Chapter 147: The Vanguard of Twenty Years Ago

The magnificent silver dragon suddenly appeared, defeated the evil monster, and rescued the helpless Niksalan refugees.

In the eyes of those Niksalan, events unfolded just like that.

While Naimi Xisi dealt with a corrupted wyvern, the refugees' leader—Walo Sang—looked at the dragon with excitement in his eyes.

"The power of Divine Spell is the power of the god of knowledge Ougma!"

Naimi Xisi was drawn by the voice, curious that someone on this new continent knew Ougma's divine name.

He looked over and saw a middle‑aged man with dark‑brown hair and a messy beard; his skin, though also dark, was clearly sun‑tanned, unlike the naturally yellow‑black complexion of the surrounding Niksalan people.

"May I ask, great dragon, are you from the Feren Continent?"

The man asked him with a trembling yet hopeful voice, but opposite him, a Niksalan girl of about twenty stood beside him, her expression dim, gripping his hand tightly, eyes pleading at the dragon.

The dragon, dragging its massive body like a mountain, stepped forward until it stood before them and lowered its head; its deep violet eyes fixed on the man and scanned him.

"Frelen person? How did you come to this continent?" Naimi Xisi asked, puzzled.

Indeed, the man before them was a pure human from Frelen.

"I... I was originally a noble from Deepwater City, named Walo Sang·Wood. Twenty years ago, I set sail and was captured by a band of pirates."

"The pirate leader said they were searching for a new continent, and I was left on the ship as a laborer. I thought I was doomed, but unexpectedly we actually arrived at this new continent called Maztek."

"Later..." The man turned his head toward the girl, a hint of conflict flashing in his eyes.

"I seized the chance to escape from those pirates, met Mai Ti Ti Si, and she took me in; I have settled here ever since."

Naimi Xisi asked again, "Then why did so many of you come here?"

Walo Sang explained further, and Naimi Xisi realized that not far away, the Hu Ake Li Alliance and the northeastern Kurtaka Kingdom had gone to war.

Although both sides were Niksalan, the warlike trait hidden in their blood made them strike mercilessly even against their own kin.

As for the refugees before them, they had fled the Hu Ake Li Alliance, a temporary coalition of six city‑states that had built pyramids, formed to counter the Kurtaka Kingdom.

But the Hu Ake Li Alliance was far weaker than the kingdom, so it began conscripting armies within its borders and brutally exploiting peasants; these hundreds of refugees were people who could not survive under the Alliance and sought to escape.

Walo Sang's words made Naimi Xisi think that these Niksalan not only looked like humans but also behaved like them.

Perhaps both share the same origin, differing only in skin tone.

In comparison, the Pai Te are much farther from humans; although their appearance is similar, the Pai Te resemble dwarves more.

Encountering someone who seemed to be from his homeland—even a legendary dragon—filled Walo Sang with excitement; he steeled himself and asked through clenched teeth, "May I still have a chance to return to Frelen?"

The moment he finished speaking, the girl beside him turned pale, looking at Walo Sang with sorrow, her grip on his hand tightening.

Naimi Xisi sneered, "Go back? Why go back?" Seeing the other's confusion, Naimi Xisi burst into laughter.

"You don't know yet, do you? Frelen's colonial forces have already landed in the southeastern bay of the Maztek continent."

"From now on, the Age of Sword Bay will be the era of expeditions to Maztek; countless noble houses scramble in vain for a slot from the Golden Legion, and yet you have already secured a foothold here and still wish to return?"

Walo Sang stared in astonishment; he hadn't expected Frelen people to have already arrived in Maztek.

But the colonists

As if thinking of the natives' future, Walo Sang's expression did not become excited but grew somewhat worried.

The girl beside him noticed his worry and asked softly, "What's wrong, my love?"

Naimi Xisi's gaze was filled with pity, as if looking at a lamb awaiting slaughter.

"Am's army will tread across the entire Maztek continent, conquering every ancient kingdom in its path. If your shamans are as weak as that otter, I suggest you kneel and submit now; you may secure a better outcome."

The dragon's words carried a chill like wind sweeping off a glacier, so cold that Mai Ti Ti Si felt as if she were falling into an icy hell.

"Is what he said true, Walo Sang?" Mai Ti Ti Si hurriedly nudged Walo Sang's shoulder, trying to get a negative answer.

But Walo Sang did not refute; as a noble from Deepwater City, he knew all too well the power of the Am Empire, having lived here for twenty years, and as a level‑10 Warrior, he also understood how feeble the new continent's profession system was.

!

"No, wait, the gods! The deities of Maztek will not stand by idly!" Mai Ti Ti Si seemed to recall something and hurriedly said.

The dragon's chest emitted a deep, thunder‑like laugh, as if it had heard a cosmic joke, causing Mai Ti Ti Si to clench her fist in anger and roar, "What's wrong! Am I wrong!"

"Your god? Little girl, your god has already abandoned you. At least the Pai Te deities act that way; I hope your Niksalan deities have a bit more backbone," Naimi Xisi said regretfully.

Mai Ti Ti Si froze for a moment, lost all strength, and plummeted to the ground.

"So... where can we go? My love? Should we return to that cruel nation that mistreated us, to tell our compatriots that a greater danger approaches?"

Mai Ti Ti Si stared blankly at Walo Sang; she had already envisioned a blissful life for the two of them after finding a utopia, unwilling to return to that land of sorrow.

Yet she did not wish to place her own happiness above the lives of her compatriots.

Niksalan will never submit, for belligerence is etched into their bones, and even their god—the God of Water and Fire—regularly demands blood sacrifices from its followers.

Should they encounter the Am Empire, a cataclysmic war is destined to erupt, lasting until one side is annihilated.

"You still have one choice," the mighty dragon said.

"Submit to me. I still need a few workers to build a Mage Tower for me, become my Dependents. I can guarantee that neither the Golden Legion nor the Niksalan kingdoms will be able to threaten you again."

Mai Ti Ti Si looked up at him, then stared blankly down again, "How could such a thing be possible?"

The girl had never heard of dragons nor witnessed their power; in her heart, she never believed any existing force could oppose the Niksalan.

(End of Chapter)