Iron Dragon's Advancement Journey

Page 173

　The two dragons tangled and plummeted toward the ground. At the last moment, Agatha flapped her wings and slammed Omaragas into an open space.

　boom!

　After the dust settled, the trees collapsed radially, exposing the soil and huge craters.

　Agatha pinned the dragon lich down, giving her no chance to turn the tables. Her attacks were like a storm, with fangs, wings, claws, and tail flashing with golden light.

　"Stop! I surrender!" Omaragas succumbed to the fear of death—even though it wouldn't truly die, it had only recently transformed into a dragon lich and hadn't yet shaken off its instinctive fear: "I can tell you Samaster's secret!"

　"Too late," Agatha said coldly, her fangs snapping down again.

　Click! Lin Yong, are you free yet, Lin Zai Zai...?

　The bite, imbued with the power of the Demon-Slaying Slash, completely cleaved open the dragon lich's skull. After a clash of golden light and darkness, the dragon lich's soul fire flickered and died, and its massive skeleton began to decay rapidly.

　Agatha stood up, panting heavily, her body covered in wounds but her eyes gleaming with victory: "The lich's phylactery will resurrect you, but it will take a long time. Until then, you will be unable to do evil again."

　Just then, Fiona's voice came from above: "Well done."

　Agatha looked up and saw Fiona standing guard high in the sky, ready to provide support at any moment. A warmth filled her heart: "Thank you."

　"Congratulations." Fiona landed beside her. "I can sense that you have received a new blessing."

　Agatha nodded; she did indeed feel the divine power within her being elevated. This life-or-death battle against the dragon lich had tempered her beliefs and validated her courage.

　In the distance, the Bailong Cult's stronghold had been completely destroyed. Amidst the interplay of light, electricity, frost, and flame, not a single cultist could escape.

　"Mission accomplished." A teenage chromatic dragon flew over to report to Fiona, "A large number of evil items and documents were found inside the base."

　"Very good, destroy them all."

　Just as Fiona was about to order a retreat, she suddenly sensed an unusual magical fluctuation.

　She sensed some kind of subtle illusion at work nearby. It wasn't an offensive spell, but rather... concealment.

　"Who's there?" Fiona's sharp gaze swept over an ancient oak tree. "Come out, I've found you."

　The air distorted, as if something was struggling with whether or not to reveal itself. Finally, a creature the size of a house cat emerged from the illusion.

　It was a fairy dragon with translucent wings as beautiful as butterflies, its entire body covered in fine, rainbow-colored scales that shimmered with a dreamlike luster in the sunlight. Its eyes were like two amethysts, full of spirituality.

　"Don't attack!" The fairy dragon frantically waved its little claws, its voice as clear as a silver bell. "I'm not an enemy! My name is Jevix, and I'm one of the guardians of the Grey Forest!"

　Fiona narrowed her eyes, scrutinizing the little creature: "Fairy Dragon... a creation of the gods of Sidreen. Why are you observing us from the shadows?"

　Jevics flapped his wings, cautiously flying closer: "I...I was originally scouting the Dragon Cult's movements. Your battle just now was absolutely spectacular! Especially that tungsten dragon lady," he looked at Agatha, his eyes filled with admiration, "that aerial combat skill was simply art! I've never seen such elegant and deadly dragon warfare!"

　"Stop flattering me." Although Agatha said this, her tone was noticeably gentler. "Just say what you want to say."

　Jewix took a deep breath: "I've come seeking help. The Cult of the Dragons is becoming increasingly active in the forest, and it's threatening...our home."

　"Us?" Fiona astutely grasped the key phrase, "Are there other residents in the Grey Forest?"

　The fairy dragon hesitated for a moment, its little claws scratching nervously at the air. Clearly, it was considering whether to reveal an important secret.

　"This is a very important matter..." Javits muttered softly.

　"If you really need help, you must be honest with me." Fiona's tone was gentle, but carried an undeniable authority.

　Finally, the fairy dragon made up its mind: "Alright, I'll tell you. But you must promise not to harm them!"

　"As long as they are not evil forces, we have no reason to hurt anyone," Fiona promised.

　Javis nodded and began to recount: "The Grey Forest has a long history. Long, long ago, it was part of the ancient empire of the Moon Elves. Elegant spires and beautiful cities dotted the forest, and the elves lived in harmony with nature..."

　Its voice turned sorrowful: "But then, the goblins launched a massive invasion. Despite the elves' valiant resistance, they were ultimately defeated. Most of the elves chose to evacuate to safer places."

　"Coward." Suddenly, Tagan's voice rang out. A winged elf descended from the sky, her exquisite face filled with disdain. "Running away from danger, is this what you call an elf?"

　"Master Tagan," Fiona nodded to him.

　When Jevicus saw Tagan, its small body immediately bristled: "What did you say?! You..." It seemed about to say something unpleasant, but ultimately held back, "You have no idea what happened back then!"

　"I know it perfectly well." Tagan gracefully leaped down from his celestial horse, his long silver hair fluttering in the wind. "Elves are always like this; if they can't win, they run away, then find a place to hide, calling it a 'strategic retreat.'"

　"Not all the elves have evacuated!" Jevics flapped his wings angrily. "A group of brave moon elves chose to stay; they refused to abandon their ancestral home!"

　"Oh?" Tagan raised an eyebrow. "And then? They were all killed by the goblin bears?"

　"No!" The fairy dragon's voice was shrill with emotion. "They made a tremendous sacrifice! To protect this forest, they chose a path of no return—to merge with the forest!"

　This news stunned everyone present.

　"To merge with the forest?" Fiona asked.

　Jevics nodded, a complex emotion flickering in his amethyst eyes: "They performed an ancient ritual, merging their souls with the trees. From that moment on, they lost their original forms, becoming beings half-tree, half-elf. But in exchange, they gained immense power to protect the forest."

　"And then?" Tagan's tone was even more sarcastic. "So you can defeat the enemy by turning into a tree?"

　"They succeeded!" Jevics exclaimed proudly. "The tree spirits used the power of the forest to create a powerful illusionary barrier, establishing a hidden realm. The goblin bears couldn't find them and eventually had to give up. Since then, they've been guarding this forest!"

　"Hmph." Tagan sneered, "In the end, you've still hidden yourself away. Rather than living like a tree, you might as well pick up your sword and fight to the very end..."

35. Should we do the hidden quest?

　Fiona and Agatha showed no intention of stopping the argument.

　They had already obtained information that should have been kept secret, such as the appearance of the fairy dragon and the moon elves fused with the trees in the grey forest. Up to this point, all the chain reactions triggered by their actions were within Casalos's calculations, including the appearance of the fairy dragon Jevix.

　Casalos even knew the name of this fairy dragon!

　This fairy dragon is also considered one of the "hidden side quests" in Fiona's current operation—according to Casaloz's strange claims, the fairy dragon Jevics is a hidden NPC in the Grey Forest. If Fiona or Eisen's actions in the Grey Forest lead to its appearance, it will trigger a hidden questline with a final reward that will greatly benefit the Deepsea Army's activities in Imputu... Although the wording is strange, Tungsten Dragon can still understand the specific meaning of these words from their meaning.

　In short, this is a "cutscene phase that cannot be skipped". If you want to get the next clue, just watch the winged elf and the fairy dragon argue quietly. Interrupting them will only introduce uncontrollable variables and may cause the hidden quest to fail to trigger.

　The fairy dragon Jevix traced rainbow-colored trails in the air, its amethyst eyes flashing with a dangerous light of rage. Its butterfly-like wings vibrated rapidly, emitting a buzzing tremor.

　"A country elf?" Tagan's lips curled into a mocking smile, his fingers lightly tracing the hilt of his sword. "Little thing, do you know why I chose the human way of life? Because humans at least know how to face reality, instead of hiding in tree bark and deceiving themselves."

　A faint magical glow began to emanate from Jevic's body. The fairy dragon's rage was almost at its peak; its voice became shrill: "You have no idea! What a great sacrifice those moon elves made. They gave up their forms, their freedom, their fine clothes and delicious food, their ability to embrace their lovers, all to protect this land!"

　"Sacrifice?" Tagan shook his head, his wings slightly unfurling. "Turning yourself into a plant is sacrifice? Those warriors who wield their swords to the very last moment on the battlefield are the true sacrifices. The 'heroes' you speak of are nothing but a bunch of cowards, merely surviving in another form."

　"Enough!" Javis erupted, its body spinning rapidly through the air, its rainbow scales refracting brilliant light. "You arrogant, ignorant bastard, utterly ignorant of your race's honor! I'll show you with your own eyes just how great the moon elves of the Grey Forest once were!"

　The fairy dragon's magic began to gather, filling the air with dense arcane energy. Just as Tagan drew his sword to meet the attack, Jevics turned and flew into the depths of the forest, his arcane-powered figure moving with the speed of a streak of light. [The remaining text appears to be unrelated and possibly machine-generated gibberish.]

　"Come with me, if you have the guts!"

　Tagan snorted and spread his wings to give chase. Fiona and Agatha exchanged a smile, then reverted to their human forms and followed closely behind. The dragon's form was hardly suitable for traversing the dense forest, but their combat training as human paladins made their steps light and steady, comparable to that of rangers.

　As they ventured deeper into the forest, the once sparse sunlight was completely blocked by the dense canopy. Ancient oaks and ash trees intertwined to form a green labyrinth, and the thick layer of fallen leaves on the ground exuded the distinctive scent of humus. Everything seemed ordinary, yet it gradually caused the two tungsten dragons to completely lose their way.

　Jevix flew rapidly ahead, occasionally glancing back to make sure the others were keeping up. Its flight path seemed erratic, sometimes circling a fallen, dead tree, sometimes passing between two closely spaced ash trees, just like a real fairy dragon playing in the forest.

　Then, without warning, the scenery changed.

　It wasn't a noticeable distortion or flickering, but rather, in a fleeting moment, as they rounded an ordinary clump of bushes, the forest suddenly transformed. If not for deliberate attention, even Fiona would likely have failed to notice this change—this was the most skillful illusion, leading the target into another world without their knowledge.

　The trees were still trees, but they seemed older. Sunlight still filtered through the leaves, but the light carried an indescribable softness. Most peculiar was the feeling, as if the entire forest was watching them.

　"Have we already entered the secret realm?"

　"That's right!" Jevics proudly raised his little head. "This is a protective barrier built with the lives of the moon elves; the goblin bears have searched for hundreds of years and still haven't found it!"

　As they ventured deeper, the changing scenery around them became more pronounced. The once ordinary forest gradually took on a supernatural beauty—the trees grew taller and more majestic, a faint silver light flowed through their branches and leaves, and the air was filled with the ethereal songs of fairies.

　"We're here." Jevicks stopped in front of a huge oak tree.

　Tagan looked around. He didn't possess the dragon's keen senses, and frowned slightly. "It looks no different from outside."

　"That's because you're only looking with your eyes." A voice rang out, like the wind blowing through leaves, or as if it came from a very far place.

　On the trunk of that oak tree, the outline of a face vaguely appeared. No, it didn't appear—the face had always been there; it was just that the texture of the bark happened to form the shape of the facial features. If it hadn't spoken, probably no one would have noticed that it was actually a living being.

　"Welcome, guests from afar," the oak tree—or rather, the tree-transformed moon spirit—speaks slowly.

　As the call arose, the surrounding trees seemed to awaken. Faces emerged from the trunks, not abruptly, but rather as if you suddenly realized that the patterns on the bark had always been faces. There were old and young, men and women, but all carried the unique tranquility of plants.

　"I am Arandil," the oak tree that spoke first introduced itself, "formerly the Archdruid, now... the Forest Keeper."

　Tagan surveyed these half-tree, half-elf beings, his expression shifting from initial surprise to disdain: "So what? This is what you call 'greatness'?"

　A peaceful smile appeared on Alandir's bark-covered face—subtle changes in the bark's texture: "Young winged elf, I can sense the anger within you. You hate our choice, seeing it as cowardice."

　"Isn't that so?" Tagan's voice grew even sharper. "Rather than die like warriors, you've chosen this state of being neither alive nor dead!"

　"Perhaps," Arandir nodded slightly, "in your eyes, we are indeed cowards. But please allow me to show you, to show you the choices we faced back then."

　The elder tree spirit slowly raised his arm—an arm that was already half-wooden. With his movement, the surrounding trees began to sway gently, though there was no wind. A strange resonance echoed through the forest, not sound, but something deeper.

　Then, the world changed.

　"Come," Alandir's voice became ethereal, "let the phantoms of the past tell you the truth."

　The illusion surged in like a tide.

　Fiona and Agatha offered no resistance, allowing the illusion to envelop them. Even they would have needed considerable effort to break free from such a powerful illusion, but having experienced it, their trust in Casalos deepened, and they no longer doubted these necessary elements of the "plot."

　The world was reconstructed before their eyes.

　The Grey Forest is no longer the pristine and mysterious place it once was; it has transformed into a bustling elven kingdom. Elegant white spires pierce the clouds, and exquisite hanging gardens float among the treetops, where moon elves in magnificent robes flit about. The radiance of magic is everywhere, adorning the entire forest like a fairyland.

　"This is the Grey Forest a thousand years ago," Arandir's voice echoed in the illusion, filled with deep longing. "The Kingdom of Eldarrow, the last stronghold of the Moon Elves in the Grey Forest."

　Memories flashed by, the war horns ripping through the silence. An army of goblins surged in like a black tide, well-equipped and disciplined, unlike any ordinary barbaric tribe. Their chieftain rode a deformed dire wolf, wielding a giant axe that radiated an evil light. The sky was dyed red with fire, and beautiful buildings crumbled beneath the catapults.

　"The Grimlock tribal alliance," Arandir explained. "They've received support from some evil entity, and their equipment and tactics are far superior to anything they've ever done."

　The battle within the illusion woven from memories was exceptionally fierce. The magic of the moon elves clashed with the brute force of the goblins; elegant spires collapsed under the bombardment of catapults, and beautiful gardens were engulfed in flames. The elven warriors fought valiantly, but the enemy's numbers were simply too overwhelming.

　"Do you see?" Arandir's voice grew heavy. "We fought. Every elf who could take up a weapon went to the battlefield."

　Tagan watched all this in silence, his hand holding the sword trembling slightly.

　The illusion continued, and when the last line of defense was breached and the enemy was about to rush into the core holy land, the remaining elves gathered in the center of the forest.

　"We face a choice," Arandir said. "Either flee and let this land we've protected for generations fall into enemy hands, or fight and die and let the goblins trample our homeland."

　"But we chose the third path."

　In the illusion, the elves began chanting ancient incantations. It was a kind of magic never recorded in any Tagan text, perhaps the final covenant between the moon elves and Avandor. As the chanting continued, their bodies transformed into specks of light, merging into the surrounding trees. The moon elves' delicate skin became rough bark, their soft silver hair became branches and leaves, and their leaping feet in the forest became roots that dug deep into the earth.

　"We gave up our freedom to move, in exchange for the power to protect."

　When the transformation was complete, the entire forest seemed to come alive. The tree branches, like thousands of arms, overwhelmed the invading goblin army. Illusionary mazes disoriented the enemies, poisonous pollen put them to sleep, and tenacious vines strangled them.

　In the end, the goblin army collapsed. They fled in disarray from the suddenly hostile forest, leaving behind countless corpses.

　The illusion slowly dissipated.

　"This is the truth." Arandir looked at Tagan. "We have indeed lost our elven form, but we have defended our homeland. For a thousand years, no evil force has been able to establish itself in this forest—until the emergence of the Cult of Dragons."

　Tagan's expression became complex. He remained stubborn, but the hostility in his eyes had noticeably diminished: "Even so, I still believe that dying on the battlefield is more dignified."

　"Perhaps." Alandil didn't argue, a peaceful smile appearing on his bark-like face. "Everyone has their own choices. We don't regret our decisions, just as you don't regret choosing the human way of life."

　Seeing that the time was ripe, Fiona spoke up at the opportune moment: "Elder, if I may be frank, we are not here to discuss the past. Jevics approached us saying you need help?"

　“Yes,” Arandir’s voice grew heavy and solemn, “Honorable Dragon Paladin, the emergence of the Dragon Cult has shattered a thousand-year balance. Their evil rituals for creating dragon liches are corrupting this land.”

　A sparrow landed on a branch in Arandil, chirped a few times, and then flew away.

　"The little guy told me that three more old locust trees have died on the east side of the forest," Alandil explained. "The pollution of negative energy is spreading. We can feel the pain in the land, but we are powerless—we are bound here, unable to move, unable to fight."

　Jawx added, "I and other spirits have been helping with scouting, and some woodland animals have been assisting as well. They're the ones who tell us what's happening outside."

　"What's worse," another tree spirit added, "the illusion barrier is also beginning to crack. Our power comes from the forest; if the forest dies, we will perish too."

　"So you need allies who can move freely." Fiona understood.

　"Indeed." Alandil nodded—the lines on his bark-formed face shifted as he nodded. "The power you just displayed gives us hope. The glory of the Atheros remains bright, and you have the ability to eradicate this threat."

　"In return," he paused, "the entire forest will become an extension of your senses. Although we cannot move, every creature in the forest is our friend. Birds, squirrels, even insects can become your eyes."

　Besides that, I have a secret to tell you.

　The ancient tree-transformed moon elf's voice grew even deeper: "Deepest in the forest, somewhere underground, lies an ancient being."

　"An ancient existence?" Agatha pressed.

　"A dragon." Arandir slowly uttered the name, "Vorasega, a legend among the bronze dragons, one of the founders of the Inbutu dragon rider tradition."

　"Vorasega is still alive?" Tagan realized. "Impossible! Historical records indicate it entered eternal slumber eight hundred years ago!"

　"Yes and no." Arandir's expression became subtle. "He did enter eternal slumber, but..."