Ancient Dragon in Arknights

Chapter 143 Bullying Children

The two hunters, who had anticipated this, were naturally not hit by such an obvious attack. They rolled to the side at the same time, and a laser beam radiating destructive heat shot between them.

The crystals behind were hit, and then melted and exploded.

This short attack made Nesario realize how terrifying this guy was; such a terrifying energy output resulted in enormous power.

There is no room for error for him and Azure Star; being hit once would probably be the end of them.

"Doesn't it have any weaknesses?"

Faced with the colossal size of the Azure Ancient Dragon, Neltharion and Azure Star felt a profound sense of powerlessness—its body was so enormous, while their weapons seemed so insignificant.

You'd have to leap up just to hit its neck... not to mention, would a small human weapon of that size really be effective?

"Don't think about defeating it... Our first task is to stall it and then protect ourselves."

Azure Star was quite open-minded; she didn't care whether she could defeat her opponent or not, as long as she could survive, that would be the greatest victory.

Nesario could only suppress his greed. After a brief exchange, he had discovered his opponent's strength—unparalleled energy manipulation. Both the absorption and storage of energy were top-tier.

Neltharion was currently burdened with two extremely energy-intensive ancient dragon powers and was worried about his lack of energy. Now, the best option was right in front of him.

It's a pity that even if he and Azure Star joined forces, they had no hope of defeating it; otherwise, they would have definitely tried every means to take it down.

The two quickly took action. Compared to the azure dragon, they appeared incredibly small, but the threat it posed was not to be underestimated.

With both gliding claws striking simultaneously, Nesario and Azure Star flew onto the dragon's left and right forelimbs at the same time—the scorching blade and the thunderous twin blades erupted at the same time, leaving burn and lightning marks on the huge glass arms, but for the dragon's size, they were merely scratches.

After landing his attack, Azure Star released his grappling hook and descended, while Nesario had more options—he didn't land directly, but instead flew freely in the air, instantly starting to spin around his massive forelimb.

Thorns, blades, and claws were unleashed simultaneously—in an instant, countless wounds covered the glass-like body, the effect resembling shattered glass being pieced back together.

"Damn it, we'll need heavy weapons to deal with this guy."

Thinking back to the weapons in the hunter's armory, heavy weapons like greatswords and hammers would be perfect for dealing with such a big guy; but now... Neltharion and Azure Star's weapons aren't powerful enough, their damage range is too small.

The azure dragon, which had always been surrounded by abundant life energy, had never been harmed before. The pain from its first injury enraged it, and it suddenly raised its forebody—its thick hind legs were strong and powerful, supporting its entire weight.

"Danger! Back off!"

Nesario and Azure Star both realized how terrifying this move would be; the immense weight, amplified by gravitational potential energy, could unleash power beyond anything.

The two quickly pulled back to create distance. Nesario used the rushing whirlwind as propulsion to "throw" himself and Azure Star away. As they retreated, the Azure Dragon began to slam down, its movements slow due to its massive size.

The massive body slowly fell... the slow movement seemed almost effortless, but when the dragon landed completely—the intense tremors and impact nearly shook the entire burrow.

Nesario and Azure Star were blasted off the ground almost instantly, but thanks to their agile movements and the cushioning effect of the wind, they landed safely. In that instant, they fully realized the power of the enemy.

"Roar!"

The azure dragon quickly recovered and slowly turned its body—compared to the human Azure Star, the ancient dragon aura constantly emanating from Neltharion made it feel hostile, so its primary target was Neltharion.

What will its attack be? A breath attack? Or a series of energy explosions?

Nesario focused all his attention on the dragon in the distance, not daring to miss a single move.

Judging from the first breath attack, the blue dragon's body was almost transparent, and the high-energy reaction could be judged by the reddening of its body parts.

Why didn't it turn red?

Nesario had complete faith in his eyes; he absolutely did not see any color change, unless... this guy wasn't planning on using an energy attack.

Neltharion quickly observed the other parts of the body—and sure enough, the dragon's limb muscles began to contract and gather strength, and judging from the movement... it was a forward charge.

Dragon chariot!

The alarm bells blared in Neltharion. The Dragon Charge skill is essentially a charge attack, and it has different effects depending on the dragon. Experienced hunters can use a heavy attack to stop the dragon charge in one fell swoop.

But this time, the dragon's charge will likely have a terrifying effect—the azure dragon's body is so enormous that the impact and range of its running are absolutely unimaginable.

Neltharion's judgment was correct. After a brief period of charging, his massive body began to charge forward, causing the ground to tremble and the cave to shake. Faced with such a terrifying attack, Neltharion did not choose to run away.

Because the opponent's coverage area is too large, even if you immediately summon a strong wind to blow you away, you might still be caught. Since there's no way to escape, you can only fight to the death—the opponent is a giant dragon, not a wall; the gaps between its limbs and the space beneath its body are the only possibilities for escape!

The enormous head drew closer, its three pairs of massive, glowing organs staring straight at Neltharion. As it closed in, the azure dragon opened its jaws, attempting to swallow Neltharion whole and then melt it with an energy burst.

"It's now!"

Neltharion activated his berserk form—as the howling wind enveloped him, his movements defied all biological norms, dodging the mountain-like dragon's jaws with an incredibly unbelievable turn and acceleration.

That's not all! The true skill lies in the coordination between various abilities!

The glider claw was launched—as it gripped the dragon's wing, the powerful thrust and the pull of the grappling hook, under the operation of the laws of physics, transformed Neltharion's low-flying flight into a rapid ascent.

He successfully leaped onto the dragon's back.

The Azure Star, a master of dual swords, taught Neltharion many excellent techniques, one of which Neltharion particularly liked.

'Raging Dragon - Aerial Whirlwind Dance!'

Neltharion used both claws and tail in unison, slicing through the blue dragon's back to the tip of its tail like a spinning top.

This move can instantly inflict numerous wounds on a monster, but none of them are deep enough. However, it is very effective at depleting the monster's strength.

Chapter 144 Vanished into Ashes?

Nesario's movements were observed by Azure Star, which gave her an idea—the dual swords were too short, so the attack range was always a major weakness, and it would be very difficult to hunt any slightly taller target.

At present, the demon's aerial spinning and chaotic dance does seem to be a good solution.

Azure Star no longer hesitated and decided to join the battle. She drank the stamina potion from her backpack, and a steady stream of energy flowed from her body. As if sensing her determination, the gems embedded in her equipment and weapons lit up.

"Nesario! Bring it to me!"

Azure Star found a crystal pillar with a gentle slope but sufficient height. She stood on it and called out to Neltharion, knowing that she would have the opportunity to leap up and start her wild dance once an enemy got close.

"Roger that!"

Nesario began running in an S-shaped path towards the Azure Star. Behind him, the azure dragon was gathering energy, and as its chest and neck began to turn red, it unleashed three bursts of energy.

boom! boom! boom!

Nesario was incredibly fast at this moment, and he could even take flight every now and then, making it virtually impossible to hit him.

Moreover, it seems to be because it was born not long ago.

This terrifying behemoth doesn't seem to have fully mastered its abilities yet. Its combat skills are a mess, relying entirely on its massive body to rampage around. Its energy control is also very inexperienced; the energy emanating from its body is very powerful, but the amount it can actually mobilize is extremely small.

Since that's the case, then we can't blame Nesario and his group for bullying the child. After all, this brat clearly has the makings of an emperor. If we don't get rid of him soon, are we going to wait until he grows up and wipes the entire investigation team out with a single breath?

"That's enough! Give me a ride!"

As the distance drew ever closer, Azure Star knew the time had come. She instantly activated her Demon Transformation—her skin glowed red, and she leaped off the crystal pillar. The physical enhancement provided by Demon Transformation greatly increased the distance she could jump, but it was still not enough to reach the dragon.

A sudden updraft swept over her, and she accelerated a second time in mid-air towards her target.

This is our exciting combo!

The slash, accompanied by a burst of lightning, swept across the blue dragon's back before the Azure Star landed smoothly near the end of its tail.

It's possible! If we keep going like this, we can defeat it!

Nesario and Azure Star then engaged in a prolonged battle. They couldn't inflict much damage, but their effectiveness lay in their consistency.

The newborn dragon was no match for the two experienced hunters. Its clumsy skills were full of flaws in Neltharion's eyes. After several battles, Neltharion had completely figured out how to counter each move.

"It's amazing... He suffered so many injuries and expended so much energy, yet he's still moving so fast."

"The energy within its body has hardly decreased; it's likely that all the ancient dragons that died in the New World have become its nourishment."

"Is this also nature's choice? Why promote the birth of such a terrifying being?"

"Who knows... but for the future of humanity, we must defeat it here."

Neltharion's thorns had turned black, and now their hardness was comparable to steel. With the help of the hurricane, they could be launched and damage the azure dragon, but the wounds would be too small, so Neltharion would not do so.

The wind was constantly blowing through the cave—normally, Nesario should have been more careful, as such a large-scale expenditure would have depleted his stamina.

But today was different—there was so much energy around here that Nesario not only didn't expend much energy, but he even felt himself getting more and more excited.

Nature is fair and impartial; the azure dragon can hatch here, and Neltharion can also use the energy here.

"Roar--!"

The azure dragon suddenly raised its head and let out a roar that resounded throughout the entire underground. Its roar was not as savage and violent as that of the Nergigante, but rather revealed a hoarse quality, which was due to its incomplete development; it was simply too "young".

The reason for its roar was quite simple—its previously unfamiliar abilities had gradually become more proficient.

The fin-like veils growing on both sides of its head and around its body began to charge—the light blue, flowing skirts began to charge, emitting a blinding white light, like burning flames, making Nesario's tail seem so monotonous in comparison.

The red glowing tissue inside the dragon's transparent chest cavity is the energy control center. At this moment, it has begun to emit a strong red light, like the sun, and a violent energy reaction has begun inside.

Zhi——!

Feeling the surging energy within its body, the dragon began to squander it recklessly—its powerful laser breath, far exceeding its previous strength, melted most of the ground, and destroyed the structure of the cave. It felt that it wouldn't be long before the entire cave was destroyed.

"We need to get closer to it, or we'll be worn down by its endless breaths."

Hold my hand!

Neltharion reached out, grabbed Azure Star, and began to use the Steel Dragon's power, the violent wind pressure propelling them away in an instant; under Neltharion's precise control, breath, explosions, and falling rocks failed to hit them.

However, the two hunters' sense of crisis did not diminish at all; on the contrary, it intensified as the dragon continued to come to life.

Faced with the two attackers, the azure dragon chose to crush them with its massive body, and the familiar downward pressure appeared once again.

Nesario managed to evade the attack by briefly hovering in the air while pulling Azure Star along—but just as he was about to give chase, his body sensed that something terrible was about to happen.

The ground, which was originally devoid of energy, suddenly emanated heat, as if it had suddenly come alive, and violent energy surged out from the ground!

'This guy's skills have become even more refined! It has resonated with the earth's ley lines using its own energy!'

A violent explosion of ley line energy was about to strike, and Nesario knew very well that Azure Star could not withstand it; he made his choice immediately.

"protect yourself!"

A fierce wind pressure gathered in his palm—as Nesario slammed his palm into Azure Star, she was instantly sent flying, a distance from which she was probably safe.

He wasn't ready to give up, so he used the grappling hook to try and use the height to avoid the damage—but before the grappling hook could hit, the ground exploded.

The surging energy, like a volcanic eruption, overturned the entire ground, and Neltharion vanished, as if annihilated in the explosion.

"Nesario!?"

Having barely recovered from the impact of the landing, Azure Star had just gotten up when she saw the death of her comrade. The worst part was that Nesario had died saving her... even though he always managed to revive unharmed.