Chapter 225: Are you ok
Azaroth saw what was happening and he reacted with speed, the monster won't be affected with misty fire waves or fireballs. Azaroth needed something heavy and fast.
He leaped forward, covering the distance between himself and the drake and Alex. He pumped essence into his formation so fast it shuddered and almost looks like the formation with crash but he held on, his will clamped tight on the fire that bloomed in front of him.
He shrunk it and a fiery red glowing egg ball bloomed in front of him, glowing with red intensity as it took more essence. Azaroth whipped his hand forward and the fireball blasted forward, searing the air.
The drake was so focused on Alex that it detected the attack too late, even then it twisted away and the from what was meant for its heart. A sharp crack split the air and a pained roar followed, the monster snared in pain and drew back from then.
The attack has caught it in its hind leg, cracking layers of stony flesh to reach the soft inside. The wound smoked and weeps with blood.
Alex stared in shock and scrambled away, his heart pounding at the near death. He shoot Azaroth a grateful look but Azaroth wasn't looking at him at all because he and the drake are in some kind of staring match.
Fury flashed in the monster's face and it leaped forward, body moving fluidly, yellow eyes flicking. Azaroth knew I'll do not much but he gathered fire and sent it forward, no time to create a concentration blast.
It washed over the monster, ineffective, the drake reared back it's head, mouth opened in anticipation. Azaroth stiffened, the drake is going to use its breath!
Just then hardened earth reached out, lines of bending pillars slammed into the creature, dragging it down, the stone drake look at it in annoyance as it was pulled down. Then it did one thing that surprised them, Catena the most. But at least it's not using its breath yet.
The monster reached out with its will, shoving Catena's control of the skills away and then took control of the earth binding him. The hardened earth squirmed, melting with its stone body and then formed a wings of spikes that shot off in all directions.
Catena made a wall of earth to stop the attack and Alex hit behind a tree, crouching down. Azaroth did a falling forward roll and felt a spike passed above his head. But his roll has jerked him forward closer to the drake who gazed down at him with anger and hatred, mouth opened to send its scalding breath down again.
The air shimmered around its mouth and Azaroth knew he has no way to defend against that but he quickly began to power essence into his formation, then create fire and crunch down on it hard, making his fire into a small molten ball of earlier.
And then there was a flash behind him and blue crystals, each the size of clenched fist slammed into the monster's opened mouth with such force one locked on its throat and the others still crowded its mouth.
The drake recoiled, shaking its head violently, legs churning the ground. Catena raised forward and then grappled the earth around it again creating pillars that reached up and around it, especially around the long neck. Yanking it down.
A hiss came from Azaroth side and he saw Stallus's raised hand and the other to her side, she was limping but her eyes narrowed into a glare. "You bastard monster! You think you can just come here and do what you want?"
The monster was pinned down, it's eyes flashed with desperation with the crystals that still blocked its mouth. It shuddered and the breath its been holding back since it started ignition finally blasted forward but its throat was locked down with reinforced crystal that's not easy to melt through.
A pained roar that came out like a whistle filled the air, the monster trashed so hard it yanked its head away from the pillars binding it. It raised it's head to the skies but the steaming superheated air scalded its throat, eating through its fire resistance and the heat began to cook it from the inside.
It's throat bludged and it finally got the one in its throat away, half melted but the deed was already done especially when Stallus made her crystals explode. Mixed with the superhero air, a shockwave blasted the drake's mouth away, jaws ripped away like tree trunk.
And then everything is silent once more. They watched the monster's twitching got less and less before it finally sagged. They all breath a sigh of relief, even Azaroth. He knew if the team isn't here then he'll have had a very difficult time, good thing they are useful tools.
Essence from the monster lifted and settled on them, Azaroth went to the monster and checked its hide. "This will make a good armour."
"Are you okay?" Alex asked.
Stallus nodded. "Nothing broke so I'll live."
Catena took a deep shuddering breath. "What type of monster is this? It's so powerful, and we are in the same rank!"
Alex shook his head. "It's part of the draconian family. A distant branch but still."
Azaroth shook his head. "We should get out of here. And we can't harvest this monster."
Not even Catena tried to talk of taking its meat, they've been deeply shaken today. And not only that, all the monsters they've encountered so far that's in the same rank as them as so powerful none of them could solo them alone. It left a bad taste in their mouth because they had thought themselves strong.
Something flickered on the side and Azaroth twitched, he turned to Alex and asked. "Just how many types of drake do we have?"
Alex frowned. "Well, so far there's drake in every elemental types. And maybe more. Why are you asking?"
Azaroth turned and was already running. "Because we are now prey."
His voice was cold and calm though.