The Dragoncleaver Guard captain roared orders.
Cannons and spell cannons were the ships' main attack methods. In moments, Hodir's deck instantly erupted with dazzling light! Crossbow cannons roared first—arm-thick steel arrows tore through air, screaming sharply toward sea lions leaping from water.
Thud!
So fast—a sea lion was pierced through the chest mid-air, blood raining down. But its ferocity didn't diminish—it still roared, crashing onto the deck, knocking over two Dragoncleavers before twitching to death.
Then, spell cannon rune arrays lit up. Blazing fireballs, ice spikes, wind blades poured like rain!
Bang! Bang! Bang!
The sea exploded with countless water columns—dozens of sea lions blown into bloody chunks.
But these two weapons couldn't penetrate hammerhead sea dragons' thick scales.
Seeing this, Pascal calmly ordered: "Activate cannons."
Hodir's side heavy cannons collectively turned barrels—dark muzzles aimed at surging hammerhead sea dragons. Cannon fire exploded—the entire ship violently shook from recoil—muzzle spitting blazing flames! Shells tore through air—precisely hitting several massive hammerheads.
Terrifying impact instantly shredded their bodies—flesh and scales scattering.
In brief combat, humans easily took the upper hand.
But Black didn't think it was over—this Sea Dragon Tide's numbers were far more than this. And truly high-level sea dragons hadn't appeared—current ones were low-tier, relying only on physical power.
High-level sea dragons, like humans, could draw spirit energy/magic power, using dragon skills for attacks. Similar principles to spells—but much faster and stronger in execution speed and power.
Black scanned the sea—suddenly spotting a huge shadow moving. The shadow was enormous—several times larger than previously seen hammerhead and sea lion dragons.
"This size must be a high-tier sea dragon." As Black spoke, the shadow revealed its true form!
The sea surface suddenly exploded—a colossal figure burst through waves.
Spikeback Sea Dragon—the true high-tier dragon species! Its body was twenty meters long—covered in pitch-black scales—each scale gleaming metallic cold light. Head hideous—resembling a giant python yet carrying dragon race's unique majesty—two scarlet vertical pupils like twin blood moons, coldly overlooking the Royal Fleet.
Most terrifying were the poisonous spines on its back. Each as sharp as spears—tips glowing emerald poison—just lightly trembling, one could hear air being split with "hiss" sounds.
"It's a Spikeback Sea Dragon! Defend!" Seeing the Spikeback Sea Dragon, everyone on deck felt their hearts sink. Either use defensive measures or find sheltered spots.
As hissing sounds rose, the Spikeback Sea Dragon's poisonous spines stood like thorns. Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh! Next instant—hundreds of poison darts shot like rain! Targeting Hodir! Accompanied by piercing shrieks—darts so fast they almost became afterimages.
Black's pupils contracted sharply—suddenly sidestepped. A dart grazed his cheek—deeply embedded in the mast behind him—wooden hull visibly corroded into charred pits. Clearly—the spines carried shocking toxicity.
With too many darts—they almost covered the entire Hodir. In an eyeblink—more darts flew toward him.
Just as Black prepared to dodge—
Clang!
A red sword qi erupted—burning incoming darts to ash.
Black turned—finding Alice had intervened. She held a Crimson Soul Sword burning with flame—red eyes cold and sharp. With sweeping blade—flames surged like tides—forcibly carving a safe path through the dart storm.
"Black! Do you have too long a life?!" She snapped coldly. Clearly didn't expect Black to avoid the shelter cabin—coming here to die.
"Your Highness—no time for idle chat now." Black dodged several more darts—glancing at the Spikeback Sea Dragon. After firing one round—the spines on its back regrew again.
In moments—fired another round—not indiscriminate this time—but targeting crossbow cannons, spell cannons, and other large weapons! Though Dragoncleavers intercepted darts—several crossbows were still punctured.
With fleet firepower weakened—hammerhead and sea lion dragons immediately attacked. These dragons' intelligence was indeed high.
Black understood—the Spikeback Sea Dragon deliberately targeted large lethal weapons. Destroy them—and other dragons could counterattack.
Dragoncleavers wouldn't let this Spikeback Sea Dragon go unchecked. Indeed—from high above came deafening roars. Then—a forty-meter golden greatsword plunged down from sky.
Like divine judgment descending—instantly illuminating the entire sea area. The Spikeback Sea Dragon hadn't even reacted—was literally split in two.
The attacker was none other than Pascal. This Spikeback Sea Dragon was around Level 50—but to a Dragon-Rank expert—it was insignificant as an ant.
However—the Sea Dragon Tide wasn't repelled. These dragons' strength might not be outstanding—but their numbers were simply too vast. After this Spikeback fell—three more emerged from the seabed. Countless spines made everyone shiver. Combined with other hammerheads and swarming sea lions—even Black couldn't help gasping.
He finally understood why humans feared dragons so much. This was just a small wave near Caribbean Sea—already this scale. What if entering Caribbean Sea itself? Moreover—the strongest Augupugu Sea Dragon and Azure Ring Sea Dragon hadn't even appeared.
As spikebacks fired spines—other dragons launched group attacks. Many hammerheads and sea lions charged onto decks—gaping maws roaring—biting at humans.
Fortunately—Dragoncleavers weren't weak—they were the Empire's sharpest sword—courage and combat power far beyond ordinary people. In just a few rounds—dozens of sea lions charging Hodir's deck all became corpses. But as one dragon fell—another charged—endlessly forward! Combat gradually intensified.
Black stayed at the battlefield's rear—carefully observing the situation. Most sea dragons were Level 20-30—with occasional Level 40+. Dragoncleavers and nobles handled them easily—no casualties so far. Repelling this Sea Dragon Tide was just a matter of time.
The young nobles performed remarkably well.
Alice, ever since mastering the sword techniques taught by Black, had greatly increased in strength. Wherever she went—sword light flashed—bringing countless bloodshed.
Cyril, this nobleman—seemed quite gentle, effeminate—but acted decisively when fighting. As a Level 40 Mid-Tier Alchemist—he used magic to remotely control several cold weapons—knives, spears, swords moving with thought! With a casual wave—slaying several sea lions dozens of meters away. Truly worthy of being the Eighth Round Table Knight's son.
Among these youths—Black unsurprisingly saw Seth's figure. His injuries must have nearly recovered. Seth glared at him from afar—eyes full of killing intent—clearly holding a grudge.
But constrained by battlefield conditions—he truly couldn't openly retaliate against Black. Had to vent all fury onto sea dragons. With his Level 45 Diamond Knight strength—even without Overlord Spear—combat power remained astonishing. Actually punching to death many sea dragons.
Among young nobles—Krystin stood out most. As Saintess of the Church of Creation—her class was Level 45 Starlight Priest—with top-tier spell talent and comprehension. The number of spells she mastered far exceeded ordinary people—magic reserves even more so.
"Healing Spell!"
"Divine Protection!"
"Holy Light!"
"Ice Seal!"
…
In an eyeblink—she simultaneously cast multiple different types of spells. The area around her filled with magical radiance. Healing Spell healed injured teammates—Divine Protection boosted teammate defense—Holy Light granted teammates combat power—Ice Seal instantly froze several hammerheads. Balanced offense and defense—truly an all-around priest!
This ability left other Dragoncleavers and nobles stunned. Black nodded repeatedly—Krystin's combat performance indeed outstanding. No wonder later—after falling into Dragon Demon form—she became Chapter One's final boss. When your teammate becomes the enemy—that's truly a nightmare.
Just as Black pondered—a Level 20 sea lion suddenly leaped—crashing down behind him.
Wood chips flying—foul wind rushing! It opened its gaping maw—saw-toothed fangs only three meters from Black. Black frowned—just preparing to dodge—when the Imperial Winged Dragon on his shoulder suddenly excitedly cried out. Then—it turned into a golden flash shooting out!
Next second—the Imperial Winged Dragon already appeared before the sea lion—golden vertical pupils cold and vicious.
Dragon aura suddenly erupted. This sea lion seemed to see something terrifying! Its massive body suddenly trembled violently—plop—collapsed on deck—unable to move.
Like a mountain pressing down on it.
Dragon aura suppression? Black pondered—in dragon race—there were also upper-tier and lower-tier distinctions. Under same level—upper-tier dragons could easily crush lower-tier ones—leaving them no counterattack chance. In the hands of Level 39 upper-tier Emperor Winged Dragon—this lower-tier sea lion was utterly powerless.
The sea lion began desperately struggling—tail slapping ship hull—trying to break free from aura suppression.
Unfortunately—Goldie wouldn't give it that chance.
Whoosh!
The Emperor Winged Dragon flapped wings—eyes flashing—activating skill Wind Blade! Around—wind roared—converging into several arc-shaped green blades—extremely sharp.
Swish—directly slicing the sea lion into pieces—blood splattered everywhere.
This one just died—then another rushed toward Black.
Tch—really never-ending.
This sea lion was much higher level—nearly Level 30—able to use dragon skills! Its lion mouth opened—scales flickering—golden mane dancing without wind. A golden orb formed—with constant electrical flashes—impressive momentum. As it spat—orb exploded toward Black. Though fierce—before the Emperor Winged Dragon—this wasn't impressive.
A Wind Blade flew out—colliding with orb—both canceling each other. The sea lion bared fangs—roaring at Goldie—clearly wary of it. The Emperor Winged Dragon naturally didn't regard such lower-tier species. Paw waved—this high-level sea lion also collapsed under dragon aura.
Goldie opened its mouth—blazing dragon breath surged out. Half the sea lion's body instantly charred—letting out a mournful wail. One strike only severely wounded—more resilient than the previous one. Desperate counterattack—almost broke free from dragon aura suppression. Seeing this—the Emperor Winged Dragon prepared to finish it—when Black waved, stopping its action.
Looking at this dying sea lion—Black felt a guess arise. To verify—drew Overlord Spear—charged and thrust! Directly piercing through the dragon's skull—ending its life. At this moment—faint light drifted from the sea lion's corpse—permeating into Black's body.
[Player killed Level 30 Sea Lion Dragon—gained experience bonus.]
[Level Up: ]
Indeed.
These appearing messages matched Black's expectations. In games—main way for players to level up was killing dragon species—gaining experience.
This also fit the game world setting. On Cassel Continent—humans had two main ways to level up—one was daily cultivation—the other killing dragon species—looting their life essence.
This method of slaughtering dragons for leveling was much faster. Every Emperor-Tier expert among humans had slain over 100,000 dragons.
The higher the dragon's level—the greater the boost. Empress Elizabeth—when at Dragon-Rank peak—killed a similarly Dragon-Rank peak dragon. Looting its life essence—she immediately ascended to Emperor-Tier Swordsmanship.
This Sea Dragon Tide was both crisis—and excellent opportunity for Dragoncleavers and young nobles to improve strength.
This was also why such dangerous actions included young people.
These battles—were both leveling up and accumulating combat experience for youth. Even with life danger—such battles were necessary—otherwise they couldn't shoulder responsibilities when grown. Considered part of imperial elite education. Though many were connections forced in.
Of course—for dragons—humans were also excellent experience packs. Dragons devouring humans could also bring them level improvements. Most dragons might have different tastes—but reached consensus on eating humans.
So in Black's view—except Winged Dragon species—humans couldn't coexist peacefully with dragons. After all—each was the other's best supplement.
Although this sea lion dragon's level wasn't low, directly leveling up twice still surprised Black.
Future levels probably wouldn't be so easy to gain. After leveling up, he clearly felt his controllable spirit energy increase. Perception improved—physical strength enhanced too. This feeling of leveling up was truly wondrous—like working out in a gym for a whole year.
Black clenched his fist—feeling the enhanced strength.
Then he shifted attention to Overlord Spear.
Truly a 6-star weapon—the penetration power was impressive. Black used the spear's dragon blood—muttered admiration. With ordinary weapons—his Level 10 strength probably couldn't penetrate a sea lion dragon's defense.
Unfortunately—he wasn't a Knight class—couldn't learn Knight skills—otherwise Overlord Spear's power would definitely increase.
Just as he thought this—the system panel suddenly popped up again:
[Player used one piercing attack]
[Knight class unlock progress +1]
[Player shattered one Dragon Pearl]
[Summoner class unlock progress +1]
This?!
Unexpectedly—he'd unintentionally triggered unlock conditions for both Knight and Summoner classes.
Unlocking two classes at once—truly excessive. Black pondered—analyzing the information.
Ah—he understood. Using a long spear weapon to thrust once—increased unlock progress by one point. This unlock condition was similar to Swordsmanship. As long as he grinded more—unlocking Knight class was just a matter of time.
As for Summoner's unlock condition—
Black found it hard to understand.
Shattering one Dragon Pearl increased unlock progress by one point.
This condition was overly harsh—compared to Swordsmanship, Knight—much harder.
So-called Dragon Pearls were energy cores dragons condensed within their bodies.
Similar to "dantians" in fantasy novels. Dragon Pearls were usually located in the dragon's skull—once shattered—the dragon would definitely die. Dragon Pearls themselves were also precious materials—one of the essential alchemy ingredients for high-tier alchemy. Many humans wanting complete Dragon Pearls—when killing dragons—usually cut off the entire head—then dig out the pearl later. Shattering 100 Dragon Pearls equaled killing 100 dragons.
Normally—Black would definitely curse several times—where could he find 100 dragons? Let alone kill them all.
But if now—Black actually felt this condition wasn't difficult.
The reason was simple. Under Sea Dragon Tide—dragon numbers were countless.
In mere moments—dragon corpses on deck had piled into mountains. Large and small combined—hundreds strong. And still increasing. Coincidentally—most people were bloodthirsty—no way they'd bother digging Dragon Pearls. These Dragon Pearls weren't high level—they didn't care much. So—now shattering Dragon Pearls wasn't difficult. Could even use Overlord Spear for piercing attacks. Unlocking two classes at once—how wonderful?
Thinking this—Black's eyes sharpened—took Goldie—and began insane corpse-stripping!
Whoosh! Whoosh whoosh! Whoosh whoosh whoosh!
In unnoticed corners—Black swung his spear—spear like a dragon.
One Dragon Pearl after another shattered under his spear.
Occasionally encountered many barely alive—not yet dead sea dragons—he naturally delivered fierce finishing blows. Thus gained much experience—level constantly rising.
During this process—also encountered very dangerous situations—faced a Level 35 sea lion dragon. But with Emperor Winged Dragon present—just dragon aura was enough to make these sea lions suffer.
Black only needed to harvest. This made him glad he tamed Emperor Winged Dragon back then. Otherwise—with his such low level—he'd only be chased around by sea lions.
Thus—when Black's clothes were stained red with dragon blood—Summoner class finally unlocked.
[Summoner class unlock progress: 10000/10000] [Progress full—Summoner class officially unlocked]
Meanwhile—Knight's unlock progress reached 300/10000. [Level Up: Lv.12→Lv.17]
His level also rose five levels. After all operations—gains were abundant—though mostly looting corpses.
Wiping blood from his face—Black opened the [Class] panel—indeed saw [Summoner] appear.
Clicking [Summoner]—a string of skills appeared below. Besides basic spells—the two most important exclusive skills for Novice Summoners [Soul Bind]and[Summon]were clearly visible!
As mentioned before—Summoners wanted to summon beasts—first needed to kill wild beasts—then capture their souls—for their own use. This spell for capturing beast souls was called Soul Bind. As for Summon—need not say more. Last Azure Martial Duel—Liz used Summon to summon Flame Cat.
Interesting. Black rarely smiled—for Summoner class he'd long anticipated. Didn't expect to unlock so fast—later returning to fishing village might try. Now impossible anyway—can't go find beasts in the sea?
Just as Black planned to close the panel—he suddenly froze. Unbelievably wiped his eyes—stunned by what he saw.
Only—above the dead sea lions—floated pale blue light.
Those lights' shapes—like miniaturized sea lions.
Could this be?! This familiar scene reminded Black of some game settings.
In games—after Summoners killed beasts—corpses of beasts whose souls could be captured would emit this blue light.
Uncapturable ones—no reaction. After unlocking Summoner class—these blue lights appeared.
What did this mean—Black inevitably got excited. Dragons differed from beasts—defiant—self-centered—capture difficulty extremely high! Among Summoners—only those with exceptional talent could succeed. Now Black could actually see sea lion dragons' souls. This meant he absolutely had chances of successful capture!
Without hesitation—Black immediately cast [Soul Bind]! Spirit energy instantly transformed into magic energy—his palm suddenly lit with deep blue runes.
Rung upon rung—like chains binding his fingertips!
Black aimed at one Level 20 sea lion dragon's soul
Buzz!
A strange tremor came through air—sea lion dragon's blue soul forcibly bound by runes. Miniature sea lion began violently struggling—silent roars—trying to tear apart runes.
Capture success rate: 10%…30%…50%…100%! Sea Lion Dragon captured successfully!
The capture success rate started at only one-tenth, but this value kept fluctuating, finally rising to 100%!
[Summonable Object: Sea Lion Dragon]
[Race Value: 400]
[Level: Lv.17 (Lv.30↓↓)]
[Skills: Dragon Breath, Rage Tide, Intimidation…]
The content on the panel made Black feel he needed to calm down. Successfully capturing a sea dragon's soul meant he could summon a Sea Lion Dragon in his next battle.
This was no small boost to combat power. Unfortunately—the level of beasts a Summoner could summon was limited by their own level. This Level 30 Sea Lion Dragon was forcibly suppressed to Level 17—same as his. Even so—for Black—it was an astonishing improvement.
Next time in battle—summoning the Sea Lion Dragon—would instantly make it two-on-one!
Besides—ordinary Summoners had weak personal combat power—relying solely on summoned beasts for damage—while constantly guarding against enemies bypassing beasts to attack themselves directly.
But Black was different—he held multiple classes. Besides Summoner—he was also a Swordsman—with no low combat power. Pirate class could be ignored. Overall—Black's mood rose significantly. His combat power growing stronger—he could grasp the initiative in plot development.
And returning to the fishing village to relax later would also have some guarantee. The deck battle was extremely chaotic—no one noticed the commotion in this corner. Otherwise—if a pirate used the Summoner-exclusive skill Soul Bind to capture a dragon race creature—they'd definitely cause quite a stir.
After sorting out the Summoner situation—Black observed the battle. Almost every ship on the Royal Fleet's deck was densely packed with various bizarre creatures—from sea beasts to undead—to abyssal beings—innumerable. Decks piled with corpses. Surrounding seas floated full of dragon corpses—entire sea area dyed red with dragon blood. The Sea Dragon Tide's peak had clearly passed—dragon numbers greatly reduced. Conversely—the fleet side—had zero casualties. Everyone looked spirited—killing thoroughly. Levels also increased significantly. Seems dragons were simply insignificant before humans—mere experience packs. Something wrong…
Black slowly furrowed his brows—rising strong suspicion.
Can't be that no one died.
In game prologue—each Sea Dragon Tide encounter resulted in some deaths.
If none died—that'd underestimate Sea Dragons too much. Though he predicted this Sea Dragon Tide scale wasn't large—wouldn't threaten the fleet. But this was too small.
Looking around—about a thousand sea dragons dead. Levels were average. According to game descriptions—a Sea Dragon Tide had at least over three thousand sea dragons. More crucially—the strongest Azure Ring Sea Dragon and Augupugu Sea Dragon never appeared. Generally—a Sea Dragon Tide must feature one of them. Moreover—the surrounding sea surface was too calm. No sea breeze—silent to the point of dread.
Black silently tightened Overlord Spear—eyes sweeping—maximizing perception.
Roar!
The Emperor Winged Dragon seemed to sense some threat. Originally looking proud—eyes overlooking all beings—viewing sea dragons as trash. Now uneasily crouched on Black's shoulder—trembling wings covering body. For Emperor Winged Dragon to fear so much—definitely abnormal. Some presence was secretly watching them. This Sea Dragon Tide definitely hadn't ended.
"We won—we won!"
"Too bad—I wanted to kill more to level up."
"That Jörmungandr can't be Empress's match!" … Most on Royal Fleet thought battle ended—cheering loudly. Many even started chatting—cleaning battlefield—digging Dragon Pearls. Only few felt something amiss.
"So strange." Krystin somehow walked beside Black. Her face looked odd—delicate brows slightly furrowed—lips tightly pressed. "Spirit energy and magic power in this world seem to keep fading." Hearing this—Black was slightly surprised. Krystin had special constitution—extraordinary talent—particularly sensitive to spirit/magic energy—could detect subtle changes.
"Fading? Do you know where they're flowing?" Krystin closed eyes—slightly pondering.
"Mm…" Then she opened eyes—pointed at sea surface.
"Should be beneath the sea."
Beneath the sea? Magic and spirit energy fading? Black felt this sounded increasingly familiar. Seemed some Sea Dragon species' skill drained surrounding magic/spirit energy massively to activate. He only glanced briefly at game interface—didn't deliberately memorize. Only remembered it was some ultra-high-tier Sea Dragon's exclusive skill.
Just then—
"Elite Dragon Species!"
"Everyone! Lie down! Hold onto ship!"
Dragoncleaver Guard leader Pascal's voice suddenly tore through silence—from high above.
Filled with urgency! Elite Dragon Species? Connecting this—a dragon's name appeared in Black's mind! Black's pupils sharply contracted. Wrong!
"Lie down quickly!" He abruptly lay down—pressing Krystin to ground.
Next instant.
Sea waves surging just seconds ago—now froze like mirror.
Floating dragon corpses—red blood—broken ship planks—all motionless—as if time was forcibly cut by some force.
BOOM!
Entire sea area collapsed. Centered on fleet—hundreds of meters sea surface instantly sank dozens of meters—forming a terrifying diameter vortex below.
Seawater rushed down—like devoured by invisible giant mouth.
Entire Royal Fleet suddenly lost sea support. Falling from dozens of meters high toward seabed. All ships and people falling into ocean depths.
ROAR!!!
A dragon roar echoed from abyssal depths. Not sound—but pressure crushing directly into souls.
Many instantly turned pale—weapons "clang" dropping.
Black tightly grabbed railing—one hand tightly holding Krystin. Falling wind forced him to open eyes with great effort.
Then—he saw a scene that nearly made his heart explode.
Two bloody red moons appeared below where they fell. If looked closely—would find they weren't moons—but two eyes!
Each as big as cabin—pupils flowing with crimson light. Just gazing—made people tremble like sieves. Then its body hidden in pitch-black seawater. Pitch-black scales covered mountain-like body—worthy of title "Colossal Beast."
On its back—twelve spiral-shaped bone spines pierced sea surface—each wrapped in shocking thunder fluctuations. This dragon's pressure far exceeded sum of all previous sea dragons combined.
The moment he fully saw its form—Black, amidst fear—finally understood all previous doubts. This dragon wasn't an ordinary sea dragon.
It was the first general under Jörmungandr—the second king among Sea Dragons!
An Elite Dragon!
Name: Aurex
Absolutely high-tier sea dragon—Level 50 strength—equivalent to human Dragon-Rank. Though not matching true Dragon King—it still posed a massive threat to humans.
The reason spirit and magic energy were draining into the sea? This dragon was drawing power—releasing the high-tier dragon skill "Raging Sea Tempest."
Such a powerful dragon—why didn't Pascal, this Dragon-Rank expert, sense its presence?
Could it be the dragon blood and corpses?
Black suddenly understood—in lore—dragon blood had perception-blocking effects.
Especially such massive amounts—dyeing the entire sea surface red.
Aurex clearly had a plan—first sending small waves of sea dragons to lower human vigilance—and using dragon blood to hide his presence.
Finally—secretly activating an area skill!
This intelligence—no different from humans!
But Black couldn't understand—the game said Aurex only appeared near the Abyssal Depths.
They hadn't even entered the Caribbean Sea yet.
How did they meet this elite so early?
The entire fleet kept falling.
Below—terrifying ocean vortex—if sucked in—the whole fleet would be wiped out!
Goldie had already curled into a ball—trembling, hiding in Black's collar—daring not show its head.
Krystin tightly gripped Black's clothes—teeth biting her lip—rarely seeing her so afraid.
Damn!
Why hasn't Elizabeth acted yet?!
Black clenched the railing—knuckles white—glaring fiercely.
Only the Empress could solve this crisis.
Otherwise—the Royal Fleet would be annihilated!
Sure enough—
As the fleet neared the vortex—
"Halt."
A cold female voice came from Hodir—soft—but echoing like divine decree across the sea.
Instantly—time seemed to freeze.
The falling fleet suddenly stopped.
Shattered planks—splashing seawater—even personnel thrown off decks—
all held by an invisible force, frozen mid-air.
Black felt his body lighten—railings no longer falling—as if wrapped in gentle force—slowly drifting back to deck.
So vast spirit energy. Control so astonishing.
Is this what Emperor-Tier feels like?
He looked up—on Hodir's top cabin—a slender figure stood mid-air.
It was Elizabeth.
She didn't even draw her sword—just raised one hand.
Vast spirit energy spread like a celestial curtain—forcibly supporting the entire fleet.
ROAR!
Aurex's furious roar exploded—crimson pupils locked on Hodir—unwilling to let prey escape!
Its massive dragon claw shot from seabed—wrapped in thunder—slamming toward ship hull.
Yet—
"Annoying."
Elizabeth's eyes turned cold—other hand formed a sword-finger—casually flicked.
Zing!
An invisible sword qi suddenly slashed!
Where it passed—seawater split automatically—air emitting sharp explosions!
Thud! Blood gushed.
Aurex's claw was severed at the root—broken claw fell into sea—triggering towering waves!
The giant dragon roared in pain.
But Elizabeth didn't look again—just clenched five fingers.
"Scatter."
BOOM!
The seabed vortex shattered!
Previously collapsed sea surface restored like mirror—surging waves instantly calmed—as if never existed.
Fleet gently placed back on sea—not a splash.
"Pascal—Duke Gran."
Elizabeth's voice calm as water—but carried unquestionable authority.
"This beast—leave it to you two."
Before words faded—her figure vanished—as if everything was just illusion.
All stared, shocked—eyes fixed on sea.
Only awe for Emperor-Tier remained.
One sword severed claw—one word calmed sea.
Meanwhile—far away—Dragoncleaver Guard leader Pascal drew his blade—Dragon-Rank aura exploding.
"Beast!"
He roared—killing intent overflowing—clearly furious.
As Second-in-Command—he let a giant dragon cast spells under his nose—then the Empress had to clean up.
To him—this was huge shame.
Only dragon blood could wash it!
"Heh—heh. Old man hasn't fought an elite dragon in ages."
Duke Gran appeared left of Pascal—stroking white beard—leisurely, relaxed.
Ahead—Aurex, enraged by pain—blood and flesh writhing at stump—regenerating.
Two men vs. one dragon—battle began instantly—earth-shattering.
Raging Sea Tempest—Tenfold Thunder—Mountain of Blades, Sea of Fire—Divine Punishment…
Countless high-tier skills roared—fighting to death.
Black watched the distant battle—deep in thought.
Pascal was Dragon-Rank Peak—Number One Below Emperor Tier.
With his strength—dealing with Aurex should be easy.
Unfortunately—this was sea.
Sea Dragons excelled at water manipulation—here was natural domain bonus for them.
Plus—dragon race's absurd physical strength—Aurex wasn't weaker than Pascal—perhaps slightly stronger.
Luckily—with Duke Gran joining—they could still gain upper hand.
So—even if Aurex, this elite, appeared early—
threat to Royal Fleet wasn't that great.
Now—Black should worry more about the next Sea Dragon Tide.
That earlier tide was indeed just the beginning.
After Aurex appeared—remaining sea dragons emerged from sea—all attacking.
Spikeback, Hammerhead, Sea Lion numbers doubled.
Everywhere—countless sea dragons.
More terrifying—Azure Ring Sea Dragon and Augupugu Sea Dragon appeared.
These two were far more troublesome than before.
Just from what Black saw—several Level 60 Azure Rings and Augupugus.
With these as vanguard—other dragons swarmed!
This formation made many feel hopeless.
After previous battle—they were already exhausted.
Spirit and magic energy half-drained—couldn't fight as smoothly as before.
"It's time to act."
Black scanned Hodir—sure enough—saw Lucy on top cabin.
This Imperial Secretary—Level 80 Super-Tier Sage—one step from Dragon-Rank.
If she acted—slightly suppressing Sea Dragon Tide wouldn't be hard.
In everyone's sight—
Lucy stood in the wind—her beautiful hair not fluttering at all—not even a strand moving. Her expression calm—she glanced at the Azure Ring Sea Dragons leading the Dragon Tide—lightly stepped forward.
Tore a page from her yellowed book—softly chanting:
"Words become Law."
Next second—the white paper ignited without fire—transforming into rings of runes circling around her—spinning wildly.
The rune rings' fluctuations were astonishing—containing vast magic energy.
Hiss! Hiss!
Several Azure Ring Sea Dragons neared Hodir.
Their strange azure stripes flashed at high frequency—like charging—preparing some massive dragon power attack.
But Lucy didn't give them time.
"I am before the Azure Ring Sea Dragons."
She said softly—then vanished—reappeared before the dragons.
This eerie appearance shocked the Azure Rings—stripes flashing violently.
Just about to charge successfully—
"Your charging fails."
Lucy spoke again, gently.
Yet next second—their stripes suddenly stopped flashing.
Like forcibly cut off.
Azure Rings opened gaping maws—spat for long—no energy emitted.
Scene briefly absurd.
"In this world—I reign supreme. You evil dragons—all shall submit!"
Lucy spoke another sentence—rune rings around her blazing brighter!
All Azure Ring Sea Dragons below instantly had identical rings appear on them.
These rings forcibly bound their bodies—slowly penetrating inside.
Though fiercely struggling—useless.
Moments later—all Level 60+ Azure Rings became puppets.
Under Lucy's control—they launched charging attacks at their own kind.
Massive azure light beams shot out—killing dozens of Sea Lion Dragons in one strike!
This extremely eerie scene left fleet members stunned.
They'd heard of Sages'
"Words become Law"—but seeing it live—
the shock was no less than the Empress's earlier intervention.
Truly the most show-off class.
Black nodded silently—Sage class was called most show-off on game forums.
Reason? Closely tied to this "Words become Law."
Mouth moves—kill enemies miles away—truly flashy.
But "Words become Law" only clearly affects enemies far below level.
Against stronger foes—basically useless.
So Sage class isn't suited for BOSS fights.
Anyway—Lucy's intervention suppressed the Dragon Tide's momentum.
Human side morale soared.
"Crossbow cannons—fire! Fire cannons—fire! Spell cannons—fire!"
New battle officially began!
Man vs. Dragon—fight to the death.
Half an hour later—
Thud!
Black plunged Overlord Spear into a Level 20 juvenile Hammerhead Dragon's heart—ending its life.
His face covered in dragon blood—stench assaulting his nose.
For half an hour—battle never paused.
Pascal and Duke Gran fought fiercely.
Lucy-controlled Azure Rings slaughtered everywhere.
Other high-level sea dragons handled by Dragoncleaver Guard captains.
Though this Dragon Tide came fiercer than Black expected—victory was just a matter of time.
Unfortunately—casualties appeared.
Over ten Dragoncleavers and young nobles died to sea dragon attacks.
Not many—but chilling.
If entering Caribbean Sea—facing larger tides—many more would die.
"Alright?"
Black pulled Krystin—who'd overused magic—from ground.
Her originally rosy face pale—lips bloodless.
Too kind—overused magic to help others.
At peak—maintained ten Healing Spells simultaneously.
Massive body load—Black advised—girl stubbornly shook head.
"I'm fine… but… if my level were higher—more magic—maybe I could've saved them."
Krystin said weakly—eyes slightly moist.
"You can't save everyone."
Black sighed—comforting.
Fits Krystin's character.
After all—God loves all mankind.
BOOM!!!
Suddenly!
A nearby small transport ship suffered massive impact.
Perpetrator—a giant blue sea dragon!
Black and Krystin looked sharply.
"It's a Level 55 Augupugu Sea Dragon—it pierced the hull!"
Krystin recognized it—shocked.
Black frowned—assessed sudden situation.
Augupugu Sea Dragons earned the title "Sea Dragon Assassins."
Though large—could hide their presence well.
Plus—dragon skill to change color—often silently hunting targets.
Earlier—several hammerheads successively damaged the transport ship's hull.
Augupugu then seized chance—shattered through the hull!
Now—the transport ship was in dire straits.
Seawater flooded in—might sink.
That alone wasn't worst.
More dangerous—massive impact severely damaged hull.
Even the shelter cabin exposed.
Where many non-combatant maids and crew were.
They were now exposed to numerous sea dragons—closest being a Level 55 Augupugu.
Sea dragons wouldn't miss this—humans were their favorite snacks.
"What to do?"
Krystin anxious.
"Don't worry—Lady Lucy must've noticed."
Black wasn't overly concerned.
With Level 80 Sage's perception—must've detected this emergency.
No use panicking now.
Transport ship distant—they couldn't reach.
Even if they did—their strength couldn't handle that Augupugu.
Only become snacks.
Most who could fight Level 55 dragons—were stuck in combat quagmire.
Can't break free temporarily.
Only wait for Lucy.
"It's a sea dragon! Run!"
"Help!"
"I don't want to die! Save me!"
Shelter cabin already chaotic—yet no escape.
Damaged hull blocked their path.
Could only watch fang-filled Augupugu approach.
"Die."
As Black predicted—Lucy's gaze had firmly locked on there.
he raised her hand—about to cast a spell—then suddenly paused.
She sensed—an abnormally powerful aura.
Level not high—but momentum incredibly fierce—rushing toward the Augupugu Sea Dragon at full speed!
Below—on Hodir.
Just as Black wondered why Lucy hesitated—
A dazzling golden light shot from a Hodir cabin—tearing through the sky!
That light was unbelievably fast.
Almost as the Augupugu's gaping maw neared a poor maid's skull—it blazed across the battlefield like a meteor!
"Move!"
In a cold, furious shout—the golden light exploded!
The sea dragon's fang-filled mouth was forcibly knocked aside—scraping past the maid's hair—
Tearing a strand—but not harming her at all.
As golden light faded—a slender figure appeared before the stunned maid.
Jet-black straight hair swayed slightly in wind.
White orchid hairpin on side fluttered—like a gentle cloud.
She landed silently—golden-decorated uniform shining brilliantly.
Necktie swaying—accentuating her swan-like neck.
The arrival? None other than Jiaye.
"Are you hurt?"
Jiaye softened—asking the maid on ground—voice surprisingly gentle.
"A-Are you… Miss Jiaye?"
Maid dazedly shook head—tears still on cheeks.
Jiaye gently pushed her behind.
Turned to face the enraged Augupugu—eyes turning cold.
ROAR!
Prey escaping—Augupugu utterly enraged—roaring at Jiaye.
Though distant—Black and Krystin clearly saw her face.
"Isn't that Lord Harvey's daughter—Miss Jiaye?"
Krystin recognized her—amazed.
"Yes—exactly her."
Black was also surprised—he didn't expect Jiaye to intervene.
But counting time—her wounds should've healed.
If it were her—she definitely wouldn't ignore it.
In Black's memory—Jiaye, this proud protagonist—though having typical self-interest and minding her own business—
As a transmigrator, one who received nine-year compulsory education, familiar with Socialist Core Values—
When capable—she wouldn't let someone die.
"She just used Lightning Flash, right?"
"Level 40 Sorceress using Lightning Flash? Miss Jiaye's talent is truly remarkable."
Lightning Flash was a Sorcerer-exclusive skill—generally only learned by High-Tier Sorcerers.
Even Krystin hadn't mastered it—otherwise she'd have acted earlier.
Krystin wasn't a Sorceress—but as a Priestess—knew well the difficulty of cross-tier spell learning.
She always had a special feeling for Jiaye—like a genius meeting another genius.
"But she's too reckless—Miss Jiaye is only Level 40—can't be Augupugu's match!"
With such huge power gap—Krystin naturally worried.
Hearing Krystin worry about Jiaye—Black fell silent.
After all—in Chapter One's plot—Krystin fell into darkness—became chapter final boss.
And killed by protagonist Jiaye.
But that was much later.
Setting that aside—Black actually had confidence in Jiaye.
Not just because she's the protagonist—with cheat system—endless trump cards.
Now—she even holds the Sunlight Pearl—a dragon-specialty ultimate weapon.
She won't lose.
On transport ship—
Augupugu's massive body twisted violently—giant tail whipping up gale-force wind at Jiaye!
Yet—to Jiaye with Divine Flash—this speed wasn't enough.
Before attack arrived—Jiaye's figure vanished instantly.
Tail whipped empty—shattering ground.
Next instant—Jiaye appeared atop sea dragon's head.
Staff swung—
Blazing white lightning condensed before her.
Knowing well from novel—Augupugu's weakness was lightning.
"Thunder Control!"
BOOM!
Fierce lightning pillar descended—precisely striking Augupugu!
With Sunlight Pearl's passive boost—this Thunder Control was extremely terrifying!
Augupugu roared in pain—hard scales charred, curling.
What angered it more—this human only had Level 40 spirit energy—how could she wound it?
Jiaye gave no reaction time.
"Thunder Control!"
"Thunder Control!"
"Thunder Control!"
Three Mid-Tier spells cast simultaneously.
This ability shocked watching Sorcerers.
Sky filled with lightning—Augupugu beaten back step by step—no chance to counter.
Jiaye flashed like a ghost around Augupugu—each appearance followed by a Mid-Tier spell!
"Seems I don't need to act."
The girl's performance exceeded Lucy's expectations—her raised hand lowered.
"When did Lord Harvey produce such a young prodigy?"
At battlefield center—Jiaye suddenly stopped.
Gripped staff—slammed it down—
A complex golden array unfolded beneath her feet!
[Low-Tier Divine Edict: Spirit Explosion]
Hiss!
Surrounding spirit energy flooded into array—
Transforming into a three-meter-wide blazing golden beam—sweeping out!
Directly blowing Augupugu's head into fragments!
Process unbelievably fast.
Left even magic genius Krystin stunned.
"It's not over—Augupugu can't die so easily."
Black knew Augupugu's stubbornness—this thing nauseated him many times in-game.
Like him—Jiaye also understood Augupugu well.
Hovering mid-air—watching corpse cautiously.
Weirdly—thick black liquid suddenly spewed from the headless dragon's severed neck.
Liquid twisted in air—instantly condensing into a grotesque regenerating dragon head.
This was recorded in Dragonheart Empire's Dragon Compendium—Augupugu's innate skill.
This sea dragon had one resurrection chance—equivalent to killing it twice.
Called one of the most troublesome sea dragons—for good reason.
Jiaye expected this—prepared to hold nothing back.
Even if consuming massive magic—she'd kill this dragon once and for all.
[Mid-Tier Divine Edict: Execution]
Her cold voice like judgment.
Zing!
A thread-thin golden line slashed across dragon neck.
Execution activated calmly—far less flashy than other spells.
But power was extremely exaggerated.
Thud!
Augupugu's newly regenerated head flew skyward.
Massive body stiffened—then exploded, turning into skywide blood mis