Chapter 216: The Dragon Descends

A low, gravelly roar pierces through the rolling dust, echoing beneath the narrow sky, ringing in the ears of every individual present.

The grand hall falls silent in an instant.

Everyone thinks their ears are playing tricks on them, then cautiously ask,

"What was that sound?"

"Did... did something just roar?"

'Griff' stands with his longsword drawn, bravely shielding Viserys.

"What was that noise?"

He is certain that he did not mishear, but rather, heard the very real growl of some sort of beast.

"Your Grace, please stand behind me!"

Even though the smoke and dust obscured his vision, he remained alert. One hand held his sword, the other covered his mouth and nose, his eyes vigilantly scanning the surroundings.

Yet, the next second.

Whoosh~

A gust of winter wind blew.

The smoke and dust from the collapsed palace began to gradually dissipate.

Those who had been choking and coughing finally lifted their ash-covered faces.

Then they witnessed a terrifying sight.

"This..."

All the soldiers of Pentos stared blankly at the massive shadow looming overhead, a colossal figure of at least several dozen feet long on top of the palace ruins.

"This is..."

Click…

Everyone tightly gripped their weapons, sweat seeping into their palms without them even realizing. Then, they all swallowed hard in unison, their throats rolling with apprehension.

..."

"Under the bright moonlight.

A colossal creature, spanning several dozen feet in length, emerged at the top of the palace ruins. Its sharp dragon claws firmly gripped the remaining rubble that hadn't collapsed.

Whoosh...

The creature spread its enormous wings, nearly blotting out the sky. The black dragon raised its long neck high and let out another low, raspy roar.

"Roar..."

The sound was not violent or hysterical.

Yet, this calm, deep roar possessed an unmatched piercing power, clearly penetrating everyone's eardrums and striking deep into their souls.

Aside from Viserys, nearly everyone involuntarily shuddered.

"Dragon..."

Someone voiced the word first, breaking the deathly silence that had settled over the scene.

"Dragon!"

It was like a bomb detonated in a lake, instantly stirring up a massive wave.

"This is a dragon!"

A voice filled with terror and even a sobbing tone rang out. All the soldiers of Pentos trembled, as if their souls had only just returned to their bodies.

They had never seen a dragon before, for the dragons had disappeared before their generation was born. Yet, everyone knew now that this was a dragon.

Viserys had brought his dragon.

In an instant, the morale of the Pentoshi forces collapsed.

All the Pentoshi soldiers came to their senses, but none dared to point their weapons at this terrifying creature, for that would be a path to certain death.

"Run!"

The next second.

The soldiers of Pentos scattered and fled in all directions, their footsteps chaotic, their screams and shouts filled with panic.

"Run!"

Seeing that resistance was futile, the Pentoshi magistrates who were preparing to sneak away were buried in the ruins.

Those Pentoshi magistrates who hadn't escaped were now plunged into despair.

Thump...

An old magistrate with white hair, witnessing this scene, plopped down onto the ground. His eyes stared blankly ahead, his voice choked with sorrow.

..."

"It's over."

He never imagined that Viserys would actually bring a dragon, and what was even more unexpected was that this dragon had grown so large.

This was an oversight in the intelligence gathered by the magistrates of Pentos. They had all been sitting in their gardens, receiving information from their spies.

But since Viserys began focusing on internal affairs, the spies hidden by Andalos had been uprooted one after another, serving as a deterrent to others.

The remaining intelligence lines hidden in Andalos had become low-key or even completely dormant.

The dragon was Andalos's most important secret.

Therefore, Viserys had specifically designated a large area outside the city of Andalos as the 'King's Wood', prohibiting all commoners and hunters from hunting or playing there.

This 'King's Wood' was specifically provided for the three young dragons to live and dwell in, and they rarely ventured out into the world.

Because of this, the magistrates of Pentos had a delay in their information about the dragons. In their intelligence, Viserys' largest black dragon, Balerion, seemed to be no bigger than a small horse.

But now...

The bright moon hung high in the sky, and the winter night was cold.

After the palace was demolished by the massive dragon, the winter sea breeze of Pentos came rushing in without any hindrance.

But what made them feel even colder were their hearts.

"Roar..."

Under the bright moonlight, the enormous dragon let out a low growl. Balerion's body was covered with ferocious scales, and molten lava flowed within the crevices of the scales.

It was watching the scattering Pentoshi soldiers below.

The next second.

Boom!

A dazzling pillar of red fire descended from the sky.

"Roar..."

Balerion still let out a roar. The surging flames directly engulfed the soldiers who were running away in panic.

"Ah!"

The scattering soldiers of Pentos let out desperate wails and screams, then they were swallowed by the sea of fire, struggling as they fell.

But the dragonfire from Balerion did not just stay in one place.

The graceful, long neck was raised high, and the dazzling, blinding pillar of fire continued to surge forward, engulfing more of the scattering Pentoshi soldiers.

"It's over."

The old, white-haired magistrate still sat on the ground. His eyes were filled with the pillar of fire spewed by the dragon, and he repeated a single word with a vacant expression.

"Lord Magistrate!"

..."

"We still have a chance! It's not over yet!"

His guard, loyal to the old man, grabbed the Magister's clothes and pleaded loudly.

"We can bend the knee! We can negotiate with His Majesty the King!"

"But if we die here, we'll have nothing left!"

The dazed Magister heard his guard's plea. Surrounded by roaring flames, his chapped lips quivered slightly and his eyes gradually regained their vitality.

"Yes..."

"You're right... we can bend the knee, we can still negotiate with His Majesty."

The Magister tightly gripped the arm of his guard, as if clinging to a lifeline.

"Quick!"

"Get me out of here! To the castle!"

There was a fortress within the Prince's Palace prepared for war, extremely sturdy.

This stronghold had never been used since its construction.

Because no one could penetrate the city before Pentos surrendered.

But at this time, it could come in handy.

The loyal guard of the Magister, hearing the old man's words, didn't hesitate and immediately gestured.

"Quick! Get the Magister out of here!"

A few loyal guards then lifted the Magister and made a dash for it through the sea of fire.

The other surviving Magisters and their guards, now leaderless, upon seeing this, hurriedly followed the old Magister in their escape.

...

Meanwhile, outside.

At this moment.

"Victory is within our grasp."

The Beggar Prince stood on a tower of the city walls of Pentos.

This place was a high point in the city of Pentos, overseeing most of the urban area.

Now, the chaos of Pentos was all in his sight.

At that moment.

Boom—

A dazzling pillar of red fire descended from the sky in the distance, crashing onto the Prince's Palace, submerging the grand pavilions and palaces in a sea of fire.

The Beggar Prince's heart tightened slightly.

...