Chapter 698: The Battle of Dragon Riders and Magic Guides

Whether or not he was being watched, Liszt kept doing his usual work without getting rattled just because Alonso Cyclamen was around.

They were both dragon knights—no need for scare tactics.

Still, keeping tabs on things was important. Mary Dawnbreak had people watching Mad Ghost Haben around the clock for three straight days. They were pretty sure that Mad Ghost Haben was the only vampire who had come to Coral Island, passing himself off as a merchant and staying in Flower Town. Unfortunately, he didn’t have proper identification papers, so he couldn’t go to Black Horse Island.

Liszt’s domain had been using a real-name system for a while now. Anyone traveling between Flower Town and Black Horse Island by boat needed an identity card issued by the administrative office, plus a temporary pass.

Temporary passes were only given to nobles invited by Liszt.

Identity cards, on the other hand, were issued to every resident, containing basic personal information and marked with special magic runes. These could be verified using a magic scanner to make sure they were genuine—a project developed by Cris’s mage tower under Liszt’s guidance.

Fake IDs weren’t hard to make.

In fact, forging one wasn’t too tough either—as long as you could crack the magic runes, then find the right materials, it’d be easy to create a fake.

Of course, the identity cards were just a simple way to tell residents from outsiders. The real way to keep track was neighbors keeping tabs on each other.

Anyone suspicious showing up would get reported to the patrol group right away.

Those who successfully made reports got some cash rewards, so the locals took this side income seriously. It wasn’t unusual to see them hanging around their neighborhoods looking for strangers. Mad Ghost Haben had already been reported once because of his sneaking around.

Luckily, he managed to talk his way out of it by playing the part of a merchant.

If he really wanted to reach Black Horse Island, it would be easy—he could turn into a bat and stow away on a ship. Even though he could only stay in bat form for a limited time, hiding in a cargo hold for a few hours would be simple enough. His goal, however, seemed to be a spying operation on Black Horse Island, which meant he needed a legitimate identity.

What he didn’t know was that his every move was being tracked by fellow vampires, who regularly sent updates to Liszt.

“This guy is lazing about like a tourist—is he even here for me?” Liszt couldn’t help but doubt the vampire was serious about his mission after reading reports that Haben spent most of his time stuffing his face, eating huge meals every day.

It looked more like a taxpayer-funded vacation with all-you-can-eat benefits.

“Keep watching him,” Liszt ordered, then asked if there were any messages from the vampires sent to Ironhoof Island and Blue Dragon Island.

There weren’t—the sea routes were too far, making communication very difficult.

He couldn’t help but sigh. “If only we could recover the spellwork technology from the Moon Empire era. Even if we couldn’t teleport people, sending messages would be a big help.”

Then it hit him.

“Acheronides has already touched the Magic Web, and I’ve explained some basic concepts about electromagnetic waves and signals to her. I wonder if she could use the Magic Web to create a spell for sending messages? It doesn’t have to transport anything physical—just carrying magic messages would do!”

With that thought, he immediately went upstairs to Acheronides’ lab, where she was deep in her experiments, with Cris and the twin apprentices Lucy and Rose helping out.

“Brother.”

“Acheronides, Cris, listen up—I’ve got an idea. Tell me if this could work.” Liszt quickly laid out his concept for a message-sending spell. “You both know how the Abandoned Insect Mushroom is limited by the Magic Web across a million square kilometers, only able to tap into a certain amount of magic. That alone suggests the Magic Web is one big connected system. From what Acheronides saw when she touched it, the Magic Web works like both a web and a force field.

Electromagnetic waves are also a kind of field.

If electromagnetic waves can carry signals, maybe the Magic Web could carry magic messages too.”

“Brother, your idea is really creative, but it’ll take tons of testing. I can’t promise we’ll pull off this message spell,” Acheronides replied.

Liszt took it in stride. "No strict rules. Research if you can, abandon it if you can't."

Acheronides remained calm, long since immune to Liszt's endless stream of ideas, while Cris beside her exclaimed in admiration, "Lord Viscount truly lives up to Archmage Acheronides' praise as a Renaissance man. The breadth of your thinking is truly admirable. A magic communication array—what an incredibly creative concept."

"Just average. I have many similar small inspirations. I just pick the useful ones," Liszt said calmly.

He had long grown indifferent to mild flattery.

After delegating the remaining lab work to Cris and her apprentices, he pulled Acheronides out of the castle. "Acheronides, there might be a real Dragon Knight lurking in the shadows, plotting against me. So we may face a dragon-slaying battle sooner than expected. We must be prepared at all times."

"Acheronides will protect brother!" The little siren clenched her fists and declared solemnly.

"We'll fight side by side. But before that, I must familiarize you with combat. Let's head to Dodo Island for a proper combat training session."

"Mm!"

Fighting Acheronides had always been on Liszt's mind. After all, no amount of solo training could match real combat experience. Acheronides was an Archmage, and he was a Dragon Knight—both representing the pinnacle of power in this world. Yet neither had any actual combat experience.

Now, with Alonso Cyclamen lurking in the shadows, Liszt had no choice but to quickly adapt to battles between Dragon Knights and Archmages—and help Acheronides grow as fast as possible.

...

On the sandy beach of Dodo Island.

Liszt rode Leo, drifting slowly through the air, while a hundred-meter-high waterspout churned by the shore. Acheronides stood atop a white scallop shell, focused and ready.

"Ready?" Liszt guided Leo past the waterspout and called out.

Acheronides nodded calmly. "Ready. Come at me, brother!"

"Then, let's begin!"

As soon as he spoke, Liszt's mind rapidly synchronized with Leo's—thoughts and bodies merging instantly as they entered Dragon Knight synchronization. Rider and dragon merged as one, sharing sight, hearing, taste, smell, touch, and even the flow of mana and magic power within their bodies.

With Draconic Sight activated, the world transformed into a new form.

Raising the Frostbite Dragon Slayer Sword, man and dragon lunged at Acheronides, their roaring Dragon Aura surging as they unleashed a powerful charged strike right from the start.

"Scorching Sun Thrust!"

Limned in blue-white magical energy, Acheronides seemed to glow as countless threads of the same hue extended into the void, continuously drawing magic power from the Magic Web.

In an instant, a ring of magic light enveloped her—an advanced water spell, the Water Wave Shield. But when cast by an Archmage, its defense was multiplied exponentially.

The sea beneath the shell surged violently as thick lines of magically-charged water shot out like rockets, each aimed precisely at Liszt and Leo.

With Draconic Sight active, no magic trajectory could escape Liszt's sight. Leo darted nimbly through the barrage of water blasts—but these were just feints. As the splashing seawater encircled Leo, Acheronides raised her hand again, and all the water instantly constricted around him like sea serpents.

Forming into rings, they began tearing outward—a spell learned from the Undead Yuchou: Aqua Ring Sunder.

Leo flinched not. His Dragon Aura shifted from roaring to boiling, flames wreathing his scaly hide as he sundered the watery shackles and bore down on Acheronides atop the waterspout.

Meanwhile, Liszt flashed the Frostbite Dragon Slayer Sword, bringing it down with devastating force.