Chapter 532: The Grand Counterattack
Within the Grand Altar of Isthalia, the red dragon coiled upon the throne slowly stood up.
Cassius lowered his head, gazing at the magic projection of the still-raging battlefield, and let out a soft chuckle.
"Heh... The players have finished farming experience, and the Imperial army has endured another trial of blood and fire. It's time… to end this long war."
The red dragon twisted his head, stretched his neck, unfurled his broad wings, and flexed his powerful muscles, causing his enormous draconic frame to emit crisp creaking sounds.
Cassius spoke in a low voice, "Begin the counterattack."
In an instant, his voice seemed to transcend thousands of kilometers, piercing through towering mountains, reaching the Imperial southern front command post.
With a resounding roar of thunder, blue dragons swept across the land, bringing blinding lightning to the demons.
Intense arcs of electricity surged through the demon horde, accompanied by crackling bursts as groups of demons turned to charred husks, black smoke rising from their bodies.
Yet, the demonic offensive did not cease. Over a dozen Demon Hunter Spiders and hundreds of Giant Bull Demons gathered, while terrifying Slaughter Demons were summoned forth.
"Boom! Boom!"
A heavy, rumbling sound echoed, and the very earth trembled beneath the feet of these massive demons.
"Roar—"
From deep within the surging demon tide came a chorus of chaotic roars, as if countless creatures were screaming and wailing in unison.
Atop a towering Abyssal Behemoth—stitched together from various demon corpses—a crimson-skinned demon lashed its fiery whip.
"People of the Great Abyss, it is time to end this game. The Abyssal Legion shall make these mortals realize—how small and ignorant they truly are!"
"Tear them apart!"
"Destroy their kingdom! Slaughter their people!"
"I want to taste their blood!"
Under the command of the high-ranking demon, countless Cowardly Demons and Primal Demons instinctively clustered together, flooding the battlefield like a black tide.
Meanwhile, in the sky, the abyssal dragon beasts' pitch-black wings had already blotted out the sun, casting fragmented shadows over the land.
The Faria Family's blue dragons were mighty, but with only a little over a dozen billion adult blue dragons, they seemed insignificant before the overwhelming tide of demons.
"Damn… just my luck. Looks like this is a scripted death event. Guess we're all dead this time."
Lonely as Snow gazed at the demonic horde surging toward him and couldn't help but sigh.
"Wait, look behind us!"
A teammate's exclamation came from behind him, and not just that—an impassioned melody, the anthem of the Empire, began to play.
"Look! It's not just the blue dragons—all forces are mobilizing!"
"Holy crap?"
"It's the grand counterattack!"
Lonely as Snow turned around and was instantly stunned by the sight before him.
"Buzz—"
The roar of steam whistles filled the air as the iron gates of the defensive bastions swung open, releasing massive steel behemoths that charged across the land, trailing thick steam.
Behind them, heavily armored Land Drakes marched forward, letting out deep roars. These creatures moved like mobile mountains, each step causing the earth to quake.
Between the tanks and drakes, goblins, tieflings, and human infantry marched forward, rifles in hand.
Atop the largest of the drakes, Dolo brandished his Bloodfire Great Axe, pointing toward the distant demon commanders, bellowing, "Warriors of the invincible and glorious Emperor Cassius, destroy them!"
"The Dragon Lord above all!"
Amid the stirring melody, a resounding battle cry erupted.
The Dragon-Oath Paladins marched in tight formations, wielding massive shields engraved with the Ember Crest, clad in resplendent red-and-gold heavy armor.
"Eradicate the demons—glory to the Dragon Lord!"
At the forefront, Judicator Knight Anthony shouted, raising his lance high. A crimson banner fluttered fiercely in the wind.
—That banner bore an exquisite emblem of intertwining dragon claws and a massive shield—the insignia of the Dragon-Oath Sanctuary.
The sky was filled with chaotic roars as over a thousand wyverns, chimeras, and flame drakes flapped their wings, forming a crimson tidal wave that blotted out the sky.
At the very center of this formation were the elite Wyvern Knights.
Their formation was so tight that the hundreds of wyverns moved as one—like a colossal red dragon.
Leading at the 'dragon's head,' Alger once again raised his Ever-Burning Greatsword and roared, "For the Empire! For His Majesty Cassius! Crimson Scaled Conquerors, prepare to charge!"
"Roar—"
Another oppressive roar echoed from within the dense dragon horde.
The wyverns and flame drakes instinctively felt the pressure of superior bloodlines and made way.
Amid the surging crimson tide, a massive white figure emerged—Tinia, the White Dragon.
This white dragon, bearing the bloodline of ancient dragons, had grown over twenty meters long, comparable to an elder white dragon. She flapped her wings regally, her gaze toward the demons filled with ferocity.
Tinia had long resolved to prove herself before her master.
She would demonstrate through action—that she was the strongest of her master's vassals!
"Abyssal scum, I will freeze you into ice cubes! And then shatter you!"
On the eastern and western flanks of the battlefield, the newly arrived Melward Silver Dragons and Faria Blue Dragons raised their heads and let out synchronized roars.
In the southern continent, these two families represented major factions among the metallic and chromatic dragons. Yet, before a common enemy, they had put aside their past conflicts to fight side by side.
"The Tank Legion, Land Drake Legion, Imperial Infantry Corps, Ember Dragon Horde, Crimson Scaled Conquerors, Dragon-Oath Paladins… damn, we're going all in!"
A player, looking at the imposing army behind them, couldn't help but exclaim.
At the rear of the formation, the Imperial Magus Corps hovered in the air, magical auras shimmering as vibrant robes fluttered above the battlefield.
Beside the magi, fiery portals tore open in midair, and a dozen Dragon Pact Sorcerers emerged, stepping through with streams of flame and embers, their pale golden eyes flickering with light.
"Daughter of Dragonfire" Misha hovered high above, her gaze fixed on the abyssal behemoth's back where a sinister figure stood.
—She felt the threads of fate intertwining.
Her flowing crimson hair danced in the wind, wisp-like flames encircling her tall form.
She lifted her head sharply, and in an instant, massive dragon wings unfurled from her back.
"I've finally found you…"
"Leo Bosk."
Misha gritted her teeth, golden eyes burning with fury, the depths of her pupils filled with murderous intent.
At the very center of the Magus Corps, surrounded by numerous spellcasters, a massive figure appeared.
Wrapped in a patchwork cloak of stitched-together robes, with a necklace of nine skulls around his neck…
A massive dragon-headed scepter rested in his clawed hands, radiating an immense magical aura, his grotesque face displaying a confident smirk.
—It was none other than the Empire's Prime Minister, and its most powerful spellcaster, the dragon-blooded ogre, Langpu.
"It's the Prime Minister!"
"By Cassius… he's taking the field himself!"
With Langpu's appearance, Imperial soldiers and players alike erupted in cheers.
In recent years, the ogre Prime Minister had been preoccupied with state affairs, seldom making public appearances outside of major ceremonies—let alone personally casting spells.
Langpu slowly opened his mouth, and an invisible wave of magical energy spread across the battlefield. His calm voice instantly resounded across the entire war zone.
"Comrades—before us stand the filthy, despicable demons who seek to destroy our Empire, and behind us lies our homeland, the land of glorious civilization, the Ember Empire. We are the people under His Majesty Cassius' wings, the vassals and warriors of the Great Red Dragon. Just now, His Majesty personally gave the order— The Empire's counterattack begins now!"
"For the Empire!"
"For His Majesty Cassius!"
The Imperial soldiers erupted into fervent cheers, the wyverns in the sky let out deafening roars, and the land drakes stomped the ground with immense force.
The satyr military band struck up their music, rhythmically beating their war drums.
"Holy shit? I'm getting hyped!"
"This is massive!"
"Counterattack!"
"Behind us is Isthalia! There's no turning back—we must be ready to offer our hearts to the Empire!"
"For the Empire! For His Majesty Cassius! Awooo!"
Even the players were swept up in the fervor, their eyes brimming with excitement.
As the rousing anthem played, millions of players cheered in unison, like an unrelenting tide.
The Imperial army surged forward, its might rivaling that of the Abyssal Legion.
The players recklessly charged to the frontlines, eager to fully experience this blood-pumping battle—though, for the most part, they served as fodder against the Cowardly Demons and Lesser Demons.
Shouts filled the air, and dust billowed.
"Open fire! Open fire—"
"Boom!"
"Boom! Boom!"
With thunderous explosions, under the commanders' hoarse orders, dozens of steam tanks fired in unison.
Not only did their devastating main cannons unleash destruction, but their secondary guns and machine guns also erupted in full force, unleashing a torrential storm of bullets and shells.
Fire and smoke engulfed the frontline demons, leaving behind charred craters. Hundreds of thousands of low-tier demons perished in an instant, unable to even scream before being obliterated.
"Abyssal Legion! Charge!"
"These mortals' weapons won't last long! Once we get close, they'll be defenseless!"
Soul Judges and Six-Armed Naga Demons roared and bellowed their commands.
Despite the heavy losses, the demons continued their relentless advance, unfazed by death and exhaustion.
The massive Giant Bull Demons led the charge, letting out deep roars as they tanked the brunt of the Imperial firepower, like walking fortresses.
The Cowardly Demons and Lesser Demons seized the opportunity to swarm up the high ground, using sheer numbers to overwhelm the frontline players, tearing them apart until only bones remained.
The steam tanks fired continuously, taking down many Giant Bull Demons with brutal armor-piercing rounds, killing them instantly.
However, Demon Hunter Spiders' magic rays and the massive boulders hurled by the Giant Bull Demons struck back, destroying steam tanks whose magical defenses had been exhausted.
"Roar—"
Abyssal Dragon Beasts swooped down from the sky, clawing at the tops of steam tanks, attempting to pry open their armor plating.
But then, a group of wyverns closed in, spewing searing flames, tearing and clawing at the abyssal dragon beasts, forcing them to plummet from the sky.
In the fiercest aerial battles, fragmented black clouds and a crimson tide clashed, tearing at each other as abyssal dragon beasts, wyverns, and flame drakes fell from the sky in waves.
"Seize air superiority! If we control the skies, we can bomb the demons below!"
"Dragon Roar Charge!"
Alger brandished his Ever-Burning Greatsword, leading the Crimson Scaled Conquerors in a high-altitude charge.
With a bone-chilling roar, the crimson tide surged downward, smashing through the Abyssal Legion's aerial blockade.
Dozens of abyssal dragon beasts plummeted to the ground in rapid succession.
But in the distance, massive grotesque abominations hovered high above.
The monsters extended their mucus-covered, pitch-black tentacles, instantly grabbing several Crimson Scaled Conquerors and stuffing them into their ringed, fang-filled maws.
"Crunch, crunch—"
The horrifying sound of bones snapping echoed through the sky.
Alger, riding his dragon-blooded giant eagle, executed a sudden midair halt before sharply ascending, narrowly evading the tentacle's grasp.
However, the tentacles continued thrashing, ensnaring the Crimson Scaled Conquerors beside him. Paralyzing venom oozed from the suction cups, rendering a wyvern immobile.
Mantou, ensnared by a tentacle, screamed as he was dragged toward the abomination's gaping maw. "What the hell is this thing?!"
"Aah—"
With a final scream, Mantou and his mount were swallowed whole, becoming fodder for the monstrosity.
Alger reorganized his remaining forces midair, peering grimly at the abominations. "Everyone, be careful. These creatures are powerful—one mistake means death."
"Perhaps… we need some backup."
"Boom!"
With an earth-shaking rumble, a bolt of lightning struck from the sky, scorching an abyssal abomination into a blackened husk.
Blue dragons surged forward, roaring as they unleashed blinding lightning breath.
The abominations attempted to ensnare them with their tentacles, but the blue dragons roared defiantly, slashing with their claws and even tearing the tentacles apart with their fangs.
"Boom!"
Another thunderous blast rang out as a lightning bolt as thick as a bowl struck the creature's skull, leaving a charred crater.
"Roar—"
The abyssal abomination howled in agony, plummeting from the sky and crushing countless low-tier demons upon impact.
Seeing a tentacle reaching for a blue dragon's wing, Alger dived down on his giant eagle, slicing the writhing appendage apart with a single strike.
Then, he issued a calm order: "Split up and support the blue dragons!"
"Yes, Commander!"
"Roar—"
Wyverns circled above, searching for openings before diving down to take out the abominations, striking at their monstrous forms.
"Boom!"
A massive explosion erupted midair as an abomination was crushed and sent hurtling toward the ground.
Blazing meteors rained down from the sky, crashing into abyssal abominations and slamming into the demon horde below.
The Imperial Magus Corps raised their staffs, constructing vast and intricate spell formations. Above them, magical radiance flickered incessantly.
Meanwhile, the demon Sorcerers unleashed terrifying abyssal magic—poisonous mists, blood-colored toxins, and insanity-inducing orbs filled the battlefield, causing heavy casualties among Imperial troops.
Yet, under the relentless advance of steam tanks and land drakes, the Imperial battlefront steadily pushed forward.