Some soldiers collapsed to the ground, their bodies frozen in fear, unable to move at all.
Others stood stiff as statues, their weapons slipping from trembling hands without them even noticing.
At that moment, their thoughts were completely consumed by the blazing red light. The last trace of resistance in their hearts vanished without a trace.
In the end, the battlefield was left with nothing but hiding, frantic flight, and cold, merciless death.
The knights overseeing the battle from the rear felt their pupils shrink. They stood stunned for a few seconds before the explosions snapped them back to their senses.
They had never expected to encounter such a creature on the battlefield.
Especially those knights who had followed Godrick from the Royal Capital. They swallowed hard, a low gulp sounding in their throats.
This was a being born strong. Had the ancient dragons not been betrayed by the drakes back then, their dynasty might still rule this land.
Times had changed, yet the sight of an Ancient Dragon still weighed heavily even on seasoned warriors.
They quickly regained their composure and ordered the Golems to loose their arrows.
The towering Golems raised their massive bows. One after another, enormous arrows gleaming with cold light shot toward the Ancient Dragon like falling stars.
Faced with this overwhelming rain of arrows, the Ancient Dragon moved with astonishing agility.
Her massive body twisted and turned in the air, graceful as a dancer.
The arrows struck her scales and burst into sparks, but failed to pierce her flesh.
As the front line began to falter, soldiers breaking and fleeing in panic, a veteran knight made a swift decision and roared:
"Send word back immediately! Tell His Highness the front line can't hold. We need reinforcements now!"
Another knight turned, face twisted with anger, and shouted at the enforcement squad behind him:
"Listen carefully! Keep these men in line. Not a single one is allowed to take a step back!"
"Anyone who disobeys orders will be executed on the spot!"
Orders rang out one after another as furious voices echoed across the battlefield.
Ordinary soldiers could hardly find the courage to face such a monster.
But they understood one thing clearly.
If they turned and ran now, death was certain.
At worst, they would die here.
They had followed Godrick out of the Royal Capital, survived countless battles. They had long since made peace with death.
As for the rest, the knights had no time to care what they thought.
Die to the enemy, or die to them. Those were the only options.
A fast horse broke away from the formation and galloped into the darkness in the distance.
Further south from their position, Nolan sat astride his horse on the endless grasslands, watching the battlefield amid a suffocating killing intent.
Some said he was as good as dead. Godrick's army was simply too vast.
Others said he had fled, since he had not appeared in the fortress for more than ten days.
But in truth, he had only returned once to Morton Manor, then headed northwest with two hundred knights.
Melina sat quietly behind him, her slender body leaning slightly forward.
Dolores remained nearby on horseback, her posture sharp and resolute.
Neither of them spoke. They simply watched, having given up on trying to persuade him.
"Look. Godrick is right there."
Nolan gently stroked Torrent and fixed his gaze on the distant horizon.
There was nothing there to the naked eye.
Yet Nolan seemed to see something no one else could.
Melina sat behind him in silence, still as a statue, her expression unchanged.
Dolores, on the other hand, frowned slightly, confusion flickering in her eyes.
"How did you find him?"
"Well, I'm quite good at stealth and assassination. Gathering intel isn't that hard."
Nolan smiled faintly as he answered.
Sending out a soul avatar, turning it into a flying dragon, and circling overhead was enough to get a rough picture.
After that, he used sorcery to conceal both his presence and sound, slipping into the camp to pinpoint Godrick's location.
For Nolan, this kind of operation was routine.
Godrick's messenger rushed into the camp like a gust of wind.
The camp itself had been set up with care, positioned right beside the main road leading to Saintsbridge.
If anything went wrong at the front, they could retreat quickly.
When Godrick heard about the Ancient Dragon, surprise surged through him, mixed with a trace of uncontrollable excitement.
He grabbed his golden great axe, ready to personally lead his forces out of camp and reenact the heroic feats of his ancestors, staging a grand dragon hunt.
After so much grafting and so long without battle, he was eager to test himself.
The knights hurried forward and stopped him.
"Your Highness, you must not act rashly!"
The lead knight shouted anxiously, unable to hide his frustration.
This prince shrinks back when it matters, yet insists on charging forward when he shouldn't.
Prince Godwyn slew dragons because he had the strength for it. Why involve yourself?
"If that Ancient Dragon joins forces with Nolan Bethel, wouldn't you be walking straight into their trap by going to the front yourself?"
"In my opinion, Your Highness should remain here while we lead troops to reinforce the front."
"No matter how the battle turns out, you can conserve your strength and observe the situation, waiting for the right moment."
"When the opportunity comes, you can decide the battle in one stroke. And if necessary, we can always withdraw to Stormveil."
"You make a fair point."
Godrick thought for a moment, suppressing his urge to restore golden glory with the blood of an Ancient Dragon.
"Then take a thousand men to reinforce the front. Send all the Golem units as well."
"That Ancient Dragon dares to leave the Royal Capital and side with rebels."
"I'll take their heads and make an example of them."
"Yes!"
The knights withdrew, carrying out his orders, each leading several units toward the front.
Since midnight, Godrick's offensive had not stopped for a moment.
Outside Miro Fortress, war drums thundered like rolling storms.
From the northwest, countless enemies surged forward like locusts, while one massive Golem after another fell.
The drums grew louder. The number of soldiers kept increasing.
Hidden in the shadows, Nolan watched as over a thousand troops marched out of the camp.
This was his soul avatar. Everything it saw was relayed back to his true body.
Elsewhere, that same figure tugged the reins, and a stream of blue particles flowed back into him.
Nolan turned to look at Melina and Dolores beside him, a faint smile forming on his lips.