Chapter 442: The Legion Arrives

The ship drifted slowly into the harbor, docking at a berth.

The dock of Dragon Crystal Island beneath the cliff is not a bustling port; passing ships sail past the island's two sides but never berth, leaving most of the dozen or so berths empty, just right for the trans‑sea fleet to dock.

Ai Mi Li Si leapt down from the deck, "Lei En, have you taken the castle?"

"Fortunately, I have not failed my duty," Lei En replied with a smile. "Luosi Bi is already dead; Dragon Crystal Island is awaiting its true master's return."

Even though Ai Mi Li Si had anticipated it, with Lei En, Asitan, and the three great dragons, seizing Dragon Crystal Island was not difficult, yet hearing Lei En's confirmation still set her heart racing.

The island meant far too much to her!

"Lord Count, thank you for your effort," Waluogen said as he disembarked, bowing to Lei En.

Capturing Dragon Crystal Island is equivalent to establishing a bridgehead in Kangjiatuo, the first and most crucial battle of the restoration war.

Moreover, Lei En seized Dragon Crystal Castle in just a few minutes; the fleet slipped into the dock without the news spreading.

Dragon Crystal Island is under King Ma Erke's control, while the Black Wind River Bay dozens of miles across the sea belongs to the Feishe family, a rival faction that had just fought a months‑long civil war; as long as the Feishe family does not immediately notice the island's change, the army gains time.

In just two days, Waluogen is confident he can firmly plant his feet on Dragon Crystal Island.

Amid the cold wind, squads of centaurs and supernatural mercenaries disembarked, quickly filling the modest dock; between the cliff‑side dock and Dragon Crystal Castle they built a narrow stairway that rose with the island's slope up to the castle's main gate.

The mercenaries and centaurs sprinted up, taking positions at the castle's various outposts.

Afterwards, Ai Mi Li Si was ushered into the castle amid a crowd.

She stopped beneath the gate, lifted her gaze to the towering Bahamut statue atop the main keep, her eyes devout and excited, then turned to the ordinary people driven onto the open ground—most island residents conscripted to serve the legion within the castle.

Amid the people's fearful stares, Ai Mi Li Si stepped onto the steps before the main hall, looking down from above, and proclaimed loudly, "My name is Ai Mi Li Si * Zhuogengbao. This island, and this castle, belong to me. I now declare they return to the Zhuogengbao family's hands; you are my subjects and must pledge loyalty to me."

Those few short words stirred a wave of uproar among the crowd.

"Zhuogengbao family!"

"She's a dragon‑born?" someone recalled the rumors, shouting, "Has the Zhuogengbao lord returned?"

"I heard dragon‑born look like great dragons; this lady looks much like us…"

The island's residents whispered, and when Ai Mi Li Si heard the doubt, she let out a cold snort; instantly her pupils elongated, a pair of backward‑swept red dragon horns sprouted on her forehead, and a terrifying dragon aura radiated from her.

"Great dragon!"

"It's truly a dragon‑born!"

The crowd screamed incessantly; they were ordinary folk, unable to withstand the dragon aura's intimidation, fleeing in terror, some even wetting themselves on the spot.

Not only them, the supernatural mercenaries and centaurs guarding the perimeter also felt the apostle of the dragon‑born's renown for the first time, recoiling in fear.

Ai Mi Li Si deliberately controlled the dragon aura, releasing it only for a few seconds before withdrawing it.

With the dragon aura and draconic appearance, no one doubted her identity any longer.

The Zhuogengbao family has ruled Kangjiatuo for over three thousand years; Dragon Crystal Island has been a dragon‑born domain for generations, its residents still worship the Dragon God, and someone immediately knelt, shouting, "May the Dragon God protect us; we pledge loyalty to the dragon‑born family."

With a few leaders stepping forward, others quickly followed suit.

Surrounded by so many fierce supernatural beings and centaurs, these ordinary men and women, fearing for their lives, never considered resistance and swore in the Dragon God's name, once again becoming subjects of the Zhuogengbao family.

Lei En's soul eye watched the crowd.

The few who led clearly weren't truly loyal to the dragon‑born family, but saw an opportunistic chance to cling.

But this is normal; whether in the Empire or Kangjiatuo, wars among rulers rarely involve ordinary people.

They have never spoken of loyalty, only survival.

Just as in past decades they pledged to the Laobodi Er family, there was no difference.

But that is enough.

Ai Mi Li Si's mouth curled slightly upward.

Dragon Crystal Island's residents are few, only ten‑thousand‑plus, and those who can enter Dragon Crystal Castle hold higher status among the subjects; controlling them essentially secures the island.

The subjects have two villages on the island, located on the opposite side of Dragon Crystal Island.

To show goodwill, Ai Mi Li Si decided to visit the two villages herself and personally escort the over two hundred people back, announcing the Zhuogengbao family's return.

Of course, she also sent forces to seize the two places to prevent leaks.

Lei En did not follow; he watched Ai Mi Li Si lead the crowd out of the castle in grandeur, then entered the main keep, toured up and down, and finally returned to the lowest hall of the keep.

"Move the supplies here."

At Lei En's command, a squad of mercenaries hurriedly fetched several large crates from the ship.

Inside the crates were mithril plates for a teleportation array; Ai Mi Li Si had prepared the materials months earlier, crafted them herself, and shipped them to the island aboard the vessel.

The Dragon Crystal Castle's main hall spans over a thousand square meters; a dome ten‑plus meters high is supported by square stone pillars, and upon entering the main gate one immediately sees a massive throne carved from a single block of black crystal, shaped like a recumbent great dragon, exuding authority and age.

It is the dragon throne of the Dragon Crystal Island lord; the Zhuogengbao ancestors sat upon it, commanding their armies and conquering Kangjiatuo.

While the mercenaries cleared corpses from the hall, Lei En stood on the steps before the dragon throne, lost in thought.

The throne holds no magic, merely a piece of obsidian, yet what it symbolizes is countless.

Power! Territory! Strength!

In Kangjiatuo's capital Jin Silan stands an even more famed Iron Throne, forged from thousands of swords taken from enemies slain by the dragon‑born family, a tangle of steel thorns; that is Ai Mi Li Si's target, though currently it is occupied by Ma Erke*Laobodi Er.

Lei En shook his head; once the hall was cleared, he began setting up the teleportation array.

He already has ample experience in this.

Hundreds of mithril plates, each labeled with a serial number, were assembled by Lei En with practiced ease, taking only half a day to piece together before he began calibrating.

This required additional time.

At dusk Ai Mi Li Si returned. From her expression, it was clear without question that subduing the island's residents had gone smoothly; the island finally returned to the Zhuogengbao family's name.

Ai Mi Li Si assisted Lei En in calibrating the array, but her attention was quickly drawn to the dragon throne.

Then, under the gazes of Waluogen, Asitan, Ding Laji, numerous mercenary captains, the four great dragons, and centaur chieftain Na Ha Qi, Ai Mi Li Si slowly ascended the steps, turned, and without hesitation sat down.

At that moment, everyone's expression was intense.

It seemed like a rehearsal for Ai Mi Li Si's ascent to the Iron Throne.

Lei En, who was concentrating on calibrating the teleportation array, glanced at Ai Mi Li Si and continued with his own tasks.

After a night passed and dawn lightened, no one left the hall. When the last mithril plate etched with mysterious runes gradually lit up, after repeating it several times, Lei En nodded.

"It's ready."

Lei En took out twenty‑four Arcane Crystals, set them into the edge slots, and then activated the teleportation array.

Massive energy streamed from the crystals, activating every pattern and rune; with a hum, the array trembled lightly, the space above warped, forming an energy vortex.

Lei En kept the array running, feeding the pre‑prepared spacetime coordinates through his soul power.

The coordinates were not for Ge La Mo Gen Cheng Bao, but for Weizelan's Fu Kong Cheng.

A few seconds later, the coordinates linked successfully.

Boom!

Amid the thunderous boom, a towering light gate opened at the vortex's core, and faintly one could see another hall opposite, with many silhouettes already waiting.

When the light gate steadied, figures immediately stepped out.

Leading them was a high‑elf‑looking Wizard in an ornate enchanted robe, a crystal‑like red staff at his waist, narrow eyes and a stern face—one of Weizelan's Speakers, the nineteenth‑level Wizard Kelaoaosi!

Directly behind Kelaoaosi was the youthful‑looking yet white‑haired Speaker Kai De Jia.

The appearance of these two Legendary High‑rank casters instantly turned the faces of most uninformed onlookers in the hall, especially the mercenaries, who were unaware of Ai Mi Li Si's cooperation with Weizelan.

"Speaker Lei En." The two Speakers approached to greet.

Lei En nodded in return, smiling, "Speaker Kelaoaosi, Speaker Kai De Jia, sorry to keep you waiting."

Ai Mi Li Si, accompanied by her subordinates, stepped forward and bowed, "Welcome, Speakers, to Dragon Crystal Castle. Apologies for the months‑long delay, which cost you your time." It was her first time meeting the two Weizelan Speakers, and she felt uneasy; the others looked reverently.

Kelaoaosi surveyed her, a hint of eagerness in his eyes.

Ai Mi Li Si couldn't help feeling puzzled; she sensed a strange aura on the Speaker, familiar yet alien.

Not only Ai Mi Li Si, but also Bo Er Qi and Yi Geng's several massive dragons stared at each other, yet dared not approach.

Before she could understand, Speaker Kai De Jia smiled kindly, "No need for formalities; we accepted your contract personally this time—just give orders."

At that moment, more figures emerged from the light gate.

Each was a Wizard; the two were Legendary Low‑rank, the rest fifteen high‑rank Wizards and fifteen Mid‑stage Wizards, their multicolored magical auras converging, dazzling to the point of blinding.

The gathering of so many casters in the hall shocked the mercenaries and centaurs.

Yet an even greater shock lay ahead.

Heavy footsteps echoed from the gate as towering figures emerged, each over 2.3 meters tall, clad in blue armor, faces hidden beneath helmets, a golden war‑hammer crossed with a crescent moon emblazoned on their chests, massive metal boxes on their backs and two‑handed greatswords.

These dwarf‑like warriors stepped out like moving metal fortresses.

A fierce and terrifying aura slammed into the air.

Some mercenaries who had been to Ge La Mo Gen Cheng Bao shouted, "Extreme Warrior!"

They had seen Extreme Warriors before, but the endless stream was beyond imagination; only after four squads, a total of forty‑eight Extreme Warriors packed the hall, did it finally cease.

That wasn't the end; behind the Extreme Warriors came a group of heavily‑equipped knights.

Their bronze steeds were tall and swift, skin shimmering, each over two meters high; the hard hooves struck the hall floor with deafening clangs.

More and more Gunwing Knights rushed out of the gate, numbing the mercenaries' and centaurs' senses.

When the gate closed, one hundred fifty Gunwing Knights stood in orderly rows on the open ground outside the castle hall, the Extreme Warriors also formed their ranks, awaiting Lei En's command. Though fewer than two hundred in total, their presence felt like a thousand armies.

Even the Weizelan Wizards cast sidelong glances.

Such a mighty transcendent legion—no need to mention the Empire; even across the entire Ai Lun E Si, it is rare!

By contrast, Ai Mi Li Si's mercenaries and centaur forces seemed a ragtag army, merely numerous. Instantly, everyone's gaze fell on Lei En—admiration, shock, curiosity, awe, envy, and a myriad of emotions.

Lei En smiled at Ai Mi Li Si and said, "My troops are assembled; give the order."

Since the last break of a few days, I've been unable to get into the flow, as if my thoughts were interrupted, detached from the story world, sitting uselessly at the computer all day… it feels awful; let me readjust…

(End of Chapter)