Aviation Corps

It wasn't until they flew out of Dragonhead City that Mantou asked, somewhat curious, "What kind of quest is this anyway, that you had to rush over in such a hurry? Where are Brother Zhan Kuang and Qiuyu?" "They've been ready for a while, waiting by the portal." "Leading where?" "The City of Wyverns—the former capital of the Highland Dwarf Kingdom, Evindeldan." Mantou slapped his forehead in realization. "Oh, there! The Highland Kingdom war quest isn't over yet? I heard that siege didn't leave much room to show off. The whole time was spent doing grunt work hauling supplies. The players called up barely got any good loot, except for the Machine Cult tank crews who had a blast." "It wasn't a total loss. Brother Kai's exclusive cutscene was pretty spectacular, like watching a movie." Singo chuckled self-deprecatingly. "When that dwarven deity's avatar descended, the players who joined the battle—myself included—were wildly hyped. Who'd ever seen a boss with such sheer aura? If we'd scored the first kill, we could've called ourselves Godslayers! Who knew that after all our relentless bombardment, that dwarven boss didn't lose a speck of paint. Before long, Brother Kai swooped in to clean up the mess. Talk about a model worker." "Ain't that the truth." Hearing this, Mantou nodded in deep agreement. The Cinder Empire was practically a broken, bug-tier faction among the many powers of Feanso. It boasted abundant resources, diverse advancement paths, and formidable faction subclasses—and above all, an emperor who was essentially a literal deus ex machina. A few months ago, a rookie player had chosen to swear fealty to Duke Walter, excitedly enlisting in the North Aethel Garrison and publicly taunting players in the Imperial faction on the forums. Not long after, the Empire waged war against North Aethel, and the city where that player was stationed was reduced to rubble. Facing the rumbling advance of rolling tanks, the player had wailed in despair, "This isn't magic at all!" He later fought to the bitter end, leading Aethel's remnants in street combat, only to be arrested by the Imperial Guard and forced to join the Cinder Empire. The Imperial Wartime Tribunal had even put him on trial, sentencing him to three years of mandatory community labor and a war indemnity of over a thousand gold coins—though that was a story for later. A famous meme had thus sprouted on the forums: *New players who haven't joined the Cinder Empire need not worry; one day, you'll be joined to the Empire passively.* Recalling this, Mantou asked, "So this time we're going to put down a rebellion in Evindeldan? Those quests are such a drag—full of camper rats ambushing from every dark corner." "Nope," Singo shook his head. "A good chunk of the dwarven citizens seemed to evacuate in advance, but their soldiers were as stubborn as stone and nearly all died on the battlefield. A respectable foe, really. Currently, Evindeldan—or rather, the City of Wyverns—has been completely converted into an Imperial military garrison and a new wyvern breeding grounds, similar to Wyvern Valley in Anzeta." "Then what are we going there for?" "That's where you're out of the loop. I've got insider info: the Imperial authorities are about to release a special quest—cleansing the Ugo Steppe." "Cleansing?" "That's right, cleansing. From what I know, there are nearly three million orcs on the Ugo Steppe right now, and the Imperial directive is to wipe out every single one of them." "Three million?" Mantou stared in shock. "Where did that many come from? That's almost catching up to the entire player base! Did they sprout out of the ground?" "Actually, yes," Singo smiled. "According to the Machine Cult's biological tech-priests, these orcs are more like a hybrid of fungus and animal, capable of asexual reproduction." Mantou clicked his tongue in awe. "Good grief, they're literal greenskins. They don't run on the power of belief, do they? Because that would be terrifying." "Probably not. But what you should really care about is—how much EXP can three million orcs give us!" Whoosh— The silver-trimmed wings of the wyvern sliced through the air, sparks streaming from behind as it surged toward the massive teleportation portal in the distance. "Holy crap, slow down! So what if you have a mount armor set!" Mantou leaned forward, urging his wyvern into a dive as well. This was Tahan, a name that signified "Conquer the South." Pouring in everything they had and consuming vast fortunes of resources, the spatial mages of the Cinder Empire had constructed gigantic permanent teleportation portals here. Through these portals, Imperial citizens could travel to various cities in Anzeta such as Isdalia, Northwind Keep, and Strafburg; they could rush to the newly linked Evindeldan; and they could even venture to Black Iron City situated on the Fire Elemental Plane. Xiaye Qiuyu and Tian Sheng Zhan Kuang had already been waiting by the portal to the City of Wyverns for quite some time. Mantou cast a glance over. After months apart, Tian Sheng Zhan Kuang's appearance had clearly been drifting toward the "inhuman." Muscles like iron blocks threatened to burst through his clothes, and his powerful arms were thicker than an ordinary man's waist, encrusted with rugged scales and studded with bone spurs protruding from his elbows. Tian Sheng Zhan Kuang's gaze was as sharp as a blade, resembling some colossal apex carnivore, with violent bloodlust simmering deep within his pupils—only that bald head of his remained as dazzlingly shiny as ever, having developed an even thicker layer of patina. Xiaye Qiuyu's transformation was hardly smaller. Likely due to the alterations of her dragon bloodline, her skin had grown increasingly fair and smooth, virtually poreless to an ethereal degree, while scarlet scales grazed her cheeks. Her presence had likewise grown ever more noble. The dragon horns crowning her head had grown slender and elongated, and a mysterious aura emanated from her golden slit pupils. A pair of nascent draconic wings sprouted from her back, and a faint dragon fear radiated from her entire being. A glance at their status panels showed that one was a Level 12 Dragon Bloodline Barbarian, and the other was a Level 12 Dragon Pact Sorcerer—both fast approaching the current version's level cap. *As expected of pro gamers.* Mantou couldn't help but marvel inwardly. Having idled away his days and slacked off, he had only barely managed to hit Level 10. He smiled and waved. "Long time no see! Sister Qiuyu is getting prettier and prettier, and Brother Zhan Kuang is just like old times... possessing an aesthetic of sheer stat power." Mantou had nearly blurted out his true thoughts: *"Still possessing a beastly face and a human heart."* "Indeed. It's been so long since we parted, and you haven't uploaded a single video yet." Xiaye Qiuyu's eyes curved with a gentle smile and her tone remained as sweet as ever, yet it sent a shiver down Mantou's spine, as if the phantom silhouette of a true dragon was looming behind her. Mantou shuddered. "Ah, well, yeah, I've been busy gathering footage lately..." Tian Sheng Zhan Kuang rubbed his bald head, grinned to show a mouthful of white teeth, and clapped Mantou on the shoulder. "Mantou, as a creator, you've got to stay on the grind!" Mantou chuckled awkwardly. "Of course, of course." Singo glanced around and said, "Let's go. Head to the City of Wyverns. The official announcement should be dropping any minute, so we can go straight there and pick up the quest." "Right, let's hurry and grab the quest—first come, first served!" Finding his lifeline, Mantou chimed in eagerly. "Alright." All four stepped together into the portal. Passing through the spatial tunnel, they emerged in the City of Wyverns in a matter of moments. "Roaaar—!" A cacophony of shrieks and howls echoed through the skies. The group looked up to see wyverns beating their wings across the heavens, casting chaotic webs of shadow, while every cavern and hollow along the distant rock faces teemed with various lesser dragons. "Awooo—!" Noodles, held by Mantou on a tether, craned his neck and howled at the sky in pure excitement, prompting answering calls from scores of wyverns overhead. Seeing such a spectacle, Mantou couldn't help but gape, murmuring, "There are so many... Truly living up to the name City of Wyverns..." Singo explained, "Compared to Wyvern Valley, the climate here is warmer and far more suitable for wyverns to thrive. I heard they've even opened a Red Scale Trial dungeon instance here." At that, he flashed a mischievous smirk. "Though the terrain of Blackrock Mountain is much steeper and more treacherous than Wyvern Valley. One misstep, and you'll probably end up splattered into meat paste." Mantou also broke into a gloating grin. "Heh-heh, they're in for a treat." Tian Sheng Zhan Kuang asked, "Where do we accept the quest?" "Follow me. We're heading to the City of Wyverns' military command post—the former dwarven palace." ... "Ah, you're finally here! I've been waiting for quite some time." A hobgoblin colonel stepped forward to greet them, shaking hands warmly with Singo. "And this must be Count Mantou? Hahaha, long time no see!" "Hello, hello." Mantou stepped up to shake his hand as well. He recognized this colonel—one of the rare native Red Scale Conquerors, named Holland Rose, who now served in the Imperial Air Force. The hobgoblin looked at Tian Sheng Zhan Kuang and Xiaye Qiuyu behind them. Noting their unmistakable draconic traits, he dared not be dismissive. "And these two are...?" Singo made the introductions: "One is a mighty berserker, and the other is a pact sorcerer like Lady Misha. Both are renowned powerhouses." Holland greeted them warmly as well, smiling. "You are all pillars of the Empire. In His Majesty's grand design, there will surely be a place for each of you." Singo placed a fist over his chest in a crisp salute of fealty, answering solemnly, "For the Empire." "For the Empire," they all chorused. Soon, Tian Sheng Zhan Kuang and Xiaye Qiuyu were assigned to the ground forces, while Mantou and Singo followed Holland toward a classified location—as wyvern-riding aerial combatants, they would shoulder heavier duties in this operation. The three walked down the corridors of the former dwarven palace, first descending into an underground passage before passing through one heavy iron gate after another. Mantou asked curiously, "Where are we going?" Without looking back, Holland answered, "The armory. A very special armory, at that." Singo explained in a low murmur, "It stores the creations crafted by the tech-priests of the Reduction Synod." At the mention of the Reduction Synod, Mantou couldn't help a jolt of alarm. "Holy crap, those ordnance freaks? I think I can guess what this quest is about..." Singo nodded. "If someone accidentally set that armory off, the bombs inside could probably blow apart all of Blackrock Mountain and reduce the City of Wyverns to ash." "The total explosive yield of those bombs is a mere one hundred thousand tons of TNT equivalent—nowhere near enough to destroy Blackrock Mountain. Though the second part of your statement might actually hold true." The speaker was a bespectacled Caucasian man in camouflage fatigues—none other than Curtis, the Sage of the Reduction Synod. "Thank you for your hard work, Lord Curtis," Holland hurried forward to greet him. Curtis nodded with a smile. "It is only what I ought to do. To see the works of art I've researched shine so brilliantly across the battlefield is my distinct honor." With that, he departed in brisk strides. Watching the tall, slender figure walk away, Mantou couldn't help whispering in wonder, "So that's the famous demolition lunatic. Really goes to show you can't judge a book by its cover; he actually looks pretty refined and scholarly." Singo quipped, "He's a lunatic. All day long he thinks about nothing but destroying the world. If the Empire weren't funding him, he probably would've started bombing indiscriminately ages ago." Mantou marvelled, "The world truly is full of wonders. To think there's someone who can actually freak out a madman like you." "Cut the chatter, we're almost there." Before long, the three reached the end of the passage and arrived before an iron portal. With a heavy rumble, the thick door slowly parted. Scents of cordite, glycerin, and cold metal washed over them. Inside the vast warehouse, countless bombs were stacked in orderly rows—white phosphorus bombs, incendiary bombs, thermobaric bombs, fuel-air explosive bombs, and napalm bombs were all arrayed here. The armory bustled with activity as players from the Reduction Synod piloted various heavy transport machinery and logged rows of data. Holland turned around, smiling at the two of them. "Gentlemen, welcome to the Imperial Special Air Corps." Gazing up at the mountainous piles of bombs, Mantou couldn't help dropping his jaw in stunned disbelief. "H-How many bombs are actually stored in here?" "A lot. Enough to wipe out three million orcs. Moreover, you will be outfitted with the most advanced aerial equipment, utilizing levitation enchantment devices so your wyverns can carry several tons of payload." The hobgoblin paused, a ruthless gleam flashing in his eyes. "His Majesty stated in person that the presence of orcs poses a danger to the Empire, an obstacle to our grand design. "And this time, as members of the Special Air Corps, your mission is to eradicate the orc menace once and for all—and treat them... to a lavish barbecue." As his words fell, a quest panel popped up before Mantou and Singo. **[Great Bombing of the Ugo Steppe]** **Quest Type:** War Quest **Objective:** Eradicate as many orcs as possible **Description:** Following an accidental incident, the orcs gained formidable power and reproductive capability. Multiplying like a plague, they rapidly consumed everything across the Ugo Steppe. Cinder Emperor Cassius keenly recognized the threat posed by the orcs, discerning that the existence of these creatures would hinder the Empire's progress and potentially trigger a horrifying catastrophe! For the greater good of the world and the advancement of the Empire, the Emperor decisively conquered Evindeldan, establishing it as a forward military stronghold to strike at the orcs to the north. Warriors of the Empire, slaughter to your hearts' content! Slay every maddened orc, and purge the Ugo Steppe with boundless fire! **Rewards:** Vast sums of Gold Coins, Faction Contribution, Gold Coins **Special Quest Title:** Barbecue Master