Only after a second or two did the sound of the ice spear tearing through the air arrive, as if telling Morgan and Arthur just how fierce and perilous that last strike had been—it had actually broken the sound barrier, moving even faster than sound itself. The fire dragon Michael and the dragon rider Arthur both felt their hearts pounding wildly. These two were way too careless—this was a battlefield, after all, and anything could happen.

Normally, a metal dragon wouldn’t care about the fate of the fire dragon Michael’s rider, but in combat, losing even a bit of fighting power on their side could drastically shift the balance of strength between the two forces.

“Damn! It’s those Tessi bastards!” Seeing a few tiny black dots flickering in and out of the heavily lowered storm clouds in the distance, Arthur flew into a rage. Michael also raised his long dragon neck and fiercely spat several blazing blue fireballs in that direction in retaliation. As for whether they hit, only the heavens knew.

“Gold Coin, go!” Morgan spat out a battle-ready declaration through clenched teeth. That ambush just now, which nearly skewered Arthur and Michael like candied hawthorn, was definitely a premeditated sneak attack. Such a precise ice spear, aimed specifically at a fire dragon, was not something just anyone could pull off. There were still icicles hanging from the wingtips of the metal dragon beneath him.

“Charge!” The metal dragon Gold Coin roared at the just-recovered Arthur and Michael: “Little fire dragon, cover fire!” With a sudden beat of his wings, the armor that had condensed over his body became even more menacing, bristling with sharp spikes. The greatest trait of metal dragons was that their entire bodies, inside and out, were like liquid metal, able to morph at will and form all kinds of weapons. At this moment, Gold Coin looked like a fully armed hedgehog, darting left and right as he shot up toward the clouds above. This bizarre flying style was actually an imitation of the wind dragon’s “sparrow-hunting trajectory.” Although, being non-wind attribute, he could only achieve a fraction of its effect, it was enough to make up for the metal dragon’s lack of agility.

Two fireballs, each the size of a human head, chased after Gold Coin from behind, following his every twist and turn in the air. Though Arthur and Michael were both hot-tempered and brash, you don’t become a dragon rider without some skill. Now was the perfect time to use Morgan’s signature support attack, “Meteor Accompanies the Moon,” to cover Morgan. This required not only familiarity with Gold Coin’s flight path, but also bold and precise control. Accompanied by two explosive fireballs, the metal dragon charged straight into the thick clouds above.

“Gold Coin, give them something to remember! Blade Assault!” Morgan gripped the dragon saddle tightly, light-attribute battle energy coursing through his body, a faint golden glow radiating from him. He reached back, and with a metallic clang, a massive, dazzling two-handed greatsword sprang from the giant sword case on his back, landing perfectly in his hands. Once a dragon rider was forced into close quarters, the rest came down to the rider’s combat skills atop the dragon.

The metal dragon let out a low, resonant roar. The menacing wings overlapped, and several long blades suddenly detached, shooting at high speed toward the shadowy figures flickering in the distant clouds. In a flash, they disappeared into the clouds, leaving a lingering sound in the air as they sliced through it, their speed no less than that of the earlier ice spear. Manipulating metal was a metal dragon’s specialty—various ores and metals were always a key part of their menu. Body transformation, armor, blade formation, and using innate void magnetic fields to launch blades at enemies were all signature moves of the metal dragon.

Several sharp, startled, and angry screeches echoed from within the clouds! Gold Coin’s seemingly casual assault appeared to have yielded unexpected results.

A few bolts of lightning crashed down from the clouds. Gold Coin twisted and dodged in the air, while the two fireballs trailing behind him suddenly collided with a lightning bolt as thick as a barrel, blossoming into two enormous, crimson dahlias over a hundred meters in diameter—magnificent beyond words.

“This damned weather is weird—must be the Tessi Empire’s doing. Thunderstorms are bad for me! Morgan, hold on tight! If you fall, don’t blame me—I’m charging!” Gold Coin beat his wings, dodging the lightning that kept striking down. More lightning was brewing in the dense clouds above, and with his body covered in blades, he was a lightning rod. Even with the metal dragon’s innate void magnetic field defense, it might not be enough to withstand a concentrated barrage of lightning.

Morgan’s light-attribute battle energy enveloped his whole body, forming a faint shield. Countless electric snakes writhed across its surface, and Morgan felt waves of tingling numbness, his movements noticeably slowed.

Fighting a lightning-attribute opponent beneath storm clouds was like battling the very elements. The enemy was cunning, having set up an environment that favored them in advance. By leveraging the weather, they could easily unleash their full attack power, while Morgan and Arthur both found their own strength diminished in these conditions.

“Let’s charge up there and tear them all to pieces!” Morgan’s eyes blazed with fighting spirit, his crimson cloak billowing behind him like a battle flag. Metal dragons, like dark dragons, were famed for their prowess in close combat. Perhaps a dark dragon would leave an enemy’s corpse or remains, but a rampaging metal dragon would never stop until the foe was torn to shreds—a truly savage force.