Alphox soared high above the battlefield, Alex gripping tightly to his scaled back as the three dragons encircled them.
Vorrak, the molten dragon, led the charge, his obsidian body glowing with intense heat.
Kaelthor and Zyrran flanked him, the ember and electric dragons weaving through the air like deadly predators.
“They’re coming in hard,” Alphox growled. His wings tilted as he prepared for evasive maneuvers. “Don’t fall off, human.”
“Wouldn’t dream of it,” Alex muttered, already gathering mana for his first attack.
Kaelthor struck first, spewing a stream of molten fire toward them.
Alphox countered with Shadow Flames, a torrent of dark fire that collided midair with the embers.
The two flames clashed violently, dispersing in a shower of sparks and shadows.
“Stay close,” Alphox barked as Zyrran surged from the side.
Electricity crackled along the electric dragon’s body as he charged his attack.
“Not happening.” Alex pointed his staff and unleashed Fire Meteor, summoning a massive ball from the heavens.
The meteor hit Zyrran squarely, momentarily disrupting his charge.
-239,997!
Not a lot of damage was dealt but at least it had served its purpose.
Zyrran snarled but quickly regained his footing, his wings thrumming with renewed energy.
Meanwhile, Vorrak roared, his molten breath creating a fiery projectile that hurtled toward them, he had been charging it for around 30 seconds.
“Brace!” Alphox roared, “Umbral Shield!”
[Umbral Shield: Creates a protective shield of shadows around the user or an ally, absorbing all damage for three seconds and returning 25% of it back to the attacker.]
A barrier of shadowy energy formed around them just as the fiery blast struck. The shield absorbed the full force of the attack.
“Nice timing,” Alphox muttered as he stabilized.
And then, once the barrier disappeared, a portion of the attack was sent back toward Vorrak.
-4,893,281!
“Holy shit.”
That would have done almost 20,000,000 damage if it had hit: just how strong were those damn dragons?!
“Focus!” Alex snapped, already casting another spell.
Rain of Fire took shape above the battlefield. From the sky, a downpour of flames descended, catching both Vorrak and Zyrran off guard.
-119,719! -119,719! -119,719!
Despite his efforts, Alex knew his attacks weren’t doing enough.
These dragons were leagues above him in terms of raw power. If this turned into a battle of endurance, he wouldn’t last.
“Is that all you can do, mortal?” Kaelthor sneered, his voice dripping with disdain as he charged forward.
Alphox shot upward, trying to gain altitude, but Zyrran was faster.
The electric dragon surged toward them, arcs of lightning trailing in his wake.
Thunderstorm Surge!
Electricity rippled across Zyrran’s body, the air around him buzzing with energy.
With a deafening roar, he unleashed a violent burst of lightning that crackled in every direction, each bolt homing in on Alphox and Alex.
“Hold tight, human!” Alphox shouted, his wings snapping against the air as he veered sharply to the left.
The shadow dragon’s maneuver was swift and precise, weaving through the deadly barrage like a shadow in the wind.
Though his movements were almost flawless, a stray bolt managed to graze his right wing.
-2,839,921!
Alphox hissed in pain, his body jerking slightly from the impact. “Damn lightning… It stings!”
Despite the graze, Alex was completely fine since he was still immune to lightning.
The arcs of electricity fizzled out harmlessly against his body, rendering him impervious to the element.
What followed was a clash of claws between Alphox and Zyrran, the two exchanging blows of claws.
“Holy shit,” Alex was having a hard time avoiding as most of these attacks on the back of a dragon.
In fact, Alex was hit, and though he summoned the [Impenetrable Fortress], the claw of the monster after losing its momentum still hurt him.
-178,272!
His “player” defense protected him so he didn’t die instantly, but he was one shot now.
Alex exhaled in relief, blood dripping from his mouth and the wound in his chest, “That was too close.”
“I’ll handle it,” Alphox growled. “Keep hitting them!”
Fury of Thunder! Fire Meteor! Chains of Restraint!
As he wasn’t on the ground, he couldn’t use [Crimson Cataclysm], but it didn’t matter to him.
Instead, he waited for the perfect moment to use more of his skills.
Arc of Divinity!
[Arc of Divinity: Unleashes a larger wave of divine energy from long-range. Deals 7,500,000 base damage + 300% Spirit. Mana Cost: 500,000. Cooldown: 2 minutes]
A massive wave of divine energy erupted from his staff, washing over the battlefield.
The attack hit all three dragons, dealing substantial damage and briefly halting their advance.
-7,539,913! -7,539,913! -7,539,913!
One minute later, Alex and Alphox were getting more and more cornered.
“Alright,” Alex felt that it was time, “Here goes nothing…”
He cast [Demonic Spear] again, summoning the spear, which hovered around him.
It was much more difficult to control this one, and missing it would mean losing precious seconds of mana since it would put his reserves almost to 0.
Alphox dashed toward Zyrran, ignoring all other projectiles before slashing Zyrran’s neck using his claws.
-2,769,812!
“FOOL, YOU CAN’T HURT ME!” But the electric dragon retaliated with Thunder Crash, a stunning burst of lightning that threatened to immobilize Alphox midair.
This would not only stun Alphox, thus meaning that he would fall to his death, but also completely annihilate the human for sure.
“Not today,” Alex said, his eyes narrowing.
Balancing precariously on Alphox’s back, he controled [Demonic Spear], and with all his might, he hurled the spear straight at Zyrran.
The spear struck true, piercing Zyrran’s neck.
[Weakness hit, dealing 500% of damage.]
-76,995,650!
“What the…” even Alphox was shocked by the damage: it meant that Zyrran was on the verge of death.
What followed was the usual explosion of the demonic spear, which the other dragons escaped easily, creating a massive wall of mist in the air around him.
Zyrran, though heavily wounded, wasn’t done.
Emerging from the smoke, his scales crackled with renewed energy, arcs of lightning dancing across his battered body.
“ALPHOX!”
“Persistent bastard,” Alphox muttered. “Alex, distract him while I deal with the others!”
Without waiting for a response, Alphox spun in midair, surging toward Vorrak and Kaelthor, who were closing in fast.
Kaelthor unleashed Flame Surge, sending stronger flames at the Primordial Dragon.
Alphox gritted his teeth, countering with [Shadow Flames] again, a torrent of black fire that collided with the fire.
The two forces clashed violently, sending shockwaves rippling across the battlefield.
Meanwhile, Alex turned his focus back to Zyrran, who was circling for another attack.
“Time to finish this,” Alex muttered, summoning Blood Blades from the wounds that had been made before.
Crimson swords materialized around him, their edges glinting ominously in the light.
With a flick of his wrist, Alex sent the blades flying toward Zyrran.
The dragon roared as the blades struck, each one slicing through his scales with deadly precision.
-1,223,112! -1,311,243! -1,198,876!
Do note that as [Arts] don’t have levels or can’t be upgraded to anything out of their current mastery, the damage they do completely depends on your current strength.
Meaning that the stronger Alex would become, then the higher the damage he would do.
Zyrran’s roars grew weaker as the final blade pierced his chest.
His massive form shuddered, then collapsed to the ground with a resounding thud.