Chapter 24 – Competition (5)

Kieran and Ryan found themselves in a large plain. Above their heads were dark clouds that overlooked the plain as far as their eyes could see.

The clouds rumbled loudly, lightning streaking through them like dragons swimming inside, striking the plain constantly. Since the environment had changed, Kieran had kept his lycan form, carrying Ryan on his back, he had to do everything to dodge the lightning falling, but the lightning in the sky wasn't their biggest problem right now.

In front of them was a beast that looked down on them, even if Kieran was 3 meters tall in his lycan form, he felt like he was small next to this beast. His height was 5 meters, from his head to the tip of his tail, his length reached 7 meters.

The beast looked like a wingless dragon, its body was filled with black scales with a purple reflection on them, two long horns resembling purple crystals rested on its head, and lightning flashed throughout the beast's body continuously.

"This beast looks like a lightning drake Kieran. I don't know if it's a crystal beast, summon ability, beast tamer, or transformation."

Kieran didn't have time to think about it when a huge paw wrapped in lightning quickly approached him. He dodged the attack, the ground behind him exploded from the power of the attack sending shivers down Kieran and Ryan's spines.

"Crystal Essence Claw!"

He threw himself at the lightning drake with his claws wrapped in solidified crystal essence.

*growl*

A bolt of lightning fell from the sky, striking the drake's body with lightning. As Kieran reached for it, the drake's body didn't even shake, instead the purple reflection on its scales deepened.

Turning its mouth towards Kieran, he inhaled sharply, all the lightning on his body moved inside its mouth in an instant forming electric arcs all around it.

Kieran felt a bad feeling, without hesitation, he circulated crystal essence inside his legs when the drake blew on him, a cone of lightning shooting from his mouth quickly crossing the space that separated the two.

A transparent barrier formed between them, which only held for an instant before breaking into pieces, not even slowing down the attack.

Kieran had not reacted quickly enough, a part of his body had been carbonized, revealing the flesh that hid under his fur, he clenched his teeth, bearing the pain that invaded his mind.

"Ryan, how are you?" Kieran asked, looking over his shoulder.

"I'm fine, don't worry about me."

As he endured the pain, a shadow appeared in the corner of his vision. The drake's long tail came dangerously close to his head.

He quickly slipped out of the drake's reach, surveying his every move, the lightning on the drake's body was gone, it didn't look like he could launch such an attack as many times as he wanted, Kieran frowned, the strength behind the attack was nothing like what an Iron rank could do.

"You move fast for an Iron rank, in addition to having a weight on you," a hoarse voice came from the lightning drake's mouth.

Kieran face darkened when he heard the drake talk.

"He's a Bronze rank with transformation ability like me."

*growl*

The lightning fell again on the plain, like attracted by a lightning rod, the lightning deviated from its trajectory, hitting the body of the drake, again lightning appeared on all his body.

At that moment, a hideous smile emerged on the drake's face, his gaze turning towards the clouds.

"I really like this plain, I feel revitalized just seeing all this lightning."

The drake turned his gaze to Kieran again.

"If he can launch this attack several times in a row, we can't do anything against him while we are in this lightning plain, Kieran. We must try to buy time until the environment changes again," Ryan whispered.

Kieran nodded, circulating the crystal essence throughout his body, he quickly turned around, changing shape to take the form of a giant wolf, he pushed Ryan on his back before starting to run away from the drake.

"Like I'm going to let you go that easily. Lightning Body!"

The lightning on the drake’s body moved through his whole body, strengthening each of his limbs.

The drake suddenly vanished in an explosion of lightning, appearing in front of Kieran, its paw surrounded by lightning high in the air, crashing down on him.

Not having time to dodge the attack, Kieran resumed his lycan form crossing his arms in front of him to protect him, a transparent barrier formed again between them to be destroyed instantly.

The power of the blow knocked Kieran and Ryan several meters back, Kieran’s arms falling down his body, both arms numb with lightning racing through them.

He circulated his crystal essence inside his arms, trying to expel the lightning out of his body, but the drake didn't give him time, charging at him again.

He couldn't do anything against the drake on this plain. Every time he tried to approach him to attack, the drake used the lightning on his body to make a breath attack. If he tries to run away, the drake will use the lightning bolts to enhance his body and catch up to him in an instant.

Each time the lightning on the drake’s body weakened, lightning came down from the clouds falling on his body to reform them again.

'This damn plain! In addition to strengthening him, there is no place to cover me or lean on it in order to move.'

Kieran was thinking about all possible ways to stand up to the drake when an idea popped into his mind.

'That's it! This method should buy enough time for the environment to change.'

He fills his legs with crystal essence before jumping into the air.

As their two bodies began to descend due to gravity, Kieran looked at Ryan over his shoulder.

"Ryan form a barrier to hold us in the air!"

"Ok."

Nodding quickly, a transparent barrier was formed, stopping their fall.

Kieran then stares at the drake beneath him.

"Ryan, if we're going to buy time against him, I'll need your help. I can't keep up with his speed or his power without a foothold. Follow my moves and form barriers for me to lean on."

"I don't know if I can make it," Ryan said in a weak voice.

"You'll make it."

Kieran's confident voice calmed Ryan.

The lightning drake watched the two in the air, he inhaled sharply, preparing to blow a breath towards them.

"Let's go."

Kieran jumped out of the barrier, his body rushed towards the lightning drake, while a lightning breath gushed out of his mouth.

"NOW!"

A barrier formed next to Kieran's body, leaning on it, he easily dodged the drake's breath.

As his body fell again, a new barrier formed close to him, again pressing his legs against the surface of the barrier, he propelled himself to the side of the drake.

"Crystal Essence Claw!"

Kieran threw his claws at the drake, leaving deep cuts on his sides.

The drake howled in pain as blood flowed from his wounds, he turned his head towards Kieran with his mouth wide open, using all the lightning that remained on his body, he launched a breath.

Kieran pushed his body back with the help of the drake's body, a barrier formed under him, which he used to escape, narrowly dodging the drake's breath that destroyed the barrier.

Landing on the ground, Kieran watches the lightning drake with a smile on his face.

"We're going again, Ryan."

"OK."

As Kieran danced around the drake through Ryan's barrier, the time passed quickly, the crystal essence in their spiritual world dwindled as time passed when their surroundings changed, the plain gave way to a vast forest.

The drake, who was still trying to chase them, hit a tree that had appeared between them. Kieran took advantage of this time to lean on a tree, quickly reaching the head of the drake.

He used Crystal Essence Claw, swinging his claws at the drake's head. Feeling a sense of crisis, the drake forced his ability to move, the scales on his head rose up, looking like sharp daggers covering him entirely, Kieran's claws hit him at that moment, leaving deep wounds on it.

The drake's howl was heard again as it opened its mouth wide to try to bite Kieran and Ryan.

Kieran grabbed a branch of the tree and leaned on it, his body moved quickly, dodging the mouth of the drake, which hit the tree, causing it to explode into pieces.

Kieran lost his support, he turned his body into the air, landing behind the drake.

"I really love this forest. I feel revitalized just seeing all those trees," Kieran said with a smile on his face.

"You..."

The drake looks at them with anger in his eyes.