“[Screeech]!”

What the-?!

“What is that?!” shouts Carmine.

“Mother… It’s that…” says Anikia with visible fear in her eyes.

What is ‘that’?

“What is it Anikia??” I ask hurriedly.

“The creatures… They came with 'them”' she says while she slumps her shoulders in a sense of desperation and looks down.

Creatures??? What the hell?

“Who are them anyway??” I say in a rush.

She looks up at me with eyes that tell she had experienced something horrible related to this.

“They… invaded and left… after destroying our world…” she says and stops.

It looks like that’s not all there is to it. Because the way she stopped talking was as if she had remembered something and didn’t want to talk about it.

I have an idea.

“Did your parents die in the invasion…?” I ask as I kneel down to hold her hands in mine.

She looks at my hand that holds hers. I can feel them trembling. Either from fear or due to sadness. But whatever it may be, it must have been something horrible.

“Y…Yes. My parents died… Fighting ‘that’” she says with her voice on the brink of breaking.

Just as I thought. I don’t know what that is but I can sense something very big coming this way.

Can you analyze from here, Twixie?

[Probably not.]

Can you tell me what it could be?

[No. But I can say one thing as a possibility. ‘That’ must’ve sensed your Mana. Your Mana is in the barrier. It’s a huge amount.]

My mana? Do you mean to say that it’s attracted to my mana? But why?

[You are an Elder Dragon. Your mana is more potent than any others.]

“Hey Anikia, is ‘that’ somehow attracted to mana?” I ask gently.

She looks up at me and thinks at the same time. Her eyes show a sense of remembrance. She must have remembered something.

“Mother and… Father… once talked about it. They said that ‘that’ used to extract mana.” She says.

Carmine and Felia are still looking around to spot the thing that made that ear-piercing screech. It was so terrifying that it made us jump.

But… extract?

[That explains it. It’s coming here to collect your mana.]

“My mana….?” I say out.

“Velkra…? What are you saying..?” says Carmine as she turns around.

Felia looks at me with a concerned expression.

“I was talking with Twixie just now. She says that it’s coming here because it is attracted to mana and wants to collect it. The mana in question is mine.” I say.

The two of them look at each other for a second. Then they say this,

“We will fight too.”

They want to fight too. It’s coming here to collect my mana. The mana from my barrier. If it absorbs the mana in the barrier, the barrier will go down. There is also the chance that the outermost barrier that was broken may completely break.

Then the castle and the gate would be completely exposed to the poisonous amount of mana. Even the bunker won’t be able to hold against that much mana. And I cannot guarantee the survival of every person in the castle that is currently in the evolution process in there.

“Carmine, Can you put an anti-mana barrier around yourselves?” I ask.

“Yes.” She says.

“How strong? “ I ask.

“It’ll hold in the outer part of the barrier,” she says.

“Then you guys will stay in the outer part of my barrier. But you will not come out of the broken one. You can attack from there. It’s too dangerous out there.” I say.

Even they can't do anything about the mana outside. If I put my barrier around them, the thing will attack them at the same time it attacks me. I can't put them in the face of danger.

“But… How will I fight…?” says Felia.

“You can help carmine in her mana supply. She will be using big attacks I suppose. The target is almost tall about a mountain. I don’t know what it looks like due to the interference from the mana.” I say.

“Tall as a mountain?” asks Felia.

“It is very big. And it’s moving fast. It’ll be here in about a minute.” I say.

It indeed is very big. Tall as a mountain. Wide. It’s terrifying just sensing it from here. Can something that moves be THAT big? It’s like a moving mountain.

“Let’s go,” I say as I gesture with my hand in the direction it’s coming from.

“Wait! Mother…” Says Anikia.

I turn around and see that she is on the ground.

“What is it Anikia?? Are you okay??” I say.

“Mother… Please don’t go…” she says.

“But…why?” I ask.

Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

“You can't fight it… it will blow you away with its… beam. That’s how my parents were… killed. There isn’t anything left of them… they were ashes…” she says.

“Anikia….”

“Please… I beg you. Let’s get out of here with My people…” she says.

It isn’t possible. By the time we will get everyone out, it will be here. It’s gonna breach the barrier and then it will probably attack the people in front. I cannot bare to see them getting hurt.

I can guard them with my own self. And I have no intention of dying. So that settles everything.

“Anikia. Who do you think I am?” I ask.

Anikia looks up at me.

“An Elder Dragon?” she says in a squeaky cute voice.

God, she’s cute when she’s about to cry.

“Nope. I’m your Mother.” I say with a bright smile on my face with my cheeks slightly red.

“…”

She looks at me with her tear-filled eyes and hugs me all of a sudden.

“So you don’t need to worry. I’ll be back in a bit and you get to see me fight. I hope it’s a bit powerful. Every single person I’ve fought has not been able to satisfy me.” I say.

“Will you die?” she asks.

“I have no intention to,” I say with a pat on her head as I stand up.

“Then come back alive. Promise me.” She says.

She is truly afraid of whatever is coming here. I’ll promise to soothe her anxiety.

“I promise. I’ll get you something good to eat soon.” I say.

“Thank you.” She says.

“That you again? Isn’t there something else you want to say?” I ask.

“…I love you.” She says with her hands held together.

“[BLARE]”

We hear a heart-stopping blare. It seems as if the sky is going to fall.

“[BLARE]”

“Velkra! What the hell Is that??!” shouts Carmine in visible discomfort.

Felia just stands there frozen and doesn’t want to move.

The ground shakes with every blare it sounds.

“It is a sound it makes when it wants to intimidate an enemy…” says Anikia from behind.

“Thanks for the info. We’ll be going then.” I say.

I turn around once again in its direction.

“You wanna see something cool Anikia?” I ask.

She looks up at me as she is still sitting down.

“What will it be?” she asks.

“See.”

As I say that, I flap out my wings with force. The force sends a gust of wind with pressure.

“Ooooh!” Exclaims Anikia just like a kid would.

“Cool isn’t it?” I ask.

“They were tucked in??” she says with excitement.

“Yup. You haven’t seen anything yet.” I say.

“Really??!” she says.

“Yup.”

I turn back to Felia and Carmine. They are looking at me with a smile on their faces.

“Let’s go. Hold on.” I say

[Wind’s Embrace]

I lift them up with my magic and get ready to take off.

“You can do magic too??” says Anikia in surprise.

“Ha-ha. Your mother is amazing.” I say.

“Really??”

“Yup. Now, I’ll be back.” I say.

“[BLARE]”

We hear it once again. Now a lot closer than before. It’s probably at the broken barrier.

I flap my wings hard and take off with great speed. The shockwave behind me almost blows away Anikia.

“SORRY ANIKIAAAA!” I say as I fly away.

“Don’t beeee!” she says from afar.

I didn’t think of that. I have to be careful.

We fly to the outer part of my barrier in seconds and land down.

“Get ready guys. You are going to see it any moment.” I say.

There is a lot of fog or smoke like something in the distance. It’s obscuring the vision outside the broken barrier.

“[BLARE]!”

“[SCREEECH]!”

It first lets out a blare and then a screech. After that, it appears.

“Velkra! It’s big!” shouts Carmine.

“I told you!” I say.

The silhouette we see in the fog is terrifying. It moves with three legs. With tentacles moving around. The upper part of the body is huge while the legs are thin.

“I’m going out. Stay here and prep yourselves.” I say as I get my wings ready to take off.

“Be careful Velkra!” says Felia.

“Yeah! [Whoosh]” I say as I take off the ground.

I fly towards the thing and get close to see what it looks like.

“What-?!” I say.

It looks like those Things in that film. What was it?! The World at War! The one with Crom Bruise!

What the hell?! But it’s a living creature! It’s walking around! It has a big blue eye in the center!

The whole body is crimson red and black in most areas. The eye moves around and looks for its prey. That eye glows all of a sudden. It is looking at the barrier that is about to break.

“[Whum] [Whum] [Whum] [Whum]” it makes a sound.

“[FREEEEEEEEN]!”

“What the f-?!” I say.

That too?! The beam too?! The beam travels to the barrier and pierces one area of it.

“What the hell Is this thing??” I say.

Just as I say that, I see a light inside the barrier. That is where Carmine and Felia are.

Are they doing a magic spell?

“[Colossal Beam; Concentrated]!!” I hear in a distance.

Just how loud did she chant that? I can hear it over here…

Just as I hear that, I beam of red whooshes by my face.

[WEEEEEEEEEEEENNNN]!!!”

The red beam pierces the barrier around the thing and breaking through, it hits its head. The thing wobbles around for a moment but Immediately stabilizes.

“What…?”

Just as the smoke clears up, I see that the beam hasn’t made a scratch on its body.

[Master. It seems that the thing has absorbed the mana from the attack.]

That thing absorbed the attack??!

[Yes. I think the best way to take it down would be to fight it with skills, not magic.]

Skills…?

[Yes. You have a plethora of skills that can be used in a situation against this thing. I’ve analyzed it and looks like it is a [Harvester]. That is what came up from the appraisal. That thing is Level 200.]

200?! Can it take me down?!

[No. Impossible.]

Really…?

[Yes. I’ll contact Carmine and Felia to tell them about this. They won’t be attacking anymore.]

Do that. I guess I have to take this one by myself.

[Okay.]

First. To clear up this smoke. I’m not sure if Anikia can see me from that far away but I’ll do it anyway.

[She has a Farsight skill and she is using it right now to spot you.]

You know that?

[Yes.]

Hmm… I see.

Then I’ll clear this fog.

[Transformation]!

I activate my transformation skill and immediately turn into a dragon.

“[Divine Wings]” I say.

I flap my wings hard as they glow with multiple colors.

The flap sends a huge shockwave through the space and it almost knocks that thing over. If it’s weak to me at this level then how will it keep up with me?

[I’ve increased your power to the max.]

You did? No wonder I felt so strong.

[Heh]

What was that for?

[Nothin’]

Reeaaallyyyy???

[Yes]

Okay then.

The shockwave clears up the fog over many kilometers. It makes the thing completely visible. It really is like those things from that movie. But instead, these are living things. But how are they alive anyway? Didn’t Anikia say that they left their realm after destroying it?

“[BLARE]!”

You think you’re gonna intimidate me with that?

I open my mouth for a roar.

Let’s see… [Divine Roar] there it is.

I activate my skill and roar with my full strength.

“[RAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA]!” I roar.

It sends huge shockwaves through the space the thing clings to the ground with its tentacles as it is about to be blown away just from the wind pressure my roar is causing. The whole ground beneath cracks and sends the thing flying through the air.

Imagine. Something as big as a mountain. Blown away just by my roar. Am I really that strong?

[You are]

Hmm.

“How do you like it now? Did it hurt your ears? That’s what you get when you scream in my ear.” I say out loud.

“[SCREEEEECH!”

Oh. It’s still putting up a fight. The thing… no. I’ll call it a tri-something. That tri-something stands up once again.

“So want to fight?” I say.

Just as I say that, the tri-something’s eye glows blue. It’s getting ready to fire a beam.

“So you wanna die like that?“ I say.

No way this thing is going to hold against my breath… anyway.

I open my mouth, getting ready to charge up my Breath.

“[Divine Breath]…” I say in my mind.

My breath starts to charge up like a ball in my mouth. It is pure red. I don’t know why but I think my eyes go red when I fire a beam. They glow so hard that I can tell from my own eyes that they are glowing.

The glow of my breath is so much that it casts a dark shadow behind the tri-something. Just like the sun, when it shines so bright that it might melt you.

The tri-something fires its beam. It travels straight at me. At the same time, I let out my breath which also travels like a beam both of them hit each other but obviously, the blue beam didn’t stand a pie of a chance that it could stop mine.

The whole blue beam gets swallowed by mine. It pierces the repaired barrier around the tri-something and hits it.

Hits it? No. The beam doesn’t hit it. It melts it. Melts and burns the whole upper body to ashes and something lava-like.

The beam doesn’t stop there. It goes through, hitting the ground and melting it to the point where it’s like there was a mountain upside down in there and I pulled it out. Simply, there is a huge hole in the ground that is freakin’ deep.

“Fuuuu…” I say.

Was she watching?

[Yes. Her jaw isn’t going up after it fell down.]

Haha. Just as I planned. One Reputation point for me.

[Braggy.]

What’s wrong with it? Can’t I show off a little to my daughter?

[Sure, Sure.]

Hah… I wonder what she’ll say when I go back in my dragon form….