Chapter 195: Proof of Concept
<span style="font-weight:400">Drake looked on as the crystal rose and the pairing process continued, held up by some sort of mana as it hovered in ce.
<span style="font-weight:400">With a small pop, Natto rolled out onto his shoulder.
<span style="font-weight:400">“So we have finally made it to this point, only one more week,” Natto sighed with relief.
<span style="font-weight:400">Drake scoffed, “Don’t forget the horde of monsters I need to kill too.”
<span style="font-weight:400">Natto looked at him puzzled, “You have alreadypleted one portion of that quest have you not?” she asked.
<span style="font-weight:400">Drake looked back at her confused then opened the quest seeing no update.
<span style="font-weight:400">“No, still nothing,” he exined.
<span style="font-weight:400">Natto ced her hand on her chin, “Strange, I would have believed you certainly passed that part of the quest when you became chieftain or patriarch.”
<span style="font-weight:400">“Ah, so that’s why you pushed me to do it?” Drake thought aloud looking at thest part of the quest that mentioned 300 F-Rank Entities, “But not everyone is above the age of 16 so they don’t count as F-Rank do they? I don’t think there are even 300 Orcs here and we only brought in about close to a hundred kids.”
<span style="font-weight:400">Natto shook her head, “True that not everyone within the Crystal’s influence is F-Rank, but there are certainly enough here to meet the requirement, but you have simply not convinced them yet to be your subjects. You must inspire them I suppose… or force them into submission…So in short we are doomed, you might as well just kill everyone.”
<span style="font-weight:400">“Hey….” Drake scoffed.
<span style="font-weight:400">Natto shrugged and hopped off his shoulder walking to the Crystal and sitting under it.
<span style="font-weight:400">“What are you doing?” Drake asked.
<span style="font-weight:400">“I will stay here and pair with the Crystal. Once itpletes I will be able to merge with it and fully ess my Territory Assistant abilities and functions. But...”
<span style="font-weight:400">“But?”
<span style="font-weight:400">“Once I have, I will be anchored to it. Unable to leave this area unless the crystal is destroyed. Forsaken to forever be this city’s guardian and overseer.”
<span style="font-weight:400">“And if it’s destroyed?”
<span style="font-weight:400">“Then, I will die. Forever.”
<span style="font-weight:400">“Brutal…”
<span style="font-weight:400">Natto shrugged once more and smiled, “I expect plenty of food or offerings. More of that candy, it must be your number one priority!”
<span style="font-weight:400">Drake smiled, “Yes, yes, your highness. Are you sure you’ll be safe under there?”
<span style="font-weight:400">Natto waved him off.
<span style="font-weight:400">“I trust you well enough that you would not let harme to me or the people here. Your heroplex would not allow it after all.”
<span style="font-weight:400">“Hey, I don’t have a hero- Ok I might have one…” Drake tried to refute but stopped thinking back on his own actions throughout the months, “What can I say, I like my anime?”
<span style="font-weight:400">“Too much,” Natto agreed, “Now go clean up, I do not need such pitiful monsters littering my domain,” Natto said, waving him away.
<span style="font-weight:400">“Not even a minute, and it’s <i><span style="font-weight:400">yours</i><span style="font-weight:400"> now huh?” Drakeughed, hearing the immense gust of wind and roars travel over theke.
<span style="font-weight:400">He stepped over theke in an instant to the crowd of people and Orcs startling most of them with his sudden appearance. Sah Ul’ looked on, her eyes betraying her face as they sparkled with amazement.
<span style="font-weight:400">“What did ch- Patriarch…. What did Patriarch do?” Sah Ul’ asked, her father stepping up next to her his face asking the same thing.
<span style="font-weight:400">“Just what I said I was going to do. There are going to be hordes of monstersing now, I ask that you all protect everyone from anything that gets past,” Drake exined.
<span style="font-weight:400">“Past? Past what?” Rvul asked.
<span style="font-weight:400">Drake stretched out his hand, pointing his palm down as an orange magic circle formed, the viscous magma dripping down slowly forming the body of a human. Once the body fully formed, Drake pped his hands cing two more magic circles of yellow around the body, vieling it in lightning, and with a final snap of his fingers a light green magic circle formed cing a constant gust of turbulent wind around it encasing everything inside.
<span style="font-weight:400">“Past him. Or her… It? Let’s call it a him, let''s go with Charles. Seems regal enough. Right Charles?” Drake said smiling at the new Elemental he made.
<span style="font-weight:400">Charles didn’t respond but simply crackled with power in ce.
<span style="font-weight:400">“Right he doesn’t speak, he’s shy. Anyway, Charles. Kill anything hostile to these lovely people. Do not leave this area, you are to die defending it.”
<span style="font-weight:400">Charles crackled with affirmation as it moved to the front of the group of citizens as instructed.
<span style="font-weight:400">“Will that thing listen?” Landin asked, poking out through the crowd.
<span style="font-weight:400">“He better, I made him. Just don’t mention his height and you’re fine,” Drake cautioned.
<span style="font-weight:400">“Why would his height be an issue…?” Charlotte questioned.
<span style="font-weight:400">“No reason,” Drake whistled, “And with that. Keep your eyes up. Especially you two, this is the world you will have to face soon. And if I’m right, you will need to decide quickly if you want to enter it or not,” Drake said seriously.
<span style="font-weight:400">“Eyes up?” they both asked in tandem.
<span style="font-weight:400">Drake pointed to the sky.
<span style="font-weight:400">The crowd listening in turned to the sky, their eyes slowly showing the fear that nearly set them into panic.
<b>[Guardian of the West - Thunderbird H Garunda Level 31]</b>
<span style="font-weight:400">“W-what is that?!”
<span style="font-weight:400">“We’re all doomed…. I shouldn’t havee with this maniac!”
<span style="font-weight:400">“It is the Harbinger of Father Death!” an Orc cried out.
<span style="font-weight:400">Drake smiled, his body shivering with anticipation, his new Asuran blood boiling over for the first time since fighting Bjorn.
<span style="font-weight:400">“No. It’s just <i><span style="font-weight:400">experience</i><span style="font-weight:400"> sent by airmail,” he smirked.
<span style="font-weight:400">Drake took off his facade. An E-Rank monster was something he couldn’t hold back against. That he<i><span style="font-weight:400"> wouldn’t</i><span style="font-weight:400"> hold back against. He could finally test himself to the limit.
<span style="font-weight:400">“Don’t disappoint,” he grinned, his eyes shifting colors as he stared at the massive bird.
<span style="font-weight:400">In the sky what looked to be like an American Eagle the size of several football fields looked down and soared over them, its beak a bright and vibrant yellow that crackled with lightning cascading from its head to its outstretched wings and down to its enormous serrated ck talons.
<span style="font-weight:400">Drake grinned from ear to ear, as he ced his mask into ce, recing his own smile with the mask’s white teeth holding in ce the ck sword in them.
<span style="font-weight:400">With a sudden gust of wind Drake rose into the air and once out of range of the people below he shot forward with the use of his wind magic, not looking back. All that mattered was him and his opponent now.
<span style="font-weight:400">The monster bird seemed to sense and wait for Drake, as it hovered in the air pping its wings.
<span style="font-weight:400">Leveled with the monster Drake scoffed.
<span style="font-weight:400">“Are you waiting on me? What brings you here, the crystal? Or did you hear there was a hot new Patriarchs in the area? Sorry, but I’m taken twice over, not really into birds several hundred times my size,” Drake joked.
<span style="font-weight:400">H didn’t respond but seemed to understand Drake at the least, its eyes sharpening as they glowed with power.
<span style="font-weight:400">Drake didn’t flinch letting the pressure wash over him.
<b>[You have resisted Guranda’s Guardian Intimidation]</b>
<span style="font-weight:400">Reading the notification Drake frowned, “That was very rude.”
<span style="font-weight:400">His face turned to a scowl as he let out his own aura powered by all of his stats and titles letting it press down on H. Letting it loose fully without restraint for the first time, the forceshing out indiscriminately.
<span style="font-weight:400">H flinched, pausing as it fell several feet frozen for a moment by the oppressive force.
<span style="font-weight:400">Drake scoffed, “All talk.”
<span style="font-weight:400">His body still covered by his Heretical Endowment, Drake oriented himself at H, beginning to chant his buffs and skills in preparation as a wind formed at his feet, screaming and howling to be let loose.
<i><span style="font-weight:400">“Marked. For the thrill of Battle! Bulwark, Guardians Reprieve, Unbreakable!”</i><span style="font-weight:400"> he shouted his body shimmering in green as the skills activated, his arms painted in gold mixed with the deep crimson red of his martial skill, forming dancing mes of gold and red on his tattoos.
<span style="font-weight:400">“<i><span style="font-weight:400">To the death.”</i>
<span style="font-weight:400">Drake used hisst activebat buff skill on H, the skill waking the monster from its momentary pause, but it was toote. Drake had prepared enough.
<span style="font-weight:400">The miniature hurricane at Drake’s feet was already manifested and let loose as it propelled him forward spinning right for H’s chest.
<span style="font-weight:400">Drake reared back his fist throwing it with all of his strength behind it as it collided with the giant monster sending out a wave of force clearing the sky of the snow clouds and pushing down the people below before the sound rang out deafening the area.
<span style="font-weight:400">But the blow was not enough to kill the monster in one blow and Drakeughed gleefully.
<span style="font-weight:400">“A tough one!”
<span style="font-weight:400">It all but made Drake more intense, his body heating up with each second that passed. He manifested his spells bombarding the monster and giving it no chance to counterattack. And for good measure, Drake made sure to weave in his debuffs as he shot around H and struck it over and over putting dents into the massive beast despite its size.
<span style="font-weight:400">“<i><span style="font-weight:400">Atrophy of the Mind!”</i>
<span style="font-weight:400">The dark ink-like mana shot out from Drake as he thrusted his fist into the side of H shooting the monster back into the air, the cries and screeches reverberating through the area after each blow.
<span style="font-weight:400">“Come on! Come on! Come on! Don’t give up! It’s only just begun!” Drake shouted, continuing to one-sidedly beat down the monster.
<span style="font-weight:400">“You call yourself an E-Rank?! Try harder! Give it your best! Give it your best!!! E-Rank!!!”
<span style="font-weight:400">Nothing and no one was there to stop Drake this time as he was enveloped in his blooming Asuran personality and the thrill of the fight he was in. He shouted with near euphoria of the fight, each blow that connected, and spell he summoned sending shivers down his body.
<span style="font-weight:400">He had never beaten a monster like this with such fervent joy and so one-sidedly. There was no stopping him.
<span style="font-weight:400">H had a massive pool of health thanks to being above level 30 as well as being a major quest monster. But all it did was prolong the suffering of it being pummeled by Drake.
<span style="font-weight:400">For nearly 30 minutes it continued, Drake using his wind magic and fire magic to dash around constantly moving into its blind spots to attack, shaving away at its health pool little by little.
<span style="font-weight:400">Finally, H’s body glowed in a red glow in Drake’s eyes. Instinctually Drake knew it was due to his execution skill, Asuran’s Punishment, meaning H was under the 15% Vitality threshold.
<span style="font-weight:400">Drake moved above H, crouching slightly as he reared back his fist, an intense orange me surrounding his fist.
<span style="font-weight:400">“<i><span style="font-weight:400">Death is-”</i><span style="font-weight:400">
<span style="font-weight:400">But before Drake could finish the skill incantation he heard the cries and screeches begin to surround him.
<span style="font-weight:400">Looking around he noticed more and more entities entering his aura sense and began seeing more and more birds flock to H and himself.
<b>[Mana Eagle Level 30]</b>
<span style="font-weight:400">“Interruptions….” Drake sneered, but then smirked, “Fine. I’ll take you all out in one go. <i><span style="font-weight:400">Feel honored that you can be part of my evolution.</i><span style="font-weight:400">”
<span style="font-weight:400">Drake canceled his skill, instead enveloping his fist in his attunement.
<span style="font-weight:400">“<i><span style="font-weight:400">Heretical Attunement. Fire!”</i>
<span style="font-weight:400">Launching his fist forward he mmed it into the center of H’s chest sending the massive monster careening for theke below. The impact sent shockwaves out once more as the bird went into a freefall for theke unable to resist the momentum after its one-sided fight against Drake.
<span style="font-weight:400">H collided with the still water injuring the monster further, the water felt like concrete from its fallen height as it sank slowly into theke sending an upheaval of water outwards from the impact.
<span style="font-weight:400">The citizens below all pointed and gasped as they looked up at Drake as he summoned thergest extent of spells that he could.
<span style="font-weight:400">“35…40…50 should do,” Drake counted out loud as he added the new arrivals together.
<span style="font-weight:400">He raised his hand, a single yellow magic circle forming before it snapped to life, the brilliant yellow lightning crackling with instant power as it adopted a violet hue twisted into arge ball of mana, and rose into the air above Drake.
<span style="font-weight:400">“<i><span style="font-weight:400">I won’t let a single one escape…”</i>
<span style="font-weight:400">Drake snapped his fingers, 50 light blue magic circles manifesting all around him and springing to life small beads of water.
<span style="font-weight:400">The water shot forward, stopping just in front of every monster he had counted for, even one right above H’s head that was poking out of theke’s surface.
<span style="font-weight:400">Drake flipped his hand over, his palm facing up as the violet ball of violent lightning snapped and whipped to rest in his hand.
<span style="font-weight:400">Looking down at the people below he muttered under his breath.
<span style="font-weight:400">“Witness for yourselves the reality of the strength I will use to protect you…”
<span style="font-weight:400">Drake arched his hand in front of himself, the ball of lightning separating into densences of lightning.
<span style="font-weight:400">“<i><span style="font-weight:400">Die. May the wrath of gods pierce you.”</i>
<span style="font-weight:400">Drake clenched his fist sending the spears off, each one pinpointing and passing through the water like a homing missile to increase its strength just before it reached the target monsters.
<span style="font-weight:400">“<i><span style="font-weight:400">Megiddo!!”</i>
<span style="font-weight:400">The sound of the thunder took the area by storm sending shivers and sound waves as it broke the silence leading up to the spell being unleashed. The crackling of thunder after the spears of lightning had met their targets made the sky look like a television series dog fight aftermath.
<span style="font-weight:400">The more than 40 burnt and smoldering monsters fell from the sky a trail of ck smoke following them down to the ground below. Leaving small craters as they collided with the ground.
<span style="font-weight:400">Thest and most dense spear snapped and fell down to pierce right into the skull of H, burning and evaporating some of the water in theke.
<b>[You have subjugated Guardian of the West - Thunderbird H Garunda Level 31 E-Rank][Experience Earned. Title Earned]</b>
<b>[Title Earned: yer of the West]</b>
<b>[Title Earned: One of Four]</b>
<b>[Congrattions, you have increased to Elemental Miller level 26] [40 Free Points have been awarded]</b>
<b>[You have subjugated Mana Eagle Level 30 E-Rank][Experience Earned]</b>
<b>[You have subjugated Mana Eagle Level 30 E-Rank][Experience Earned]</b>
<b>[You have subjugated Mana Eagle Level 30 E-Rank][Experience Earned]</b>
<b>[You have subjugated Mana Eagle Level 30 E-Rank][Experience Earned]</b>
<b>[You have subjugated Mana Eagle Level 30 E-Rank][Experience Earned]</b>
<b>…..</b>
<b>…</b>
<b>..</b>
<b>[Quest Complete! 30 of 30 Mana Eagles Subjugated]</b>
<b>[ept Rewards?]</b>
<b>[Experience Earned]</b>
<b>[Congrattions, you have increased to Elemental Miller level 27] [40 Free Points have been awarded]</b>
<b>[Announcement!]</b>
<b>[The first of the four guardian cardinal beasts, Thunderbird H Gauruda, has been in by Drake Wallen - The Tyrant Asuran. Three Guardian Cardinal Beasts remain.]</b>
<b>[Quest Updated! 300 of 300 F-Rank Entities Subjugated. New Title Earned.]</b>
<b>[New Title: Fledgling Ruler]</b>