The collapse of the underground laboratory caused quite a commotion.

Under the cover of several sorcerers and guards, Erlandi managed to walk out from the ruins, barely clinging to life.

However, before he could catch his breath, Erlandi, despite his exhaustion and injuries, shouted,

"Quick, gather all the manpower you can! At all costs, stop Constantine and Fael!"

"Yes, my lord!"

Erlandi raised his head, looking at the two enormous figures in the night sky, his fists clenched in frustration.

The old sorcerer had said earlier that this was all part of Constantine and Fael's prior plan.

But Erandi couldn't understand—if Constantine had enough self-awareness to devise an escape plan, wasn't this move far too risky?

Based on the timeline, Constantine's first interaction with Fael should have been after the battle at the Crimson Dragon Shrine, during Fael’s journey back to the Empire carrying Constantine's severed head. It was then that they must have formulated the escape plan.

But at that time, Constantine should have been extremely weak. And how could he ensure that during the Empire's second fusion ritual, he'd successfully break free of their control?

If the attempt failed, Constantine would completely become the Empire's bio-weapon.

Then forget revenge—his remaining fragment of self-will would also be obliterated.

Erandi clenched his fists as the air buzzed with the shouts of sorcerers and guards.

They unleashed various ranged spells at Fael and Constantine, who were up in the sky.

But Fael's title as the Iron Wing Dragon King was well earned. As a speed-oriented member of the Dragon Clan, he had absolute dominance in the skies.

Constantine lifted his arm, holding onto one of the dragon-formed Fael’s claws. His entire body dangled mid-air.

He looked down at the humans below, and his once calm eyes began to glow with a vengeful fury.

"They locked me in a cultivation pod, slicing open my flesh, using countless potions and spells in attempts to erase my will."

"But thankfully, there was the barrier magic you set up for me earlier, Fael. I owe you one."

Constantine spoke in a low tone.

"No need to thank me. It’s an honor to assist the Crimson Flame Dragon King," Fael responded.

Back when they left the Crimson Dragon Shrine, Constantine had tried to use what remained of his dwindling willpower to communicate with Fael.

After learning of Constantine's plan, Fael discreetly cast a barrier spell in his mind, isolating a portion of his individuality from being detected by the Empire’s sorcerers.

When they "resurrected" Constantine, the barrier magic was automatically dispelled, marking the true rebirth of the Crimson Flame Dragon King.

"Do you intend to exact revenge on these humans now, Constantine?" Fael asked.

Constantine gazed at the town below and the panicked crowds. With a casual wave, he conjured a blazing fireball.

The fireball descended upon the pursuing forces, detonating with a deafening explosion.

"It is not yet the time for vengeance," Constantine replied, glancing at his right hand—the same hand that had just unleashed the fireball. "This new body of mine requires time to adapt. And besides..."

"And besides?"

Constantine clenched his fist, and a faint, crystalline-white energy began to form in his palm.

"And besides, this ancient power... I can’t fully control it yet."

"Ancient power? What are you referring to?"

"Primordial Power," Constantine said. "The primordial force of Noa, the Primordial Dragon King. He was the first Dragon King in the history of the Dragon Clan, his status second only to Tiamat, the Dragon God."

During the time Constantine was imprisoned in the cultivation pod as a test subject, he overheard the humans repeatedly mention this "Primordial Power."

As a Dragon King who had lived for centuries, Constantine naturally knew of the Primordial Power.

He had to admit that it took him by surprise—the idea that such an ancient and formidable force had fallen into the hands of these insignificant humans.

"Ah... Primordial Power, you say? One of the Empire's collaborations with the Dragon Clan revolved around the Primordial Power found in the Extreme Northern Lands," Fael remarked.

"Both Astral Roamer Dragon King Ravi and I contributed significantly to that partnership," he added after a pause. "In fact, Ravi even lost his life over it."

Constantine’s expression shifted slightly. "Who killed him?"

"Who else could it be?" Fael didn’t answer the question directly, but Constantine had already deduced it.

"Leon Casmode..."

"Yes, it was that man. He systematically eliminated several Dragon Kings who cooperated with the Empire."

"You youngling." Constantine's tone turned cold.

"What?"

"How long did you stay in the Extreme Northern Lands?"

Fael hesitated for a moment, uncertain why the elder Dragon King suddenly asked this question. Still, he answered honestly, "About five years."

"Ah... then you truly don't know," Constantine murmured under his breath.

"Don't know what?" Fael asked, his curiosity piqued.

Constantine let out a cold snort. "You don't know which Dragon King was the first to die at Leon’s hands after the Empire declared war on him."

Fael (innocently): "Who was it?"

"..."

The elder Dragon King wanted to ask: Are you doing this on purpose?

In the end, Constantine chose to be magnanimous, unwilling to argue with this junior. With a sigh, he said, "It was me."

At this, Fael’s flying posture noticeably faltered.

"Apologies, I’ve been in the Extreme Northern Lands for so long that I didn’t keep up with what was happening here."

"Well, it's nothing," Constantine replied.

His dragon eyes shifted slightly as he asked, "But honestly, the purpose behind the Empire’s collaboration with us—apart from prolonging this war—also involved the Extreme Northern Lands? I didn't know it before."

"Correct," Fael confirmed. "It was a secretive project aimed at locating the Primordial Power left behind by Noa. However, after Ravi died, there were no Dragon Kings left who were adept at spatial magic. Without that, it became impossible to penetrate the ice layers of the Extreme North, and the collaboration terminated."

Hearing Fael's explanation, Constantine fell silent in thought before speaking again.

"So you’re saying that you’ve already pinpointed where the Primordial Power lies beneath the ice, but you just can’t breach the ice itself, is that right?"

"Exactly."

Constantine’s dragon pupils narrowed as a mad idea began to take root in his mind.

The number of pursuers below continued to rise.

Fael flapped his wings harder, accelerating, while Constantine casually hurled fireballs to disrupt their chasers.

"To my territory, Fael," Constantine ordered.

"Understood."

The Iron Wing Dragon King’s powerful wings produced a sonic boom as they surged forward, vanishing into the thick night.

Meanwhile, atop a dilapidated low-rise building near the gates of the Empire, Tiger and Rebecca were in hiding.

They had observed the earlier chaos from their vantage point.

"It seems the collaboration between the Empire and the Dragon Clan has fallen apart," Rebecca remarked.

"It’s not completely collapsed yet, but after what happened with Constantine, it's unlikely any Dragon Clan member would ever want to cooperate with those selfish lunatics again," Tiger replied. "Still, we shouldn't celebrate too early. The Dragon Clan is infamously vengeful. When Constantine rallies his strength, his revenge won’t be limited to the Empire alone."

The sharp-witted young girl's mind turned quickly. "Are you saying… Constantine might also come after the Captain?"

Tiger nodded. "At least not immediately. For now, we have time to strategize."

"Hmm… we’ll be handing off intel to the Captain again soon," Rebecca said, blinking her big, beautiful eyes. "We should also mention our 'Lionheart Guild' to him. He’ll definitely be excited."

At this, Tiger hesitated.

The older man scratched his temple awkwardly. "So we're really calling it the 'Lionheart Guild'… isn’t that a bit too flashy?"

"What’s the alternative? Tiger Guild?"

"In that case, Lionheart Guild it is."

After all, how could a wild girl capable of coming up with a name like "Old, Weak, Sick, Disabled and Pregnant Squad" possibly choose something modest or subtle for a guild?

"Lionheart Guild sounds invigorative! It even screams 'dragon-slaying'—perfectly aligned with Captain’s persona!" Rebecca declared confidently.

"Fine, fine, invigorative it is," Tiger said with an indulgent sigh.

He slowly stood, gripping his blade tightly. His gaze turned toward the depths of the night.

Then, glancing in a different direction, he slightly narrowed his eyes and murmured to himself,

"A greater crisis is looming. Stay safe, Charlotte."