Chapter 303 Red Iron Dragon's Negotiation Methods

“My name is Charles Hines, and some people also call me the Flower Knight.”

"Your Excellency Lord of Iron, I wish to have a proper conversation with you."

Under the deep night sky, atop the rugged hill, the massive head of the Red Iron Dragon, covered in cold, hard scales, tilted slightly, its vertical pupils silently gazing at the Flower Knight who had approached it.

I heard the other party's suggestion to talk.

His ferocious and terrifying face remained expressionless, his gaze calm and unchanging.

When the Albert family's tax collectors pounced on the Ironforge like jackals, trying to forcibly collect exorbitant taxes, was there even one knight who claimed to be the embodiment of order and justice who stood up to speak to the high and mighty Albert family on behalf of the Ironforge people, who were regarded as monsters?

At that time, there were only cold swords and greedy demands.

He could indeed sense a kind of kindness from this human being.

This is not a disguise.

This can be seen from the fact that he deliberately walked into his own absolute attack range without drawing his sword, and his demonic energy remained calm and restrained rather than ready to fight.

This courage and honesty deserve a small amount of respect.

However, this does not mean that the Albert family, represented by the Flower Knight, also harbors any friendliness.

If there were even a shred of goodwill, what would be appearing at this moment beneath these desolate hills would not be the murderous Albert family private army, but rather peace envoys holding olive branches.

As an order-abiding dinosaur that respects order, Garus does not actually reject resolving conflicts through negotiation rather than on the battlefield.

But definitely not now.

Buzz—!

There was no warning whatsoever.

A sharp, piercing sizzling sound, seemingly capable of tearing eardrums, suddenly exploded.

Countless violent, leaping golden lightning bolts erupted from the Red Iron Dragon's majestic body. Its already imposing form expanded further amidst the electric light, radiating a suffocating sense of oppression.

And at the very instant the first golden lightning bolt shot out.

His once-standing figure had vanished from its spot, leaving only distorted afterimages and scorching arcs of electricity in the air.

The imposing dragon body charged toward the Flower Knight at a speed beyond visual perception, closing in on him in an instant. Its terrifying claws, imbued with destructive energy and black-red dragon aura, tore through the air and slammed down with unparalleled speed.

BOOM!!!

The ground collapsed and cracked, and countless fragments of rock shot out in all directions like shrapnel.

A huge claw-shaped crater appeared beneath the Red Iron Dragon's claws, and smoke billowed... However, there was no scene of blood and gore as expected.

The Flower Knight vanished at the last second.

He appeared ten meters away from the dragon's claws, his movements slightly hurried, but unharmed.

Flash Strike.

In an instant, one can traverse space and teleport to any visible and unoccupied location within a ten-meter radius before an attack occurs.

The essence of this skill lies in the sharp counterattack that follows the flash.

However.

Before the Flower Knight could regain his footing and prepare a counterattack, even the instant he appeared, the enormous dragon wings, sharp as guillotines, tore through the air and slashed down at his waist with a chilling whistling sound.

The human figures blurred again.

All that remained was a shimmering afterimage, instantly torn apart by the violent gusts of wind whipped up by the dragon's wings.

He reappeared ten meters away, but before his feet had even fully touched the ground, the Red Iron Dragon's ferocious tail strike, as sharp as a steel whip, came crashing down upon him.

The dragon's attacks, launched from different parts of its body, are linked together at an unbelievably fast speed.

As if there were no intervals, the relentless onslaught gave the opponent no time to breathe or think.

The Red Iron Dragon's strength far surpasses that of other dragons of similar size, far exceeding the Flower Knight's expectations.

Having gained the upper hand, Galos launched a fierce and relentless attack, forcing the renowned Flower Knight to constantly dodge and flee, unable to find even the slightest chance to retaliate.

Bang!

Galos's claws once again grazed the afterimage of the Flower Knight by a hair's breadth.

This time, the Flower Knight didn't just appear in a flash; he simply vanished abruptly and completely, as if he had been erased from this area of ​​space without leaving a trace.

"A wandering knight?"

Garus's mind raced, and through the knowledge passed down in the Dragon Clan, he determined the other party's core profession.

This is a wandering knight, but no ordinary forest hunter.

He chose the extremely rare and uncommon [Border Walker] path, which has a very high barrier to entry. It requires outstanding talent in spatial manipulation and mastery of powerful and troublesome skills such as teleportation, banishment, and even spatial movement.

In the past...

Dealing with such an agile borderwalker, especially when the opponent is focused on hit-and-run tactics, Garus, who lacks effective means of perception and targeting, might find it somewhat difficult.

However, he never stopped trying to make up for his own shortcomings and weaknesses.

Things are very different now!

Red Iron Dragon's eyes were sharp as blades, and its black and red dragon aura surged and rose like boiling magma.

In an instant, the powerful dragon energy rapidly condensed and shaped on his already heavy and huge head, eventually transforming into a dragon energy helmet with sharp edges, covered with dark thorns, yet perfectly conforming to the contours of his head.

The helmet almost completely covered his face, revealing only a pair of increasingly deep, indifferent black eyes.

This is the key skill that Garos mastered when he reached level 6 in the Path of Dragon Aura.

My face is like a star.

— By harnessing dragon energy, one can create a unique helmet or mask, its appearance born from the heart. It not only possesses powerful defensive capabilities but also grants the wearer extraordinary insight and perception.

The moment Garos put on the dragon helmet, the world before his eyes changed drastically.

All the colors became extremely vibrant: the red was dazzling, the black was deep, the yellow was radiant... Countless patches of color intertwined yet remained distinct, and the surrounding world seemed to have transformed into an abstract oil painting with rich colors and clear lines.

And within this eerily vibrant field of vision.

Without turning its enormous head or even opening its physical dragon eyes, Garus could "see" everything around it from a 360-degree angle, with itself as the center.

A full-field view is one of the basic effects brought by Star Appearance.

"Little one, what are you expecting?"

Red Iron Dragon's gaze was deep and unfathomable, instantly locking onto a semi-transparent, constantly distorting and fluctuating area of ​​color.

Inside, a clear human silhouette is attempting to conceal itself.

Just as the opponent completed the spatial jump and his figure was about to solidify, Garos suddenly turned around, and his four giant arms covered with surging dragon energy stirred up a sky full of afterimages as he launched a sweeping attack.

Level 6 Dragon Qi Circulation!

Star Arm! Claw Strike Mastery!

In an instant, the Red Iron Dragon entered a ferocious battle stance with almost no reservations.

With its power, speed, and accuracy surging once again, the attacks from the four dragon arms transformed into a destructive storm, completely engulfing all the space where the Flower Knight could possibly dodge!

In Charles Hines's perception.

He had just used a higher-level spatial walk than Blink Strike, attempting to hide in the gap between the ethereal plane and the material plane to temporarily avoid the desperate, continuous onslaught.

However, a chilling, icy sensation gripped his heart.

It was as if a pair of indifferent, all-seeing eyes had pierced through layers of spatial barriers and locked onto him firmly.

boom!

The dragon's arm, imbued with terrifying power, slammed fiercely onto the spatial node where he was hiding. Although it failed to tear space apart directly, the extremely vigorous and condensed energy caused intense compression and tremors in the relatively fragile and easily affected spatial gaps.

If they forcibly remain, they will suffer a terrible backlash from the spatial energy.

Left with no other choice, the Flower Knight had to forcibly interrupt his skill and was forced out of the spatial rift in a sorry state.

The only saving grace was that this risky move ultimately bought him a very brief but invaluable respite.

As soon as he appeared, he immediately raised his hand and pointed at the red iron dragon.

Banishment – ​​Forces a target back to its original plane. If the target is already in its primary plane, it is randomly banished to an area where it usually resides.

In an instant.

The space around Galos was filled with an extremely strong repulsive force and a sense of distortion, attempting to erase him from this place and throw him into an unknown land.

Although the banishment ultimately failed due to the sheer size and power of the Red Iron Dragon, the powerful spatial disturbance still managed to delay his movements for a moment.

It was this precious moment that saved the Flower Knight from being instantly killed the moment he emerged from the spatial rift.

at the same time.

The Flower Knight suddenly raised the cross sword in his hand, and the blade spewed out a nearly ten-meter-long, condensed energy beam! He swung this huge lightsaber and fiercely met the ferocious dragon arm that was closing in.

Clang!

The cross-shaped sword clashed violently with the dragon's arm, the ear-piercing sound accompanied by a burst of dazzling sparks.

The blade, possessing extremely sharp characteristics and capable of slicing through blocks of refined steel, could hardly sever a dragon's arm, let alone leave a deep enough wound to expose bone. After barely breaking through the incredibly hard scales of the Red Iron Dragon, it seemed to sink into a sticky, tough gel, with most of its power being forcibly neutralized and absorbed, ultimately becoming stuck firmly within its strong muscles.

The effects of Galos's training are evident here.

The Serpent Sword Saint's countless fierce strikes in the past had long since adapted to and honed his body into an astonishing resistance to sharp weapon strikes.

The Flower Knight's life strength may not be higher than that of the Wolf General Rhodes, but the level of his magical energy is far beyond ordinary. The instantaneous explosive power contained in his attacks even surpasses that of a level 16 Snake-Man Sword Saint. In addition, his reaction speed is extremely fast and his movements are even more agile. This is why he has been able to barely hold on until now in the destructive storm formed by those four dragon arms. He is indeed extraordinary.

However, the giant arm of the red iron dragon suddenly trembled.

An overwhelming, pure, and terrifying brute force surged along the sword like a tidal wave.

Clang!

The cross-shaped sword trembled violently and hummed under the strain, instantly slipping from the Flower Knight's hand and flying away.

But just as the sword was about to fly out of his hand, it turned into a phantom and returned in an instant, gripping tightly in Charles's hand.

Weapon linkage.

—Establish a deep connection with a weapon. As long as the weapon and the user are in the same space, the weapon will never be disarmed or knocked away. It can be recalled instantly with a thought.

at the same time.

As the Flower Knight swung his sword again, several other sharp ice swords, entirely composed of ice energy, materialized out of thin air and joined the Cross Sword in slashing at the Red Iron Dragon's attack.

A transparent shield shimmering with arcane light instantly appeared, clinging to his body.

He did not chant any incantations, but the ice sword and shield were instantly formed in magical form.

This is a fighting style that perfectly combines the magical powers of the Evocation and Protection schools with the warrior's combat skills.

—An advanced branch of the Warrior path, the signature combat style of the [Arcane Knight].

Clearly, this Flower Knight has simultaneously mastered both the rare and powerful professions of [Border Walker] and [Arcane Knight].

Both types require extremely high levels of talent.

Once they achieve something, they often gain a huge advantage over others in the same category.

However, the cross sword that returned to his hand in that instant could not change the absolute disadvantage in the battle.

Despite his brilliant mastery of two rare paths, he could not reverse his predicament in the face of the Red Iron Dragon's absolute power.

Click! Click!

Swords of icy energy struck the dragon's arm like glass hitting an iron mountain, shattering into pieces and leaving only a few insignificant white scratches on Garos's dark dragon scales.

Faced with the terrifying giant claws that were grabbing at him again, the Flower Knight had no choice but to activate Blink Strike for the fourth time. With a flash of silver light, he appeared ten meters away.

However, forcibly activating spatial skills so frequently in a short period of time puts a huge strain on his body and mind.

This time, before his true form had fully materialized, a very subtle, almost imperceptible ripple of spatial fluctuation appeared at the point where he flashed.

Red Iron Dragon's gaze was deep and unfathomable. With the extraordinary insight and perception brought by Star I's Appearance, this tiny flaw was instantly magnified and clearly captured.

We've got him!

His dragon tail suddenly erupted at that moment, tearing through the air at a speed exceeding the speed of sound, striking with perfect precision at the predetermined location from which the wave emanated.

The moment the Flower Knight's figure solidified, his vision was completely filled with a terrifying dragon tail covered in hard scales and incredibly thick.

Thud! Thud! Thud!

The newly formed arcane shields and protective seals shattered instantly before this absolute power, like eggshells struck by a heavy hammer.

Clang!

The cross-shaped sword, which had been attempting to intercept the attack, was once again smashed away and flew out of his hand.

"puff--!"

A mouthful of scalding blood mixed with fragments of internal organs gushed out of Charles's mouth. He felt as if he had been hit head-on by a high-speed moving mountain. His bones groaned under the strain, and he was like a kite with a broken string, being uncontrollably pulled into the sky.

Only then did the sonic boom produced by the dragon's tail tearing through the air, like a belated death knell, roll in with a dull thud.

Indeed, the Flower Knight's teleportation and spatial abilities grant him exceptional agility, while the Arcane Knight path makes his attack and defense quite comprehensive.

However, given the vast differences in race, size, absolute strength, and defense between the two sides, if he makes even one mistake or reveals a weakness, the battle will end in an instant.

The red iron dragon calmly raised one of its giant claws and clenched it in mid-air.

He held that tiny, bloodstained human firmly in his claws.

Then, the dragon helmet dissipated, and his huge, majestic dragon head lowered slightly, his indifferent gaze quietly examining the prey with a faint breath in his claws.

To be honest, this human's performance exceeded Galos's initial expectations.

He struck first, activating his high-energy state to launch a surprise attack, expecting to end the battle cleanly in two or three seconds. However, the human managed to hold out for much longer thanks to his inherent strengths and advantages.

If it were any other dragon of the same level as Garus...

Anyone lacking in perception, defense, or absolute power, unlike him who is strong in all aspects without any weaknesses, would probably find it difficult to deal with this extraordinary human, and would even have a high probability of being suppressed and defeated by him.

The fact that he can simultaneously master both the highly difficult paths of [Arcane Knight] and [Border Walker] is enough to prove his exceptional talent.

To achieve this level of skill with a human body at such a young age is truly remarkable; he is an exceptional human genius with legendary potential.

Unfortunately, he encountered Galus today.

"Humanity, as you wish."

"Now, we can talk calmly."

Looking at the Flower Knight, covered in blood and barely breathing, in his claws, the Red Iron Dragon slowly spoke, giving the Flower Knight a chance to talk.

"Please, please stop the war first."

The Flower Knight seemed unaware that his life or death was in the hands of the Red Iron Dragon. Instead of humbly pleading, he tilted his head slightly, looked at the almost one-sided battlefield outside the hill, and whispered his request.

After saying that.

Unable to withstand the severe injuries any longer, his vision went black, his head lolled to the side, and he promptly and cleanly passed out.

(End of this chapter)