Re: Tales of the Rune-Tech Sage

Chapter 571: Beast Companions Vs Elder Dragon

CH571 Beast Companions Vs Elder Dragon

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Though faster, Dread allowed Fen to move ahead of him, since Alex was essentially a common person in this scenario.

[Ice Breath]!

Fen immediately unleashed an attack at the front line of the incoming horde, freezing tens of beasts and corrupted humanoids in place.

’They are weak,’ Alex realised. ’Are they like me... reduced to Class 1 and below?’

His eyes flashed.

”Senu, run wild!” he ordered.

Queen Senu’s eyes flashed with a ruthless glint.

Being the strongest among Alex’s beast companions, she also possessed the greatest firepower.

Regal Aura!

[Shadow Scream]!

”Skreeee!!!”

Her presence turned terrifying as she released a piercing shriek that froze every nearby beast and corrupted humanoid in place.

Then silvery spatial energy coated her wings as she prepared to unleash her [Spatial Rend] ability.

However, instead of firing the technique outward, she kept the energy condensed around her wings before diving straight into the horde.

Wherever she flew, the razor-sharp spatial blades coating her wings sliced through anything in her path like a hot knife through butter.

Thus, she carved open a clear path for those on the ground to follow.

[Ice Bolt]

[Spatial Rend]

[Ice Blast]

[Talon Lock]! [Predatory Lock]!!

[Icefang Needle]!

[Omnidirectional Spatial Rend]!

Fen and Senu held nothing back as they cut down wave after wave of enemies, carving a path toward the distant flame for Alex.

However, the closer they moved toward the flame, the denser and more ferocious the horde became.

Breaking through them grew increasingly difficult.

They were forced to begin using stronger and stronger abilities.

Even Dread was busy.

As he galloped through the path opened by the other two companions, stragglers that survived the earlier culling occasionally leapt out in attempts to drag Alex down.

But Dread revealed his most powerful weapons.

His legs.

Bam! Bam!!

Not only his rear legs— all four of his legs were deadly weapons.

Every kick sent heads flying.

Dread proved himself to be far more than just a mount. Each strike of his hooves became a lethal blow that crushed anything blocking their path.

If Alex did not know better, he might have believed his horse to be the reincarnation of a Taekwondo, Capoeira, and kickboxing grandmaster all rolled into one.

However, although things appeared to be going well, Alex felt uneasy.

’It’s too easy,’ he thought to himself. ’Plus...’

His gaze shifted toward the massive figure ahead that blocked their path to the distant flame.

’How are we supposed to get past that thing?’

As if sensing Alex’s gaze, the Elder Dragon suddenly turned toward him.

A massive breath attack began to gather within its maw.

[Flaming Dragon Breath]!

’Oh shit!’ Alex cursed.

Unfortunately, in his current state there was nothing he could do.

Seeing the attack —and perhaps sensing Alex’s desperation— Fen and Senu rushed ahead to intercept it.

[Greater Spatial Rend]!

Senu channelled even more of her spatial energy–laced mana into the technique, producing a far larger strike.

As expected, the spatial rend tore forward, collapsing space along its path and opening a violent spatial fissure.

At first, Senu’s quick thinking worked.

The fissure devoured the majority of the dragon breath.

However, the attack’s power was simply too overwhelming.

The fissure itself collapsed under the Elder Dragon’s might, and the remaining breath attack continued hurtling toward Alex on Dread’s back.

Fortunately, Senu’s attack had bought just enough time for Fen to act.

Fen executed the fastest elemental nature shift he had ever performed.

It happened so quickly that even he had never imagined he could accomplish it.

The snow-white wolf transformed into a black wolf with a blazing maw.

[Fire Breath]!

Fen unleashed his own flame breath to confront the Elder Dragon’s attack.

”What are you doing? You can’t—”

”Bark!”

Alex was about to shout that Fen could not possibly block an Elder Dragon’s breath attack—

When the impossible happened.

Instead of colliding head-on and clashing against each other out, Fen’s [Fire Breath] wrapped around the incoming dragon breath and dragged it back toward Fen’s mouth.

The black wolf then redirected the captured power and unleashed another attack.

But this time—

The target was the horde.

[Fire Beam]!

A blazing beam of fire shot from the wolf’s maw like a scorching laser.

A massive fan-shaped swathe of destruction was carved through the battlefield.

Aside from the Elder Dragon itself, every beast and corrupted humanoid within a hundred-metre radius ahead of Fen was instantly wiped out.

Alex stared at the wolf in shock.

’Is that a variation of the [Energy Absorption] ability of Wood/Nature-type beasts?’ Alex was stunned. ’Aside from using it to control his size, did he finally develop another method of utilising his lesser Nature affinity?’

Alex looked at the Direwolf-sized Fen with amazement... and even more so, elation.

That said, it was clear the move was not something the wolf could perform easily, nor repeatedly.

ROAR!!!

Unlike Alex, the Elder Dragon was —suffice it to say— far less pleased with the wolf using its own energy to annihilate its minions.

Once again, mana gathered within the dragon’s maw for another attack.

’Oi, oi, oi... that’s more than three times the previous attack,’ Alex thought in alarm.

The earlier breath had required both Senu and Fen to unleash their strongest abilities just to fend it off.

They had already reached the limits of what they could resist.

This attack, on the other hand...

’I can’t just sit here. I have to do something.’

Time seemed to slow as Alex’s thoughts raced through his mind.

Within a moment, he reached a decision.

He immediately issued an instruction to Senu through their telepathic bond.

The Queen Nightmare Eagle swooped down, grabbed Alex by the shoulders with her talons, and hurled him upward before catching him again as he landed acrobatically on her back.

At that moment, Alex felt a profound connection to Senu as she opened her being to him.

Their bloodlines, their wills, and most importantly their mana merged together through the link of their [External Magic Companion Contract].

With access to their combined pool of power, Alex executed his all-or-nothing move.

”[Halt]!”

Alex spoke suddenly in a language understood only by him and the Elder Dragon.

Dragon Tongue!

The Elder Dragon froze.

The mana gathering within its maw dispersed instantly.

The massive creature stared at Alex —standing upon Senu’s back— in visible confusion.

Alex released a slow breath of relief.

By linking himself to Senu’s mana pool, he had managed to bypass the restriction of the trial.

Although his own body possessed no mana in this state, he could still draw upon Senu’s power to speak the Dragon Tongue. Ok

But he was not finished.

Continuing to channel what remained of Senu’s mana, Alex unleashed his bloodline pressure.

Behind him, the humanoid phantom manifestation of his fused bloodline appeared in full form.

Alex deliberately tilted the aura toward one particular member within the fusion, thus achieving a deliberate effect.

Dragon Presence!

***