novelraw Chapter 439: Bronze Dragon King, Hellish Evil God
Chapter 439: Bronze Dragon King, Hellish Evil God
High in the sky, the Red Iron Dragon flapped his wings, flying toward the Citadel of Crimson Flame.
However, he had barely broken free and had not yet completely left the battlefield when several dragon silhouettes streaked in from the horizon.
Leading them was the Blue Dragon Zoraya, her body covered in deep blue scales.
Behind her followed several massive dragons from the Dominik clan.
The central region where Garoth had been attacked fell under her jurisdiction. Earlier, there had been violent spatial disturbances and fractures that spread far and wide. Sensing something amiss, Zoraya immediately led her elite forces to investigate.
At a glance, Zoraya’s gaze tightened when she saw Garoth and the many wounds across the Red Iron Dragon’s body. The wavering dragon might also showed he had just gone through a fierce battle.
The dragons immediately clustered around him, placing the Red Iron Dragon Emperor at the center of their protection.
“Your Majesty, were those disturbances caused by you? Were you ambushed?” Zoraya asked, concern lacing her voice.
The Red Iron Dragon nodded calmly.
“I encountered four Legendaries of the Scale Path. They ambushed me here.”He spoke briefly, then turned his gaze to Zoraya and ordered in a low voice, “Zoraya, after you return, thoroughly investigate your territory. If you find anyone suspected of belonging to the Dragon-Worship Cult, detain them immediately and interrogate them harshly. Root them out completely.”
Garoth suspected there might already be followers of the Scale Path hidden within his kingdom’s borders.
Otherwise, four Legendary practitioners would not have launched a coordinated ambush so soon after his nation’s founding ceremony.
Legendary-ranked figures rarely waste time on trivial intelligence work.
The most likely scenario was that lower-ranking cult members hiding in the shadows noticed the Wilderness King, reported details up the chain to higher-level operatives within the cult, and then, with his newfound fame after founding the nation, the information eventually attracted this ambush.
Zoraya and the Dominik dragons with her were stunned.
Four Legendaries from the Dragon-Worship Cult?!
No wonder they had left so many wounds on the king... Wait! The king said he had defeated all four of them?!
At that thought, reverence toward Garoth surged to its peak in the dragons’ gazes.
If it was an ambush, the attackers would have held the geographical advantage and been prepared.
That Garoth had killed them all in return could only mean the Red Iron Dragon Emperor’s power far exceeded the ambushers’ expectations.
“My king, those Scale Path vermin dared to attack you. They were courting death!” Zoraya lowered her beautiful head and replied, “Rest assured. Once I return to my territory, I will begin the most thorough purge. No hiding stench will escape my search.”
Garoth only pressed his brow slightly at her words.
He said no more, beat his wings, and continued toward the Citadel of Crimson Flame. His huge body soon became a dark speck against the sky.
Not long after, atop the summit of the High Mountain Dragon Court,
the Red Iron Dragon Emperor stood on the highest platform, his gaze sharp as he slowly swept across the boundless wasteland.
On the way back to the capital, Garoth had already used a mental link to inform the iron dragon Sorog of the ambush, ordering him to pay extra attention to the Dragon-Worship Cult and do his best to flush out cultists hiding in the shadows to prevent future threats.
This task was mainly assigned to scout leader Russell.
“Looking back, my reaction then was a bit extreme. I failed to remain fully composed,” the Red Iron Dragon said as he calmed himself and began replaying the fight in his mind.
“Two Legendary sorcerers were indeed hard to control, but I should have at least tried to spare one warrior-type Legendary alive. I might have extracted information about the Dragon-Worship Cult from them.”
He shook his head in regret.
Having been ambushed in his weaker years and nearly killed left him with some reactive tendencies.
Also, at the very start of the fight, his Flame Domain had been shattered almost instantly, which filled him with alarm and prompted him to use the swiftest measures.
But in truth, he had somewhat overestimated the enemy.
The Flame Domain’s collapse was largely due to the special effect of that Legendary weapon.
Aside from that powerful special property, the weapon’s other aspects were mediocre.
When Garoth withstood layers of control effects and counterattacked fiercely, the human Legendary who faced his full strength only managed to scratch his claw before being crushed underfoot.
Pathetically weak.
The others were similar.
The bald-headed strongman who prided himself on defense shattered like paper when Garoth went into full combat mode.
The Mind Sorcerer’s psychic assault was almost entirely nullified by Garoth’s Heart Like Iron and frenzied flame mitigations.
Still, the Mind Sorcerer amplified suffering through his domain, which did affect Garoth somewhat.
It made him more agitated.
Among the four Legendaries, only the dimensional sorcerer Malcolm inflicted notable trouble and substantial damage on Garoth, but that was it. Malcolm’s final, energy-draining strike indeed gravely wounded him, yet it failed to break his Dragon Pearl.
“Even if I add up all their Legendary Traits, they probably don’t total what I have,” he mused.
“But it’s not that they were too weak; I’m simply too strong.”
He considered the facts soberly.
Pairing a Mind Sorcerer and a Dimensional Sorcerer could immobilize most ordinary Legendaries, rendering them helpless while two warrior Legendaries and a weapon that counters domains would likely finish a target quickly.
Their ambush arrangement was actually quite sound.
Too bad they encountered Garoth.
With dual domains, up to twelve Legendary Traits, and multiple combat forms, Garoth’s displayed level might be 21, but his real combat capability far exceeded what that level implied.
“This ambush didn’t actually threaten my life, but it exposed some of my weaknesses,” Garoth reflected.
“Perception... my perception attribute is lagging behind the growth of my strength and defense.”
“When Star Path Face is active, it grants me strong perception boosts in combat, but in non-combat daily states, such as during this ambush, it can’t detect or anticipate spatial seals forming in time.”
“I need a way to increase my base perception attribute.”
“Ideally, I want a Legendary Trait dedicated to perception or insight.”
Garoth set a clear direction for his next efforts.
“Detecting hidden dangers ahead of time is no less important than powerful combat skills.”
“Consider the Dragon-Worship Cult, the potential threat from the neighboring Divine Kingdom of Theo, possible retaliation from Siano’s lineage among the Bronze Dragons, and... that deity who might look my way again at any moment.”
“The dangers lurking behind me are numerous.”
Thinking of these threats weighed on Garoth’s mind.
As he grew stronger and stood more prominently on the world stage, he inevitably drew attention from higher-tier existences, bringing unprecedented challenges.
He could not let his guard down.
“And that Luckbringer.”
Garoth’s eyes narrowed as he recalled the intelligence he’d obtained from the Lothrian Kingdom.
The Luckbringer, Alya, was a Lothrian native, a 23rd-level divine priestess blessed by the gods. Born under divine favor, she grew up surrounded by flowers and praise and seemed especially favored by fate. Before ten, she had already been accepted by the Church of the Goddess of Fortune and rose steadily without setbacks. She was now the church’s youngest Legendary archbishop.
She specialized in weather and summoning divine arts.
As for her exact Legendary Domain and Traits, the intelligence simply listed them as “unknown.”
Why had the Lothrian Kingdom passed along information on a national Legendary? The reason was simple.
Churches that worship gods naturally stand in tension with secular royal power.
When the Lothrian Kingdom was ravaged by war and in dire straits, no Legendary from the church stepped forward to defend the nation.
They did not fight for the country.
Once someone devotes themselves to a church and pledges faith and loyalty to a god, their primary identity is no longer that of a citizen but of a servant of the god.
To Lothrian rulers, church Legendaries are never truly on their side.
On the other hand, some doctrines and the church’s presence can help stabilize society and the kingdom’s rule. Powerful gods also exist above kings, forcing rulers to be cautious when handling church relations.
Thus, the kingdom and the church often maintain a delicate balance of competition and cooperation.
“Sorog.”
Garoth ceased his contemplation and called to his kin in his mind.
“Present.”
Iron Dragon Sorog’s voice answered instantly through the mental link.
Garoth thought a moment and said, “Send an official letter from the Kingdom of Aola to the Church of the Goddess of Fortune.”
“State that we wish to establish cooperative relations and discuss matters of mutual interest.”
“Given our previous encounter with the Luckbringer Alya, we are not strangers. Invite her specifically as an envoy to visit our main realm in Aola.”
Sorog replied, “The Luckbringer took the Hall of Heroic Spirits from us.”
“At the time we were weak and couldn’t stop her, but now our wings have grown and we have founded our own kingdom. Would she dare set foot in our territory?”
The Red Iron Dragon snorted coldly. “Don’t forget her nature.”
“In her eyes, taking the Hall of Heroic Spirits was justified. She doesn’t think she did anything wrong; she might even believe she bestowed a gift upon us.”
“This woman’s arrogance runs deeper than many dragons.”
Sorog nodded slowly in agreement.
Out of caution, he added, “If a divine favorite suffers an incident on our soil, even an accident, it could cause huge trouble afterward. Have you considered that?”
Garoth said, “Send the formal invitation first and see how she responds. If she dares to come, we’ll decide based on what happens when she’s on our turf.”
When the Luckbringer took the Hall of Heroic Spirits back then, she relied on her strength—and the weak must bow to the strong. That’s the law of the wilderness. If roles were reversed, Garoth admitted he wouldn’t have passed up a Legendary artifact that nearly fell into his lap.
But there was a difference: if he had taken something without immediate discovery, he would not have shown himself with a high-and-mighty lecture like Alya did.
Garoth acted rationally and from interest-first logic, avoiding rash gestures.
In his calculation, if the Luckbringer willingly returned the Hall of Heroic Spirits and provided satisfactory compensation, he could let the matter rest.
Yet judging from Alya’s past haughty behavior, she was unlikely to bow her head and concede.
And Garoth could not tolerate having his interests robbed without protest.
Tolerating it today could mean losing more tomorrow, sending a signal of weakness that would invite further exploitation.
“Understood.”
“I’ll prepare and send a proper envoy to the southern heartlands to deliver our state letter, formally inviting the Luckbringer for talks.”
Sorog confirmed the order.
Then he added a question: “One more thing, regarding your slaying of the four Scale Path Legendaries, should we keep that secret…?”
Garoth shook his head slightly.
“No need to hide it deliberately. Let it flow naturally.”
The kingdom was newly founded and needed striking deeds to bolster its prestige and intimidate those hiding in the dark.
Garoth would not loudly promote it, but he also wouldn’t intentionally conceal it.
Letting the facts spread naturally would achieve the best effect.
After a brief exchange he ended the mental link.
Garoth inhaled deeply, his chest rising slightly before he exhaled a blast of scorching breath.
The tangled thoughts—past grudges, present challenges, future worries—were pushed away by that long sigh.
No matter what storm awaited, continuously growing stronger was the best response to all challenges.
He would rest briefly to heal his wounds, then resume his single-minded pursuit of greater power.
Time flowed on as always.
Not long after, news spread across the wasteland like a fierce wind: Emperor Ignas, inspecting his realm, had been ambushed by four Legendaries in the wilderness and had killed all four single-handedly.
Having just founded a nation and already achieving such a feat,
the Wilderness King’s fame grew day by day, his influence in the southern states deepening.
An emperor’s strength was the kingdom’s most solid pillar, greatly unifying the populace and consolidating the fledgling regime.
Any power coveting or hostile to Aola would have to seriously weigh the cost of opposing it.
In a sense, Aola was Garoth’s tether.
If one day Aola were destroyed, the Legendary Red Iron Dragon would be unbound, free of obligations.
Perhaps his development would be impacted by the kingdom’s ruin, but he would also become more terrifying, leaving his enemies sleepless.
At the same time, Garoth’s growing might pricked the nerves of older powers and hidden forces.
Fear and resentment would breed deeper enmity and more meticulous plotting. This dazzling reputation would inevitably stir storms for Garoth and his kingdom.
Meanwhile,
in the Raging Tides Domain, an abyss so deep that even light could not reach it,
a massive dragon body, its scales etched with ancient, battle-worn patterns like dull bronze, lay coiled at the center of the ocean trench, blending with the surrounding darkness and cold.
This was Siano Sheffield, the Bronze Dragon King who commanded storms and seas.
He was not asleep. His storm-colored dragon eyes were half-closed as he breathed steadily, listening to the silent whispers of the ocean.
Yet among today’s ocean whispers, a familiar voice threaded through.
A low, hoarse tone laced with both affection and intimacy flowed like a tiny current into the Bronze Dragon King’s vast inner sea.
“Siano Sheffield, ruler of storms and seas, my child... are you content?”
At the words, the Bronze Dragon King’s vast body tensed for a moment.
He did not open his eyes immediately, instead erecting an inner wall with sheer will to block the temptation.
“Get out. Tiamat.”
“Your filthy voice does not deserve to stain my domain.”
Siano’s thought crashed like deep-sea pressure, driven with the force of breaking waves against the origin of the voice.
“Heh heh heh…” The low laughter clung like a bone-seated sore, refusing to die. It continued to circle him. “Look at yourself, Siano. Look at the Raging Tides Domain you command.”
“You are forever and always shrouded beneath the Everbright Domain’s golden radiance.”
The voice suddenly grew sharp and grating.
“You and he are both Dragon Kings, yet why does he sit on high, wielding the right to arbitrate and enjoy the veneration of ten thousand dragons? And you can only guard this abyss, bearing the dangers the Everbright Dragon Domain refuses to touch?”
“Your descendants are torn limb from limb.”
“And one word from him can shield the murderer of your offspring beneath his wings.”
“Is this the order and honor you desire?”
“Is this the justice you seek?”
Siano’s eyes snapped open, storming within his storm-colored pupils as surrounding currents turned violently turbulent.
“Silence!”
“Siano was deceived, he earned his fate by violating dragon law!”
“The Everbright Dragon King’s judgment is based on fact and law. How dare you, evil god, twist the truth?”
His roar sent violent shockwaves through the trench, an uncompromising rebuke.
Certain planar rules made descending deities rare, so potent dragon kings did not fear gods lightly.
“Facts? Law?” the voice mocked. “Those are merely tools rulers use to whitewash their will, Siano. Your blood is not purely Bronze Dragon blood... can you truly be content to bow under another dragon?”
That hint of evil dragon blood within Siano traced back to the Bronze Dragon King.
His line had a touch of evil dragon blood in its essence, albeit not outwardly obvious.
“That trace of evil dragon blood is but a drop in the sea.”
“Do you think I care?”
Siano gave a bitter laugh.
“Why deceive yourself?”
“You say you don’t care, but do other Dragon Kings feel the same? Ha, why is the most bitter, most exhausting task assigned to you rather than other dragon lords?”
The voice slid like honey and continued, “Turn to my embrace, Siano, my child.”
“Kill the weak Everbright Dragon King and take his place. Then you, Siano, will write a new order.”
Siano released a thunderous dragon roar that made the whole trench tremble.
“Delusion!”
He thundered, “I, Siano, uphold the will of the storm and defend dragonkind’s order. I will never collude with you! Return to your infernal realm, and if you dare profane my will again, I will unleash all the fury of the tides and cast your minions out of this world!”
His refusal was absolute.
“Heh ah... heh heh heh ah...” Tiamat’s laughter receded, “You will change, Siano. When justice repeatedly consigns you to the low place and honor cannot soothe your grievances, you will need me.”
“My lost child, my arms are always open.”
With that, the evil whisper finally faded, and the deep sea returned to its former stillness, only the currents continuing their tireless churn.
Yet Siano could not fully calm.
His enormous body coiled tighter. His storm-colored eyes gazed toward the very bottom of the trench, his expression deep and complicated.
Gold Dragon Lord... Siano... Red Iron Dragon... and the future painted by that voice...
He had rejected them all.
Yes, the Bronze Dragon King held firm to his will, but he could not deny a trace of resentment remained.
He was furious because that voice had struck at some of his sore points.
“I've guarded this abyss for decades and received little genuine affection from my kin.”
“My descendant Siano was deceived and acted rashly, but his intentions were not selfish; he fought for the honor of the Metal Dragons...”
In the endless darkness and silence, Siano muttered softly.
“Now he is nailed to the pillar of dragon disgrace, abandoned by kin. Ha, is the Everbright Dragon King’s judgment truly fair?”
Seeds of doubt and resentment already took root in the Bronze Dragon King’s heart.
Meanwhile, in the hells, the Immortal Dragon Queen let out a rising, mixed laughter.
On planet Bernardo she favored a particular evil dragon offspring who, under the influence of the Platinum Dragon God, had gradually strayed from his origins. She intended to repay him in full measure.
Siano was only a pretext.
She harbored deeper plots for the metal dragons here.
Besides that... the Red Iron Dragon, who had attracted her attention since the moment he slew his father, and the many followers of the Scale Path scattered across worlds, would all come to belong to her, worshipping her.
The five-headed evil god in hell wove a vast net of conspiracy, laughing as it slowly drew everything inward.