This Necromancer Just Wants to Plant Trees - Chapter 197 (Patreon)

Chapter 197: The Catastrophe of the Black Dragon, Level Up!

No one expected the Dragon Catastrophe to strike so suddenly. When the colossal figure descended from the sky like a mountain range, the power of the higher-ups pounded the rooftops of the small town like a fierce storm.

Humming!

The tiles resonated slightly due to the wild wind and the dragon's imposing aura.

In the high sky, a proud black dragon soared proudly over the town of Rolling Stone. Its chest swelled rapidly, and white mist rose from the scales around its neck. Then, it aimed at the most crowded spot and unleashed a massive breath!

Sizzle!

The terrifying breath took the form of a triangular cone, gushing down after being diluted by the air, transforming into an acidic mist, raining upon the land.

Meanwhile, in the square, by the time people realized what was happening, it was too late. The acid mist rapidly spread, corroding the skin of those caught within. Despite Matthew immediately casting a protective acid shield, his spell couldn't cover everyone in the square.

The horrific cries erupted within the mist. People fled in panic, the square's order collapsed, leading to a minor stampede! Under the awe of the dragon's power, no one could calm the panicked crowd.

Even Matthew struggled. Using the resistance granted by his Dragon-Slaying domain, he swiftly called for reinforcements from the direction of the graveyard.

Simultaneously, he dashed to a corner of the square under a roof, starting the incantation for the Necromantic Summoning spell.

In an instant, a massive portal swiftly formed per Matthew's stringent commands. Philorius promptly arrived at his side in response.

At this critical juncture, Matthew ignored everyone else, swiftly climbed onto Little Fei, and the two ascended above the ground using a Levitation spell.

The black dragon noticed Matthew at that moment. Seeing Philorius beneath Matthew provoked the dragon's anger. However, instead of rash actions, it swiftly dived down, aiming directly at Matthew and Little Fei.

Unfazed, Matthew commanded Little Fei to fly northwards from Rolling Stone. Typically, a Bone Pigeon using Levitation wouldn't match the aerial speed of a dragon.

Matthew had prepared additional contingencies, but to his surprise, the absent Little Fei seemed to have grown. His Levitation spell was remarkably smooth, trailing only slightly behind the black dragon.

In a mere ten breaths, they reached the northern part of the square, where an old wall from Rhaegar's father's era stood. Little Fei swiftly landed atop it.

The dragon angrily descended. As Matthew grabbed a bone from Little Fei, the latter displayed agility disproportionate to its size. At the moment of collision, Philorius swiftly dodged the dragon's attack, causing the upper half of the wall to crumble!

Clattering sounds echoed as stones fell like rain.

"Undead evildoer, dare you challenge the majesty of a true dragon?" roared the black dragon indignantly. "I, Meionogas, Lord of the Black Dragon in the High Mountains, formally declare—this land shall be mine! The people living here must pay homage to the great Meionogas! The former lord of this town must swear allegiance to me. It is your honor to be a part under the reign of the great Black Dragon Lord!"

Meionogas' voice lingered in the square.

After saying these words, the dragon's massive head turned towards Matthew, conveying a cruel intent. "And you, despicable necromancer, today, I shall grind you to dust as the price for defiling the bones of a true dragon!"

Matthew gazed coldly at the black dragon in the sky. He glanced briefly towards the center of the town. The situation remained chaotic, with many still fleeing. However, Matthew's efforts hadn't been in vain. He'd diverted the dragon's attention, buying most of the square's residents time to escape.

Meionogas—this was the name of the Lord Black Dragon ruling the Highleaf Mountains. Matthew never expected to encounter him in such a way. This guy dared to come to Rolling Stone and flaunt his power! Matthew didn't know what to make of this audacious behavior.

"Your audacity knows no bounds," Matthew remarked.

At that moment, a swift, black figure rose from the central square of the town. There were no traces of levitation spells or floating effects; it was a pure upward flight through their abilities.

This was one of the traits of a legendary close-combat fighter. Even though the opponent disguised themselves, Matthew quickly realized it was the legendary form of Richard, the Silver Serpent!

Richard approached rapidly, stood in mid-air, forming a flanking position with Matthew, subtly blocking Meionogas' dive towards the depths of the town.

In the next moment, Rhaegar, shimmering with the radiance of a Levitation spell, also rushed over. He seemed to have used a precious Levitation scroll, showing much smoother movements than before. He wielded the greatsword, which appeared different from what Matthew had seen before, emanating an unusual magical sheen and a hint of bloodthirst.

"Meionogas! This is not a place for your audacity!" thundered Rhaegar.

The stage was set for a confrontation.

He looked incredibly angry, roaring with every byte:

"Leave this place, get far from Rolling Stone Town, or you'll be courting destruction!"

Matthew stared coldly at the black dragon and said, "We won't accept any form of enslavement from you. Besides, this is Rolling Stone Town, the homeland of Archmage Ronan. It's wise for you to consider the consequences before acting recklessly."

However, the black dragon was outrageously irritable. Instead of negotiating with Rolling Stone Town, it cursed aloud: "Reptile! Don't think you can threaten me!" Then, with unstoppable force, it lunged at Rhaegar!

At this crucial moment, Rhaegar remained undaunted, calmly observing every move of the black dragon. Flames of inferno emerged from his skin, indicating his readiness to shift into a second form.

Whoosh! Rhaegar swiftly grazed past the right side of the black dragon, forced to launch an attack to evade the dragon's tail due to its powerful swing.

Clang! Due to insufficient force, the greatsword merely scraped a few dragon scales off its tail.

Boom! The colossal body of the black dragon mercilessly collided with a cluster of buildings.

Seconds passed, and as it stood upon ruins, its chest rapidly heaved. It seemed poised to unleash a dragon's breath.

Nearby, many people scrambled to flee the area. Escaping the dragon's assault at human speed was proving challenging.

Meionogas inclined its head, about to breathe fire onto the crowd. But at that instant, it retracted, nervously eyeing the opposite side of the old city wall.

Standing there were a dozen figures, led by Zeller at the forefront, while knights from the Lord's guard adjusted a colossal ballista behind him.

A dragon ballista!

As the chilling, robust black ballista aimed at Meionogas, it appeared both angry and apprehensive.

Boom! It flapped its wings fiercely, lifting off abruptly and escaping the ballista's range.

Meanwhile, Matthew maneuvered Philorius closer, refraining from using spells easily due to the black dragon's exceptional resistance among true dragons. Simultaneously, the dragon's scales effectively countered physical attacks.

Matthew's strategy was crystal clear: Rolling Stone Town wasn't prepared for a dragon slaying yet, so their primary objective was expulsion! He instructed Little Fei to keep a distance from the dragon and then threw clusters of hazy light through the air! Dispel Magic!

Dispel Magic was an indispensable spell against dragonkind. While theoretically intended for lifeless armor, in practice, it effectively softened dragon scales, weakening the innate armor of true dragons.

Matthew's accuracy was impeccable. Four Dispel Magic spells hit, softening massive scales on the dragon's neck, abdomen, right rib, and tail base.

This provided an opening for others.

At a crucial moment, a ghostly figure appeared atop the black dragon's back. In an instant, Richard thrust a blade into the softened scales around its neck, piercing deep into flesh.

Meionogas roared in agony, violently shaking its body, attempting to slam Richard with its tail. But upon success, Richard vanished instantly from the spot.

"Despicable reptile!" The black dragon seethed in anger but hesitated to approach the ground due to the dragon ballista's intimidation.

The dragon was cunning. Within seconds, it realized these people weren't easy prey.

Yet, fleeing with its tail between its legs would diminish the black dragon lord's dignity.

So, its eyes flickered towards another building in the town. Meionogas swiftly took flight, feigning an escape. However, moments later, its colossal body plummeted abruptly.

Upon crashing, it indiscriminately attacked buildings and residents nearby, further infuriating Rhaegar.

He charged fiercely, striking the dragon's right leg with his sword! Clang! A sharp, resounding impact reverberated. Rhaegar involuntarily staggered backward, yet the Butcher's Sword dealt a deep, thirty-centimeter gash on Meionogas's right hind leg!

The black dragon whipped its tail, slamming Rhaegar against an adjacent wall.

However, in that moment, Matthew swiftly arrived. He leaped onto the roof of a white cottage, while Philorius ruthlessly rammed into the dragon's belly from the side.

The vast difference in weight made the black dragon sway lightly. Meionogas ferociously bit into Philorius's chest, tearing through his bone armor instantly!

"Perish, you blasphemer of true dragon honor!" Meionogas aimed to crush Philorius into dust.

Yet, at that very moment, a vigorous impact struck its other side, even more potent than Philorius's collision.

The black dragon stumbled, almost losing its balance, intimidated.

Turning its head, it saw a black warrior holding a colossal alloy shield firmly.

The black dragon slapped its paw against the warrior's shield, but the shield remained unyielding. Instead, Meionogas felt a twinge of pain in its claws.

Raising its gaze, it saw at the other end of the street a centaur spreading its arms, chanting loudly.

Accompanying the chant, numerous plants broke through the cobblestones, rapidly spreading across the dragon's body in a terrifying manner.

Beside the centaur, a zombie archer aimed a magical longbow at Meionogas, brewing a powerful magical aura on the arrow.

Behind them, a dark priest conducted a ritual chant with their attendants.

The space near the black dragon was instantly engulfed in darkness. It began to struggle to move.

What truly unnerved the dragon—

The necromancer continually cast grotesque spells toward it.

Ray of Debilitating Exhaustion.

Dispel Magic.

Feebleness.

Puff! A peculiar brilliance shot out from Matthew's wand.

"After striking the black dragon...

Suddenly, he felt an unbearable itching in his lungs. The brewing of his dragon's breath was interrupted by a fit of coughing.

What's even more terrifying is, he sensed an unprecedented aura of danger drawing near.

At the end of the street, Zeller was leading soldiers, pushing a ballista!

"No, no, no!"

"You reptiles, how dare you harm the great true dragon!?"

Before he could finish his words, the Black Knight Agus suddenly leaped high, slamming his shield fiercely on the black dragon's head.

Meionogas experienced a slight dizziness. In a trance, he even saw that necromancer charging toward him!

"I must be hallucinating!"

"He's a mage, how could he possibly..."

Before this thought could vanish, he saw Matthew jumping down from the rooftop—

During his mid-air descent, the black dragon puzzledly saw Matthew wielding a warhammer.

Simultaneously, the latter's body also began to transform, from a human into a bona fide Moon Bear.

The Moon Bear brandished the warhammer, about to teach the black dragon a lesson.

Critical moment: Meionogas swiftly adjusted his body—

A sweep!

Everything around him was dispersed or pushed away by that enormous tail.

Only Matthew managed to get close.

However, the black dragon adjusted its posture slightly.

In the end, Matthew didn't manage to strike its head as intended.

Thud!

The warhammer viciously struck the base of the black dragon's neck.

The scales retracted sharply.

Despite enduring the physical damage from the warhammer, Meionogas felt an urge to cough up blood!

When has this majestic black dragon ever suffered such insult?

He vigorously adjusted his posture, intending to give these humans a painful lesson.

But at that moment, he heard an extremely sensitive metallic tremor.

It was the sound of a ballista being cocked.

Thud!

The Black Knight was tirelessly attempting to hit the black dragon's head with his shield.

Meionogas, Meobest, the Dark Priestess, Renaismae...

An assortment of ranged attacks bombarded the black dragon as if they cost nothing.

Rhaegar, Richard, Aebing, and the soldiers of the Lord's Guard...

The fearless melee units relentlessly attacked the black dragon's feet.

At that instant, Meionogas finally understood what fear truly meant!

His chest swelled violently.

Following that, a loud bang was heard.

A terrifying shockwave surged in all directions from the black dragon's center.

The shockwave carried considerable corrosiveness.

But most importantly, it temporarily repelled everyone's assault.

The next moment, the dragon's body soared upwards, heading beyond the clouds.

"Trying to flee?"

Matthew immediately transformed into a Wind God Winged Dragon, biting down on the black dragon's tail.

Crack, crack, crack!

The black dragon vigorously swung its tail, and a significant amount of its relatively soft scales at the tail were bitten off by Matthew.

Indeed, the Wind God Winged Dragon's weight was nowhere near that of the black dragon.

After struggling for a moment, the latter managed to shake Matthew off.

At that moment, Meionogas quickly changed direction, fleeing westward at top speed.

However, his originally robust tail had turned into a bare, scaly sight.

As he flew, scales continued to fall from the tail.

Matthew silently watched the direction the black dragon fled, devoid of any sense of victory in his heart.

He glanced down.

In Rolling Stone Town, although not entirely devastated, over twenty buildings were damaged.

Where the dragon's disaster struck.

People cried for help, mourned, and a young girl lay lifeless over her parents' bodies.

Other areas were eerily silent.

People hid away.

At that moment, the entire town felt desolate.

This was the first time in decades that Rolling Stone Town had faced an external attack.

But for a long time to come, it probably wouldn't be the last.

"War is truly upon us."

Matthew solemnly returned to the ground.

He saw everyone assisting Rhaegar, whose face was terribly pale. It seemed that the dragon's tail had hit him hard.

Yet, Rhaegar tried to appear nonchalant: "I'm not too bad, you've got to believe in a devil's resilience!"

*Cough, cough, cough!*

Matthew immediately recognized his weakness. Although not close to death, Rhaegar was severely injured.

He glanced at the nearby aisle.

There stood an oak tree he had personally planted, now broken by the black dragon, with countless leaves scattered around.

Matthew gathered a large bunch of leaves and approached Rhaegar.

A warm glow illuminated his palm.

In an instant, the leaves turned into a sandy-like substance slipping through Matthew's fingers.

A gentle life force emanated from Rhaegar.

Under the effect of 'Miyeshenghua,' Rhaegar's condition improved somewhat.

"I didn't expect you to know healing spells."

He looked at Matthew with surprise.

Matthew smiled: "There's probably a lot more you haven't expected."

Richard also looked surprised: "To be honest, your direct charge at the dragon startled me. There are hardly any mages—or, hardly anyone—who dares to engage a dragon in close combat. I mean, great hammer!"

Matthew regretfully said: "Too bad I couldn't knock him out; otherwise, there might have been a chance to detain him."

Richard shook his head gently: "Slaying a dragon is not such a simple task. Ultimately, we lack preparation."

Matthew nodded.

At this moment, Zeller approached to inquire about the situation. After confirming Rhaegar's safety, he dispatched people to handle relief efforts.

"We have a lot of work ahead."

"But before that, we must convene an emergency meeting."

Zeller spoke solemnly.

A few minutes later.

Lord's Manor's conference hall.

Each of the four took their seats.

"First, we must determine the source of this dragon disaster."

Zeller's expression was extremely serious, his thoughts unusually clear:

"We all know that those two gigantic dragons might launch an attack on Rolling Stone Town, but today's situation caught everyone off guard.

There are mainly three issues —

Firstly, why is it the Black Dragon Meionogas?

Secondly, why is he alone?

And thirdly, why now?"

Zeller's points of consideration were quite reasonable.

Under normal circumstances, even a dragon positioned atop the food chain wouldn't launch an assault on a town all by itself.

That's a bit too wild.

Dragons have their own forces.

Even if they can't raise organized armies, recruiting some dark creatures as minions would be effortless for them.

In fact,

Highleaf has essentially become an affiliate of the Black Dragon Meionogas.

If this fellow wanted to conquer Rolling Stone Town, why not lead a massive army here?

"This suggests that Meionogas's actions aren't rational."

"On one hand, he wrongly assessed Rolling Stone Town, perhaps due to his pride or instigation from others."

"On the other hand, the red dragon we were more wary of, Kusules, is eerily silent, which doesn't make sense."

"The intel from Highleaf reported several battles between the red and black dragons, with neither having the upper hand.

But the problem lies in the fact that Kusules is a bona fide adult red dragon, at level twenty, a quasi-legendary figure;

while Meionogas is just a young dragon, at level eighteen.

Don't be fooled by the mere two-level difference; for dragons, irrational beings, that's a significant power gap."

Matthew quickly analyzed:

"So, I believe the red and black dragons haven't really fought much, or rather, Kusules has been holding back."

"I reckon that cunning red dragon refrained from violating Rolling Stone Town due to Eckmonde's warning, pushing this brainless fool Meionogas to explore."

"That's what led to today's scene."

Others nodded in agreement.

Matthew's analysis seemed quite reasonable.

There's even a possibility that these two dragons were putting on a show to maximize control over their respective territories' inhabitants and armies.

Only dragons can defeat dragons.

When this notion seeps into people's minds,

the dragon lords' rule among human civilians becomes more stable.

But this ideology doesn't seem like something a regular chromatic dragon would propose.

Combine that with the active presence of the green dragon Fatina in the north.

Matthew always felt an invisible web weaving around Rolling Stone Town.

He didn't know who lurked underwater as an enemy.

But he had to find a breakthrough somehow.

Otherwise, Rolling Stone Town would likely perish under dragonfire.

"Besides the unwell Dulin and Asma, how many more helpers can you gather?"

Matthew looked at Renaismae.

The latter pondered and mentioned four names, including Li Weiqi and the priest from Watcher's Highlands.

Matthew nodded gently:

"That should suffice."

"I still insist on my previous point; we must take the initiative!"

Zeller mused:

"But if we're to strike first, we must prepare to handle two dragons simultaneously."

Matthew shook his head:

"Not two, maybe three."

Richard frowned:

"Are you suggesting the northern green dragon might join the fray too?"

Matthew nodded:

"Perhaps I'm overthinking, but better safe than sorry."

Zeller sighed:

"But if we're to face three dragons simultaneously, our manpower might not be enough."

Matthew, however, firmly stated:

"I think we can give it a try."

Saying so,

he pulled a stack of white paper from the desk.

Swiftly, he began writing letters —

"Dear Lumiere/Bobo/Eli/Lolan/Samantha/Craig..."

Within fifteen minutes,

Matthew had penned six letters seeking aid.

"Amongst my friends, except for one third-tier druid from the Moonlight Society, the rest are at least fourth-tier."

"They can assist until dealing with the dragons escalates into a legendary ordeal."

He informed the trio.

However, the three looked somewhat hesitant.

Matthew looked at them in surprise.

After a moment,

he suddenly realized:

"Are you worried about me, aren't you?"

The next moment,

he decisively lifted the restraint.

A dreadful aura spread from Matthew.

...

"Hint: Your level has risen from LV12 to LV16!

Your strength has gained a comprehensive improvement..."

...

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