Dawn City.
Li De stared blankly at Harrison, who was reporting to him. His expression grew increasingly colorful.
"What did you say?? The adventurers from the Lost Planes really brought a goblin to Green City???"
Harrison looked at Li De, puzzled, seemingly not understanding why his reaction was so intense. He nodded as if it were only natural.
"Yes, Patriarch, those adventurers are indeed surprising, but it's to be expected, they're not afraid of death, after all.
But the adventurers didn't bring all the goblins to Green City, only the goblin elder. Grote said that goblin wishes to meet you."
Even so, Li De's expression remained a bit wild.
He hadn't expected the players to actually complete a task that even he found troublesome. As expected, the power of these absurd idiots was limitless. As long as you offered them enough rewards, they really could pull off some stunts.
His original plan was for the players to scout out the goblins and remain in hiding. Once Risel City fell, he could use the information to his advantage.
But unexpectedly, the players were so fierce that after the plan was set in motion, they not only transmitted a great deal of useful intelligence, they actually abducted a goblin out of there.
I knew I wasn't wrong about these absurd fools.
He was in a great mood.
"I'll head back to Green City right away. You'll oversee things here in Dawn City. The population-gathering efforts must not stop. No matter the circumstances, population should always be our top priority."
"Your command is the direction I advance toward." Harrison bowed respectfully.
Li De nodded, a thoughtful look appearing on his face.
It was now November 27, a week since the battle of Risel City had erupted.
According to the think tank at City Hall, Risel City could hold out for at most five more days. It might not even last that long before this once-glorious city fell.
And Green City at this point had no capacity to handle both the Risel City crisis and the war with the beastmen. Because the undead from the north had already conquered Solins City, which lay at the border between the Southern Province and the Thornflower Province. The city had a population of over five hundred thousand, and now it belonged to the undead.
All the commoners who didn't escape were turned into new undead. These terrifying beings weren't satisfied with just the fall of one city, they were now redirecting their forces to invade the Southern and Thornflower Provinces. The frontlines were under tremendous pressure.
By comparison, the beastmen's raids seemed utterly insignificant.
Even if Risel City were taken by the beastmen, the treaties previously signed by both nations meant that the beastmen wouldn't conduct a massacre.
But the undead were different. They were the enemy of all life. Once they took a city, no living creature would survive.
So between two evils, they had to choose the lesser one, the threat from the beastmen was nothing compared to that of the undead.
"Also, immediately transfer Witherbone back from the dwarven valley. At this point, having only Kosso guarding the place is sufficient."
Although Castro was strong, his level was only 15, whereas the bone dragon was combat power at Level 18, the same as the beastmen king Kap.
No one could guarantee what would happen when meeting with the goblin, so stronger forces were essential.
After receiving the order, Harrison left immediately to relay the message.
At dusk, flapping its tattered wings with a wingspan of twenty blades, Witherbone appeared above Dawn City.
Its majestic and imposing form immediately stunned countless residents in the plaza, but when they saw that the Security Squad below wasn't reacting, they all relaxed and looked up with excitement at Witherbone soaring freely through the sky.
"Heavens, that's a dragon!!"
"No, that's an undead dragon!!"
"Is that bone dragon our enemy??"
"What a massive body! Uncle Jayke, come out and see the bone dragon!!"
"Aunt Mary, look, that's the legendary bone dragon!!"
By contrast, the newly arrived residents were all stricken with fear. Many even screamed and ran.
"Quick, run! A magical beast is here!!"
"A dragon's coming, hurry and hide at home!! By the Goddess, that really is a dragon!"
The panic on their faces stood in sharp contrast to the relaxed expressions of the long-time residents. Many veterans laughed heartily at the newcomers' reactions.
"Idiots, the Security Squad hasn't issued any air raid alerts or sounded any invasion alarms. That bone dragon isn't an enemy."
"Kids, what are you panicking for? The saintlight vampires are here. If anything happens, they'll handle it immediately."
"This is Dawn City! New friends, don't be afraid, nothing can harm us under Lord Kachar's rule."
Under the spontaneous reassurance of the surrounding residents, the panicked newcomers finally calmed down. When they noticed that the Security Squad and the saintlight vampires weren't reacting at all, they couldn't help feeling a bit ashamed.
Too embarrassing.
But when they looked up again at the bone dragon soaring through the skies, their hearts were once again filled with indescribable awe.
That was a bone dragon, they were actually fortunate enough to see such a powerful being that only existed in legends.
This city truly was beyond imagination. Dwarves, beastmen, vampires, cyclops, undead, was there anything they didn't have??
Many residents who harbored ambitions had those ideas promptly extinguished in the most direct way possible.
You'd have to be insane to mess with a city that could enslave a dragon.
"Gahaha~ You lowly commoners, now you know Lord Witherbone wasn't lying to you!!
I am the bone dragon!! The eternal and only bone dragon!"
Witherbone's grating voice instantly petrified the old residents in the plaza.
Because every old resident present had heard that voice before.
Damn it, wasn't that the little skeleton imprisoned by Lord Kachar in the corner of Dawn Plaza?
That little skeleton's favorite thing to do was brag about owning a bone dragon, and he never got tired of it. Every resident in Dawn City knew about it.
At first, quite a few people believed him, and the place was packed daily with crowds eager to hear the skeleton's stories. But over time, they found the little skeleton unbearably long-winded, it became too much to endure.
And the content of his boasting was utterly unreliable. A Level 18 bone dragon? Vice President of the Dark Pact? Destroying a powerful Mage Tower in Green City with ease?
Eventually, fewer and fewer residents bothered to go see the undead. They grew numb to him. Only a few brave children would go play with the chatterbox skeleton.
What started as curiosity turned into indifference. The little skeleton quickly became the quietest corner of Dawn Plaza.
Now, upon hearing Witherbone's familiar tone and cadence, the residents were all visibly shocked.
"No way... Lord Kachar actually imprisoned an undead who owns a bone dragon in Dawn Plaza for us to look at??"
"By the Goddess, this is unbelievable! That chatterbox undead really did own a bone dragon?!"
"Praise Dawn! The mighty Majesty can even enslave such a powerful bone dragon, and even put him on display in the plaza for all citizens to see. This is truly divine grace.
Praise the Lord of Dawn!!"
Hearing the chatter below, Witherbone grew even more smug as he soared through the sky.