Chapter 86: Chapter 86: Merging
Dragon Pride, an ability exclusive to only two races in existence. What the ability did was enhancing one’s overall strength by multiple folds.
The condition was to have one’s pride challenged and damaged to a level they could not tolerate. However only true dragons and demons of the pride lineage can use this ability.
So you can imagine the vessel spirit’s surprise when Ved, a drake with impure dragon blood used the ability, though at a much lower potency than the real thing.
Ved glared at the lava metapede with disdain. His blood boiled and he felt his strength rise alongside his anger and pride.
The lava metapede rose and glared at him with rage then lunged. Ved did not bother to dodge, he raised his hand to block it.
The collision sent a massive shockwave through the ocean, tens of tons of water flew to the sky, waves dozens of metres tall spread out for tens of kilometres.
Ved flew back like an arrow, blood spurted out of his arm like a fountain but he did not seem to even realise this.
One weakness of the Dragon Pride was that it continuously increases one’s pride to the point of making them reckless in exchange for strength.
He stabilized himself and jumped back into it. His claw met the lava metapede’s head and the shockwave pushed both of them back.
Without wasting a second he lunged again and again. The more they fought the less disadvantage he had, his strength was growing at an insane pace.
But he was also becoming more and more reckless, disregarding wounds just to land his own attack at the lava metapede.
So although his strength was catching up to the lava metapede he was also getting more and more wounds.
Several patches on his body had lost their scales, his blood dyed the sea red but he ignored all of them.
The vessel spirit watched this in amazement and kept muttering " impossible impossible impossible, this is impossible, this makes absolutely zero sense.
That is a law ability, a blood law ability, how could a metre sky grade drake, at rank 3 no less use it? This..this child is becoming more and more peculiar to me."
Ved did not hear any of it mumbling, his mind was completely focused on his opponent. He had even forgotten to use his traits.
Other than soul force which was already active he didn’t use any of his trait or abilities except body enhancing ones. His very blood denied him that, his pride told him his body was all he needed.
That his body was the ultimate weapon. Even though his lightning was his most effective attack against the lava metapede he still did not use it.
His claws slashed against it side and cracked it armour but not enough to reach it flesh.
However this was still a testament of how much more powerful he had become. His blood boiled, red mist that smelled of iron danced around him.
However there were tiny golden spot on the red mist, so few and small they were barely perceptible.
His eyes turned red and he bit the lava metapede on the neck, it legs kicked and grinded against his scales and they both crashed on the ground.
The ocean floor cracked and shattered forming a huge depression. Fire ignited on it body but he just scoffed.
’ Naive beast, do you think your puny flames can burn a dragon? Foolish, let me show you what true fire is.’
He opened his mouth and roared but nothing happened, it was then that he remembered he couldn’t breath fire like other dragons.
He clicked his tongue which sounded like an explosion. ’ Who needs fire? My claws are enough to rip a lowly animal such as you to shreds.’
As he said that, his claws descended upon the lava metapede, it armour cracked then shattered.
His claws dug into it flesh and orange lava like blood spew out of the wound like a river of fire.
It screeched in pain and twisted it train like body, the stinger came behind him like a spear.
He didn’t even look back and just swung his tail to meet the stinger. The collision blasted the water apart , the temperatures rose and few of his scales broke.
Before he could react he found his body flying back like a comet, he had been hit by it antenna. The lava metapede stood and glared at him vigilantly.
Then it body swam up and rose above the water, it sucked in air and sank back under. He watched all of this without moving.
As a noble dragon, he would not do anything as shameful as sneaking up on his opponent. The vessel spirit on the other hand was panicking.
" This is not good, he’s too far gone, at this rate he will die from his wounds and won’t even notice."
However it had no way to stop him, calling his out would just draw his ire instead. The only thing it could do was hope he wakes up in time.
The lava metapede opened it mouth and fired a jet of red flames. The water evaporated on their path but Ved did not bother dodging at all.
The flames hit him and sent him spiralling through the water and crashed on the ocean floor.
When he stoop up, his scales were burning red but he acted like he couldn’t even feel it. He lunged at the lava metapede head on.
They crashed into each other and both retreated, he lunged again and bit off one of it legs before proceeding to slash it face with his claws.
The lava metapede screeched and twisted, it stinger came flying at him and before he could react it had already punctured his side.
It went between his ribs and stabbed one of his lungs. His eyes opened wide and he was sent flying to the ocean floor.
When he stood up the pride in his eyes was gone replaced by fear. The wound on his side was bleeding profusely and he found it hard to remain conscious.
Not only had he lost a lot of blood he had also taken too much damage and he found it hard to understand what happened but he knew the pain from that last attack woke him up.
’ Wha..what was that?’ Ved couldn’t understand it, that recklessness was not like him, he would never fight in such a self harming way unless he had no choise.
With whatever was happened to him over, the pain kicked in all at once. His mind became groggy and his vision blurry. His legs wobbled.
He needed to rest but how could the lava metaped give him a chance to. It lunged at him and Ved did something he had never done before.
He covered his hand with all of his poison then lightning. The two traits refused to merge together then he used his soul force and suddenly they both latched into it like it was glue but they were still unstable.
Then he covered them in his will and calmed them down. The world seemed to slow down, slowly they merged together seamlessly.
Until they became one, a dense pitch black force covered his hand like a glove. It was sharp and pointy like a spearhead.
Then the lava metapede reached him, he forced his body to move and dodged it then he attacked.