Chapter 488 - 390: The War Between the Thunder Dragon Duchy and the Lizardfolk for the Future
Chapter 488: Chapter 390: The War Between the Thunder Dragon Duchy and the Lizardfolk for the Future
The entire lake was like a giant cauldron of toxic stew, emitting a nauseating stench.
And on the West Shore of the lake, the Lizardfolk army of over fifty thousand, far from falling into chaos after the recent turn of events, had grown even more fanatical.
They raised their Bone Spears, their hoarse throats letting out unintelligible roars. The cacophony of their voices converged, a deafening sound that made one’s eardrums ache.
Their Commander-in-Chief, "Green Ghost" Cashmo, stood at the very front of the army.
His Green Dragon companion, over three hundred meters long, pawed restlessly at the ground, its massive nostrils jetting out two streams of green, toxic gas.
"It seems the show is about to begin."
Aiden Duke said with a smile.
He turned to General Gaius beside him.
"Gaius, you may begin the attack."
The simple and direct order was instantly relayed throughout the entire army via signal flags and horns.
WHOOOOOOO—!
The mournful blast of the horn shattered the brief tranquility.
"For the Duchy!"
General Gaius drew the longsword at his hip.
"Kill!"
Six thousand Knights of the Thunder Dragon Knight Order formed the vanguard, surging down from the high ground like an unleashed flood.
This torrent of steel charged with unstoppable momentum, heading straight for the Lizardfolk army on the opposite shore.
Immediately after, the personal armies of the Northern Lords also mobilized.
Although they weren’t as elite as the Thunder Dragon Knight Order, they were all battle-hardened warriors.
Led by their respective Lords, they swept in from the flanks, coordinating with the central army’s main assault.
The entire plateau erupted into a frenzy. The combined battle cries of tens of thousands of men soared into the heavens.
Watching the spectacular scene before him, Raylo began to calculate.
’The point of this battle isn’t to wipe out the Lizardfolk, but to seize the Heart of the Giant Beast from the center of the lake before it even emerges.’
’Clashing head-on with these mindless Lizardfolk isn’t worth it. Even if we win, we’ll suffer heavy casualties.’
’My objective is to secure an advantageous position, wait for the Heart of the Giant Beast to emerge, and then seize it at the lowest possible cost.’
"Ed!"
"Yes, my Lord!"
"Order the Mammoth Knight Order and the Giant Legion to the front line. The Moonlight Knight Order will follow behind. We’re pressing forward!"
Raylo pointed to a promontory on the southern shore of the lake.
"That’s our target! Seize that point for me and establish a defensive line!"
"Yes, my Lord!"
Ed immediately went to relay the order.
The army of Black Stone Territory began to move.
Forty Mammoth Giant Elephants strode forward with heavy steps, advancing steadily like forty mobile fortresses.
Behind them, more than a hundred Hill Giants carried Double-Headed Cone Hammers. They walked in silence, each step making the very earth tremble slightly.
With the Giant Beasts and Giants as their vanguard, the army of Black Stone Territory cut a path toward the lakeshore.
The Lizardfolk on the opposite shore also noticed this distinctive force.
HISSSSSS!
A chorus of ear-piercing hisses erupted.
At least two thousand-strong units of Lizardfolk broke away from their main formation, surging toward Raylo’s forces like a tidal wave.
They brandished crude Bone Spears and Stone Axes, letting out unintelligible cries, looking frenzied and utterly fearless.
"Prepare to engage!"
Ed’s roar rang out.
The Mammoth Knights quickened the pace of their charge.
In the sky, Marlin, riding his Shadow Griffin, led Black Stone Territory’s Pegasus Knight Squad as they accelerated, swiftly advancing from the rear.
A barrage of Magic rained down—Wind Blades, Fireballs, and Ice Cones—smashing viciously into the Lizardfolk formation.
In an instant, hundreds of Lizardfolk fell beneath the onslaught of furious Magic.
A thousand more Lizardfolk shrieked and charged forward.
These Lizardfolk were fearless, but it wasn’t enough to halt Black Stone Territory’s advance.
It was like a mantis trying to stop a chariot; they were crushed to death against the Mammoths’ long tusks and under the Hill Giants’ iron hammers.
They were smashed to a pulp, brains bursting and bones shattering.
"Keep advancing!"
Raylo ordered again.
The defensive line formed by the Mammoths and Giants began to move forward slowly, consuming the battlefield bit by bit as they pressed toward their designated target on the shore.
Meanwhile, the battle in the sky had also erupted.
"Alex!"
Raylo looked up, shouting to the sky.
"Yes, my Lord!"
Alex responded loudly.
"Take the Griffin Knights and Pegasus Knights and sweep those flies out of the sky for me!"
"Yes, my Lord!"
In the sky, the Lizardfolk had also deployed their aerial forces.
It was a horde of Lizardfolk riding all manner of bizarre Flying Magical Beasts, from giant bats with wingspans exceeding ten meters to ugly lizards with membranous wings.
There were many of them, at least a thousand strong.
Thirty Griffin Knights formed a sharp arrowhead formation, taking the lead and punching directly into the Lizardfolk’s aerial ranks.
The Knight’s Lances in the hands of the Griffin Knights easily pierced through the bodies of the Flying Magical Beasts.
Meanwhile, the sharp claws and beaks of the Griffins they rode were even deadlier weapons.
Two hundred Pegasus Knights fanned out on the flanks, using their superior speed and agility to constantly harass the enemy and weave through their lines.
Not to mention, bringing up the rear of the flying forces was the Golden Dragon Sun, leading the Sun Knight Order.
Sun’s hundred-meter-long golden body was, in itself, a massive deterrent.
The powerful Dragon Mighty alone caused many of the Lizardfolks’ mounts to tremble in fear, making their flight unsteady.
On the other side of the battlefield, the fight between the Thunder Dragon Knight Order and the main Lizardfolk army had reached a fever pitch.
The Thunder Dragon Knight Order lived up to its name as the Duchy’s sharpest blade. Their formation was like a precision meat grinder, constantly reaping the lives of the Lizardfolk.
But the Lizardfolk were simply too numerous, and utterly fearless. They surged forward wave after wave, managing to temporarily halt the Thunder Dragon Knight Order’s advance with their sheer numbers.
Raylo’s gaze didn’t linger on the main battlefield for long.
He knew his father and General Gaius could handle the situation there.
His full attention was now focused on the center of the bubbling Mire Lake.
As he drew closer to the lake, he discovered that the energy there had become extremely turbulent.
He had a premonition that the object was about to emerge.
Just then, the earth shook violently once more!
RUMBLE!
A rumble, far more violent than any before, came from the bottom of the lake.
The entire surface of the lake churned as if stirred by an invisible, giant hand, kicking up monstrous waves.
In the center of the lake, the murky green water began to spin furiously, forming a massive vortex.
An indescribable energy, brimming with immense, vibrant Life Energy, erupted from the center of the vortex!
The energy was so pure and so powerful that everyone present could feel it distinctly.
On the high ground, Aiden Duke shot to his feet, his eyes shining with an unprecedented light.
"It’s here!"
Raylo’s heart gave a heavy thud in his chest.
He knew the main event had finally arrived.
He immediately leaped from Baofeng’s back, landing steadily on the ground.
"Baofeng, go help Alex and the others in the sky!"
Baofeng let out a piercing cry, and with a single flap of its wings, soared into the sky.
"Ed! Have all troops consolidate the defensive line! The Giant Legion is the core! Hold this ground at all costs! No one is to attack without my express command!"
Raylo’s voice had become incredibly stern.
He knew that from this moment on, the real battle was just beginning.
Everything before this had just been an appetizer.
What came next was the critical moment that would decide victory and defeat, life and death.
From the center of the vortex, a fist-sized object radiating a brilliant, Jade-like light slowly began to rise.
The Heart of the Giant Beast!
It was a heart.
A heart coalesced from the purest Life Energy.
It was about the size of an adult’s head, its entire form a translucent, Jade hue. A strange halo of light flowed across its surface.
With every beat, it sent a ripple of energy, visible to the naked eye, expanding through the air.
The very air around it seemed to grow fresher.
In that moment, everyone held their breath.
Whether they were Knights locked in combat or the frenzied Lizardfolk, all eyes were riveted on the Jade heart floating in the center of the lake.
Greed, desire, fanaticism...
A medley of emotions burned in the eyes of every beholder.
ROAR!
A deafening roar shattered the brief silence.
It was "Green Ghost" Cashmo.
His sharp, fierce eyes were now completely bloodshot, his face contorted into a mask of frenzied madness.
He had waited for this day for far too long.
To obtain this Heart of the Giant Beast, to give the Lizardfolk a god of their own once more, he had gathered nearly all of his people’s strength.
Now, his chance was right before his eyes!