Chapter 655: Misha's Move
Edd crouched slightly, touching the ground with his left hand. The royal bloodline within him surged.
"Crack!"
[Power of Stone]
This was a classic divine spell of the Moradin faith, granting the caster the favor of the earth, greatly enhancing their strength for a short time.
In an instant, accompanied by a crisp sound and swirling dust, soil and rock climbed up along his arm, gradually forming a solid armor that emitted a brown glow representing the element of earth.
Edd lifted his head, his expression resolute as he stared at the wyvern, the aura around him rising steadily.
"Roar— Useless, dwarf! Stop your futile resistance. I am the Flame Emperor's chosen, the embodiment of fire!"
Smaug was extremely inflated with pride. Even the renowned "Highland Lord" was nothing but a chicken in his eyes—easy to crush.
With great arrogance, Smaug raised his head and let out a long roar. Then he spread his broad wings and dove down from the sky with unstoppable momentum toward the Dwarf King.
"Whoosh—"
The edge of his wings sliced through the air with a sharp screech. The colossal wyvern, trailed by raging flames, lunged toward the ground.
Yet Edd didn't flinch or dodge. Standing firm, he gripped his warhammer tightly with both hands. His muscles bulged like iron balls, veins popped, and his knees bent slightly, clearly preparing to unleash power.
At the instant Smaug was about to strike, Edd finally moved!
With all his might, he swung his warhammer at Smaug's head. The metal hammer tore through the air, carrying the mighty power of earth.
"Bang!!"
With a terrifying collision, a powerful shockwave spread instantly, ravaging the space around and raising a storm of dust and debris.
What followed was Smaug's agonized wail.
His head snapped back under the immense force, blood and shattered scales flying through the air. Even his massive body was flung backward.
Edd's strike was monstrous, swatting the giant wyvern like a golf ball!
"Boom—"
The wyvern tumbled and crashed hard into the city wall behind, collapsing part of it. Dust filled the air, and the twenty-meter-long dragon body left a ruinous mess.
"Damn dwarf! How do you possess such strength?!"
Smaug struggled out of the rubble. His once-proud dragon face now showed fury, shame, and even a trace of fear.
The Highland Lord's power far exceeded his imagination. He never expected such terrifying strength to exist in a dwarf's small body—strong enough to hurl him.
Now, the wyvern's jaw bled profusely, his scales were shattered, and even his mouth was crooked.
Smaug didn't realize that with the Power of Stone, this legendary dwarf's strength had surpassed 30—stronger than most ancient red dragons.
But Edd gave him no time to breathe. He raised his warhammer high and leapt into the air, cleaving down with fury: "Monster, I'll show you the wrath of the mountains!"
In that instant, light burst from Edd's eyes, and behind him rose the illusion of mountain ranges, as if a great peak was crashing down upon the wyvern.
Smaug was horrified. He flapped his wings and hastily evaded.
"Boom!"
Dust billowed, stones flew, and the ground quaked violently. A crater several meters wide was left by the dwarf's furious blow. Had it landed, it would have shattered the wyvern's skull.
Smaug flapped in mid-air, barely dodging the strike, shaken and stripped of arrogance.
Yet Edd's onslaught wasn't over. As the hammer fell, the earth cracked, deep rifts forming like abyssal chasms.
"Crack!"
Instantly, the ground roared, and sharp rocks erupted like swords from the depths, aiming at the airborne wyvern.
Earth Swords!
Caught off guard, Smaug twisted and flapped wildly. Though he mostly dodged, one rock pierced him.
"Rip—"
The sharp rock tore through scales, skin, and flesh.
"Roar—"
Smaug howled in pain. The strike pierced his hind leg, hot dragon blood spilling to the ground.
He flailed and barely escaped, dragging his wounded body away.
"Boom!"
"Boom! Boom!"
More rocks erupted. Edd chased after, stepping on stones and swinging his hammer, determined to crush the dragon's head.
A storm of dust and stones raged in the air, hindering the wyvern's flight, while the dwarf moved freely within.
"Dwarf, you go too far!" Smaug roared in fury.
Imperial soldiers and Highland dwarves were all watching this epic duel—even His Majesty might be observing!
If word spread that a dwarf beat him like this, Smaug's reputation in the Ember Empire would be ruined!
Enraged, he turned, mouth agape, and roared, "Dwarf, I'll burn you to ashes!"
"Boom—"
Flames surged from his throat, sweeping toward the nearby dwarf.
Calmly, Edd raised his left arm. Dust and stones gathered to form a massive shield.
Rock Bulwark!
He raised the shield with his left hand and gripped the hammer in his right, charging into the flames.
He growled: "Come, monster! Dwarves were born from Moradin's forge. We'll never fear fire!"
Seeing the dwarf charging through the blaze, Smaug panicked. He whipped up scorching wind with his wings to blow the dwarf away.
But Edd stood firm, rooted to the ground, merging with it, advancing with powerful, steady steps. The land beneath rose like winding mountains.
Now Smaug finally understood the meaning of "Highland Lord". It was no boast, but a fitting title!
"Damn dwarf!"
Grinding his teeth, Smaug recalled the earlier battle with Brunn.
As a wyvern, Smaug had his edge. He could bypass the shield using his hooked tail to strike from the side!
With this in mind, he roared, spreading his wings. Flames surged from his mouth.
"Roar—"
"I told you—dwarves never fear fire!" Edd's eyes blazed.
Instead of retreating, Edd surged with battle spirit. His hammer gleamed with bright yellow aura.
Smaug hovered midair, intensifying the flames. But his eyes gleamed slyly. His tail muscles tensed like springs, the hook shining coldly.
He taunted, "Come, damn dwarf! I'll show you the flames of the Ember Empire!"
"As you wish!"
Edd leapt high, cracking the earth. He soared nearly a hundred meters, then plummeted with hammer raised.
"Good. Foolish dwarf," Smaug's eyes gleamed with cunning.
Even the Highland Lord was still flesh and blood—he couldn't survive Smaug's alloyed tailhook!
As Edd took flight, the wyvern struck!
"Whoosh—"
The huge tail shot out like a spring, its gleaming hook cutting through the air, bypassing the shield from behind.
Edd, suspended midair, had nowhere to dodge!
"Crack!"
The tailhook struck, piercing the armor—but it didn't feel like flesh. More like solid stone!
"By Cassius! What is this?!" Smaug was horrified.
Dust scattered. Edd's armor was pierced, clothes torn, revealing not flesh but a stone-like body!
"Damn it! The dwarf is half-earth elemental!" Smaug cursed.
Edd barely flinched under the thrust.
"Monster, my body is rock-solid. Your dirty trick is worthless. I'll crush you to dust!"
Roaring, Edd's rock-formed body radiated unstoppable might. He plummeted, hammer falling on the wyvern.
The storm around intensified. Rocks gathered onto the hammer, forming a hill-sized weapon tens of meters long.
"No, no! He's just a damn dwarf! How—?!"
Terrified, Smaug raised his limbs, unable to evade.
At that moment, the air twisted. Flames surged from the void, forming a wall of fire across the sky, shielding Smaug.
"Boom—"
Blazing streams and flying stones clashed midair. Fire and earth elements collided, causing a massive explosion.
Smaug looked relieved. Had the stone hammer hit, he'd be half-dead if not killed.
He guessed who the sudden helper was. A lazy female voice came from behind, the air turning hotter.
"Worthy of your name, Highland Lord."
A red-haired, golden-eyed girl walked from the flames, wearing a lavish robe with the Empire's insignia. Her long hair flowed behind her, and horns rose from her head.
—She was the Flame Dragon Lady of the Ember Empire, master of the Tower of Blighted Flame: Misha.
Cassius had foreseen that Smaug couldn't defeat Edd, the Highland Lord.
Edd had a challenge rating of 24, immense battle experience, and despite injuries, remained a formidable legend.
Smaug, though powerful, was a forced creation of dragonblood, only barely challenge rating 19.
Misha, the Flame Dragon Lady, nurtured by Cassius, had full elemental talent and a challenge rating of 21.
With Cassius' backing, Misha's true power exceeded her stats. Together with Smaug, they could hold off Edd.
Seeing her, Smaug showed a fawning smile: "Miss Misha, thank you for aiding me."
Then, gritting his teeth, he growled, "With you here, we can shred that damn earth-element dwarf!"
Misha had a unique status in the Empire. Though untitled, she was the Emperor's proxy, bound by contract.
All factions sought her favor, hoping to win the Emperor's attention—Smaug included.
"Another of the dragonspawn..."
Gazing at the red-haired girl in midair, Edd grew grim, frowning, not daring to drop his guard.
She looked delicate, but Edd wouldn't be fooled.
To the battle-hardened dwarf king, the fire around her was fiercer than the wyvern's. Her elemental power alone was intimidating.
She radiated a draconic aura rivaling ancient red dragons—a true dragon in human form!
After blocking his full-force strike earlier, Edd knew she wasn't any ordinary spellcaster.
Looking down, Misha narrowed her eyes and spoke: "My master, the great Flame Emperor, cherishes talent.
If you crawl before the throne and kneel at his feet, perhaps he'll spare your life and let you and your people barely survive."