Dragon vs. Dragon

The thought of the Zombie Dragon King made Haotian feel like he was dreaming.

To deal with the mighty Dragon, Charles, he had sacrificed the lives of other Royal Griffon Knights to form an elite [Ace Squadron]. He was prepared to lose some of his best warriors just to bring down Charles.

Then, recruiting the [Eternal Treants], he felt even more confident in his plan to slay Charles.

But to his surprise…

A Zombie Dragon King emerged, single-handedly defeating Charles.

Haotian couldn't help but feel that the world changed too quickly.

Plans never keep up with changes.

…

Several kilometers away from the Golden Oasis, what once was a lush, fruit-laden, monster-inhabited forest had been ravaged by the undead army in just a few days. The landscape was now littered with decaying trees and the corpses of beasts and animals. Under the influence of the Deathly Shroud, these corpses would normally transform into undead creatures over time.

But something unexpected happened.

That something was the Dark Dragon, Charles.

Even the undead army hadn't anticipated that a recovering, Saint-tier Dark Dragon lived nearby. Had they known, they would never have established a base in the forest. Even the undead fear such a powerful being.

A massive black shadow swooped low, bringing a hurricane in its wake. Scorching dragon breath, like molten lava, descended from the sky, incinerating everything in its path. The ground was charred, and scores of undead and corpses turned to ash with the slightest touch.

This was the terrifying onslaught of Charles, the Dark Dragon, annihilating all undead in sight.

Meanwhile, dark orbs of magic fell from the sky, exploding with devastating force before reaching the ground, spreading dark magic in all directions. These were the magical attacks of Charles, a member of a species known for two formidable abilities: their dragon breath, capable of melting metal, and their Dragon Magic, as powerful as legendary forbidden spells.

Against the weak undead, Charles didn't even need to use his domain powers. His dragon breath and occasional Dragon Magic were enough to decimate them. So far, Charles had slain over a million undead, virtually wiping out the invading force and destroying their stronghold. After this battle, no undead would dare approach this area, allowing Charles to heal in peace.

On the other side, the Rat Kingdom's army began to cheer, praising their mighty master, Charles, and celebrating their victory.

"Pathetic little creatures," Charles muttered from the skies, glancing disdainfully at the Rat army. He had already decided to destroy the Rat Kingdom once he was healed, to punish their king, Aubrey, for his disrespect, and to have a hearty meal before leaving. As a Dark Dragon, he didn't mind eating rats.

"That's enough. The remaining undead are few and far between…" Charles prepared to return to the Rat Kingdom. But then, he sensed something and turned his gaze northward.

In the sky, a small dot appeared, growing larger until a dragon's silhouette came into view. Charles's eyes widened in shock.

"A Zombie Dragon! By the Dragon God, how can such a massive Zombie Dragon exist? Was it a demigod in life?"

As a Saint-tier Dark Dragon, Charles was already enormous, measuring around 110 meters. But this Zombie Dragon, emerging from nowhere, was even larger, easily 150 meters long. The difference of forty meters was vast, making them incomparable in size.

"Damn it! It's coming for me!"

"Why must dragons fight each other?" Charles's expression twisted as he turned to flee, frantically flapping his wings to escape the terrifying Zombie Dragon.

"Master Charles is running away! What a huge undead dragon! It's several times larger than Master Charles and seems intent on hunting him!"

"If I were facing such a massive Zombie Dragon, I'd run too!" The Rat army descended into chaos. One moment they had been cheering and celebrating their victory, showering praises on their mighty master, Charles. The next moment, their master was being hunted. The sudden shift left the Rat warriors stunned.

Quickly regaining their senses, they fled towards their underground kingdom, wanting to avoid becoming the Zombie Dragon's next meal.

…

Soon, word reached the Rat Kingdom. King Aubrey, enjoying a feast, was celebrating the victory with the cloaked figure, who had been invited to join the festivities. Dressed in a luxurious robe and wearing a golden crown, Aubrey held a golden goblet. This display made the cloaked figure uncomfortable, as no amount of grandeur could hide the fact that Aubrey was just a fat, black rat.

If Aubrey were from the beastmen of the Great Plains, it would have been more acceptable due to their human-like forms. But Aubrey was completely rat-like. The cloaked figure wouldn't have attended if not for Aubrey's personal invitation.

Oblivious to the cloaked figure's disdain, Aubrey reveled in the joy of victory, laughing heartily, "Praise the mighty Charles! The evil undead have learned what it means to anger a dragon. After this battle, they won't dare approach our kingdom or the forest!"

"Congratulations, Your Majesty!" the cloaked figure raised his goblet perfunctorily. "Once Charles returns, you should suggest he destroy the human knights occupying the Golden Oasis. We can't let them regroup and threaten us again."

He suspected the knights were after Charles, not resources. Such well-equipped knights wouldn't be here for something as mundane as salt.

Hearing this, Aubrey hesitated. He had already been beaten by Charles once. Asking for his help again might result in another beating. Despite his thick skin, he couldn't withstand a dragon's wrath.

"Are you worried Charles might refuse?" the cloaked figure asked with a smile.

Aubrey denied it immediately, "The great Charles is our guardian. He won't let anyone threaten his servants. If I ask, he'll surely eliminate those knights!"

Just as Aubrey was boasting, a Rat guard burst in, "Your Majesty, something terrible has happened!"

Aubrey's fat face twitched in anger, "What's the meaning of this chaos? What happened?"

"The war in the forest is over, but a terrifying Zombie Dragon appeared and is hunting the great Charles!"

Aubrey stood up in shock, "What? Did they fight?"

"No, because Master Charles fled immediately. The Zombie Dragon is chasing him now!"

Aubrey: "…"

Cloaked figure: "…"

…

Before the guard could leave, Aubrey anxiously asked the cloaked figure, "What should we do?"

"Ask me? Who should I ask?" the cloaked figure snapped. "A Zombie Dragon that scares Charles isn't something we can handle. Just pray Charles escapes safely."

He, too, needed to pray. Charles had promised to become his partner once healed. Just as he was about to become a revered Dragon Mage, a more powerful Zombie Dragon appeared, threatening Charles's life.

This infuriated him. "You shouldn't have disturbed Charles's rest! Now look at the trouble you've caused!"

"If something happens to Charles, I'll make you pay!"

"?????" Aubrey was stunned but not one to be intimidated, "Damn human mage! You better pray Charles survives, or I'll kill you first!"

"Big words!" the cloaked figure sneered and left.

Aubrey's face twisted with anger as he watched him leave. Moments ago, they had been drinking and laughing together, but now, they were at each other's throats.