novelnext Chapter 96: Dragon Slayer 1
Chapter 96: Dragon Slayer 1
Chapter 96: Dragon Slayer 1
On the eastern wall, Zarian used his Spectral Spider Network +1 to watch the Rumble Psion move to her mostly solo position. He could sense everything through the multiple spiders staged in the area or by observing through Naomi herself, granting him the ultimate vicarious view.
Notably, one of the changes to the fortifications from last night were platforms on the ramparts that hung past the wall’s edge. That way, it was easier to attack enemies scrambling up the walls from the sides while others attacked from directly above.
The militant and dynamic black woman stood on one of those platforms. She overlooked two thousand kobolds sweeping around to outflank the Ride-or-Die Guild from the east. Among the kobolds’ numbers, there was a disproportionate amount in the Level 40s with unique classes.
Just like the main force barreling down from the north, the eastern attackers used wooden bridges laid over the ditches to make their way across quickly. Seeing Naomi by herself, the leading kobolds pointed up and laughed at her.
“Is that a human woman?” snarled a kobold in the Level 30s. “It is! It is! Get up the wall and get her! We will make her scream!”
“Get her! Get her! Get her!” chanted the kobolds in the Level 20s.
“Make her scream! Make her scream!” chanted more of the lower kobolds.
Zarian felt sparks of Naomi’s disgust resonate through her and slightly into him. But only for a brief moment. Then all that remained was a cool and calculated rage, followed by a strong current of malicious intent.
Unfortunately for the kobolds, Naomi had the right armaments staged for her to respond with violence instead of words.
Melon-sized iron balls, uncommon quality.
Each one had a simple enchantment. They provide a bigger impact on landing. It wasn’t an insane boost, but the bigger the impact, the bigger the damage.
They didn’t have cannons to load the iron balls into, unfortunately. That was too complicated for Hannah to make on a short notice. However, they did have someone who was suited to act like a cannon.
Naomi scooped up one of the iron balls from a large crate nearly as tall as her. She walked over to the platform’s edge and planted a foot on the crenellation block.
From every angle where a spectral spider lurked, as well as from Naomi’s view-point, Zarian observed how she juiced herself up with all of her abilities and cocked back the melon-sized iron ball.
Psionic Affinity, Physical Phenom, Juggernaut Hitter, Little Giant, Tranquil Mind, Overclock, Psychokinesis, Adrenaline Jolt, Willful Might, Wondrous Speed, Mystic Toughness, and even Summon Wizard Hat. Her little witch hat rested crookedly on the back of her head.
She used almost every viable trait and skill while pushing her three best stats, Willpower, Strength, and Agility. Thus, her body flooded with psychic power, physical power, and the heightened and willful control of both.
Then she threw her first iron ball. By the time it left her hand, the throw emitted a whooping shockwave that sounded like a howitzer cannon from a modern artillery battery.
The iron ball blurred out of sight before striking the nearest bridge that three dozen kobolds were crossing to get over a ditch. She struck so hard she hit the bottom of the ditch with an explosive thump and sent kobolds flying, their bodies crushed and mangled.
A geyser of mud, blood, and loosened spikes rose in the fallen bridge’s place before the debris and bodies rained down. The kobolds on the eastern front lost their humor.
The explosive attack slowed their rush forward. They were so shocked they staggered about in confusion. With their hesitation, Naomi pushed her High Intimidation trait to the max.
Every kobold who looked up at her visage came away with greater fear. Better yet, Naomi didn’t even have to move from her position to collect another melon-sized iron ball.
The spectral spiders brought another to her.
Without looking away, she reached down and grabbed the ball from the spiders and hoisted it up over her shoulder. Then she cocked back and repeated the action again.
Another shockwave whooped aloud. Another bridge burst apart, flinging kobolds, alive or dead, as geysers of mud, spikes, and crushed bodies rose before raining down.
Naomi picked up the pace. Now she really sounded like a salvo of artillery cannons. She was the hammer, and the kobolds were the nails.
Opposite of Naomi’s artillery hammering of the eastern kobolds, Bianca radiated like she was the third sun of Corma. She had with her the human skeleton Glowy, a Level 43 Runic Showman.
Glowy was more helpful than Windy, Flamer, Hasty, and Warper. Glowy had the Enhance Light skill, making Bianca’s light abilities even stronger while she siphoned light from the suns and empowered herself with good +3.
Windy, Hasty, and Warper were rattling with uncontrolled fear while staying close. Flamer crossed his burnt arms in front of his rib cage to act like he wasn’t scared. They could feel the deadly immensity of Bianca’s power.
Glowy didn’t seem to care and was completely at the whims of the Light Princess. The skeleton was happy to lend more and more of his skill to make Bianca stronger despite the real threat of being close to a good +3 monster of a young woman.
Thankfully, Bianca accepted their aid and presence gracefully. She directed the excess light into a basketball-size miniature sun hovering above her head. Despite its size, it was so bright it shone upon most of the ramparts and the ground floor of their fort.
Zarian felt Bianca’s elation, glee, and hint of crusader madness. She was deep in the folds of good alignment, but at least she directed it everywhere else other than against Zarian.
The kobolds didn’t seem to understand Zarian and his skeleton’s wariness. One kobold in the Level 30s yelled out while jabbing a decently made spear toward the Light Princess.
“Don’t let her scare you! She’s nothing but all flash! If she makes us blind, then we go slow and still reach the wall!” the kobold leader said.
The kobolds in the Level 20s and below chanted. “All flash! All flash! Reach the wall! Reach the wall!”
Bianca deigned them with a smile.
He only needed to get creative.
The evil alignment nagged at him like always. It wanted him to go all out, to use outright destruction, to crush the will of everyone, friend or foe, and subjugate them all. It wanted him to be the narcissistic asshole.
Zarian refused.
I’m in control. I’m more than my power. I’m more than the evil alignment. I’m a wizard!
Zarian launched into the air with a flap of his massive Parasite Cloak. With another flap, Para transformed into great leathery wings similar to a dragon.
Twin jets of darkness shot from Zarian’s feet for thrust. He drew a gigantic shadow over the north wall, over the soldiers and acolytes, catching their attention of admiration and thrill once again, making Roland’s job harder.
Then Zarian was past the safety of the anti-air barrier. The kobolds in the Level 40s unleashed their long-range attacks.
Flaming javelins punched up into the sky, followed by ice spears, acid bolts, sonic orbs, and even heavily thrown stones. More and more ranged attacks launched hard into the sky, most missing widely.
A few drew close to hitting until Para shifted her wings and maneuvered Zarian out of the way. She was in control of flight maneuvers while Zarian concentrated purely on spellcraft with his Fractured Mind.
The basic skeletons he had down on the battlefield were now engaged in melee fights with kobolds in the Level 40s. More kobolds drew close to the walled lane leading toward the gatehouse, which might get Stony involved if the kobolds reach him.
Zarian would rather not have the giant involved too much, not unless there was no choice, since that would make a low-level game like this too easy.
Zarian grunted as he put emotion and aura into the first folktale spell from the Grimoire of the Dread Mire Hell Gator. He turned the ground into a quicksand-like pit that reached farther out than any he conjured before.
Then he doubled it with another Quagmire Pit next to the first.
A thousand kobolds fell with a splash and a struggle in the conjoined pits, blocking their chance of reaching the lane. They cried out as they fought to free themselves from the swampy pitfall, but most who were far from the edges wouldn’t be able to escape.
The more they thrashed, the more the doubled Quagmire Pit slurped them down. The kobold advance slowed further, but that wasn’t enough for Zarian.
One more. I can do one more.
So far, Zarian had only shown he could use two spells simultaneously. Spells worked differently compared to skills. They seemed to rely more on the user to cast them with little help from the System, unlike alpha skills or even beta skills. But with enough aura and a masochistic attitude, Zarian figured this was the perfect time to break his mortal limits even further.
Zarian circled a heavier amount of aura through his Fractured Mind. He maintained the Raise Advancing Skeletons spell. He maintained the doubled Quagmire Pit spell.
Then he pushed himself like never before to use a third spell simultaneously. Zarian felt his limits crush down on his own mind. He hesitated for a scant moment. Then he smashed through head first with a mind-tearing roar!
Hands out-stretched, he lit them on fire. Black and gray flames blazed around his hands and up his arms.
As blood leaked down his nostrils, Zarian pushed against the boundaries of the System, his Fractured Mind feeling like it was on the verge of ripping. He maintained the other spells while intensifying his Black Fire spell.
Then he gathered the black and gray flames into a small bead between his shaky palms before unleashing a massive torrent that was as thick as a human man was tall. The massive gout darkened the sunny morning and doused the battlefield beneath him in Black Fire.
The black and gray flames didn’t cling to much of anything that was inanimate. It didn’t even care about aura.
The moment the black and gray flames touched a living creature with vitality, the flames latched on and wouldn’t let go, not without superior magical force to wash it away. None of the kobolds had the right stuff to fend off Zarian’s Black Fire.
The flaming gout rained down uncontested with a huge and mystical downpour, covering thousands upon thousands in black and gray flames. The shocking display of wizardry power stunned everyone bearing witness, as if they were watching the act of a dark god.
Before they could come to grips with Zarian’s actions fully, he cut off the Black Fire spell. He even cut off the double Quagmire Pits. As the ground returned to normal, the kobolds that were still alive rose to the surface, along with their dead.
Zarian and Para spiraled downward from the air before the Parasite Cloak folded her wings and returned to her usual form. Zarian landed in a crouch in front of Stony’s seated form. He wiped away the blood from under his nose and let out a satisfied sigh.
“Three different spells at the same time,” Zarian said. “Nice.”
Who said I can’t still grow and challenge myself? He thought with a chuckle.
“Need any help, milord?” Stony asked.
The Level 105 Wall Crusher Master made for a convenient doorman and doorway. His gigantic body plugged up the obvious way in. Any other gaps past him were easily filled with stone cubes from Hannah’s cube maker skill.
Zarian thought about it, then shook his head. “You’re doing a great job as the door to the gatehouse, Stony. Keep it up.”
“Yes, milord!”
“Now, if you’ll excuse me. I’m going to go on a mini frenzy.” Zarian walked toward the kobolds who were making their way down the lane.