Chapter 58: A Battle Worth Taking

Chapter 58: Chapter 58: A Battle Worth Taking

Only then did Damon notice what stood behind it.

A massive tear in space.

The air around it looked distorted.

Lightning constantly flowed around its edges.

The opening stretched upward like a doorway connecting two worlds.

Beyond it, strange flashes of light could occasionally be seen.

The unstable Aether pouring from it was unbelievable.

It felt like an entirely different realm existed on the other side.

Damon’s breathing slowed.

At last.

The answer.

The reason Tempest Hollow kept expanding.

The reason the unstable Aether never stopped increasing.

The reason lightning elemental essence was everywhere.

Everything seemed connected to that passage.

And the Stormreign Wyvern stood directly in front of it.

Guarding it.

Protecting it.

The Wyvern took a single step forward.

CRACK.

Lightning exploded beneath its claws.

Its golden eyes locked onto Damon.

A clear warning.

Leave.

Now.

Damon stared right back.

His curiosity had already won.

He wanted answers.

He wanted to know what lay beyond that passage.

And most importantly...

He wanted to test himself against the monster standing before it.

A slow smile appeared on his face.

Freya noticed immediately.

Sylphie did too.

The Wyvern growled again.

This time louder.

More threatening.

The storm above rumbled in response.

The message was obvious.

Turn around.

Or die.

Damon rolled his shoulders and took a step forward.

The smile never left his face.

"Looks like neither of us plans to move."

The Stormreign Wyvern lowered its body.

Lightning surged across its scales.

Freya’s tails slowly rose.

Sylphie’s wings spread wide.

The storm intensified.

Wind screamed.

Lightning flashed.

And between the guardian of the passage and the intruder seeking answers...

The final standoff began.

Neither side moved.

Damon stood calmly while the Stormreign Wyvern stared back at him from across the ruined ground.

Its golden eyes never left him.

Waiting.

Watching.

As if daring him to take the first step.

Damon simply grinned.

The longer he stared at the beast, the more excited he became.

His blood was pumping.

This was what he had been looking for.

A real challenge.

Something that could finally push him.

He rolled his shoulders and stretched his arms before lightly bouncing on his feet.

Each landing felt firm.

Each movement made him feel more ready.

More confident.

The smile on his face only grew wider.

Freya immediately understood.

Sylphie did too.

They didn’t even need Damon to explain.

Through their bond, they already knew what he wanted.

He wanted this fight.

Freya sat down and flicked her tails.

Sylphie hovered beside her.

The two spirit elementals simply watched.

Trusting him.

Cheering him on.

If things became dangerous, they would help.

But for now? This was Damon’s battle.

Freya let out an excited bark.

Sylphie chirped in support.

Damon laughed.

"Thanks for the confidence."

The two spirits became even more excited.

The scene only irritated the Stormreign Wyvern.

Its eyes narrowed.

These tiny creatures were acting as if it wasn’t even there.

As if it wasn’t the ruler of this territory.

The beast slowly raised its head.

Then it roared.

BOOOOOOM!

The sound exploded across the region.

The ground trembled.

Dust erupted into the air.

Cracks spread across the stone beneath its claws.

Nearby boulders shattered apart.

Even the storm above seemed to shake from the force.

Yet Damon smiled.

That roar was exactly what he wanted.

The moment his feet touched the ground from another small jump...

He moved.

Whoosh!

His body vanished into the rising dust.

The speed surprised even him.

Wind wrapped around him.

Lightning flowed through his veins.

Everything felt lighter.

Faster.

Sharper.

His knife appeared in his hand.

Thin strands of lightning crawled along the blade.

The dust concealed his movement perfectly.

His bestial instincts guided every step.

His senses picked up every change in the air.

Even a beast of this level would struggle to track him completely.

Then Damon appeared.

Above the Wyvern.

The distance disappeared in an instant.

The beast’s eyes widened slightly.

It had sensed him.

But only at the last moment.

It was too late as Damon brought the knife down.

Lightning gathered.

Compressed.

Condensed into a single point.

Then...

BOOM!

The blade struck.

A violent burst of lightning erupted from the impact point.

The force shook the Wyvern’s massive body.

But before Damon could celebrate, danger screamed through his senses.

His instincts flared.

Sylphie’s trait reacted first.

The air warned him.

His body moved immediately.

A fraction of a second later...

CRACK!

Lightning exploded from the Wyvern’s scales.

A violent static discharge blasted outward.

"Lightning Shed".

Damon barely escaped the center of it.

Still, his hand went numb.

He landed several meters away and shook his arm.

"Tch."

He clicked his tongue.

"Fighting something with the same elements is annoying."

The numbness lingered briefly.

Thankfully, his natural resistance softened the damage.

Otherwise, that counterattack would have hurt far more.

The Stormreign Wyvern slowly turned.

Its gaze became more serious.

The attack had landed.

It had felt it.

And now it understood.

This human wasn’t ordinary.

Damon spun the knife once.

His grin remained.

He still felt good.

Still felt strong.

Still hadn’t touched his limit.

Behind him, Freya barked excitedly.

Sylphie chirped even louder.

The two had clearly enjoyed the exchange.

"They really turned into cheerleaders."

Damon laughed.

The Wyvern clearly didn’t find it funny.

It attacked.

The beast opened its mouth.

Wind gathered instantly.

The air became heavy.

Damon’s eyes narrowed.

Then the Wyvern released it.

GALE ROAR.

BOOOOOOM!

A wall of compressed wind exploded forward.

The roar itself carried a terrifying sonic burst.

Everything in its path shattered.

Large rocks cracked apart.

Stone fragments exploded into dust.

The ground was carved open as the attack surged forward.

Damon felt the danger immediately.

His body moved before his mind finished thinking.

He jumped back.

Then again.

And again.

Yet the attack still caught him.

The outer edge slammed into him.

The pressure struck like a hammer.

His chest tightened.

His feet left the ground briefly before he regained control.

The damage wasn’t severe.

But if he had remained close?

The result would’ve been ugly.

Damon slid backward.

But the moment he stabilized himself, his instincts screamed again.

Danger.

Extreme danger.