Re: Tales of the Rune-Tech Sage Chapter 571: Beast Companions Vs Elder Dragon

Although quicker, Dread permitted Fen to surge forward, as Alex was basically an ordinary mortal in this situation.

[Ice Breath]!

Fen swiftly launched his assault against the leading edge of the approaching swarm, encasing dozens of creatures and twisted humanoids in ice.

’They seem fragile,’ Alex observed. ’Could they be like me... downgraded to Class 1 or lower?’

His eyes gleamed sharply.

"Senu, unleash your fury!" he commanded.

Queen Senu’s gaze ignited with a savage spark.

As the mightiest of Alex’s beast allies, she wielded the most devastating force.

Regal Aura!

[Shadow Scream]!

"Skreeee!!!"

Her aura grew menacing as she let out a shrill cry that paralyzed every nearby creature and twisted humanoid.

Silvery spatial energy then enveloped her wings as she readied her [Spatial Rend] skill.

Yet, rather than projecting the power outward, she maintained the energy tightly around her wings prior to plunging into the swarm.

Everywhere she soared, the keen spatial edges on her wings cleaved through obstacles effortlessly, like slicing through soft butter with a heated blade.

In this way, she forged a straightforward route for the ground forces to pursue.

[Ice Bolt]

[Spatial Rend]

[Ice Blast]

[Talon Lock]! [Predatory Lock]!!

[Icefang Needle]!

[Omnidirectional Spatial Rend]!

Fen and Senu spared no effort as they demolished surge after surge of foes, forging a route toward the far-off blaze for Alex.

Yet, the nearer they advanced to the blaze, the thicker and fiercer the swarm turned.

Penetrating their ranks became progressively tougher.

They found themselves compelled to deploy ever more potent techniques.

Even Dread stayed occupied.

While charging along the trail cleared by his two fellow companions, occasional survivors from the initial purge would spring forth to try pulling Alex off.

But Dread displayed his ultimate arsenal.

His legs.

Bam! Bam!!

Not just his hind legs—every one of his four limbs served as fatal instruments.

Each stomp propelled skulls airborne.

Dread demonstrated he was much more than a mere steed. Every hoof impact delivered a deadly strike that pulverized any barriers in their way.

Were it not for his prior knowledge, Alex might have thought his mount was the reborn master of Taekwondo, Capoeira, and kickboxing combined.

Nevertheless, despite the seemingly smooth progress, Alex sensed a nagging discomfort.

’This feels overly straightforward,’ he pondered inwardly. ’Moreover...’

His attention turned to the enormous silhouette in front that obstructed their access to the remote flame.

’How on earth do we bypass that monster?’

As though detecting Alex’s stare, the Elder Dragon abruptly pivoted toward him.

A colossal breath assault started to build inside its jaws.

[Flaming Dragon Breath]!

’Damn it!’ Alex swore inwardly.

Regrettably, given his present condition, he could do absolutely nothing.

Noticing the incoming strike—and likely feeling Alex’s despair—Fen and Senu dashed forward to block it.

[Greater Spatial Rend]!

Senu poured even greater amounts of her space-infused mana into the skill, generating a much broader attack.

True to form, the spatial tear surged ahead, distorting space in its wake and ripping open a chaotic rift.

Initially, Senu’s prompt reaction succeeded.

The rift swallowed most of the dragon’s breath.

Still, the strike’s intensity proved far too immense.

The rift buckled beneath the Elder Dragon’s overwhelming force, allowing the leftover breath to barrel toward Alex astride Dread.

Luckily, Senu’s effort had granted sufficient time for Fen to respond.

Fen carried out the swiftest elemental transformation he had ever achieved.

It occurred so rapidly that he himself hadn’t believed it possible.

The pure-white wolf morphed into a dark wolf featuring a fiery mouth.

[Fire Breath]!

Fen released his flame breath to counter the Elder Dragon’s onslaught.

"What are you doing? You can’t—"

"Bark!"

Alex was on the verge of yelling that Fen couldn’t hope to stop an Elder Dragon’s breath—

When the unbelievable occurred.

Rather than smashing directly and battling to a standstill, Fen’s [Fire Breath] enveloped the approaching dragon breath and pulled it back toward his jaws.

The ebony wolf then rerouted the seized energy and fired off another blast.

Except this time—

The aim was the swarm.

[Fire Beam]!

A searing fire ray erupted from the wolf’s mouth akin to a burning laser.

A vast, wedge-like area of devastation was etched across the field of battle.

Apart from the Elder Dragon, every creature and twisted humanoid in a hundred-meter span before Fen was eradicated in an instant.

Alex gaped at the wolf in astonishment.

’Could that be an evolution of the [Energy Absorption] skill from Wood/Nature-type creatures?’ Alex wondered in awe. ’Beyond manipulating his form, has he at last evolved a new way to harness his minor Nature essence?’

Alex regarded the Direwolf-sized Fen with wonder... and greater still, joy.

That being said, it was obvious the technique wasn’t one the wolf could execute with ease, or often.

ROAR!!!

In contrast to Alex, the Elder Dragon was—putting it mildly—thoroughly enraged by the wolf turning its own force against its followers.

Once more, mana amassed in the dragon’s mouth for a fresh assault.

’Whoa, whoa, whoa... that’s over three times stronger than the last one,’ Alex thought with growing panic.

The prior breath had demanded both Senu and Fen’s ultimate skills merely to deflect it.

They had already hit the ceiling of their defensive capabilities.

This new assault, however...

’I can’t remain idle. I must take action.’

Time appeared to drag as Alex’s mind whirled with ideas.

In a flash, he settled on a choice.

He promptly sent a directive to Senu via their mental connection.

The Queen Nightmare Eagle dove low, seized Alex by the shoulders in her claws, and flung him skyward before recapturing him as he flipped gracefully onto her back.

In that instant, Alex experienced a deep bond with Senu as she exposed her essence to him.

Their bloodlines, resolves, and above all, their mana fused via the [External Magic Companion Contract].

Drawing from their shared reservoir of strength, Alex initiated his desperate gambit.

"[Halt]!"

Alex uttered abruptly in a tongue comprehensible solely to himself and the Elder Dragon.

Dragon Tongue!

The Elder Dragon went rigid.

The mana building in its jaws scattered at once.

The gigantic beast regarded Alex—perched on Senu’s back—with evident bewilderment.

Alex exhaled a lengthy sigh of relief.

Through merging with Senu’s mana reserves, he had circumvented the trial’s limitations.

Though his body lacked any mana here, he could still tap Senu’s reserves to utter the Dragon Tongue. Ok

Yet he wasn’t done.

Still drawing on the leftover mana from Senu, Alex projected his bloodline dominance.

At his rear, the anthropomorphic specter of his blended bloodline materialized completely.

Alex intentionally skewed the pressure toward a specific element in the blend, creating an intended impact.

Dragon Presence!

***