When he finally stood on the dragon's back, his gaze was drawn to the sight before him—Caraxes's huge, battered dragon body lay silently not far away.
This once incredibly powerful giant dragon had now lost its life; its body was torn beyond recognition, with bones and charred flesh scattered everywhere.
Rayder gazed at the gruesome corpse, a complex emotion welling up in his heart.
He didn't know if this giant dragon would reanimate, after all, the vitality of ghouls was so tenacious.
Under these uncertain circumstances, Rayder decided to take the safest approach.
He turned and shouted to Im and Aegon, "Use your Dragon Flame to completely incinerate it into ashes! Leave no trace behind!"
Im and Aegon exchanged glances, then ignited their Dragon Flame without hesitation.
The raging flames instantly engulfed Caraxes's corpse, emitting crackling sounds.
The high temperature distorted the air, and rolling heat waves made it difficult to approach.
Rayder stood on the dragon's back, watching the scene from afar, silently praying for Caraxes's soul to rest in peace.
After a period of burning, Caraxes's body finally turned into a pile of ashes, scattering with the wind.
Only after dealing with Caraxes's corpse did Rayder have time to search for the Night King.
However, all he saw were groups of ghouls, wandering aimlessly, emitting eerie scraping sounds.
The number of Others was pitifully small, almost negligible.
Rayder didn't need to guess; that cunning Night King had surely escaped once again.
He couldn't help but feel a bit frustrated; he had originally thought he could eliminate the Night King in one fell swoop this time, but he still got away.
Unable to find the Night King, Rayder reluctantly returned to The Great Wall.
As he stood on the wall, looking down, he found that the Army of Ghouls had not retreated as he expected; instead, they were still continuously attacking The Great Wall.
Rayder was very surprised by this outcome. Logically, since the Cold God and the Night King had both fled, there was no need for the Army of Ghouls to continue wasting themselves on The Great Wall.
They could have simply let the ghouls hide back in the Ghost Shadow Forest, awaiting the next opportunity.
However, neither the Cold God nor the Night King did so, which must indicate some purpose.
Were they merely trying to deplete the defenders on The Great Wall? Rayder fell into deep thought.
For the next few days, Rayder didn't feel any abnormalities or discomfort in his body; even his mental state was very good.
The battle on The Great Wall had not stopped; the number of dead ghouls, including humans and various animals transformed into ghouls, had reached astronomical figures, and both inside and outside The Great Wall were piled high with various corpses.
If not for the wildfire, which burned most of the corpses, it is estimated that the area outside The Great Wall's 200-meter-high walls would have been leveled by ghoul bodies.
Large numbers of human soldiers' bodies could only be piled up and hastily burned.
In the current situation, there was simply no manpower or resources to bury all the corpses.
By the fifth day, Dragon Glass weapons became scarce; the speed at which artisans in the rear crafted Dragon Glass weapons simply couldn't keep up with such rapid consumption.
Moreover, Dragon Glass weapons inherently had the disadvantage of being fragile.
Without the bonus of Dragon Glass weapons, the difficulty for human soldiers to kill ghouls increased sharply, as Valyrian steel weapons were simply too few.
On the sixth day, arrows and wildfire also became unsustainable; all soldiers had to conserve them.
A week passed, and even the dragons couldn't endure such high-intensity continuous combat.
Rayder looked at the scene before him, his heart filled with helplessness; after all, even dragons couldn't work 24/7 for a week straight, and Dragon Flame was not infinite.
Humanity had paid a huge price, but the battle still showed no signs of ending.
Their supplies and energy were rapidly depleting, while the enemy's numbers seemed endless.
Having not closed his eyes for seven consecutive days, Rayder's body and mind had reached their limit.
Although his physical fitness far surpassed that of ordinary people, there was still a bottom line to what he could endure.
Extreme fatigue made him feel a dizzy spell, as if the entire world was spinning.
Rayder, propping up his exhausted body, slowly descended The Great Wall with Ghidorah and Im, finding a relatively safe place to rest.
He instructed Aegon to stay on The Great Wall to assist in defense, while he and Ghidorah lay down, preparing for a good sleep.
Im, meanwhile, was responsible for maintaining vigilance nearby, just in case.
After all, in such a tense situation, Rayder found it difficult to sleep peacefully.
However, extreme drowsiness gradually blurred his consciousness, and he eventually fell into a deep sleep.
After an unknown period, Rayder was suddenly enveloped by a strong sensation of weightlessness.
He abruptly opened his eyes, only to find himself in an unfamiliar environment—a magnificent cathedral.
The interior of the cathedral was lavishly decorated, with colorful reliefs covering the surrounding walls.
These reliefs were exquisitely carved, lifelike, as if they could step off the walls at any moment.
Every detail showcased superb craftsmanship, truly breathtaking.
And in the center of the cathedral stood seven colossal statues, their presence making the entire space solemn and majestic.
Each of these seven statues had its own distinct characteristics, among which the most striking was the one in the very center: a long-bearded man holding a scale.
His face was solemn and dignified, the scale symbolizing justice and balance.
To the long-bearded man's right, three statues were arranged in sequence: a smiling woman full of love and benevolence, a warrior wearing a long sword, and a lively and lovely young girl.
These three statues displayed different qualities and emotions, giving a sense of harmony and beauty.
To the long-bearded man's left, there were another three statues: a rugged blacksmith holding a hammer, a hunchbacked old man carrying a lamp, and a skeleton draped in a tattered black robe.
These three statues formed a stark contrast with those on the right, exuding a mysterious and eerie atmosphere.
Rayder gazed at these statues, a strange feeling welling up in his heart.
Although he had never seen the figures represented by these statues, he had heard of them long ago, and he could guess where this place was.
If Rayder couldn't guess where this scene was, he would truly be a complete fool!
After all, those seven statues were so conspicuously displayed, practically screaming the identity of the place's owner.
Rayder's heart was truly a mix of emotions at this moment; he had spent more than two years on the Valyria Peninsula before, without seeing a single shadow of a god, encountering only various perverted and disgusting creatures.
Ãdvåñçé çhàptêr àvàilàble óñ pàtreøn (Gk31)