Chapter 102 - 101: Fight! Fight! Fight! To Tame a Beast, You Must Clash Head-On
Chapter 102: Chapter 101: Fight! Fight! Fight! To Tame a Beast, You Must Clash Head-On
A dull, heart-stopping boom erupted!
The immense force made the solid frozen earth beneath Jon’s feet instantly crack and sink!
But he held a firm stance, feet rooted to the ground, and forcefully withstood a blow strong enough to shatter rock!
Sparks flew from his Dragon Flame Armor, and the intense heat even made the icy tail stinger sizzle on contact!
[-156 (Impact)! -55 (Flame Damage!)]
[Saint Fire Mark stacked x1]
The recoiling force traveled back through the shield and into the manticore’s body, causing its massive frame to falter for a moment.
Jon seized this fleeting opportunity and swung his blade.
[Pursuing Victory]
The burning blade transformed into a streak of crimson-gold lightning, no longer possessing the raw power of a dragon’s claw, but instead, ultimate speed and penetration!
"ZZZRRA—!"
The blade’s edge precisely sliced across the outside of the manticore’s joint, which was covered in thick, white fur!
The searing Dragon Flame combined with the sharp blade instantly tore through the tough fur, leaving a charred-black wound deep enough to reveal bone!
[-189 (Penetration!) -55 (Flame Damage!)]
[Saint Fire Mark stacked x2]
[Pursuing Victory effect triggered: Attack Speed +15%, Movement Speed +15%!]
The intense pain caused the manticore to let out a deafening roar, its azure beastly eyes instantly filling with furious, bloodshot veins!
It had roamed the mountains unrivaled, never suffering such an injury, and especially not at the hands of a mere ant!
This plunged it into a complete frenzy!
No more testing, no more dodging!
Its sharp claws, tearing through the frigid wind, began to madly scratch and bat at him!
Its thick, hooked tail became a blurry afterimage, constantly lashing and piercing from cunning angles!
Ice Crystal-like energy flowed over its claws and tail stinger, each attack carrying a bone-chilling cold that sought to freeze and tear apart the damned flame before it!
"DONG DONG DONG DONG DONG—!"
The sound of impacts, dense as a rainstorm, exploded madly throughout the rocky hollow!
Flames and frost clashed violently, sending up massive clouds of steam!
In this area, Jon had practically become the eye of the storm!
He pushed his skills as a veteran main tank to their absolute limit, his shield a blur that formed a nigh-impenetrable wall of crimson-gold light!
He alternated between Ordinary blocks, Vibrating Shield, and Defense Stance, receiving all of the manticore’s storm-like attacks!
Every block was accompanied by a violent clash of Power and the annihilation of ice and fire energy!
But he wasn’t just defending!
With his speed boosted, his counterattacks were just as fierce!
[Dragon Claw Swing], [Dragon Tail Sweep], and [Triple Slash] were amplified by the high bonus Flame Damage from [Dragon Flame Dance], and the occasional [Swift Strike] was impossible to defend against!
The crimson-gold light of his flaming blade seemed to be Weaving a lethal net of fire, continuously cutting and searing the manticore’s massive body!
"PSSTH!"
[Dragon Tail Sweep] was heavy and powerful. It grazed the manticore’s ribs, the intense heat instantly carbonizing a large patch of silvery-white fur and splitting the flesh beneath!
"CHHHLA!"
[Triple Slash] was as swift as a gale. As the manticore tried to leap away, the blade precisely sliced through the relatively weak base of its wings at the shoulder blade connection!
The tough wing membrane was torn, and several Ice Crystal-like feathers turned to ash in the flames!
[-288 (Penetration!) -55 (Flame Damage!)]
[-131 (Hit!) -55 (Flame Damage!)] x3
[-300 (Divine Damage!)] x2
Several lines of damage numbers appeared almost at once, followed by the instant eruption of the [Saint Fire Mark]!
A few blindingly hot, golden Saint Flames erupted without warning from the wounds on the manticore’s shoulder blades!
This power didn’t just burn flesh; it seemed to strike the very soul!
"AWOOOO—!!!"
The unprecedented pain caused the manticore to let out a shriek so agonized it was distorted!
The divine flames burned fiercely in its wounds, clashing madly with its own Frost Energy!
The proud beast had never been so severely injured, let alone experienced this kind of soul-searing pain, as if inflicted by a higher being!
Humiliation, rage, pain, and a sliver of... fear. A fear originating from the Saint Fire Mark, a fear of being suppressed by High-tier Solar Divine Power. This cocktail of emotions completely ignited the most primitive savagery in its bloodline!
Its icy-blue eyes were now filled with nothing but a crimson red bent on total destruction!
Reason was completely devoured by bestial instinct!
It no longer cared for defense, no longer considered any technique. There was only one thought in its mind—to grind the ant that had brought it endless pain into dust!
"ROOOOARRR—!!!"
The manticore tilted its head back and let out a ferocious howl that seemed to shatter the wind and snow. Its massive body jerked backward as its powerful hind legs erupted with terrifying force, stomping the frozen earth and rock beneath them into dust!
It completely ignored the searing pain in its shoulder blades and the burning Saint Flames, its enormous wings, covered in Ice Crystal-like feathers, suddenly spreading to their absolute limit!
A blast of Frost Energy, far more biting and violent than any before, erupted from its center!
The surrounding air temperature plummeted instantly, and the swirling snowflakes froze around it into countless sharp icicles!
Its muscles bulged to their absolute limit, and an icy-blue glow of energy pierced through the white mist, making it look like a falling comet of cold!
In the next instant, the manticore’s mountain-like body shot into the sky!
The beating of its wings created a violent airflow, kicking up a sky full of ice shards!
It rose to its apex, locking onto the mass of Crimson Gold Flame below—the flame that still burned and posed a mortal threat!
All of its Frost Energy, all of its rage, all of its pain, converged on a single point!
"BOOM—!!!"
Like a true meteor of frost, the great beast plummeted toward Jon’s position, carrying with it destructive kinetic energy and a cold so extreme it could freeze all creation. It was a suicidal, all-or-nothing crash—the most primitive and frenzied attack imaginable!
This was a do-or-die strike that gambled everything, the ultimate roar of a king whose dignity had been utterly trampled!
A terrifying pressure descended like a physical tsunami, the compressed air crackling as if unable to bear the strain!
Below, Jon’s pupils contracted sharply!
This level of power was infinitely close to an all-out attack from an Official Level Professional!
If he tried to block it head-on, even with his current Constitution and Armor, he would most likely be instantly and severely wounded—or even one-shotted—by the meteor-like Impact and its massive bonus frost damage!
But having fought to this point, he found he didn’t want to dodge!
’If I want to tame such a proud beast, I have to suppress it with absolute composure and power. Otherwise, what’s the point of even thinking about forming a contract!’
’Under the effects of [Sun’s Blessing], I’ve been at full health with high damage reduction. I also have the Damage Reduction from the new effect of Dragon Flame Dance, and Heart of Balance as a safety net!’
’If I don’t even dare to risk it with all these advantages, then what’s the point of anything!’
’This beast is only at the Apprentice Level, not the Official Level. So what if this one move is close to Official Level power?’
’Me, dodge its attack!?’
’[Antagonism Aura]!—Switch!’
’[Aura Mastery]!—Concentrated Mode!’
"VMMMM—!"
The Impact Aura, which had been spread out for several meters around him to proc [Saint Fire Mark], suddenly changed!
The expansive power no longer dissipated, but instead converged on Jon himself, like a hundred rivers returning to the sea!
A thick, solid defensive force field, shimmering with a faint golden light, clung to his armor like the ramparts of the sturdiest Fortress!
Jon aimed his shield at the sky, planted his feet, and just as he had countless times before when facing a fearsome foe, he let out an excited, wild roar!
"Come on! Try and break through my shield!"