Chapter 1012 - 487: Soldiers Against Soldiers, Generals Against Generals

The members of the Red Dragon Team had all received their deployment orders and arrived at their assigned defensive zones to stand by. Aside from non-combatants like the chefs, the only people remaining were the members waiting for news outside Gauss’s tent.

"Could something have happened to the team leader?" one member asked.

"Should we go in and check?"

"Ms. Luna said we can’t go in and disturb him," another replied.

"But the war is about to break out."

"Let’s wait a bit longer."

Just as they were worrying about Gauss’s condition inside the tent, the flap was suddenly lifted. All eyes turned toward the entrance. They finally saw their long-worried-over leader step out. He looked exactly as he always did—brimming with energy. His aura was like a drawn sword, radiating an intense fighting spirit and a sharp, piercing edge.

It was so overpowering that the people waiting to receive him instinctively looked away. Gone was the team leader’s usual gentle demeanor; in its place, he emanated an overwhelmingly oppressive presence.

"L-Leader, the others have received their orders and headed out to garrison their posts," they said, handing a deployment order and a map to Gauss.

"I understand," Gauss said as he took the documents. He glanced over them and quickly familiarized himself with the Red Dragon Team’s defensive positions. "Go on ahead and regroup."

A pair of Platinum dragon wings unfurled from his back. As soon as his voice faded, he vanished from where he stood. An unrestrained, majestic aura—like that of a Giant Dragon—erupted outward.

He flew through the night sky. Down below, the many humans who looked up and saw that streak of light tearing through the darkness like a shooting star couldn’t help but feel a deep sense of relief. This was the champion of humanity. Even the mighty Monster Lords would fall before the power of civilization.

"You’re here, my friend Gauss," Monroe spoke up just before Gauss fully arrived.

The moment Gauss’s powerful aura appeared, it was as bright as a blazing torch in the dead of night. He had done it on purpose. Not only did he not restrain it, but he actively amplified the effect of his oppressive aura. His mastery over his presence had now reached an incredibly profound level.

Nearby allies who sensed his true-dragon-like aura would feel a surge in their fighting spirit, while enemies would be correspondingly suppressed. It was safe to say that even if he just showed up on the front lines and did absolutely nothing, his mere presence was enough to tilt an evenly matched battle entirely in humanity’s favor.

"Sorry to keep you waiting, President Monroe and you two commanders." The very next moment, the shooting star streaking across the sky came to an abrupt halt, and Gauss’s figure materialized beside the three men who were floating in midair.

With his dazzling, radiant dragon wings, his physical presence and aura completely overwhelmed the three level-15 Professionals. If someone with absolutely no knowledge of the front lines were asked to judge who was the weakest among the four based solely on appearances, they almost certainly wouldn’t pick Gauss. In fact, it was highly likely he would be mistakenly judged as the strongest.

Wenster silently glanced at Kevin Brennan, who had suddenly fallen completely quiet. Just as he expected, the moment Gauss appeared, the guy shut his mouth. If his guess was right, the Brenan Clan must have given Kevin a mission to befriend Gauss. But at their level, they could already ignore their clan’s requests and act on their own free will. And in Wenster’s eyes, Kevin Brennan was exactly that kind of petty man. This guy was utterly jealous of any genius whose Talent surpassed his own. So, it was no surprise that he didn’t hold much fondness for Gauss. After all, Gauss’s Talent was so immensely powerful that it practically overflowed.

"No, no, no, you’ve arrived right on time," Monroe said, waving his hand. He could detect an even stronger aura coming from Gauss than before, along with an indescribable sense of danger. Monroe wondered if his friend Gauss had actually achieved a breakthrough right before the battle, which left him astonished.

However, this was no time for idle chatter, so he didn’t ask further. Instead, he simply looked forward. The cavalry of the Green Dragon Army was closing in. Yet, they did not launch their initial charge directly at the pass’s walls. Instead, they split into multiple streams like a surging tide, rushing toward the surrounding mountain fortresses.

Behind the cavalry, the densely packed Monster Legion continued to advance. Four giant beasts were lined up in a row, spaced out in front of several legions, unleashing their powerful Lord Domains: the Rot-Winged Dragon Bat Aleks, the Two-legged Flying Dragon Vexar, the Extraordinary Troll Morga, and the Goblin Lord Snaz.

This was the first time all four Great Generals of the Green Dragon Army had appeared together on the battlefield. In previous wars, at most two or three Great Generals would participate. At this moment, bolstered by the auras of their respective legions, their strength had reached a sort of absolute peak. They looked far more terrifying than they did during their usual appearances.

Their gazes seemed to solidify the very air. They were staring directly at where Monroe and the others stood, as if locking eyes across the distance and firmly latching onto each other’s energy signatures. Behind them were numerous Extraordinary Lord Demons: Jackal-Wolf People, ogres, goblins, Eagle-men, and Lizard People. Their collective existence formed a fierce, violent cloud of oppressive aura.

Even though this was just a localized defense of the Barry region, it involved diverse forces from several cities. It wasn’t every day one got to see an occasion where so much Extraordinary power was on display. If not for this war, many low-level Adventurers would likely never see an Extraordinary Professional in their entire lifetimes.

"I’m heading to the Red Dragon Team’s stationed area first," Gauss told Monroe. "Contact me anytime if something happens."

The stationed areas for his Red Dragon Team, Monroe’s frontal battlefield, the Iron Guard Knight Order, and the Green Grass Defense Team were not randomly assigned. They were spread across different parts of the battlefield but kept within a reasonable distance of one another. Numerous other groups possessing Extraordinary Combat Power were interspersed among them, together forming an airtight defensive network. Each of them would have to decide whether to support the others or call for backup depending on how the battle unfolded.

"You’re here." As he returned to the sky above the Red Dragon Team, Aaliyah and the others breathed a sigh of relief. Their backbone had returned. The leaders of several nearby adventure groups also greeted him from afar. Gauss was the strongest combat force in this area. Strictly speaking, their safety was tied to this young man’s hands.

"There are two large brigades of Jackal-Wolf People cavalry closing in on this position," Gauss said, sharing the intel he had gathered along the way.

This was already the western flank of the battlefield. The Jackal-Wolf People cavalry legion had just split into two flanks, and a large portion of their forces was surging right toward this location. That was why Gauss had hurried back to the Red Dragon Team immediately after showing his face at the main battlefield.

He looked down at Hephaestus, who was perched atop a fortress bunker on the city wall. Hephaestus’s gaze was fixed intently on the battlefield ahead. From the constant rise and fall of its chest, anyone could tell that its fighting spirit was incredibly thick at this moment.

Red Dragons inherently possessed a warlike bloodline. This belligerent trait would continuously strengthen as their bodies developed, eventually reaching a peak. Because of this, among the Five-Colored Evil Dragons, the Red Dragon Lords initiated wars the most frequently and inflicted the deepest scars upon the human kingdoms.

Now, however, the Red Dragon Hephaestus was an ally to humanity. Naturally, its notorious reputation had transformed into an unparalleled sense of security. This was evident from the high-spirited expressions of the surrounding defenders. They, too, had been infected by the Red Dragon Hephaestus’s enthusiasm. Of course, after Gauss appeared, that fighting spirit was reinforced even further.

Gauss floated in the sky, his dragon wings flapping gently. His blazing gaze stared out at the distant battlefield. He could guarantee that, given his high threat level and battle record, the Monster Lord coming to attack his defensive zone would absolutely be one of the Four Great Generals. They wouldn’t send an ordinary Extraordinary Lord to its death; otherwise, it might just follow in the footsteps of the Extraordinary Centaur.

So, which Great General of the Green Dragon Army would it be?

Gauss had already mentally prepared himself for a one-on-one duel with an enemy general. But even if he couldn’t beat it, it wouldn’t matter. The surrounding allied forces would support him depending on the situation. For example, if two Great Generals were to attack him together, Monroe and the others would immediately come to his aid. However, there was a high probability that this wouldn’t happen. The auras of the Monster Legions would affect one another, which was exactly why the four Great Generals had lined up in a row, each leading their own legion.

Gauss took a deep breath. All the results of his hard work over the past two-plus years would be displayed tonight. Deep within his consciousness, aside from the Spell model for Spiritual Prison, the model for the Tier 6 offensive and defensive Spell, Splendid Orb of Light, also lay quietly in wait.

After inspecting his own toolkit, he looked up at the bright moon. He had a premonition that this was going to be an extremely long night.