Chapter 115 Bones
Suddenly, a violent elemental disturbance erupted, and scores of wind blades crossed and interwove, cascading down from the heavens. In the blink of an eye, they carved a colossal gap through the dense foliage, hurtling towards Vetter with relentless force. A tearing sound ensued, kicking up a cloud of smoke and dust.
Emerging from the haze, Vetter swiftly pivoted his head towards the newly exposed forest canopy and unleashed his long-prepared Zero Degree Cold Stream. The Elgin Dragon Beast, which had just soared through the breach, was squarely doused. However, with a hiss, the beast folded its wings in front of its body and then snapped them open with violence, propelling another wind blade forth that sent Vetter's attack reeling backward.
Vetter's pupils dilated in shock, and he ceased his assault. His wings pressed tightly to his back, he nimbly darted into the adjacent trees. The spot where Vetter had stood, along with the surrounding flora, was instantly obliterated by a barrage of wind blades!
Frustrated by its ineffective strike, the Elgin Dragon Beast roared in fury and gave chase to Vetter. Yet, its colossal size proved cumbersome amidst the dense foliage, forcing it to constantly maneuver around towering trunks. Despite this hindrance, the Elgin Dragon Beast, skilled in aerial maneuvers, managed to avoid collisions with any obstacles. However, this was insufficient to close the gap with Vetter.
As Vetter gained distance, the Elgin Dragon Beast's irritation grew. Suddenly, it hovered mid-air and frantically beat its wings in Vetter's direction, unleashing a torrent of wind blades akin to a rainstorm. Trees and boulders in their path were shattered into fragments!
Sensing the intense elemental disturbances behind him, Vetter pivoted and glanced back. The forest between him and the Elgin Dragon Beast was now a barren expanse. He barely escaped unscathed. Nevertheless, such a powerful magic came at a steep cost. Noticing the beast's slight, imperceptible stagger, Vetter turned on a dime and charged towards it. Simultaneously, three grayish-white magic arrays manifested around him.
This time, however, Vetter refrained from immediately deploying them, allowing the magic formations to hover protectively. This was a strategic advantage of using magic arrays: they persisted in this state until the optimal moment presented itself, provided they were not prematurely activated.
Of course, this method had its risks. Opponents versed in magic arrays could discern one's intentions. Yet, this drawback was more pronounced in elemental magic. Shaping Magic posed less concern. The opponent might not recognize such an unconventional magic, let alone counter it against Vetter. Shaping Magic served the caster alone and could only be disrupted by an adversary, making it unstoppable otherwise!
Furthermore, it distracted opponents, compelling them to monitor which parts of Vetter's body were being fortified by Shaping Magic. However, this tactic was tailored for dragons and had little disorienting effect on dragon beasts unfamiliar with it.
Seeing Vetter advancing, the Elgin Dragon Beast hastily reversed course and launched another assault with wind blades surging towards him. Vetter stood his ground. One of the three magic arrays silently floated to his back and pierced through his wings, causing them to expand rapidly—tripling their original length. The muscles on his back swelled, yet instead of feeling encumbered, Vetter felt lighter.
As the wind blade approached, Vetter grinned. His wings vibrated violently, and his figure vanished in an instant, reappearing directly above the Elgin Dragon Beast. His flying speed had surpassed normal limits.
Gazing down at the beast, Vetter unhesitatingly unleashed another Zero Degree Cold Stream, which overwhelmed the Elgin Dragon Beast's back with icy force, even pinning it to the ground below.
"Roar!" Pushed by Vetter's attack, the beast scrubbed against the terrain, incensed beyond measure. Despite the apparent disparity, Vetter's breath attack hadn't breached the beast's feathered defenses. The Elgin Dragon Beast struggled to rise against the icy torrent, one wing shielding itself while the other generated turbulent wind elements.
But just then, another icy stream erupted from the shrubs behind, targeting one of the beast's claws. Unlike Vetter's breath, this one combined the piercing power of wind with extreme cold. Antawana had struck! At some undisclosed moment, she had crept up behind the beast, ready to strike.
The skinny dragon's slender form managed to conceal it even amidst the low-hanging shrubs.
Yet, unfortunately, the disparity in strength was overwhelming!
Antawana, merely a Black Iron Upper, could barely muster enough power to tackle Bronze-level dragon beasts with her breath. Against this Gold-level Elgin Dragon Beast, her attacks lacked any lethal force.
But they weren't entirely futile.
The Elgin Dragon Beast, already unsteady under Vetter's breath attack, was further disrupted when Antawana's spit directly struck one of its claws, throwing its balance off and causing it to stumble once more.
Even the spell it had been preparing was interrupted.
Vetter's eyes sparkled with excitement when he saw this.
One of the two magical formations hovering around him lit up again, infusing his limbs with power.
His already razor-sharp dragon claws became even more deadly.
Meanwhile, Vetter ceased his spitting and, with his wings outstretched, dived towards the Elgin Dragon Beast below, landing heavily on its back.
The Elgin Dragon Beast, which had momentarily lost its suppression and was attempting to rise, was once again pinned down.
Vetter's four sharp claws, piercing through his feathers, grasped tightly onto the fine scales beneath the opponent's plumage.
However...
Clang!
A loud metallic sound echoed, and Vetter's claws rebounded.
They couldn't pierce through its defense!
Vetter's pupils dilated momentarily, but without hesitation, he unleashed a zero-degree cold stream at the Elgin Dragon Beast's head.
Yet again, the disparity in strength was too vast!
Despite a direct hit, the Elgin Dragon Beast remained alive, with only one eye frozen and lifeless!
"Roar~~~"
With one eye damaged, the Elgin Dragon Beast went berserk.
Its massive, thirty-meter-long body began to thrash around. Vetter spread his limbs wide, digging into his opponent's back with a lethal grip, his dragon tail wrapping tightly around its body.
But alas, it was too short and kept getting dislodged.
His formidable strength couldn't curb the opponent's movements at all.
Furthermore, due to the Elgin Dragon Beast's violent struggles, Vetter's dragon breath couldn't land accurately on its head, lest he accidentally harm Antawana.
To prevent this, Vetter ceased his breathing attacks.
Without the suppression of his breath, the Elgin Dragon Beast broke free from Vetter's control and, with its wings spread wide, prepared to ascend into the sky.
Seeing this, Vetter gritted his teeth, his eyes filled with determination.
But soon, he steeled himself.
He absolutely wouldn't let the opponent take flight!
He had only managed to knock the Elgin Dragon Beast down earlier because he had caught it off guard, and it hadn't anticipated Vetter's rapid movement thanks to the "Acceleration" magic.
However, just as Vetter prepared to unleash his Blazing White Breath, the Elgin Dragon Beast abruptly halted.
It ceased its struggles, and before Vetter could react, it let out a pitiful howl.
Vetter could feel the muscles in the Elgin Dragon Beast's body suddenly tense, forcing out his claws that had managed to dig into its scale armor.
As Vetter tumbled off the Elgin Dragon Beast's back, his mind raced with one thought.
Big trouble!
An injured dragon beast could be far more perilous than one that was unharmed.
But what he hadn't anticipated was that, as he regained his footing and prepared to continue the fight, the Elgin Dragon Beast instead crashed through the dense foliage above and flew away!
Vetter stood in stunned silence, gazing at the broken branches and falling leaves, before turning his attention to Antawana below.
"You did this?"
Antawana nodded.
"Spit!"
"Impossible!"
Vetter instinctively protested, "Even though my spit is under my masterful control and possesses considerable killing power, I couldn't break through its defense. How did you manage it?"
However, Antawana didn't respond but instead cast a meaningful glance at the juncture of Vetter's two hind legs and tail!
Antawana's gaze made Vetter instantly comprehend something.