In the Dragon Court dimension, within the Eternal Hall that stands amidst an endless sea of clouds, a silver dragon still in slumber feels an itch in its nostrils. With a great heave, the enormous creature rolls over and continues to sleep deeply.
However, the ticklish sensation soon returns. After several instances, unable to endure the annoyance any longer, Garon opens his eyes.
Before him is Yuna, recently returned to the Eternal Hall. The Energy Dragon Queen of the Dragon Court is playfully stroking Garon's nostrils with the tip of her tail, amused by his restless squirming. Her dragon face is adorned with a mischievous grin.
Upon noticing Garon's awakening, Yuna quickly retracts her tail and feigns innocence, blinking at him.
"You seem to be in high spirits. Did you enjoy your time outside?"
Garon shakes his head, clearing the cobwebs of sleep, and addresses Yuna.
"Yes, very much so."
Yuna's eyes sparkle as she eagerly recounts her adventures in the prime material world, enforcing the law while fishing. Her tales include innocently wandering into the territory of evil liches as a harmless young dragon, naively stumbling into giant cities, being unwittingly lured into spellcasters' laboratories, and accidentally entering the ritual sites of cultists.
Garon listens attentively.
"That sounds like quite the experience," he remarks with a soft smile.
"I haven't had my fill of adventure yet, but I missed you, so I came back first."
Yuna inches closer, nuzzling against Garon's faceplate. After a brief affectionate exchange, Garon's thoughts drift to the Alfa Wind Mages of the Wind Elemental Plane.
"Yuna, you were born in the Wind Elemental Plane, correct?"
Yuna nods, "Yes, my parents' Castle of Shadows is there."
The Wind Elemental Plane, also known as the Plane of Air, is Yuna's birthplace. The environment of the Dragon Court is about ninety percent similar to that of the Wind Elemental Plane, initially crafted from a spell that constructed a demi-plane of air. Through a series of expansions, it eventually evolved into the vast Dragon Court dimension.
Energy Dragons, being legendary and scarce in lineage, are raised collectively by their elders, similar to the metallic dragons.
"Perhaps we could visit the Wind Elemental Plane sometime soon," Garon suggests, curious about other Energy Dragons.
After all, the ecosystem of legendary dragons is shrouded in mystery, and his active involvement across various planes is somewhat anomalous.
"When the time comes, I can take you to the Castle of Shadows," Yuna offers. "My parents rarely leave the castle; they should still be there. It's been a long time since I last saw them."
Energy Dragons deeply value their lineage bonds.
"By the way, have you heard any confirmed news about the existence of Prism Dragons?"
Yuna shakes her head, "No, not at all. Even among our kind, I've only ever met my parents and the ancient Energy Dragon elder who helped us."
"It seems we're the only Energy Dragon family in the entire Wind Elemental Plane."
"I see," Garon nods thoughtfully.
After chatting for a while, Yuna, having just returned from her travels and feeling somewhat fatigued, buries herself beneath layers of gemstones and closes her eyes to sleep.
Some time later, Garon retrieves a metal cube from his dimensional space.
"Is the mechanical dragon ready?"
The voice of the Grandmaster of Mechanics responds without emotion, "It has been completed."
Subsequently, Garon uses temporal teleportation, his form becoming ethereal. Using the Time Stream as a conduit, he arrives at the metal world crafted by the Grandmaster—a mechanical planet under a dark metallic sky.
Garon takes a deep breath. The air here, filled with nano-sized metal particles, carries a distinct scent of steel, utterly different from the usual atmosphere of the prime material world. Most living beings would likely find it impossible to breathe here.
From thousands of meters above, Garon surveys the land below. His view is filled with orderly rows of diverse mechanical soldiers arranged in meticulous formations on the ground, stretching as far as the eye can see—a vast ocean of metal.
The array includes humanoid forms with metallic tentacles and mechanical claws, elongated machines with scarlet laser eyes and undulating tentacles resembling mechanical squids, and massive crabs with robust limbs and heavy armor mounted with powerful energy cannons.
Garon's gaze finally rests on the center of the formation, where a solitary mechanical being stands in a cleared area of a kilometer radius—a menacing black metal dragon.
From nose to tail, the dragon spans a hundred meters, constructed entirely of a cold, dark metal. Its body is covered in mechanical armor and metal spikes, with countless arcane runes filling every inch of its frame. The heart of the metal dragon, situated between its mechanical wings, is the center of a dense energy
matrix that spreads intricate patterns of both mechanical and magical aesthetics across its body.
This metal dragon, motionless in the center of the formation, radiates a terrifying aura of authority, as if it were the sovereign of the endless ranks of mechanical soldiers.
"This mechanical dragon was forged from four Archangels of Death, using precious metals you provided. It is far more powerful than the Archangels of Death and is my most superior creation to date. Its code name is Tyrant Dragon."
The Grandmaster's voice carries a hint of rare emotion. For it, nothing is more exciting than creating a new model of powerful machinery.
As the ruler of the Dragon Court and also a divine avatar, Garon might not be as wealthy as other dragon gods, but he possesses many treasures, especially the divine materials left over from the creation of his godly realm.
Even a small portion of these materials is incredibly valuable.
Garon took some of these divine materials and unlocked more Archangels of Death to provide the Grandmaster with what was needed to create a mechanical body capable of participating in the bloody wars and commanding armies. This mechanical body couldn't afford to be weak; showing up and being destroyed immediately would be a major embarrassment.
"Tyrant Dragon."
Garon glances at the metal cube floating beside him. The Grandmaster always chooses forceful names for his creations—Archangels of Death, Grandmaster of Mechanics, Tyrant Dragon. Although it is a mechanical will, the Grandmaster clearly has its own preferences and tastes.
"My lord, I am also designing other mechanical dragons in the same series as the Tyrant Dragon—Thunder Dragon, Radiance Dragon, Slayer Dragon, Majesty Dragon. I already have concrete ideas for them, and with enough materials, I can soon provide you with an army composed of mechanical dragons."
When it comes to its expertise, the Grandmaster is particularly enthusiastic.
"Very well, I look forward to it," Garon responds.
If he could fully control the Grandmaster, perhaps one day the dragonkind might gain a new mechanical dragon lineage.
Meanwhile, the metal cube vibrates, separating into a bracelet composed of micro-cubes.
The micro-cubes disperse and wrap around Garon's dragon wrist, forming a black line on his scales.
"You can divide part of your spiritual will to directly control the Tyrant Dragon," the Grandmaster explains.
Garon doesn't need a remote mind control device; having the metal cube, the core of the machinery, provides a much more effective control than any remote device could offer.
With the bracelet formed from the metal cube in place, Garon looks at the Tyrant Dragon in the field and immediately feels a different sensation—a feeling of absolute control, as if the dragon were an extension of his own body.
Looking at the Tyrant Dragon, Garon merely thinks.
Boom, boom, boom! The sounds of a roaring dragon and falling thunder echo from the chest of the Tyrant Dragon as its True Dragon Engine ignites.
Streams of dark red light glow from the patterns on its chest plate, resembling burning flames, and then swiftly spread throughout its body along energy pathways.
The eyes of the dragon light up.
Garon closes his eyes.
His perspective shifts, and he looks up to see the silver dragon soaring in the sky—majestic, agile, and valiant. Viewing himself through the eyes of the Tyrant Dragon, Garon feels his own charm deepening, ever-present like a torch in the night, impossible to overlook.
The vision of the Tyrant Dragon is unique. A waterfall of data streams across his view, analyzing everything Garon sees at that moment.
Combat assessments, danger evaluations, recommended battle strategies, weakness analysis, and predictive movements flow ceaselessly before Garon's eyes. An ordinary being inundated with such an abundance of information might be overwhelmed.
The stronger the mental force of the controller, the more effectively they can utilize the mechanical creation's combat potential.
Moreover, the Tyrant Dragon itself possesses significant intelligence. When Garon's will replaces the machine's intelligence, that intelligence becomes a tool to assist him.
Aiming at his own body, Garon initiates an enemy analysis.
In an instant, his vision zooms in, focusing on the silver dragon with half-closed eyes as if observing up close.
Another moment passes, and from the perspective of the Tyrant Dragon, the view turns a stark red. The word "WARNING" appears prominently in the center of his vision, surrounded by a vivid red glow that flickers around the silver dragon's body.
"Warning, warning."
"Target identified as the Lord of the Dragon Court, a divine being, a top-tier demigod of the prime material world."
"Target is extremely dangerous. Hostile engagement is not recommended. Please keep a distance from the target."
In the Grandmaster's database, Garon's details are now registered.
Should any other mechanical soldier controllers see Garon's true form and still feel inclined to challenge him, their mechanical intelligence would similarly issue the most severe warnings.
Meanwhile, the silver
dragon opens its eyes.
Garon and the Tyrant Dragon lock gazes as he uses his will to command the Tyrant Dragon to ascend.
As the mechanical dragon's wings beat, energy vortices burst forth, turning into a surging blaze that propels its hundred-meter-long body skyward with formidable momentum, shooting straight into the heavens.
Under Garon's control, the Tyrant Dragon begins to demonstrate its various capabilities.
Since it is too dangerous for his true body to venture into the abyss, if Garon intends to use the Tyrant Dragon in the bloody wars, he needs to thoroughly understand its abilities and become adept at using them.
While partially focusing on this new 'toy,' Garon begins constructing a massive dimensional transport circle.
Amidst the deep chants of the silver dragon, countless magical runes emerge from thin air, descending into the metallic ground and disappearing within, forming an outline of a massive circle tens of kilometers wide.
Simultaneously, sinister energies rise from the circle.
Without Garon needing to expend his own magic, the hellish powers solidify the transport circle, creating a vast Gate of Hell spread across the ground.
Large-scale cross-dimensional troop transportation has always been a complex and resource-intensive endeavor.
However, the devils of hell, aiming to gain an advantage in the bloody wars, explicitly agree in their blood war contracts to assist the blood war mercenaries with dimensional transportation by setting up Gates of Hell.
Before long, after arranging the Gate of Hell to Afnas in the metal world, Garon uses temporal teleportation to return to the Eternal Hall.
The silver dragon sprawls atop layers of treasure, feeling the friction of gold and gems against its scales, and closes its eyes.
He isn't sleeping but continues to remotely control the Tyrant Dragon across dimensions.
In the metal world, the Tyrant Dragon soars freely under the metallic sky, its fearsome metal form commanding, testing its array of weapons.
In the vast cities of the Alfa fire mages on planet Kara, an unusual calm prevails today.
The streets, usually bustling, see few Alfa people, especially the mid to high-level spellcasters, who seem to have vanished.
However, the remaining Alfa people are not alarmed.
Because those fire mages are merely in their homes, equipped with remote mind control devices, their wills extending to another world.
"Wow, so many mechanical constructs."
"The sky here is completely covered by metal."
"Praise be to my lord, this must be the world of the great Eternal and Time Dragon."
In a small formation composed of mechanical beings, several mechanical creatures open their eyes and curiously explore their new metal world.
The number of mechanical soldiers is vast, almost endless.
If it were a one-on-one scenario, Garon's side with fire mages and mechancial mages would be insufficient, and there would be no need for such an arrangement.
Ninety-nine percent of the mechanical soldiers are still driven by intelligence, but according to their level of authorization, they obey the mechanically controlled beings, which are generally more advanced and act as nodes within their armies.
Meanwhile, in the Imasca Empire on the continent of Cain.
"The eternal war game created by the imperial family officially begins today."
"Mechanical and demonic forces clash."
"In the crucible of steel and flesh, who will emerge as the final victor?"
In the Imasca Empire, virtual games have long existed. Mechancial mages use these games to enhance their control over mechanical beings or to simulate and design new constructs.
With the backing of the imperial family, the eternal bloody wars have become the most attention-grabbing virtual game recently.
The remote mind control devices are marketed as ordinary gaming equipment and sold at low prices.
Far more numerous than the fire mages, the mechancial mages also arrive in the metal world, marveling at their surroundings.
"The realism is worthy of the imperial family's craftsmanship."
"Although it's virtual, the setting is based on the bloody wars between hell and the abyss. I hope it's as close to the real thing as possible."
"Wow, a hundred-meter-long metal dragon just flew overhead. When can we control such high-level mechanical beings?"
The newly arrived mechancial mages are also full of comments.
The Tyrant Dragon is Garon's war machine and naturally not available for others to use.
However, to motivate the mechancial mages, the Grandmaster, in cooperation with the rhetoric of the Imasca Empire, has created a game mechanism.
The mechanical beings controlled by the mechancial mages start at low levels.
But by undertaking tasks issued by the Grandmaster, such as slaughtering demons and capturing fortresses, they can earn military honors.
With these honors, they can unlock higher levels of authorization, access more powerful mechanical constructs, and command more mechanical soldiers.
On the other hand, since the Alfa fire mages know they are participating in the bloody wars and not playing a game, their situation is different from that of the mechancial mages. They don't need
to unlock permissions gradually and can directly select the mechanical beings best suited to them.
The Grandmaster blocks communications between the fire mages and mechancial mages.
To the mechancial mage players, the fire mages appear as powerful mechanical beings with special intelligence, not fellow mechancial mage players like themselves.
Time flows quietly.
After a while, the Tyrant Dragon hovering in the sky halts.
Numerous eyes focus on the Tyrant Dragon.
To the mechancial mage players, the Tyrant Dragon is their supreme commander.
They are unaware of the real identity behind the Tyrant Dragon, merely looking forward to the day they can control such a high-level mechanical being.
Garon surveys the endless ranks of mechanical soldiers below, his gaze sweeping over those clearly controlled by intelligent beings, and then issues a command.
The Grandmaster, loyal to Garon, undoubtedly holds the highest authority within the entire army.
Bang, bang, bang!
Countless mechanical beings spring into action, converging orderly from the sky and ground into the range of the Gate of Hell transport circle.
Once inside the circle, the mechanical beings ignite into flames and vanish with a whoosh.
Garon flaps his wings, his chest engine roaring as he flies into the Gate of Hell.
Whoosh!
Dark red flames engulf the body of the Tyrant Dragon.
As the flames dissipate, Garon's vision shifts to a new world.
The air is filled with a blood-red glow, rivers of blood flow freely, and the land is strewn with bones and ashes—the vista of Afnas Hell unfolds before him.
Not far away stands the bronze fortress, encircled by twelve walls.
"Is this hell?"
"Wow, it feels like we've really come to hell. I can almost smell the evil here."
The mechancial mage players are astounded by the sight before them.
In the ancient heritage of the Imasca Empire, there are records of the nine layers of hell, and some mechancial mages have visited hell, but they are a minority. Most have only heard of it and lack the capability to travel there.
Although it's their first visit, everything feels incredibly real to them.
Meanwhile, a three-meter-tall Deep Hell Forged Devil clad in heavy armor stands atop the fortress walls, watching the grand spectacle of the transport circle.
It is none other than Duke Byel.
As spatial fluctuations ripple through the air.
Wave after wave of diverse mechanical beings materializes in Afnas Hell, with the light from the transport circle flickering nonstop as the mechanical soldiers emerge continuously, seemingly endless.
Duke Byel's eyes gleam with delight.
"With such a scale and quality of mechanical constructs, the ranking of Afnas Hell in the bloody wars is sure to rise, attracting the attention of the master of the nine hells!"
After a long while, the glowing runes of the transport circle finally extinguish.
By now, a vast, orderly sea of mechanical forces, seemingly endless, has assembled on the barren wastes outside the bronze fortress.
The mechanical army, meticulously arranged, has formed a veritable ocean of metal.
The fortress's devil guards tighten their grip on their weapons, their eyelids twitching involuntarily.
Given the scale of the mechanical forces in view, if they were to attack the bronze fortress, the devil guards would likely face a tough battle, especially with the formidable combat prowess indicated by the massive, fearsome metal dragon leading them.
"By the command of my lord, I will lead this army on behalf of Afnas Hell in the bloody wars," Garon declares to the devil lord, his voice resonating through the coarse metal of the Tyrant Dragon.
He does not reveal his identity, as it is irrelevant.
"Four blood days from now, the gates to the Wan Yuan Plains will open."
The endless warfare between hell and the abyss is driven in part by the proximity of these two planes, nearly intertwined through the River Styx.
In the realm of hell, there are many naturally occurring spatial tunnels leading to the abyss, and the abyss has the same.
Even without using these tunnels, traveling between the two planes via the River Styx is possible, though exceedingly dangerous.
After years of bloody conflict, both hell and the abyss have clarified which of their gates lead where.
Byel is well aware of the gate that leads to the Wan Yuan Plains.
"Before that, I will brand you with the mark of Hell's war forces," the devil lord declares, taking a deep breath.
He spreads his wings and raises his arms.
An invisible ripple bursts forth from the devil lord, sweeping over the mechanical army. All the mechanical beings are then infused with a distinct hellish essence.
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