[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-ember-dragon":3,"chapter-ember-dragon-ember-dragon-chapter-33":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"english","Ember Dragon",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":20,"prevChapterSlug":21,"totalChapters":22,"novelImage":23},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":16,"volume":17,"translator":18,"content_hash":19},1161849,1504,"Chapter 33: Northern Wind's Eagle Guard (Part Four)","ember-dragon-chapter-33",33,"\u003Cp>Alger dove rapidly, planning to leverage the red dragon’s massive, unwieldy size to bypass its side and strike from a blind spot at the rear.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Strike first, gain the upper hand.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cassius’s slit-pupil eyes glowed with violet arcane light, instantly discerning Alger’s flight path. His powerful claws followed the trajectory and struck.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Igor!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Alger squeezed his legs tightly around his giant eagle, jerking the reins to sharply veer right, executing a course change mid-dive to barely evade the swipe.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Whoosh—”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The sound of the air being sliced came from behind.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Alger guided his eagle to the side, brow furrowed, heart pounding in his chest.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Looking back, he could still see the few surviving Eagle Guards, just within sight, pursued by roaring wyverns.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“At the very least, I have to hold out until they escape completely.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Alger muttered to himself.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It felt as if he’d taken a lap around Death’s doorstep.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The creature before him was uncannily agile—nothing like an ordinary red dragon. It could even sense his attack vectors, making typical feints and harassment tactics ineffective.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cassius, meanwhile, was intrigued by this agile eagle knight.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Annoying, like a fly.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“But they’d make for quite a formidable unit.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He watched the eagle flying in tight circles, releasing a breath of sulfur-scented heat.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Alger continued his circular maneuver, searching for an opening in the dragon’s defenses until he identified a blind spot.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“There it is!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Once again, he dove headlong, unwavering.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gripping his silver sword, Alger slashed toward the dragon’s body with all the momentum of his dive.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Clang—”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not only did he fail to injure the dragon, but the impact left his arms numb.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The struck scale gleamed with a metallic golden sheen, as if he’d struck solid metal.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\" Body of Storm’s Resonance!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cassius let out a slight hiss, and a surge of lightning flickered across his claws, quickly spreading across his body.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Alger immediately retracted his sword, but the electricity traveled down the silver blade, shocking both him and his eagle.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A sharp screech echoed as the eagle’s feathers flared, standing upright, arcs of electricity surrounding its body. Pain shot through it, leaving it paralyzed and weak.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“A red dragon, yet… how could it…?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Although Alger’s physique was resilient, the surge of electricity still brought intense pain, though it wasn’t enough to incapacitate him completely.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He barely managed to control his eagle, maintaining balance to prevent a crash. However, each wing beat triggered crackling sparks, forcing him to glide at a low speed with minimal movement.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“A spellcaster!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This red dragon was a spellcaster!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And this lightning wasn’t innate but learned magic!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Alger cursed inwardly; facing a dragon mage or dragon sorcerer was the worst possible scenario.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He looked back to see the red dragon grinning, teeth exposed, its golden eyes gleaming ominously.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His instincts screamed danger, and he tried to close his eyes, but it was too late.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Spectral Bind!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A heavy, searing-hot iron chain coiled around Alger.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He wanted to believe it was an illusion, yet the scorching pain was undeniably real, nearly impossible to resist without dedicated training.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The more the target believed in the illusion, the more vivid and convincing it became.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now, in Alger’s vision, his body bore charred, blistered wounds from the fiery chains.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Both he and his eagle spiraled downwards, dragged by the chain’s weight.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“No! No!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“This isn’t real!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I haven’t avenged my family yet… I can’t…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Die here!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Alger let out a hoarse, defiant shout.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Summoning his willpower, he forced himself to shut his eyes, relying on his sense of airflow to guide the eagle into a gliding maneuver, overcoming the spell’s grip by sheer determination.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When he opened his eyes again, everything had vanished—the chains, the flames, the wounds.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even Cassius, high above, seemed momentarily impressed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Impressive—evading a fully effective spell. Truly the Northern Wind’s Captain.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This remarkable feat jogged Cassius’s memory of the eagle knight’s reputation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Alger Yeoman, the infamous Gatekeeper boss in his past life, known as the “Eagle’s Claw” and “The Razor of Lackman,” Captain of the Northern Wind’s Eagle Guard.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had led countless hunts against tieflings under Duke Brad, gaining notoriety as a merciless executioner, destined to become a death knight in the future.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Alger had lost his parents as a child and, under Brad’s manipulation, grew up believing they were sacrificed by tieflings to devils, becoming the Lackman family’s most loyal warrior and instigating the horrific “Tiefling Camp Massacre.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But when Alger approached the truth behind his parents’ deaths, his once-revered Duke transformed him into a mindless death knight, leaving him to eternally wander the Duke’s grounds atop a skeletal eagle.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With this knowledge, Cassius resolved to spare Alger.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not out of mercy, but as a strategic play for his plans to seize Northwind Fortress. To Cassius, goblins and kobolds were expendable; losing a few was inconsequential.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet, someone like Alger, a devoted member of the Duke’s guard and an elite eagle knight, could yield immense value in his scheme.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The red dragon swooped down, reaching the slowly gliding eagle knight from behind.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Before Alger could react, Cassius cast twin spells simultaneously, targeting both knight and mount.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Sleep Spell!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A flash of magical light enveloped them, and the exhausted knight and his eagle succumbed to a deep slumber, drifting down until Cassius’s powerful claws caught them mid-air.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ordinarily, Alger’s strength would have made him immune to sleep spells, but after the grueling battle, he was drained and unable to resist.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“So, you resisted an illusion…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“But can you resist physical control?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With a dismissive smirk, Cassius tossed them to the ground.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Due to your strength and the enemy’s “sleep” status, you gain access to the following details.]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>【Northern Wind Eagle Guard Captain】\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Name: Alger Yeoman\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Type: Medium Humanoid (Human), Lawful Neutral\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>AC: 18 (Mastercrafted Plate Armor)\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Speed: Flying 90 ft, Walking 30 ft\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Strength – 17\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Dexterity – 16\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Constitution – 14\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Intelligence – 11\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wisdom – 13\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Charisma – 12\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Class Level: Fighter (Eagle Knight) Level 8\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Mount: Anzeta Subspecies Giant Eagle (Level 4)\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Martial Weapons: Longsword, Shortsword, Greatsword, Longbow, Heavy Crossbow, Lance\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Simple Weapons: Dagger, Shortbow, Light Crossbow\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Proficiencies: Riding +14, Military Strategy +9, Hunting +7, Athletics +6, Perception +4, Leadership +4, Survival +4, Investigation +2, Tracking +4, Stealth +4\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Passive Perception: 14\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Languages: Common\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Actions: Group Attack, Commander’s Strike, Diving Attack, Aerial Brake, Quick Turn, Slash, Pierce, Rapid Strike, Second Wind\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Feats: Alertness, Follow Through, Great Weapon Master, Heavy Armor Use, Riding Expert, Flight Mastery\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Combat Equipment: Eagle’s Cry Silver Sword, Lackman Standard Plate Armor, Eagle Guard Cloak\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Challenge Rating: 9 (5,000 XP)\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Quite the impressive stats.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cassius clicked his tongue in admiration.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In principle, death knights are traditionally transformed paladins—but for this setup, let’s not worry about that too much.\u003C\u002Fp>",1121,"2026-06-03T12:47:02.671Z","2026-06-03T12:47:06.781Z",1,"novelbin.me","ed1792385b50ba6c91b444a0733675ef08dbed8f15adf91d33fada3a532bc418","ember-dragon-chapter-34","ember-dragon-chapter-32",603,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fember-dragon-cover.jpg"]