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Chapter 555.5: Dragon Slayer
As more Anti-Mage warriors were sent sprawling, their expressions turned from shock to disbelief.
One by one, the Anti-Mage warriors were sent flying, their eyes filled with disbelief and shock.
His strength was immense, easily surpassing 20 points.
His speed was terrifying, his agility exceeding 20 points as well.
Was he wearing specially crafted protective armor?
His defenses were exceptionally formidable.
An Arcanist possessing such tremendous combat prowess and skill was unheard of.
This shattered everything they believed to be true!
It was just like how the Bay soldiers had been astonished by the Anti-Mage warriors' extraordinary abilities earlier.
However, the Anti-Mage warriors soon made a new discovery.
Although Matthew's Ghostblade was powerful, he was ultimately just one man.
No matter how refined his combat techniques were, he could not cover all angles simultaneously.
The Anti-Mage warriors immediately surrounded him, but Matthew had already anticipated their move, continuously retreating toward the wall.
At that moment, the adventurers nearby finally reacted.
With a mighty battle cry, they charged toward the fight.
Behind the Anti-Mage warriors, the effects of Time Stop were beginning to fade.
The Bay soldiers and guardian golems were on the verge of closing in.
In the sky, Yaya spread her wings wide, exuding a terrifying aura like a prison of death.
Despite the situation, the Anti-Mage warriors refused to retreat.
They roared furiously and charged at Matthew without hesitation.
Even as Matthew cut down two or three of them, he couldn't dodge fast enough.
Two curved blades slashed directly toward his chest.
Clang!
A dull metallic clash rang out, and the two attacking Anti-Mage warriors' faces twisted in shock.
Their extraordinary enchanted weapons had failed to pierce Matthew's defenses.
Beneath his Arcanist robe, a faint golden glow shimmered—the radiance of a magically enhanced armor.
The supernatural durability of his magical armor had completely nullified their lethal strikes.
Withstanding the impact without flinching, Matthew endured the shock to his chest and retaliated without hesitation.
Crack!
Two severed arms, along with their weapons, clattered to the ground. The grievously wounded Anti-Mage warriors didn't even scream.
Instead, they rolled backward, escaping Matthew's follow-up strike while making way for their comrades—a testament to their remarkable combat discipline and resolve.
Matthew's expression darkened. He knew escape was no longer an option.
He ceased his defensive posture and instead swung the Ghostblade with full force, meeting his foes head-on.
Within moments, multiple heavy blows struck him, forcing his movements to become unsteady.
The Anti-Mage warriors took advantage, closing in rapidly.
Sensing their intent, Matthew's eyes gleamed with cold determination. He deliberately took two heavy slashes, forcing the warriors back.
From his raised palm, an arc of electricity crackled and surged wildly.
A bolt of lightning split the sky, descending in an instant.
The sheer destructive force crashed directly onto Matthew.
His Arcanist robe disintegrated, his entire body seemingly reduced to dust before the stunned eyes of the Anti-Mage warriors.
However, the rampaging lightning did not dissipate—it instead surged outward, wildly leaping toward the enemy lines.
Crackle! Crackle!
The devastating electrical surge struck seven or eight Anti-Mage warriors, warping and scorching their Adaptive Magic-Resistant Armor.
Their armor failed to completely negate the raging lightning, and they suffered severe injuries.
"Roar...!"
A deafening roar suddenly echoed from the sky.
Yaya, with her majestic silver-white form, swooped down, her maw opening to unleash a wave of annihilating flames.
Seeing that the mission had been completed, the Anti-Mage squad leader did not hesitate. He immediately tore open a gleaming teleportation scroll.
A radiant light enveloped the remaining Anti-Mage warriors, and just before Yaya's flames descended, they vanished from the battlefield.
Whoosh!
The searing flames scorched the stronghold's ground, burning a massive crater into it.
Even though Yaya quickly shut her mouth, the intense heat continued to spread, charring nearby stones and buildings.
Yaya landed with a furious snarl, scanning the area for any trace of Matthew.
Just then, a blinding light shot out from the distant forest.
Caught off guard, Yaya was struck directly by the attack.
The attack tore through her tough scales, pierced her dense muscle armor, and embedded itself deep within her body.
A wave of unbearable pain made Yaya let out a ground-shaking roar.
She frantically beat her wings, lifting off and charging toward the direction of the attack.
However, before she could reach her target, the severely injured legendary wyvern, which she had previously beaten down, suddenly lunged at her.
Boom!
Crash!
Crack!
The two massive creatures clashed fiercely in the forest.
Yaya, seemingly unfazed by her injuries, once again overpowered the battered legendary wyvern.
This time, she showed no mercy. She ruthlessly tore through the wyvern's flailing wings.
As the wyvern roared in rage and terror, Yaya bit down on its throat.
Crack! Crack! Crack!
Her fangs dug deeper, and blood gushed from the wyvern's neck.
It struggled desperately, its massive body thrashing violently.
But its efforts were futile.
With one final, powerful twist of her head, Yaya snapped the wyvern's neck completely.
The struggling and screaming ceased. Only faint twitches remained in the lifeless body.
Yaya scanned her surroundings in confusion, unable to locate any more enemies.
Lowering her gaze to the glowing emerald arrow still lodged in her chest, she felt her life force rapidly draining away.
She attempted to take flight but staggered, her massive body collapsing with a heavy thud.
Everyone who witnessed this scene was utterly stunned.
At that moment, several swift figures dashed toward the fallen wyverns.
"Stop them! Hurry!"
"Push forward!"
"Find the lord at once!"
"Kill them all!"
"..."
Roars of rage and battle cries erupted from within the stronghold.
The intruders sneered, their expressions filled with arrogant delight as they listened to the desperate cries of the defeated.
As they neared the two dragon corpses, they began chatting gleefully.
"Haha! Mission accomplished! We not only secured our rewards but also obtained two dragon corpses!"
"The legendary wyvern is fine, but that silver dragon is something else entirely!"
"We hit the jackpot! Let's collect what we can before anything unexpected happens."
"Unexpected? What could possibly go wrong? Our leader personally handled it!"
"Enough flattery. Just be quick with the blood extraction so we can enjoy a proper dragon-blood bath."
"Hahaha! The boss is right! We should savor this moment."
"When are those guys making their next move?"
"Who knows? It's always a surprise..."
"It doesn't matter. As long as the money's in our hands, we're set. We've truly made it this time."
"..."
The group continued their discussion cheerfully, already planning how to enjoy their substantial earnings.
None of them noticed that Yaya, who had seemingly stopped breathing, had silently opened her eyes.
One of the assassins, holding an exaggeratedly curved weapon, suddenly felt a twinge of unease.
He instinctively halted his steps, scanning his surroundings with narrowed eyes. Yet, he saw nothing out of the ordinary.
The others noticed his sudden caution and couldn't help but ask curiously.
"What's wrong, boss? Did you overexert yourself earlier?"
"Idiot! The boss must have sensed danger. Stay alert!"
"Could someone be trying to ambush us?"
"That doesn't make sense. There's no one else nearby!"
The assassin leader, Qiye, slowly shook his head, gripping his weapon tightly while staring at the lifeless wyverns.
Even though both of these massive creatures had stopped breathing, their bodies still exuded an undeniable vitality.
Wait...
Vitality!
Realization dawned on Qiye. Without hesitation, he turned and sprinted away, covering over ten meters in a single bound.
Whoosh!
A massive tail suddenly swept through the air. The remaining assassins were instantly struck with overwhelming dread.
They tried to dodge, but an immense force crashed down on them, making their movements sluggish and disoriented.
Their limbs felt as if they were weighed down by a crushing force, disrupting their attempts to evade.
A deep-seated panic surged within them, and they couldn't suppress their terrified screams.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Explosions of blood erupted as several assassins were torn apart, their mangled remains crashing onto the scorched ground.
Yaya, now standing tall once more, clutched a jagged emerald arrow in her claw.
The grievous wound on her chest had completely healed, leaving no trace of injury.
She frowned, her gaze locked onto the direction in which Qiye had fled. The lingering sense of danger hadn't faded.
Yaya remained motionless, merely watching the surroundings in silence.
Meanwhile, the stronghold erupted with renewed shouts of triumph as its defenders realized Yaya had survived.
They rushed to her side, quickly spreading out to search the area.
While they found traces of the assassins, Qiye was nowhere to be seen.
Yaya shook her head, casting a cold glance in the direction of Qiye's escape, and then turned to the soldiers around her.
"I will take the legendary wyvern's corpse. Stop searching for the enemy. That one is extremely dangerous."
"Focus on repairing the gates. A new wave of Mad Dragon creatures will arrive soon."
The defense officer, relieved by Yaya's command, wasted no time organizing the reconstruction efforts.
Despite his composure, deep down, he still worried about one thing.
Was Lord Matthew safe?
He dared not dwell on the possibility of Matthew's death, forcing himself to stay occupied.
Meanwhile, beneath Bay City, in a secluded underground laboratory—
Matthew stroked his chin thoughtfully as he observed the scene Yaya had transmitted to him.
His gaze fell upon a strangely familiar yet unfamiliar longbow.
In a quiet voice, he murmured:
"Dragon Slayer... That bow is called Dragon Slayer."
"It dares to bear such a name because it has slain no less than eight true dragons."
"Among them were three legendary true dragons."
Yaya's eyes widened in astonishment, curiosity shining within them.
Though dragons were no longer the dominant force they once were, any weapon claiming such a title would surely disappear along with its wielder.
Legendary beings were among the most powerful entities in this world.
However, true dragons, with their near-immortal lifespans and limitless growth potential, were far beyond mere legends.
This bow, the so-called Dragon Slayer, had claimed the lives of eight true dragons. Such a weapon would be considered an abomination among the dragon race.
Yet, Matthew simply shook his head, his gaze carrying a trace of contemplation.
He carefully recalled the properties and history of Dragon Slayer before speaking again:
"The reason is simple. The wielder of this weapon was once the God of Light."
Matthew did not dare to speak the deity's true name. Gods, especially those wielding divine power, could perceive whenever their names were uttered.
Even a mere whisper in private conversation could attract their attention.
The reason Matthew remembered this weapon so well was due to its notorious past among players.
Once regarded as a legendary artifact by players, it had passed through the hands of many adventurers for a brief period.
However, during the second Elemental Surge, when the Evil Gods and War Gods returned to the Material Plane, Dragon Slayer was reclaimed.
Even so, the players and factions who had wielded it left their mark on history, using its devastating power to shape the battles to come.
Regardless of the war's outcome, Dragon Slayer's legendary might and its enigmatic origins continued to spark awe and curiosity.
Yet, Matthew quickly cast such thoughts aside, his expression calm as he turned his attention back to his allies.
In a voice laced with eerie determination, he muttered:
"Since you have shown no mercy, do not expect any in return."
"Let's see who truly stands victorious in the end!"