Ophelia's Dragon's Command solved the problem of delaying the champion-level monsters, but when it came to facing a massive wave of monsters again, there was a moment of silence. Even with all the available reinforcements, the overwhelming numbers of the monsters made them seem weak, with less than a 30% chance of saving Alliance City.
The meeting continued late into the night, and although some strategies were discussed, it ultimately came down to only one choice - to fight to the death. The passage to the Divine Land is right after Dark Border, and once that gateway is opened, the monsters will pour into the Divine Land with unimaginable consequences.
Therefore, this is an unavoidable war, with no escape but death.
"Phew! I'm exhausted!" Ophelia leaned against Bexia as soon as she got on the carriage.
"Are you okay?" Bexia held her, feeling the slight chill in her body.
"Why are you here, Lord Bor?" Ophelia asked, surprised to see him.
Before they could react, a voice came from outside the carriage, and a figure appeared in front of them.
"Huh?! The two of you..." Bor looked at them, momentarily surprised, then smiled and said, "Never mind, I won't bother you. Do as you please!"
"But let me tell you this! Make sure you give the old man a little one to play with soon."
"Grandpa, don't say such things!" Ophelia blushed and sat up from Bexia's embrace, giving him a glare. Was it his fault for their relationship?
"Youth is wonderful!" Bor laughed again and then looked at Bexia, asking, "That Magic War Flag Ophelia has, you gave it to her, right?"
"Yes!" Bexia nodded, not needing to hide anything from Bor.
"I knew it was you, kid. I wondered how Ophelia suddenly had a Sovereign-level magic item!"
"But be careful. Sovereign-level items are easily targeted. Although most people won't dare come after it because of my reputation... well, there are always those who don't fear my name..." He didn't finish his sentence, but the meaning behind his words was clear. It meant that the innocent become guilty by association – the item itself may be good, but without the corresponding strength to wield it, it becomes the most dangerous thing.
"Don't worry, Grandpa! I know all about these things. Since I dared to bring it out, I'm not afraid of people trying to steal it!" Ophelia confidently replied. After absorbing those magic stones earlier, she didn't even replenish one-tenth of the Dragon's Call's energy. However, it was enough to summon a powerful Dragon Spirit, a champion-level one at that. If time was not a constraint, she could summon a top-tier champion Dragon Spirit with ten stars right now. However, it would only support her for one or two minutes, maybe even draining all the energy stored in the Dragon's Call with just one or two attacks.
"Take care of yourselves, and if you can't hold on, just give up Alliance City and go back to Asman. No need to die defending it..." Bor's tone couldn't help but reveal a sense of unease. This wave of monsters completely caught them off guard, and whether they could defend or not was still unknown. But regardless of the outcome, this war would leave a trail of corpses and rivers of blood.
"We will defend Alliance City!" Ophelia declared.
"Old man, you can rest assured! If it really comes to that point, I won't let the monsters pass through here!" Bexia frowned and said, "If all else fails, I'll use the Sun Crown. But that's the last resort, because the power of the Sun Crown is uncontrollable, causing destruction on a catastrophic level. It belongs to the category of 'natural disaster'. If we use it, the area destroyed by the Sun Crown will probably remain uninhabited for a long time."
"You mysterious kid, to be honest, I don't even know why I took you as my disciple in the first place. But let me make this clear: if anything happens to Ophelia, I won't be able to forgive you!"
"Don't worry! I promise no one will lay a finger on her!" Bexia held Ophelia's hand tightly and said confidently.
"Hmph!" Bor grunted in dissatisfaction, after all, his granddaughter was kidnapped right under his nose. Although he knew she would eventually come back, he couldn't help feeling uneasy when he looked at Bexia's determined expression.
Bor didn't stay for long. After giving Ophelia some specific instructions, he left. He didn't hold optimistic views about this ambush and warned Ophelia to be prepared for the worst.
"What do you think about the situation this time?" On the way back, Ophelia looked at the busy Alliance City outside the window. In times of crisis like this, no one could be indifferent.
"The situation doesn't look good. The teacher wouldn't make such a fuss without good reason. It's probably really dangerous this time!" Bexia also looked out the window. He knew Bor quite well. If Bor was sure, he wouldn't have said those things just now.
"Do you have a plan?" Ophelia asked out of the blue.
"If it really comes to that, I'll do what I just said. I'll protect you, even if I can't save everyone. But I can save you!" Bexia never thought he could influence the outcome of the war. He didn't want to get involved in such a war either. He wasn't a benevolent sage. All he could do was protect the people he cared about.
Ophelia fell asleep without saying anything, leaning against Bexia.
The next day
Throughout the night, small-scale monster attacks on Alliance City kept the soldiers on guard fighting. But even so, no one dared to let their guard down because the real war had yet to begin. When they looked up at the wriggling darkness on the horizon, the entire land trembled. Even the sky grew infinitely darker, with lightning wandering through the gloomy clouds, creating an eerie atmosphere. The terrifying storm was brewing, ready to engulf the city between the Godsend and Weeping Continents at any moment.
"Boom!"
Under the thunder, Dark Border unleashed a rare torrential rain that accompanied the increasingly clear roars approaching closer and closer.
"Let's go..."
Bor and the others flew out of the city walls of Alliance City. More than a dozen figures faced the most formidable force of the monster tide. Ophelia sat on the blood-red Divine Dragon, and the battle flag fluttered in the wind, making a rustling sound. She turned her head and glanced at Bexia on the city wall. She saw his lips move from a distance, and he slowly spoke a few words:
"I'll be waiting for your return!"
Ophelia didn't stay any longer. She controlled the blood-red dragon soul beneath her and charged into the endless tide of monsters. In that pitch black world, under the light of lightning, giant shadows could be seen...
