Chapter 342: Little Friend! This is a Robbery!

Three suns—one massive and two small—beat down from a pale red sky, their scorching light dyeing the ashen clouds the color of blood. Heat waves shimmered, distorting the air into hazy illusions.

But the White Dragon Lord felt none of that blistering heat. Down here, the air was crisp and pleasantly warm—undoubtedly the work of the Magic Barrier pulsing with energy high above the city.

"Everyone from Nordhill! Welcome to Naxxramas! I've been waiting for quite a while!"

The sudden shout pulled the White Dragon Lord's attention back to reality. A burly orc with a massive single-edged axe strapped to his back was striding toward them.

"Madman! You're not dead yet?!"

Seeing the orc, Sular Grey Dove—who had kept his face completely hidden until now—threw back his hood. He revealed the face of a middle-aged noble, though a ghastly scar slashing straight from the left side of his forehead down to his right cheek ruined its elegance.

"Oh! Sular! You bastard, you came too! Hahaha!"

The orc sped up, throwing his arms wide for a bear hug.

Sular hopped off the Teleportation Platform, dodging those steely arms.

"We can catch up later. How many teams have arrived?"

"You were the last ones we were waiting on."

The orc glanced at the White Dragon and the Gold Dragon.

"I'm Odom Mad Axe of the Rudesiva World. Come on, Sir Englu is waiting."

The orc led the way toward the towering spire, and the White Dragon Lord's trio quickly followed.

From the open-air Teleportation Platform, a broad avenue stretched straight toward the sky-piercing tower. Shops of every kind lined the street: weapon smiths, armorers, restaurants, material traders, potion vendors...

Without exception, business was booming for these stores along the central avenue of Naxxramas, the Alliance Headquarters. Some even had long lines spilling out their doors.

The customers were all powerful professionals with wildly varying styles. There were bare-chested, muscular warriors and elegant, mild-mannered scholars...

The Blood War Battlefield was the multiverse's most notorious meat grinder, as well as its most famous holy ground for adventurers. Countless people teleported here every year for all sorts of reasons—to strike it rich, forge a name for themselves, uphold justice, or simply hone their skills.

Odom Mad Axe was clearly well-known in this city; pedestrians hurriedly stepped aside the moment they saw him. The White Dragon Lord and his companions entered the tower unimpeded, stepping onto a magical elevator that took them all the way to the top floor and straight into the Alliance director's office.

By now, quite a few people had gathered inside. Most were new faces, but there were a few acquaintances: Mage Alan from the Otag World, the Amethyst Human princess, and some powerhouses they had met at the celebration in the Emdas World.

The White Dragon Lord offered a smiling nod to greet his acquaintances before shifting his gaze to the only orc seated in a wooden chair. This was the current supreme commander of the Alliance—Englu Ghostwolf.

Just like the rotations for Amos and the others, the position of Alliance supreme commander was also held in rotation by representatives from the five great planes. It changed hands once every millennium, and right now, it was Englu Ghostwolf's term.

Englu Ghostwolf was an aged orc wizard. His eyes were sunken, and his skin was dry and deeply wrinkled. He wore a Black Wolf Headpiece and a Skull Necklace around his neck. Each skull bead was the size of a fist, but rather than exuding a macabre creepiness, they gleamed like lustrous crystal—clearly extraordinary items.

"Alright, everyone is here."

"You are all elites of your respective worlds, and I believe you know exactly why you are here. Now, those participating in the frontline rotation stay. Everyone else, go with Odom Mad Axe."

Very quickly, the packed room emptied out until only eleven High-Tier Legends remained, the White Dragon Lord among them.

"You will all be serving in the most dangerous locations. For the sake of your own lives, I need to brief you on the latest situation across the Blood War Battlefield."

"On the Demon side, five Abomination Rank demon lords are garrisoned at major fortresses. Among them, the territories of the Howling Lord, Brash, and the Blade Sovereign, Nayinduo, directly border the Alliance. They are our primary enemies."

"To the east of the Alliance is the territory of the Divine Alliance. They can be trusted."

"To the west of the Alliance lies the Devils' territory. They often initiate contact with Alliance members, and you must exercise extreme caution when dealing with them. I shouldn't need to teach you that."

"..."

After covering the basics, Englu Ghostwolf wove his mana into the air, projecting a map of the first layer of the Bottomless Abyss. The map was divided among three factions: pale gold for The Gods, dull black for the Devils, and blood red for the Demons' territory.

The Alliance was a member of the Divine Factions. Their jurisdiction sat at the border between the Divine Factions and the Devils' territory. Up at the frontlines, directly bordering the Demons' territory, were ten specially marked fortresses. These were the locations the group would need to garrison.

"Alright, assess your own capabilities and choose!"

Mage Alan didn't hesitate. He stepped forward first and bowed to the old wizard.

"Respected elder, I choose Trident Keep."

The White Dragon Lord pinpointed Trident Keep on the map. Located at the three-way intersection among the Demons, the Alliance, and the Devils, it was the most dangerous fortress—and offered the highest rewards.

"I choose Bloodflow City..."

As another person claimed a city, the White Dragon Lord hesitated no longer.

"My companion and I choose Blackrock Fortress."

Blackrock City was the fortress ranked third in reward value. With the White Dragon Lord's strength, combined with the Gold Dragon's, they were more than capable of holding it. This was exactly what they had agreed upon beforehand; the fortresses ranked third through fifth were the two Dragons' targets.

Englu Ghostwolf swept his gaze over the two Dragons, lingering a moment longer on the White Dragon Lord. He nodded and recorded the names Amos Aldrich and Leopold Chodmartin next to Blackrock Fortress.

By convention, newcomers who had just entered the High-Tier Legend rank were allowed to team up for the rotation. It was just that the White Dragon Lord didn't look like a newly advanced High-Tier Legend at all. Fortunately, the Council had sent intelligence ahead of time confirming that the White Dragon Lord had indeed broken through recently, resolving any issues.

"I choose Riverrun."

Sular Grey Dove nodded at the two Dragons, selecting the city directly adjacent to Blackrock Fortress.

"..."

After staying at the Alliance Headquarters in Naxxramas for a week, the White Dragon Lord and the Gold Dragon set off for Blackrock Fortress.

Wary of the unknown dangers ahead, the White Dragon Lord didn't dare use teleportation magic lightly, opting instead to fly out of Naxxramas alongside the Gold Dragon.

The moment they flew past the edge of the Magic Barrier, a wave of heat assaulted the White Dragon Lord. The temperature outside was a blistering forty-five degrees.

Only professionals could endure such a dreadful environment.

The White Dragon Lord made his assessment before hesitantly drawing in a small breath of air.

A scalding sensation traveled down his nostrils into his lungs, sparking a barely perceptible flare of agitation within him. Suppressed by his vast mana, that irritable feeling was quickly broken down. The White Dragon Lord then used his Gold Finger to analyze the atmospheric composition of the Blood War Battlefield.

Compared to the air of the material plane, the air here carried a faint, lingering tang of rust and a subtle whiff of sulfur. It contained trace amounts of toxic substances; breathing it in over a long period would be detrimental to any living creature's body.

But with a Dragon's monstrous adaptability, the White Dragon Lord quickly adjusted his state. Glancing at the map, he and the Gold Dragon continued flying toward Blackrock Fortress.

Looking down from the sky, the vast expanse of the Abyss's first layer was overgrown with all sorts of twisted, demonic flora. Their eerie green coloration was tainted with a streak of crimson. Almost every plant was covered in sharp thorns—because any plant without them quickly became food for Low-Tier Demons.

Gliding through the air, the White Dragon Lord occasionally spotted scattered Demons roaming the land below. These Demons were all incredibly weak. Forget about High Tier—it was hard to even spot an Intermediate Tier among them.

Because this was Alliance territory, if any overly powerful Demons dared to show up, the passing powerhouses from various planes wouldn't mind slaughtering them in passing and hauling their corpses back for a reward.

Much like Transcendent Beasts, every time these Demons crossed a major tier, the value of the materials harvested from their bodies skyrocketed.

"Hey, Amos, look over there. A Spring of the Abyss."

The Gold Dragon, Leopold, pointed toward a distant red pool down on the land to their left. He knew this was the White Dragon Lord's first time in the Abyss.

"Want to go take a look?"

"Of course!"

The Spring of the Abyss was the birthplace of all Demons. Just like its name suggested, it existed as a spring of water, yet its creation and destruction followed no predictable laws. It might gush out from underground overnight, or vanish completely without any warning.

The White Dragon Lord had long heard of the wonders of the Spring of the Abyss. Now that he had stumbled upon one, how could an intensely curious Mage Dragon pass it up? He banked sharply, flying straight for the spring.

Because a bizarre protective force field shielded the newborn magic worms around the Spring of the Abyss, the White Dragon Lord and the Gold Dragon didn't dare get too close. They hovered high in the sky, observing the spring below.

This particular Spring of the Abyss was quite small, covering no more than a hundred square meters. Its red water, thick as blood plasma, bubbled violently like boiling magma. Egg-like objects of various sizes tumbled up and down in the churning spring.

These multi-colored, thorn-covered egg shapes were occasionally washed ashore by the churning waters. The spikes on the shells stabbed into the damp earth, anchoring the magic eggs on the bank. The White Dragon Lord arrived just in time to witness the birth of a magic worm.

Crack!

Struck from within, a pale yellow magic egg gradually split open. The fissure grew wider and wider until, finally, a white, fleshy worm covered in slime wriggled its way out. It looked exactly like an oversized maggot.

Just like Dragons, the newborn magic worm turned around and devoured its own shell, shedding its initial weakness.

Right now, there were no other empty shells on the shore for it to snatch, and the newborn worm could do nothing against the intact magic eggs. So, it wriggled further up the bank. Its target was the nutrient-rich flora growing along the shore.

Plump worms were already wriggling through the thicket. These plants, shrouded within the bizarre force field, were a paradise bestowed upon them by the Abyss.

Once they accumulated a certain level of power, these magic worms would evolve, transforming into a wide variety of Low-Tier Demons.

Naturally, a very small minority of magic worms chose to suppress their power and hold back their evolution, allowing them to stay within the force field a little longer.

However, once the power gathered by the worm surpassed a certain threshold, even those that refused to evolve would be forced out of the field. That threshold of power was equivalent to a Low-Tier Demon, matching the strength of a professional.

Upon becoming a Low-Tier Demon, the strange force field around the Spring of the Abyss actually became harmful to them. They had no choice but to step outside and face the cold, ruthless competition of survival head-on.

The weak were eliminated, becoming nutrients for the strong to climb even higher. Every single mighty abyssal lord had survived this exact process.

Watching the magic worm crawl into the lush bushes and eat with sheer delight, the White Dragon Lord let out a sigh.

"Ah... how wonderful it would be to grab a few specimens for research."

The Gold Dragon's face paled in sheer horror.

"Amos! Don't joke around!!!"

Seeing the Gold Dragon's terrified expression, the White Dragon Lord chuckled.

"Relax, relax. I know what's at stake."

After observing for a while longer, the two Dragons decided to leave.

The rules set by the Will of the Abyss were not something the two of them could defy at their current strength. That was a lesson bought with countless drops of blood and tears.

At the dawn of the Abyss's creation, there was once a deity with Greater Divine Power who refused to believe the warnings. He barged straight into a Spring of the Abyss, attempting to uncover its source, and never came out again.

Those who entered the bizarre force field surrounding the spring met equally tragic ends. Some perished on the spot, while most were struck by the Curse of the Abyss—either going entirely mad, or succumbing to demonic corruption and degenerating into mindless Demons.

The White Dragon Lord and the Ancient Gold Dragon oriented themselves and began to fly away.

"Huh?! Leopold, hold on a second!"

"What is it?"

The Gold Dragon glanced back in confusion; they had just agreed to leave.

The White Dragon Lord pointed at a massive egg nestled in the thicket. This one was entirely different from the magic eggs washing ashore from the spring; it was far larger. This was the necessary process for a magic worm that had gathered enough power to evolve into a Low-Tier Demon.

Demonic evolution didn't happen in a flash like a game character leveling up. Instead, it was like a silkworm spinning a cocoon—reverting back into an egg to wait for the moment of rebirth.

"Listen. This Demon is about to hatch."

The Gold Dragon closed his eyes and listened closely. Sure enough, he heard a faint heartbeat, one that was steadily growing louder. It meant the Demon inside the shell was about to awaken. Leopold shot the White Dragon Lord a weird look, entirely puzzled as to how he had even noticed that.

The heartbeat of an unhatched Demon was so faint it was practically inaudible. Had the White Dragon Lord not pointed it out, Leopold would never have picked it up. Although he found it odd, the Gold Dragon didn't dwell on it, simply chalking it up to innate talent.

There were always all kinds of geniuses in this world.

The Gold Dragon sneaked a rather sour look at the White Dragon Lord. When they first entered the High-Tier Legend rank, Leopold had felt they were roughly on par. Yet, only a few short decades later, he could actually sense danger radiating from the White Dragon Lord. The implications of that went without saying.

The White Dragon Lord sensed the shift in his companion's mood.

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing."

Was I really that obvious?! the Gold Dragon thought, bewildered.

Ultimately, he wrote that off as the White Dragon Lord's keen senses too.

The White Dragon Lord glanced at his inexplicably dejected companion. Unable to figure out what was on his mind, he turned his attention back to the demonic egg below.

Half an hour passed, and a small Demon broke out of its shell.

After licking the slime off its body with a long, slender tongue, the little Demon stared greedily at the plump worms nearby, but instinct screamed that attacking them would be incredibly dangerous.

Disappointed, the little Demon started eating grass instead.

Slowly, it ate its fill. The food in its stomach was converted into nutrients, and its post-birth weakness faded away. It gradually began to feel the hostility of the surrounding environment, the unseen pressure crushing down on it growing heavier and heavier.

It was time to go!

Gritting its teeth, the little Demon yanked up a massive handful of nutrient-rich grass and bolted in a direction far away from the Spring of the Abyss.

High in the sky, the White Dragon Lord and the Gold Dragon exchanged a shocked look before nodding at each other.

The moment the little Demon scampered out of the force field's range, the two Dragons standing at the very peak of the food chain dropped from the heavens. Their tyrannical dragon might slammed the newborn Demon face-first into the dirt.

"Little friend! This is a robbery!"