Chapter 174
Chapter 174
Following its usual pattern, the "Hornet" drone wouldn't leave any wreckage after self-destructing. But I still needed this weapon, so with a single thought, it shifted back from drone form into a scimitar.
I slashed down a four-legged flying beast and made my way back to the energy tower, slightly out of breath.
I dropped down onto the ground and took the chance to rest.
The crystal people's defensive perimeter had shrunk by more than half. Fewer than ten thousand of them were still gathered around the base of the tower.
Looking out at the endless sea of Shadow creatures, I felt a wave of relief that I'd gotten down here fast enough while the crystal people still had decent numbers.
If I'd been any slower, there's a good chance I wouldn't have lasted this long on my own.
The mist inside the castle had completely cleared. The harvesting zone had almost certainly fallen by now.
I sat on the ground, leaning back on both hands, tilting my head up.
The sky was a dull gray. Not a single star in sight.
I couldn't tell if it was the Sunsteal Runic Array messing with things, or if it was just nighttime.
"How much longer is this going to take?" I thought, feeling restless.
If this kept up, I'd have to pull all the crystal people back inside the tower and fight street by street.
Without room to regroup and adjust formation, they'd eventually be ground down in one-on-one attrition. And then I'd really be on my own, holding the line against the Shadow by myself.
Right then, the stone tablet in my pocket suddenly vibrated.
Did it work?
I quickly pulled it out. A single line appeared on its surface.
Runic Array in danger! Come back now!
"Damn it!"
I clenched my jaw, looked up, and quickly put on my mask to give the order.
"Everyone, fall back inside the tower and hold position!"
I didn't wait to watch them reorganize.
I grabbed my blade and sprinted toward the tower's interior staircase as fast as I could.
I pushed hard all the way up and reached the teleportation array in no time.
Good. It was still running.
I steadied my breathing, tightened my grip on the scimitar, and stepped into the Runic Array.
The familiar sensation of gravity flipping washed over me, and I was back at the Crystal Lake.
---
The moment I appeared at the Crystal Lake, a thunderous roar tore through the flowing melody.
I snapped my head up. The black dragon.
It slammed into the barrier surrounding the Runic Array with a bone-shaking crash.
A ripple of translucent light spread across the surface above the Runic Array.
It was trying to break through the outer defenses and strike the Sunsteal Runic Array directly.
I froze for a second.
"The Calamity Dragon? No wonder I didn't see it down there. How did it get up here?"
It couldn't have just flown up on its own, could it? This was the Sunsteal Runic Array, tens of thousands of feet above the ground.
I turned toward the platform.
I could still hear the Youngest Princess singing. At least the two of them seemed to be okay.
I rushed toward the platform and climbed straight up.
Scanning the area, I spotted the Youngest Princess singing inside a Runic Array at the center of the platform.
The Eldest Princess was maintaining the Runic Array with one hand while controlling her puppet with the other, keeping a close eye on the black dragon.
---
Another roar shook the air. The outer barrier began to crack like glass, piece by piece.
The black dragon broke through.
Then it shot straight toward the Eldest Princess.
I pushed every ounce of strength I had, raised my blade, and charged at the dragon head-on.
A massive arc of light came sweeping down.
The dragon twisted with surprising agility, dodging the magical glow in midair by a hair.
Then it spun around and accelerated, trying to go around me and get to the Eldest Princess below.
A short, sharp chant rang out — "redirect."
My body, which should have had no way to change direction mid-air, bent to my will and curved sharply to the side.
I cut in from the flank to intercept the dragon.
In the rush, a flash of blade light caught the dragon's wing and opened a gash.
The dragon immediately pulled back and put distance between us.
"Damn. Was that too shallow?"
I dropped back to the ground and looked up, watching the black dragon circle away overhead.
"Eldest Princess, I can't fly!"
"One moment!"
The Eldest Princess let go of the puppet, kept the Runic Array going, and split her focus to start chanting.
Several layered chants rose together, ending one after another in rapid succession.
"Multi-cast — duration extended — rank elevated — reinforced — Phantom Step!"
A flash of magical light washed over me.
I didn't feel anything different at first.
I lifted my foot and stepped forward. The instant it came down, a solid foothold appeared out of thin air beneath me.
So that's how it works. A pretty handy spell.
I focused and stomped down hard. A sharp crack rang through the air.
My body launched upward.
The footholds were solid enough. They could take a solid amount of force.
I tested a few more, got a feel for their limits, and started zigzagging through the air toward the dragon.
The dragon sensed the threat behind it. It surged forward to open up some distance, then turned to face me head-on.
A point of light began to gather inside its raised jaws.
I grinned, and in an instant, I stomped through several footholds in rapid succession.
Closing the gap fast.
The dragon's eyes went wide with panic as I swung a strike I'd been charging up the whole time.
I'd done it on purpose — keeping a steady, moderate pace as I closed in, just enough to make it think that was my top speed.
The plan was to wait for the dragon to put what it thought was a safe distance between us before breathing, then close in at full speed.
Caught off guard, the dragon had no time to dodge. It threw its front claws up to block.
The scimitar, trailing a long streak of magical light, came down hard on its claws.
The blade cut through the tough scales, tore through the muscle beneath, and bit deep into the bone of its forearm.
Just as the dragon tensed its muscles to try to trap the blade —
The scimitar's curved edge slid clean through, dragging the wound open as it pulled free.
A straight blade might have gotten stuck at the end of a strike. But this was a deeply curved scimitar. At the end of every swing, the blade naturally slides out of the flesh, widening the cut as it goes.
Sure, I'm still new to this. I probably don't have the best technique.
But the nature of this weapon means that even a beginner can be devastating with it, as long as they have enough speed and strength.
Raw speed and strength happen to be exactly what I have the most of.
The whole sequence flowed without a hitch.
I pulled back and swung again without effort, opening another brutal gash.
The scimitar moved in smooth, fluid arcs. In the moment I got close, I landed more than a dozen strikes.
By the time the dragon finally recovered and swept me away with its right claw, the relentless high-speed assault had completely destroyed its entire left forearm.
Chunks of dark flesh and blood rained down. The dragon shrieked and pulled back again.
I caught the wariness in its eyes and let myself smile.
"What are you scared of? We're just getting started."
I stole a glance below.
Boosted by the Runic Array, the Youngest Princess's voice drifted through the air all around us, clear and steady even from this height.
The corruption in the Crystal Lake below had grown very faint.
At this rate, she'd have it completely purified soon.
The Eldest Princess was using her spare focus to repair the outer barrier around the lake, keeping it safe from the fallout of the fight above.
I was in no hurry at all.
The black dragon, on the other hand, was a different story.