Chapter 65: Arriving on Dragonback, Shocking the Entire Battlefield! Who Dares Stand in My Way?

Chapter 65: Chapter 65: Arriving on Dragonback, Shocking the Entire Battlefield! Who Dares Stand in My Way?

"My Lord."

Ophelia’s cool voice drifted through the wind.

"Would you like me to fly faster?"

John raised his hand and opened the map.

At the southernmost edge of the map, a golden countdown hovered in the center of a dark red marker, ticking down second by second.

[Time Remaining Until the SSS-Rank Hero’s Tomb Descends: 1 hour, 34 minutes, 11 seconds.]

[Arrival Time: 12:00:00 Today, Godfall Battlefield Standard Time.]

"Yeah. We can pick up the pace."

After speaking, John reached out and patted the dark golden scales beside her neck.

"Understood."

BOOM!

The hundred-meter-long purple dragon suddenly beat her wings, accelerating once more. Her enormous body transformed into a streak of purple-golden light as she flew south, skimming just beneath the clouds.

Mountains, wastelands, dead forests, and dried-up rivers flashed past beneath them.

...

Twenty minutes later.

A vast dried-up lake appeared in their field of vision.

It was an enormous lake that had apparently been dry for countless years. Around its perimeter was a raised, gravel-covered embankment.

The lakebed stretched so far that its far end was impossible to see.

And right now, it was absolutely packed.

Temporary camps had been erected across the lakebed, following the natural terrain. Tents, fences, watchtowers, barracks, and other structures stood one after another.

Flags of various colors fluttered in the wind.

The different factions had established clearly separated camps, each leaving a considerable buffer between themselves and their neighbors.

The most conspicuous of them all was the area along the northern shore of the ancient lake.

Rows upon rows of silver-white tents stood in perfect formation. Unlike the other camps, this one was surrounded by an outer ring of stone walls.

Behind those walls stood numerous watchtowers.

The camp occupied almost half of the entire lakebed.

A flag embroidered with a golden balance and a holy sword fluttered above the tents.

It was the flag of the Judgment Alliance.

"Well, well."

John looked down from above, raising an eyebrow slightly.

"Looks like the Judgment Alliance has really gone all out for today."

But that wasn’t the only thing worth noticing.

Outside the main camps, scattered all around the perimeter of the lake, were countless players packed tightly together.

"These alliances have way too many people. They’ve practically occupied the entire interior..."

"Doesn’t matter. There’s no way we can compete for the Hero’s Tomb anyway. We’ll just wait here. Once they start fighting, we can go in and pick up resources and equipment. We might even make a decent profit."

"Shh! Keep your voice down. Don’t let those alliance members hear you..."

These players were undoubtedly the scavengers.

They were the type who loved picking up equipment and items while other people fought.

From his position in the sky, John could see the entire situation clearly.

The countdown on the map continued ticking.

[Time Remaining Until the SSS-Rank Hero’s Tomb Descends: 0 hours, 29 minutes, 47 seconds.]

Half an hour left.

Just then, Ophelia carried the two of them across the sky above the ancient lake.

The shadow of the hundred-meter-long dragon was like a moving storm cloud, slowly sweeping over one camp after another.

The entire lakebed was instantly thrown into an uproar.

"What is that?! That’s an enormous dragon!"

"Holy shit! Where did such a massive dragon come from?!"

"It’s purple... A Purple Dragon... Wait, a Purple Dragon?!"

"Could it be that one? When the Judgment Alliance’s Third Division was wiped out, didn’t they say Tyrant had a purple dragon-type unit?"

One player seemed to be the first to put two and two together.

He immediately became excited.

"The big shot saw our mentions! He’s here!"

As soon as those words were spoken, the independent players below instinctively fell silent.

They didn’t want anyone from the Judgment Alliance overhearing them.

Although their own territories hadn’t been raided yet, everyone knew it wasn’t because the Judgment Alliance didn’t intend to attack them. Their territories were simply too far away.

In fact, even those who hadn’t been robbed already harbored enormous resentment toward the Judgment Alliance.

Meanwhile, on the eastern side of the lakebed, inside a camp constructed from vines and ancient trees...

A female elf player wearing emerald-green light armor had originally been reclining leisurely on a soft couch.

Hearing the dragon’s roar overhead, she paused and raised her head.

The enormous purple dragon was flying directly over her camp, its massive wings generating powerful gusts that sent the leaves above her raining down.

The female elf narrowed her eyes as she watched the purple-golden silhouette disappear into the distance.

Then, she suddenly smiled.

"Oh?"

She lifted her chin toward the subordinate beside her.

"Pass down the order. Have all our people move back a little. Not a single person is allowed to approach."

...

On the western side of the lakebed.

"All troops, stand by!"

A player dressed in mage robes stared at the purple dragon in the sky, his pupils contracting slightly.

"So that’s Tyrant, the man who single-handedly wiped out an entire division of the Judgment Alliance?"

The Vice Alliance Leader beside him swallowed nervously.

"Alliance Leader, should we..."

"Should we what?"

The mage player shot him a glare.

"Are you trying to get yourself killed by attacking him right now? Let the Judgment Alliance make the first move."

"Can’t you see where he’s heading? I’m not about to become the Judgment Alliance’s cannon fodder."

"Hopefully, he’ll take Augustus down first. That would give us an opportunity."

...

Countless eyes from both the ground and the sky were fixed on the enormous purple dragon.

John, however, paid no attention to the commotion below.

He merely narrowed his eyes and carefully scanned the Judgment Alliance’s silver-white tents, one section at a time.

He was looking for their main command tent.

Just as John’s gaze settled on the northern shore, where a magnificent gilded tent stood noticeably taller than all the others...

A flash of cold light suddenly appeared at the very edge of his vision.

John didn’t even have time to identify what it was before he shouted:

"Ophelia!!"

Almost at the exact moment his voice rang out, Ophelia moved.

Her enormous dragon body twisted violently to one side, shifting several meters laterally in midair!

WHOOSH!

An enormous arrow, as thick as a millstone and covered in pale blue-white energy patterns, shot past them.

It missed the soft flesh connecting her wing to her body by a hair’s breadth.

The icy arrowhead scraped against her dragon scales, sending a shower of dazzling sparks flying.

Had it been just half an inch higher, the arrow would have pierced her entire wing.

Ophelia’s enormous body lurched violently.

John felt an immense force surge up from beneath him, nearly throwing him off the side of her neck.

He dug all five fingers tightly into Ophelia’s horns, barely managing to keep himself from being thrown off.

Raistlin reached out and steadied him.

"My Lord."

After regaining his balance, John followed the direction from which the enormous arrow had come.

Atop a raised platform at the very front of the Judgment Alliance’s camp...

A giant had somehow appeared.

It was a Titan, nearly ten meters tall.

His skin was a rocky blue-gray, and his exposed upper body was covered in massive, bulging muscles.

In his hands was an enormous bow almost as tall as he was. Its frame appeared to have been carved from the spine of some gigantic beast, while strands of lingering cyan energy still clung to its bowstring.

Despite missing his shot, the Titan showed no signs of panic.

...

Raine Augustus stood with his hands behind his back, looking up at the sky.

When his eyes met John’s, he gave him a faint smile.

The Titan knelt on one knee beside him.

"Titan."

Augustus didn’t even turn around. His voice was calm, but carried an unmistakable air of authority.

"Do you see him? That’s our target. Keep concentrating your firepower. Don’t give him a chance to catch his breath."

"Force him to land."

If Tyrant was relying on his ability to stay airborne, then Augustus would simply use an overwhelming barrage of arrows to force him down to the ground.

And once he landed and entered the Judgment Alliance’s camp...

What happened next would no longer be up to him.