AN UNINVITED DRAGON

"The Warheads, my Lord?" There was a tinge of disbelief in Brom's voice. "But they're not yet complete."

"You heard it right," Ogni said. His face was stern, looking at the approaching army of destruction. By his rough guess, they were outnumbered by ten to one. "Or would you rather get squashed by those golems or snatched by that dragon?"

"I'll help him, Brandon," a yellow-skinned orc said. He had the same height as Ogni, but he was leaner.

[Oxbow, Level 200, God Rank—Tier 200, Orc Mechanic (Vice-Guild Leader of Armada).]

Ogni nodded. Brom and Oxbow then disappeared amidst the bustle.

Meanwhile, Aildrin pulled Papa Bear back when he almost charged ahead. "Calm down. Your brother will see us!"

"Dragon!" The orc resisted and dragged Aildrin with his massive weight. "I must get to the dragon first! No one rides the dragon, but Papa Bear!"

"Young Master?" a deep female voice sounded from behind the two.

Papa Bear froze. He pretended not to hear the voice and ran; Aildrin lost his grip for good. But the lithe figure leapt like a panther and pinned Papa Bear on the ground. The towering orcs gathered around them to check the commotion.

[Orceana, Level 200, God Rank—Tier 180, Orc Empress (Lead Hunter of Armada).]

The green-skinned orc with bulging calves had a massive cleaver made from a sharp bone that hung on her back through a chain strap. And red electricity crackled around the weapon's ivory hilt.

"Biel, that dragon is mine! No one steals that dragon!" Papa Bear squirmed under Orceana, trying to crawl out.

"Sure! It's all yours," Orceana said. She glanced at the horizon where the dark clouds hid the majestic beast. They were just a kilometer away from them. Behind her, two towering orcs in brown cloaks appeared.

The lanky one was named Jago.

[Jago, Level 200, God Rank—Tier 175, Orc Charger (Member of Armada).]

And the bulky one with horns was named Jablo.

[Jablo, Level 200, God Rank—Tier 175, Orc Charger (Member of Armada).]

"The twin devils are here! They're with Lady Orceana!" someone from the crowd said.

Armada's frontline formation was mostly players and low-level NPC Orcs. Meanwhile, the likes of Brom were strategically positioned to guard the underground fortress where the disabled, mothers, and children evacuated. Ogni's last instruction was to close the Shorkan as soon as possible.

The invading horde had passed through the second line of defense, which were trapping pits. But their numbers barely dwindled.

Meanwhile, out of the tall buildings, giant armadillos equipped with mechanical armor came out. Each had an orc rider. There were ten of them.

"The Warheads! They're here!"

Ogni nodded in satisfaction. From the intel he had gathered, his guild was the first to domesticate non-abyss monsters and train them for war with the help of NPCs. It was all thanks to Brom, whom he had saved from the Black Orcs during a quest.

"Ready now!" Ogni said. "Arm the Warheads with hydro cannons! And follow Oxbow's lead! Two Warheads for each golem! Troops focus on those Fire Eidolons! At my signal, raise the walls and man the cannons!"

Aildrin was not far away from the frontline. He could hear Ogni's booming command. But his eyes were still on Papa Bear, who was now under the grips of the Twin Devils.

At first, he thought it was weird for Lazybones to have no walls. But he was wrong. Only a fool would rule a place with no walls, and Ogni was no fool.

Giant chains rattled from the parched earth while rows of black wall with built-in cannons rose from the ground. In just a few seconds, a three-layered wall towered around the town.

"Man the cannons!" Ogni said. Now all he had to worry about was the dragon. "Where's the hunting group?"

"Here! The Young Master caused us some trouble," Orceana said.

Ogni sighed. But he had somewhat expected it.

From ahead, the cries of beasts started. They have reached the first wall.

"Fire at will!" Ogni said. Ranged units stationed themselves on the battlements and riddled the helpless beasts with their projectiles. "Now, we wait."

Meanwhile, the Black Orcs were no fools. They stayed away from the walls and allowed the beasts to wreak havoc, especially the five golems.

"Lord Brutus. There's no reinforcement from the other members of the Alliance. Lazybones will fall today," a black-skinned orc said to a giant orc sitting on a throne of skulls carried by at least one hundred slaves.

"Good. There are two gemstones in there. I want them all, and the rest of the men can enjoy the remaining spoils," Brutus said.

[Brutus, Level 200, God Rank—Tier 500, Orc Oracle (NPC).]

Two shadowy figures stood beside him.

The first one to his right was portly, wielding a glaive with skeletal blades on both ends.

[Shadow Greed, Level 85, Dark Gold Rank—Tier V, Demon Sorcerer (NPC).]

While the other one floated in the air and wore a flowing robe made of darkness and had skeleton wings, he was the one who brought the horde from Helrak.

[Black Myth, Level 100, Dark Gold Rank—Tier I, Demon Summoner (NPC).]

"Are you really sure about it?" Black Myth said, eyeing the purple gemstone on Brutus' scepter.

Brutus glared at him from top to bottom. "Are you questioning my ability, fiend? Why don't you do something about that dragon! What does it want?"

Black Myth hissed. He had never expected that a dragon was living inside the Helrak. But even he could not control it.

The dragon finally reappeared. And its crimson eyes immediately landed on Aildrin.

Aildrin's necklace throbbed. He glanced back to the Shorkan and found it already closed. "Not good," he thought. "Sars, did that dragon just stared at me?"

He immediately got his answer because the dragon charged towards his exact position.

"Hunters, ready! Warheads, ready!" Ogni said.

"Leave that beast to me!" Orceana said. Red electricity crackled around her arm when she drew her cleaver. It was attached to the chains around her body. She then whirled the giant blade like a butcher ready for slaughter.