Euodias slashed deep into the wyvern’s neck, carving a massive gash. Its blood splattered onto the ground, hissing as smoke rose from the earth. The wyvern’s blood was so acidic that it could blind a knight—while the blood of a pure dragon could melt an imperial knight’s body with ease!
Despite its injury, the wyvern flapped its wings and twisted its neck, sinking its fangs into Sirius’s shoulder. Asher’s eyes locked onto its heart and saw that it was glowing.
It was about to unleash frost!
Knowing this, he darted beneath the beast and plunged his sword into its chest. Grunting and gritting his teeth, he forced the blade deeper, ignoring the blood splattering on his armor and making sizzling sounds.
“No!”
Count William froze mid-battle when he heard the wyvern’s dying screams. He turned toward the source of the cries only to see what his mind would have never dared imagine—an heir of the dragon’s bloodline pinned down by a wolf, while a man was pulling out his sword from its heart.
“Boy! We must kill him now!”
Rumble!
Cain redirected 500 cavaliers and charged toward Asher alongside his father. By doing so, they abandoned their elite cavaliers to the Ashbourne Bladebreakers but clearly, his father, Count William, saw greater value in Asher’s head.
He would sacrifice anything for it… even his own younger son, Levi!
Boom!
Asher stood over the wyvern’s fallen corpse, panting heavily as his lips slightly parted.
[Upgrade material found: Wyvern’s scale.]
[Would the host like to upgrade the armor, Exodus the Conqueror? Yes or No?]
[Upgrade materials found: Wyvern heart & Wyvern’s eyes.]
[Before these vital parts lose their potency, would the host like to fuse them into the half-giant, Alec, thereby upgrading him into a half-blood Dragonborn? Yes or No?]
[Note: Dragonborns were once a species of humans, forged in the laboratories of mages through the vile, unused knowledge in alchemy. They can sense powerful beasts, especially those with dragon blood and are attracted to the blood of dragons, thus feasting on it.]
‘Do it.’
[Warning: Due to the effects of bestial instincts, your general’s loyalty may become unstable. Proceed with caution.]
[Do you wish to proceed? Yes or No?]
Asher turned to Alec, who was on his knees as the battle went on. The general had spent his force and stamina and had pushed himself to the limit right from the start of the battle. Three hours of relentless battle had left him drained, and the wyvern’s assault had finally incapacitated him.
A little bit to the left, Asher saw Eritrea and Paul locked in a fight against a black shadow. Enos had sent it. There was no doubt—it was here to kill Alec.
“Go. Kill Enos.”
Sirius let out a soft growl before turning and dashing off. Asher then shifted his gaze back to the glowing text before him.
‘Do it.’
Boom!
A golden beam laced with crackling lightning struck from the sky, engulfing Alec. A wave of mana, a much superior energy, blasted outward in waves. The energy was so powerful that the portals through which the dukes were watching the battle flickered and were destabilized, exposing their hidden messengers.
Seeing this, the messengers quickly hid behind trees, their eyes wide as they beheld the thunderous transformation.
While Alec’s evolution raged like a storm—unleashing windstorms, frost waves and thunderous sounds, the upgrade of Asher’s armor, Exodus, was more subtle.
Light connected his armor to the wyvern’s corpse and by the time the soft glow faded, his once golden-white armor had transformed—blackened and reinforced with layers of diamond-shaped scales!
Yet, traces of gold remained on the chest section of the armor along with the helmet’s forehead, but the rest was reinforced.
Asher hit his sword against the armor but it didn’t make the usual sound of metallic clang that would occur when metal touches metal was absent.
This time–the sound was different.
The sound was quite dull—heavy.
Lifting up his sword, he saw his own reflection through the crystal clear azure blade. For a moment, even he couldn’t believe the man in the reflection was himself.
Just then, the golden light surrounding him faded into blue before vanishing completely, revealing a towering figure—7 feet tall, with long, flowing hair. His pupils had narrowed into slits and were glowing with an eerie, piercing blue light.
Since his breastplate had dematerialized, one could see the blue crystal heart embedded into his chest. Standing there, Alec looked like a sculptor’s masterpiece, his chiseled muscles on full display.
A chilling force billowed out of him, and the crimson light that had once manifested upon releasing his force had transformed—now a swirling mix of blue and white.
“What in Tenaria is that?”
Count William frowned while Cain’s spine tingled at the sight before him. Even though Alec was simply standing there, he emanated a murderous intent so thick that it could shatter the mind of any ordinary human.
A being that could kill someone with a mere gaze!
Count William was shaken. Meanwhile, Count Ira, who was still at the periphery of the battlefield, sensed a presence and was forced to turn to the man approaching him.
It was the Archduke’s messenger.
“My Lord, I’m here to transport you to safety.” Experience more on My Virtual Library Empire
Hearing this, Count Ira frowned.
“Safety? Our men will clearly overpower the Ashbournes soon eno—!”
His words were cut off. From the corner of his eyes, he saw a flash of blue light. It was Alec’s eyes and yet his gaze alone had frozen thousands of their soldiers!
An oppressive force descended upon the battlefield.
The momentum of Count Tigris’ troops faltered, while Asher’s men fought even more valiantly. Meanwhile, across the battlefield, Sirius had located Enos and was in a heated battle against him and his men.
Seeing the wolf breathe flames that were capable of roasting dozens, Count Ira hesitated.
“My Lord, the wyvern is dead. And if I’m not mistaken, that man is now a man-beast. His state of balance is far beyond what Lord Slade ever achieved in his prime!”
Hearing this, Count Ira’s breath hitched.
“And… the strongest warrior on this battlefield hasn’t even entered the fight.” The messenger’s voice was grim. “I can sense something inside Count Asher, a force—denser and thicker than anything I have felt before. He’s no mere lord.”
Count Ira’s pupils shook.
Could it be…?
Could the prophecy be true?
With the rise of the abyss force, House Ashbourne was destined to rise from the ashes.
Just as Archduke Zenas had emerged from the Dark Age—an era where knights and nobles perished, where he thrived and now…
Another Ashbourne had risen.
From ruin. From the ashes of this fallen house.