Translator: AnubisTL
The projection revealed Gold Dragon Alberto himself, extorting money at various Ironforged Tribe strongholds along the great riverbanks under various pretexts. His posture—one of greedy demand, utterly at odds with his rumored noble image—was faithfully recorded.
"Your Excellency Gold Dragon," Solgorn said, "I imagine you wouldn't want these 'deeds' of yours—which are no different from the extortions of the chromatic evil dragons—to be fully exposed to the world, would you?"
The gold dragon's front claws involuntarily clenched, then slowly unfurled.
"To expose your true nature, I had to temporarily play the part of an evil dragon's accomplice."
"The shallow prejudices of worldly fools are meaningless. Only a true sage can discern the good intentions and noble sacrifice behind my actions."
"Now, in the holy name of Bahamut, the Platinum Dragon God and Guardian of Order, I grant you one final chance!"
"Immediately and unconditionally release all the suffering races you have enslaved! Unconditionally surrender all the ill-gotten wealth you have plundered through your evil means!"
As this solemn declaration echoed, a blindingly brilliant light, as if radiating from within, suddenly flared beneath the dragon scales covering Alberto's powerful right arm.
The light was no mere glow; it manifested on his golden arm as a vivid, living tattoo.
Upon closer inspection, three lines of runic oaths, inscribed in an ancient dragon language, could be faintly seen.
Extinguish Hope! Iron-Fisted Rule! Power Above All!
The oath was simple, yet gazing upon it, one could instinctively grasp the profound meaning it held.
Extinguish Hope: Simply defeating your enemies in battle is not enough. Your victory must be so decisive that it utterly shatters their will to fight. Blades can end lives, but terror can bring nations to their knees.
Rule with an Iron Fist: Once your conquest is complete, tolerate no dissent. Your word is law. Those who obey will be favored; those who defy will be punished to serve as a warning to others.
Strength Above All: You will rule until a more powerful force arises. When that day comes, you must grow stronger and face the challenge, or meet your own destruction.
"These are the tenets of the Oath of Conquest... This guy has taken his oath, and he's walking the path of the Holy Dragon."
Iron Dragon Solgorn's heart chilled.
Within the dragon race's inheritance, the path modified from the paladin class was known as the Holy Dragon.
Whether a standard paladin or a Holy Dragon, anyone who swore the Oath of Conquest was bound to seek glory and conquest in battle. For them, simply establishing order was not enough—chaotic forces had to be crushed. Only the most extreme and aggressive existences within the Lawful Alignment could swear the Oath of Conquest.
"I came, I saw, I conquered!"
"Count your sins and face the righteous judgment and glorious conquest of Alberto!"
Oath Spell: Conquering Presence!
The gold dragon Alberto let out a low, menacing roar. A more powerful aura than before erupted from his body, sweeping over his surroundings. In an instant, Iron Dragon Solgorn, Red Dragon Samantha, and White Dragon Treacy all felt an uncontrollable shudder of panic, a sudden, overwhelming desire to avoid opposing the gold dragon.
Indomitable Spirit! Mechanical Mind! Cold Heart!
They used their own methods, racial skills, and spell-like abilities to boost their Spirit attributes and dispel the panic.
But in that fleeting moment, Alberto had already closed the distance, appearing right before them.
Sensing the danger, the iron dragon realized the young gold dragon was far too powerful for them to handle alone. He immediately activated his ultimate skill—the Ironforged King Summoning Technique!
"The gold dragon is too strong! Come quickly!"
Solgorn knew the red-iron dragon was nearby and immediately called for aid through their Bloodline Link.
At the same time, Alberto's massive frame blotted out the sky. His right claw, glowing with the tattoo-like inscriptions of his oath, swung upward, striking first at White Dragon Treacy.
The key to fighting multiple foes was to defeat them one by one, avoiding the mistake of spreading one's strength too thin.
In a flash, Alberto had already devised his strategy: defeat the adult white dragon first, then the iron dragon, and finally, the most physically powerful red dragon.
So, he attacks me first!
The white dragon had expected this. As the dragon with the lowest ecological standing among them, her own theories had predicted that the gold dragon would likely target her first. She had been ready.
Ice Fog Technique!
A dense, freezing mist billowed forth as the white dragon unfurled her wings, threatening to swallow the young gold dragon whole.
Suddenly, Alberto's pupils constricted. A look of wariness crossed his face as he beat his wings furiously, retreating at top speed. He narrowly escaped the sweeping ice fog, a fireball of molten lava spat by the red dragon, and the iron dragon's slashing claws.
Huh? Did I scare him off?
White Dragon Treacy's first thought was one of surprise, but she quickly shook her head. Impossible. Unless a higher-ranking dragon has appeared... Oh, Garos must be here.
She turned to look.
Sure enough, a crimson meteor streaked across the sky, tearing through the dawn and descending upon the battlefield at an inconceivable speed.
In the blink of an eye, the red-iron dragon had cut off the gold dragon's retreat.
Its absurdly powerful frame slammed into Alberto's field of vision, causing his golden pupils to constrict into slits. For the first time, a look of grave caution crossed his face.
Misjudgment, he thought. This red iron hybrid dragon is their chief.
Now, he faced another level 14 hybrid dragon. Judging by its ferocious, imposing physique—which radiated a crushing sense of pressure—its true power likely transcended what its life grade could suggest. And it had three other evil dragons as accomplices.
The tables had turned. Alberto felt his advantage vanish.
"Gold dragon, since you prefer battle over civilized communication, then so be it," Garos declared.
"So, you are the true lord of this land," Alberto's gaze swept over the other dragons before finally settling on the red-iron dragon. His eyes flashed with provocation. "Do you intend to fight me with numbers? Truly a despicable evil dragon."
He was using reverse psychology.
If he could provoke the red-iron dragon into a one-on-one knightly duel and defeat it, he would still have a chance to rout all the evil dragons here.
"You think I need to rely on numbers to win?"
The red-iron dragon erupted in fury, its voice low and menacing. "Fine, have it your way. I will defeat you alone and silence your tongue!"
But before Alberto could even rejoice over his successful provocation, the red-iron dragon's expression instantly smoothed over. The previous rage vanished completely, as if it had never existed.
The red-iron dragon said, "You wanted to hear those words, didn't you?"
Alberto froze, the smile fading from his face.
"But, just as you said, we evil dragons are treacherous. We have no honor."
Garos raised a dragon claw and swept it decisively toward the gold dragon.
"Attack!"
The next second, led by the red-iron dragon, the dragons of the Ignis Family charged forward, surrounding the gold dragon for the hunt.
(End of the Chapter)
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