Chapter 35 35: Combat Techniques and Incantations
Lucia understood now: the Dragon Bloodline Inheritance was no longer a locked vault. It was etched into the very fabric of his memory, and the two nebulae at the peak of his mental stars were its physical manifestations.
He focused his mind on the nebulae. Under the guidance of the Memory Battlefield, the starlight shifted, transforming into brilliant curtains of text and flowing light that hung in the night sky.
His father's nebula, the Placidusax Inheritance, was a compendium of war. As the Dragon King who held absolute authority over battle, his records included every Ancient Dragon combat technique, alongside the orthodox traditions of the ancient Storm Dynasty.
Centuries ago, the humans of the Storm Dynasty had begun by imitating the dragons. Over time, they evolved a unique style that the dragons themselves began to reference and verify. Today, the martial arts used by Ancient Dragons in their humanoid forms are a violent, extreme blend of Storm Swordsmanship and draconic brutality.
Whenever Lucia focused on a specific rune, a phantom would condense in the battlefield, repeating every detail of a technique—the breathing, the weight distribution, and the mental intent. With his enhanced mental energy, Lucia could grasp the core of these skills in minutes. However, he knew these were "killing skills" tempered in blood; without actual combat, he would only ever be a student, never a master.
Lucia turned his attention to the core of his father's nebula. Unlike the basic runes, the Dragon King's Heart, Wings, Scales, Claws, and Tail each harbored a Royal Combat Technique. These were the pinnacles of draconic power:
[Dragon King's Body]: A nine-rank technique. It fuses bloodline and physical power into a single forge, tempering a Vitality that rivals divine energy and permanently strengthening the caster's physique.Current Limit-Breaker: Placidusax (9th Rank).[Void Wings]: A nine-rank technique utilizing storms and frost. At its peak, the caster can escape into spatiotemporal rifts, achieving a state of time-stagnation.Current Limit-Breaker: Placidusax (9th Rank).[Indestructible Scale]: The ultimate defense, tempered by lava and fire, granting extreme self-regeneration.Current Limit-Breakers: Placidusax (8th Rank), Fortissax (8th Rank).[Claw of Ruin]: The ultimate offensive lightning strike, buffed by blood-qi and divinity. Capable of shattering any obstacle.Current Limit-Breakers: Placidusax (8th Rank), Lansseax (8th Rank).[Immeasurable Tail]: Created by Gransax, referencing the Dragon King's unique five-headed body. It allows the dragon form to extend and shift at will, permanently increasing agility and dexterity.Current Limit-Breaker: Gransax (9th Rank).
"Father's five-headed form was truly an anomaly," Lucia mused. It was the reason he was the first Elden Lord. Even the talismans used by the Knights were four-headed out of respect, never daring to replicate the King's true, supreme form. He also realized that Gransax's legendary size—the only one to ever breach Leyndell's walls—was the result of mastering the Immeasurable Tail.
On the other side, the nebula of his mother, Halaris, held the Ancient Dragon Incantations.
While lightning was the core, her inheritance covered the four elements: Earth, Water, Wind, and Fire. The runes wove together like a five-colored feathered garment around a holy dragon body. Halaris, the protector of virtue and wielder of the Initial Ring, was the undisputed master here. Her name was the only one listed as "Limit-Breaker" for every single incantation.
The complexity was staggering. While combat techniques were about physical polish, incantations required exquisite divine manipulation. However, Lucia found that they shared a common root; once the basic laws of divinity were mastered, the rest followed by analogy. Famous moves like Lansseax's Thunder Blade or Fortissax's Lightning Spear were simply the most efficient expressions of that power.
Lucia made his choice. He would begin with the [Dragon King's Body] and the [Claw of Ruin]. For incantations, he chose the lethality of Lightning.
As a Demigod, his physical stats were already high—his health alone was a staggering 40 points. He didn't need the defense of the Scales yet; he needed the absolute attack power to break through the armor of opponents like Samuel. In their previous duels, his "amateur" swordsmanship couldn't even scratch a Godskin Robe.
He studied the cultivation methods until he could repeat them in his sleep. Only then did he exit the Memory Battlefield, collapsing onto the floor of the meditation room in a state of total exhaustion.
He had the knowledge. Now, he just needed the strength to wield it.
Author's Note:
Dragon King's Heads: Lore-wise, Placidusax has four (Old Lord's Talisman) or five (data-mined models). This story goes with five for the Rule of Cool.Greyoll: In this world, the "Mother of Wyrms" is a true Ancient Dragon, the ancestor of all wyverns. Wyvern Warriors are those with enough blood to transform; the "lesser dragons" seen in the game are their thin-blooded descendants.
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