Gathering Wives with a System Chapter 504 Terrifying Power of SSS+ Rank Mana Manipulation, Two Battle Maniacs

The moment Alice materialized on the horizon, the Mistborn team reacted with immediate alacrity.

Alice, however, possessed superior speed.

Even before Kael and Bjorn could fully initiate their abilities, the black dragon had already closed the distance between them. Her wings sliced through the atmosphere with tremendous force, casting a shadow reminiscent of a falling mountain over the Mistborn contingent.

Then, her maw opened.

A Dragon Roar erupted, echoing across the expanse of the battlefield.

The sound emanated a harrowing pressure, intertwined with potent mana vibrations. The ambient mana convulsed violently, as if the very fabric of the atmosphere had been struck. The Mistborn warriors experienced an immediate stiffening of their bodies.

Their internal mana flows became unstable.

This was a catastrophic development for the Mistborn, irrespective of their elevated ranks.

Their very existence as a race depended on mana to sustain physical integrity. The instant their mana flow faltered, portions of their forms threatened to dissipate into the wind.

Fortunately, each member of the squad was outfitted in advanced Steam Suits.

These metallic armors served as containment vessels. Had they been absent, several Mistborn would likely have perished the instant the Dragon Roar impacted them.

Nevertheless, their movements were rendered completely inert.

Alice’s eyes blazed with an intense light as she activated the Voice of Seraphim skill.

A second wave of oppressive force descended instantaneously.

The newly applied debuff compounded the effects of the Dragon Roar, leaving the Mistborn, who were already struggling to stabilize their mana, completely immobilized for several critical seconds.

An anti-debuff artifact, discreetly concealed by one of their members, was activated, but its intervention proved too late.

The Dragon Roar had not only disrupted their personal mana reserves but had also destabilized the surrounding environmental mana. This minute fluctuation caused a fractional delay in the activation of their defensive artifact.

That infinitesimal delay was sufficient.

Dragon Flames spewed forth from Alice's mouth.

The inferno manifested as a torrent of molten gold, flowing through the air with immense power. The immediate vicinity of the battlefield warped under the intense heat.

The rudimentary defensive barrier, erected by the Mistborn prior to the engagement, automatically deployed.

Its integrity lasted for less than a single second.

Cracks immediately spiderwebbed across the barrier's surface before it splintered and disintegrated under the sheer onslaught of the dragon flames.

The vast ocean of golden fire surged towards the team.

Kael, the Apex Overlord, bellowed. In that final moment, he regained mastery over his mana.

Gripping the colossal axe strapped to his back, he thrust it upward with the totality of his strength.

The valves integrated into his Steam Suit explosively vented high-pressure steam. Concurrently, he activated both his inherent racial abilities and a multitude of enhancement skills.

His physical prowess escalated dramatically.

The axe cleaved through the air.

The sea of flames parted, bifurcated by the attack.

Streams of golden fire were deflected to either flank of the battlefield, while the central path was momentarily cleared by the sheer might of Kael's strike.

"Rhetta! Gin! Initiate long-range assaults! Bjorn, prepare additional shield abilities! Falsi, ensure we do not suffer further debuffs!" Kael commanded swiftly.

His orders were delivered with speed and absolute precision.

The team executed the commands without hesitation.

Kael lowered his stance, crouching slightly. Steam once again billowed from his suit's valves as he propelled himself skyward with the velocity of a cannonball.

Simultaneously, Alice descended from the heavens.

The dragon and the warrior met in a direct, head-on confrontation.

A cataclysmic explosion detonated in the mid-air.

Shockwaves propagated across the battlefield, and the adjacent terrain fractured under the immense pressure generated by the impact.

Kael made contact with the ground first.

Despite the ferocity of the collision, he landed with practiced smoothness, sliding back only a minimal distance. Alice, conversely, was violently propelled backward through the air before plummeting onto the devastated landscape.

Purely in terms of raw physical power, Kael had emerged victorious from that initial exchange.

However, his tone conveyed a growing gravity.

"From whence did this dragon appear?" he murmured, his voice heavy with contemplation.

His initial suspicion turned towards Emily.

Could this be one of Emily's summoned entities?

Kael possessed knowledge of dragon classifications, which were tiered based on their mastery of specific Magic Arts: Infant Dragons, Adult Dragons, and so forth. The disparity in power between each evolutionary stage was immense.

Depending on the true age of this black dragon, the situation could rapidly escalate into a full-blown crisis.

Alice slowly rose from the impact crater.

Then, she unleashed another roar.

The mana vibration radiated outward with explosive force. Several long-range projectiles hurtling towards her lost their trajectory instantly, detonating harmlessly in mid-air long before reaching her form.

Concurrently, her aura intensified dramatically.

While she was unable to reactivate Solar Dominion due to its cooldown period, she instead invoked a different ability.

Daybreak Incarnate.

As she was already in her complete dragon form, the skill did not effect any visible alteration to her appearance. Instead, potent, overwhelming buffs surged directly into her being.

Her physical strength experienced a precipitous increase. Her mana output surged exponentially.

Even the surrounding ambient mana seemed to respond with heightened intensity to her very presence.

At this crucial juncture, Kael received a telepathic transmission from Serisa.

"That dragon is the Saintess. Exercise extreme caution. If she manages to stack further enhancements, you will face dire peril."

Kael’s movements faltered for a fleeting microsecond.

The Saintess?

His mind went blank for a moment.

'How can this be? From the intel we have, she only awakened less than two months ago.'

Alice was supposed to be an Adept-rank awakener, and she didn't even possess a Combat Talent. Yet here she was, capable of transforming into a dragon and engaging them directly.

Kael hastily suppressed his astonishment.

Panicking would only lead to their downfall.

He immediately began to reassess their current situation.

The one piece of good news was that the dragon transformation consumed an immense amount of mana. Alice couldn't maintain this form indefinitely.

Typically, the most effective and secure strategy would be straightforward: they just needed to stall for time until her transformation ended, then overwhelm her.

However, that strategy was unworkable in this scenario. The Mistborn themselves were operating under a time limit. They had to provide backup for their captain, who was presently engaged with Emily and Averon.

Kael clenched his fist.

'What kind of absurd city is this?'

Frustration nearly made him laugh.

'I have to rush to aid the Captain because she's fighting Emily, who is merely Adept rank. Meanwhile, I'm being held back by the Saintess, who is also only Adept rank and doesn't even have a Combat Talent.'

Lord Isaac was already extraordinarily powerful for his rank, but his subordinates were clearly not ordinary either.

Frankly, Kael believed Emily might actually pose a greater threat than Lord Isaac himself, owing to the sheer volume of powerful summons under her command.

Kael commanded, "We will break through together and—"

He abruptly halted. Something had shifted. The ambient mana around him changed suddenly. Though subtle, his instincts immediately screamed danger.

Kael's gaze shot towards Falsi.

"Falsi, what was that? Was it another debuff?"

"I'm not sure. But it's definitely not a debuff," the High Overlord Mistborn replied, shaking her head.

"It's a False Mana Zone Magic Art," Bjorn interjected from the side, his tone heavy.

A Mana Zone was among the most potent abilities in existence. A genuine Mana Zone enabled the user to unleash magical attacks from any point within a designated area.

Even the most rudimentary form of this ability would readily qualify as an S-rank Magic Art or an S-rank Magic-type skill.

Alice, naturally, was not yet capable of wielding a true Mana Zone.

Nevertheless, under Avery's tutelage, she had mastered a False Mana Zone—an A-rank Magic Art.

Diverging from the genuine version, this art only permitted her to deploy magic skills up to B-rank within the specified zone. Typically, such a limitation would render it ineffective in the ongoing conflict.

After all, B-rank Magic Arts could hardly pose a significant threat to fully equipped Mistborn Overlords encased in powerful Steam Suits.

Yet, Kael's instincts continued to blare a warning.

"Shit! Get back—"

Before his words could fully escape, a beam of mana materialized abruptly beside Bjorn's shoulder.

A D-rank Mana Beam.

Bjorn casually deflected it with his shield.

The attack proved entirely harmless.

Then, another Mana Beam appeared.

Followed by two more.

Four.

Eight.

Sixteen.

Thirty-two.

The count incessantly doubled.

Within moments, mana beams began manifesting from every conceivable direction.

Alice unleashed one hundred and twenty-eight D-rank Mana Beams per second. The battlefield instantly dissolved into utter chaos.

The beams themselves were individually weak, but their sheer volume was terrifying.

What was worse, the points of origin for these attacks were entirely unpredictable due to the False Mana Zone.

One beam materialized directly in front of someone's face. Another erupted behind a person's neck. A beam shot upward from beneath someone's feet. Others materialized adjacent to knees, elbows, shoulders, and in blind spots.

The Mistborn formation immediately disintegrated into disarray.

Bjorn frantically activated defensive skills while Rhetta and Gin attempted to intercept the incoming attacks, but the onslaught was simply too overwhelming.

The spectacle was, in itself, a terrifying sight.

Only Alice could conceive of orchestrating such an absurd display.

Her SSS+ rank Mana Manipulation skill gifted her with monstrous precision. Her draconic heritage bestowed upon her an enormous mana reserve, and as a dragon, mana naturally gravitated towards her very existence.

All these elements converged, culminating in a single, overwhelming reality.

Countless explosions detonated across the battlefield.

The False Mana Zone finally dissipated.

Alice's breathing grew heavy by the time she ceased the barrage. Her colossal dragon form hovered in the air, visibly exhausted.

Dust and smoke billowed in all directions.

As the dust gradually settled, the Mistborn team was left in a dire state.

Two members exhibited distinct cracks in their Steam Suits. Small sections of their armor had completely fractured, and their mist-like bodies were slowly escaping through the openings.

One of the Mistborn had been propelled far away and was still struggling to regain his footing.

Only Bjorn remained in a comparably stable condition.

The gargantuan shield wielder stood resolutely before the assembled group, anticipating Alice’s impending assault. Even his formidable shield bore numerous dents and fissures from absorbing an unbelievable quantity of hostile strikes.

Kael gradually regained his footing. Earlier, he had experienced a complete and utter black-out for a fleeting moment.

His head was in a violent spin.

It was evident that Alice had directed the bulk of her offensive power towards him during the sustained bombardment. While his armor remained intact, the damage sustained was so significant that warning indicators were flashing insistently throughout his Steam Suit's internal systems.

Fortunately, his armor had not completely failed.

If it had, the situation could have escalated into perilous territory even for him.

Kael slowly surveyed the surrounding battlefield.

His team appeared to be in a dire condition.

The core issue transcended merely Alice’s formidable strength. The critical lack of intelligence had played a substantial role. No one had anticipated an Adept-rank Saintess possessing capabilities so outrageously overwhelming that even established Overlords were being forced onto the defensive.

Kael suddenly recalled a crucial detail.

‘This entire engagement is being broadcast live, isn’t it?’

A sinking feeling washed over him.

‘Big sis is absolutely going to end me.’

The Lord of Mists placed immense value on her public reputation. Witnessing her younger brother being thoroughly bested by an Adept-rank Awakener on a live public broadcast would undoubtedly ignite her fury.

Frankly speaking, Kael himself ought to have felt a profound sense of shame.

Yet, instead of humiliation, his shoulders began to tremble.

Then, uncontrollable laughter erupted from his lips.

“HAHAHAHA!”

The boisterous laughter reverberated throughout the entire battlefield.

Bjorn regarded him with an expression that suggested Kael had completely lost his sanity. Kael, meanwhile, pressed his forehead while his laughter intensified.

‘This is good.’

‘No, this is truly the best.’

‘I had presumed this mission would prove rather mundane, given our objective of simply overwhelming a novice Lord, but this is proving to be remarkably exhilarating!’

The more he contemplated the situation, the more his excitement surged.

Kael slowly straightened up, rolling his shoulders with a renewed vigor.

“If you have the time to indulge in laughter, perhaps lend me some assistance! She’s attempting to finish us off while we’re in a weakened state!” Bjorn’s voice rang out, strained as he blocked the Dragon Flames Alice was now employing.

“Alright, alright,” Kael responded with practiced nonchalance.

He then directed his gaze toward Alice and amplified his voice.

“Mistborns! Effective immediately, we shall be treating Saintess Alice as a Boss Monster! Should any of you hold back your full strength, I will personally toss you into a blender!”

His declaration resonated across the battlefield like a lion’s ferocious roar.

It was imbued with an intoxicating blend of excitement, palpable pressure, and a potent battle intent that caused the surrounding Mistborns to instinctively tense up.

Bjorn appeared genuinely taken aback. Then, he protested, “You insane lunatic! What do you mean, ‘Boss Monster’? This is a competition! We are strictly forbidden from causing fatalities—”

His words were abruptly silenced as Kael’s foot landed directly onto his shoulder.

Utilizing Bjorn as a makeshift foothold, Kael propelled himself explosively upwards.

Steam erupted from the valves of his armor as he rocketed towards the heavens.

Alice reacted instantly, mirroring his movement.

She was clearly fatigued from unleashing her previous barrage. Her respiration was labored, and her control over her mana had demonstrably weakened.

Nevertheless, she charged forward without a hint of hesitation.

The great dragon and the Mistborn rapidly converged.

Kael drew his axe backward, a movement that suggested he was poised to execute a devastating cleave.

Alice, acting on instinct, braced herself for the impending impact. However, at the critical final moment, Kael completely altered his trajectory and intent.

His left hand shot forward instead. With astonishing speed, he struck—no, he grabbed—Alice directly by the snout for a fleeting instant.

Alice’s eyes widened almost imperceptibly.

Kael executed a violent twist of his body, forcibly altering her flight path downwards. Instead of a direct head-on collision, Alice narrowly missed him by mere inches.

Concurrently, Kael continued his ascent, propelled by the residual momentum from his initial leap.

He then activated another formidable skill.

His body commenced to spin at a terrifying velocity.

The resultant centrifugal force produced a piercing shriek in the air as Kael transformed into a savagely whirling blade.

Alice, having been redirected with such velocity, found it difficult to execute a proper evasion.

Kael’s spinning assault traversed her body.

Dark scales were rent asunder.

A long, gaping wound was opened, stretching from near her head all the way towards her tail, as sparks and crimson blood rained down through the atmosphere.

Kael finally ceased his rotation, briefly hovering in the sky by employing his foothold abilities.

He peered down at the inflicted damage, a wide grin stretching across his face.

“That did not manage to kill you? Truly, dragons possess remarkable resilience!”

Alice let out an enraged roar.

The wound that now marred her body appeared gruesome, yet it lacked the depth to inflict a critical injury. Her innate durability as a dragon was simply on an absurdly high level.

Before she could initiate any self-healing, Kael spun his axe once more before shifting his stance, subsequently kicking against the very air itself. Another foothold materialized beneath his feet.

He crouched slightly and then surged towards Alice once more.

Notwithstanding his wild, laughter-filled exclamations and battle-frenzied declarations, Kael’s eyes remained remarkably sharp and focused.

He was meticulously analyzing her every attribute.

Every single movement. Every individual scale. Every potential vulnerability.

What he sought was the Reverse Scale.

Each and every dragon possessed this unique scale, distinguished by its uncanny sensitivity. A precise strike upon this spot could inflict grievous harm, even upon beings as resilient as dragons.

Bjorn instantly grasped Kael's objective. The brow plates of his Steam Suit knitted together in concern.

The issue wasn't Kael's pursuit of a vulnerability.

The true problem lay in Kael's apparent eagerness to utterly defeat Alice, rather than merely conclude the fight swiftly to aid Serisa, their captain.

...

Author's Note:

Peruse the comments for this paragraph to view images of the Steam Suits.

PS: Your Golden Tickets and Power Stones are greatly appreciated if you're enjoying the novel.