Garon's wings shook with a mighty flutter.
Accompanied by his movement, his overwhelming draconic aura, like a storm, pressed forward the flames in the sky, turning them into waves of fire that swept over the City of Flame Steel.
Meanwhile,
The flames didn't greatly affect the fire elemental beings in the city. However, as Garon's draconic aura passed by, these beings quivered like sparks swaying in a fierce wind.
"The great Eternal Dragon, the City of Flame Steel welcomes your arrival."
"The fire giants and fire elementals pay their respects to you."
The fire giants in the city knelt down, lowering their heads to express their reverence to Garon.
They spoke in Draconic.
In other elemental planes, the situation might be different, but in the Lava Demi-Plane, most elemental giants originally didn't speak Draconic, using their respective elemental languages. However, under Garon's rule, Draconic had become the essential language for all intelligent beings in the Lava Demi-Plane.
Not just for the fire elementals.
The earth elementals from the Stone Maze and the flesh-and-blood tribes also had to learn Draconic.
"Lead eighty percent of the fire elementals with combat capabilities and be ready at the Fuming Mountain Range in two weeks."
"You will fight for me!"
Garon didn't waste words and directly issued his command in a firm voice.
The Fuming Mountain Range was roughly located in the middle of the Lava Demi-Plane.
He planned to gather his followers there and then take them to the Prime Material World of Noa, preparing to clear the warped creatures on Kara Planet.
"As you wish, great Eternal Dragon."
"Fire elementals will be your sharpest blade, turning your enemies to ashes!"
The naturally aggressive and combative fire giants responded excitedly to Garon's order.
Because of Garon's constraints, they couldn't fight the earth elementals to vent their emotions and were repressed, usually only engaging in non-lethal battles with other fire elementals. They had long awaited a war where they could unleash their flames.
Immediately, Garon opened a spatial teleportation spell and arrived at the Alpha Tribe, surrounded by volcanoes.
"Anya!"
Whoosh!
A flower of flame blossomed in Garon's view.
Anya's figure appeared before him.
Her aura was stronger than ever.
Although Anya hadn't yet broken through to legendary status, she was just one step away. Perhaps all she lacked was a battle.
The Lava Demi-Plane was very stable, offering few opportunities to use powerful magic.
"Prepare the mid- to high-tier spellcasters of the Alpha Tribe."
"You will soon need your flames."
Garon was straightforward.
Anya's face lit up with joy. She bowed slightly and said, "The Alpha Tribe is always ready to fight for you."
Garon's gaze swept over the surrounding volcanoes.
Several of his spoils of war, the magic ships, were located between these volcanoes.
Without the Dragon God's portal, magic ships were a great means of transportation between different plane worlds.
"Have you learned to navigate the magic ships?"
Garon asked solemnly.
After obtaining the magic ships, he tasked the Alpha Tribe's spellcasters with learning to pilot them from the captives of the Second Imaska Empire.
These captives included crew members without combat abilities. Not all were unafraid of death, and even those who were could be made to speak through spells. The method of controlling the ships wasn't hard to obtain.
"Operating magic ships is not difficult for your followers."
Anya replied.
Spellcasters generally have strong learning abilities. With the necessary knowledge, the Alpha Tribe's spellcasters had learned to navigate the magic ships.
"However, we lack sufficient hands."
Anya continued, "Each magic ship requires at least fifty crew members' focused control."
The quality of the Alpha Tribe's spellcasters was high, but the issue now was their small population.
They were executing a plan for population expansion, but results wouldn't be seen in the short term.
Garon thought for a few seconds, then decisively said, "Those captives who are still alive, whether through threat or temptation, I don't care how you handle it. Make them pilot the magic ships. I need these ships operational."
Magic ships, unobstructed in space, could travel at great speed within the Prime Material World.
Kara Planet was vast, perfect for the use of magic ships.
Moreover, the arcane cannons on board were no mere decorations.
The arcane cannons built by the Second Imaska Empire were incredibly powerful.
They didn't see much use in the fight against the dragons as their energy was mostly used for shield defense, and they were ineffective against legendary dragons.
But for creatures below legendary status, or legendary beings with weak defenses, the arcane cannons posed a significant threat.
Without the magic ships, transporting his followers to the Prime Material World would be a huge problem.
Even with space teleportation spells, it would be impossible for Garon alone.
Such spells are meant for powerful individuals, and for large-scale troop transport across crystal walls, magic ships are needed, which is why powerful magical empires usually build fleets of them.
"Anya understands your intentions. Please rest assured."
The Archmage nodded and responded with a gentle smile.
After giving other instructions to the Alpha Tribe, Garon left.
Soon, in the native territories of the Lava Demi-Plane, beings with combat capabilities received the call to arms, preparing to assemble at the Fuming Mountain Range.
However, to be cautious, even with the Gem Seal Spell, the Lava Demi-Plane couldn't be left completely unguarded.
The warped creatures infected by the Primordial Sun God had high regeneration abilities. Earth elementals were naturally at a disadvantage against such beings, so Garon left the earth giants of the Stone Maze to guard the Lava Demi-Plane.
Another reason was that earth elementals were too heavy for the magic ships to transport easily.
Fire elementals, almost weightless and able to shrink in size, could even crowd into one ship, though this was beyond safe operating standards. A malfunction during plane crossing could mean total destruction.
After settling matters in the Lava Demi-Plane, Garon returned to the Far North Icefield of Noa.
The Wolfheart Clan, Bonebreaker Tribe, Barbarian Tribes, Troll Clans, and Northern Giant Eagles, among the stronger beings of the Icefield, were now Garon's followers. Those not his followers were mostly relegated to food.
Before long, news of the impending war reached his followers in the Icefield.
The most excited were the Wolfheart Clan.
After conquering the Icefield, Garon had refused to let the winter wolves invade other parts of Noa. These ambitious creatures, idle and restless, longed for new battles.
"The Wolfheart Clan will tear apart all your enemies!"
Upon receiving Garon's orders, the leader of the winter wolves couldn't contain their excitement and howled.
Hearing their alpha's call, the surrounding wolf packs echoed with resounding howls.
For a while, the howls reverberated across the Icefield.
Garon didn't stop the winter wolves' behavior.
They were boosting morale in their way, preparing for the upcoming battle.
In the howling winds and drifting snow of the Icefield, time ticked away.
"With my forces, I should be able to conquer a territory far larger than other true dragons on Kara Planet."
Garon never overestimated himself, but neither did he underestimate his strength and influence.
In the Lava Demi-Plane, Fuming Mountain Range.
Above the range of volcanoes, eight magic ships hovered quietly.
Each hundreds of meters long, adorned with arcane runes and magical circuits, these magic ships stood out, carrying the most elite beings of the Lava Demi-Plane.
They looked formidable.
But compared to the 21st Magical Fleet, they were modest.
Yet, with powerful shields and arcane cannons, even without combat personnel, they could exert significant destructive force. A magic ship could be considered a legendary being.
Under the spellcasters of the Alpha Tribe, the surviving captives succumbed.
Unfortunately, the legendary arcane engineer captives, dignified and unyielding, died under Garon's claws.
Magic ships come with their teleportation spells.
After preparations were complete, using the location of the Immortal Fortress as an anchor, the eight magic ships activated teleportation.
Humming vibrations rippled through space.
One by one, huge teleportation gates opened, and the magic ships carrying the Lava Demi-Plane's forces activated their shields and set sail into the portals.
Before long,
At the other end, in the Far North Icefield.
Under the snow-laden night sky, the magic ships appeared from the void, revealing their massive forms amidst the snowstorm, casting vast shadow outlines on the ground.
Snowflakes the size of feathers touched the magic ships' shields, instantly evaporating without a trace.
Simultaneously,
Beings of the Icefield looked up.
Curiosity, scrutiny, and wariness focused on the several massive magic ships.
Garon's followers in the Icefield had also gathered, surrounding the Immortal Fortress. Countless creatures from Noa's native land stood divided by species on the snowy plains.
Different scents filled the area near the cliffs.
Amidst the dense wolf packs,
The winter wolves raised their heads, looking at the fire elementals burning fiercely inside the magic ships.
As ice attribute hunters, they naturally felt aversion and hostility towards these fire elementals, despite sharing the same lord.
However, they sensed danger from the leading fire giants.
Ordinary fire giants were on par with powerful magical beings like winter wolves, but their potential was much greater. The elite fire giants on the magic ships possessed high-tier combat strength.
Compared to them, the draconic winter wolves were significantly weaker.
The fire elementals arriving on the magic ships, like the winter wolves, were formed from concentrated fire elementals and naturally detested the cold environment of the Icefield.
Here, they couldn't exert their full strength.
Without the magic ships' shields, their vitality would gradually wane over time. Ordinary elementals couldn't endure long in the Prime Material World without risking their lives.
Atop a 300-meter-long magic ship,
Some spellcasters from the Alpha Tribe looked around curiously, their gaze resting on the scenery of the Icefield.
For these Alpha natives born and raised in the Lava Demi-Plane, the snow-covered environment of the Icefield was completely another world – indeed, it was another world.
"This is the Prime Material World. We're back!"
Anya closed her eyes briefly, savoring the icy air of the Icefield.
As different elemental energies subtly rippled with her breath, they flowed in the air, emitting multicolored elemental lights unseen in the Lava Demi-Plane.
The Alpha people had been away from the Prime Material World for too long.
Inherited knowledge told them what the Prime Material World should look like.
A balanced Prime Material World with a variety of species and colors, unlike the monotony of the Lava Demi-Plane.
Almost every Alpha native had dreamt of leaving the Lava Demi-Plane and returning to the Prime Material World. Now, their fantasy had come true, physically in the Prime Material World. All Alphas aboard the magic ships were excited and curious.
They belonged to the Prime Material World.
The Lava Demi-Plane wasn't their homeland.
The origin is crucial for normal intelligent species, an inextricable bond. The Second Imaska Empire, yearning to return to Faerûn, their origin continent, invests immense resources yearly, resolutely pursuing this goal.
"Thank you, great Eternal Dragon."
Anya looked up, her gaze landing on the silent silver dragon atop the fortress peak.
Garon turned his neck, his platinum eyes reflecting his gathered followers.
From the Lava Demi-Plane's fire elementals and Alpha spellcasters, fire dwarves, magma serpents, to the native creatures of the Icefield, they spread out below the magic ships. Their numbers weren't large, only in the thousands, but each was a strong individual, mainly mid-tier with some high-tier combatants.
Magic ships hovered in the air.
And below them, on the snow-covered ground, were numerous native creatures of Noa.
Almost endless at a glance.
Winter wolves, ogres, barbarians, minotaurs, gnolls. Garon's followers varied in strength and were numerous, over a hundred thousand. This wasn't the total population of the Icefield.
Garon hadn't planned to take all his assets to Kara Planet.
Taking these followers would leave the Icefield's forces weakened.
But Garon's nest and territories were protected by the Mystery Lock Field, so it wasn't a major issue.
And on Kara Planet, hardly any normal creatures existed.
Nehemiah specifically warned Garon to bring more followers, as using extraordinary divine power in the Prime Material World is costly for gods. The Metal Dragon God's large portal would only open once.
If there were too few followers, securing the territory would be difficult, and transporting enough followers later would be challenging.
Garon had magic ships and could transport large numbers of followers with plane world coordinates.
However, magic ships don't operate on nothing. Interplanar travel requires massive energy.
And where does this energy come from?
The arcane magic ships built by the Second Imaska Empire had an energy conversion furnace at their core.
Almost anything could be converted into energy, but there's an efficiency issue. Ordinary materials don't provide enough energy. Only magical gems, mithril, flame steel, elemental stones, and similar resources are the main materials for powering magic ships.
Garon was rather poor and couldn't afford to activate the magic ships repeatedly.
After the initial commotion, as time passed, the followers from different worlds gradually calmed down.
Simultaneously,
Draconic might burst forth.
Like a hurricane, it spread in all directions, sweeping over each follower's body.
In the tangible draconic aura, they raised their heads, looking up at the silver dragon standing in the snowstorm with awe.
"My loyal followers, it's time to show your strength to the outside world."
"You will fight for me, open new territories, clear obstacles, and let the name of the Eternal Dragon resonate in another world!"
Garon surveyed the surroundings, his voice resonant.
Then, under his command, a portion of the Icefield's followers boarded the magic ships.
The Alpha spellcasters left the ships and, under Kritchen's direction, began inscribing complex teleportation circles on the Icefield's ground.
The magic ships couldn't accommodate all followers.
The Icefield was a considerable distance from the southern seas. Letting them travel independently would make timely arrival challenging.
In the material world, spatial teleportation without crossing crystal walls was much simpler.
With hundreds of spellcasters, including many mid-tiers and five high-tiers, dedicating time and effort, they could construct a large teleportation circle to transport the remaining followers to the southern seas.
___________________
(Support with power stones, comments or reviews)
If you guys enjoy this story, In support me on Patreon and get access to +200 advance Chapters
Read Ahead
Patreon.com/INNIT