The intense wind dissipated soon after it began, and the fervent stillness of before returning.

What did Astaroth do? Mason thought, sure his summon was the cause of such explosive power. He dropped his arm and squinted, remnants of dust still in the air,

“Woah” Mason couldn't help but mumble as a head filled his field of vision. The head was clearly draconic, covered in black scales and two horns jutted out backward on either side. It's piercing, silvery eyes watched Mason, and hot air blew past him, its massive nostrils easily large enough to fit an entire human. It began to raise its head and step backward, its entire form coming into view. This dragon dwarfed mountains, its inky, toned body twitching, and pulsing as it moved. A bright blue energy seemed to pulse between its scales, and strands of lighting occasionally burst from its body, accompanied by a loud and earth-shuddering boom. Its legs were thick yet muscular, and its talons seemed to be at least twenty meters long. They dug into the ground like a hot knife to butter.

“I’ll fly us to them.” A booming voice shook the area, “It isn’t far, but if they witness our power, It’ll be easier to obtain funds from them.” The voice was deeper than Astaroth in his human form, incredibly menacing coming from such a monstrous entity. However, instead of fear, an unusual feeling struck Mason. Ecstasy. The skills he obtained and the wondrous fantasy world he found himself in, already gripped him with excitement. Yet witnessing such an otherworldly transformation, a being he had complete control over, was on another level. Without hesitating, Mason activated his teleport skill. He vanished out of existence instantaneously–no sound, or visual cue, as if he was never there. Instead, his body was now standing on top of Astaroth’s head. Now, from such a close distance, Mason admired the size of the dragon’s scales. Each dwarfed his form by at least a meter.

Astaroth seemed to sense Mason’s presence, swiftly raising his titanic wings. Mason could feel his heart punching against his rib cage, his mind firing off warnings as he experienced such a fantastical event. And yet, he couldn't wipe the smile off his face. He dropped to his knees, digging his fingers into a small crevice within one of the scales. Presently, Astaroth dropped his wings, the force generated from such a motion vaporizing the ground below and shooting enormous plums of dust into the air. Wind surged, however, Mason remained protected atop his summon, witnessing the ground beneath grow smaller and smaller as they gained altitude.

Only a few minutes passed, Astaorth’s enormous form gilded only a few miles above the surface, yet the force of his wings still obliterated any tree or creature below.

Mason squinted his eyes, witnessing powerful shock waves pass through the forest a few miles away, and plums of smoke burst from the surface that reached heights far above Astaroth. Large chunks of forest were ripped from the Earth and shredded by techniques and magic. Mason couldn't help but laugh as he recalled Astaroth's words,

“Those are really weak humans, huh?” Mason mumbled, his voice blurred against the powerful winds that ravaged him.

Are humans on this planet all that strong? Mason thought, Or is Astaorth so overwhelmingly powerful he views this as weak? He believed more so in the latter. Presumably, Astaroth possessed techniques, and possibly magic on par with, or maybe even stronger than his skills. Mason thanked his past self for not only choosing Skill upgrade but also the summon skill. His life in the world was without a doubt going to be incredible.

This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.

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Isabella sat crouched in her carriage, ears covered, legs trembling, as her most trusted guard maintained a powerful barrier. The carriage shook violently, the sound of uprooted trees flying, and rock crashing down reverberated throughout. Isabella’s blonde her flapped, her beautiful blue eyes turning to the person sitting next to her,

“Blair, you should be helping Lucas and Jonah. I don’t want to lose anyone else,” Isabella pleaded, her voice tinged with sorrow. Many of her closest allies had been killed in her seemingly vain pursuit of the throne. She couldn't bear to see any more blood,

“They’ll be fine, don’t worry.” Blair, a beauty with long, straight black hair sat with her eyes closed, beads of sweat streaming down her sharp features. Blair looked to be an older woman, her form covered by the universal attire of Isabella's guard–black armor partially covered by inky leather, “My barrier is for your protection. I won’t abandon you-” Blair groaned, her eyes closing tighter as she visibly grits her teeth. A loud crashing sound accompanied powerful vibrations that shook the ground harsher than before.

“Blair!” Isabella yelled, her eyes watery,

“I’m okay, I can hold the barrier for a while more,” Blair spoke through ragged gasps. Her shoulders had slumped, and bags began to form under her eyes. Louder noises rang out, and the ground began shaking with an almost unbearable violence, the only thing protecting Isabella from instant death was the weakening barrier that surrounded her lavish carriage. The intense battle raging outside continued, trees uprooted and flung, dirt and rock cracked and heaved, until everything went quiet. Not one living creature uttered a sound. A single, powerful shake of the Earth brought something different to the stillness. An overwhelming aura overtook the area. Something unbelievable arrived.

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The display of power by people Astaroth considered extremely weak continued to baffle Mason as they drew closer to the battle. Wind whipped across his form yet his grip remained firm. Mason noted his increase in strength. Something like this wouldn't be possible with a regular human body. More time passed, and the carriage was now less than a mile away.

“Once you land, figure out who’s attacking the girl and kill them,” Mason yelled, his voice muffled by the wind, worried Astaroth wouldn't hear.

“Okay,” A deep, booming voice resounded as Astaroth stopped flapping his wings, decided to glide the rest of the way. Less than two minutes passed before the dragon's massive body arrived, maneuvering his wings in such a way as to slow his speed and come crashing down onto the minuscule trees below. Plums of dust shot into the air and the ground shattered on impact. From his vantage point atop Astaroth’s head, Mason noticed a few combatants, their bodies frozen from sheer terror. Much of the forest around had been uprooted and cleared, leaving an unusual sight among the destruction. A lone medieval carriage surrounded by a spherical, translucent shield. Everything within its almost five-meter diameter, including frightened horses, was unscathed.

Another wave of energy exploded out, similar to the previous technique Astaroth used. A low vibration shook Mason’s body as if he stood in front of a speaker blasted at full volume. This energy expanded, passing through the area in an instant.

The world seemed to freeze with trepidation as a low growl reverberated throughout the forest. Astaorth slowly raised his head, eyes glowing with vibrant blue energy. Mason’s eyes widened, and his heart began pounding against his ribs. A wide smile stretched his lips, and he pushed himself up, standing high as he needed a better view of the display that was about to occur.

Lighting burst from Astaroth’s body, shooting across the sky, and incinerating the ground as it let out crackles of overwhelming power. The people below tried to run, they tried to move their muscles but a primal fear kept them in place, stuck witnessing what they understood would be their demise.

Astaroth continued to raise his head, letting out even more lighting, stretching his wings, covering a large portion of the sky,

“You’re putting on quite the show,” Mason said through a hearty laugh.