Chapter 542: Profane Words
Angela reached out to take the battle plan handed over by Yaya, carefully browsing through it and silently contemplating.
Beelzebub, standing beside her, flipped through the documents while thinking, speaking softly:
"Although the gnoll slaves are a disorganized rabble, they now have weapons and equipment provided by the drow elves, significantly boosting their combat strength..."
After meticulously calculating their combat strength, Elio furrowed her brows slightly before saying:
"On average, their combat level is roughly equivalent to level 5. They are indeed a rather dangerous group of opponents."
The now much more mature Feili skillfully consolidated the enemy's numbers, inputting them bit by bit into the battle map. As she manipulated the slowly shifting magical sand table, she carefully reminded:
"Apart from the 150,000 gnoll slaves, we also have to be wary of other slave warriors. Just relying on these gnoll slaves won't be enough to kill this legendary fire dragon."
It was simple—no matter how strong the drow elves' 'brainwashing' ability was,
They could not possibly make these gnoll slaves turn against their former master, the fire dragon Diago, while still fighting at full strength.
If they were capable of that, why would they have remained hidden in the Underdark all this time?
Observing the battlefield, Sera saw that the gnoll slaves surrounding the fire dragon Diago had already succumbed to fear.
They were either kneeling in surrender or scattering in all directions. Having clearly seen through the drow elves' strategy, she stated with certainty:
"They are merely exhausting the fire dragon Diago's stamina and sanity. This beast has already fallen into their trap."
Upon hearing Sera's words, everyone who knew her identity immediately turned their gazes toward her.
They saw that in the middle of the vast battlefield, the fire dragon Diago was still rampaging wildly among the gnoll slaves.
However, he failed to notice that the gnoll soldiers who had charged alongside him were now trapped in an encirclement.
Even though these gnoll warriors were stronger, with many having undergone draconic transformation and being able to suppress the gnoll slaves,
Their numbers were ultimately too few. Facing gnoll slaves five times their number, they could only barely maintain the battle line.
Sera's gaze, however, was directed toward the massive fortress built against the rock wall behind them.
On the towering stone walls outside the fortress, the number of gnoll soldiers had dwindled significantly, leaving the defenses noticeably weak.
Their numbers were already small to begin with. With a sturdy fortress to defend, they should have focused on defense and waited for the right moment.
Before the fire dragon Diago awakened, that was exactly what they had done.
It had worked quite well, holding off the drow elves' tide-like assaults.
The drow elves, who were relatively weak at commanding large-scale military operations, found such fortified cities to be the most troublesome.
Originally, the drow elves could only lay siege bit by bit, slowly wearing them down.
They had merely been waiting for the gnoll kingdom's last elite forces to be gradually depleted.
Lya could also take the time to roughly train and discipline the gnoll slaves.
They didn't expect them to become as proficient as Bay Territory soldiers, but at the very least, they needed to be passable warriors.
Naturally, they also wouldn't allow Bay Territory to seize any advantage.
The fire dragon Diago's sudden awakening disrupted the 'tacit understanding' between the two sides.
Unfortunately for the gnoll kingdom, their master had returned, but what he brought them was destruction.
The enraged fire dragon Diago took the initiative to attack. The gnoll kingdom's army, unable to disobey his orders, abandoned their defensive advantage and charged forward alongside him.
Now, they were caught in a predicament.
The number of gnoll slaves encircling them was increasing, many of whom were secretly drow warriors.
These warriors acted as low-level commanders, controlling the gnoll slaves in battle.
As for the core battlefield surrounding the fire dragon Diago, they simply kept sending gnoll slaves to their deaths.
More than ten robust draconic gnolls.
Lay weakly collapsed on the ground.
Their blood flowed into the intricately carved ritual formation.
Evil, twisted shadows emanated eerie whispers.
At the very center of the formation lay the corpse of a nude female elf, now drenched in blood.
A spider-shaped dagger was stabbed into her heart.
Such blasphemy!
How twisted!
Holding the holy emblem in both hands, Shetley caressed the black spider hanging from the web with reverence.
The drow elf's head on the spider's body slowly morphed into her own likeness.
Wisps of barely perceptible energy drifted from the corpses of the slain gnoll slaves, continuously gathering toward the holy emblem in her hands.
"Great deity, your loyal servant offers you this sacrifice."
Accompanied by a strange, warped fluctuation, an invisible web spread outward from the glowing holy emblem.
It enveloped the distant fire dragon Diago.
Like a captured prey ensnared by a tightening web, he struggled desperately.
The fire dragon Diago, fighting against the whispers in his mind, only felt his rage growing stronger.
He wanted nothing more than to slaughter all these treacherous gnoll slaves.
He longed to unleash his boundless fury and crush them into dust!
"Losing sanity..."
Matthew's heart skipped slightly as he watched the eerie fire dragon Diago. He turned to Feili and said:
"Inform Bay Territory to call upon the Paladin Order of the Goddess' Church. We have found traces of an evil god here!"
In an era where divine miracles were becoming increasingly 'scarce,' the situation for evil gods was actually even more 'dire.'
Their tendrils and minions could not extend into the Material Plane and could only passively wait for a 'feast' to arrive.
Among the few remaining active true gods on the Material Plane, the Goddess of Magic was relentless in hunting down any traces of evil gods.
Players never truly understood why these divine conflicts existed, but they certainly enjoyed the results.
After suffering at the hands of cultists multiple times, players—including Matthew—had learned to proactively 'report' them.
As things stood, only gods could fight gods!
Thus, if Matthew wanted to summon the Goddess of Magic, he would need to make a 'contribution.'
Fortunately, the 'income' from the Abyssal Rift had been hoarded all this time.
Having received the message, the goddess' paladins were now rapidly making their way to the Underdark.
Spreading the goddess' glory was their unshakable duty!
While waiting, the Bay Territory army made no attempt to conceal their movements.
At the entrance to Bay Territory, formations of soldiers stood ready, steadily expanding their battle formations.
Three kilometers away, the drow elves also noticed the commotion.
Facing the Bay Territory army, they showed no intention of advancing.
Their previous humiliating defeat had made them 'acknowledge' Bay Territory's strength.
A formidable opponent!
Matthew gazed into the distance at the fire dragon Diago, listening to its increasingly deranged roars, a chill rising in his heart.
This sinister ability to alter minds and perceptions was the hallmark of evil gods.
The drow elves' 'brainwashing' of their slaves was likely tied to such power.
Right now, Matthew was confident he could save the fire dragon Diago.
But if he did, next time, he and Yaya would be the targets of such an attack.
Matthew chose to 'hold back,' silently gathering information as he watched the fire dragon Diago descend into madness.
This rampaging beast was slowly becoming nothing more than a wild animal!
The method bore an uncanny resemblance to the 'Mad Dragon Enslavement.'
"Perhaps… it's all the same power…"
Time continued to pass.
The fire dragon Diago's rampage had already resulted in the deaths of over ten thousand gnoll slaves.
Yet his stamina remained abundant, his movements agile, and his slit pupils bloodshot.
The entire space echoed with his enraged roars.
Among the Bay Territory formations, Udala, holding a crossbow, kept a vigilant eye on the distant beast.
"Is this the monster we're supposed to hunt? It's terrifying!"
The dragon's overwhelming presence was an immense pressure on the Bay Territory soldiers.
Even resisting it was draining their stamina significantly.
They longed to charge in and unleash their fury rather than simply stand waiting.
The "tide" of mutated monsters, the "mutation" of barbarians, the "evil god sacrifices" of trolls, the "collapse" of the Blood Fortress.
These terrifying experiences had tempered their will thoroughly.
No matter who the enemy was or what it was—just kill them!
Gradually, the fire dragon Diago's struggle slowed.
The twisted "profane words" continuously gnawed away at its remaining sanity, with the mental rift torn open by the "Mad Dragon Enslavement" triggering this complete collapse of reason.
It was at this moment that Matthew finally saw all of its abilities clearly.
Diago (Controlled).
Race: Fire Dragon.
Class: Level 10 Warrior / Level 8 Sorcerer.
Challenge Level: 21+ (23+).
Danger Level: Extremely High.
Size: Length - 22 meters, Super Large.
Weight: 8.62 tons.
Innate Ability: Extraordinary Talent - Fire Dragon Bloodline LV4, +4 to all attributes, Mastery of Flames.
Feats:
Extraordinary Feat - Flame Breath LV4.
Extraordinary Feat - Fire Dragon's Body LV2.
Extraordinary Feat - Fire Immunity LV2.
Extraordinary Feat - Extraordinary Constitution LV1.
Health: 135/165.
Attack Power: Extremely Strong.
Defense: Strong.
Mobility: Flight, Medium.
Attributes:
Strength: 28.
Agility: 18.
Constitution: 22.
Intelligence: 0.
Perception: 15.
Charisma: 13.
Luck: -4.
Evaluation: An unlucky bastard with no inheritance.
An unlucky bastard with no inheritance?
Matthew immediately thought that this legendary fire dragon's inability to avoid the "Mad Dragon Maze" likely had much to do with inheritance.
After all, considering how true dragons tend to "store" everything in their bloodlines, how could they not leave behind information on evading the "Mad Dragon Maze"?
By this logic, all dragon-blooded creatures that had been affected were likely all non-true dragons.
Their development had been forcibly stifled.
This explained why true dragons kept growing stronger…
While other dragon-blooded creatures were completely denied any chance to improve.
However, the fact that even the fire dragon Diago could be "controlled" caught Matthew off guard.
It seemed this wasn't the first time the drow had done something like this.
Clearly, the drow still had plenty of tricks up their sleeves.
With these thoughts flashing through his mind, Matthew looked at the still-crazed fire dragon Diago and felt somewhat relieved.
In the short term, not even the dark goddess Lolth could remove the "Mad Dragon Maze"'s effects.
This was the perfect time to strike!
Angela, receiving her orders, began radiating a brilliant golden light.
Her aura spread in all directions, covering every soldier around her.
A strength aura!
An agility aura!
A courage aura!
A might aura!
Angela, now a level 13 knight, extended her aura to every soldier of the Bay Territory.
The extraordinary weapon in her hands—the Sword of Command—from the Silverleaf Family's "Conqueror's Set," played a crucial role.
Not only did it greatly enhance the range and effectiveness of her auras, but it also significantly reduced Angela's expenditure and strain.
With its help, Angela could sustain two legions of soldiers in full combat for an hour!
Of course, this extraordinary command set was worth over two million gold coins.
Angela, exuding a "golden aura," raised her gleaming Sword of Command high and pointed it into the distance. Her clear voice reached every soldier's ears:
"All forces, advance!"
The motionless soldiers began stepping forward in unison.
Step! Step! Step!
Their synchronized steps drowned out all other sounds in the space.
Each soldier felt themselves meld into a unified formation, becoming part of a larger whole.
As the enemy grew nearer, they tightened their grips on their weapons.
Watching the approaching Bay Territory forces, a somewhat stunned drow commander immediately ordered the slave soldiers to charge.
After prolonged brainwashing, the gnoll slaves had lost most of their sanity, gradually forgetting what fear meant.
Though deeply frightened, their bodies moved uncontrollably, rushing toward the Bay Territory's ranks.
Within minutes, the Bay Territory forces had crossed hundreds of meters and clashed with the first wave of gnoll slaves.
Angela, her expression solemn, raised her longsword and shouted loudly:
"Halt, ready crossbows!"
Clink!
Swish!
"Fire!!"
Whizz! Whizz! Whizz!
A barrage of bolts rained down, covering the front.
Thousands of charging gnoll slaves were immediately cut down by the tens of thousands of crossbow bolts, over a thousand falling in an instant.
The destructive power of the enchanted bolts created a crushing disparity in firepower!
Even if clad in metal armor, the gnoll slaves were nothing more than slower-moving targets.
Seeing the front row of soldiers crouch down, a somewhat tense Udala carefully adjusted her aim under Rika's reminder, angling her crossbow as they had practiced for more than ten days.
"Fire!!"
Jifan's resounding call served as the command to attack.
Instinctively pulling the trigger, the spinning bolt flew out instantly.
Udala didn't have time to watch where her bolt landed. She instinctively crouched down.
She heard Jifan's voice again.
The deep sound of bolts slicing through the air brought a gust of wind over her head.
The first row of soldiers stood up again, having already reloaded.
Udala grabbed the long wooden lever and easily pulled it back, resetting the string on the inclined path back onto the trigger.
She quickly drew another bolt and loaded it, only now noticing her hands were sweaty.
However, she was a little surprised to find that no shooting order came.
Beside her, Rika was intently watching the front lines and saw that the frontmost formation had already clashed with the gnoll slaves.
Shields up front, spears thrust forward!