Chapter 364: The Fleeing Demon Lord

The White Dragon Lord flew toward Mage Alan, observing the army besieging the city below.

Mage Alan's subordinates stood in neat, disciplined formations around the walls of Vagro Fortress, hurling ranged attacks at the Demons manning the battlements. Arrows rained down, and highly destructive magic of every kind streaked across the sky, all converging on the Demon city—Vagro Fortress.

A Magic Barrier, shaped like an inverted glass bowl, shrouded Vagro Fortress. Arrows and spells sparked ripples against the shield upon impact, only to fall harmlessly away or fizzle into nothingness.

Aside from draining the barrier's energy, the barrage accomplished nothing.

The only true threat to the Demon stronghold lay in the ten Magic Crystal Cannons. Lined up within the heavily guarded core of the army, these mobile artillery pieces were manned by specially trained Mages. They loaded Elemental Spars into the chambers one by one and triggered the firing mechanisms.

Within the cannons, magical Arrays converted the Elemental Spars into pure, highly volatile elemental power, compressing it into shells before blasting it from the barrels.

Boom!

The Magic Crystal Cannons roared. The massive recoil sent visible shockwaves rippling around the muzzles as purple beams of energy slammed into the Magic Barrier of Vagro Fortress. The entire shield trembled, looking as though it might shatter at any moment, yet it stubbornly held on.

Not to be outdone, the Demons launched volleys of magic from their high vantage point on the walls.

Some spells flew toward the main army stationed a short distance away, only to be intercepted. Others shot directly at the breaching unit stationed right at the gates, where they splashed harmlessly against the Anti-Magic Shields wielded by the Shield Guardian soldiers.

Beneath the battlements, a tight formation of Shield Guardians raised their Anti-Magic Shields to form a sturdy wall, covering their heavy-weapon-wielding comrades who were battering the pitch-black fortress gates. Judging by the battered state of the metal, the soldiers had been pounding at it for quite some time, but the Demon gates were simply too thick.

The White Dragon Lord and the Gold Dragon arrived at Mage Alan's side, casting two massive draconic shadows over the army below. Noticing the shift in the light, the soldiers looked up, and at the sight of the flying Dragons, a surge of morale rippled through the ranks.

"Fantastic! Reinforcements are here!"

After Ten Thousand Blades Fortress was destroyed and the Frozen Land appeared on the sweltering Blood War Battlefield, the names of the White Dragon Lord and the Gold Dragon had spread far and wide. As neighbors to Blackrock Fortress, the soldiers of Trident Keep were all familiar with the two Dragon lords next door.

"Your Excellency Alan, what is the situation?"

"Not great. That cowardly rat Padhak sealed the gates and is using a Magic Barrier to weather our assault."

The Gold Dragon glanced at the barrier, which was swaying under the relentless bombardment of the Magic Crystal Cannons.

"Isn't the barrier about to break?"

"Just watch for a moment."

The White Dragon Lord and the Gold Dragon kept watching. The barrier, which had turned somewhat translucent from the bombardment, slowly solidified again. By the time the Magic Crystal Cannons finished their cooldown and fired a second volley, the shield had returned to pristine condition. The cycle simply repeated.

"We lack firepower. Your Excellency Alan, do you have spare Magic Crystal Cannons?"

"It's not a matter of firepower. That bastard Padhak is playing with us!"

A flash of anger crossed Mage Alan's face. He waved the hand gripping his long staff, and the two Dragons instantly sensed a chillingly dangerous aura. A Spatial Blade, thin as a cicada's wing, shot toward Vagro Fortress alongside the next volley of cannon fire.

The Spatial Blade cleaved through stray arrows and magic mid-flight without the slightest resistance, splitting them cleanly in two before striking the Magic Barrier at the exact same moment as the Magic Crystal Cannons.

"Look!"

The energy coursing through the Magic Barrier instantly surged. The indestructible Spatial Blade was neutralized by a massive influx of magic energy, which simultaneously absorbed the ten cannon shots. The barrier returned to its tottering state, then began to slowly recover, returning to full strength right before the cannons could fire again.

"Padhak could easily bolster the barrier to a level where the Magic Crystal Cannons couldn't even shake it. Instead, he constantly maintains it in a state of near-collapse just to mock me. It's despicable!"

The White Dragon Lord noticed that the spatial magic had consumed roughly the same amount of the barrier's energy as the ten cannon shots combined. He couldn't help but marvel inwardly. It truly lived up to the name of spatial magic; a casual strike carried such immense power. This was likely the main reason why Padhak, the Demon lord of Vagro Fortress, had locked his gates and refused to step outside.

"Your Excellency Alan, I imagine the power of spatial magic goes far beyond this, doesn't it?"

A smile tugged at the corners of Mage Alan's mouth.

"Of course. The title of the strongest spear isn't an empty boast. However, this is Vagro Fortress. I don't want to back Padhak into a corner."

Recalling the devastating explosion that had leveled Ten Thousand Blades Fortress, the White Dragon Lord and the Gold Dragon completely understood his caution.

"Then why not leave him a way out? Our target is Vagro Fortress, not its Demon lord, Padhak."

Mage Alan and the Gold Dragon looked at the White Dragon Lord.

"What do you have in mind, Your Excellency Amos?"

"The plan is simple. Block teleportation, surround him on three sides while leaving one open, and breach the city!"

"First, I will lock down the space around Vagro Fortress. Next, Your Excellency Alan, you will order the soldiers surrounding the walls to regroup, leaving a clear path toward the rear of the Demon territory. Finally, Mage Alan, you will breach the city with your most powerful spatial magic."

Mage Alan and the Gold Dragon instantly grasped his intent. By sealing the surrounding space, the White Dragon Lord would sever Padhak's hopes of detonating the fortress and teleporting to safety. Then, surrounding the fortress on three sides while leaving one open would send a clear signal: we will spare your life. Finally, Mage Alan would shatter the city's defenses with spatial magic.

Just as the White Dragon Lord could use the White Tower for a bird's-eye view of his surroundings, the Demon lord possessed his own scouting methods within the fortress he controlled. Once he realized their intentions, Padhak would be left with only three choices.

First, fight one against three. Last time, Mage Alan alone had nearly killed him. Now, facing the addition of the White Dragon Lord and the Gold Dragon, this path was undoubtedly suicide.

Second, detonate Vagro Fortress and take his enemies down with him. However, this move would only wipe out the ordinary army if they couldn't retreat in time. The White Dragon Lord had magical equipment to protect himself, and spatial magic was unparalleled for escaping—Alan could likely even take the Gold Dragon with him.

Third, abandon Vagro Fortress and seize the time Mage Alan spent casting to make a swift escape.

Between the first and second choices, Padhak would certainly die. Only the third offered a sliver of hope. It was obvious what a rational being would choose.

"Alright, let's do it. However, covering the entirety of Vagro Fortress makes your task quite heavy, Your Excellency Amos."

Alan cast a slightly doubtful look at the White Dragon Lord. After all, a Dimensional Anchor capable of enveloping a massive fortress was not something an ordinary Mage could cast.

The Golden Horn Ring on the White Dragon Lord's head radiated intense fluctuations of spatial magic.

"I went through quite a lot of trouble to craft this little trinket."

Empathizing deeply, Mage Alan touched the ring on his own finger.

"I, too, suffered quite a bit for mine."

Sharing similar experiences, the Dragon and the man found common ground and exchanged a smile. Immediately after, the White Dragon Lord rapidly chanted an incantation. It was the spell for the Legendary Magic, Dimensional Anchor. However, this incantation was markedly different from the standard version.

Dimensional Anchor was originally a Master Tier spell within spatial magic. In ancient times, a certain deity had modified it to counter the Demons' troublesome teleportation abilities, dumbing it down into a standard Legendary Magic spell that ordinary Legendary Mages could cast.

The modification reduced the difficulty of casting, but it also significantly lowered its lockdown range and strength. What the White Dragon Lord was casting right now was the original version of Dimensional Anchor.

However, the White Dragon Lord's understanding of spatial magic wasn't as profound as his grasp of Soul Magic. Within the spatial magic sequence, the Master Tier was his casting limit. In combat, this meant he couldn't compress the incantation, making the casting appear somewhat strained.

Despite the strain, the White Dragon Lord ultimately finished the Dimensional Anchor's incantation. A peculiar wave of magic spread out, enveloping Vagro Fortress. Any space swept by this strange energy fluctuation turned entirely solid.

Sensing the change in the surrounding space, the Demon lord at the fortress's Control Core, Padhak, turned pale with shock.

"Your Excellency Alan, please hurry. Sustaining this spell consumes a considerable amount of magic, and I've just been through a major battle, so..."

"As you wish."

Mage Alan's orders were quickly passed down. The soldiers surrounding Vagro Fortress moved swiftly, opening up an escape route leading back toward the Demons' main base. As the soldiers repositioned, Mage Alan rapidly chanted his spell, and the Gold Dragon consciously took on the role of his guard.

While they acted, the Demon lord commanding the overall situation from the fortress core also noticed the external changes. Seeing the corridor opened by the soldiers, and the two Dragons and one man waiting directly in front of the fortress, anger flared in Padhak's heart.

"Dammit!"

Padhak smashed the Control Core in front of him with a single punch. Just as the White Dragon Lord had predicted, with a glimmer of hope remaining, Padhak wasn't willing to throw his life away. However, before leaving, he thoroughly destroyed the fortress's control center.

Without notifying anyone, Padhak swiftly arrived at the rear walls of the fortress.

Padhak looked back toward Mage Alan in the sky. In front of the Mage, a massive spatial spear was taking shape. Even before the spell had fully formed, black, lightning-like spatial rifts tore open around it—a clear sign that the energy was too concentrated for space itself to withstand.

"One day, I will repay the humiliation you've inflicted upon me!"

After mouthing those resentful words, Padhak wasted no more time. He flew directly out of the fortress, exiting the Dimensional Anchor's lockdown range before teleporting away and vanishing without a trace.

The time Mage Alan spent casting his spell was Padhak's only window to escape. If he waited until the magic was complete to flee, he would likely face Alan's relentless pursuit. Demons had formidable teleportation abilities, but it depended entirely on who they were up against.

"Huh? Was that Lord Padhak who just flew away?"

"It looked like him. But why did he go out?"

"Maybe it just looked like him."

"..."

As the Demons on the battlements muttered among themselves, a few of the smarter ones leaped off the walls and bolted into the distance. Soon, many other Demons caught on and started to run as well. However, this mass exodus was limited to the rear wall area; the vast majority of the Demons didn't even know what was happening.

Twenty seconds passed, and Mage Alan's spell was complete.

Void-Breaking Spear!

The fragile space couldn't withstand the immense pressure. The space along the Void-Breaking Spear's path shattered, turning into black spatial rifts through which one could glimpse the endless, hollow void.

In an instant, the Void-Breaking Spear struck Vagro Fortress's Magic Barrier. Like a bullet piercing a glass bowl, the Magic Barrier shattered upon impact.

Its momentum unchecked, the Void-Breaking Spear tore through several high-rise structures inside the fortress before vanishing into the distance, leaving only a long, shattered spatial channel of nothingness as proof of its passing.

Staring at the shattered spatial channel that refused to heal for a long time, the Gold Dragon drew a sharp breath. Even the White Dragon Lord hadn't expected the Void-Breaking Spear to be this devastating.

"It truly deserves its reputation as an indestructible spatial magic!"

Everything had happened in a flash. Before the Demons and the ordinary army could react, the Magic Barrier had shattered and vanished.

Crash!

A tower pierced by the Void-Breaking Spear snapped in the middle. The upper half crashed to the ground, and the thunderous impact snapped everyone out of their daze.

"All troops, attack!"

Mage Alan's subordinates naturally enjoyed a massive surge in morale. The Demons suffered defeat after defeat, or rather, they were simply chased down and slaughtered by the army.

The three High-Tier Legend powerhouses also joined the fray, accelerating the Demons' deaths.

The Gold Dragon soared through the sky, spewing streams of golden fire downward. The flames swept across the fleeing Demons on the main streets, melting brick and stone and fusing their remains into the ground until they were indistinguishable.

The White Dragon Lord's frost Dragon Breath swept past, leaving behind frozen buildings and demonic ice sculptures.

Much like how the White Dragon Lord practiced ice magic, Mage Alan also cultivated elemental magic as a secondary tool alongside his heavily draining spatial magic. Fire, frost, and lightning swiftly reaped the Demons' lives.

In less than ten minutes, every Demon inside Vagro Fortress had been reduced to a corpse.

While the soldiers collected their spoils, the White Dragon Lord took out his Emergency Communication Disc and contacted Engru Ghostwolf.

A moment later, Engru Ghostwolf's half-body projection appeared on the disc.

"Your Excellency, the mission is complete. We've taken Vagro Fortress."

"Excellent. Even faster than I expected!"

"However, Padhak destroyed the Control Core before leaving. We cannot take control of this fortress."

"That is of no consequence. Our goal is to tear the gap in the Demons' defensive line even wider. I have another mission for you: join forces with Sular Grey Dove and take down Incineration City! I hope there's still time!"

"Understood!" the three of them answered in unison.

Leaving the soldiers to clean up the battlefield, the three High-Tier Legends flew in the direction of Incineration City.

On the way, the White Dragon Lord encountered his belated team of powerhouses and ordered them to return directly to Blackrock Fortress.

As the three suns neared the horizon, the three High-Tier Legends arrived at Incineration City.

Unlike Mage Alan, Sular Grey Dove had not launched an attack on Incineration City. Instead, he had stationed his army on the plains leading to the Frozen Land.

Seeing the White Dragon Lord and his two High-Tier Legend peers, Sular Grey Dove appeared somewhat surprised.

"Why are you here?"