Chapter 145 - 144: Jon: Blasphemer? Me? Who did I blaspheme?
Chapter 145: Chapter 144: Jon: Blasphemer? Me? Who did I blaspheme?
Truth be told, the charge from Paris and his warriors hadn’t provided much substantial help.
Aside from the three Knights wielding Enchanted Weapons who could effectively harm the wraiths, the other warriors were simply driving them back with sheer fighting spirit.
But their resolve and spirit were certainly worthy of praise.
Jon unleashed an enhanced [Dragon Tail Sweep], clearing a large swath of wraiths before him, then shouted.
"Xina, cast Solarflame Aegis! Protect them!"
"Yes, Mr. Jon!"
The dutiful Monk immediately responded, waving her hand to scatter a shower of crimson-gold light that enveloped Paris and his men, instantly dispelling the biting chill around them.
When it came to countering a blizzard imbued with Negative Energy, who was better suited for the task than a Saint Professional of the Solar Domain?
"Friends from the Sun Church, many thanks!"
Empowered by the Divine Technique and feeling a warmth he hadn’t known in a long time, Viscount Birch’s spirits lifted, and he immediately shouted his thanks.
"In the name of Manola, you will be well rewarded after this!"
"This is no time for talk! Regroup with us!"
Jon flipped his Crystal Scorpion Shield, activating Vibrating Shield to block the attacks of several wraiths. The flames on the shield erupted on impact, once again clearing out a large area.
Seeing the opening, Paris unhesitatingly led the charge forward.
However, just as the two groups were about to converge, the direction of the swirling blizzard abruptly changed. A thick, grayish-black "wall of snow" descended from the heavens, blocking their path.
At the same time, an ethereal voice, filled with profound hatred, echoed through the blizzard.
"Desecrator... you dare enter our domain..."
"Your soul shall be forever sealed in frost!"
The voice shifted from near to far, making it impossible to pinpoint its source by sound alone.
As the voice faded, monsters other than the [Wraiths of the Snow] began to emerge from the blizzard.
Several creatures covered in thick white fur, shaped like powerful great apes but with owl-like heads, scrambled over the surrounding rooftops. They leaped down, letting out strange shrieks of "HOO-GAK! HOO-GAK!"
And their target was none other than Jon, whose presence was the most imposing at that moment.
’Spirit-Devouring Owls... quite a rare sight...’
Watching the monsters charge straight at him, Jon raised his shield, a strange expression on his face.
His strange look wasn’t because of these rare, Magic Power-draining Demons, but because of what that skulking figure had said moments before.
’Desecrator... Are they talking about me?’
Ever since he reached Meis Town and approached the blizzard, wraiths had been appearing nonstop to attack him. And now, the Eternal Frost Sect had given up on attacking Viscount Paris’s party to focus all their firepower on him.
This was clearly not normal.
’But who did I desecrate?’
’Was it just because I captured that sleeper agent from the Eternal Frost Sect and had them interrogated before the great Sun God?’
’It couldn’t have caused this much of a grudge, could it?’
Feeling unjustly targeted, Jon sighed softly and moved closer to Xina and Xia while issuing a command.
"Xia, Xina, cast every buffing Divine Technique you know on me!"
"Right away, Mr. Jon!"
The sisters immediately halted their attacks on the surrounding wraiths and focused on casting their buffing Divine Techniques.
As one light after another flared up on his body, Jon’s aura surged, growing ever stronger.
[Sun’s Blessing], [Saint Fire Mark], [King’s Blessing], [Blood of Solarflame]....
’With [Po Ao’s Gaze] on me and two Sun Monks at my side, what enemy can’t I take on?’
Looking at the new row of Divine Technique icons on his status bar and feeling the wild power surging within him, the corners of Jon’s mouth curled into a slight smile.
’Calling me a desecrator? I’ll have to catch you and get some answers.’
In that brief moment, several of the giant owls were already upon him!
Facing these Demons that lunged with enough force to shatter stone, shrouded in the aura of blizzard and death, Jon didn’t retreat. Instead, he took a heavy step forward!
"Hah!"
With a short, powerful roar, the power that had built to a peak within him erupted forth without reservation!
This was no casual Flame Enchantment or Protective Flame Shield like before. This Dragon Flame Dance was ferocious and focused. The crimson-gold flames no longer merely clung to his armor and weapon, but erupted violently from Jon himself!
BOOM!
Under his will, the rampant flames twisted and condensed, vaguely forming the fierce and majestic silhouette of a dragon—this was the very sliver of might from an Ascension Level Dragon King that Jon had grasped when he first comprehended Dragon Flame Dance!
Thanks to his recent, continuous training, his Magic Mastery had reached level 5, and Jon could clearly feel he could now control the Dragon Flame Dance with much greater variation.
This time, he would use the power granted by this unprecedented combination of divine buffs to add even more strength to the most powerful Skill in his arsenal!
As he focused his control, the once-ethereal draconic head rapidly solidified. A terrifying pressure emerged, causing the aggressive Spirit-Devouring Owls to recoil slightly, while Xia and Xina watched in astonishment.
When the dragon’s head fully formed and its flame-wrought eyes snapped open, the pressure was unleashed like a detonating bomb. It transformed from a mere intimidating "pressure" into a tangible shockwave of intense heat, fanning out from Jon to violently blast everything in front of him!
[-346 (Knockback!) -60 (Flame Damage!)] x3
"HOO-GAK—!!!"
The three Spirit-Devouring Owls caught in the blast shrieked as they were sent flying. Their thick white fur, tough enough to repel blades, was instantly charred and curled. Their vaunted strength seemed utterly laughable before this torrent of flame, which was infused with the Dragon King’s might.
The other Spirit-Devouring Owls farther back stopped in their tracks, their once-ferocious, bloodthirsty yellow eyes now filled with instinctual fear.
In their limited perception, the being standing before them was no longer a weak human, but a fierce, majestic, and terrifying Giant Dragon!
One that was rapidly closing in!
Jon didn’t pause for a moment after unleashing the blast; he charged straight ahead!
Target locked. [Glory Charge]!
His figure flickered within the center of the draconic flames. Molten lava seemed to flow beneath his skin, and each breath he took was a puff of scorching white vapor. A molten-gold halo seeped from the gaps in his Crystal Scorpion Armor, transforming him into a charging Giant Dragon!
"Die!"
Before his charge even lost its momentum, his crimson blade carved a deadly arc straight toward the head of the nearest Spirit-Devouring Owl!
Ethereal flames condensed into a claw. Before the blade even connected, the extreme heat ignited the surrounding air, which hissed and crackled.
[Dragon Claw Swing]!
[-662 (Fatal Strike!) -80 (Flame Damage!)]