Chapter 36: So What If It Has 800,000 HP? One Thousand Dragon Knights Surround and Slay It!

Eight hundred thousand HP.

John glanced at the number calmly.

With his current army’s firepower, breaking through that much health was entirely possible.

"Ophelia, test its strength first."

"Yes!"

The silver-haired Dragon Girl pushed off with the tips of her toes and shot forward in a streak of purple light.

Her Dragon Fang sword struck the six-colored crystal surface on the stone statue’s lower leg, sending sparks flying everywhere.

-3,642!

The vortex on the statue’s face suddenly blazed with an intense red light. Starting from its feet, the six-colored crystals covering its entire body were gradually replaced by dark red veins of molten lava.

[Phase Transformation · Fire Aspect! Defense reduced to 300. Attack increased to 3,600.]

The statue raised its right arm and punched Ophelia.

Its fist was wrapped in molten lava, leaving a crimson trail through the air.

Ophelia twisted aside. The lava-covered fist grazed her silver hair before smashing into the ground.

BOOM!

The frozen earth was blasted into a charred crater several meters in diameter. The rocks at its bottom instantly melted into dark red magma.

"Fall back!"

Using the force of her evasive movement, Ophelia leaped dozens of meters backward and landed steadily in front of the formation.

"Spread out! Dragon Knights, attack from both flanks! Frost Mages, maintain your distance and engage from the front!"

The bone dragons beneath the Dragon Knights let out low growls. Dark purple Dragonflame spilled from their mouths as they rapidly divided into two wings, circling around both sides of the statue.

The two hundred Frost Mages retreated simultaneously. The ice cores atop their staffs began to glow, gathering energy into Ice Bolts at their tips.

The statue attacked again.

[Elemental Fury · Fire Aspect!]

The vortex on its face suddenly unleashed a blazing red shockwave across a sixty-degree frontal arc. Flames mixed with chunks of molten rock swept across the hundred meters ahead.

Three Frost Mages who retreated too slowly were swallowed by the flames.

-2,836!

-3,104!

-2,650!

The undead mages’ health bars instantly emptied. Their bone-crystal robes exploded under the extreme heat, and their bodies crumbled into pale gray bone dust that scattered across the charred snow.

John swiped his finger through the air.

"Resurrect."

[Deducted 450 gold coins. Resurrecting 3 Undead Frost Mages... 10,000× Acceleration activated. Time required: 0.3 seconds.]

A ghostly green light flickered from the bone dust scattered across the snow. The shattered bone crystals reassembled themselves, while the robes condensed once more from the surrounding necrotic mist.

Just 0.3 seconds later, all three Frost Mages were back on their feet, the ice cores atop their staffs glowing once again.

The moment the statue’s Fire Aspect attack ended, the Dragon Knights had already closed in from both sides.

"Dragonbreath Sword Intent!"

One thousand streams of dark purple sword energy shot out simultaneously from both flanks. Countless purple arcs sliced through the blizzard, striking the statue’s waist and legs.

-3,648!

-2,932!

-4,205!

-3,086!

The sword energy continued carving into the statue, stripping away layer after layer of its molten exterior.

Every strike dealt between 3,000 and 4,000 damage with remarkable consistency.

"Frost Mages, blanket the area with Ice Rain!"

The two hundred mages raised their bone staffs, forming an enormous cloud of icy blue energy dozens of meters across above the statue’s head.

Icicles fell like rain, each one piercing the Fire Aspect shell with pinpoint accuracy.

-4,934! (Critical Hit! Elemental Advantage!)

-5,420! (Critical Hit! Elemental Advantage!)

-4,160! (Critical Hit! Elemental Advantage!)

-5,695! (Critical Hit! Elemental Advantage!)

Ice collided with fire, producing vast clouds of white steam. The temperature of the statue’s surface plummeted, and its molten veins began to dim.

The Fire Aspect shell shattered completely, exposing the six-colored crystalline core beneath.

ROOOAR!

The statue released a deep, rumbling roar. The vortex on its face shifted from dark red to deep blue.

[Phase Transformation · Water Aspect! Defense increased to 1,200. Attack reduced to 2,400.]

A layer of shimmering blue water enveloped its body, and the damage dealt by Ice Rain immediately decreased.

"It’s changed again."

John glanced at the status panel.

Its Defense was considerably higher in Water Aspect.

"Dragon Knights, use Unstoppable Throw to interrupt its skills!"

The Dragon Knights on both flanks activated their skills simultaneously. Dark purple super-armor auras flared around dozens of front-line riders as their bone dragons beat their wings and charged toward the statue.

The statue was preparing [Elemental Fury · Water Aspect]. The blue light within its facial vortex grew increasingly intense.

The first Dragon Knight reached its feet and drove his dragon lance into a crevice between the crystals on its leg.

Unstoppable Throw activated.

The Dragon Knight grabbed a protruding crystal on the statue’s leg with one hand. Purple flames erupted from his dragon-scale heavy armor as he forcibly toppled the ten-meter-tall statue backward by half a step.

BOOM!

The statue’s massive body tilted backward. Before the Elemental Fury could fully form, the attack exploded inside its own vortex, dissolving into a cloud of water vapor that dispersed through the blizzard.

Dozens of Dragon Knights following behind crashed into the statue simultaneously, thrusting their dragon lances forward.

-2,876!

-3,540!

-3,932!

-3,208!

"Ophelia, Dragonblade Rampage!"

Ophelia drew her sword back in midair. Violet light surged within her dark golden slit pupils.

She held Dragon Fang horizontally before her chest as a thin layer of dark purple flames ignited along the blade.

The flames spread along the sword’s spine and up her arms and shoulder armor. Behind her, a pair of radiant purple wings formed entirely from Dragonflame burst into existence.

[True Half-Dragon Form Activated!]

Her first slash struck the statue’s right shoulder. A dark purple Dragonbane Sword Wave shot from the blade, cutting straight through its Water Aspect shell.

-39,800! (True Damage!)

Her second slash swept horizontally across its waist, releasing another sword wave.

-39,200! (True Damage!)

Her third slash came down diagonally, carving a deep gash into the crystals covering the statue’s chest.

The fourth strike. The fifth. The sixth...

Ophelia’s figure darted around the statue at incredible speed. Every swing unleashed a massive dark purple sword wave, peeling away the Water Aspect shell layer by layer.

The statue’s health bar plummeted before John’s eyes.

After the twelfth sword wave struck, the Water Aspect shell finally shattered completely, exposing the six-colored crystals once more.

The vortex on the statue’s face began changing colors frantically. Yellow, purple, cyan, and white flashed in rapid succession.

[Phase Transformation · Thunder Aspect! Defense: 600. Attack: 3,600.]

Deep purple lightning covered its entire body.

[Phase Transformation · Wind Aspect! Defense: 400. Movement Speed greatly increased.]

Cyan wind wings unfolded from its back.

[Phase Transformation · Earth Aspect! Defense increased to 1,500.]

A layer of yellow-brown rocky armor enveloped its body.

The statue’s attributes kept changing through three consecutive transformations.

"Dragon Knights, use Trampling Charge! Full offensive! Frost Mages, immobilize it with Ice Prison!"

John’s commands came one after another.

One thousand Dragon Knights formed a charging formation around the statue. Dark purple auras lit up beneath their feet, and the combined effects of Ancient Dragon March and Primordial Blessing sent their movement speed and attack power soaring.

The charge began.

One thousand mounted knights slammed into the statue simultaneously, their dragon lances piercing the crystals from every conceivable angle.

-6,480!

-6,105!

-6,863!

-6,794!

Dense clusters of damage numbers flickered and changed above the statue’s head.

At the same time, all two hundred Frost Mages cast Ice Prison. Six walls of ice erupted from the ground, freezing the statue’s legs against the frozen earth.

The statue struggled desperately to stand upright. The ice prison emitted a piercing cracking sound as fractures spread across its surface.

But it was already too late.

Ophelia descended from the sky, driving Dragon Fang directly into the center of the vortex on the statue’s face.

The final strike of Dragonblade Rampage!

-42,300! (True Damage! Piercing Critical Hit!)

The sword pierced straight through the vortex.