Chapter 1889: Valiant Dragon
Sein’s first encounter with the Martial Civilization was... not as pleasant as he hoped.
As expected, the space pirates under his command were a useless bunch.
When it came to bullying weak targets or raiding merchant fleets, they were always the first to rush in.
But the moment they ran into a disciplined, elite legion from a true civilization, they collapsed almost instantly.
By the time Sein arrived, a group of pirates led by a Rank Three chief was already being routed by a Dawn Empire legion.
The soldiers rode massive white birds that looked like a cross between cranes and dragons.
Their overall form resembled cranes, but they carried faint traces of a draconic bloodline. Their talons and hooked beaks were unusually sharp, showing traits typical of dragonkind.
A specialized unit like the Magus Civilization’s Dragon Legion or Griffin Legion? Sein quietly wondered as he observed the formation.
Raising such a force was no simple matter. Breeding creatures like these white cranes alone would have required immense effort.
In terms of raw strength, they were far weaker than the dragons and griffins of Magus World—probably closer to the horned eagles of the Grand Elven World.
Even so, the ability to field a legion on that level was enough to prove that the Dawn Empire was not to be underestimated.
What Sein was seeing now was likely only a fraction of their true military strength.
He shot the pirates a cold glance. They were far more trouble than they were worth. He had not come here to start a fight.
From what he had learned from Destruction Spring, the Dawn Empire was a civilization worth building ties with.
This trip was meant to represent Magus World and lay the groundwork for an alliance, so when the Dawn Empire forces closed in, Sein stepped forward.
“I am a Rank Five mage from the Magus Civilization. I come with no ill intent toward the Dawn Empire! I wish to discuss potential cooperation with your empire on behalf of Magus World,” he said, projecting his voice across the battlefield.
Sure enough, once Sein clarified his intent, the crane-mounted soldiers split into two lines and moved aside.
A heavily armored general, wielding a massive greatsword, rose slowly from the plane below, coming into view.
The war within Juemu World was still raging, and scattered resistance forces continued to fight back across the plane.
The heavily armored general’s calm, unhurried demeanor spoke volumes. He was confident—not just in his own strength, but in the power of the Dawn Empire as a whole.
Sein’s Faceless Mask quickly analyzed the man standing before him.
The result was that this general was only slightly weaker than Sein himself.
“I am the Right Guard General of the Dawn Empire,” Ximen Feixiao introduced himself.
“You’re from Magus World, huh? I feel like I have heard of this world before.” He frowned slightly, searching his memory.
The connection between the Magus Civilization and the Dawn Empire had been cut off for a very long time.
At least over the past tens of thousands of years, there had been little meaningful contact between them.
The Rank Six powerhouses at the top of the Dawn Empire likely still remembered the Magus Civilization.
But for a Rank Five powerhouse like Ximen Feixiao, his knowledge was limited. At best, the name sounded vaguely familiar.
As for the younger Rank Four martial practitioners, most of them had probably never even heard of it. Their understanding of Magus World was practically nonexistent.
That was the downside of a long separation.
No matter how close two civilizations once were, distance and time would eventually wear that connection thin.
Still, given Ximen Feixiao’s background, he knew at least one thing—the Dawn Empire and Magus World were not enemies. If anything, their relationship had once been fairly decent.
Even so, matters of diplomacy between civilizations were far beyond what he, as a mere Right Guard General, could decide.
After a brief pause, Ximen Feixiao asked Sein to provide proof of his identity, then led him elsewhere.
This whole visit had been spontaneous. Naturally, Sein did not have any formal credentials.
Still, when he presented his magic rod, crystal ball, and the emblem of the Divine Tower of Ashes, the Right Guard General accepted his claim.
As for Fermera, she had already been returned to Sein’s Magic Cube.
Keeping a Rank Six robot like her out in the open would draw far too much attention.
Inside the cube, she remained hidden but ready for any unexpected turn of events.
Meanwhile, the God of Dusk Desire and the rest of the Ashen Star Pirates were temporarily held outside Juemu World under the watch of the Dawn Empire’s forces.
Once Sein met with the empire’s higher command and established a friendly relationship between the two civilizations, they would be allowed to move freely again.
“May I ask... who exactly are we going to meet?” Sein finally asked as Ximen Feixiao led him deeper into the Rongyue Star Domain.
The Dawn Empire troops accompanying them were no ordinary unit either—they had been replaced by a squad of riders mounted on dragon-like beasts.
In Sein’s estimation, the strength of this squad was comparable to the dragon knights of Magus World.
The soldiers wore the same golden armor, and a few of them carried large banners marked with the words “Valiant Dragon” in the Dawn Empire’s script.
“We’re still quite far from the Dawn Empire’s star domain, so I can’t take you straight to the Imperial Capital,” Ximen Feixiao replied.
“You’ll meet our supreme commander here first in the Rongyue Star Domain. If everything checks out and your identity is confirmed, the rest will be easy.”
The general chose his words carefully, revealing little beyond what was necessary.
Sein tried a different angle.
“If you don’t mind me asking, how many dragon legions like this does the Dawn Empire have?” he asked, gesturing toward the units flanking them on both sides.
The armored general simply smiled and said nothing.
Sein let the matter drop. For now, he was more interested in seeing just who this dark-skinned, bearded general intended to bring him to meet.
***
As they traveled deeper into the Rongyue Star Domain, the dark-skinned general kept his answers brief.
Still, Sein had his own way of gathering information. Through the Faceless Mask, he quietly observed the surrounding starry expanse the entire time.
When he first arrived near Juemu World through the spatial spring, he was already close to the center of the Rongyue Star Domain.
From what he could tell, this was a medium-sized star domain, and the Dawn Empire had nearly completed its conquest.
Most of the central battlefields were already in their final stages, while the outer regions had likely been secured long ago.
Their destination turned out to be the very heart of the star domain—a medium-sized world known as Rongyue Plane.
Even here, the war was still raging.
Before they even got close, Sein could already sense the presence of several Rank Six beings locked in battle.
One aura in particular stood out. It was at least on Celloza’s level, possibly even stronger than Grandmaster Feylis.
As they approached the outskirts of Rongyue Plane, more Dawn Empire legions came into view.
These troops were well-organized and uniformly clad in gleaming golden armor.
Countless banners fluttered across the battlefield below.
Not long after Sein and his group arrived, an even larger dragon legion moved in to meet them outside the plane.
It seemed Ximen Feixiao had already sent word ahead through special channels.
The commander of this dragon legion was a Rank Five powerhouse, also clad head to toe in golden armor.
While his personal strength might not surpass Ximen Feixiao’s, his mount set him apart. It was a powerful Rank Five dragon beast with three horns.
If this dragon legion employed coordinated tactics similar to those of Magus World’s Byrne Empire, its combined strength would far exceed the sum of its individual members.
Like the others, this legion also carried a banner bearing the words “Valiant Dragon”.
But there were other banners as well—larger, more prominent ones.
By now, Sein had already deciphered most of the Dawn Empire’s script. His gaze lingered on the two most eye-catching banners among them.
The Invincible Valiant Dragon Army!
Long live the Dawn Empire!
Comments