DOTM: Chapter 252/253

Chapter 252: Dragon Slaying

As the surging magical power erupted, the already tattered and crumbling Mirror Dimension was greatly reinforced. This magic, originally cast using the energy of cosmic magic, received a replenishment of energy that was nearly of the same origin and also possessed spatial attributes. The Mirror Dimension quickly transformed into an unbreakable cage.

Onyxia's previous attacks, as grand as they appeared, weren't just intended to strike. She also aimed to destroy the space that imprisoned her.

As long as this spell was broken, she could create immense chaos in Stormwind. At that point, whether she chose to continue fighting or flee would be entirely up to her, unlike now, where she was forced to remain and fight to the death.

What made it even more frustrating was that the Mirror Dimension created by Ethan was not infinite. Onyxia was confined to the ground, being ganged up on like a giant target. The incredible mobility of a dragon, which normally belied its massive size, was rendered completely useless.

Just when she thought the space was about to collapse under her relentless assault, she didn't expect that mage to suddenly unleash so much magical power, forcefully repairing and reinforcing the strange space once more.

Not only that, but due to the continued fighting, the space had sustained damage, and Onyxia had previously sensed the presence of several Blackrock orcs she had positioned within Stormwind. However, as Ethan repaired the space, that fleeting connection was severed again. Even the spatial structure she had slightly understood shifted once more, still preventing her from casting teleportation spells.

"Damn mage!"

This was the umpteenth time she had cursed today. But at this moment, aside from this phrase, she could hardly think of any other words to express her feelings. At most, when Bolvar stood up again and charged forward, she would add another curse: "Damn paladin! Damn humans!"

As the Mirror Dimension was reinforced, Loki, who had been quietly observing, finally unleashed his true strength. As the Scepter of Ice released visible, powerful magical fluctuations, the people of Stormwind immediately retreated, putting distance between themselves and Loki.

Those who couldn't contribute much in the fight against the black dragon, like Logan and Selene, helped move the wounded soldiers to the rear. Meanwhile, as the only spellcaster among them, Broll Bearmantle summoned a large patch of plants in front of him as a barrier.

"Everyone, hide behind these plants. The power of nature will block this terrifying cold."

In the time it took him to speak, the plants in front of Broll were already covered in frost. The cold radiating from Loki was terrifying. Even Jaina, who was enveloped in arcane energy nearby, could barely endure it and shouted in frustration, "Are you trying to freeze us all to death?"

"I don't think he's entirely against that idea."

The energy in Ethan's right-hand ring was almost completely depleted, with only a tiny amount remaining. This residual energy was no longer usable for casting spells, but served as the minimum reserve needed to keep the magical equipment functional. If this portion were also consumed, the equipment would become completely useless.

Having already lost the Flame Cloak and his protective suit, Ethan had no desire to lose his most important spellcasting tool. Fortunately, he had other methods to protect himself. Merlin's Book of Inheritance was already in his hand, and a white magical shield surrounded him.

"Tsk."

Loki didn't actually intend to freeze everyone to death, but he certainly wouldn't mind seeing Ethan suffer a little—especially after being tricked by that illusion earlier.

Retracting his gaze, Loki focused entirely on the black dragon before him and the scepter in his hand. Under his control, chaotic frost energy gathered into a thick beam of icy-blue energy, blasting straight toward the massive black dragon.

Loki wouldn't be so considerate as to warn Varian and Bolvar to get out of the way. If those two were hit by his attack, it would only prove they were too weak and very unlucky.

Ethan had long anticipated that Loki wouldn't care about Varian's life, so he acted the moment Loki unleashed his attack.

After releasing all the magic converted from the Tesseract, which filled the Mirror Dimension with energy, Ethan gained a highly convenient ability for a short time.

So, the moment Varian and Bolvar fell within Loki's attack range, a blue teleportation portal suddenly opened beneath their feet. Before either of them could react, they were transferred to a safe zone behind the barrier created by Broll Bearmantle, avoiding the incoming blast.

With Varian's safety ensured, Ethan concentrated most of the spatial energy on the area surrounding Onyxia. He practically solidified the space she occupied, tightly binding the powerful black dragon and preventing her from dodging the incoming attack.

"Excellent work!"

Loki suddenly praised Ethan, realizing that the speed of his own attack was far from ideal. To ordinary people, the beam's speed might seem fast, but to a powerful creature like Onyxia, it posed little threat. She had plenty of time to respond, including dodging what was clearly a devastating attack.

But with Ethan immobilizing Onyxia, those concerns were gone. Not only did Ethan freeze her physical movements, but he also disrupted her ability to channel magic. This meant she couldn't dodge or defend herself.

If Ethan had mastered the power of time, perhaps he could have even frozen her thoughts. But this current method was arguably even more tormenting. Onyxia could only watch helplessly as the ice-blue beam struck her enormous body, the overwhelming frost and soul-chilling cold gradually engulfing her.

As Loki's attack hit, the spatial energy that had bound Onyxia collapsed completely. Though it seemed like a long moment, Ethan had actually frozen her for less than two seconds, and it had nearly exhausted all the energy he had previously released.

Even though Onyxia regained her mobility, she still couldn't move. Loki's powerful frost energy had trapped her in place. The thick ice that covered her entire body was beyond her ability to shatter, and the chilling cold that penetrated her soul left her disoriented and paralyzed.

At that moment, Jaina Proudmoore's attack also arrived. This extraordinarily talented human mage of Azeroth converted all of her arcane energy into chaotic lightning, gathered it in her hands, and unleashed the violent energy at Onyxia's head—frozen solid and exposed.

"Ah!"

A tragic dragon's roar echoed through the reinforced space. The cracks that had disappeared during the earlier repair reappeared. Onyxia, having suffered a series of heavy blows, now sought to escape. She wanted to use the same technique she had tried before to shatter the space, while simultaneously disrupting the two spellcasters' attacks and breaking free of the spell's constraints.

But it was all in vain. Loki was highly resistant to this type of attack. Jaina, having witnessed it before, had prepared in advance and sealed herself off with a thick layer of arcane energy. Only Ethan, having continuously drained himself of energy, was affected by the blast.

Fortunately, Jaina's attack was especially fierce. When the lightning struck Onyxia's head, she intentionally increased her magical output. The blinding lightning, accompanied by violent crackles, finally caused a massive explosion on the black dragon's head.

Loki didn't let Jaina take all the credit. After freezing over half of the black dragon's body, the scepter in his hand shone even brighter. A 'sphere' formed along the ice-blue beam connecting Loki and Onyxia, and then launched from his hand, following the beam's trajectory before slamming into Onyxia's body. The ice covering her underwent a violent transformation, delivering a fatal blow. However, those watching from a distance couldn't clearly see what kind of attack it was.

Only Ethan had some ideas, based on the magical fluctuations. But since he had been affected by the previous attack, he now felt dizzy, nauseous, and close to vomiting. He immediately cleared his mind, sat quietly, and watched Jaina and Loki finish the battle.

His role was complete. All he had to do now was protect himself from the black dragon's dying counterattack. Then the dragon-slaying battle would be over.

Fortunately, neither Loki nor Jaina gave Onyxia that opportunity. Ever since Loki had frozen her with his frost magic, she hadn't had a single chance to retaliate. This allowed Jaina to strike her head repeatedly with lightning until the stunned Onyxia met her end.

As Loki and Jaina ended their spells, the massive black dragon finally collapsed. Her lower body was still sealed in thick frost. Only her massive head slammed into the ground, kicking up surprisingly little dust.

With Onyxia's fall, the Mirror Dimension created by Ethan finally collapsed. All around them, the crisp sounds of shattering glass rang out. As the mirror-like fragments disappeared, everyone returned to the real world.

(To be continued.)

Chapter 253: Varian's Reward

The battle wasn't truly over. The moment they exited the Mirror Dimension, several Stormwind guards surrounded them. Barthras and Varian were about to order the soldiers to stand down when they were shocked to see the group suddenly enter a frenzied state, their bodies gradually swelling and transforming into Black Dragonkin.

"They're the black dragon's minions!"

This was obvious, and there was no possibility of peaceful coexistence between the two sides—especially now that Onyxia had been slain.

Varian and Barthras may not have had the means to handle Onyxia, but dealing with a few Black Dragonkin was not difficult. Logan, who had been more of an observer during the earlier fight, could now step in and assert his presence—his reckless, self-sacrificing fighting style even stunned Varian.

What was most astonishing was that Logan's seemingly fearless combat approach was actually a tactic to draw enemy attacks. He would then counter-kill them the moment they were caught off guard by his unscathed state. His direct charge had caught the Black Dragonkin completely off guard, and several were killed by Logan's Adamantium claws on contact. Logan himself didn't suffer a scratch.

Although claws extending from his hands looked a bit strange, Varian truly admired Logan, this genuine "warrior." Especially in the following battle, Logan drew almost all of the Black Dragonkin's attention, allowing Varian and Barthras to swiftly cut them down. In the end, it only took a short time to clean up the charging Black Dragonkin.

"Thank you very much for your help."

"It's nothing."

Logan wasn't particularly friendly toward Varian, even though he knew this man was the king of the realm.

After eliminating the Black Dragonkin threat, they turned and saw that Jaina and Ethan had already walked over to the black dragon's corpse, examining it. The man who had released that terrifying frost magic and appeared to be Ethan's companion was sitting on a stone bench he had found, seemingly drained from his spell.

Loki was indeed recovering, but not from exhaustion. That previous attack hadn't just killed Onyxia—the backlash from releasing such immense frost energy had injured him.

Fortunately, Loki was a Frost Giant. Though the wounds were uncomfortable, they wouldn't cause lasting harm. As long as he treated them properly, time would heal them.

Compared to Loki, the minor injuries Ethan had suffered earlier were already negligible. He was circling Onyxia's corpse, examining it, and had finally determined the true cause of her death. Loki's frost power hadn't merely frozen most of her body. In the final moment, the frost had erupted inward, sending countless ice spikes from the frozen outer layer deep into her body. These spikes delivered an even more concentrated blast of frost energy to her core. That was the true killing blow that ended Onyxia.

While Jaina's lightning was powerful, it couldn't have killed a black dragon in a single strike. Creatures like black dragons possessed high resistance to magic. The greatest contribution of Jaina's lightning was to stun and disorient Onyxia, leaving her unable to react in time to Loki's decisive strike.

"Truly powerful magic."

This comment came from Jaina Proudmoore. She knew the power of her own spells well, so she had realized earlier than Ethan that the black dragon had died at Loki's hands. She had approached hoping to better understand the powerful effect of Loki's spell.

From what she could now see, no creature could withstand that spell head-on. The best strategy was to interrupt the casting or dodge it before it hit.

"Your magic is also very powerful."

Jaina shifted her gaze from the black dragon's corpse to Ethan beside her. His use of space magic was simply beyond her imagination. He had locked the space around Onyxia, preventing the black dragon from dodging her and Loki's attacks. If Loki's spell seemed avoidable, then Ethan's magic was terrifying because it left no room to escape.

Without anyone noticing, he had transported so many people into an independent space and was able to freely reinforce and seal off any part of it. If they weren't facing a creature as massive as a black dragon, he could have easily locked down a target and chosen whether to burn or freeze them to death at will.

"Thank you very much for the compliment."

Ethan didn't let the praise go to his head. While the black dragon's blood was still warm, he promptly drew a large bucket of it, storing it in a container he always kept prepared. As long as it was sealed inside, he didn't need to worry about it spoiling and could use it at any time.

As for parts like dragon scales, flesh, and sinews, there was no rush. Once Varian had handled the fallout from Baroness Prestor's schemes within Stormwind, Ethan could claim those materials.

He wouldn't be greedy. It was impossible to monopolize the entire corpse of a black dragon. A portion would be more than enough.

Watching Ethan's actions, Jaina, aside from wondering whether she should collect some dragon blood as well, began to believe he really was a traveling mage. This kind of pragmatic action was exactly what a mage would do.

"Are you staying in Stormwind next?"

"Yes."

Ethan was about to wipe his hands clean of dragon blood when he was surprised to discover the blood contained potent energy, seemingly capable of slightly enhancing his body.

After hesitating for a moment, he ultimately chose not to let this energy 'corrupt' his body. He wiped his hands clean, then used his magic to thoroughly examine himself. Only after confirming there were no lingering effects did he breathe a sigh of relief.

Ever since he used a potion made from divine blood to improve his body, he had developed a certain craving for energy-rich substances—like an empty vessel eager to be filled. However, if that energy hadn't been purified, he couldn't predict the consequences of absorbing it.

Moreover, there weren't many substances his body currently considered worthy, and black dragon blood wasn't something easily acquired.

After this brief delay, Loki had also recovered. The three 'mages' stood by the black dragon's corpse, lost in thought. The Black Dragonkin battle had long since ended, and Varian was now speaking with several people Ethan didn't recognize.

The battle with Onyxia had occurred inside the Mirror Dimension, so it had caused no major disturbance. However, the sudden appearance of a massive black dragon in Stormwind Keep, followed by the sounds of battle, had drawn attention from all sides. The city's nobles had sent out spies to gather information and were preparing to flee at a moment's notice.

The Cathedral of Light had also responded. Upon learning of the situation, many priests quickly arrived to tend to the wounded. Archbishop Benedictus even came in person, finally breathing a sigh of relief after confirming that the black dragon and all of the Black Dragonkin had been slain and the crisis was over.

As for the intelligence returned by the nobles' spies, those who had colluded with Baroness Katrana Prestor likely found it hard to sleep. They would now have to worry constantly about how the returning king would deal with them.

None of this concerned Ethan. He only cared whether Varian would honor his promises. Fortunately, the King of Stormwind was a man of his word.

"I've already arranged accommodations for you. The items you requested will be delivered soon. If you need anything else, just let me know."

Varian sincerely thanked Ethan. In today's battle, Ethan and his companions had made a significant contribution. Compared to that, the rewards he had to offer were trivial.

To have recruited such powerful aid with just some information—in every sense, Varian and the Stormwind Kingdom had profited.

Varian also expressed his gratitude to Jaina. Whether it was her prior assistance or her role in this battle, Jaina Proudmoore had played a key role.

As a leader, Jaina could not be dismissed with a few items. After some consideration, Varian offered a political promise in return.

"When the time comes, Stormwind will stand with Theramore."

This was no small promise. Although Theramore was a member of the Alliance, its neutral stance had long kept it on the sidelines. Theramore had virtually no influence. Any suggestions made by Jaina were often ignored by the other member states.

Now, with Stormwind's support, Theramore's status might not change overnight, but at least Jaina would have someone to support her peace proposals. As long as one voice agreed, it could spark discussion and increase the chance of success. Perhaps this was the real reason she had agreed to help Varian deal with the black dragon?

Ethan wasn't sure if Jaina was that politically shrewd, but it didn't matter. What mattered was that he could now go to the arranged lodging, get some rest, and start reviewing the various materials Stormwind had collected.

Besides that, there was an unexpected benefit.

Because the information on Druids was quite superficial, Varian may have felt guilty about offering so little. So, he directly assigned Broll Bearmantle—the future Archdruid—to personally teach Ethan the core beliefs and abilities of the Druids.

(To be continued.)