Raging flames surged forward. From a distance, it looked like a vast 'ocean' of fire pouring down from the sky, sweeping toward all the Druids below.
But just before the flames struck, Feidric chanted and cast a spell with incredible speed. A shield so thin it was almost invisible enveloped every Druid. When the inferno swept over them, this seemingly fragile barrier completely blocked the flames, leaving not a single person injured.
This sudden turn of events stunned both the dragons and the Druids. Before either side could react, a relentless barrage of attacks followed.
It was Daphne and all the Warlocks who had formed Contracts with Pixies. They unleashed a variety of Pixie Magic:
"Eldritch Blast!"
"Pixie Fire!"
"Mind Prison!"
"Dream Projection!"
"Eldritch Blast!"
Pixie Magic wasn't particularly destructive. Instead, it leaned toward control and trickery, making it incredibly difficult to defend against.
Aside from Eldritch Blast, the universal attack spell known to all Warlocks, only two among the large group used Pixie Fire. This Fourth-Level Evocation spell summoned clusters of ethereal green flames to strike the enemy.
Unlike ordinary fire, these flames could burn a person's spirit and will. It was precisely this property that allowed the spell to harm the red dragons, despite their extremely high fire resistance.
Next was Mind Prison. As its name suggested, it was a mental control spell. It constructed a prison within the Dream Realm and dragged the enemy's will inside, trapping them.
Finally, there was Dream Projection. Though it was the same spell, each caster produced a different effect. Some conjured a massive block of ice that plummeted from the sky toward a red dragon, while others caused a thick, long earth spike to erupt from the ground.
One Warlock even manifested the image of a muscular old man wielding a greatsword, who then flew toward a red dragon—the very form Daphne had taken earlier.
The spell worked by manifesting the caster's mental projection from their own dream realm. As Cipher watched the false Paladin elder, she couldn't help but be reminded of Jay's Illusions. However, she could clearly sense that this Dream Projection was extremely weak, possessing perhaps not even thirty percent of the original's power.
A dense barrage of attacks swept toward the red dragons, crashing against their scales. Meanwhile, Aria, Douglas, and Daphne had already charged into the basin and reached the group of Druids. Seeing them, a middle-aged Druid wearing glasses and holding a long blue bow paused in surprise before exclaiming excitedly, "Excellent! Reinforcements have arrived!"
Aria naturally responded, "We're here to help!"
"ROAR—!!!"
Just then, a red dragon broke free from the Mind Prison. With a single flap of its wings, it shattered the ice block in the air, the earth spike beneath it, and the flying Paladin elder, blasting the projection into nothingness.
In theory, signing a contract with a Pixie could instantly make someone a Legendary-grade Warlock, granting them a vast array of powerful spells. However, even this required proficiency. Take the Dream Projection spell, for example: even if the Pixie cast it on their behalf, the Warlock themselves still needed to perform certain actions to control it.
This meant the Warlocks, who had been artificially boosted, were somewhat bloated in power—not nearly as formidable as one might imagine.
The Druid with glasses shouted, "Everyone, defensive formation! Prepare for an attack!"
At his command, the original encirclement swiftly dissolved, reforming into a square formation. The Druids with blue longbows moved to the rear, while the front rank's bows vanished, replaced by large blue shields. As they all raised their shields, the barriers miraculously linked together, forming a solid blue wall.
Daphne watched this with confusion. This was clearly not Natural Magic, yet these people were undeniably Druids. It was bizarre; in all her long years, she had never seen Druids use magic like this.
But this was a battle, and there was no time for contemplation. Daphne fixed her gaze on the enemy before her.
Crack—crack—
Amidst a series of sickening cracks and pops, Daphne watched as a mass of red flesh on the dragon's neck swelled, grew, and expanded. Within seconds, another head had sprouted.
Clearly, this creature could no longer be treated as an ordinary red dragon.
Then, both heads opened their maws to unleash their breath attacks. One spewed scorching flames, while the other exhaled a crimson mist—identical to the red fog permeating the area, only far denser and more malevolent.
BOOM—!!!
Though fire and mist should have been intangible, their collision with the Blue Shield Wall produced a sound like a heavy blunt weapon striking solid metal. The front-line Druids grimaced in pain, gritting their teeth as they struggled to maintain the spell.
The instant the flames and red mist subsided, Aria, Daphne, and the glasses-wearing Druid charged forward simultaneously. At the same time, a dense volley of blue arrows shot out from behind the shield wall, raining down on the dragon.
Douglas stood among the crowd, casting various Divine Magic spells to buff everyone. Feidric, along with Cipher and Phainon, remained at their original position. He held back from casting any spells, instead watching the battlefield with intense focus. Frowning, he muttered, "Something... feels off."
Cipher replied, "Is it because of that initial mass of flesh? The Source of Corruption? It's a shame. We were too far away, and that thing moved too quickly. By the time I saw it, it had already begun to transform. If I'd been a little earlier, I might have been able to snatch it away."
As they spoke, Aria and Daphne leaped high into the air, each targeting one of the dragon's heads.
"Divine Smite!" they both shouted.
Two beams of light—one gold, one green—erupted from their blades. The glasses-wearing Druid, wielding a blue one-handed sword that radiated dazzling starlight, unleashed a similar light-beam attack.
"Stardust Smite!"