Chapter 1081: First Contact
Though Michael hadn't expected the drake's stomach to work in the first place, he also hadn't expected the treasure to emit an even brighter glow from inside, as though it was afraid of not being noticed.
Was this really the Origin Battlefield? What a damned place to be in. If this was how all its treasures behaved in the future, who in their right mind would be the first to snatch one?
As these thoughts flashed through Michael's mind, he immediately teleported away from his location.
At the same time, the four who had just arrived near his previous position were met with a vicious counterattack from the High Drake.
The transformed drake threw its massive head backward. Its enormous chest expanded once more. The terrifying heat surrounding its body gathered toward its throat.
The surrounding space visibly distorted. Even the void itself rippled under the overwhelming concentration of power.
The four immediately sensed the danger.
The next instant, the High Drake opened its jaws.
BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!!
A pillar of destruction erupted forth. It wasn't ordinary dragon breath. It resembled a torrent of condensed black flames.
Everything along its path vanished. The void trembled violently. The attack crossed dozens of miles in the blink of an eye, aimed at all four pursuers.
The younger female angel immediately retreated. She knew she couldn't block something of this level.
The other three, however, had no intention of yielding.
The four-winged angel calmly stepped forward. One hand stretched toward the incoming dragon breath.
"Holy Art…"
"…Ocean Sanctuary."
Countless azure runes suddenly appeared before him. Water gathered from nowhere, and within a heartbeat, an enormous wall of crystal-clear water stood before the angel. The wall rapidly expanded until it became a barrier stretching for several kilometers.
The dragon breath struck it.
BOOOOOOOOOOM!!
The heavens shook. Steam exploded outward in every direction. The water barrier trembled violently. Gigantic waves surged backward while enormous amounts of water evaporated almost instantly. Yet the barrier held.
Although deep cracks rapidly spread across its surface, the dragon breath failed to break through before its power was exhausted.
The male angel's expression remained calm, though the arm supporting the barrier had shifted back slightly.
At the same moment, the other two also moved.
The crimson-haired man roared as the blazing markings covering his body suddenly ignited.
"Foul beast! Release the treasure!"
A deafening cry echoed across the battlefield. Brilliant flames exploded around him as his human form dissolved into fire. A heartbeat later, an enormous phoenix appeared in the sky. Its wings stretched for hundreds of meters.
Every feather seemed forged from living flames. Its mere existence caused the surrounding temperature to rise by another terrifying level.
Unlike the High Drake's oppressive heat, the phoenix's flames possessed astonishing vitality. Everything they touched seemed capable of burning forever.
Meanwhile, the middle-aged sword cultivator calmly adjusted the jade sword beneath her feet and rapidly rose higher until she stood far above everyone else.
She formed a sword seal with two fingers, and the surrounding spiritual energy instantly surged toward her as several energy swords formed around her.
Buzz! Buzz! Buzz!
One sword became ten. Ten became one hundred. One hundred became one thousand. Countless spiritual swords materialized behind her. Within moments, an entire sea of swords floated overhead. The sky itself disappeared beneath the countless blades.
The cultivator lowered her fingers. Every sword quietly pointed toward the transformed High Drake.
Meanwhile, Michael, who had already activated his law to copy Fade's trait while remaining hidden within the surface layer of the void, was sweating buckets.
"…What the hell…"
His eyes remained fixed on the battlefield without blinking.
"They're all so damn powerful!"
Michael couldn't help but curse inwardly. Although he had expected the three to be extraordinary after sensing their auras, witnessing them exchange blows with his strengthened High Drake made the difference even clearer. None of them looked like ordinary awakeners.
Michael felt the urge to activate Detect. He really wanted to know what classes they possessed. Unfortunately, he could only suppress the impulse.
"…Forget it."
Using either Detect or his Eyes of Truth now might expose him. Fade's trait allowed him to erase almost every trace of his existence, blending into the surface layer of the void like a shadow hidden beneath another shadow.
As long as he remained patient, Michael was extremely confident in his ability to stay hidden.
But the moment he actively observed them with Detect or the Eyes of Truth, the fluctuations produced by those abilities would almost certainly be noticed by those with sharp senses, which those three surely didn't lack.
Michael silently shook his head.
"I'm not stupid enough to stick my neck out."
He had absolutely no doubt that the instant they discovered his exact location, they would dedicate at least some attention to coming after him. Even if they didn't pursue him directly, having their gaze on him would make his next moves extremely inconvenient.
"Just a little longer…"
"Once the incense stops glowing…"
"I'll immediately store it away and disappear."
This was still his original objective. He never intended to defeat these people. Nor did he wish to reveal more of his trump cards.
As for the High Drake, Michael believed it could hold them off. Perhaps it couldn't defeat all three. But after receiving the traits of Beginning and Spartan through Echoed Bestowal, its combat ability had reached an unbelievable level.
Combined with the Law of Brutal Rebirth, every injury it suffered would only make it more terrifying. Meanwhile, the Law of Abyssal Pyre ensured almost nothing went to waste.
As long as it continued fighting, it would continue devouring energy. It was practically born for prolonged battles.
Still, even if the High Drake could hold them off indefinitely, Michael couldn't. The true limitation wasn't the High Drake. It was himself.
Echoed Bestowal continuously consumed his soul power and mental strength.
Maintaining such an overwhelming enhancement on his strongest undead was anything but cheap.
If the battle dragged on for too long, the High Drake might still remain capable of fighting, but Michael himself would likely collapse from exhaustion first.