Ashen Dragon

Taking a look at the two players' panels, one is [Level 12 Dragon Vein Barbarian], and the other is [Level 12 Dragon Pact Warlock], both already nearing the current version's level cap.

No wonder they're professional players.

Mantou couldn't help but smack his lips inwardly. Having spent his days being idle and unproductive, he'd only just barely reached Level 10.

He waved with a smile, "Long time no see, Autumn Rain Sister, you're getting prettier by the day. War Maniac Bro is still just like before... possessing a kind of raw aesthetic strength."

Mantou nearly blurted out the thoughts in his mind—"Still the same beast-like face and heart of a man."

"Indeed, it's been so long, and you haven't even updated a single video." Summer Night Autumn Rain said with a gleaming smile, her tone still as gentle as ever, yet Mantou felt a chill run down his spine, as if the phantom of a giant dragon had appeared behind her.

Mantou shivered, "Ah, yes, that's true. I've been busy gathering material lately..."

Natural War Maniac rubbed his bald head, grinning to reveal a set of gleaming white teeth, then patted Mantou's shoulder, "Mantou, as a content creator, you need to produce diligently!"

Mantou responded with an awkward laugh, "Of course, of course."

Singo looked around and said, "Let's go to Flying Dragon City. The official announcement should be released soon; we can head directly over to claim the mission."

"Yeah, let's hurry to start the mission! First come, first served!" Mantou hurriedly echoed, as if he'd found a savior.

"Alright."

All four stepped through the portal, entering the spatial tunnel, and appeared in Flying Dragon City within moments.

"Roar——"

Chaotic roars echoed through the sky; everyone looked up to see countless bipedal wyverns flapping their wings, casting messy shadows. Even the stone caves along the distant rock walls housed various sub-dragons.

"Roar~~"

Noodle, who Mantou was leading by the leash, stretched his neck excitedly and yelled toward the sky, eliciting responses from many bipedal wyverns.

Witnessing this spectacle, Mantou couldn't help but gape, murmuring to himself, "There are so many here, no wonder it's called the Flying Dragon Capital..."

Singo explained, "Compared to Wyvern Valley, the environment here is much warmer and better suited to the survival of bipedal wyverns. Supposedly, the Red Qilin Trial dungeon has also been opened here."

Speaking of this, he let out a mischievous laugh, "But Black Stone Mountain's terrain is even steeper and more treacherous than Wyvern Valley—take one wrong step and you'll likely end up as minced meat."

Mantou joined in with a schadenfreude smile, "Heh heh, serves them right."

Natural War Maniac asked, "Where do we pick up the mission?"

"Follow me, we're going to Flying Dragon City's military command center, the former Dwarf Palace."

...

"Ah, you've finally arrived, I've been waiting for you."

A Great Goblin colonel enthusiastically strode forward, shaking hands with Singo.

"This here must be Earl Mantou? Hahaha, long time no see."

"Hello, hello."

Mantou also stepped up to shake his hand.

He recognized this colonel—one of the rare native Red Qilin Conquerors, named Holan Ross, now serving in the Imperial Air Force.

The Great Goblin scrutinized the Dragonified traits of Natural War Maniac and Summer Night Autumn Rain and naturally dared not neglect them, "And these two are...?"

Singo introduced, "One is a powerful Berserker, the other is a Contract Sorcerer akin to Lady Misha—both are renowned warriors."

Holan greeted them one by one, smiling as he said, "You're all pillars of the Empire. In His Majesty's grand blueprint, there's certainly a place for you."

Singo placed a hand against his chest, performing a standard loyalty salute, and said solemnly, "For the Empire."

"For the Empire."

All echoed in unison.

Soon, Natural War Maniac and Summer Night Autumn Rain were assigned to the ground forces, while Mantou and Singo followed Holan to a mysterious location—as air force members capable of piloting wyverns, they were to carry a heavier responsibility in this mission.

The three walked through the long corridors of the former Dwarf Palace, first entering an underground passageway, and then passing through one heavy iron door after another.

Mantou asked curiously, "Where are we going?"

Without turning his head, Holan replied, "The armory—and a truly special armory at that."

Singo lowered his voice to explain, "The equipment in there was crafted by monks from the [Source Return Sect]."

Upon hearing the mention of [Source Return Sect], Mantou couldn't help but feel a chill, "Holy crap—isn't that the group of bomb maniacs? I think I can guess what this mission entails..."

Singo nodded, "If by any chance we ignite this armory, the bombs stored there could blow Black Stone Mountain to smithereens and turn Flying Dragon City into ruin."

"The total explosive yield of those bombs is only ten kilotons, so it couldn't destroy Black Stone Mountain, but the thing behind the bombs could certainly achieve that."

The speaker was a tall, gaunt white man in a camouflage uniform and glasses—the [Source Return Sect] Sage, Curtis.

"Thanks for your hard work, Sir Curtis." Holan hurriedly greeted.

Curtis nodded with a smile and replied, "This is what I should do. Seeing the artifacts I've researched shine gloriously on the battlefield brings me great honor."

With that, he hastened off.

Watching Curtis's thin figure retreat, Mantou couldn't help but murmur, "So this is the infamous bomb maniac. Truly, appearances can be deceiving—he looks quite gentle."

Singo quipped, "He's a lunatic, constantly fantasizing about destroying the world. If the Empire wasn't still funding him, he'd probably have started indiscriminate explosions long ago."

Mantou clicked his tongue in wonder, "The world really is full of surprises—to think there's someone who can scare even a madman like you."

"Enough chatter—we're nearly there."

Soon, the group arrived at the end of the pathway, reaching a heavy iron door that creaked open with a low, grating sound.

The scents of gunpowder smoke, glycerin, and metal rushed forward. Inside the spacious warehouse, bombs of various types were stacked neatly—white phosphorus bombs, incendiary bombs, thermo-baric bombs, cloud bombs, and solidified gasoline bombs were all present.

The armory bustled with activity as players from the Source Return Sect maneuvered large transport devices, recording data.

Holan turned toward the two with a smile, "Gentlemen, welcome to the Imperial Special Aviation Corps."

Mantou gazed up at the mountain of bombs, his jaw dropping in astonishment.

"How... How many bombs are stored here?"

"Plenty—enough to wipe out three million Orcs. Plus, I'll prepare the most advanced air force gear for you, allowing your wyverns to carry hundreds of pounds worth of explosives."

The Great Goblin spoke, and then a fierce gleam flashed in his eyes, "His Majesty personally declared that the Orcs' existence poses a hazard to the Empire and threatens our grand blueprint.

As members of the Special Aviation Corps, your task this time is to utterly eliminate the Orc threat and treat them to... a lavish barbecue."

The voice fell, and Mantou and Singo's mission panels appeared before them.

War Mission: [Wuge Prairie Bombing Campaign]

Mission Objective: Exterminate as many Orcs as possible.

Mission Rewards: The Ashen Kingdom has already eradicated most forces in the North, but remnants of the Northern Nobility still linger across this barren prairie.

They continue oppressing the poor Anzeta People, perpetuating their thousand-year-old decayed rule. Thus, warriors loyal to the Ashen Kingdom—wipe them out completely!

Note: Avoid harming commoners! Supported by the government and civilians, Boeing Company spent three years developing what was then the world's most advanced strategic high-altitude bomber—the B-29 Superfortress Bomber.

This bomber has a top speed of 563 kilometers per hour, a flight ceiling exceeding 10,000 meters, and the capacity to carry 9,000 kilograms of bombs. At the time, it represented the pinnacle of technology.