Defeating the World with the Power of One Dragon!

Chapter 448: The Church's Condemnation, The Second War of Nations

Under the boundless sky of the wilderness.

A giant dragon covered in scales as dazzling as amethyst crystals was circling and weaving through the flowing clouds.

The moment the spatial-sealing effect of the Ring of Despair dissipated, and the parallel space reconnected with the Material Plane, the majestic figure of the red iron dragon solidified and appeared. Iseramas sensed it immediately.

He swiftly retracted his dragon wings and descended with a whistling wind, landing opposite the red iron dragon.

Focusing his senses on Garoth, Iseramas felt a slight strangeness at his almost completely undamaged and vigorously flourishing state of life.

At the very beginning of the battle between Garoth and the Luckbringer Alya, Iseramas had witnessed it with his own eyes.

Afterwards, when the Ring of Despair was activated and the dueling domain unfolded, completely isolating and shielding the space, his perception was forcibly blocked. He could only faintly sense that an independent parallel space had been generated and existed there. He then followed the subtle spatial fluctuations and came to wait patiently near the exit point.

Seeing the red iron dragon's current state, thoughts raced through Iseramas's mind.

The only reasonable explanation he could think of seemed to be one.

The Amethyst Dragon tilted his head slightly and asked, "Could it be... that Luckbringer lady saw the situation turning unfavorable and chose to flee without fighting?"Hearing this, Garoth gently shook his massive draconic head.

He said, "No, she did not flee. She has already become a thing of the past."

"The old grudges between us have been settled, cleared with a single stroke."

The Amethyst Dragon immediately caught the subtext in his words, and his heart was filled with surprise.

He was aware of that Luckbringer's circumstances.

Although she was human, her life tier was even above his own. Moreover, she was a divine chosen one blessed with special talents.

Iseramas had previously thought that while the red iron dragon could win, he would have to pay a rather heavy price.

"This battle should not have been easy. His casual demeanor likely means he possesses some extremely powerful traits or trump cards."

Iseramas pondered inwardly.

He reassessed the depth of this Red Iron Dragon Emperor's foundations.

Just then, the air beside them suddenly rippled with extremely subtle waves.

The red iron dragon immediately became alert, instantly turning his neck covered in black-red scales, his gaze fixed on the source of the ripples.

Under his stare, a nearly transparent, faintly outlined phantom slowly materialized from the void.

This phantom flickered, appearing and disappearing.

One could only roughly discern a humanoid silhouette.

"? This is... an undead? Or a wraith? Neither seems quite right... a rather peculiar life form."

Amethyst Dragon Iseramas also noticed this phantom.

Unlike the Amethyst Dragon's puzzled curiosity, the corners of Garoth's mouth slowly curved upward into a satisfied smile.

He said, "This is a Heroic Spirit. I originally thought he had perished completely in the previous battle. I didn't expect a spark of life remained, not completely dissipated."

This phantom was precisely the legendary Heroic Spirit who had fiercely battled him earlier.

As long as the Hall of Heroic Spirits existed, he could gradually recover his state as long as he wasn't completely extinguished.

"Undying, indestructible Heroic Spirits? Such beings seem to exist only within the 'Heroic Realm' plane."

"According to inherited lore, they engage in endless battles and trials within the Heroic Realm. As long as the Heroic Realm itself does not collapse and perish, the Heroic Spirits residing within it will never meet true death."

Iseramas carefully examined the ethereal spirit, recounting the related information he knew.

"No, what you describe is another situation."

"He does not originate from the Heroic Realm, but is a Heroic Spirit belonging to the 'Hall of Heroic Spirits'."

Garoth corrected him briefly, then turned his gaze back to the Heroic Spirit phantom.

"How should I address you?"

He asked.

The light around the Heroic Spirit flickered slightly.

He was somewhat surprised by the red iron dragon's calm, even peaceful reaction, which was completely different from the cruel mockery or the victor's arrogant demeanor he had anticipated facing.

This didn't seem like the attitude towards an enemy.

After a brief silence, a weak voice emanated from the phantom.

"Mien Nelson."

He answered truthfully.

Garoth continued asking, "How did you become a Heroic Spirit?"

Mien's spiritual light flowed as he answered candidly, "I fought for the Kingdom of Sax my entire life, ultimately exhausting myself and dying in the war of conquest against the Lothrian Kingdom."

"After death, my soul was neither destroyed nor flowed to an outer plane. Instead, it became lost in the Material Plane."

"While wandering in a daze, I chanced upon Alya and subsequently became a Heroic Spirit."

The essence of a soul is far from as fragile and easily damaged as ordinary mortals imagine.

On the contrary, the soul is an extremely resilient existence, especially for those lives that have stepped into the legendary realm.

Completely annihilating the soul of a legendary existence, reducing it to nothing, is an exceedingly difficult task.

Typically, after a creature's physical body is declared utterly dead, its soul, based on complex factors like its alignment in life, racial traits, faith affiliation, etc., is either captured by the natural attraction generated by different outer planes or directly received and taken in by the divine realm of its patron deity.

Afterwards, these souls are cleansed of all past memories and personality, transforming into new life forms unique to that plane or divine realm.

However, during this process, the more powerful the soul, the more likely it is to remain in the Material Plane.

Perhaps due to the soul's own intense obsession and unwillingness, or perhaps possessing special means or treasures that can resist planar attraction.

But staying in the Material Plane is not without cost.

These lingering souls either gradually weaken and ultimately dissipate under the erosion of time, or choose to transform into special life forms like undead or Heroic Spirits.

"Alya is dead. The Hall of Heroic Spirits now belongs to me."

Garoth declared to the Heroic Spirit. "You can choose to fight for me, or dissipate completely now."

The Heroic Spirit was silent for a moment, the light around him flickering uncertainly.

Several seconds later, he slowly spoke, "Before I make my choice, may I present a condition to you... or rather, a humble request? Please lend me your ear for a moment."

Garoth did not refuse.

He nodded slightly with his draconic head. "Speak."

The Heroic Spirit's voice lowered slightly as he stated in a low tone, "I was born into a humble, impoverished family. It was the kingdom that gave me cultivation and opportunity, allowing me to gain dignity, power, and the honor of being a warrior."

"Because of this, I once swore the Oath of Watch before a holy symbol, vowing to defend the kingdom I served and protect the compatriots behind me who needed safeguarding."

"I fought for this oath my entire life, until I shed my last drop of blood, fighting to the very last moment."

"I have always been proud of this, with no regret in my heart."

His voice paused here briefly, a trace of sorrow appearing on the face constructed of light.

"However... at the moment of my death, as my consciousness scattered, what flashed through my mind was not the glory of the battlefield, nor the praise of my sovereign... but my wife's increasingly calloused hands and the longing look in my child's eyes when they saw beautiful clothes."

The Heroic Spirit lifted his head and let out a long sigh. "Throughout my life, I strictly adhered to poverty, always leading by example."

"I distributed all rewards and wealth to soldiers and civilians in greater hardship, fulfilling my oath and demonstrating my resolve."

"My family, because of my nobility, scrimped and saved, silently supporting me, enduring a life of hardship."

"For a very long time, I firmly believed this was the necessary price to fulfill the Oath of Watch, a sacrifice that was right and proper."

"But it wasn't until the moment my life truly reached its end that I suddenly realized."

"I may have become a qualified paladin, a warrior loyal to the kingdom, but I failed those who valued me most in life and needed my protection the most... my wife, my child, my departed parents."

At this point, the Heroic Spirit's voice carried a tremor.

"I am willing to fight for you, continuing my duty of watch, but my only request is... could you, in an appropriate manner, provide some compensation and shelter for my family?"

"They need not become immensely wealthy, only that they can live without worry, safe and joyful for life."

After listening to the Heroic Spirit's account, Garoth understood why this legendary paladin's soul had remained in the Material Plane.

That guilt towards his family formed a powerful obsession, anchoring his soul.

The red iron dragon slowly spoke, "As long as you are willing to pledge loyalty to me and fight for me, then your loyalty will receive corresponding rewards."

"Your family will receive my protection. They will enjoy a life of peace and prosperity, free from poverty and worry."

From the Heroic Spirit's words, it was not difficult to judge that he was not born into nobility in life, nor had he accumulated any significant wealth.

For such a family, after the collapse of its pillar, there was little value left for outsiders. Relocating his family to the territory of the Aola Kingdom was not a difficult matter for Garoth.

The light around the Heroic Spirit rippled slightly. He knelt on one knee, bowing his head to the red iron dragon.

"My Lord, from this moment, Mien Nelson shall become your sturdiest war shield and sharpest blade, the scales that watch over you and the claws that tear your enemies."

"I shall fight tirelessly for you, until this body burns out once more."

Garoth accepted this pledge of loyalty, nodding slightly with his draconic head.

Then, as if remembering something, he asked, "During your service to Alya, did she not agree to this request of yours?"

Heroic Spirit Mien replied, "She gave verbal assent."

"However, she stated that as a bishop of the Goddess of Fortune's church, her affairs were numerous and her duties heavy. She would need to wait until she had free time before she could look after my family and bestow upon them blessings of luck."

After hearing this, Garoth said nothing more.

He took out the miniature, exquisite Hall of Heroic Spirits.

The paladin-turned-Heroic Spirit understood implicitly, transforming into a stream of pure light that flowed into the Hall of Heroic Spirits, returning to his dwelling place.

Beside them, Iseramas witnessed the entire process.

He chuckled and said, "Congratulations, Your Majesty, on gaining another legendary under your command."

The red iron dragon smiled slightly and responded, "The gains from this time are far from just one legendary Heroic Spirit."

Under the Amethyst Dragon's curious gaze, he stopped appropriately, not revealing further details. Then he spread his wings and returned to the High Mountain Court.

After returning to the court, Garoth did not delay at all and immediately issued orders:

"Sorog, the Luckbringer is dead. Closely monitor the movements of the Goddess of Fortune's church."

"Contact the Gem Merchant Consortium. Dispatch personnel to the Kingdom of Sax to safely bring the family of the legendary paladin Mien Nelson to the Aola Kingdom."

After succinctly giving these two instructions, he commanded the black dragon to bring the phylactery storing Shire's soul.

Afterwards, he ordered his other followers to bring him large quantities of food, black oil, and various gemstones and other supplies.

He needed to feast heartily, quickly replenishing the energy consumed in the previous battle, especially to refill the dimmed Dragon Pearl.

Currently, the Dragon Pearl's energy was depleted, preventing revival.

Having only one life left made Garoth feel somewhat uneasy.

Moreover, he was afflicted by the Luckbringer's curse.

In the long term, this curse would become equivalent to a blessing due to his adaptive evolution, potentially invisibly and significantly boosting his luck attribute. But in the near future, he was destined to encounter numerous misfortunes, with the probability of facing danger significantly increased.

However, Garoth was not overly anxious because of this.

The Luckbringer herself had already died under his claws. No matter how strong her curse was, it could hardly surpass the limits of her power in life.

This curse might bring him some minor troubles and annoyances, but as long as he exercised extra caution and maintained vigilance for a period of time, it would be enough to handle. There was no need to panic over it.

During the intervals of eating and replenishing energy, Garoth was not idle either.

He took out all the legendary items looted from this battle, laying them before him, and began carefully sorting through and examining his gains this time.

Thiefmage's Terminus, Shadowlight Boots, Wings of Shelter, Immovable Plate, Hall of Heroic Spirits, Ring of Despair.

A total of six legendary-tier items now lay quietly displayed before him.

Among them, the first four belonged to equipment-type items that could be directly equipped to enhance immediate combat power.

The latter two were wondrous items with special effects.

Unfortunately, those four legendary pieces of equipment were designed and crafted for the size of humans or humanoid creatures. They were completely incompatible and unusable for Garoth's massive true dragon form.

In his dragon form, the only items he could use were the Hall of Heroic Spirits and the Ring of Despair.

As for the other four legendary pieces of equipment he couldn't use for now, Garoth had plans in mind.

He intended to trade or exchange them through his established channels with other human kingdoms or the Metal Dragon domains, trying to obtain legendary items he currently needed or that were more suitable for dragon use. If suitable exchange partners couldn't be found immediately, he would store them properly as part of the Aola Kingdom's foundation and strategic reserves.

"Wait..."

A thought suddenly flashed through Garoth's mind. "Can Heroic Spirits use this equipment?"

Thinking of this, he summoned the newly subjugated paladin Heroic Spirit again to test the feasibility of this idea.

And the subsequent test results proved... they could!

Heroic Spirits could wear and use these legendary items!

This discovery made Garoth recall the previous battle.

If the Luckbringer Alya had allocated the legendary equipment to Heroic Spirit Mien at the time, then the combat power Mien could have exerted in battle would have been significantly enhanced, and his own process of victory would likely have been much more troublesome.

In terms of combat experience and skill alone, Mien, this battle-hardened paladin, far surpassed the Luckbringer.

As for why Alya didn't do so at the time, Garoth had no way of knowing.

Perhaps she hadn't discovered that Heroic Spirits could wear equipment. Perhaps she had some reservation or selfish motive, simply unwilling to hand over precious legendary items to a Heroic Spirit.

"With Heroic Spirits, even if one or two legendary items can't be exchanged, they won't just gather dust in storage."

Garoth thought with satisfaction.

Simultaneously, reviewing his recent battles, he realized he had become too reliant on traits, gradually neglecting the continued development of his paths.

"Traits are equivalent to the foundation of a legendary life, a certain template, or passive effects."

"Building upon the foundation of traits, path skills can also exert stronger effects. I must not, having just become legendary and immersed in the power of traits, neglect the combat paths."

Garoth checked for omissions and made up for deficiencies, thinking seriously.

He was never a perfect character who could be completely comprehensive in every aspect; he occasionally had oversights or made mistakes.

However, Garoth's strength lay in his ability to constantly examine himself, face his own heart and mistakes, make changes and seek growth amidst repeated shortcomings, rather than stubbornly persisting on a single path to the end.

Time quietly slipped away, minute by second, as Garoth ate, rested, tested, and pondered.

The energy within his body gradually replenished. The Dragon Pearl became full and bright again, regaining its former luster.

Regarding the specific effects, usage limitations, and potential applications of the several legendary items, after careful testing and examination, Garoth also gradually gained a deeper and more comprehensive understanding.

Meanwhile, the outside world was not calm.

The upper echelons of the Goddess of Fortune's church, through some unknown method, confirmed the death of Bishop Alya.

What particularly enraged them was that she had fallen within the territory of the Aola Kingdom. Moreover, certain special means or divine revelations available to the church made them certain that the murderer was the Red Iron Dragon Emperor.

With a bishop of esteemed status killed, the Goddess of Fortune's church naturally could not swallow the insult and let it go.

Thus...

They issued a severe condemnation to the Aola Kingdom and the Red Iron Dragon Emperor!

They labeled the Aola Kingdom an evil nation and solemnly declared: Fortune would no longer favor the Aola Kingdom and its allies. Anyone who drew close to the Aola Kingdom would be spurned by fortune.

However, apart from these strongly worded condemnations and declarations, they did not take any substantive action.

And after this commotion, the nations of the Lothrian faction, who were already in the same camp and had close relations with the Aola Kingdom, were unaffected in their relationship with the Aola Kingdom. Interactions continued as usual.

Even those kingdoms of the Reebos faction, including the Divine Kingdom of Theo whose friction with Aola was gradually increasing.

They all remained silent regarding this incident, with no further expressions.

In the eyes of the various nations, the Goddess of Fortune's church's reaction seemed like nothing more than an inconsequential breeze, completely unable to influence their decisions.

At present, they had more important matters.

Such as, in the increasingly tense situation, preparing to welcome the Second War of Nations.