Ashen Dragon

At the edge of Stormy Ridge, more than forty giant eagles were flying in a neat formation.

On the back of each giant eagle sat a knight dressed in plate armor, with the emblem of an eagle and sword on their chest.

They were the kin of the Rackham Family, the renowned Northwind Eagle Guards. This time, they dispatched an entire knight order, a total of forty-eight Eagle Guards, as scouts for the war to investigate the enemy's situation from the air.

The Rackham Family was indeed putting everything on the line for this.

This particular Northwind Eagle Guard unit was the sixth regiment, reorganized from Alger's previous remnants.

Their current commander was named Nelly, the only female commander among the six Northwind Eagle Guard regiments and a former trusted subordinate of Alger.

Nelly, dressed in thick plate armor and holding the commander's exclusive Eagle Shriek Silver Sword, had a resolute look in her clear eyes.

"We're back here again..."

"Stormy Ridge."

She whispered to herself, her voice trembling slightly.

This place was a heart demon for her. The commander she once admired stayed here forever so that they could escape, unknown whether dead or alive. She believed he would never submit to the evil dragons.

Most of her former comrades from the sixth regiment, who lived and died together, were buried in the dragonflame inferno.

Thinking of this, Nelly clenched her teeth and secretly swore.

"I will avenge you, Commander."

"And my comrades."

"I swear, even if it costs my life, we will flatten this evil nest, repay His Grace's kindness, and let justice and order sweep through all of Anzeta!"

With this in mind, Nelly squeezed her legs, urging the giant eagle beneath her to speed up.

"Screee—"

A long eagle cry echoed in the sky.

However, she had forgotten—Stormy Ridge's airspace was no longer a place where Eagle Guards could freely soar. The Ashen Nest was now patrolled day and night by eighteen Red Scale Conquerors, who destroyed any possible enemy due to the large-scale war.

"Commander, it seems there's something ahead!"

The leading Eagle Guard reported.

Nelly peered into the distance, seeing over ten large wyverns coming aggressively, led by a rare Dragon Vein Giant Eagle.

On the backs of those dragons were knights clad in heavy armor, carrying various weapons. However, they all had ferocious dragonheads, appearing as half-dragon half-human monstrosities.

"Damn, they're the Red Dragon Minions!"

"Northwind Eagle Guards, prepare for battle!"

Nelly gritted her teeth.

The Eagle Shriek Silver Sword slashed through the air, producing a piercing whistle.

She didn't know about the Red Scale Conquerors, but these dragon-veined evil minions were already infamous in the surrounding areas.

On the Red Scale Conqueror's side, Alger had already spotted the enemy.

After all, this Eagle Guard unit had brazenly entered the Ashen Nest's airspace without any concealment, naturally caught by Alger's seasoned eyes, not to mention that the dragon-type creatures had keener vision than humans.

As he looked at the leader, a trace of surprise flashed in his golden, vertical pupils.

"Nelly?"

This was his former subordinate, the one who always stuck close to him, a resilient woman.

But he didn't expect their next meeting would be on the battlefield.

Alger quickly steadied himself, his gaze firm, staring at the distant enemy.

"The former Eagle Guard Alger died in the dragonflame. The one who survived is nothing but a Red Dragon Minion, an unfeeling Red Scale Conqueror."

He gently stroked the giant eagle's feathers, calming its agitation. It seemed Igor also recognized their old comrade on the other side.

"Igor, prepare for battle."

"After all..."

"We each serve our masters."

His soft words dissipated into the howling wind.

Alger raised the Everburning Greatsword, its blade igniting with a blazing flame like a beacon in the sky.

He shouted, "Red Scale Conquerors, destroy them with me!"

The dozen or so players behind him burst out in an array of cheers.

"Charge, charge, charge!"

"Light it up!"

"For the Ashen Nest!"

"For faction contribution!"

"Damn, air combat is this intense!"

Facing the larger and fewer wyvern knights, Nelly's Northwind Eagle Guards instinctively chose a large circle formation, aiming to utilize the giant eagles' maneuverability and the Eagle Guards' numerical superiority to encircle and annihilate the wyvern knights.

But they hadn't even gotten close before sustaining casualties.

From several hundred meters away, Singo drew his bow and aimed at the leading Eagle Guard's giant eagle.

"Wyvern, hold steady for me."

Purple runes appeared on the giant eagle's body, but it remained unaware, continuing to fly steadily under the Eagle Guard's command.

Singo released his hold, and under the special skill [Elven Precision] and the spell [Hunter's Mark], his arrow was guaranteed to hit the mark.

"Whoosh—"

The arrow flew out rapidly.

It pierced through the giant eagle's chest, precisely striking its heart.

The giant eagle fell powerlessly, and the Eagle Guard, along with it, plummeted with a wail, inevitably meeting his death.

The Red Scale Conqueror players erupted in excitement.

"Amazing!"

"Singo got the first kill!"

"My contribution value!"

"I'm not satisfied!"

Beside him, Mantou exclaimed at the falling Eagle Guard, "No way, Singo. Was that a fluke? Hitting from so far away."

Singo snorted coldly, saying, "Do you understand the value of an Elven Precision Archer's skill? This is technique. If you're not convinced, come duel me in an arrow shootout."

Mantou, knowing he couldn't win, still retorted stubbornly, "You got lucky with one arrow and you're already showing off."

"Dare to shoot another?"

Singo said, "This time, they were unprepared. If they're sensible, they'll make adjustments."

He pointed to the Eagle Guards. Indeed, their formation had already changed.

Among the Northwind Eagle Guard unit, Nelly looked at the fallen subordinate in shock, muttering to herself,

"How is this possible..." Continue reading on My Virtual Library Empire

With her many years of combat experience, she knew that shooting accurately in mid-air severely diminished accuracy, let alone hitting a target several hundred meters away. Even on the ground, it was challenging to hit such a distant target, so she did not make additional arrangements while closing in.

The death of the Eagle Guard could only mean one thing—the strength of these dragon minions far exceeded their imagination!

Nelly quickly raised the Eagle Shriek Silver Sword, commanding loudly:

"Disperse!"

"Avoid the enemy archers' shots!"

The Eagle Guards spread out to avoid unnecessary collisions.

They began to demonstrate their excellent riding skills, constantly changing directions, attempting to surround from all sides.

"Whoosh—"

Another arrow flew.

Feathers fluttered in the air.

A tumbling Eagle Guard fell with a wail.

Singo lowered his longbow, glancing at Mantou beside him, whose jaw had dropped in disbelief. Singo remarked casually,

"Trying all these fancy maneuvers, really a pushover."

Mantou, having no room for further argument, reluctantly admitted, "You really showed off this time."