Chapter 469 Departure and the New World
At the peak of Obsidian Mountain, Zaman Ruhl gazed into the distance at the sky distorted by the hot air and smoke.
His eyes narrowed slightly, easily piercing through the mirage to see the reality tens of thousands of meters away.
"A very powerful red dragon."
He involuntarily tightened his grip on the Holy Flame Spear and spoke with a tone both heavy and resolute.
"An evil creature. There is the aura of a fire genie (Fire elemental) on him. It seems like we have a new enemy."
The Prince of Holy Flame was not surprised by the arrival of the red dragon.
Imix was the evil Fire Elemental Lord, whose followers included fire giants, red dragons, and casters interested in all fire magic.
To Zaman Ruhl, this red dragon was likely a follower summoned by Imix and probably had received quite a few gold coins from the fire genie slaver, making him a powerful enemy worth extra attention in this Burning War.
But no matter how strong the enemy was, Zaman Ruhl would never be afraid—especially not of just a powerful red dragon.
He had been planning this revenge for too long. For millennia, he had constantly thought about killing Imix and his evil kin and plunging this Holy Flame Spear into their chests with his own hands.
And now, with the Great Sultan of the fire genies gravely injured, victory seemed within reach.
However, the ancient golden dragon, Garoslav Goldglow, standing beside him hesitated for a moment before reminding him: "Your Highness Zaman, that red dragon might not be our enemy."
"Oh? Why?"
Zaman turned his head, his expression showing some confusion.
"I wonder if you've heard the recent rumors of the 'Soul-Eating Dragon.' The red dragon in the sky should be the one who killed Ismael Pasha."
Upon hearing this news, the fiery Prince of Holy Flame was instantly filled with joy and eagerly asked:
"Haha, so he's here to help us? Is he a champion of justice and righteousness who is dissatisfied with the tyranny of the fire genies?"
"It's hard to say."
The ancient golden dragon frowned slightly and let out a bitter chuckle.
"As far as I know, this red dragon once fought my old friend, Oszedro, and defeated him. However, he also rejected Tiamat's invitation."
"According to our internal viewpoint, it's difficult to judge this red dragon by the singular alignment of 'good' or 'evil.' The best we can do is try to recruit him."
"But there's also a rumor that he signed a secret pact with the Great Sultan of the fire genies, though the contents are still unknown to us."
"Is that so?"
The joy on Zaman Ruhl's face flickered and quickly turned serious again.
He raised the Holy Flame Spear with one hand, pointing its tip toward the Brass City, and spoke firmly and powerfully.
"No matter what kind of evil enemy stands before me, I will kill them—no one can extinguish the flames of the Holy Flame, and no one can prevent the Elemental Plane of Fire from returning to the embrace of order and good!"
"Your Highness Zaman, I can already see the Brass City being breached! Your vision is about to become reality!"
The ancient golden dragon nodded slightly, speaking excitedly.
Zaman Ruhl lifted the spear high, shouting in the language of the fire tribe—a language composed of the hissing and crackling of flames—toward the liberated slaves.
"Holy Flame! My loyal people, for the justice and order of the entire Elemental Plane of Fire, for the freedom and liberation of all elemental beings, seize the Brass City! Overthrow the tyrannical rule of the fire genie Sultan!"
"Holy Flame Prince!"
"Overthrow the tyranny of the fire genies!"
The cheers surged like waves as the liberated slaves gathered around the Fire Elemental Lord, advancing toward the Brass City.
Meanwhile, within the Brass City, the fire genies, devils, and elemental nobles had taken up their positions.
The war was about to begin.
High in the sky, Cassius had already received the interdimensional teleportation coordinates sent by Langpu and was about to teleport back to the Material Plane.
"I need to leave here quickly."
"That Prince of Holy Flame likely doesn't bear much hostility toward me, but that other force coming from the Brass City... seems familiar."
A curve formed at the corner of Cassius' mouth, and a subtle smile appeared on his dragon face.
He politely nodded toward the direction of the Brass City and calmly said, "Good day, Great Sultan. We meet again."
"Cassius—"
"Leave this place!"
"How dare you come to the Brass City! Do you intend to break our contract? Don't say I didn't warn you! The plane's rules won't let you off easily!"
"Get out of the Heart of Flames!!"
The angry voice echoed from the distance, like thunder, reverberating across the obsidian continent.
No wonder he was so anxious. With the Prince of Holy Flame about to launch an assault, the sudden involvement of a red dragon could certainly shift the tide of battle.
Cassius flapped his wings, feeling the spatial fluctuations around him.
"I always abide by contracts and cherish peace. I had no intention of meddling in your war with the Prince of Holy Flame. I came only to witness the legendary Brass City and, by the way—bid you farewell."
"Since you're so unwelcoming, I'll take my leave."
The red dragon grinned, nodding politely.
In the next moment, the power of spatial disruption surged forth, and an interdimensional gate slowly opened before him, connecting to the etheric conduits that led to the Anzeta Wasteland in the Material Plane.
"Well then... farewell, Your Majesty."
Cassius entered the portal, and the space gradually returned to normal. Even the interdimensional gate disappeared without a trace.
"Damn greedy dragon!"
The Great Sultan's angry shout echoed within the Brass City, even reaching the battlefield outside.
"Haha, I kind of like this dragon. He can infuriate the fire genie Sultan to this extent."
Zaman Ruhl laughed heartily.
Suddenly, he noticed a strange wisp of flame floating before him, intriguing him due to his exceptional control over elemental forces.
"What is this?"
"Whoosh—"
The wisp of flame unfolded like an envelope, forming a line of small Common letters in midair.
"To His Highness the Prince of Holy Flame:
Greetings! Should you wish to purchase military supplies or discuss cooperation, please visit the Brass Stronghold. —Cassius"
"An interesting fellow."
Zaman Ruhl narrowed his eyes, and the fiery text was absorbed into his hand.
Meanwhile, within the Brass Stronghold—
A half-dragon man wearing standard-issue fireproof clothing was speaking endlessly within the fire dwarves' palace. He was the "envoy" sent by the Ember Empire.
Above his head was the nickname [Turbocharged Engine Warrior]—clearly a player from the Mechanist Church.
"Lord Salin, do you know why the Brass Stronghold has such a sparse population? I think it's primarily due to issues with the fire dwarves' method of reproduction."
Salin's mouth twitched slightly. "Envoy, that's a matter determined by the God of Dwarves—"
The player waved his hand dismissively. "Don't talk to me about historical traditions. Without breaking historical inertia, where does innovation come from? Where does progress come from?"
"..."
Salin was at a loss for words.
But the player continued rambling on: "Your forging efficiency is way too low! Creating a new fire dwarf takes several years."
"In my opinion, you should establish an assembly line for die-casting. The Empire's Ministry of Technology can provide you with technical support."
"If the equipment isn't up to par, you could use the lost-wax casting method to mass-produce an entire legion of cloned fire dwarves. How can the fire dwarf race not recover with that?"
"Sigh! You've already abandoned your flesh-and-blood bodies and begun initial mechanical ascension—such perfect conditions! Yet you've wasted it all!"
[Turbocharged Engine Warrior] was practically furious at the fire dwarves' wasted potential, earnestly persuading their nobility.
Salin scratched his head. "But according to our experience, the body must be crafted personally by a fire dwarf."
The player pointed to his head. "You ancient relics have such rigid thinking. Those rules have so many loopholes you can exploit."
"Does pressing the casting switch by hand count as crafting it yourself? Does pouring the mold by hand count?"
Salin whispered, "But that doesn't really count—"
The player laughed. "If those don't count, then how does hammering metal with a tool count as 'personally crafted'?"
"Trust me. Give me three months. With my ten years of experience in mechanical automation, I'll design a fully automated reproduction system for you!"
"Plus, since this place is already open, many bigwigs from the Mechanist Church are very interested in the unique way your fire dwarves exist. They'll definitely help you solve these flaws!"
[Turbocharged Engine Warrior] spoke excitedly.
Salin swallowed hard and, under the watchful eyes of the imperial guards, slowly nodded his agreement.
A new world was about to open before the fire dwarves.