Ashen Dragon

"Those who resist to the end shall die!"

Dolores hoisted the Bloodfire Battle Axe and let out a furious roar.

The trusted aides of the Ducal Mansion were no match for the Goblins Army's assault.

Every swing of Dolores's battle axe carved a blood-red arc through the air, severing multiple bodies at once, blood spraying everywhere.

Archers in the distance aimed to kill the monstrous foe, but the spears wielded by the Goblin Skirmishers produced a clattering noise, emitting wisps of green smoke.

"Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!"

Like the Grim Reaper marking names on a list, every shot from the spears felled an archer—thanks to refined firearms, the Dragon Vein blessings, and the crucible of war, these Goblin Skirmishers had become lethal avatars on small battlefields, able to swiftly and easily annihilate human troops of a hundred soldiers.

Dolores wiped the blood off his face, exhaled white mist, and sneered:

"Let's go capture that ridiculous duke."

"Let him see... what Hell looks like."

After months of peace, he was eager for warfare, volunteering for this lightning siege even before the Red Dragon assigned anyone.

Previously, Dolores's Goblins Army was invincible, breaching multiple cities in succession, filling him with confidence.

This time turned out as he expected: the Goblin Skirmishers, equipped with the latest model "Dragon Fire Longspears," crushed the opposition, swiftly ending the battle.

But just as they broke through the City Defense Army, a long horn sound resonated from within the city. The sound was strange, making him feel cold all over and a bit suspicious.

"But... what is that sound?"

"Forget it, catch the duke first."

Dolores thought.

A fierce wind suddenly blew.

A few snowflakes touched Dolores's face, making him shiver involuntarily.

This Dragon Vein Goblin, who disliked the cold, scratched his head and shivered again, a puzzled expression on his ugly face.

"Did I misremember? It's not winter yet."

"How can it be snowing..."

Even in the Land of Eternal Winter, it was unusual to have such early snowfall, especially in a relatively warmer city.

"Hoo—"

The gale intensified, cold air spreading all around, mixed with large hailstones, forming a small snowstorm in mid-air.

Dolores finally became alarmed, gripping his battle axe tightly as he realized that this sudden snowstorm was not a natural phenomenon!

Dolores immediately retreated, leaving the area, and didn't forget to shout:

"Stay alert! This is no ordinary snowstorm!"

"That's a spell!"

The goblins hurried to retreat, but the snowstorm, like a living entity, pursued them, howling continuously.

"Damn it, it really is a spell."

"Damn it, how does this small town have such high-level spells."

"Those serpentfolk in the intelligence department deserve a bullet!"

Dolores watched the approaching snowstorm, spat, and cursed.

The Principality of Norton was rated the lowest in Ashen Kingdom's internal gradation, with hardly any competent troops, merely a dog under Boske. Who would have thought such high-level spells would appear!

"Die!"

In the middle of the snowstorm, a giant figure, light blue-skinned and ferocious, appeared.

Floating in mid-air, with a large horn tied to his back, his body glowed with icy blue magic tattoos. Holding an ice cone, he was like the master of the snowstorm—that was Grand Duke Oliver.

He laughed wildly, his pupils emanating endless cold, radiating dazzling ice-blue light.

"Tremble, minions of the Wyrm!"

"Let me show you... true power!"

"I am the Blizzard!"

With his laughter, the snowstorm around him intensified, its range further expanding.

The goblins who failed to escape were frozen solid within moments in that extreme cold, turned into ice statues still in their lifelike poses.

"Look, is that His Grace?"

"Oh my god, what is this?"

"So cold…"

"I'm losing consciousness…"

The blizzard ravaged the city, and many residents couldn't escape this terrible scourge.

Grand Duke Oliver showed no regard for the lives of the city's inhabitants, unleashing the power of the Eternal Frost Horn recklessly, turning a hundred meters around him into a white world, with snowy roads lined with various ice sculptures.

"What on earth is this thing."

"That is definitely no low-level spell!"

While fleeing in panic, Dolores cursed vehemently. Even he wouldn't last long within this icy domain.

"Boom!"

The Dragon Vein Goblin saw the approaching snowstorm, and without hesitation, he threw down his battle axe and jumped over twenty meters, barely escaping the snowstorm's reach. The Dragon Vein's power granted him agility, allowing a quicker retreat.

"Minions of the Wyrm, stop struggling!" Enjoy new stories from My Virtual Library Empire

"You cannot fight the Blizzard!"

Controlling the blizzard, Grand Duke Oliver showed no intention of letting up, chasing Dolores to the city's outskirts, bent on completely destroying this so-called "Envious War Maniac," making the hateful Red Dragon lose a key lieutenant.

"This can't go on!"

Having reached the city's edge, Dolores looked back at the approaching snowstorm, gritting his teeth with determination as he crushed the crimson crystal stone in his hand.

Dolores frantically called for help from the shattered crystal stone.

"Master, save me!"

This was the communication crystal stone "Flaming Dragon Crystal" that only Ashen Kingdom's tribal leaders possessed, allowing direct contact with the Red Dragon in critical moments.

Though the Dragon Vein Goblin was fearless in battle, he didn't wish to die inexplicably in this spell. Thus, he swallowed his pride and sought the Red Dragon's aid.

"Hoo—"

The wind and snow roared on.

Dolores had not given up entirely. Mustering his last bit of strength, he charged towards Grand Duke Oliver at the storm's center.

"I'll tear you apart!"

But the white domain gradually engulfed him, his massive Dragon Vein Goblin body trembling, his actions stiffening, his dragon-scaled face gradually covered in ice, even his eyelids coated with frost.

Fueled by the fervent, lively Red Dragon Bloodline inside him, he possessed immense vitality, still alive, his teeth chattering, eyes slowly blinking.

"Damn…"

"If I die like this, Ram the stupid ogre will laugh at me."

"I can't... die here..."

In this life-and-death moment, Dolores thought.

Having endured just a few minutes in this extreme cold, he felt his body entirely numb, completely insensate, and his thoughts slowing, as if frozen solid.