Who Told You I Was a Golden Dragon?

A high-tier spell—Infernal Thunderstorm!

Unleashing the uncontrollable wrath of thunder to cause catastrophic damage was one of the deadliest spells of the Seventh Circle, often taking even the most experienced Eighth and Ninth Circle mages a considerable amount of time to master. This spell's wide reach made it one of the most formidable in a mage's arsenal.

For the casters, wrangling the tempestuous thunder was equally challenging.

Bathed in the brilliance of high-tier elemental glow, it dazzled with its splendor, blindingly bright and fraught with peril...

For a moment, it even eclipsed the sun's radiance.

Boom!

The sound of a thunderous explosion echoed as the elite troops from Silvermoon Kingdom were caught off guard, their complexions turning pale in disbelief at the sight of the 'golden dragon.'

"Why?!" the first to recover was the high-ranking paladin, Zephyr. His gaze shifted from reverence to confusion and disbelief as he stared at the golden behemoth...

For a moment, his heart turned stone-cold.

The dragon was too close; high-tier spells required a considerable amount of time to chant, but the near-instantaneous nature of this devastating spell hinted it was unleashed by a magic scroll, leaving no time for questions.

"All casters, erect magical barriers immediately!" Zephyr bellowed out in rage.

The accompanying mages sprang into action, their chants filling the air as they quickly worked to establish protective wards against the impending disaster.

Shield of Conviction!

Elemental Barrier!

Arcane Construct Chains!

...

Dozens of lower-tier mages, guided by six mid-tier mages, chanted in unison. The perspiration on their brows was indicative of the intense stress as they poured their essence into their incantations. Knowing full well the terrifying power of a high-tier spell, they feared that one false step could spell doom for them all.

And then there were the soldiers, struck dumb by the chaos.

They were powerless against such a vast range of magic, utterly unable to flee from the encroaching disaster. Only the Griffin Knights, agile in nature, had any chance to escape the imminent onslaught.

Caesar had seized the moment—the moment he crushed the magic scroll—to vanish from the battlefield. After all, spells of such magnitude were indiscriminate, harming friend and foe alike.

Ten seconds later.

Boom! A colossal lightning bolt, thick as a python, descended with a roar. With this thunderous sound, the spell had finished charging, unleashing an endless barrage of lightning, scorching the earth and turning reality into hell, the tumultuous elemental power akin to a natural disaster.

Suddenly, a bolt struck a knight in heavy armor. The destructive force unleashed in his dying scream, even his formidable ar fancying a plan to enhance his capabilities in spellcasting...

Despite the circumstances, now was the time to lead the assault on the human forces.

Roar!

A thunderous dragon cry echoed as the hidden brood appeared with a frenzy, brandishing their weapons and charging the human army, which was just about to reorganize.

At the same time, a massive amethyst serpent, seventeen meters in length, and a fierce white tiger nearly thirteen meters long led their kin straight into the fray.

Sixth-Ring Spell, War Frenzy!

Following closely behind were troll shamans casting wide-area buffs on the monster legion.

The other draconic beings were led by Cyrion. With his jackalmen and gnolls equipped with dragonblood, they targeted the Griffin Knights, taking on these exceptionally nimble elite units.

In the rear of the monster legion, the Blazebulls prepared themselves, their magical organs swelling with power. They spewed forth a barrage of lava and fire from their mouths, raining down upon the center of the human ranks.

"Prepare for battle!" Despite the ambush by the golden dragon, Zephyr, though injured, had not anticipated a full-blown assault from such a vast army of monsters. 

With just over a thousand men left, the human army, well-trained as they were, quickly fell into formation.

Glory Aura!

Healing Aura!

Courage Aura!

...

The mages chanted various spells, enhancing the soldiers with auras that magnified their strength and solidified their resolve.

Had this been any ordinary army, it would likely have already collapsed under such magical bombardment and given up the fight. But with many spellcasters among their ranks, it was rare for these soldiers to flee.

As the battle against the humans raged, Caesar didn't immediately aid his kin. His attention was caught by a paladin, whose strength was comparable to that of an Eighth Tier being.

The anti-air magic had rendered all flying creatures grounded, robbing them of aerial advantage.

"Golden Dragon Sir, what is the meaning of this?" An indignant Zephyr confronted Caesar; high-tier spell, monster attack - everything seemed to be orchestrated by this golden dragon before him.

Yet ever so faithfully bound to the reputations forged across eons, Zephyr did not doubt the dragon's true identity, instead questioning what grievance from the past was causing such a betrayal.

"Ha! Ha! Ha!" Caesar's laughter resounded, ominous and unsettling, a sound akin to that of a grand villain from the minstrels' tales, "Foolish and ignorant creature, who told you I was a golden dragon?"

Masquerading as one of the noble metal-scaled beings.

This little deception...

Oh, how amusing it had become!