn Trolls displayed combat power far exceeding that of ordinary level 5 creatures, so the red dragon behind them must be of a very high rank.

This means that even if they find their location, with the limited manpower they brought, they might not be able to kill the dragon...

He slowly took out a high-grade communication crystal used exclusively by the church from his bosom and began to transmit a message across thousands of miles.

"In the name of the God of Light, I request a connection to the Sanctuary Central Hub."

Linus chanted the incantation in a low voice.

The crystal's brilliance grew stronger and stronger, eventually transforming into a beam of light that shot upwards, unfurling a curtain of light in mid-air.

The light screen was initially blurry, but gradually became clear, revealing the interior of a magnificent hall.

The towering vaulted ceiling is covered with religious murals, with huge stone pillars arranged on both sides, and at the end is an altar carved from pure white marble.

Before the altar, an elderly man with white hair and beard stood with his back to the light screen, wearing a bishop's robe embroidered with platinum.

He slowly turned around, his face kind.

"Linus, my child."

The old man's voice came through the light screen, deep and gentle:

"You sent this message, so the situation in Graystone Town must be dire, right?"

Linus knelt on one knee, his right hand on his chest:

"Your Excellency Archbishop, I apologize for disturbing your meditation, but the threat facing Graystone Town may be beyond my initial expectations."

He reported all the intelligence he had gathered over the past few days to the old man.

After listening to Linus's account, the archbishop remained silent for a moment, then slowly said:

"Linus, your judgment is correct. Red dragons are never satisfied with small territories."

"That's exactly what I'm worried about."

Linus looked up:

"Your Excellency, with the few men I brought, we can barely defend Graystone Town, let alone launch a preemptive strike to wipe out the dragon's lair..."

"I need support."

The archbishop in the light screen nodded:

"Your request is reasonable. Allowing dragons to grow unchecked will be a disaster for the entire region. Red dragons are greedy and brutal; once they establish themselves, endless plunder and slaughter will ensue."

He thought for a moment, seemingly weighing his options:

"I will dispatch a hundred-strong Holy Light Knights order to Graystone Town, led by Holy Knight Commander Andre. Also…"

The archbishop's tone turned serious:

"Given the unusual defensive capabilities of the dragonborn trolls you mentioned, and the possibility of high-ranking red dragons, I will approve the deployment of a four-winged angel of light."

Linus's pupils contracted slightly.

The Holy Knights are one of the Church's most elite combat forces. Every member is a paladin of level four or above, and the Paladin Commander is a level six paladin with extensive experience in fighting evil creatures.

The Four-Winged Angel of Light is one of the sacred alchemical weapons of the Church of Light, a war weapon created by combining light magic and alchemy.

Each one possesses level seven combat power, making them one of the most powerful weapons against powerful evil creatures.

"Your Excellency, the movement of the Four-Winged Angels of Light requires the approval of the Cardinal, this..."

"I will communicate with the other two cardinals."

The archbishop calmly said:

"Signs of an undead scourge have recently appeared in the North, there are Deepsea Cultists active on the southern coast, and the Dark Forest in the west is also unsettled... This world is becoming dangerous, Linus."

"If we cannot nip these threats in the bud before they fully take shape, the cost will be ten or a hundred times greater than it is now."

His gaze pierced through the light screen and landed on Linus:

"You have one week. The Holy Knights will bring the Angels of Light directly to Twin Moon City via the teleportation array, and then travel by land to Graystone Town."

"To maintain secrecy, they won't make a big fuss; you need to be prepared to provide backup."

Linus bowed deeply:

"Thank you for your support, Your Excellency Archbishop, may the God of Light protect you."

"May the light be with you."

The light curtain slowly dissipated.

Linus let out a long sigh of relief.

With the Holy Knights and the Four-Winged Angel of Light, he was confident of victory no matter how strong the red dragon was.

All we can do now is wait.

And... continue to gather intelligence.

He left the prayer room and went into the church hall.

The pastor was organizing the holy water and magic crystals needed for tomorrow's prayers, and greeted Linus with bows.

Linus walked to the church entrance and gazed at the bright moon in the night sky.

"Red Dragon... your ambition ends here."

Chifeng, Dragon's Nest.

Alecto slowly opened his eyes, his dragon pupils gleaming with a sharp light.

He stood up, stretched his neck, and his joints cracked.

After more than a month of repair and recuperation, his magic corridor was finally fully healed.

Moreover, during the restoration process, Alector's control over his own magic reached new heights.

He raised his right forepaw, a thought flickering in his mind.

A flame emerged from the center of the claw, and the metal particles slowly rotated, perfectly merging with the earth element to form a simplified version of the Burning Gold Rock Spear, one meter long.

Although its power is far less devastating than when used at full strength, it has the advantage of extremely fast casting speed, can be cast instantly, and consumes only one-third of the magic power of the full version.

It still retains both penetrating and explosive effects, making it more practical than a typical level six spell.

"So, it can be considered a partial gain."

Alecto dispersed his rock spears and left the lair.

Natsu was leading the kobolds to dig all over the territory. Although they hadn't found the main vein yet, they had already dug out some low-quality iron ore.

Further away, Oliveira was squatting beside the herb garden, clumsily fiddling with alchemical vessels, while Odette patiently guided her.

Although the little dragon was still greedy and lazy, she was surprisingly serious about learning alchemy.

Alecto spread his dragon wings and flew towards the camp.

Gru was training his newly recruited troll warriors in an open area when he saw Alektor arrive. He immediately stopped what he was doing and knelt on one knee.

"Good day, Master. Have your injuries healed?"

"Um."

Alecto landed in human form and surveyed the camp:

"Where's Goron?"

"He's at the training ground in the north, adapting to the power of the Dragonborn. He successfully broke through to level five yesterday."

Gru's tone carried a hint of envy:

"Goron said that after becoming a dragonborn, he felt full of power, and breaking through to level five was a natural progression."

Alecto nodded:

"Take me to see Kula."

The two arrived at a stone house in the center of the orc camp.

Kula was sitting in her wheelchair, flipping through a notebook made of animal hide.

His legs and right arm were still empty, but his complexion was much better than before.

Upon seeing Alecto, Kula wanted to bow, but Alecto stopped her.

"No need for formalities."

Alekto walked up to Kula, and Long Tong carefully examined the old shaman:

How is your recovery going?

"Thanks to my master, my condition has basically stabilized."

Kula put down her notebook and smiled wryly:

"But the lost limbs... probably can't regenerate naturally. But that's alright, even with just one hand, I can still serve the territory."

Alecto was silent for a moment.

Kula is a veteran of Chifeng Territory. Since the day the orc tribe submitted, he has worked diligently and devoted countless efforts to the development of the territory.

During the battle against the Digivice, he even sacrificed his life to stop the Thunderwing Serpent.

Such a family member is worth caring about.

"Who said it can't be regenerated?"

Alecto said slowly:

"I've come here today to cure you."

Kula was stunned:

"Master, you mean...?"

"Dragonborn possess powerful vitality, and with the right magical items, limb regeneration is not impossible."

Alecto raised his right hand, and his palm lit up:

"But this process will be very painful, ten times more painful than receiving dragon blood, and your body and soul will be severely damaged in the previous battle. Even if your limbs regenerate, it will take a long time to fully recover."

Kula's breathing became rapid.

He glanced down at his empty sleeves and trouser legs, then looked up at Alecto, his eyes brimming with barely suppressed excitement:

"I am not afraid of pain! As long as I can stand up again, as long as I can continue to serve you, I am willing to endure any amount of suffering!"

Alecto nodded:

"Let's begin then. Gru, go and guard the door, don't let anyone disturb us."

"yes!"

Gru retreated outside the stone house, closed the door, and stood at the entrance like a door god.