BOOM!
BOOOOM!
BOOOOM!
The entire ground of Austerra trembled as Auren and Aurelus clashed, their battle shaking the ruined city to its very foundation, turning the surrounding icy spires into dust with every shock.
This time, it was not just sword against sword.
Hyah!
GROARR!
They were fighting with everything they had, bodies, power, and soul.
Auren’s eyes narrowed as he caught a glimpse of Aurelus’s Divine Frame.
The details flickered before him, glowing with icy light that wasn’t there before.
*
Name: Aurelus Golrath (King Frozbear Beastform)Level: 72 (+20)Class: Sword Master (Ascended)Title: Chosen One of Thugnaka, Kingdom Destroyer, Turncoat King*
Auren’s brows furrowed deeply. It was his first time seeing someone with triple Title. Not to mention, the name extension says something.
"Does that mean... his current power is the same as Vulkris?" Read complete version only at NoveI-Fire.ɴet
A cold realization pressed against him.
His chest tightened until Bigbird’s voice cut through, sharp and steady.
’Master, I can feel powerful ice elemental mana leaking out of the Thugnakan Crystal on his chest. I assume its the catalyst for this transformation. Which means...’
’Most likely, it’s also his weakness.’
Auren’s fiery gaze locked onto the bluish crystal glowing on Aurelus’s chest. Mana surged wildly from it, spilling into the beast like endless poison.
"If only I destroyed it right away when I got my hands on it,"
He muttered, regret burning in his eyes.
’Then it’s our responsibility to destroy it now,’ Bigbird reminded him.
Auren’s grip tightened around his sword, flame aura flaring brighter, his whole frame bracing.
"You’re right. In that case..."
FLASH!
His body blurred, streaking forward like a crimson comet toward the mountain-sized, demonic bear.
Aurelus rumbled, confused by the sudden burst of speed.
His massive claws lashed out, swatting like a titan at an insect. But Auren slipped past the massive paw, weaving between the icy gusts and claw strikes.
SHOOOM~
He was too quick to pin down.
In a heartbeat, he was at Aurelus’s chest. His rapier flared with golden fire, his intention was clear.
GRAAH!
Auren roared as he swung with every ounce of power.
The Divine Rapier sliced down, aimed perfectly for the crystal, only to smash into an invisible wall shielding it.
CLLANG!!~
The flaming sword rebounded violently, sparks flaring away.
’It’s indestructible?!’
Auren’s eyes widened.
The crystal pulsed, and in response, a protective spell was ignited by his attack.
GRR~
Suddenly, a massive, spectral bear’s head with three horns appeared before Auren, its ethereal jaws gaping wide.
Auren’s stomach dropped. "What the..."
He tried to hack into it.
But the spirit opened its mouth.
GROOOOAR!
A devastating roar-beam exploded forth, catching Auren mid-strike.
Agghk~
His instincts screamed too late.
BOOOOOM!
The blast swallowed him, hurling his body across the city and into the icy forest.
He smashed through rubble, bouncing across stone and steel, a trail of scorched ice fragments marking his crash.
He coughed violently, steam rising from his skin.
His body burned and froze all at once, icy flakes clinging to his armor. But the phoenix fire within him melted the creeping frost, burning away the corruption before it spread too deep.
From above, Aurelus’s laughter shook the sky, booming like thunder as he watched Auren suffered from the counter attack.
MWUAHAHAHA!~
Auren spat blood, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand as he rose from the rubble. His breath steamed in the frigid air.
"That almost got me..." he mumbled while he watched the icy flakes melt because of his natural resistance to ice element.
’if that was another human, I am sure they would have turned into powdered ice!’ Bigbird commented.
The closer he came to Aurelus, the heavier the icy corruption pressed on him. His flames weakened and his strength dulled.
’It seems we can’t linger too much near him when we attack.’ Auren realized.
’Range attack should do it.’
’Yeah.’
Even the obvious weak spot, the Thugnakan Crystal, was protected by that invisible barrier and its spirit Bear Guardian.
A chill went down his spine as Aurelus’s maw opened again. Another attack was already forming.
"Move!" Bigbird barked.
Auren bolted just as a barrage of ice spears burst forth from the beast’s mouth, raining down like death from above.
BWAH!
BWAH!
BWAH!
Each spear was five meters long, a foot thick at the base, their tips sharpened to deadly points capable of piercing steel like butter. It flew towards Auren faster than a bullet.
Worse, they carried corruption effects, a poison to the very soul, rotting stats and vitality with every hit.
PZUUUK!
PZUUUK!
PZUUUK!
The ground split as the massive lances stabbed through buildings, trees, and shattered roads where Auren passed by.
"Ruuun!" voices screamed faintly from below.
The last stragglers who had survived the freezing field scrambled for cover.
Auren vaulted through the rain of spears, his movements fluid, twisting and flipping between death. His body burned with strain, yet his eyes never left Aurelus.
The beast loomed like a nightmare, a towering polar bear of hellfire and frost.
Its glowing blue eyes locked onto him, mouth curling into a cruel grin.
"MWAHAHAHA! DIE, YOU PEST!"
A minute of battle had already passed.
’Just be patient...’
Auren had yet to unleash his full strength, holding back only to buy time for survivors to escape.
Under the rain of deadly ice spears, he lured Aurelus away from the main district, step by step, drawing the titan toward the northern forest where fewer humans remained.
From a distance, it looked almost ridiculous. A blazing firefly darting through the night, chased by a monstrous demonic bear.
"That’s right!" Aurelus thundered, his voice shaking the earth while chasing him with excitement.
"Keep running! The moment your Divine Form runs out, I will turn you to dust!"
Meanwhile, Auren remained calm.
’Bigbird, update?’
After scanning the battlefield with its detection ability, Bigbird replied,
’Aside from the hidden crazy Dark Fate members, the last soldiers and civilians have left. It’s clear. You can go all out now.’
’How about Robert and the rest?’
’They have fled the place and are now safe at the southern woods.’
Auren’s lips curled into a fierce grin.
"Perfect. It’s now our time to shine.."
His wings blurred faster, flames trailing. His speed shot higher, so fast that even the ice spears couldn’t keep up.
FWOOOOM!
From afar, Auren looked like a shooting star darting through a storm of frozen death.
Seeing him pull away, Aurelus roared furiously, chest crystal blazing brighter.
"YOU THINK YOU CAN RUN FOREVER?"
The beast’s eyes glowed, and the Thugnakan Crystal pulsed with icy fire.
[DOMAIN ACTIVATE: ICY VEIL OF PETRIFICATION]
A massive circle of runes spread across the battlefield, glowing beneath Austerra itself.
’This...’ Auren saw this and was reminded of a familiar spell back at the Inferna Hollow.
’Domain skill?’
SHIIIING!
Suddenly, towering walls of glass-like ice erupted from the ground, encasing the entire city and the forest he was rishgin to inside a frozen dome.
The walls smoked with lethal frost, magnifying Aurelus’s power while sealing Auren inside.
Auren hovered midair, eyes widening as his flames flickered. The temperature plummeted, every breath like knives in his lungs. His body drained of energy the closer he drew to the wall.
"Stay away!" Bigbird warned.
Too late.
The tip of Auren’s wing brushed the dome. Corruption frost instantly spread like infection, crawling through his feathers toward his shoulder.
"This is bad!" Bigbird panicked. "That’s a corruption ice! Once it get’s to your heart, its over!"
’Hmm.’ Auren’s mind spun rapidly.
’In that case-’
Without hesitation, Auren swung his sword and slashed the corrupted wing free.
Ugk!~
Although it was made of fire and mana, cutting it was still extremely painful for Auren that he almost lost consciousness from it. But thanks to his healing ability, he was able to regain senses before he could lose it.
The severed limb burned away in red fire as he plummeted.
Thud!
He landed hard on one knee, just meters from the deadly wall.
’Close one...’
His breath came ragged, but already his phoenix blood stitched his wing back together with fire and rebirth.
He forced himself upright, glaring at the massive bear approaching.
"Now this looks familiar," he muttered grimly.
THUD!
THUD!
Aurelus thundered closer, his thorned back glowing with icy mana, preparing a new onslaught.
’I almost forgot this form allows me access to unlimited mana right?’ Auren thought.
"Bigbird, how much time left in Divine Form?"
’One, maybe two minutes,’ Bigbird said.
"That’s enough."
Auren’s rapier pulsed brighter with each breath. His sword aura thickened, concentrated to increase its sharpness and power.
Wooom~ Wooom~
His flames danced like they were alive.
Auren stood like a tree, before the rampaging beast of icy destruction.
"STOP MOVING AND LET ME END YOUR MISERY, FRAMELESS FREAK!"
Aurelus bellowed, stomping forward. Each step rattled the battlefield, victory flashing in his mad grin.
The closer he get to Auren, the more assured he is of his victory. After all, now that he is inside his domain, his power was multiplied at least trifold!
"BEHOLD THE POWER OF THE DEMONIC BEAR KING! THE POWER I FOUND TO ESCAPE MY FATE OF LOSING TO YOU!"
The monster lunged, paw swinging down like a mountain leaving behind a icy shadow.
Buit instead of retreating, Auren’s wings snapped wide.
FWOOOM!
He surged forward, sword blazing in his hand.
And when he got closer to the gigantic paw, his eyes closed briefly. He remembered one clear reminder from his master Robert.
"Maintain your focus Auren... don’t let fear dull your blade!"
Whooom~
He let his mana flood into the blade, burning hotter and sharper than ever. Then he went on to chant his favorate lines:
"FIRE BREATHING, FIRST FORM: JHORTON SLASH!"