Chapter 133

Might of a Dragon (III)

Cain Blinked backward, dodging a spearheaded, crimson-red bolt of lightning that pierced down with a shriek; he immediately conjured up seven arrays of light that entangled him and dragged him sideways, avoiding another one that came streaking from behind. Enveloped in smoky tendrils of colorless arrays, he slammed his chest with his fist, throwing up a mouthful of blood that he quickly coalesced into an eye that emerged above him, allowing him to see behind.

The King had continued to gain more and more speed as the battle went on, one of the reasons why Elementalists hated dragged-out battles against the melee opponents. He was slowly beginning to feel the reach of his Stamina as well as the countdown until the Cosmic State ended, but he didn’t panic. Panic, in the end, would do nothing if not make it much harder to come out on top; his mind was clear, his eyes observing the fast-approaching figure coated in the clouds of red.

He slapped his palms together and hurled out a cone-shaped burst of jet-black flames that quickly swelled to thirty feet tall and wide, but the attack wasn’t meant to hurt -- merely distract. In the meantime, he did something he never even thought of doing in his past life -- use eight Elements at the same time. He took a quick, deep breath and extended his arms outward as the wings behind him flapped, Elements coalescing into a roaring storm that swept around him.

One by one, tiny molecules began to morph and bend and attune, drawn together through a mystical bond that was impossible to verbalize. It was for just a moment, one that eluded him almost completely, but he felt it -- the place, the dimension so to say, where all of his Mana was stored. It churned and rumbled, like the mighty skies before the storm... and, just like the storm, it poured out in droves that were impossible to contain.

His Mana immediately dropped down to almost 100,000, crystallizing in front of him in the shape of diamonds. He felt it, the swell of energy, the strength akin to nothing he ever felt before, even at the peak of his previous life. He tried to grab it and hold it and feel it for as long as possible, but it was like a hydro-charged bomb about to go off. He rapidly sucked all Elements within one as a blinding pillar of white light flashed into the sky, temporarily dispersing the overhead storm and allowing the sun’s rays to embrace this world for at least a little while.

A moment later, he felt something stiff snuggle within his finger as he curled them up -- as the light subsided, an ethereal-looking sword appeared in his right hand, ten feet long, shimmering in white tendrils that appeared wholly innocent on the surface. It was weightless, practically like a feather, yet the sheer amount of Mana imbued inside of it spoke other tales.

He swung it casually, the blade swiftly ejecting a powerful blast of arrays that dispersed yet another spearheaded array of blood and continued until it broke straight through the King’s armor, etching a massive gash on the latter’s shoulder, causing him to cry out in pain as the wound continued to burn. The King appeared alarmed and rushed forward, splitting his trident into two, identical ones and stabbing them at Cain’s chest.

The latter let go of the sword as it continued to hover in front of him, just for a moment, though, before he used the link between the two to order it to spin sideways and flank the King while Cain discharged extra Mana and used it to Blink back. The King's attack missed wholly, but Cain's didn't; the sword got a direct hit in, stabbing cleanly through the King's spleen and causing a river of blood to spray out as yet another roar of agony came burning through the thundering sounds.

Cain ordered the sword to move again, the white behemoth swiftly exiting the King and swiping around, slashing at his back; the latter ducked and barely dodged in time, though the attacks never stopped afterward. While conjuring up the sword took a whole pool of Mana, it wasn't as though he could freely maintain it -- even just a single slash cost upward of 1000 Mana, and he hardly had much to spare.

While the King grappled with the sword, doing his best to dodge it, Cain continued his Elemental onslaught by constantly charging at the very least hexa-attuned spells. The world could hardly sustain such an onslaught, and with the King’s retaliatory attacks becoming more and more berserk, it began to break down into shards once again.

Thirty seconds, Cain took a deep breath and forewent conjuring up any more spells, focusing entirely on maintaining the sword with the 40,000 Mana he had left in his pocket. The King, too, seemed to have realized this won’t be a long, epic battle, as he discarded the last layer of his armor and summoned an army of human-sized vortexes ejecting out blood constantly, blood that would turn into either weapons or arms that reached out at Cain.

The King didn’t stand idle, rushing forward and ignoring the milky-white sword entirely, letting it slash and stab and fall upon him. Three hundred feet... two hundred... one-hundred-and-fifty... one hundred... fifty...

The blood was spraying out of every inch of the man’s body, yet his eyes remained sharp, determined, and beyond crazed. They stared directly into Cain’s tranquil green, and he didn’t flinch. He’d stared at the death itself far too many times to lose in a game of chicken.

Thirty feet...

The King grasped at the tridents and combined them again, coating them in the blood-shower that he charged from his own, rapidly-flowing blood.

Twenty feet...

The King heaved his arm back, his muscles stretched taut, rippling. His lips spread out into a grin, revealing two sets of bloody-red teeth.

Ten feet...

The King curled his arm forward slightly, ready to stab it directly into Cain’s heart.

Five feet... that was as far as he got. The milky-white sword came streaking from behind and stabbed directly through the King's back, ripping his heart out of its cavity and extending it out at its tip that stood a few inches away from Cain. The somewhat-oversized, yet still very human heart, beat rapidly, blood spraying out like crazy, as the King came to a halt, latched onto the blade midair. His eyes widened in surprise and shock as his gaze switched between his heart, that still beat, and the man who bested him. The man was coated red, due to the heart's spraying, the phantom wings calm yet still summoning the storm of the elements to bend a knee to the man's will. So close...

“... Mortal,” the King mumbled with the last bit of his strength, coughing up blood all the way through. “I should have heeded their warning...”

“You should have,” the man replied stoically, calmly, indifferently. Albadesh realized... he had lost, both as a fighter and as a man. He couldn’t help but smile bitterly at his own fate -- just a few extra feet... and his dreams would have bloomed like springtime flowers. He’d have left these cursed lands and joined the Mighty Halls of beyond. He’d have become someone. He would have... he would have...

“They... have marked you,” the King warned. “You... aren’t for long. Dragon’s Might... won’t always be there to rescue you...”

“... it doesn’t need to,” the man replied with a faint smile. “If they’re smart, they’ll leave me alone. If not...”

“... ha ha ha ha ha, ha ha...” Albadesh laughed freely for a moment, letting the last dregs of blood in his body leave him as he slowly began to die. “I... I admire your bravado, Mortal!! But... you have no idea who you’re up against! Alas, perhaps that is what I lacked in the end -- the confidence, the resolve, the unrelenting belief I cannot be bested. I... I salute you, Mortal. And I shall watch you from my Infernal Demise, and see how far you go. Do not... disappoint me. At the very least, allow me to claim I was bested by a legendary figure, one beyond reproach. Perhaps, then, my failure... might not be absolute.”

The King drew his last breath, his eyes still open, lips still smiling. He began to fall, but Cain caught him with a grip of a Mana-made arm, bringing the body back up and examining it. Jesus, just how high was this motherfucker’s Vitality?!! He literally bled out a bajillion gallons of blood... he had little time to mull over as his entire world was once again besieged by the string of notifications.

//Congratulations, Conqueror Cain Gregory!!

You have accomplished a ‘Feat’ -- a fate-defining achievement that will forever be recorded within the ‘Divine Hall of Records’.

You have completed the Quest, ‘Stopping the Damned’!

You have slain ‘Corrupt King Albadesh’!

You have been acknowledged by the Fading Spirit!

...

For your ‘Feat’, you have been rewarded ‘Dimensional Talisman’, an item that allows you to enter and leave the Crucible without needing to go to the entrance! Inspect the item for more details!

You have earned ‘Slayer of the Kings’ (Legendary) Title: By having slain at the very least two Crowned, you have become a rarity in the history of the Crucibles! All your stats will increase by 80% when fighting a Crowned, but the more you slay, the easier you will earn their ire!

You may choose one of three Classless Skills: ‘Avatar of Spirits’, ‘Shadowbent’, or ‘Forager of the Lords’. Please inspect the Skills and make your choice!

You have gained 5 Levels!

Congratulations on reaching Level 50! The other 4 Levels will stay locked until you undergo your Awakening!

You have gained 20% to your maximum Mana and 100% to Mana Regeneration!

You have gained 10% to your Vitality!

You have received ‘Halo of Divinity(SS+)(Weakened)!

Your acknowledgment by the Fading Spirit grants you a 'Dragon's Breath' -- you may temporarily bless your weapon to increase its stats and add extra functionality! Bonuses are item-based!

You have acquired ‘The King’s Treasures’ -- ‘Trident of Blood(SS-)’, 80 ‘Gyffer Ores’, ‘Eclipsing Ire(B+)’, ‘Medallion of the King’ -- please see Minister Sahae in City of Mirrors to obtain the rights to Albadesh City.

Congratulations! You have completed a quest ‘Helping a Friend(S-)’

You have received a 20% bonus to your Mana and a 50% bonus to Mana Regeneration!

Congratulations! You have completed a quest ‘The Awoken’!

Please return to ??? and speak to him for your reward and the instructions!

Congratulations! You have fulfilled all the requirements to undergo the First Awakening! Please consult your Class’ Master in Fiendfrost Academy in the Epyel Kingdom for the instructions!

Members of your Party will all receive +1 to their Levels as well as a choice of a single item between three!

Feats: 1/10

Accomplish 10 Feats for the chance to receive a ‘Divine Blessing’!

Crowned Slain: 2/5

Slay 5 Crowned for the chance to meet ???, the Kinslayer!

You have been noticed by ???

You have been noticed by ???

You have been noticed by Aria, a Demigod of Favors!

You have been noticed by Kral, a Demigod of Blood!

Your ‘Hero’ Title has leveled up!

Your 'Hero' Title has gained an extra option: (Last Breath) -- Heroes don't fall easily! Prevent a killing blow once every 6 months and gain a shield equaling to 10 times your Health!

Congratulations and good Luck, Conqueror Cain Gregory!