sonovelo Chapter 281: The Contemporary Dragon
Chapter 281: The Contemporary Dragon
"Watch out—something is coming up from underground!"No sooner had Gauss spoken than the tremors beneath everyone's feet intensified.
Cracks on the ground widened at a speed visible to the naked eye, as if some subterranean creature was trying to break free from the earth's grip.
Albenia shielded Gauss and stepped backward.
"RUMBLE!!!"
With a roar, the packed earth in the center of the fissure violently erupted upward.
Hard-shelled insect heads burst through the dirt.
Before them were several massive multi-legged insect monsters, equipped with naturally sharp mandibles suited for digging.
Gauss recognized their species instantly.
"Burrower beetles."
That hardly mattered—burrower beetles were mostly challenge level 2 monsters. Besides their digging talent, their fighting strength was mediocre.
More important to Gauss was the scorching heat surging up from the huge cavern the beetles were excavating.
"BOOM!!!"
An annihilation-attribute breath blasted upward from the earth like a volcanic eruption.
At the same time, a fierce, crimson silhouette tore through the ground and rocketed skyward with incomparable force.
Its powerful wings spread to full span, fanning heavy, blistering air currents that hovered over the group.
The crimson scales gleamed in the high noon sun.
It looked like a flying mountain of living fire.
It was the red Drake!
Gauss realized that seeing it in person was far more awe-inspiring than observing it through the shared vision of his clay magic.
Is that a dragon?
At most, its body suggested no major difference from the red dragons born of the same stock.
Before it showed itself, those molten-gold vertical pupils had already locked onto Gauss's squad beneath the ground.
Especially Gauss—this body beneath him gave off an aura that felt strangely familiar and foreign at once.
That aura vaguely made it feel calm.
Yet the presence in its sight was clearly a bipedal human.
"ROAR!!!"
It opened its snout and let out an ear-splitting roar—part anger, part release.
From beneath it, more Goblin-like creatures wriggled out of the earth.
Their lord had returned to the surface along with them.
Gauss and the others took a step back.
Although Gauss had only fought briefly earlier and barely used any spells—only a Magic Missile and Fly—he had still expended energy.
In fact, intending to end the fight quickly, he had poured a substantial portion of his mana into boosting his output, which had enabled that decisive strike.
He was still chewing crystal powder in his mouth, using his Special Stomach trait to rapidly replenish spent mana.
"Be careful, Lord Gauss."
Albenia warned from in front of him.
She could tell that the Drake hovering above had fixed its attention on Gauss.
"So this is a red Drake?" Aria swallowed nervously.
Compared to ordinary creatures, dragons truly seemed to belong to another plane.
Its size wasn't extreme, yet its oppressive presence and aura far exceeded other monsters of similar level.
Since it appeared, even the air felt heavier.
A lingering, pungent sulfur smell hung in the atmosphere.
Serlandul seemed somewhat uncomfortable, but after a deep breath and adjustment, they continued to cast restorative magic on Gauss.
After the initial shock, Gauss felt the red Drake's influence on him was actually the lightest—even though its attention was mostly on him.
That didn't mean the Drake wasn't powerful.
On the sun-baked land, both sides held their positions for their own reasons.
Gauss directly digested the energy-rich magic crystal powder;his condition recovered remarkably fast.
But this stalemate was bound to be short-lived.
"ROAR!"
The first to break the silence was the restless Drake.
For some reason, the longer it stared at Gauss, the more agitated it became—making its already duller mind even more irritable.
That unease quickly twisted into a burning humiliation.
It was a dragon!
A two-legged worm like that should naturally crawl beneath its noble wings.
Its massive draconic wings slammed outward.
Its body shot upward, opening its maw wide.
Without warning, its thick neck reddened and a firelight condensed deep in its throat.
In the next instant that fire forged into a golden flame and hurled outward.
A storm of fire rained down.
"BOOM!"
"Stand beside me!"
Before more could be said, Albenia—already prepared—shouted.
At the same time, veins popped on her arm as she gripped the giant shield, Mountain Fortress.
Both the shield Mountain Fortress and her magic armor, Azure Oath, flared with powerful light;runes blinked alive.
In the next heartbeat, an energy field blossomed outward from beside her and, in the blink of an eye, enveloped Gauss and the others.
It then hardened into a huge, solid, semi-transparent crystalline wall.
"RUMBLE!"
Soon after the shield formed, the Drake's magma breath descended like a torrential firestorm.
The scorching breath slammed into the crystal wall that shimmered like liquid gold. Two energies clashed and rampaged in the air.
The shield's surface shimmered with concentric shock ripples as light flickered violently.
Albenia gritted her teeth and planted her feet like roots. Her arm clamped onto the shield as steady as a boulder.
The situation seemed perilous, but she held fast, creating a safe zone for the others.
The Drake's breath lasted for a dozen seconds or so.
In the end, it ceased.
Its breath was not a spell but a biological fire organ—that limited its endurance.
"Hah—hah—"
The Drake panted, exhaling hot, sulfurous air.
Seeing the crystal wall below remain intact, its eyes grew even more irritated.
Inside the shield, Gauss and the others only felt a sharp rise in air temperature;otherwise, they were untouched.
Albenia's strength was indeed remarkable.
Outside the shield, a sea of fire had formed.
"Thank you, Albenia."
Gauss offered his thanks.
"It's my duty, Lord Gauss."
Sweat dotted Albenia's brow—holding the Drake's magma breath had clearly drained considerable energy from her.
Gauss activated Fly and briefly lifted his companions out of the inferno.
During that short span, his state recovered almost completely.
The Special Stomach's material decomposition ability was perfectly suited for rapid energy recovery in emergencies;the downside was it couldn't be used frequently without taxing the body.
But the red Drake was no trivial enemy, so Gauss had to restore himself to peak condition for the confrontation.
After Serlandul finished restorative magic, they and Aria applied beneficial spells to Gauss.
In a short time,
Gauss returned to full strength.
He lifted his head and locked eyes with the red Drake overhead.
"Aria, Shadow, Serlandul, Albenia—take care of the Goblin-like creatures on the ground."
He looked at the Drake and their gazes collided.
Their stares almost seemed tangible.
Information about the Drake flashed quickly through Gauss's mind.
As an anomalous individual that had not inherited full draconic intelligence, spellcasting talent, or heritage, these Drakes fought mainly with unparalleled physical might;dragon breath was only supplementary.
Claws, massive jaws, enormous wings, a thick, powerful tail—every inch of their bodies was a deadly weapon.
Despite their size, they retained nimble aerial mobility. They could use flight to stay out of reach of ground fighters, then plunge down at high speed to leverage mass, velocity, and impact for a devastating dive attack—and then climb back up to avoid retaliation.
They were living heavy fortresses.
Their thick red scales provided exceptional protection against blades and magic.
They possessed strong fire resistance—immune to ordinary flames and resistant to most magical fire—so Gauss's Fireball would be largely ineffective.
They also had formidable vitality, recovery, stamina, and damage tolerance.
Put plainly, aside from lacking magical mastery and being not particularly clever, they had almost no weaknesses.
One must not underestimate these degraded dragon-kin.
Relying on their draconic physical gifts alone, they already stood at the top of the food chain.
Gauss himself was hardly a one-dimensional fighter—he had no glaring weaknesses either.
Compared to the Drake, his strengths were spellcasting and human intellect;his disadvantage was lower level.
"Come on!"
Gauss surged into the air, moving away from Aria and the others.
The Drake seemed to sense something and fixed its gaze on him.
It beat its wings and moved toward his direction.
Gauss landed.
The nearby special Goblin-like creatures kept well clear, frightened by the draconic aura flowing from under Gauss.
The elite Goblin-like creatures were slightly less affected but still knew better than to approach—their master's foe was here.
Not out of chivalry, but intelligence: getting involved would not help and could result in being killed by the lord's attack's aftershock.
An enraged lord was majestic and terrifying.
Who knew how many goblin-creatures had become little snacks for angering their lord.
Gauss planted his feet and wasted no time.
He slid the White Wand into the strap at his thigh.
Energy surged through his body.
"Sturdy Scale Bloodline!"
Blood rushed through him.
Maybe stimulated by the Drake's draconic presence overhead, or by the stress of battle itself, his Sturdy Scale Bloodline awakened with unprecedented intensity.
His body felt hot.
A faint smile curved Gauss's lips.
His eyes subtly shifted into burning golden vertical pupils.
He let out a low shout, abandoning restraint.
Beneath his loose robe, waves of force rolled outward.
Pale-blue magical scales on his skin flared with blinding light.
This time it was different from any previous awakening.
The scale patterns swelled and deepened as though coming alive.
They spread across his body, crawling past his jaw and up his cheeks, finally forming a complex, beautiful azure energy scale armor silhouette covering him from head to toe.
A cold, ancient dignity—no less than the Drake's—erupted from Gauss's not-so-large frame like a waking volcano.
Sky and land: two forces collided and interwove.
Nearby goblin-creatures seemed frozen as if hit by a pause command;they couldn't move.
Their eyes twitched spasmodically.
The red Drake sensed Gauss's aura becoming crystal clear.
What had been faint now revealed itself fully.
Its golden vertical pupils constricted to slits.
A dragon!
That human it had viewed as an insect had actually released a kin-like aura!
"ROAR!!!!"
Gauss proactively bellowed at the Drake.
Although he didn't understand why it hadn't attacked after finishing its breath, he could feel its fighting desire.
Now in this special state, Gauss felt his blood boil.
For some reason, he instinctively longed to clash with the Drake.
Hearing Gauss's defiant roar, the Drake's body stiffened.
A surge of uncontrollable rage burst from its frame, overwhelming its hesitation and uncertainty.
It chose to fight!
Its scales gleamed red as if ablaze;its body seemed to burn.
Rock-like muscles engorged and swelled!
Its body bulked up even more.
"THUNDER!!"
It violently beat its wings.
Air compressed sharply;the recoil sent its bulk hurtling downward like a meteoroid!
It abandoned all other thoughts and chose the most direct, brutal, and powerful fighting method.
Pride carved into its blood demanded response!
It intended to use its massive, heat-sheathed frame to crush the ground-dwelling "kin" that dared to challenge it!
Even if the other emitted a draconic aura, it was still a lowly insect!
Insects were meant to be crushed.
"BOOM!"
In mad fury the Drake dove, the air freezing.
Facing this mountain-crushing assault,
Gauss showed no fear.
His eyes—now burning golden slits—blazed with warlike intent.
Monstrous Strength! Enhanced Jump!
His legs thickened instantly.
After adopting the Sword Soul subprofession, his physique had become more coordinated than before.
That allowed both abilities to be used together, and combined with his strong physical attributes and Sturdy Scale Bloodline state, they formed massive explosive power.
Gauss seized the moment in the Drake's dive.
He bent his knees slightly;the magic scales coiling around his feet glittered brilliantly.
"!!!"
A seismic boom erupted as the Drake's heavy body slammed where Gauss had stood.
A violent energy shockwave radiated outward in rings, ripping up the ground like a plow.
Yet!
Gauss was no longer there.
At the split-second the Drake's feet were about to touch down, Gauss exploited the extraordinary burst from Enhanced Jump and Monstrous Strength—not to flee but to perform a wildly daring and precise lateral leap, skimming past the edge of the Drake's thick hind leg scales!
Sulphurous hot air nearly seared his skin, but his pale-blue scale glow flickered and insulated most of the heat.
This was a perfect timing window!
Gauss slipped into the Drake's blind spot—the rear flank where its vision and attacks could not easily reach.
The Drake realized its attack missed and immediately tried to beat its wings to rise again.
But Gauss, now up close, wouldn't let it escape easily.
Though his battle fervor surged, he remained calm.
Before the fight even started, he had mentally prepared for contingencies.
Against the Drake, he had many disadvantages.
His highest-level offensive spell, Fireball, was of little use here.
And while his body and stamina exceeded a normal human's, they paled next to a true drake's mass.
He couldn't rely on endurance or recovery for a war of attrition.
The longer it lasted, the more the Drake's advantages grew.
The Drake also dominated the air;while Gauss could Fly, he couldn't match the Drake's aerial speed.
He needed a quick, decisive fight!
And he had to finish the close-quarters attack on the first try—otherwise a more cautious Drake wouldn't grant him a second chance.
Amid rolling dust, Gauss leapt.
Using the grip granted by his scaled armor, his hands clamped like dragon talons into the seams of the Drake's dorsal scales!
His body stuck fast to the Drake's back.
The Drake sensed the intruder and roared in fury!
It beat its wings madly and climbed, rocketing hundreds of meters into the sky in moments.
The Drake sped through the air, trying to use turbulence to fling the audacious "insect" off.
On its violently bucking back, Gauss was like a lone leaf in a storm-tossed sea. He clung on, his pale-blue scales flaring to resist brutal centrifugal force and blows from the tail.
Wind sliced his cheeks like blades;searing heat conducted through the scales burned his hands.
Yet his gaze sharpened.
"Ghost Form! Activate!"
He took a deep breath and steeled himself.
The moment the thought sprang, his body began drastic transformation!
Jet-black short hair suddenly lengthened wildly and lost color, whitening like frost.
From his brow, sharp little horns of condensed energy formed—no longer pure white, they shone with a stinging golden hue fused with draconic blood.
Ghost Form's original power derived from the ancient, rare bloodline of Maze monsters called Spider-Demons.
This was an ancient species now nearly extinct in the main plane.
And now, that age-old bloodline descended again.
Ghost Form and the Sturdy Scale Bloodline—two utterly different forces—raged, braided, and fused inside Gauss, birthing a brand-new formidable power!
"RAWR!"
A pair of energy wings burst from Gauss's back, tearing through his robe and exploding outward!
The draconic might he exuded nearly congealed into substance;the subdued Drake writhed violently beneath him.
Gauss opened his bright eyes.
Both flesh strength and the vast, active mana within him reached unprecedented levels.
Feeling the surging power inside, a faint grin tugged his lips.
Regrettably, energy drained too quickly in this state.
His body grew uncomfortable;his original physique could not endure such overwhelming power for long.
Gauss licked his lips and bared his teeth—now sharpened and pale under the energy's veil.
He swallowed saliva.
He bowed his head and bit hard into the Drake's scales.
With a violent shake of his head he tore off a chunk of bloody flesh along with scale!
"ROAR!!!!!!"
The Drake froze mid-flight, snarling in furious agony.
Gauss chewed the bloody piece in his mouth.
His Special Stomach seemed further enhanced in this abnormal state;digestion surged dramatically.
"That feels much better."
"Now, let me teach you how to wield this true draconic power."