Lush green forests and steep cliffs clung to one another. Hidden among rugged caves and hills, a fortress built into the mountainside stood in silence.
From above, the city, pressed tightly against the rock, blended seamlessly with the mountain range. The dense surrounding forests provided further cover; without descending for a careful search, it was impossible to notice the hidden stronghold capable of housing tens of thousands of people.
A network of tunnels, caves, and secret paths connected it to the surrounding area, keeping the secret base exceptionally well-hidden. Even the Dragon Race, who knew there were unruly humans here, didn’t know the Resistance Army’s exact location.
However, not long ago, that tranquility was shattered.
Temporary tents were erected one after another in the woods. The still-panicked refugees crowded together, receiving rations of thin porridge from the Resistance Army Warriors before devouring them on the spot.
TAP... TAP... TAP...
The sound of boots treading on fallen leaves approached as a squad from the Resistance Army arrived at the outer refugee camp. A Resistance Army mber overseeing the porridge distribution saw them and imdiately went to greet them.
"Leader!"
The man addressed as Leader wore simple, practical cloth garnts, without a scrap of armor. His posture was ramrod straight and imposing, exuding an aura as sharp and righteous as a longsword. A slightly curved blade hung at his waist.
His chiseled, resolute face betrayed no emotion. He gave the Resistance Army Warrior a slight nod and asked:
"Are the refugees all settled?"
"We’ve managed to set up temporary shelters and distribute food, but..."
The Resistance Army Warrior hesitated for a mont before whispering:
"Leader, if this keeps up, our food reserves will be depleted soon."
Solren said slowly, "Don’t worry about food. The supplies in the fortress are only a fraction of what we have. We have several other caches that can support over a hundred thousand people for months. The more pressing issue is everyone’s safety."
The Resistance leader looked around, his expression fraught with worry, and said:
"There’s no cover or protection out here. If a battle breaks out, the consequences will be unimaginable."
"But the fortress is already overloaded. We can’t possibly cram more people inside. If we did, even our Warriors wouldn’t be able to fight effectively."
Solren said, "I know. That’s why we’re extending the defensive line outward... Our base’s location has been exposed anyway."
His gaze swept past the camp toward the distance. The steady stream of arriving refugees had already exposed the Resistance Army’s secret base. He figured it wouldn’t be long before the Dragon Beasts followed the scent here.
This turn of events was not sothing Solren had anticipated. A direct confrontation with a Dragon Group... He wasn’t ready. Neither he nor the Resistance Army.
"This is all trouble brought on by that group!"
Solren’s deputy beside him grumbled through clenched teeth:
"If those people hadn’t mysteriously found their way here and dragged a huge crowd of refugees along with them, we wouldn’t be in such a tight spot!"
Hearing this, Solren’s eyelids drooped slightly as his fingers tapped gently on the hilt of his sword.
The people the deputy was talking about were the group of unusual experts who had co to "join" the Resistance Army so ti ago. They had brought a large number of refugees—or, to be more precise, coerced them.
Subsequent questioning of the refugees revealed that most of them had not wanted to leave their hos at all; they had been forced to co to the Resistance Army’s base with swords at their necks.
"Don’t say that. At the very least, they are comrades fighting against the Dragon Race’s tyranny alongside us. Besides... if the intelligence they brought is accurate, and the Dragon Race is planning to purge the entire Kepal Plain, then by bringing these refugees, they’ve actually saved them."
Although Solren was also displeased with such domineering thods, he could understand their radical approach if it was for the purpose of resisting the Demon Dragons.
The deputy was still not convinced. He muttered, "They said it would be in a few days, but so much ti has passed and the great purge hasn’t happened at all! Instead, it seems the Dragon Descendants’ territory has fallen into internal conflict."
Solren said, "...Their strength is considerable. They are all elite Warriors. Right now, they are helping us build our defenses to resist the Dragon Group’s assault."
The deputy clicked his tongue. "And aren’t they the ones who attracted the enemy in the first place?"
This ti, even Solren didn’t know how to argue.
He could only continue walking forward. After passing through the forest, he reached the outer periter of the Resistance Army’s stronghold. There, at the original watchtower posts, War Knights under Prince Yaligong, Yonglan Knights clad in Cyan Silver Armor, and a few scattered Trial Takers were preparing for battle and reinforcing the defensive line.
So were setting up Techniques to reinforce the watchtower walls; so were building defensive weaponry on high ground; so were on patrol and reconnaissance missions; and so groups were focused on training their Dragon-Slaying Techniques...
’So professional.’
Solren took in the situation at all the watchtowers and couldn’t help but admire the skill of these allies.
In comparison, his own Resistance Army, veterans of several decades, seed more like a disorderly mob.
This made Solren a little suspicious. These dragon-fighting warriors who had appeared out of nowhere were a bit too professional. Their equipnt was also impeccably fine, and so of their groups, in particular, operated with the discipline of a true army.
But it ca back to the sa thought: as long as they were all on the sa side against the Dragon Race, Solren could push these doubts aside.
"Ah, Si—... Lord Solren!"
Solren stopped and followed the voice to see a tall, handso young man running over enthusiastically.
"Andre, what is it?"
This young man nad Andre was the first to seek out Solren, even showing him a family heirloom. It was truly unbelievable; Solren had thought all his blood relatives had died in the dragon calamity decades ago.
However, he could sense a feeling of kinship with Andre. There was a high probability that the young man was indeed his relative.
Andre looked at the weathered, resolute face before him—a face immortalized in countless sculptures in his family’s mansion—and spoke with the reverence one would hold for an ancestor:
"It’s like this: according to our reconnaissance, a Dragon Group sward this area the day before yesterday. They’ve even set up a forward base not far from here. Lord Burlington is at the very front line setting up reconnaissance Techniques. If any Demon Dragons attack, they will imdiately sound the alarm."
Solren started, "Thank you for your hard wor—"
Before he could finish, the frantic ringing of an alarm bell echoed from the distance.
DONG—DONG—DONG—
All the Warriors busy building the defensive line started, grabbing their weapons and taking their positions on the watchtowers.
Andre exclaid in surprise, "How could they be here so fast?!"
’So they’ve finally co?’
Solren’s expression turned grave. He wasn’t surprised. Ever since Andre and the others had arrived at the base, the Sword Saint had been prepared for battle at a mont’s notice.
Burlington, leader of the War Knights, imdiately rushed back from the front line and said gravely to the Sword Saint:
"Lord Solren, the Dragon Group is attacking! It’s not just Dragon Beasts, there are Giant Dragon Execution Officers! Nearly twenty True Dragons!"
’Twenty True Dragons?’
Hearing this, Solren instinctively gripped the hilt of his sword and strode quickly toward the outer wall.
"We have unard compatriots behind us. We cannot let a single Giant Dragon pass. That would be a slaughter... Everyone, let handle this battle."
In the past, he had done his utmost to maintain a low profile. Whether he was sheltering victims or growing the Resistance Army, he always operated from the shadows. Even when he had to fight a True Dragon, he would never reveal his true strength.
This was because being a Legend was a completely different matter from not being one. If the ruling Lord, a True Dragon, learned that a Legend existed among the rebelling slaves, it would undoubtedly take action personally and crush the Resistance Army without rcy.
When Solren dealt with a pack of Dragon Beasts, holding back was of course no problem. The witless beasts weren’t even worthy of him drawing his blade.
But now... facing multiple Giant Dragons, he could no longer afford to hide his strength.
’Even if it ans drawing the devastating wrath of a Legendary True Dragon,’ he thought, ’I must overco this imdiate crisis.’
User Comments
0 comments from readers