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Chapter 290: Slaying the Draconian, Chasing the Shadow Tiger
🕑 Added 2024-10-04 05:20:18 +0000 UTCA rapid, intense buzzing sound filled the air, the vibrations quick and urgent. The earth spike beneath the Shadow Tiger’s chest was vibrating at a speed too fast for the naked eye to detect, creating a formidable display. As it pierced the Shadow Tiger’s chest, an explosion followed.
Boom!
A muffled sound echoed from its chest. The high-rank Shadow Tiger, affected by the vibrating force from the spike's tip, retreated rapidly, blood dripping from its fur, making it look particularly miserable.
"Tagra, are you okay?" Velon rushed to Tagra's side, standing shoulder to shoulder with him, but his eyes flicked to Tagra's chest, which was a bloody mess. Despite the gruesome wound, the high-rank royal-blooded beast’s resilience was astonishing. As soon as the vibrating force dissipated, the wound began to heal at a visibly rapid pace.
"There's a high-rank Earth Grand Magus who has mastered the Principle of Vibration!" Tagra said in a low, grave voice, his expression tense as he cautiously scanned the surroundings. Suddenly, his gaze fixed on an inconspicuous rock, where he detected a faint sign of life.
As he stared, the rock began to dissolve, turning into flowing sand and gradually dispersing, revealing Rhett, clad in a mage's robe, standing before them!
The two beasts eyed the unfamiliar figure with extreme caution, and Velon, gritting his teeth with seething hatred, growled, "You treacherous human, you had this trap set all along. Why not just bring out the rest of your high-level superhumans and face us openly?"
"You talk too much. Why don't you take a look at the night sky? The moon is quite full tonight—an excellent time to bury you both." Rhett smiled calmly, but his seemingly light-hearted words, carried by the night wind, struck Tagra and Velon like a powerful blow.
"Arrogant fool! Do you think mastering one Principle makes you invincible? Hmph, I'll make sure you learn your place today, with your own blood!" Tagra sneered coldly, then turned to Velon and said, "This human mage is mine. Go deal with Ledros and finish him quickly, then come help me!"
Before the last words had fully left his mouth, Tagra's figure vanished, blending into the night as he entered his shadow state. The sound of a sonic boom echoed as he moved at an incredible speed, leaving no visible trace of his path.
"Trying to kill me…? You’re welcome to try," Rhett muttered to himself, utterly unafraid. He had already experienced Tagra's taunts during his earlier real-time simulation. Based on that simulation, he had devised a strategy to ensure both beasts were dealt with...
Outwardly, Rhett appeared tense, his eyes scanning the surroundings carefully. Suddenly, a cold wind blew past, and a pitch-black claw extended from the night, striking his head.
"An Earth Grand Magus, yet as slow as a turtle..." Tagra’s mocking words echoed as a sense of revenge filled his heart. But just as a smile began to form on his face, it froze.
The expected scene of his enemy's head bursting like a watermelon did not materialize. Instead, he felt a soft, yielding texture, as if his claw had struck a pile of sand.
Tagra's eyes widened in horror, a terrible premonition gripping his mind. His heart pounded faster, and the next moment, a swirling vortex of sand formed around him. Rhett had preemptively cast a Sand Spell, ensnaring both himself and Tagra.
While Rhett remained unaffected in his sand-transformed state, the Shadow Tiger was not so fortunate. The terrifying pull of the sand vortex was like the grasp of hell, dragging it downward. Even in his shadow state, known for its unparalleled speed, Tagra found himself momentarily trapped.
"The Principle of Dissolution! Impossible! How can you also have the Principle of Dissolution?" Tagra exclaimed, recognizing Rhett’s sand-like form, his face filled with disbelief.
"How can someone in this era master two Principles before reaching the Sanctuary?" Velon trembled, roaring in frustration.
Taking advantage of Velon’s shock, Ledros swung his sword with all his might. But Velon, grinning wickedly, lashed out with his powerful tail, covered in scales and spines. The tail struck Ledros hard in the side, sending him crashing into the distance despite his attempt to block with his greatsword.
"Tagra, I'm coming to help! Let's take down this human Grand Magus first!" Velon's eyes were filled with dread. If this human continued to grow stronger, it would spell disaster for the beasts.
"Stay back! This Grand Magus is mine to deal with alone!" Tagra snarled at Velon, making a seemingly casual gesture with his hand.
Velon hesitated for a moment, staring blankly at the gesture. It was a secret signal they had devised, indicating that he should flee and report the situation to their base.
This signal was meant for emergencies, and Velon never expected it would be needed. But today, it had become necessary.
Rhett’s eyes flashed with a subtle, icy gleam as he noticed Velon turning to leave. His mental energy surged as he recalled how, in the simulation, a royal-blooded beast had indeed escaped and relayed the information.
Determined to prevent that outcome, Rhett decided to act. Ignoring the attacks from Tagra, thanks to his mastery of the Principle of Dissolution, Rhett poured more mental energy into casting a Rain of Spikes spell.
The sky lit up with brilliant light, overshadowing the combined glow of the fighting superhumans. The air seemed to hum as earthen spikes, each infused with the Principle of Vibration, rained down like droplets, under Rhett's precise control.
The high-rank Draconian, who had been trying to blend into the beast army to buy time for an escape, looked up in terror. The ground was suddenly bathed in light, as if it were noon instead of dawn. His silver scales made him stand out among the other beasts.
But nothing stood out more than the earthen spikes, which descended with a high-pitched whine, aimed directly at his body.
"Get away from me!"
Velon’s terror reached its peak, pushing him into a frenzy. Reason fled as he turned and lashed out with his massive, sharp claws, trying to swat away the spikes falling from the sky.
Clang, clang, clang...
The spikes struck Velon's silver claws, producing sparks as they collided.
The royal-blooded beast's resilience was astonishing. Even when faced with the spikes, which were imbued with the Principle of Vibration, he managed to hold them off for a moment.
Rhett, watching from a distance, was momentarily taken aback. How could the Draconian's scales be so tough? They were nearly as resilient as the Sacred Scale Earth-Burrower he had fought before, a beast with the potential for a Sanctuary-level bloodline!
But then Rhett remembered that royal-blooded beasts, if allowed to grow, had a much higher chance of becoming Sanctuary-level beasts than ordinary creatures. In that sense, they were indeed comparable to beasts with Sanctuary-level potential.
Meanwhile, the hidden Shadow Tiger was in shock, its thoughts racing like a storm. How could a human master the Principle of Vibration to this extent? The Rain of Spikes spell, already a large-scale attack, had every spike infused with the Principle. Achieving this level of mastery would require near-perfect control. How could this world have such easy access to the power of Principles?
The Shadow Tiger roared inwardly as it continued to swipe at Rhett, but its attacks were like striking a cloud of soft, yielding cotton—completely ineffective!
On the other side, Velon, suffering from the relentless assault, was in unbearable pain. His agonized cries echoed across the battlefield.
"This is bad. Velon can't hold out much longer. Once the Grand Magus is free, he'll team up with Ledros to take me down. With his mastery of the Principle, even my Light Shield won't be enough. And with Ledros protecting him, I stand no chance!" Tagra's heart sank as he quickly assessed the situation. He realized he needed to retreat and report back, or this unnaturally powerful Grand Magus would continue to pose a threat to the beasts.
Fear gripped Tagra as he thought of the recent breach of the unwritten rules by the beasts' Sanctuary-level warriors, who had attacked human superhumans. With the humans now paying unprecedented attention to the battlefield, another Sanctuary-level assault wouldn't be as easy.
"Ah!"
A sudden, piercing scream interrupted Tagra's thoughts, and he looked over in shock.
He saw Velon, the high-rank Draconian, covered in blood, his silver scales now a deep crimson. His body was riddled with spikes, making him look like a porcupine. He stood shakily, his life force almost completely drained.
Around him, the beasts were similarly devastated. Though Rhett had spared their lives, leaving them severely wounded but still breathing, hundreds lay incapacitated in pools of blood.
"Are they keeping them alive to extract information? Thankfully, these are all new recruits who don't know any classified information..." Tagra let out a sigh of relief as he continued to retreat, now about two hundred meters away from Rhett.
"The Shadow Tiger is over there! Ledros, carry me over and catch up!" Rhett suddenly pointed in a direction. Ledros, who had been reveling in the victory over the Draconian, quickly snapped to attention, nodded, and coldly eyed the fleeing Shadow Tiger. He hoisted the two-hundred-pound Rhett onto his back and sprinted towards the open ground.
Meanwhile, a Light Mage stationed on a hill in the valley fired several Flash Spells in front of Ledros.
In an instant, the area within several kilometers was as bright as daylight.
Under the pervasive light, the high-rank Shadow Tiger was finally exposed, at least to Ledros and Rhett.
"You can't escape. Surrender now, and your suffering will be lessened!"
Rhett's cold voice echoed behind him, but Tagra scoffed at the notion. Humans were known for their psychological warfare, trying to weaken their opponents' resolve. He wasn't falling for it!
Thud, thud, thud.
As Tagra considered his escape route, debating whether to make a straight dash or take a detour, a heavy sound broke his concentration. Dust and dirt flew into the air as a massive Earth Dragon, clad in earth-colored scales, materialized in his path. Instinctively, Tagra skidded to a halt, his momentum suddenly stopped.
Seeing that the Shadow Tiger's path was blocked, Ledros paused briefly, a sharp gleam in his eyes. Recognizing the opportunity, he dropped Rhett and channeled a large amount of combat energy into his legs.
In an instant, his legs appeared to turn into ice, and as he ran, he became a blur of blue light. His speed, though not quite as fast as the Shadow Tiger, was close enough.
Boom!
Rhett, not idle, directed the Earth Dragon's massive form to crash toward Tagra. If this had been any other Earth Grand Magus, Tagra would have met the charge head-on, confident in his ability to tear the Earth Dragon apart with his sharp claws. He was certain of it!
But this Earth Dragon was different. The scales covering its body were imbued with a faint glow and a buzzing vibration, emitting an aura that filled Tagra with dread. He had no choice but to veer off course.
This gave Ledros the chance to close in. Seizing the moment, Ledros sprinted forward, both hands gripping his greatsword as he brought it down with a powerful strike. A curved arc of icy light flashed in the frigid air, freezing the scattered debris in its path.
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