"New day, new problem. But I don't know, there doesn't seem to be any problems today." Said someone in its melodious voice.
"No problem you say? Congratulations, you just said the keyword." Said a dragon taking shelter under the shadow of a lush tree canopy.
Standing on a weathered tree trunk. An elf in her typical druid outfit, observing the source of the problem in the distance. The elf had the same features as the legends, white and clear skin, long pointed ears, a beautiful face, and an authoritative-looking figure. Wearing a moss green robe with floral motifs embroidered with gold thread, the elf also wore a set of chain mail underneath. She also wore several accessories made of bones, gems, and some primitively crafted vines hung around her waist. Around her neck, she wore an obsidian necklace shaped like a crescent moon with a silver chain. Her green eyes continuously focused on the disastrous object in front of her.
The crystal cube, which was already quite large, was now rapidly increasing in size. The cube also began to crack and leak a blood-red liquid that infected the surrounding environment. Any life form exposed to that liquid would be contaminated and turn cancerous. Now, the sight of a pulsating plain of flesh complete with living trees haunted the forest.
Leaping from her position, the elf moved to the place where the infection had stopped spreading.
"Even mother earth is frightened by it..."
She could hear the surrounding trees screaming in pain as their life force was forcibly taken away. Placing her palm against one of the trees that had begun to become contaminated, the elf tried to share her mana. Her palm began to glow and gave off a green aura that enveloped the tree. Although the tree seemed to be getting better at first, it also made the cancer spread rapidly. Disappointed with the results he got, the elf stepped back and could only watch the tree die a slow death.
"Nar'ma! Stop playing around and keep your focus on that seedling!"
The growl of a disgruntled beast was heard because of its companion's careless behavior. Flerdrest in his true form emerged from the shadows of the tree. A large dragon with crystal scales glistened as the sunlight hit it from between the trees. The scales looked like thick chunks of crystal that were very sturdy as well as heavy, it made its appearance look menacing as well as graceful. There was a long, pointed spiral horn sticking out from the center of its head. The horn had a smooth texture and glittered like a polished rainbow agate. Despite having a fairly large and muscular body for a dragon, Flerdrest walked through the trees without making a sound. His every step did not leave the slightest trace on the scattered silver leaves. The flow of mana energy around him was also calm, spreading and neutralizing the dirty energy in the air.
He raised his head high into the sky like an arrogant dragon, intimidating his careless interlocutor.
"I told you." He said with a momentary pause for no reason. "We shouldn't relax too much and be rash around here, at least until reinforcements arrive."
Feeling every breath of the burnt-smelling dragon. The elf named Nar'ma slowly retreated to take a deep breath. She opened her hood and shook out her long blonde hair.
"I know, I know." She replied indifferently.
"Huh..."
Grunt in annoyance at his partner's slightly indifferent behavior. Flerdrest decided to divert his frustration to the hastily made and overhauled plans. The arrival of Nar'ma Arum, the Guardian of the Forest and ruler of the Elven race was something Flerdrest had not been expecting. Being a High Elf meant extra duties in the government office, Flerdrest knew exactly what he was thinking. Being of a higher caste than most living beings makes them a bit haughty and stubborn. All High Elves have a special connection with nature that gives them a heightened sensitivity to it. But the real problem with his arrival was, he couldn't let the elves be killed.
'If that happens, those long-eared bastards will find a new reason to cause trouble.'
As Flerdrest suspected, the arrival of this intruder from outer space would soon be sniffed out by others sooner or later.
"Have you contacted the others? You'd better ask Lord Roosteron to come here immediately."
Ignoring Nar'ma's suggestion, Flerdrest rethought the chances of victory that could be achieved with help. He could have summoned more help from his friends out there, Lord Roosteron being one of them. But he also thought hard about how to prevent anything untoward from happening if he did so. Feeling that he was at a dead end, Flerdrest looked at the hot afternoon sky carefully.
*IMPENDING DOOM*
The writing was plastered in the air just like that since one month ago. The first time he saw it, he could already guess what scale of the disaster he was about to face. If the world alone welcomed and warned its entire population of this impending destruction. Then it was normal for him to be paranoid as long as this devastating event had not yet befallen him. Unlike a dog whose tail is on fire, Flerdrest remained cool and tried to wrap his mind around the possible solutions. There would be bloodshed and that was certain, there would be lives lost and that was inevitable.
"We do need Roosteron..." He said quietly, realizing that he had hit a dead end.
Flerdrest was the type of person who, if given a boat, he would decided to swim across the lake. Although he sometimes had his own reasons for it, Flerdrest was a person who did not like to be indebted. Call him arrogant and haughty, he could not shirk that fact. Dragon blood runs through his veins and he is proud of it. You could have been born a dragon, but there were many ways for you to be recognized as such. But there is one thing that most people cannot deny, and that is stereotypes. If you are a large, haughty creature with thick reptilian features that is arrogant, haughty, greedy, and can spit at least fire, then you will be called a dragon.
But still, other dragons won't recognize you as one of them.
"Isn't that right? Then let's contact him now!"
Racing against time and limited resources, Flerdrest had no choice.
"Looks like we'll have to change the plan."
He needed a bigger man. Also, he could finally find a reason to send this Elf away.
"Nar'ma, go and search for Roosteron until you find him. I believe that he is also on his way to this place. I want you to convey my plan to him."
****
The ground began to tremble, the forest hysterical and roaring in pain at its existence. Pools of blood began to boil and flow in all directions. The blobs of flesh sucked up every bit of essence from the soil and vegetation they landed on. There was a white pillar construction protecting the lump of flesh, the pillar was none other than the ribs protecting the core. That core was a crystal cube with layers of flesh beating around it.
A few kilometers away from that fleshy mess, there were several platoons of knights standing guard. Each platoon surrounded the site from every cardinal direction, waiting for their leader's signal. Each of them stood as statue-like as a statue, wearing their fine armor. Made from legendary magical metals, they wore their armor with pride and confidence. The armor was designed in a way that allowed the wearer to move freely without compromising durability. Glowing in a shiny orange color, the knights stoically awaited their leader's signal.
Among them, there was one figure who looked very different from the others. He wore white armor filled with ornaments in the shape of geometric objects. Wearing a pyramid-shaped headdress, the man monitored the environment in front of him. The carved eyes on each side of his head armor gave off a cold feeling of being watched. Raising his large, round shield, the man turned towards his troops.
"As you can see, the form of this disgusting mess. It is about to reveal its vile and evil self!"
He exclaimed loudly with his tone of voice as cruel as thunder.
"We have been tasked by the Guardian of Light, Lord Flerdrest. To help him defeat that abomination with all our might and body and soul. You are the chosen ones! You are not children who complain about trivial things, you are the greatest fighters, warriors, and airmen."
"""Uooo!!!""""
"We will flood this war with the cruelty of magic and its attributes. Let them know how strong this world can fight back..."
The clouds began to darken, the previously bright mountainous area now began to dim. The silver leaves began to lose their magical luster, leaving Silky Mountain with a dim landscape. But a glimmer of light began to reappear as the silver forest, revealed the lord of light that resided within. A majestic dragon with rainbow crystal scales flew into the sky elegantly with his beautiful crystal wing. He doused the mountain once more with magical light that brought protection to his allies, and destruction to his enemies. His presence brought a wave of confidence and a fiery spirit to every warrior present in that place.
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Flying around the cube, the dragon created numerous magic circles that made the sky brighter. From each of those magic circles, a huge crystal pillar came out and began to surround the dragon's body. Not to be outdone by him, all the warriors around him will soon begin to show their main skills. Each of them began to pull out a variety of staffs with different shapes, lengths, and colors. They were all wizard knights with excellent raiding skills. They were the elite among the elite gathered from all over the country by Flerdrest himself. Each of the platoons was led by Flerdrest's confidant who held the most powerful power among them.
Waiting for the cloud to reveal its intentions, everyone began to mentally and physically prepare themselves for the life-and-death battle that was about to come. Although they had the assurance of safety from the Flerdrest itself, they knew very well that accidents were inevitable. As they all watched Flerdrest hovering silently above the cube, they were also constantly checking the protective dome covering the mountain. It was a dome that trapped everything inside, yet could still let something in from the outside.
The plan given was simple, flexible, and easy to improvise in every situation.
They just had to make sure that the enemy they were fighting didn't come out of the dome.
*THE CATASTROPHE HAS AWAKENED*
Even though Flerdrest transformed into his dragon form, he still couldn't hide his worry.
"Oh cruel fate, why does it have to be now?"
On that very day, the knights and their commander knew that dragons could complain.
"RAAAAAAAH!!!"
A thunderous roar spread throughout the continent. Full of pain and suffering, bones began to grow from the plain of flesh. The red cube shook and began to trembling out of control, signaling the impending disaster. Slowly a large humanoid skeleton began to take shape piece by piece. The cube that had been standing firmly where it was, now began to melt into a bright red puddle. The turbulent fleshy mass condensed at the point where the cube was and began to form a face.
"RAAAAAAAH!!! FLERDREST, I'M COMING FOR YOU DAMMIT!!!"
For now, it was just an unfinished head. The skull and organs such as the brain were still not fully formed, there were only muscles and blood covering it.
"Ah... it's really you, Hazel."
Flerdrest immediately moved away from that place into the clouds. His body began to shine very brightly as the energy from the orange sunlight began to seep into his body. The pillars around him spun rapidly in a clockwise direction. They spun so fast that no air could pass through them. Aiming them at the thick cluster of clouds, Flerdrest effectively drove all the clouds away from his surroundings.
"I don't know how you found me. But... your existence is not welcome here, by this planet."
The crystal pillars absorbed every bit of light energy emitted by the sun as much as possible. Once they shone brightly enough, Flerdrest harvested all the energy they had absorbed in the form of rainbow rays. The growl from the chaos that began to form beneath him, made Flerdrest begin to hurry. Using himself as a focal point, he gathered his unique light energy that had a unique aspect. While his target had already begun to grow a perfect colossal humanoid form, it was still not large enough to reach him. A bloody giant consisting only of a torso and large, asymmetrical arms, attempted to reach Flerdrest. Every muscle, bone, and joint in that mess of a body was seething with rage. The crunching sound of broken bones, accompanied by the pounding sound of severed ligaments, echoed throughout the plains. The abomination was unable to handle his overly rapid growth which caused his body to fall off continuously. But no matter how much damage he made to himself, it would always grow again in no time.
"[Incarnate]!"
Roaring with all his strength, Flerdrest shot out a stream of destructive energy that was focused on him. Rather than cruelly piercing through the monster's body, the energy beam crashed and quickly spread out and roasted every part of its body. Every drop of the emitted energy spread rapidly to the roots of the abomination, erasing it from the plain. Flerdrest fired that stream of energy for several seconds until there was no more energy left in his body. Feeling a little dull from the side effects of running out of mana, he remained floating where the sunlight could shine on him. He could only see the scenery of what was previously a majestic silver forest mountain range, now turned into a dull ash plain. He could not see anything of Hazel's whereabouts, which made him worried.
"Where is he?"
His gaze swept across the plain that he had locked inside his magical dome. Not detecting any response from his magic wall, Flerdrest grew fed up and descended from the sky quickly. His target was a pool of thick blood that glistened like gold. Gathering some mana in his horn, Flerdrest fired sonar waves into the surroundings.
But unfortunately, fate likes to play tricks on its participants.
A cruel wave of energy slammed into him and put him in a fragile state. From behind a pile of ash, a sharp uppercut was delivered. Flerdrest was blown so far into the sky that he crashed into his own barrier.
"Hello, dragon."
Standing there was a tall Hazel, complete with the natural armor that accompanied her true form. The swampy pool of blood also began to recede as Hazel sucked in every bit of energy she had wasted in vain. Red lightning splashed from her hands as her life essence seeped into every crevice of her armor. Awakened by confusion and ignorance of her surroundings. Hazel decided to let her instincts run free. The result was chaos and a terrible waste of resources. Sometimes quality should take precedence over quantity.
"That was close, I can't imagine what would have happened if I had been late." She said with relief and checked the completeness of his limbs.
Floating in the sky without a single movement. The dragon was unconscious as its head was blown apart. Hazel frowned slightly as she saw the damage she had done to Flerdrest. Her current self had grown so strong, to the point where she could throw a punch with the explosive power of a nuclear bomb. In this strange world, Hazel indirectly proclaimed herself as the ruler of the underworld.
Her opponent, on the other hand...
"Damn it, it's really you!"
Listening to that unfortunate jolt to the ears. Hazel looked up at the blindingly bright sky. The only thing she could see was the grouchy dinner candidate she had always been looking for. Hazel believed that the bastard who had casually opened the inter-dimensional gate in her world was the culprit for the unfortunate event she had experienced. Her nephew's meaningless death was caused by a cosmic explosion caused by the portal. Flerdrest, who lightly walked out of the portal at that moment, became the target of Hazel's wrath. Since she had a personal grudge against the dragon, to begin with, the incident made it worse. Since then, Hazel had developed a strong appetite for dragons. Since Flerdrest somehow managed to escape, Hazel, who had a long-standing grudge and hatred, became even more eager to hunt him down.
"You talk too much for a glass-scaled lizard!!!" Mocked Hazel who was getting wilder as her body began to mutate.
"Thanks!" Flerdrest replied playfully. "I didn't know you were actually a female either, it's a coincidence!" He shouted again after he assessed Hazel's form for a moment.
"!!?"
If Hazel were human, then her face today would be as red as a tomato in the truest sense of the word. Being a person who abides by the morals taught by her parents, Hazel disciplines her life based on those values. The values she was taught were noble and she considered them to have positive benefits for herself. The purpose of creating norms is to curb people from acting immorally.
Although she was technically naked, Hazel still had a natural armor that covered every inch of her skin at this time. But despite this, Hazel disliked the idea of exposing her curves. Although she used to often fight shirtless back when she was a male, her current condition was completely different. Another thing she noticed was her current size, thanks in large part to her genius idea. Hazel could not help but get used to fighting with her body which was five times bigger. She could feel the weight of her body shaking the earth around her, making her cautious in her steps.
"Get down here you lizard! Or I'll make you come down!!!" Threatened the fiery Hazel in the heat of boiling blood.
"No, just try if you can." He retorted with a tinge of mockery. Brandishing his two middle fingers, Flerdrest instantly disappeared from his place.
Giant magic circles began to appear one after another in the center of the crystal pillar formation. They collided with each other and began to perform their respective functions. Each circle had ancient letters flowing through the path that had been created for them.
"Heh, tricks like that are no longer meaningful now."
Using her signature skill, Hazel explained to the world why she was called the strongest. Requiring all her focus, executing this ability was almost impossible in the middle of a real battle. Hence, this brief pause was both the best and worst moment she could use. Gathering a large supply of energy into the heart of her reactors, Hazel tried to compress them as densely as possible. Overwhelmed by the pain and the feeling of weakness, Hazel fell to her knees while striking a defensive pose. The red flame of energy flowing through her armor began to fade as they all flowed into her reactor heart.
"Who said that?" Asked the dragon that suddenly reappeared above her.
Seeing her target reappear, Hazel did not care where she went before and immediately unleashed her destructive shockwave bomb blast. Using herself as the center of magnitude, she melted away all the dust on the plain in an instant.
The sound of shattering glass rang out as the shockwave brutally shut down every magical structure they hit. The crystal pillar also shattered as the wave crashed into them, followed by its owner. Flerdrest was overcome with confusion as he began to fall from the sky, the paralysis also freezing his reactions. It took a split second for the crystal hermit to realize that he had accidentally stumbled into the life-threatening danger of those around him at the moment. Immediately recovering from the debuff inflicted, he absorbed all the energy from the sunlight still shining on him. He regained his flying ability and decided to approach Hazel from a closer yet safe distance. His gaze locked on the figure of the blood-armored titan who was also staring intently at him. Having a strong feminine figure thanks to her armor hugging her tightly, made Flerdrest feel a little confused.
'pretty sure she was a male back then, maybe I just forget about it?'
"Nice trick, Hazel. But now, it's not just a fight between you and me." She explained respectfully. "But it's a fight between you and this world, and I'm its representative."
"What do I care about that? I have no intention of harming this world. Besides, my target is YOU!" Hazel's retort got straight to the point.
A disappointed look was plastered on Flerdrest's face, he had no idea what he could do with this person.
"Is that so? If that's the case this world shouldn't consider you a large-scale threat, to the point of calling in all the guards to get rid of you."
"Huh? How would I know about that, after all, I don't know who put me in this world either."
"Is that so?"
Flerdrest wished he could settle this peacefully, but he knew that was a dream that could never happen. If all he had to do was sacrifice himself to appease the monster's anger, then he would do so. But unfortunately, this case was different and much more complicated than he thought. Hazel is an intruder and the world detects that something is wrong with her. The only thing that can make the planet fear and rage, is a mystical event known as 'Ancient Seed Sowing'. This event had been discussed in an ancient book of dragons he had read, and he knew enough to know that Hazel was the chosen candidate. Usually, the celestials would choose their favorite mortal and fortunately, most of them were human.
"I think the Great Being who chose you is... a bit eccentric."
"Indeed."
Hazel got up and started her first steps toward her target. Despite having no advantage in her upcoming battle, her ego would not let her hands stop scratching at fate. Knowing the same, Flerdrest kept as much distance from her as possible and prepared his first attack. All his crystal pillars were already destroyed, but all he had to do was create them again.
A lot...
"If that's what you want, Hazel. Then you should be eliminated."
A strong wind swept away all the dirt, purifying all the remnants of destruction. There were no more clouds in the sky, the golden rays of glory shining down on Flerdrest and his army in harmony. Raising his hands high, Flerdrest created many rainbow orbs that spread everywhere. He also restored his protective dome that managed to save his army from Hazel's wave of death. Once he had had enough, all those orbs transformed into much larger crystal pillars and began to rotate in a circular formation around him. Just as had happened before, the crystal pillars again supplied Flerdrest with the light energy they had harvested indefinitely. At this stage, Flerdrest essentially had an unlimited supply of energy.
"Surrender now! Resistance will be futile, I have the gods and the world on my side!"
Waiting for an answer was a waste of time, Flerdrest immediately showered Hazel with millions of light flechettes. Hazel did not move from her spot and haughtily waited out the rain of projectiles. After recovering for a short time, Hazel used the little time she had to strengthen her armor. She needed a lot of energy to do so, but it would be worth it. None of the flechettes managed to penetrate Hazel's sturdy armor.
"I won't..."
Creating a tense atmosphere of silence, both sides had already decided on their respective answers.
"Then... die."
A storm of different magic projectiles began to come from the four cardinal directions. Showering Hazel in an infinite hell of projectiles, Flerdrest's first plan began to enter its early stages.