Almost at the same time, the coarse roars of orcs and the sound of heavy footsteps rapidly approached, shattering the tranquility of the marshland. The first to appear was a tall orc warrior, standing two-point-two meters tall, carrying a massive double-edged axe.
Beside him were two orcs who weren't as powerfully built, but bore distinct orcish features. These were "peons"—orcs born naturally smaller and weaker, destined for hard labor. In orcish society, they have zero status and are relegated to the filthiest, most exhausting work. However, even they possess physical constitutions superior to average human soldiers. Upon leaving the Horde, they often choose to follow a powerful warrior.
Leading them was the dwarf, Harkut Ironbeard, clutching a thick hunting rifle. Around him were several other dwarves and goblins, along with his other teammates—including a few hulking, dark-skinned ogres. They brandished their weapons, surrounding Rhodes's group and the newly-risen Kalecgos in the center.
This was a typical adventuring party of about a dozen people: hunters, warriors, and rogues. Unlike in game settings, magic casters were extremely rare; average adventuring groups didn't have mages or priests, let alone warlocks.
"Haha! Looks like our luck is in today! Not only did we bag a blue dragon, we got a few suicidal humans and elves as a bonus!" said the orc standing next to Harkut.
This group belonged to neither the Horde nor the Alliance. They did anything for gold and profit. While an orc and dwarf duo might seem odd, they hailed from Blackrock Mountain; currently, the relationship between the Blackrock orcs and the Dark Iron dwarves was quite amicable.
(Note: Some lore suggests these dwarves were Dark Irons and the orcs were from Blackrock, which explains why they worked together. Since they are mere fodder, the author has simply set their origin as Blackrock Mountain.)
Kalecgos turned pale and instinctively tried to step back, but Rhodes stopped him with a sharp look. Are you kidding me? You're scared of this lot? What was there to fear from this "trash"? Just some Dark Irons, Blackrock orcs, a few trolls, and some ogres?
Anveena, Jaina, and Finnall moved close to Rhodes with practiced coordination. They even found a place to sit down, wearing expressions as if they were watching a theater performance.
"Please, sir... did you save me just because you wanted to watch a gladiator match? To watch me fight these dwarves, orcs, and trolls?" Kalecgos asked, his eye twitching.
"These guys are just a bunch of mercenaries. From their skin tone, they're likely from the Dark Iron clan and the Blackrock tribe, so it's fine to kill them all. Come on, show us your power, Mr. Dragon. Otherwise, with your current skill level, you'll find it hard to survive in Azeroth. I think you'd better head back to the Nexus and send someone stronger next time," Rhodes said playfully.
Kalecgos's combat power in the Sunwell Plateau raid was not weak. Even if he was being possessed then, if he couldn't handle this group of adventurers now, he might as well go headbutt a block of tofu and end it.
"Please do not insult me, sir. I thank you for the healing. I will deal with these fellows myself; you just stay there and watch," Kalecgos said, clearly annoyed. (Note: The author mentions that voice-to-text keeps inputting "Gous" (Dog-gos) for Kalecgos—likely the system's own sense of humor.)
Rhodes smiled faintly and snapped his fingers. A golden curtain of light enveloped the four of them. Inside this Holy Light barrier, they were absolutely safe. These "trash" enemies certainly didn't have the strength to breach his defense.
Almost the moment the barrier formed, the Dark Iron muskets roared again!
Bang! Bang! Bang!
The specialized mage-breaking rounds slammed into the Holy Light barrier, triggering ripples like a stone dropped into a pond, but they could not penetrate an inch. The arcane energy attached to the bullets was neutralized and purified the instant it touched the pure Holy Light.
"What!?" Harkut's eyes widened in disbelief. His mage-breaking rounds could tear through dragon scales, yet they were blocked by a light shield casually tossed out by a seemingly frail warrior?
"Please, sir, pick your opponent properly. That blue-haired guy over there is the dragon you're looking for. Don't pick the wrong fight, or you might get insta-killed. I'm not joking," Rhodes said with a laugh. I only need one Magic Arrow to wipe you all out.
Kalecgos took a deep breath. Facing the surging enemies, a flash of determination—and irritation—crossed his eyes. Even a clay figurine has three parts fire (meaning everyone has a breaking point), let alone a dragon. Being so disregarded by Rhodes and pushed to this brink by "trash," the pride of the Blue Dragonflight was finally ignited.
Though his mana circuits were still a bit sluggish, the powerful physical body of a dragon and his innate arcane affinity were not things mortals could easily provoke. He truly needed to prove the strength of the Dragonflight, or he would be looked down upon forever.
"For the Blue Dragonflight! In the name of Malygos, witness the wrath of a dragon!" Kalecgos low-growled, no longer maintaining his elven form.
Accompanied by a blinding blue arcane glow and the teeth-grinding sound of bones shifting and expanding, his body swelled rapidly, instantly reverting to his massive Blue Dragon form! His wingspan blotted out the sky, and a cold Dragon Awe pressed down like a physical weight onto the charging enemies, causing the orcs and trolls in the front to falter.
"It... it's... a dragon!" a Dark Iron musketeer shrieked in terror. They had succeeded in a sneak attack earlier, but facing a fully-formed dragon now, they felt the soul-crushing pressure of a superior lifeform.
"Dammit, he's a tough one! Everyone together!" the dwarven leader roared, swinging his giant axe as he charged. Behind him, the orcs, trolls, and ogres let out war cries, raising heavy hammers and blades.
"Don't be afraid! He's wounded! We'll kill a dragon tonight! Lok'Tar Ogar!" roared the lead orc warrior, Kurok Blackrock. Forcing down his fear, his massive double-edged axe whistled through the air as he struck at Kalecgos's claws.
Meanwhile, Harkut and the other musketeers opened fire again. Mage-breaking rounds peppered the dragon's relatively vulnerable eyes, wing joints, and his abdominal wound like a rainstorm. The two ogres howled, swinging spiked clubs that looked like battering rams at the blue dragon's flanks. The thin orc peons nimbly circled around the back, attempting to strike at the dragon's tail and tendons with poisoned daggers.
The battle instantly reached a fever pitch!
Facing the group of disorganized thugs, Kalecgos let out an ear-splitting Dragon Roar that spread like a shockwave. It left Kurok and the ogres dazed, their movements slowing by half a beat. Then, his massive tail swept out like a steel whip with immense force, instantly shattering the bones of several peons and a troll who couldn't dodge in time. They flew through the air, screaming, before landing in the marsh—dead or dying.
But the enemies' attacks landed as well!
Mage-breaking rounds thudded into his newly healed and still-delicate scales, bringing stings of pain, especially at the old abdominal wound where dragon blood began to seep out again. Kurok's axe bit deep into Kalecgos's foreclaw, leaving a wound that reached the bone, while the ogres' clubs slammed into his ribs with muffled thuds that made his massive frame shudder.
Seeing this, Rhodes shook his head. It's not even a one-sided slaughter. You're really pathetic.
"ROAR—!" The pain triggered Kalecgos's feral side. The blue dragon lunged his head forward, and a searing blue dragon breath poured out like a flood, instantly covering the area directly in front of him!
This wasn't ordinary fire; it was highly concentrated Arcane Breath! It was the unique breath of the Blue Dragonflight, and the breath of any of the five flights was nothing to sneeze at.
"Get back!" Harkut screamed in terror.
But Kurok and one of the ogres couldn't dodge. Caught full-on by the breath, the Blackrock orc warrior let out a piercing scream as his body twisted and disintegrated in the blue light, eventually turning into a charred skeleton. The ogre didn't even get to scream before being dissolved by the energy.
When the breath subsided, the ground was left as crystallized, scorched earth. This terrifying sight chilled the hearts of the remaining attackers, causing their assault to falter.
"Haha, brilliant! Now that's more like it! That's the power a dragon should have," Rhodes actually began clapping inside the Holy Light barrier, offering his commentary.
"The breath was used well, high purity. But the melee defense is garbage. How do you manage to get hurt by small fry? Are your dragon scales made of paper? Also, your combat rhythm is a mess—totally unorganized, relying entirely on instinct. Lame." After the compliment, Rhodes immediately went back to being sharp-tongued.
"Is this the true power of a dragon? The breath is amazing! But... he really does seem a bit... flustered. His combat experience is terrible," Finnall said, stroking her chin.
"Lord Rhodes, he really doesn't seem to know how to fight," Anveena added. At this point, wouldn't it be better to take flight and attack from the sky? And you're a Blue Dragon! Can't you cast a Mana Shield on yourself? That's a basic skill for a mage! Even if it can't stop mage-breaking bullets, it should stop normal swords.
Kalecgos listened to the "live commentary" coming from inside the barrier. He was both furious and anxious, yet he couldn't find a single word to argue back. He truly lacked real life-and-death combat experience; he spent most of his time researching magic in the Nexus or moving through mortal society in his elven form.
"That's why he needs more life-and-death experience. Keep it up, Mr. Dragon! There are still enemies left to deal with!"