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Chapter 555: Dragon Slayer
Yaya's excited roar echoed through the dense forest.
The legendary wyvern was no match for her.
Having lost most of its sanity, combat experience, and spellcasting abilities, it was little more than a slightly stronger beast.
Not to mention, its once-proud physical strength was completely overpowered by Yaya.
With all attributes exceeding 25 points, Yaya's formidable physique allowed her to fight any opponent without fear.
Once she familiarized herself with the legendary wyvern's combat patterns, she relentlessly beat it down.
In no time, the legendary wyvern was covered in wounds and scratches of various sizes.
However, this creature's hide was indeed thick. Despite its gruesome external wounds, they did not deal serious damage to its bones or tendons.
"Roar...!"
The wyvern's shrill roar carried a frenzied killing intent born from its loss of reason.
In the past, the true dragons that defeated the Giant Empire and ruled the skies and land had also succumbed to such madness.
Under this mindless bloodlust, they slaughtered their kin, their own factions, and any other communal creatures they encountered.
The dragon race suffered heavy losses, nearly facing total extinction.
Now, with the King Slayer Star descending upon the Material Plane once more, the Mad Dragon Enchantment had returned to bring destruction.
Matthew couldn't help but wonder: was the irregular return of the King Slayer Star and its varying influence truly being manipulated by the elves to serve their interests?
The answer was obvious!
Within the territory of the Cole Elf Kingdom, dragon-blooded creatures were nearly nonexistent.
They had either been systematically eradicated or lived within powerful, isolated enchantments that shielded them from influence.
The fate of the Elven Kingdom of Ail was entirely different, as numerous dragon-blooded creatures launched attacks from the coastal regions.
As a result, the Ail elves were forced to divert significant military resources, making it easier for the Cole Elf Kingdom to advance eastward.
As Matthew pondered the duration of the Mad Dragon Enchantment, he noticed the gathered soldiers and adventurers, signaling them to retreat temporarily.
The legendary wyvern was likely just the beginning—more dragon-blooded creatures were sure to follow.
Just as Matthew returned to the stronghold, waiting for Yaya to claim victory—
A sudden and indescribable sense of danger surged through his heart.
Powerful elemental fluctuations rapidly converged in the sky.
A massive, scorching fireball blazed down toward the stronghold.
7th-tier spell—Blazing Sun Fireball!
As the enormous fireball closed in, Matthew's dark eyes flickered with fiery red reflections.
He immediately tore open a spell scroll, pouring all his energy into activating a spell.
With Quick Cast LV5, boosting spellcasting speed by 300%, a vast blue water curtain spread across the sky, enveloping the camp just before the Blazing Sun Fireball struck.
Boom!
A tremendous explosion sent flames roaring skyward. The raging fire continuously battered the Water Curtain Heaven's defense.
The sky was instantly engulfed in flames, throwing the returning soldiers and adventurers into chaos.
The stronghold's defense officer immediately shouted, "Enemy attack! A spellcaster is attacking! Deploy the mana barrier!"
The terrifying shockwave forcefully tore through the Water Curtain Heaven. The fierce aftermath slammed into the faint blue mana barrier.
Though the mana barrier appeared thin, it trembled violently but miraculously held firm, barely avoiding collapse.
Suppressing his inner fury, Matthew slowly opened his eyes and stared toward the sky, shouting to Yaya in the distance:
"Be careful! Enemies are here!"
As soon as he spoke, waves of spatial energy flickered around them. Over thirty figures clad in silver-white armor suddenly appeared near the stronghold.
Without hesitation, they charged forward, shouting, "Leave no one alive!"
Their speed was incredible, their aura overwhelming, and their weapons and armor were engraved with complex enchantments.
In mere moments, they reached the stronghold. Several of them pulled out spell scrolls, sending multiple fireballs hurtling toward the walls.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
The rapid explosions caused the mana barrier to tremble continuously, yet it remained tenacious.
The attackers clearly hadn't expected this, but they continued advancing swiftly.
The defense officer grabbed his whistle and blew it sharply before yelling:
"Enemy attack! Archers, prepare! Sentinels, fire at will!"
"Squad One, follow me up the walls for support!"
"Squad Three, assemble! Signal officer, send the distress signal immediately! Move!"
Displaying excellent military leadership, the defense officer quickly assigned battle tasks.
Unfortunately, this time, their opponents were unlike any they had faced before—not just savage orcs and trolls, but terrifying, well-prepared enemies.
Two burly leaders wielding pale-golden hammers took just a few strides to reach the main gate.
Their bodies surged with tangible battle aura as they channeled their strength into extraordinary magic warhammers, smashing them into the iron gates.
The once-sturdy metal gates shattered like paper under the hammer's devastating impact.
Witnessing this, Matthew's pupils shrank slightly, his eyes flashing with disbelief:
"Anti-Mage Corps!"
The Cole Elf Kingdom's trump card!
A super-elite unit specialized in hunting down Grand Arcanists!
If Matthew and the players' research into modified warriors was meant to create a highly capable army free from talent constraints,
then the Core Elves' Anti-Mage Corps was the perfected version of the Thunder Squad and Catachan Warriors!
Each of these thirty individuals was of extraordinary rank!
This was a special operations squad, deployed specifically to target Matthew!
Realizing this, Matthew did not hesitate. He raised his staff and instantly took control of twenty guardian golems around him, calling out firmly:
"Deploy the Dragon Slaying Crossbows!"
The Dragon Slaying Crossbows were massive ballistae designed to pierce even high-tier and super-tier creatures with formidable defenses.
And now, the lord was ordering their use against these enemies—proving that ordinary weapons and attacks were useless against them.
The defense officer immediately dashed toward the watchtower, simultaneously ordering barrels of wildfire oil to be hurled down the walls.
At the moment the steel gates were breached—
Over a dozen torches dropped from the walls, igniting the thick wildfire oil.
Towering flames reflected off the silver-white armor of the Anti-Mage warriors.
Yet, they showed no signs of retreat. Their gleaming armor turned bright red from the heat.
They charged through the raging inferno as if entirely unaffected.
Their unnatural resilience sent waves of shock through the soldiers on the walls.
Hastily, they pulled their triggers, attempting to suppress these terrifying foes with enchanted crossbows.
However, what happened next left them utterly dumbfounded.
The dense barrage of crossbow bolts was sliced apart mid-air by the charging enemies.
The sheer absurdity of the sight sent a wave of disbelief through the defenders.
Adaptive Magic-Resistant Armor!
They had actually developed this technology!
Matthew's gaze remained cold as he watched the Anti-Mage warriors charge through the shattered gate. Without hesitation, he commanded the guardian golems to block the passage.
"Your strength is indeed formidable. Breaking through defenses and hunting spellcasters is your specialty."
"Now let me see just how far your training and enhancements have progressed!"
Bang! Bang! Bang!
The newly reinforced steel gates proved exceptionally sturdy, withstanding the Anti-Mage warriors' battering for a full twenty breaths before a massive hole was forced open.
However, just as they attempted to squeeze through, the guardian golems stationed at the inner gate swung their massive warhammers down upon them.
Clang!
The sheer force of the impact was overwhelming—even for extraordinary-ranked warriors. They staggered back several steps.
At that moment, a crushing force suddenly pressed down upon them, dragging their bodies heavily toward the ground.
From a distance, Matthew raised his hand, casting Gravity Surge without hesitation!
Adaptive Magic-Resistant Armor was strong, granting near immunity to lower-tier spells, making them the bane of magic users.
But that didn't mean they were completely unaffected—it merely meant their magical resistance was higher and took precedence over most spells.
However, Gravity Surge was not something they could simply ignore.
As a fundamental force-type spell, Gravity Surge was extremely difficult to master, comprehend, and cast.
Even most legendary spellcasters struggled to execute high-level gravity magic.
Moreover, Matthew had not directly attacked the Anti-Mage warriors—he merely subjected them to the same training methods used by the Bay Territory's soldiers.
The results were immediate—despite their impressive physique and strength, the Anti-Mage warriors struggled to free themselves from the suddenly increased gravity.
Several rows of towering guardian golems loomed ahead.
Hundreds of soldiers from the city walls were already descending to join the battle.
The Anti-Mage warriors' sudden assault seemed to be on the verge of collapse!
However, these warriors were created for the sole purpose of hunting Grand Arcanists. How could they have only a few tricks up their sleeves?
Five of them activated the glowing runes on their enchanted boots.
In an instant, they bypassed their encumbered comrades, phased through the golem blockade, and dashed forward like a howling gale.
Blink Boots!
An exceptionally rare epic-tier magical artifact.
And they had deployed five pairs in a single engagement!
Such luxurious equipment clearly signified the importance of their mission.
Matthew clenched his fist solemnly and immediately cast Earth Wall while simultaneously retreating.
However, these Anti-Mage warriors were relentless. They cleaved through the rising stone wall with their weapons, charging ahead with barely any delay.
"Anti-Magic Weapons!"
Matthew was momentarily taken aback by the sheer extravagance of their gear. Raising his hand toward the approaching enemies, he maintained a calm expression.
The Anti-Mage warriors instinctively shifted into a defensive stance, fully expecting a magical assault.
Yet no attack came. Instead, their vision abruptly shifted—their bodies had suddenly returned to their previous positions.
Time Reversal!
Matthew's mastery of temporal magic!
The Anti-Mage warriors, thrown off by the unexpected setback, wildly slashed their weapons at the guardian golems in frustration.
Three guardian golems had already been destroyed—their weapons and armor unable to withstand the devastating anti-magic hammers.
However, this reckless fighting style made the Anti-Mage warriors uneasy.
They hadn't expected Matthew to be so troublesome or so well-prepared.
If this continued, they would have no choice but to break through the golem line as soon as possible.
They could already see hundreds of soldiers pouring down from the walls, rapidly closing in.
Without hesitation, the Anti-Mage squad leader reached into his chest armor and retrieved a shimmering spell scroll.
Legendary Spell—Time Stop!
An invisible ripple expanded outward, covering the entire battlefield.
Every object caught in its range was instantly frozen in place as if under the effects of a powerful Hold Person spell.
None of them could move, their bodies entirely locked by the flow of time.
Helplessly, they watched as the Anti-Mage warriors darted between the immobilized golems and soldiers, swiftly encircling the frozen Matthew.
The soldiers were furious and desperate!
Their lord could not fall!
They would rather perish than watch their leader die before their eyes!
But they were powerless against a legendary spell—no matter how they struggled, they could not escape the grasp of time.
However, Matthew could!
This was a fatal intelligence gap.
Under the bewildered gazes of the Anti-Mage warriors—who looked as though they had just seen their elder dance in a grass skirt—Matthew instinctively took two steps back.
Holding his staff tightly, he began chanting without pause.
An immense wave of elemental energy rapidly coalesced around him.
Matthew was clearly preparing to unleash a devastating spell!
Realizing this, the Anti-Mage squad leader hastily withdrew a magical artifact, hesitated for a brief moment, and then activated it.
A bizarre and ominous ripple spread outward.
The gathered elemental energy surrounding Matthew dissipated instantly.
Seeing the Anti-Mage squad leader holding a Null-Magic Sphere, Matthew's eyes flickered. He calmly stored his staff away.
He locked eyes with the approaching enemies, listening to the rising sounds of chaos. Then, under their astonished gazes, he retrieved a massive, pitch-black blade from his storage space.
Ghostblade!
A signature weapon used to hunt Catachan demons!
Even among the battle-hardened and formidable Catachan warriors, few possessed such a lethal weapon.
Yet Matthew lifted it effortlessly, as if it weighed nothing.
A spellcaster wielding a warrior's heavy weapon—the sight made the Anti-Mage squad leader's heart skip a beat.
"Impossible! Absolutely impossible!"
"It must be an illusion!"
Clang!
The heavy impact and scattering sparks shattered the squad leader's last illusions.
The terrifying force behind the blow sent him flying backward.
A small chip appeared on his enchanted scimitar, filling him with shock and dismay.
As a seasoned warrior, he had just lost in a contest of pure strength—to a spellcaster.
Thud!
The squad leader crashed to the ground, suppressing the numbness in his arm as he quickly stood back up.
But then, he saw something even more shocking—Matthew, wielding the Ghostblade, was skillfully engaging multiple Anti-Mage warriors at once.
His movements were precise and disciplined, his blade swinging in a seamless flurry. Each clash against the Anti-Mage warriors ended in his overwhelming advantage.
One of the Anti-Mage warriors failed to dodge in time and took a direct hit to the chest.
Their adaptive magic-resistant armor, designed to withstand magical attacks, proved useless against the razor-sharp Ghostblade.
Shing!
A deep wound gushed fresh blood.
The injured warrior's mind went blank, as if struck by an unimaginable force.
They had never expected what seemed like a simple sword strike to deal such immense damage.
The sheer power behind the blow was more terrifying than any ogre they had fought before.