章節 278: Chapter 278: The Empire Will Never Compromise
To subdue a vast magical empire indeed offers no easy means.
Raiding the imperial palace and taking the high-ranking officials of the second Imaskar Empire hostage, using their lives as leverage, seems to be a somewhat viable method among various strategies. And it's almost a one-time opportunity; after this, the second Imaskar Empire will surely not leave such a significant security risk unaddressed, and will take countermeasures against the power of the crown.
However, what surprised Garon was this.
He killed the emperor with a thunderous method, promising the imperial throne, but the empire's high-ranking officials showed a resolute expression after a brief silence, with no one responding to Garon's words.
Logically speaking.
Even a puppet emperor's position, possessing immense allure, should make many members of the empire's royal family covetous and desirous.
But in reality, Garon did not see any greed in their eyes.
"The emperor is the emperor of the empire."
"The empire is not the emperor's empire."
A legendary Artificer looked at the silver dragon and said word by word, unmoved by the death of the emperor or the threat to their lives.
"The second Imaskar Empire will never succumb to the will of any individual."
Seeing the resolute expressions of the Artificers, Garon's gaze slightly furrowed.
He shook his head regretfully.
"Indeed, it's nearly impossible to subdue a developed Artificer Empire," Garon thought to himself.
Although he wanted the second Imaskar Empire to serve him, Garon knew the likelihood of achieving this goal was minimal.
Garon had witnessed the ancient Imaskar Empire challenge gods and saints, daring to provoke saints directly. They launched legions to attack saints until the Artificer legions were consecutively annihilated, and the empire's glory turned to ashes. This ancient empire had no regrets whatsoever.
From top to bottom, the blood of the Imaskar people is filled with fearlessness towards death.
If the ancient Imaskar Empire had been willing to submit to the gods, offering the faith of the empire's citizens and agreeing to the demands of the gods, it would not have been destroyed.
And the second Imaskar Empire inherited the legacy of the ancient Imaskar Empire, also continuing the ancient empire's rebellious will.
Initially, the ancient Imaskar Empire did not submit when facing the mighty power of the gods.
Now, the high-ranking officials of the second Imaskar Empire, in front of Garon, showed no fear of death, making the same choice as the ancient Imaskar Empire.
As the continuation of the ancient Imaskar Empire, they are qualified.
"The Imaskar Empire will never compromise."
Saying this, the bodies of the Artificers in the imperial palace, legends and above, suddenly trembled violently, their expressions distorted immensely as if enduring extreme pain. Yet, their gaze towards Garon remained resolute and calm.
Garon's gaze condensed, and the power of time erupted.
Time Split!
Under his will, the flow of time suddenly became chaotic, forming a terrifying split zone, covering the Artificers.
Hiss!
Without dodging, the bodies of these Artificers shattered, turning into a spray of blood rain, blooming bright flowers in the air, splashing in all directions.
However, although their bodies were completely dead, transparent, ethereal souls with dense Artificer runes flowed out from the shattered flesh and blood. Ninety percent of these nimble souls dodged the split zone of time, flying towards the Artificer colossi guarding the surroundings of the imperial palace.
These are the souls of Artificers.
The souls of legendary Artificers.
In the ancient Imaskar Empire, the Artificer angels Garon saw, along with some other Artificer beings not as powerful as the Artificer angels, were created by infusing Artificer souls into Artificer creations. Both merged, the Artificer souls gave life to the Artificers, and the Artificers provided bodies to the souls, becoming Artificer beings.
The foundation of creating Artificers is enchantment.
But the key to creating Artificer life lies in soul infusion.
Generally, Artificers wouldn't casually perform soul infusion.
It's a process that needs to be treated with caution. If not careful, not only can it fail to transform into Artificer life, but one's soul might also perish within the metal machinery.
But in the current situation, the Artificers were making a last-ditch effort.
Without any assistance, directly controlling Artificers with their souls is almost like burning their souls in exchange for the power to resist. Every move brings hellish torture to the soul.
In a daze, Garon seemed to see the shadow of the ancient Imaskar Empire.
Whoosh whoosh whoosh.
Soul after soul of Artificers, like strands of ghostly light, quickly entered the nearby Artificer colossi.
Thus, these colossi, possessing at least legendary power, came to life.
The Artificer creations used to guard the imperial palace are undoubtedly the most elite batch.
A colossus, similar to the mechanical titans Garon had encountered before but taller and more intricate than the mechanical titans, was the first to come alive.
The humanoid colossus suddenly raised its head, its red crystal eyes staring fixedly at the two dragons.
The next moment, a blinding and scorching red glow rose from the eyes of the colossus.
Hiss!
Two thick and long high-temperature red lasers, with overwhelming force, tore through the air, targeting the head of the silver dragon.
Power converged.
An invisible barrier of power was constructed between the red laser and the dragon.
Sizzling sounds. Cracks appeared on the power barrier, quickly healing, but overall, the speed of destruction exceeded healing.
The imperial palace's Artificer colossi are the elite of the elite, each possessing mid-level legendary strength. Ordinary legendary dragons are no match for an Artificer colossus one-on-one. If not for the suppression by the Imaskar crown previously, under these guardians, Garon wouldn't have been able to bring the imperial palace to high altitude.
The humanoid colossus was just the beginning.
Quickly, over twenty differently shaped, but at least mid-level legendary capable Artificer colossi, came to life.
Artificer dragons, Artificer lions, Artificer tigers, and other powerful Artificer colossi collectively launched attacks on Garon and Yuna.
At the same time.
Garon felt a slight prickling sensation all over his body.
A sense of danger that was locked onto him reemerged.
The empire's long-range strike Artificers had all been activated, targeting the two dragons that had taken the imperial palace hostage. The Artificer legions had received instructions from the empire's high-ranking officials. Even if it meant destroying the imperial palace and suffering heavy losses among the high-ranking officials, they could not compromise with the enemy.
The attacks from the Artificer colossi in the imperial palace were something Garon could deal with himself, and Yuna was also there.
The Artificer colossi actually didn't pose much of a threat.
But the subsequent, indiscriminate long-range strikes were an issue that couldn't be ignored.
If overwhelmed by these attacks, it would be extremely dangerous.
And since Garon had already seized the other Artificers and couldn't subdue the Imaskar people, continuing to entangle with the second empire offered no benefits to Garon under such circumstances.
Garon used Time Stop.
Each of the ferocious and attacking Artificer colossi froze in place within the time-stop area.
Halting so many legendary creations at once, Garon felt a sudden heaviness in his head, a great strain on his spirit, and the power of time draining rapidly, unable to be sustained for long.
Within the time-stop area, only Garon and Yuna, the energy dragon girl, could move.
Yuna raised her dragon claw, slowly grasping towards a few Artificer colossi in front of her.
Crack, crack, crack. Energy climbed upon the bodies of the Artificer colossi, compressing and squeezing the metal bodies, crevices sprouting, and the indestructible magic metal slowly caving in. However, at the current rate of destruction, destroying the motionless Artificer colossi would take at least several minutes.
But the sense of imminent danger intensified.
Garon's time stop couldn't cover the entire material world. Super long-range weapons, completely out of sight, were brewing a threatening lethal energy. Leaving immediately was the best option.
"Yuna, forget about these Artificers."
Garon looked at Yuna, who was struggling with the Artificer colossi, and said, "Let's go. Their counterattack is coming. It's not wise to stay here any longer."
Yuna nodded, no longer wasting energy.
Immediately, the Imaskar crown appeared.
Amidst waves of azure light, spatial ripples fluttered, and a grid-like planar barrier faintly emerged, a planar teleportation gate slowly opening.
As the teleportation gate opened, the silver dragon looked down towards the vast imperial palace.
The Imaskar people, dressed in finery, frozen in place, looked up at the dragon with anger in their eyes.
To be honest, Garon had a certain admiration for the Imaskar Empire.
Both the ancient Imaskar Empire and the second Imaskar Empire had a spirit and will worthy of respect.
But admiration aside, as irreconcilable adversaries, Garon would not show mercy.
At that moment, the planar teleportation gate was fully open. The fluctuations in space enveloped the two dragons, their figures transitioning from solid to void, gradually disappearing.
As they left.
Garon lifted the reverse gravity spell.
Yuna used almost seventy percent of her energy to subject the entire imperial palace to tenfold gravity.
Following that, the imperial palace buildings, under the pull of gravity, began to plummet from the floating clouds, gaining speed, resembling a massive meteorite.
A gradually shrinking shadow outline appeared in the center of the imperial capital. Many Imaskar people, who had just witnessed the ascension of the imperial palace, wore horrified expressions, looking up at the falling imperial palace crashing towards the city, clueless under the shadow cast by the palace.
The Artificers, whose thoughts were reactivated in the severe loss of weight, immediately understood the dangerous situation at hand.
If the imperial palace from tens of thousands of meters high were to crash into the ground at full force, the empire's most prosperous capital would not be spared, and the consequences would extend far beyond, resulting in a disaster affecting the entire Cain continent, with endless calamities following.
However, after Garon's departure, the suppression by the Imaskar crown also vanished.
The Artificer creations returned to normal, and the Artificers regained their full capabilities.
The Artificer colossi guarding the imperial palace flew up one after another, landing beneath the palace at the most appropriate positions, supporting its base. Their engines roared ferociously, operating at overcapacity to provide thrust, trying their utmost to prevent the fall of the imperial palace.
Humming noises. A vast army of Artificers ascended from the ground.
Countless Artificers attached themselves to the imperial palace, surrounding the legendary Artificer colossi, collectively slowing the descent of the imperial palace. Among them were devices with anti-gravity effects. However, overall, although the descent of the imperial palace slowed somewhat, it continued to plummet towards the ground unstoppable.
Without Yuna's tenfold gravity, following the departure of the two dragons, the Artificer Empire would have been able to protect the falling imperial palace.
"We can't stop it."
The Artificers realized this.
They made a swift decision, choosing the method that would minimize losses.
Including the Artificer colossi fused with Artificer souls, all Artificer colossi, their engines lit up with increasingly dazzling light. Subsequently, one after another, they exploded in succession, deafening explosions rendering ordinary Imaskar people unconscious, and brilliant light flashed out, resembling a vast sun.
Boom!
In the intense explosion, the imperial palace shattered.
Chunks of metal debris burning with flames scattered in all directions, like a beautiful yet dangerous rain of meteoric iron.
These fragments, still carrying significant kinetic energy, scattered across the ground, explosions echoing, metal buildings pierced and torn apart, and craters pockmarked the land. Fire and dust filled the entire sky. When the dust settled, and the flames dispersed, the once-prosperous imperial capital was left scarred, an ugly blemish on the surface.
The damage had been minimized, but the second Imaskar Empire was still severely weakened.
To return to its peak state, they would need a considerable amount of time.
The only consolation was that the continental crust wasn't breached; otherwise, the consequences would have been unimaginable.
Lifting a massive object high into the air and then smashing it down with doubled gravity is a terrifying, disaster-like method of destruction.
The Artificer Empire has extraordinary potential, but its luck seems to have hit rock bottom.
The ancient Imaskar Empire enraged the gods and was destroyed in its prime, while the second Imaskar Empire, inheriting the will of the ancient empire, hadn't even restored the ancient empire's glory before provoking the enmity of legendary dragonkind. And it was two legendary dragons at that, once again severely weakened, fortunately not destroyed like the ancient Imaskar Empire.
The fate of this disaster-stricken Artificer Empire, whether it will head towards light or darkness, is unknown.
Main timeline, planet Kala.
In a dark swamp, a stench-ridden mire is home to an old black dragon.
As a black dragon, without fortunate opportunities or mutations, even having reached old age, it still lacks the power to step into the legendary domain, only considered a relatively powerful high-level combatant.
This swamp is the territory of the old black dragon, surrounded by its kin.
The kin spread throughout the territory, patrolling along fixed routes as usual.
But suddenly, a mighty presence descended from the sky, nearly suffocating each black dragon kin.
Whoosh!
A thirty-meter-long brass-colored figure swept across the swamp, revealing a powerful brass dragon that had stepped into the legendary realm.
Just appearing in the black dragon's territory, this brass dragon, without any warning, breathed out a flame, submerging the swamp in fire, also awakening the old black dragon from its slumber. The black dragon, its scales tightly clinging to its body, resembling a skeletal dragon, crawled out of the muck.
It roared and flapped its wings violently, soaring towards the incoming brass dragon.
However, the outcome was predictable.
In just a few minutes, the black dragon's wings were broken, and it fell heavily wounded to the ground.
The giant brass dragon landed, its claw pressing heavily on the black dragon's head, sharp talons piercing through the black scales, leaving painful wounds.
"This territory is yours now."
The black dragon, subdued and helpless beneath the claw, recognized its defeat.
In the world of malevolent dragons, such conquests over territories are not uncommon. The black dragon had been robbed many times in its life and had also seized the territories and treasures of other dragons. However, fatalities were rare. Facing a powerful brass dragon and losing its territory and treasures wasn't unacceptable.
Unexpectedly, the victorious brass dragon didn't lift its claw.
The pressure of the talon increased.
The black dragon looked up and saw disgust and a cold killing intent in the eyes of the brass dragon.
Taken aback, it then struggled and resisted with all its might, but the brass dragon's talon was immovable, firmly clutching the black dragon's skull. Ultimately, amidst the black dragon's lament, the talon pierced through its skull. The once twitching body of the black dragon suddenly stiffened and then softened, life extinguished.
After killing the black dragon.
The brass dragon cast an invisibility spell, vanishing near the swamp, leaving behind the corpse of the black dragon and its bewildered kin.
Time passed, and a red dragon's figure gradually appeared from another area, flying high above.
And this area was the territory of a copper dragon.
Minutes later, the copper dragon's corpse lay among the rubble, while the red dragon's figure vanished again.
Nowadays, Kala wasn't just home to the dragons of the Noah continent.
Many dragons from other material worlds had also gradually arrived on Kala, becoming part of its world. The number of true dragons was on the rise, and under such circumstances, the death of a few dragons initially didn't cause much of a stir, as dragon-on-dragon violence does occur occasionally.
However, dragons that knew of the death of their own kind, even if they appeared indifferent on the surface, would harbor greater disdain and hostility towards dragons of other kinds in their hearts.
Because the death of a true dragon, especially at the hands of an enemy dragon kind, gradually intensified the existing frictions and conflicts between different dragon kinds.
A single stone caused a thousand ripples.
Silently, the tension on Kala grew thicker.
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