At Least the Future is Bright

As they spoke, two massive figures descended from the sky: the bone dragon Charles and the corpse dragon Charles. Haotian led Sophia outside the City Hall to greet them. The two dragons immediately prostrated themselves before him, showing their loyalty.

Haotian glanced at the bone dragon, noticing something unusual. "Why is there a hole in your head?" he asked.

The bone dragon trembled, conveying its grievance through mental communication. "It was that elf, Vereesa. She shot me. If I hadn't reacted quickly, I wouldn't be here now."

Earlier that afternoon, the Windrunner sisters had arrived at the Grey Dwarf Kingdom. They witnessed the horrors of war and saw the two dragons circling overhead. Impulsive as always, Vereesa had instinctively drawn her bow and fired, nearly taking off the top of the bone dragon's skull. Fortunately, Charles's quick reflexes had saved him.

It was only after her initial attack that Vereesa sensed the territorial mark on the two undead dragons, realizing they were allies. She refrained from further attacks, but with her superior level and the sisters' combined powers, enhanced by their Hero Talent and Haotian's Lord Talent [Lightbringer], defeating Charles would have been as easy as squashing a bug.

"Misunderstandings happen. You need to be more forgiving," Haotian said, patting the bone dragon's jaw. "Are they still in the Grey Dwarf Kingdom?"

"Yes, Master," the bone dragon replied. "At first, the sisters seemed shocked by our involvement in the war against the Grey Dwarves, but after talking with some Royal Holy Judgment Knights, they calmed down. They kept muttering about rules..."

"It seems their worldview is evolving, which is good," Haotian said, satisfied. He then addressed both dragons. "I called you back to accompany Sophia to Forest City. Your tasks are twofold: protect her and deal with the Flamingo Merchant Guild. They've dared to target my Golden Oasis and must pay a heavy price."

"Understood!" The two dragons pledged, determined to annihilate the guild.

Sophia raised a concern. "Lord, as undead dragons, they might have trouble entering Forest City unless they transform into human form and suppress their necrotic aura."

Forest City, a bustling trade hub, was generally welcoming to all factions, but undead still needed to tread carefully. The natural elves, in particular, harbored deep-seated animosity towards the undead.

"That's easy to handle," Haotian said. High-level beings, whether undead or magical beasts, could transform into human form. He instructed the dragons, "Remember Sophia's advice and be cautious. If the elven city lord identifies you, mention our Golden Oasis. She might show some leniency."

"Yes, Master!" the dragons responded eagerly. Being entrusted with a solo mission by their master filled them with pride. Even the bone dragon, who had been keen to visit the Dragonfall Gorge to enhance his strength, was now focused on destroying the Flamingo Merchant Guild. Having devoured many souls of the Poison Bee Knights, he knew the guild's secrets and planned to eradicate their bases.

"Alright, it's getting late. Set out immediately," Haotian ordered, giving Sophia a gentle pat.

Despite her reluctance, Sophia mounted the bone dragon and departed from the Golden Oasis. Her mind replayed her moments with Haotian, and the farther she traveled, the stronger her yearning grew. The sensation was far more intense than when she left her hometown in the Ayis Free Alliance.

As they neared the Forest of Life, Sophia calmed herself and examined the spatial equipment Haotian had given her. Her face lit up with shock. "The elven city lord wants to buy all the spring water from the lord… but now it seems that's unlikely!"

---

That evening, the Royal Griffin Knights returned with bountiful spoils, accompanied by the Windrunner sisters. Their faces were somber, a stark contrast to the lightheartedness they had shown earlier. The carnage they witnessed in the Grey Dwarf Kingdom weighed heavily on them. The battlefield was littered with bodies, a sight that even the resilient Alleria struggled with. Young Sylvanas and Vereesa were visibly shaken, their faces pale.

Thankfully, the celebratory atmosphere in the Golden Oasis helped to lift their spirits. As Haotian approached, the sisters quickly bowed.

Haotian nodded and gazed across the lake at the festive scene. "Once, Karalar was not an endless desert but a land teeming with life and intelligent races. A divine war wiped out its inhabitants. When I arrived, the Golden Oasis was just a tiny patch of greenery. Now it spans tens of kilometers, full of life. I transformed it and created a home for these desert dwellers. The Grey Dwarves who survived the war will also come to this oasis to thrive under my protection. This war wasn't meaningless; at least the future is bright."

Seeing the varied expressions on the sisters' faces, Haotian smiled. "Rest well tonight. Tomorrow, you'll step onto a true battlefield!"

He had set their next destination: Dragonfall Gorge. It was the perfect place to rapidly increase their power and complete his secondary quest to obtain the [Ultimate Unit Building Upgrade Blueprint].

Little did Haotian know, Dragonfall Gorge was about to become a battleground itself. On one side were the powerful bosses of the gorge; on the other, his own undead dragons, led by the Devouring Dragon King and the Zombie Dragon King.