Published at 7th of April 2026 7:15 am

Chapter 1657 Splendid Partner

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The Dark King's men continued to wreak havoc.

They went from one storehouse to another, setting fire to all the grains and supplies. They entered the depositories and poisoned all essential supplies.

These men had their spell components snatched away by the Haynam Magi. But that did not stop them. They confronted their enemies with fists and steel, killed them, and then stole their material components.

One by one, all the warehouses in the military outpost caught fire. Despite the heavy rainfall, the supplies stored in these places were still damaged.

However, these men were able to move unhindered solely because of the actions of two figures.

A man and a dragon.

"Get some! Get some! Get some!" Valerian, standing proudly on Ulrich's shoulders, chucked one Potion of Explosion after another.

Each vial shattered on impact. Fire burst outward, one blast feeding onto the next. Flames spread across the ground, climbing over debris, catching on cloth, wood, and armor. The area around them turned into a burning ring.

But the enemies didn't fall back. They gathered around the pair. From every direction, soldiers and Magi closed in, forming a tightening circle around them. Through the heat and smoke, figures moved closer, weapons drawn, and spell components prepared.

The fire didn't stop them. It boxed everyone in.

But in doing so, Ulrich and Valerian made sure that the enemy's focus was on them and not on their allies, who were destroying the supplies.

Ulrich glanced at the silhouettes closing in from all around, his expression turning utterly grim. It didn't help that the mad cat on his shoulders continued to laugh boisterously as if everything that was happening was pure entertainment.

But he also knew that Valerian had the skills to back up his arrogance. He had seen it for himself. The vivid illusions that the young dragon wove were so realistic that they fooled even the Mana Vortex Magi.

Isn't that all that was needed then?

Valerian fooling the enemies, then Ulrich killing them while they were disoriented. One broke the enemy's focus, while the other ended the fight.

Support and attack.

In the flames of war, the two moved in perfect sync. Each step and each strike fell into place without hesitation. This was a rhythm forged in battle, one that the enemy couldn't keep up with.

Ulric moved from one enemy to another as if someone possessed. Every time someone attacked him with steel or hurled magical projectiles at him, he would either nimbly dodge or… the attacks would pass through him as if he were a ghostly specter.

His figure would dissipate into gray smoke and then reappear somewhere else like an enigma. And all the while, the gray cat on his shoulders would snicker in cruel delight, his topaz eyes gleaming with terrifying light.

Seconds bled into minutes, and very soon, Ulrich came to a gradual stop. His chest heaved up and down, and he took heavy breaths. The heavy rain fell from above, drenching him completely. Strands of hair stuck to his face, and his eyes… they reflected exhaustion but also mild excitement.

Just now, he had received a mental transmission from one of his men. The message was simple: all targets had been destroyed. More importantly, they had safely escaped the town, and there was not even a single casualty.

"Looks like our work here is almost done," Valerian's voice echoed in his ears.

All around the pair, fire burned despite the rain, and scores of bodies lay scattered across the ground, their blood mixing with the downpour and forming countless crimson streams.

"…Almost," Ulric murmured, his cold gaze landing on three figures standing before him.

He had no idea how long he and Valerian had been fighting for. The man had entered a state of flow in the heat of violence and bloodshed.

When he focused, he found that he had been utterly exhausted. There were dozens of corpses around him, but thankfully, he still had enough mana in his reserves. After all, he hadn't cast any spells.

All he had to do was strike with his twin axes after the young dragon had cast his magic.

Now, all that remained were the three Mana Vortex Magi in front of him. They, too, were heavily injured, if not from Ulric's attacks, then from the Potions of Explosion that Valerian recklessly hurled all around them.

There was shock and fear in their eyes as they gazed at Ulric's figure, and the twin axes that continued to drip with blood.

And then there was the damned cat. They had never seen a creature so small take such delight in fire and destruction. The contrast made it hard to believe. Something that tiny, yet so eager for chaos.

"Young Master Valerian," Ulrich called out, his grip around the axe handles tightening. "You still have mana left, yeah?"

The little guy snorted. He raised his chin and declared, "I am a mighty dragon!"

"I'll take that as a yes, then." Ulrich sighed.

Valerian shifted his attention from the remaining enemies to Ulrich, who had proven to be a splendid partner in battle. And if he were being honest… he quite liked the human's company. At least, he was able to keep up with him.

His topaz eyes scanned Ulric's injuries. Although there were many on his body, none were dire enough. And judging from the long, ragged gasps he was taking, Valerian knew that he was beyond exhausted.

His whiskers twitched, and he couldn't help but taunt. "What about you, Ulrich? Do you still have some fire left in you, or are you going to chicken out?"

Ulrich snorted in amusement. "Let's get this over with."

"Myu!" Valerian grinned. The following moment, he turned into a gray flash of light.

In the next instant, a giant armored panther appeared beside Ulric, his topaz eyes gleaming and his fangs shining with a sharp light.

Lightning tore through the dark skies once more, marking the start of the final clash.

Valerian turned into a streak of gray light and shot toward the remaining enemies. Ulrich followed close behind, his blood stained axed ready to reap more lives.

In a single heartbeat, the battle erupted into a storm of steel, fangs, and magic.

And once again, the world was swallowed by storm and thunder…

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