The Cornflower Witch

Two days later, the train arrived near the muddy lake where the plesiosaur-like dragon had been active, and came to a stop.

Several members acting with stealth carefully ascended into the sky, observing the flooded lake ahead from as far a distance as possible. Sylutia and the other members also stepped off the train at this time.

There was still a chill in the air. The grassy ground was covered in puddles; stepping hard would squeeze water out, making it easy to soak one's shoes while walking through it.

"Is that plesiosaur-like dragon still there?" Novadon asked a familiar friend beside him. The other man wore glasses, with extremely fine golden patterns etched into the lenses.

"No news yet, but better safe than sorry. Let's try not to provoke it for now and follow the procedure." The man noticed Sylutia looking at him, smiled, and nodded in acknowledgment.

"So this is the Miss Hedra you mentioned, I presume." He had a refined demeanor and fine, deep-golden hair.

The two then walked over, and Novadon introduced this companion to Sylutia.

"His name is Vincent. He's a member of the 'Appraisal School'." This Mage Vincent was also Fifth Tier. According to Novadon, they had worked together for half a year and had a good relationship.

Many members of the 'Appraisal School' were Appraisers. They crafted and ground various lenses used to assess the quality of items and analyze all sorts of peculiar things. Many Merchant Caravans and workshops needed such Appraisers. The 'Appraisal School' was the origin of all Appraisers; the various lenses they produced were sold far and wide. Even merchant caravans from other continents would come specially to purchase them.

After the three got to know each other, they walked together across the grass. Although Sylutia wasn't particularly short, standing beside these two companions who were about one meter eighty, she still appeared somewhat petite.

"Word has come in. That plesiosaur-like dragon is still there, now sleeping deep in the mud. It's best we don't approach within two kilometers of it; that should be safe enough." Vincent answered.

"What do the masters say now?" Novadon inquired.

Vincent lightly touched his glasses frame, seemingly using it to communicate with other companions, then replied.

"They're telling us to start preparations. First, assemble those loaded war machines, then fill them with 'fire seeds'."

"Looks like it's going to get busy." Soon after, Novadon received a message asking him to go organize the personnel for assembly.

"I'll head over then. You two keep chatting." Shortly after, he waved goodbye and jogged over to the roadside where the train was parked. There, they were carefully unloading mechanical components.

Sylutia and Vincent watched them assemble from a distance, then the two began discussing this expedition.

"Are there any survivors from the overturned train crew?" the young girl asked curiously.

"Most of Train No. 4's people were lost. Quite a few survived from the following two trains, though. They were much better prepared. And during the evacuation, two large war machines drew the fire, so most of the lower-ranked personnel weren't attacked by the True Dragon." Vincent explained.

"But a lot of things on the trains couldn't be saved. First, several large war machines. Then the Crystalline Cannons mounted on the trains. Also, some of the 'Scorching Sun Crystals' were lost in the huge waves of muddy water."

"A dragon's flame breath is incredibly powerful. That's not ordinary fire; it's a high-velocity jet stream. Just a few seconds of sweeping across is enough to melt the train's body." He sighed, then turned to look at the muddy lake in the distance.

"Hedra, this is your first time seeing a True Dragon, isn't it? Not just you, many of us too. True Dragons haven't appeared for a very long time."

"Ever since the Calamity War ended, most of the True Dragons on the mortal continents were relocated to the 'Celestial Gardens - Dragon Kingdom'. This plesiosaur-like dragon was probably sleeping at the time and got left behind."

"In the previous battle, the worst-case scenario was to stay far away and just observe from a distance. That kind of battle is very safe. Apart from a few masters who have no means to resist a dragon's attack, even for other high-ranking Transcendents, getting touched means instant death."

"But then again, some people have to participate in the battle to control the war machines." After saying this, he turned his gaze back towards Novadon and the others.

"These war machines can withstand dragon flame breath for a while. But under sustained bombardment, they'll also melt and be destroyed. Whether you survive or not depends partly on luck."

Two hours later, seventeen large war machines were assembled and deployed. From a high vantage point, they formed a massive crescent-shaped formation, surrounding the southern side of the muddy lake.

After arriving at their designated points, the mages began constructing their positions. At this time, Sylutia also joined in, helping to build the defenses.

First, they built cannon bases for the several large machines positioned in the rear for precision shooting. Then, they constructed artillery shield buildings. Sand and gravel from the ground were gathered, melted, and recast, forming sturdy mixed rock and earth. Although these couldn't resist dragon flame breath indefinitely, being able to provide protection for several tens of seconds was already very worthwhile.

Second, they dug deep trenches into the ground. These could hide personnel. As long as the True Dragon didn't approach and only bombarded from a distance with its flame breath, it would be very difficult to harm the people hiding inside.

These trenches connected to the bases of each large war machine, allowing the personnel inside to escape through them at any time.

Finally, about thirty or so small hot air airships were lifted. They carried small to medium-sized war machines. They could illuminate and fire at the plesiosaur-like dragon, but their main function was to split the dragon's fire and attention, protecting the more valuable machines and personnel below.

As the airships slowly took off, their radiating heat and the sound of their rotating propellers gradually spread. This finally caught the attention of the sleeping plesiosaur-like dragon, which slowly began to wake. The moment it stirred, the water in the entire muddy lake became turbid and chaotic.

"Attention, the plesiosaur-like dragon has awakened. Entering combat status." Sylutia received a voice prompt from the hair clip by her ear.

She was currently standing about four kilometers from the plesiosaur-like dragon. From here, she could only see a grayish, blurry silhouette slowly rising from the water.

When that enormous serpentine neck rose, the Mage Alliance launched their attack.

First, the six large war machines positioned in the rear fired. Their cannons charged for several seconds, then unleashed blindingly hot torrents of rays that struck the plesiosaur-like dragon's body. The muddy water boiled and exploded. In the blast, the smell of charred flesh and steam mixed together.

Struck by the attack, the plesiosaur-like dragon finally snapped awake. Its deep emerald, jade-like dragon eyes were still so striking even amidst the steam and mist, glaring angrily at the large war machines in the distance that had attacked it.

Immediately, it raised its head and let out a long cry. A violent shockwave spread out. Several small unmanned airships that were too close were shattered into pieces by the dragon's roar, erupting in flames and spiraling down from the sky, leaving long trails of black smoke.

Then, a torrent of azure dragon flame pierced through the steam and mist, melting one of the large war machines. Soon after, the artillery shield building constructed in front of it was melted away. The war machine inside was exposed to the dragon flame breath and began to deform.

To support their comrades, the remaining war machines launched attacks one after another. Several dazzling beams of light crisscrossed across the open field, slamming into the plesiosaur-like dragon's body.

At the same time, the few war machines on the frontline began to move. They swung their thick mechanical legs, rapidly leaping across the ground. Just as they were about to get close to the plesiosaur-like dragon, the creature slapped its four fins. The turbid muddy water in the lake suddenly rose, forming a massive wall that blocked the shooting from behind, then crashed down, engulfing the approaching large machines.

Completely drenched in muddy water, they were knocked back more than ten meters by the huge wave of mud. Then, they steadied themselves and continued advancing. Inside these massive, nearly seventy-meter-tall constructs, the furnace cores began to spin at high speed, ejecting steam that formed conspicuous white columns from their backs.

At that moment, the first large machine attacked by the dragon's flame breath could hold on no longer. The personnel inside activated the automatic defensive spells, then quickly jumped out and evacuated. Soon after, this machine, unable to withstand the relentless bombardment of the dragon's flame breath, turned into a heap of melted, twisted scrap metal.

Having destroyed the first war machine, it seemed the True Dragon had achieved a small victory. But its body had been hit by concentrated fire from several other machines. Protected by new spell enhancements, some of its dragon scales were torn off. The injuries underneath were also harder to heal than before.

High-temperature fire streams mixed with muddy water entered the wounds, causing the plesiosaur-like dragon pain and itching. It twisted its body. The surging waves of mud struck again, trapping several of the large war machines that were close to it, making it even harder for them to move.

The mages had considered the mud of the swamp, but they hadn't expected it to be so deep. After all, the surrounding area was a vast plain of grassland. The large war machines originally meant for close combat had to stop at this point, serving as shields to block the plesiosaur-like dragon and attract its fire, while the several large war machines behind them continued to put out their power.

Azure flame breath spewed out from time to time, intersecting with the fiery orange and scarlet beams of attack in the sky. The evaporating mud spread the smell of burning and earth. As the plesiosaur-like dragon fought with all its might against the several large war machines, high up in the sky, several masters had already taken their positions.

They looked down upon the plesiosaur-like dragon below. Then, with Master Ge Zhen taking the lead, they began to prepare a large-scale spell.

Under the sky, the layers of clouds flowed rapidly in the violent air currents. Then, a heavy, oppressive aura gathered. Lightning flashed and intertwined. The aura of the Astral Plane leaked out, as if crossing the boundary of time itself. The blurred silhouette of a holy spear slowly began to materialize.

[Projection Spell · Hrædrazi]: Manifests most of the power of the holy spear "Hrædrazi". Although not as strong as the original, it provides a special damage bonus against dragons. (Dragon Resistance +9, Astral Spear Piercing +7, Dragon Flame Protection +4)

The moment this holy spear's projection appeared, it startled the plesiosaur-like dragon below. But before it could react, the projection of the holy spear vanished from the sky. In the next instant, it pierced through heaven and earth, passing straight through one of its dragon eyes, shattering part of its skull from the back of its head.

Dragon blood sprayed like a mist from the eye socket. Countless drops of blood rained down like rain, splashing delicate, blood-red ripples on the lake's surface. Then, amidst a mournful cry, the plesiosaur-like dragon's long neck slowly collapsed, crashing into the muddy water below, sending up splashes over ten meters high.