Chapter 93: Air vs. Ground: The Importance of Air Superiority

The night sky was dyed red by flames.

Luo Si’s wings churned behind him with torrents of superheated flame, carving crimson, starlike trails across the heavens; sparks from the fine scales on his wings danced around him like a rain of stars.

He hovered briefly.

The flame streams at the tips of his wings slowly faded, his body suspended high above, looking down upon the ogre territory.

When the flames and shockwaves gradually dispersed,

a devastated, charred, shattered landscape was revealed.

The ogre territory looked as if it had been bombarded—ground pockmarked with dense, horrifying craters, fissures branching like tree roots radiating outward, as if the entire surface teetered on the brink of collapse.

One by one, ogre warriors, faces caked in ash and smoke-scorched, rose to their feet.

Their injuries were light, for the explosions rarely struck them directly; most landed on the ground nearby, and though the ensuing flames and shockwaves were fierce, they were not enough to seriously wound elite ogre warriors.

The gluttonous ogre Karu also stood up.

He stepped out from the ruins of his collapsed throne.

His iron-forged, muscular body bore only minor wounds; the scattered explosive scales that hadn’t struck him directly had inflicted little damage.

“Ogres, you invaded my territory and defied my authority.”

Luo Si’s dragon pupils narrowed, revealing a dangerous gaze.

“That attack was merely a warning.”

“Kneel before me, submit to me, and I shall forgive your insolence—granting you the chance to become my vassals. Or, you shall scream in flames and turn to ash.”

The dragon’s thunderous voice echoed from the sky, reaching the ogres’ ears.

Ordinary ogres exchanged uneasy glances, their eyes shrinking with fear, still haunted by the bombardment—they found the dragon terrifying.

The elite warriors and sorcerers surrounding Gluttonous Ogre Karu,

however, showed no fear—only fixed their gaze on their towering, powerful leader.

Karu slapped the ash from his body and growled gruffly: “Your attack didn’t even make me feel pain. The Bone-Chewer Clan will never bow to a weak dragon.”

Luo Si’s eyes narrowed slightly, his wings lifting again.

“You still don’t understand the meaning of a warning.”

As he spoke, his wings slammed down—dark crimson flame erupted from his crystalline bone tips like a volcanic blast.

The Crimson Dragon’s body carved a crimson arc through the night sky, diving straight toward the Bone-Chewer Clan.

This time, the ogres were prepared.

Elite warriors grabbed nearby boulders or gripped spears and drew their powerful bows, launching ground-to-air counterattacks.

Boulders, spears, and crossbow bolts soared through the air, hurled and shot toward Luo Si.

The two-headed ogre sorcerer, gifted with dual spellcasting, chanted two different incantations simultaneously, weaving two distinct spells.

From his left mouth, a gray-black mist exhaled, coalescing into an ominous sigil before vanishing into the air; his right arm raised, crackling with lightning that gathered at his fingertip and shot forth.

Weakening Curse!

Chain Lightning!

The curse locked onto Luo Si through sight, coating his scales in a dull gray glow—but the glow vanished instantly, dissolving away.

Dragons naturally possess strong curse resistance.

Luo Si had also adapted to the Fire Curse of the Cliff Serpent Dragon, greatly enhancing his curse resistance—he now outright immune to ordinary curses.

Watching the boulders, spears, and bolts,

Luo Si casually flicked his wings—flame roared as his body pivoted midair in a near-ninety-degree turn, evading every projectile; even the fastest Chain Lightning could only chase behind, never touching him.

“Get down here!”

Gluttonous Ogre Karu roared, muscles bulging as he hurled a massive metal warhammer like a cannonball toward Luo Si.

Luo Si spread his wings, sidestepping effortlessly.

Though his body was powerful and seemed built for strength, the evolution of his Celestial Comet Wings had made his mobility surpass his power.

Air versus ground.

And with terrifying speed and burst acceleration.

Luo Si held absolute superiority.

In an instant,

he swept across the sky and dove again over the Bone-Chewer Clan.

Shhh-shhh-shhh!

The second wave of explosive scales was denser.

The scales, glowing like molten iron and searing hot, tore through the air with piercing shrieks, falling once more upon the ogres.

This time, the ogres displayed astonishing tactical discipline.

With a Gluttonous Ogre among them, though the warriors remained intellectually crude, they had been awakened by their leader’s aura—tactical understanding came instinctively, surging rapidly.

Elite warriors swiftly formed a circular defensive formation.

They locked their steel-reinforced heavy shields together, constructing a metallic dome above their heads.

Explosive scales slammed into the shields with deafening roars, flames surging, shockwaves blasting the outermost warriors until they spat blood from nose and mouth—but the formation held firm.

At the center stood the ogre sorcerers.

They cast buff spells, further amplifying the warriors’ strength and defense.

“First caught off guard, now they respond swiftly—this clan’s ogres are utterly different from ordinary ones. Look at their gear, suited to their size—there must be alchemists among them. Otherwise, though raw metal ores abound in the wild, without alchemists, crafting weapons and armor would be impossible.”

Luo Si grew even more interested in the Bone-Chewer Clan.

Of course, the main attraction was still the Gluttonous Ogre.

All of this clan’s transformations stemmed from the Gluttonous Ogre’s emergence.

Karu’s response to the explosive scales was even easier—almost grotesque.

He opened his massive maw and sucked in deeply.

A gale surged, swallowing every incoming dragon scale!

Boom-boom-boom!

Muffled explosions echoed from his stomach, his belly swelling and contracting repeatedly—until Karu let out a series of sulfur-scented belches, having fully digested the flames and shockwaves.

“Not enough, little dragon!”

Karu slapped his bloated belly, thudding loudly.

Having successfully countered Luo Si’s second wave, his confidence soared—he now thought Luo Si was nothing special.

Luo Si’s expression remained unchanged; he merely turned and dove again.

Boom-boom-boom!

The third wave of explosive scales struck, shaking the defensive formation to its core—ogre warriors trembled violently, skin cracking, blood seeping from wounds, mouths and noses spouting blood; the sorcerers’ healing and buff spells couldn’t keep pace with the relentless barrage.

Before they could catch their breath,

the fourth and fifth waves descended, one after another, as Luo Si soared and dove again.

Explosions rose in a continuous roar, flames bursting skyward like thunderclaps erupting from the earth, like miniature suns rising across the ground.

The Bone-Chewer Clan lacked effective ground-to-air countermeasures—forced to endure passive bombardment.

Since his goal was subjugation, not annihilation, Luo Si controlled the number of explosive scales—keeping the bombardment from being overly destructive.

But even so,

by the seventh wave,

many ogre warriors bled from all seven orifices, arms shattered, unable to hold on—flung away, the formation shattered. The ogre sorcerers at the center didn’t even need further attacks—they had drained their spirit and mana, collapsing like mud.

Gluttonous Ogre Karu’s belly was swollen round.

Having swallowed too many explosions, he had reached his limit.

When the seventh wave came, he no longer swallowed the scales—his slowed movements couldn’t dodge them—he could only endure the impact with his body. His tower-like frame was now speared with sharp, broken scales, skin split open, covered in charred black marks.

(End of Chapter)