Chapter 21

Successfully defeating the Bronze Order Maintainer, King of Dragons, Mephilong felt a great relief and let out a long breath.

The situation was now under control!

The remaining two lower-level Order Maintainers could only exert limited power, which was not a concern and was completely beneath his notice.

The virtual world of the Dragon Era would be brought to an end by his own hands, the Dragon King, adding a significant achievement to his career as a Destroyer.

This successful destruction would greatly elevate his status in the mercenary group, and his ranking might even move up. More importantly, a large sum of credit points would be added to his account.

He already had a million credit points, and once he ended the Dragon World, he would no longer have to live in the gloomy slums. He could move to the Garden District on the second level of the city.

In the Garden District, there was clean air, high-fidelity natural scenery, richer wine, and more beautiful and elegant women.

That was truly the life.

Thinking of this, Mephilong laughed heartily, oblivious to his surroundings.

After laughing, he turned and looked at the body of the Great Mage Aikan, his gaze falling on the 'Staff of Shur' in his hand.

"Divine artifact, I'm coming!" Mephilong strode forward to pick up the fragment of the command ring.

But at that moment, the Staff of Shur floated up from the ground and quickly moved away from him.

"Huh? What's going on?" Mephilong's face showed surprise, not understanding what had happened.

He was stunned for a second, then reacted, instantly enraged: "Invisibility! Desperate struggle, die now!"

A dark red light flashed in his hand, and a third-level Shadow Flame shot out, erupting like a volcano and surging toward the position of the Staff of Shur. He was going to burn the damned thief to ashes!

Sun Ran, in his invisible state, smiled faintly and said, "Too late."

As an Order Maintainer Mage, his spells were different from those of the native mages. They had no cooldown time, required no incantations, and needed no time to channel.

As fast as his thoughts, so were his spells!

Sun Ran's original guess was correct; this divine staff was indeed one of the Creation Fragments. Its function was to grant the user fourth-level authority and significantly enhance spell power. This meant he now possessed fourth-level authority, on par with the Dragon King.

With this, what was there to fear from the dragon before him?

In front of the Shadow Flame, circular white runes appeared, one after another, evenly spaced half a meter apart, overlapping like parallel spaces.

Frost Runes!

Within a second, five first-level spells appeared simultaneously.

Due to the casting, Sun Ran also emerged from his invisible state. He held the Staff of Shur, the deep blue gem at the top of the staff pulsing restlessly, emitting a seductive blue light, as if it had a life of its own.

This was a phenomenon that only occurred during high-speed casting.

The power of the Frost Runes, activated by the divine staff, was significantly enhanced, raising a first-level spell to a level two and a half. As the Shadow Flame passed, a frost flower exploded, blocking it for a full second.

In that second, Sun Ran could calmly cast five Frost Runes or ten simpler zero-level Ice Spikes. Blocking the Dragon King's attack required only one Frost Rune, so he wouldn't waste his casting ability.

After setting up four runes, Sun Ran switched to Ice Spikes.

The power of the Ice Spikes also increased, and with the fourth-level divine artifact's enhancement, the improvement was even greater than that of the Frost Runes. Each Ice Spike's structure was raised to nearly level two, and its volume increased from thirty centimeters to one meter, with the diameter tripling. The flight speed greatly increased, and as it cut through the air, it emitted a sharp, tearing sound, terrifying to behold.

How strong was the combat power unleashed by high-speed casting?

In the next moment, Sun Ran demonstrated.

In an instant, the battle in the Hall of Time of the Summer Palace escalated to its most intense peak.

In the hall, cold air spread, white light crisscrossed, runes appeared one after another, and the whistling of the Ice Spikes and the crisp sound of shattering ice were dense like rain, completely enveloping the Dragon King's spells and his figure in a cold, icy mist.

The power of a Frost Mage was displayed to the utmost.

Mephilong never expected this to happen. In his perception, he was just casting a Shadow Flame at the nearby air. However, this one spell, like poking a hornet's nest, triggered an unimaginably sharp counterattack from the other side.

"Bang, bang, bang, bang..." These were the sounds of Ice Spikes colliding with the Dragon's armor.

Indeed, the enhanced Ice Spikes were still below level two and could not damage the fourth-level Dragon Armor. However, the powerful impact force pushed Mephilong back, making it impossible for him to maintain his balance.

It wasn't that he wanted to retreat. If the other side had the casting speed of a regular mage, even casting five to six Ice Spikes per second, he could have withstood the impact.

But now it was ten per second! And it was a continuous, uninterrupted barrage! The impact was like a raging tide, and he was powerless against it.

He was pushed step by step toward the entrance of the Hall of Time.

Outside the hall, the purple-gold divine punishment lightning was ready, waiting for him to appear!

Seeing this, the expressions of the game administrators in the Divine Palace were surprisingly consistent: wide-eyed, breath held, and not daring to make a sound.

The Dragon Era had mages, and there had been over a dozen Great Mages, but none possessed such power, able to force the Dragon King into a retreat with low-level spells, leaving him unable to defend himself.

They had only one thought: This was a true Great Mage, a worthy leader of mages, and the one who deserved the Staff of Shur.

Jasmine, hiding in the corner of the hall, clenched her fists tightly, her eyes full of stars. She thought Russell looked incredibly cool at this moment.

At the back door of the Hall of Time, the Summer Palace's own mage apprentices appeared. They hid at the door, watching the breathtaking spell duel in the hall with shock.

"Who is that mage?" Apprentice A asked.

"I don't know, but all his spells are instant, faster than Dean Aikan. This must be a Great Mage!" Apprentice B replied.

"Unprecedented and unparalleled, no one will be as powerful as him in the next thousand years!" Apprentice C's face was full of admiration.

This wasn't because no one could surpass Sun Ran; his current speed was still some distance from the official record. It was because the Dragon World was too small and low-level, unable to nurture strong dragons.

In the hall, Mephilong, hit by the Ice Spikes, had completely lost his temper. The Shadow Flame in his hand had long since extinguished, and under such dense attacks, he couldn't concentrate to cast spells.

He was quickly pushed back over thirty meters, with only a dozen meters left to the hall's entrance. Seeing that he was about to be eliminated, Mephilong finally erupted.

"Roar! Roar!"

A non-human dragon roar came from his mouth, and his body began to rapidly expand, transforming back into his dragon form. The dragon's body was massive, with greatly increased weight and strength, allowing him to withstand the impact of the Ice Spikes.

The dragon quickly appeared, standing proudly at the hall's entrance. His tail swung a few times, hitting the ground with a "thud," stirring up a large amount of stone debris.

The Ice Spikes hit the dragon's body, and although the impact force was still there, it couldn't push the massive dragon back. On the contrary, the dragon, not only not being pushed back, began to advance, resisting the Ice Spikes.

"You are strong, but unfortunately, you haven't fully grown yet, and your level is not high enough!" Mephilong spoke, his tone carrying a hint of relief.

If the other side had mastered third-level spells, no, even second-level spells, with the divine staff in hand, he would have been powerless to turn the tide today, even if he had transformed into his dragon form.

"Alas!" Director Chen Hansheng sighed, the effort was in vain.

This time, he lost, but he would never give up on hiring this Black Iron Order Maintainer named Sun Ran. Once he hired a higher-level Order Maintainer to cooperate with the mage's sharp Frost Spells, they could definitely drive out the Dragon King.

In the hall, Sun Ran smiled and stopped casting Ice Spikes.

"What? Giving up?" Mephilong didn't rush to attack.

Sun Ran shook his head and said softly, "I have a natural talent, and my mind is very sharp. I excel at multitasking."

"What do you mean?" Mephilong asked, which was also the question on the minds of the game administrators.

Had he not used his full strength just now?

Sun Ran explained, "Just now, I learned a second-level spell called 'Ice Whirlblade' and have been pondering it. Now, I feel I have some insights. As the Dragon King, please appreciate it."

As he spoke, Sun Ran began to cast the spell. In a life-or-death battle, he never wasted any time.

Upon hearing this, the game administrators widened their eyes. Ice Whirlblade, wasn't it just passed down ten minutes ago? How could he master it so quickly? Moreover, his casting speed was so fast; such a person couldn't be unknown.

Chen Hansheng immediately said, "Check this Sun Ran's background, thoroughly!"

Someone immediately complied, and the data officer soon reported, amazed, "Director, this Sun Ran is a genius!"

"How so?"

"From his detailed personal information, he entered the virtual world at the age of fifteen and has been in the game for nine years. He has played fifteen different virtual worlds. Although he is not a VIP, he has achieved great success in each world through his talent. Whether it's Daoist techniques, spells, technology, or anything except martial skills, he is almost proficient in everything. Additionally, his highest achievement as a mage was becoming a Great Sage in the Mage World!" The data officer marveled.

The Mage World is a Silver-level world, the most complete among mage worlds. A Great Sage is the leader of mages, and those who reach this position must have extraordinary spell power!

Now it made sense, Chen Hansheng's doubts were resolved.

A Great Sage would definitely know the native spell Ice Whirlblade. With the perfect version of Ice Whirlblade passed down, it was reasonable for him to quickly master it.

This was the genius resume fabricated by the central AI according to Sun Ran's wishes, laying the groundwork for any out-of-the-ordinary behavior he might exhibit in the future. With 27 billion people on Earth, those who started playing games early, played a lot, and played well were countless. One more Sun Ran didn't matter.

With this resume, Sun Ran had access to many more native spells. Theoretically, with his current second-level authority, he could cast any powerful native skill, the only issue being the casting time.

For example, a third-level spell would require a total data volume of level three per second. With second-level authority, it would take ten seconds to cast, following the tenfold increase in authority. For a fourth-level spell, it would take one hundred seconds, and for a fifth-level spell, one thousand seconds. A spell is like a reservoir; with a second-level authority gate, given enough time, the water inside would eventually drain.

Although there was this flaw, Sun Ran was satisfied.

The situation in the Summer Palace had reversed.

Mephilong realized the situation was dire and mustered all his strength to charge at Sun Ran, aiming to suppress his spell.

This time, Sun Ran did not block him. He was preparing a second-level spell. With second-level authority, casting a second-level spell took only one second, and with the divine staff's enhancement, it would take even less time.

The blue gem on the Staff of Shur glowed intensely, with lightning flickering around it. Boundless cold air spread from Sun Ran's body and quickly diffused throughout the hall.

Frost flowers extended in all directions on the ground, and the temperature in the hall began to drop sharply.

Judging by this, it was already close to the power of a fourth-level spell, and not the incomplete authority of the native Great Mage Aikan, but the fourth-level authority of an Order Maintainer! Aikan's third-level spell, enhanced by the divine staff, surpassed the fourth level, and Sun Ran's second-level complete authority spell, when enhanced, approached the fourth level.

"Die now!"

The dragon's heart was filled with cold. He burst with all his strength, unimpeded by Sun Ran, and moved very quickly, covering over thirty meters in less than half a second. He was ten meters away from Sun Ran, his mouth wide open, about to breathe out Shadow Flame, his entire body leaping forward, his front claws raised, and he was about to slam Sun Ran into a pulp.

In this life-or-death moment, Sun Ran's face remained calm, showing no signs of panic, earning the admiration of the game administrators.

"Such mental cultivation, worthy of a Great Sage!" Chen Hansheng sighed.

A Great Sage not only possesses superb spell techniques but also an incredibly strong mind. Sun Ran clearly met this criterion.

As the dragon's claws descended, the sharp wind from the claws ruffled Sun Ran's hair, but he remained unmoved, knowing the other side had no chance.

"Too late. You have already lost." A calm voice, like a judgment of fate.

His eyes slightly lowered, he casually waved his staff forward.

A large, rapidly spinning blade appeared in the air, controlled by Sun Ran, and flew along a curved trajectory, skillfully dodging the dragon's claw that tried to intercept it, slicing into the wide-open mouth.

"Zzz, zzz," the high-speed spinning ice blade, hindered, emitted a grating sound. In an instant, ice shards flew, dragon blood splattered, and dragon teeth shattered.

The Shadow Flame in the dragon's mouth was extinguished before it could be breathed out, and the relatively fragile third-level structure inside the dragon's mouth was completely destroyed by the Whirlblade.

The dragon's head was pushed back violently, and its entire body staggered. The dragon's claws, which were about to strike Sun Ran, slammed into the ground, creating cracks and sending shockwaves, but only ruffling Sun Ran's hair.

A mournful howl emerged from Mephilong's throat, a sound so piercing that it chilled the heart.

"Bang," another Ice Whirlblade, this time slamming into Mephilong's chest.

Some dragon scale fragments splattered, and the dragon's body, already off-balance, was pushed back several meters, unable to pose a threat to Sun Ran.

Mephilong, seeing the staff in Sun Ran's hand glow again, had only one thought: It's over.

Facing an opponent who possessed second-level spells, had a divine staff, and had a perfect grasp of battle timing, he knew he had no chance of turning the tide.

As this thought flashed through his mind, a massive impact hit his chest again.

His claws dug into the stone floor, but he was still pushed back three meters, leaving deep cracks, a sign of his futile struggle.

After a dozen seconds, Mephilong was pushed to the entrance of the hall, his appearance gruesome, his chest a bloody mess, blood gushing from his mouth, and many dragon scales shattered. Even without the divine punishment lightning, he would eventually be killed by Sun Ran.

In the eyes of the Summer Palace's mage apprentices, the scene was this: the mighty son of the Creator God, the War God Mephilong, the Dragon King, was forcibly driven out of the Summer Palace by a human mage using human spells.

This scene was recorded by the mage apprentices, carved on the murals of the Hall of Time, and passed down through generations, inspiring the Summer Palace for a thousand years.

Sun Ran cast the final Whirlblade.

In fact, his Whirlblade was powerful enough to destroy the Hall of Time and bring down the lightning, but he didn't want to do so unless absolutely necessary. The three major rules of Order Maintainers respected the native culture created by the inhabitants.

In the end, the Dragon King fell out of the grand Hall of Time, his appearance pitiful.

The purple-black lightning in the sky struck down, and the dragon's body struggled for a moment before turning to ashes.

This was the highest level of game punishment, fatal not only in the game but also potentially to the real-world brain.

A large amount of data would follow the route of the destroyer's consciousness, and if the sensory device was not promptly turned off, the brain would be burned out, resulting in death or idiocy. This was allowed by federal law as the highest punishment for those attempting to destroy the world.

So, under the lightning, both body and soul would be destroyed, that was the meaning.