15 man, what can I say
The Empire, somewhere within the vast underground facilities of the royal city, was reverberating with sounds that were swallowed whole by thick stone walls, enveloped in a mysterious yet calm atmosphere.
In this deep, hidden space, Andi, the Supreme Commander of the Royal Sorcerers and the Imperial Dragon Slayer Army, stood with his hands clasped behind his back, his gaze as fierce as an ice storm.
He stood upon a cold metal platform, beneath which dense, pulsing lines resembled flowing electric currents traversing the entire space.
Before him loomed a gigantic incubation chamber, its crude design equipped with a multitude of complex alchemical devices, with countless liquid tubes extending from its side, tightly connected to the chamber.
Inside the incubation chamber swayed translucent green nutrient fluid, rippling gently while exuding a faint glow, creating an unusual serenity.
But what was most shocking was the half-decayed head that floated in that nutrient liquid—a majestic dragon head.
The head emanated a dark red glow, like a smoldering ember buried deep in the ground. Despite its rotting exterior and a broken horn, it still bore heavy marks of its once supreme glory.
“Even after being dead for so long, you can still faintly feel its majesty,” Andi’s voice echoed softly in the chamber, a blend of appreciation and fervor shining in his eyes.
The atmosphere felt thick with pressure derived from that majesty, as if it could break through the boundaries of the nutrient liquid and connect with the visible world.
Andi’s gaze pierced through the ripples of the liquid, locking onto the slumbering dragon’s eye, which was very slightly open, as they silently sized each other up.
Even after enduring the ravages of time, that head still harbored an indomitable will, as if its owner roamed the world, never truly falling into eternal slumber.
Andi’s expression became increasingly moved, gently caressing the chamber’s transparent shell as if engaging in a mental exchange with the dragon king’s remains.
“Dragons are indeed near-perfect creatures in this world—” Andi muttered to himself, his tone laced with both admiration and barely concealed greed.
Ancient bloodlines, immense power, long lifespans, and that unquenchable will.
Just one of these traits puts other races light-years behind.
But luckily, Andi was close to claiming this perfect creature as his own.
Moments later, his attendant Scott approached, making a slight bow, “My lord, the selection for the ‘Sharp Blade Special Forces’ has completed its first phase. About a hundred individuals passed the basic tests. We will select three from them to inherit the powers of the Primal Dragon King, Noah, making them the Empire’s sharpest blades.”
That was good news.
Since the initiation of the Sharp Blade Plan, the Empire had invested a substantial amount of manpower and finances.
Now that the first phase had smoothly concluded, they merely needed to sift out the unqualified ones.
However, Andi didn’t seem too thrilled; he nonchalantly asked, “Are those three you originally favored among them?”
“Yes, my lord, they performed exceptionally well,” Scott replied.
“Hmm, good. This plan is your full responsibility. I want to see satisfactory results. Don’t mess it up like that useless Nacho did, got it?”
“Yes, my lord,” Scott answered respectfully.
Scott sensed a weighty pressure in Andi’s terse reply.
He knew that the higher-ups were pinning high hopes on the Sharp Blade Special Forces, and any little mistake was intolerable.
Andi was notoriously ruthless; if the plan failed, his subordinates were like discarded chess pieces, bound to face merciless elimination.
Just like Nacho Salaman.
But if one could succeed under Andi’s command, they would be rewarded with endless riches and glory.
The world is never short of gamblers, and Scott was one of them.
His gaze became more determined; he was confident he could seize this opportunity and turn the Sharp Blade Special Forces into the Empire’s most elite unit.
After a pause, Scott added, “By the way, my lord, I’ve made some progress on the investigation into Taige Lawrence and Rebecca Clement, as you requested.”
“Speak.”
“While I haven’t fully unraveled their actions within the Empire, I’ve discovered that they disappear for approximately twenty days every three months before resurfacing in the Empire.”
Scott continued, “Although we don’t know what they do during that absence, we might uncover something if we follow the clues. It’s very likely related to Leon Casmod.”
Upon hearing this, Andi nodded subtly, “Good, proceed with your investigation as you suggested. If you lack personnel, I can assign more.”
“Thank you, my lord,” Scott replied with a bow.
Andi stared into the incubation chamber housing the dragon head, “After a few of Nacho’s failures, I think I finally understand the kind of monster the Empire has cultivated. Defeating Leon Casmod head-on is basically impossible, but luckily, I don’t mind employing some dirty tactics in war.”
Scott’s eyes shimmered, and he buttered up, “I dare say, I find your wording a little rash, my lord.”
Andi raised an eyebrow, “Oh? How so?”
“Whether it’s dirty or not is decided by the victor. Clearly, in this conflict, the loser will absolutely be Leon Casmod. A hundred years from now, who will remember what’s happening now? People will only sing praises of your glorious exploits, my lord.”
Scott grinned slyly, “And as for Leon? Who’s he? Just a silly stumbling block in the Empire’s rise to the pinnacle of the world, as per the history books.”
Listening to Scott’s flattering words, Andi, despite knowing he was a smooth-talker, still ate it up like candy.
He shook his head with a chuckle, “I find that you not only handle things more reliably than Nacho but also flatter better.”
“My lord flatters me; I’m merely speaking the truth,” Scott replied.
“However, if you truly want to use Taige and Rebecca to threaten Leon, I’m afraid we’ll have to wait a while. Those two are exceptionally elusive, making it hard for us to get a hold of them,” Scott added.
“Hmm, I know. After all, Taige is one of the top Dragon Slayers from the last generation. He left the Dragon Slayer Army for certain reasons to live a low-profile life among regular folks. It makes sense that you can’t catch him,” Andi mused, continuing, “But… even if Taige and Rebecca are unpredictable, we might as well look elsewhere.”
Scott quickly followed Andi’s train of thought, asking, “Are you referring to Leon’s other teammate, Martin? But Martin is currently quite clean, plus he’s the son of a royal minister. It would be difficult for us to investigate him.”
“No, I’m not talking about Martin,” Andi said. “She isn’t even human.”
Scott was taken aback, “Not… human?”
Andi nodded, extending a finger to lightly tap the surface of the incubation chamber, “The owner of this head once told me that, among the Dragon Race, there exist ‘family ties.’ The dragon king of the Silver Dragon Clan, where Leon is currently, is the biological sister of the dragon king from another clan. So I think perhaps we should start with this dragon king.”
“Being sister to the Silver Dragon King… indeed, if this dragon king got into trouble, Leon might very well intervene, and that would be our golden opportunity to strike.”
Scott paused and then analyzed from another angle, “But we’ve already failed so many times. If we truly want to use this dragon king to threaten Leon, we need to be better prepared.”
“Of course.”
Andi tilted his chin towards the dragon head in the chamber, “He is the ‘stone’ we’ll use to test the waters.”
Scott’s gaze instantly became fervent, with excitement barely contained within him. The completion of this technology would mark a major leap in the Empire’s power and signify they were on the brink of a new era.
“My lord, has the ‘Fusion Technique’ been completed?” Scott asked tentatively, almost hearing his heart pounding.
Andi’s eyes were as deep as the sea, “Hmm, just the final stage remains.”
“All that’s left is to place the head representing ‘burning’ inside, then awaken the sleeping will with the power of the Heartguard Dragon Scale, combining it with the bodies of countless S-rank Dangerous Species.”
“Then, we’ll have a killing machine.”
Andi’s palm rested against the transparent wall of the incubation chamber, staring into the depths at the dragon head. His powerful voice grew more resolute, and the rising emotions seemed to make every breath of air in the space tremble.
“A machine that knows no defeat, tires not, and is capable of dragging Leon Casmod to hell!” Andi’s voice brimmed with ambition for the future and desire for power.
He raised his other hand, palm facing the first, as if declaring his control over the slumbering dragon king. A serious expression flickered across Andi’s face, transforming into a firm determination.
“Red Flame Dragon King Constantine, your flame of vengeance shall be reignited by the Empire!”
His voice echoed in the sealed space.
Unbeknownst to him, however, the soul returning from hell had long been privy to all his schemes.
