Beneath the Red Dragon

The sky was filled with heavy clouds, a continuous drizzle descending, and from a high vantage point, the city on the ground below was lit by glimpses of moonlight, hazy and enchanting.

In the sky above the Royal Capital, no creatures could soar over the city, except for the ruling Giant Dragons and the Ascending Mage Towers forming the Imperial Iron Dome.

The mage towers cruising along the celestial orbit, plotted and calculated by the Magic Integration Department, always remained hidden in the shadows of magic, suspended 3,500 meters above the ground, rendering even a Legendary Mage hard-pressed to detect their traces unintentionally.

Moreover, these celestial weapons utilized magic, camouflaging themselves with the color and clouds in the sky, so even when exposed to mortal sight, they were rarely noticed.

Over each city of the empire, there was always a mage tower incorporating the city into its celestial orbit, patrolling above the empire’s cities, monitoring each city’s situation.

In the sky above the Golden Empire’s Royal Capital, likewise, a cruising mage tower lay hidden among layers of dark clouds.

The thunderbolts occasionally produced by the rainy weather were also absorbed by the energy collector atop this mage tower, which blended with the sky’s color, serving as a reserve energy for the tower’s operation.

Painted using magical dyes developed after breakthroughs in Magic Materials Science, the entire tower appeared to continuously shift between shades of black, gray, and pale blue.

Within the monitoring area of the mage tower, the space was far larger than it appeared from outside the tower.

Energy circuits of intertwined colors ran along the interior walls and underground of the mage tower’s space, leading in various directions, while at the center of this monitoring area were flickering magically projected screens.

On these magic projection screens were cylindrical energy display markers of various colors, tools used to monitor the anomalous energy fluctuation reactions within the city of the Royal Capital.

A few Green Field Elf promoted Junior Natural Spellcasters sat in front of the magic projection screens, watching the threads of information flickering across the control response projection, gathered here for scrutiny and perusal by these elves, one by one.

”Huh?”

An elf voiced a sound of doubt, for the personnel under the Observatory of the National Defense Department were professionally trained individuals, capable of easily detecting any anomaly from the feedback fluctuations of information.

”According to the monitoring display, there are energy fluctuations in the vicinity of the Leighton Street area that surpass normal standards,” the elf stared at the fluctuations on the projection screen and inquired: ”Did some formidable individual exert themselves there today?”

Leighton Street, one of the thirty-six main thoroughfares traversing the entire Royal Capital, was lined on both sides with shops and taverns, making it one of the most crowded areas.

Moreover, the Leighton Commerce Association from the Western Continent had once donated a large sum of money to the imperial city department, securing the naming rights of this most prosperous street.

Most importantly, Leighton Street was adjacent to the city’s Central Glory Arena, which is why this elf posed such a query.

”How could there be such a formidable individual? You know, the entire arena is shrouded within its inherent independent Magic Barrier,”

Another elf chuckled and said, ”It could be that the Giant Dragon lords of the empire are gracing the arena, hence resulting in the unusual energy fluctuations there.”

”No, no,” the initial elf frowned and spoke out, ”The energy reactions there are becoming increasingly intense; the fluctuations of magic and elements have already surpassed the third-level normal alert line and are swiftly advancing towards the second energy level alert line,”

”This growth is increasing at an exponential rate, which is very abnormal,”

”Immediately, at once, contact the police department of the Royal Capital, have them dispatch personnel to investigate!” the elf urgently shouted.

”Have them contact the City Defense Commander, act as suited, and if necessary, directly activate the city’s Defense Barrier!”

Within the underground passage of the Royal Capital, the Great Mage Lor stood upon the enormous Hexagram Array, with 1,250 magic rune patterns drawn and connected beneath his feet, with each magic rune node successively lighting up.

Within the enormous Hexagram Array, a magically gemstone and crystal inlaid altar became the center point of this Magic Array, and on this altar lay a sealed box, which the Great Mage Lor was slowly opening.

The companions observing the surroundings also turned their gaze towards the box, Lor took a deep breath, focusing on the massive heart inside the box, from which a massive life force aura and the monstrous pressure aura of a high level life form emanated from this heart encased in amber.

Najamate’s Heart, once a follower of the Immortal Dragon Queen Tiamat, the heart of an immensely powerful Giant Dragon excavated upon its death.

Even despite the passage of endless epochs, Lor still felt his instinctual fear arising when confronting this heart.

The crown ducts stained with Evil Dragon True Blood on the Dragon’s heart appeared as though they still held complete vitality, as if freshly squeezed from the heart in the previous moment, crystal clear.

Yet exuding an aura and majesty more terrifying than any fierce creature in the Material World.

Lor let out a gentle breath, placing his hand upon this nearly time-coagulated heart, and began reciting the ancient magic incantations.