What were the major determining factors of a dragon’s strength?
There were many factors one could consider, such as the density of their scales, the strength of their aura, or the density and sheer amount of their mana. However, the factors everyone could understand and all could agree on were the quality of their bloodline and their
bloodline ability.
Naturally, those with the purest bloodline were the royal family, and below them were the clan families.
Among all others, the quality of a dragon’s bloodline and their bloodline ability could almost be considered the core determinants of a dragon’s strength. But there have been many cases in dragon history where those with a poor bloodline or weak bloodline ability rose to possess strength that easily rivaled the celestials.
In those cases, they either continuously evolved, with their bodies adapting and becoming more resilient, or they came to comprehend a celestial ability, a means to manipulate cosmic laws. However, such cases were rare, and it is believed that the number of dragons who achieved this could be counted on one hand.
Whatever the case, one fact remained:
They all had bodies.
Without a body, they wouldn’t possess their dragon eyes, which allowed them to be far more perceptive and learn faster than other races, or their dragon crest, which not only greatly enhanced their physical and magical capabilities but also, of course, their bloodline ability. Without all this, Alexei, as he was now, couldn’t possibly be compared to when he was alive. Now, he was simply a skeleton, with his soul controlling his movements through his hovering core in his chest.
In his current state, he couldn’t possibly boost his strength in battle, though he could enhance his movement speed due to his understanding of the mana principles that created lightning.
But in a battle against a living opponent who could match his speed, it wouldn’t do much to prevent his demise.
…
Alexei’s grip tightened on his sword, the blue lightning crackling more intensely around him. His body seemed to tremble, not from fear, but from the strain of pushing himself far beyond what it could handle.
“Do you really think… a crack in my bones will stop me?” he asked, his flame-blue eyes blazing with defiance.
“Cracked bones or not, I’ll end you, human.”
Xaiver, still calm, shook his head slightly, narrowing his eyes as he held his sword low.
“Go ahead and try; let’s see how that plays out.”
For a moment, they both remained silent.
Suddenly, Alexei spoke up again as his hand tightened on the hilt of his sword.
“Valor-Void Sword Art, First Form: Sky Sever!”
With a burst of speed, Alexei pushed off his back foot, his body surging forward. His sword swept upward in a vertical arc from the ground to the sky, cleaving the air with a trail of crackling blue energy. The force of the strike was immense, the arc aimed to slice through Xaiver from hip to shoulder.
Xaiver’s eyes widened as he noticed the movement, and he sidestepped with incredible speed, avoiding the blade by inches. He could feel the raw power in Alexei’s attack, and he dared not block it head-on. Instead, as Alexei’s sword completed its arc, Xaiver immediately countered with a horizontal slash aimed at Alexei’s exposed ribs.
But Alexei didn’t let that stop him. He twisted his torso, barely managing to avoid the strike, though the tip of Xaiver’s sword grazed his cracked ribcage, leaving a deep cut. Alexei’s flaming-blue eyes flared in anger as he swung his sword horizontally in retaliation, aiming to cleave Xaiver in two.
Xaiver ducked low, his knees bending as he crouched to avoid the horizontal slash, though it cut some of his hair, feeling the rush of air as the blade sliced just above his head. As he ducked, his right leg extended out, sweeping across the ground in a wide arc, spinning his body to the left as he aimed a low sweep at Alexei’s legs.
Alexei leaped back just in time, his feet barely leaving the ground as he avoided the sweep. His left foot landed first, followed quickly by his right, steadying himself. He paused, noticing the cracks in his arm had spread, most likely caused by using the sword form earlier.
But he didn’t let that stop him.
“Valor-Void Sword Art, Second Form: Starfall Rend!”
Alexei planted his feet firmly, then, with a powerful twist of his hips, he swung his sword in a diagonal arc from high to low.
The blade cut through the air like a falling star, aimed to cleave Xaiver’s torso clean in half. Blue lightning trailed behind the massive mana sword, leaving a crackling void in its wake.
Xaiver dropped into a crouch, dodging the arc as it whistled overhead. The wind from the strike brushed against his skin, and the force behind it was enough to send shockwaves through the ground, kicking up dust as a small mountain in the distance was cleaved.
Xaiver rolled to the side, regaining his footing swiftly and charged in, closing the distance between them for another counterattack, this time a thrust aimed directly at Alexei’s core from where it shone through his cracked scale armor.
Alexei roared in anger, pulling back for another attack. He turned on his right foot, swinging his sword in a reverse horizontal slash, this time from left to right, aiming for Xaiver’s
midsection.
Xaiver sidestepped to the right, his left foot moving first as he shifted his weight, narrowly avoiding the blade once more. With Alexei overextended from the wide swing, Xaiver seized the opening. He stepped in with his right foot, closing the gap between them, and brought his sword down in a quick vertical slash aimed at Alexei’s shoulder.
The blade connected, slicing through Alexei’s armor and cracking the bone beneath. Alexei stumbled back, his feet dragging through the dirt as he fought to maintain his balance. His left hand shot up instinctively to grab his cracked shoulder, blue lightning flickering erratically around the crack.
“You’re falling apart,” Xaiver said calmly, his green mana swirling protectively around him. He held his sword in a neutral stance, waiting for Alexei’s next move, his feet planted firmly, ready to spring into action at any moment.
Alexei’s rage boiled over. With a roar, he charged forward again, his right foot slamming into the earth as he raised his sword overhead with his remaining strength.
“Valor-Void Sword Art, Third Form: Void Crescent!”
Alexei swung his sword in a sweeping horizontal arc, the blade carving through the air in a crescent-shaped slash aimed at Xaiver. This strike was faster than the last, and the lightning that trailed behind it was more volatile, sparking violently as it tore through the atmosphere.
Xaiver ‘s eyes widened. He couldn’t dodge backward this time-he would be too slow. Instead, just as he was about to throw himself to the side, the slash narrowly missed him to the left, slicing through the ground and leaving a deep gouge. Dust and debris flew into the
air.
Xaiver then said, “Seems your bones are already failing you.”
Alexei said nothing, placing his sword in his left hand as he gazed at his right, noticing his grip weakening and the limb trembling with every movement.
But then he noticed his other bones shuddering violently. The force of the Third Form had sent cracks running all over his body, visibly splintering his scales under the strain. He
clenched his teeth, but his flame-blue eyes remained locked on Xaiver.
Xaiver, now standing a few feet away, could see the toll the attacks were taking on Alexei’s
body. “You’re pushing yourself to the edge.”
“You’ll break before I do.”
Alexei snarled, ignoring the warning. He raised his sword again, blue lightning crackling even
more fiercely around him. His stance shifted.
“Valor-Void Sword Art, Fourth Form: Horizon Split-”
Just as he was about to launch another charged attack, his left leg gave way entirely, the bones cracking under the pressure. He staggered, barely able to remain standing, and in that split second, Xaiver closed the distance between them.
Alexei’s attention snapped back to him, regaining his footing swiftly, but his legs were now shaky. He and the human continued to clash blades, yet Alexei could no longer keep up with
the relentless attacks.
Xaiver kept finding openings to exploit, dealing more damage and further weakening Alexei.
Xaiver ‘s attacks seemed to be getting faster, but in reality, Alexei was slowing down from the accumulated damage. He landed a hard slash across Alexei’s ribs, cracking the bone beneath his armor. Following up, he delivered a quick strike to Alexei’s left shoulder, slicing through his armor and nearly severing his arm.
In a blur of motion, Xaiver ducked under Alexei’s next swing, pivoting to sweep his sword horizontally. The blade severed Alexei’s left leg at the knee. Before Alexei could regain balance, Xaiver struck again, cutting through his left arm entirely.
Alexei, his body crumbling, collapsed to his knees, his remaining limbs trembling under his
weight.
Xaiver stood over him, his green mana still flaring around him like an inferno, his gaze
intense as he looked down at the defeated warrior.
Xaiver’s sword hovered just above Alexei as he spoke. “It’s over.”
“This battle ends now.”
For a moment, neither of them moved. Finally, Alexei released his sword, the metal clanging ƒrēewebnoѵёl.cσm
to the floor as its runes dimmed.
Alexei then spoke, “Go ahead.”