Sebastian stood against the backdrop of the sky, his countenance shadowed by a dark scowl.
"I wonder, how many upgrades do you have left in you?" he jeered, the edge of his voice tinged with a chilling sneer.
The zombies had broken free from the monstrous entanglements, speeding towards their destination with urgency.
Soon, it wouldn't matter how many levels his foes had ascended to; he was poised to capture them all in one decisive move.
His strategy had been deliberate, aiming to use the two vampires as unwitting guides to the sanctuary of the Flying God Temple.
As the distance between Sebastian and the sacred temple narrowed with the escape of Vampires Number One and Two—30 li, 25 li, 18 li—Ethan meticulously calculated every moment.
Not even Sebastian's undead minions escaped his scrutiny; through a spectral projection, he noted they were a mere three li from Sebastian and his party.
Assured of the safety of Vampires Number One and Two, Ethan turned his focus back to the summoning wand, with two more summons at his disposal for the day.
With a gentle exhale, Ethan extended his hand towards the wand.
A faintly glowing panel silently surfaced.
His fingers deftly navigated to press the summoning inscription.
The magic circle ignited with a brilliant flare of white light.
Before him, two skeleton warriors took form, their soul fires flickering with loyalty. "Your Highness, the Sovereign of the Netherworld, allow your humble servants to aid you," they pledged.
Yet, their presence did not fulfill his ambition.
Under the wary gaze of the skeleton warriors, Ethan selected the option to change the type of troop summoned.
Skeletons, albeit formidable, were not his desired force; he yearned for entities of greater might...
With a swift "swoosh," the light revealed not skeleton warriors but two majestic golden eagles.
Stern of visage, their bodies cloaked in golden luminescence, their talons sharp and menacing—ready for the command of their summoner.
"My Liege!"
With a gesture of deference, the majestic golden eagles bowed their heads.
"Quite the sight to behold, yet their true mettle remains to be seen," Ethan pondered aloud, prompting the display of the golden eagles' attributes.
[Name: Inferno Eagles][Strength: 36][Agility: 45][Intelligence: 28][Skill 1: Firestorm Barrage, at a moment's command, unleashes dozens of fiery torrents, enveloping foes in a catastrophic deluge of flames. ][Skill 2: Passive, Zephyr Wings, flight speed doubles amidst strong gales. ]Ethan's approval was evident with a satisfied nod. Amongst all units he had witnessed, the Inferno Eagles stood unparalleled in attributes.
Undoubtedly, these Inferno Eagles ranked amongst the pinnacle of all units.
Choosing not to explore further unit alternatives, Ethan had achieved his objective of securing superior forces with the Inferno Eagles evidently satisfying this ambition.
In contemplation, Ethan came to the realization that Sebastian and his entourage had markedly closed in on the Flying God Temple in just a short span.
Reports from Vampire No. 1 confirmed their proximity within ten miles of the Flying God Temple.
A chill descended upon Ethan's expression; Sebastian harbored ambitions of accruing merit by targeting him!
An utterly whimsical dream~ Now was the opportune moment to gauge the might of the artillery.
As the zombies were yet to enter the effective range, Ethan abstained from preemptive action.
"Just a bit longer," a flicker of resolve shone in Ethan's eyes.
Sebastian had followed the vampires with an unhurried gait, his zombies now fully caught up.
Merely a mile away, a brief interception would enable their arrival in the ensuing minute.
However, Sebastian's aspirations soared beyond merely capturing the two vampires; it was their lord he ultimately coveted.
He sensed his proximity to the lord's stronghold was imminent.
"Hold, what's that?"
In a moment of shock, Sebastian's gaze fixated in a certain direction.
From a vantage point seven or eight miles away, the outline of a temple emerged.
This temple, in its grandeur, dwarfed his own, suggesting extensive enhancements.
"The adversary might have augmented the temple!" deduced Sebastian.
Nonetheless, Sebastian critiqued the strategy as folly, misallocated merit on temple upgrades at the expense of elevating the vampires' levels, thereby simplifying his confrontation.
Sebastian resumed his measured pursuit.
Traversing another two to three miles brought a revelation.
"What is this!"
Confronted with the imposing edifice, a wave of disquiet overwhelmed him. The temple's magnificence suggested more than a mere upgrade could achieve.
The temple's towering presence, approximately ten meters in height, starkly contrasted his own, manifesting a disparity akin to heaven and earth.
"Hold!
His scrutiny abruptly centered upon the temple's zenith...
A sharp intake of breath followed, as the semblance of a cannon atop became increasingly apparent.
Sebastian acknowledged the potential for temples to evolve and unveil new functionalities.
Yet, the emergence of a cannon was an unforeseen development.
"Damned, I've been ensnared!
A tide of panic engulfed Sebastian's heart.
He perceived himself as the quarry in a hunter's trap.
"Retreat!"
At that moment, this was the singular thought consuming his mind.
Without a second's doubt, he pivoted on his heel and rocketed back at twice his incoming speed, a fleeting silhouette against the distant horizon.
In the Flying God Temple, Ethan's gaze had been unwaveringly fixed on Sebastian. His initial restraint stemmed from the fear that the cannon, across such a vast distance, might miss its target, complicating matters further.
However, with Sebastian now aware of the impending threat, Ethan had no reason to hold back.
"Cannon, acquire Sebastian as the target!" Ethan ordered, his voice a mixture of calm and command.
[Target Acquired!
The display showed Sebastian in a frenetic dash for survival, yet a relentless red cursor was locked firmly on him.
"Fire!" came Ethan's decisive command.
"Boom!"
From the pinnacle of the Flying God Temple, a thunderous roar echoed, heralding the launch of a crimson blaze that streaked towards Sebastian with blinding speed, its passage marked by booming sonic echoes, akin to claps of thunder.
"Ah!" Sebastian's scream pierced the air as he too heard the deadly approach.
In the moment he turned, a once-distant black speck swelled rapidly in his view.
"No!" Terror painted Sebastian's visage.
His attempt to dodge came all too late...
"Bang!"
Where Sebastian once stood, a cataclysmic blast unfurled, followed by billowing clouds of smoke.
As the smoke thinned, Sebastian had vanished into thin air, his presence replaced by a lingering scent of charred flesh.
The vampire sisters watched, stunned by the spectacle.
Celia, the elder, her eyes wide with astonishment, was spellbound by the scene before her. Her lord's stature in her eyes ascended yet again at this moment.
Within the sanctuary of the Flying God Temple, Ethan was equally astonished by the cannon's devastating efficacy; a Black Iron Eight-Star lord had been instantaneously vanquished!
"Wait, there are still two zombies," Ethan suddenly remembered, shifting the projection to locate the remaining undead.
In the absence of their master, the zombies seemed to come to their senses, fleeing in opposite directions with desperate speed.
Without hesitation, Ethan authorized two more cannon shots, obliterating the zombies into nothingness.
Ethan observed the projection screen in awe. The cannon had demonstrated a staggering capability, effortlessly dispatching a force of Black Iron Nine-Star strength with a single shot...
"Such formidable power!" he exclaimed, astounded.
The reality far exceeded his wildest imaginations.
[Ding, congratulations to the host for the eradication of a lord-level entity, awarded 50 merit points][Congratulations to the host for the elimination of two Black Iron Nine-Star zombies, accruing an additional 20 merit points]At that moment, the system's voice resonated within his mind, marking the culmination of an unforeseen victory.