Blessing of the Guardian Dragon: Synergy Initiated…
Blessing of the Guardian Dragon: Synergy Completed.
Blessing of the Guardian Dragon: Absorption Initiated…
Blessing of the Guardian Dragon: Absorption Completed.
Blessing of the Guardian Dragon: Integration Initiated…
Blessing of the Guardian Dragon: Integration Completed.
[ Nexus Alert]
Mawcrawler’s Lesser-Aspect [Morphogenesis] Absorbed
H.P
A.P▲
W.P
5▲
92▲
0.2▲
Name
H.P
P.P
O.P
O.M.P
A.P
Level
Dream
81▲/87▲
679/997
438/438▲
41.7▲
218▲
14
Skills
Aspect
Lesser Aspect
W.P
Nexus System
⥈
⥈
Morphogenesis [0.4]
Aquamorphism
0.2
Cryomorphism
0.2
“Not so bad after all,” Dream smiled at the sight of his Arcane Potential and Wisdom Purity.
Dao, a god who wielded a power akin to "knowledge" or "wisdom," had the ability to control laws. The existing enlightened beasts encompass a variety of beings - monsters, animals, and even simple arbians, like the sages. Once these creatures encountered a remnant of Dao, they underwent a change, known as evolution in the case of monsters and animals, granting them the potential to wield that power.
These remnants, ranging from lesser to greater, took the form of what is known as "aspects" through the beings that encountered them. These aspects are highly limited yet tangible manifestations of Dao's former power. The present arcane-wielding beings are mostly descendants of those who encountered these remnants, evolved, and developed aspects they wielded until they passed them on to their offspring.
Wisdom Purity allows the Dream, through the system, to assess the current aspect users' proficiency in wielding their arcane potential. It also helps gauge how much degradation the lesser aspects have experienced before landing in the hands of their wielders. Less than one suggests the aspect has indeed degraded, while more than one indicates that the aspect may have originated from a greater remnant, resulting in a more potent aspect that either didn't degrade or only did so slightly, never retrograding into a lesser aspect.
In most cases, it is safe to assume that as time passes, the transfer of an aspect to another being implies a form of retrogradation, a gradual weakening or degradation. However, in exceedingly rare instances, the opposite may occur, leading to an unexpected enhancement or empowerment of the aspect and thus, by extension, its lesser aspect.
Name
H.P
A.P
W.P
Aspect
Lesser Aspect
Boomwingers
[Queen]
17/17
47/400
1
Morphogenesis
Photomorphism
The high wisdom purity displayed by the Boomwingers [Queen] implies that it has been more skilled at handling its lesser aspect of Morphogenesis, just as [Photomorphism] suggests that it had been more adept at wielding its lesser aspect than the two Mawcrawlers with theirs.
“—and that shows.”
Despite absorbing everything that was there to be absorbed from the Mawcrawler, its body, much like the first Mawcrawler and unlike the awakened beasts and Odo wielders Dream had defeated so far, remained in place as if nothing had happened. Yet, in spite of this, the Boomwinger, as if having noticed what had occurred, shifted its attention to Dream.
“I won’t simply let you go, will you?”
Already familiar enough with how it was going to end up, Dream raised his arm, aiming at the Boomwingers [Queen] and unleashed his electro-elementalis.
[ Electro ]
Apprentice
Thunderspear Lvl.4
95
Lightning shot from Dream's hand, flying incredibly fast at the Boomwinger [Queen], who made no effort whatsoever to evade it. Instead, she had most of her Boomwingers [Simpletons] disperse away while four of them laid down their lives to protect her in an explosive finale.
Boom.
“I wish I, too, had my own army of suicidal simpletons ready to die for my safety,” Dream mused. “If I could do that, I wouldn't have lost an arm.”
A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.
Not so surprisingly, the Boomwinger [Queen] was unharmed thanks to the sacrifices of her simpletons. Not only was she unharmed, but she also withdrew to the background as the Boomwingers started circling around Dream, along with a good dozen of her simpletons.
Intriguingly, Dream sensed a surprising level of intelligence in the enemy swarm's coordinated movements. Taking a moment to observe their behavior, Dream noticed how, aside from the fact that each simpleton seemed ready to lay down their life for the Boomwinger [Queen], she also appeared to be directing their actions to a certain extent. This was proven when Dream raised his hand and aimed tauntingly at the queen; the swarm, in a weird, brief, almost unnoticeable squirming motion of their queen, adjusted their formations with calculated precision to protect her.
Dream's taunting prompted several Boomwingers, acting as a shield for their queen, to dive murderously at him. In response, Dream unleashed his [Wind Shield]. However, just as he did, the Boomwingers abruptly aborted their dive. "Huh?" reacted Dream, perplexed by their sudden change of course. His reflexes prompted him to turn toward a blind angle, where he spotted more Boomwingers diving at him. "Close one," Dream reacted, narrowly avoiding their attack just in time.
Stepping back, Dream cast
[ Aero ]
Initiate
Air Blade Lvl.5
48
—several times, causing the hit Boomwingers to detonate in midair, creating fireworks-like displays all around Dream. Not even granted a moment of relief, Dream heard the Boomwingers closing in on him from all directions.
"Tsk," thoughts raced in Dream's mind.
If I were to directly confront the incoming Boomwingers, surely others lurking in the background would join the fray, creating a perpetual cycle of attacks, draining my precious prana in the process.
No, that won't do. I need a more calculated approach.
With a focused mind, he conjured a controlled gust of wind that blew in all directions. Not a devastating force, mind you, just enough to push them back and keep them at a distance.
The Boomwingers struggled against the force of the wind, their wings flapping wildly, but they were unable to advance any further. Despite their initial confusion, they quickly regrouped, retrieving their positions in formation, surrounding Dream once again, leading back to the initial stalemate.
“Hmph,” Dream chuckled. “I see what you were trying to do here.”
Dream's keen perception allowed him to grasp the cunning strategy of the Boomwingers. Their approach was all about exhausting their opponent, much like they had done with the Mawcrawler and, as he realized, with him just moments ago. They sought to wear down their adversaries, capitalizing on their vast numbers and coordinated attacks.
Their fighting style seemed to rely on playing the long game, waiting for any sign of weakness in their opponent. It was a battle of attrition, a test of stamina and endurance, even if it cost the lives of most of their ranks, for it was something that they, or at least their queen, could afford. After all, as mentioned in the system description, she simply could spawn more of them as long as she had enough Arcanic Points in reserves to do so.
"I can't afford to underestimate them," Dream muttered to himself. Neither his arcane nor his Odo wielding were a good match against them, so wasting his prana on endless skirmishes was out of the question.
“You're smart, I give you that, but as smart as you are, I doubt you're better than I am,” he said confidently.
To defeat them, Dream needed to be smarter and more strategic. He had to find their weak points and exploit them. Perhaps it was time to turn their own cunning against them. With this newfound understanding, he took a deep breath and focused his mind. It was a battle of wits now, and Dream was determined to come out on top. The Boomwingers may have had the advantage in numbers, but he had the advantage of intellect.
His mind racing, Dream quickly came up with a course of action. Conjuring his electro-elementalis, he unleashed:
[ Aero ]
Apprentice
Slithering Strike Lvl.5
48
First, he directed a surge of lightning not at the Boomwingers, but instead at the ground around him. Gray dust billowed up into the air, creating a hazy cover. Taking advantage of the swirling dust, he conjured his electro-elementalis once more, shaping it into a swirling tornado that enveloped him.
Then, in the midst of his tornado, Dream conjured his aero-elementalis, manifesting an old mantra of his—one of his earliest, if not actually his first.
[ Aero ]
Apprentice
Unnamed Mantra Lvl.10
149
[Unnamed Mantra] manifested as a mesmerizing aero-elemental marvel, empowering Dream to weave a celestial vortex. At its present tier, [Unnamed Mantra] not only drew in the winds conjured by Dream's elementalis but also ensnared the surrounding winds that formed his tornado, compelling them to succumb to the vortex's mighty pull.
The winds were not the only ones drawn into Dream's vortex. The Boomwingers too were caught in its grasp, their movements hindered by the force of the swirling winds.
The Boomwingers, initially showing signs of struggle, swiftly adapted to the situation and allowed themselves to be drawn in by Dream's vortex. It was a risky move on their part, and Dream immediately grasped their intent. They were sacrificing themselves to get closer to him, hoping to detonate and take him down in the process. However, this was exactly what Dream had been anticipating.
In that critical moment, as they changed their strategy, Dream acted swiftly. He summoned his Odo and coated his body from head to toe, providing himself with additional protection. With his body now shielded, he extended his arms, which were the only part he didn’t bother coating in Odo, and called forth his electro-elementalis and had it burst forth, rampaging in all directions. The electrified winds engulfed the majority of the Boomwingers that had been drawn into the vortex, neutralizing their imminent explosive attacks.
The Odo coating proved its worth as the Boomwingers detonated harmlessly against its protective barrier, engulfing the whole area in large flames. From inside his coat of Odo, Dream could only feel the explosions shaking the ground. The protective barrier held strong, shielding him from the fiery onslaught.
As the flames subsided and the smoke began to dissipate, Dream stepped out from the Odo coating. He was surrounded by chaos, yet he remained untouched and unharmed, aside from feeling the strain on his prana reserves from the exertion. But glancing up, he was met with a sight that brought a smile to his face.
Name
H.P
A.P
W.P
Aspect
Lesser Aspect
Boomwingers
[Queen]
17/17
47/400
1
Morphogenesis
Photomorphism
While the Boomwinger [Queen] still remained, accompanied by half a dozen [Simpletons] who constituted her initial close-knit guard, her small army of [Simpletons] had been reduced to nothing. The once annoying swarm of explosive foes had been decimated, scattered across the battlefield in defeat, leaving only ashy and embery remnants.
Name
H.P
P.P
O.P
O.M.P
A.P
Level
Dream
82▲/87▲
292/997
187/438▲
41.7▲
218▲
14
“I might have gone a little overboard with this one.”
I really have work to do about my overall ergonomy but—
“—for now. it should be more than enough to get the job done.” Dream extended his hand toward the Boomwingers [Queen] and unleashed his elementalis. “Let’s see what you’re going to do now.”
[ Electro ]
Apprentice
Thunderspear Lvl.2
38
Reacting to Dream's attack, the Boomwinger [Queen] sent two of her [Simpletons] to intercept Dream's [Thunderspear]. The [Simpletons] exploded, creating a dark smoke that filled the air. Taking advantage of the chaos, the queen commanded the rest of her [Simpletons] to charge at Dream before she herself took flight, attempting to escape.
"As if I'm going to allow that to happen," Dream muttered, summoning his elementalis to send an arching gust that intercepted the incoming [Simpletons].
Boom.
Without wasting any time, Dream gave chase to the Boomwinger [Queen], determined not to let her get away. He had witnessed the potent power of [Photomorphism] in her hands and desired the lesser aspect for himself.
Impatient, Dream unleashed a salvo of electro-elementalis attacks at the Boomwinger [Queen], who was flying further and further away from him. The queen zigzagged and evaded his attacks with remarkable agility, even more so than the [Simpletons] that died to protect her.
“Tsk, so you were good at this all this time,” Using his aero-elementalis, Dream propelled himself forward, upward, and in the midair he muttered, “Isn’t this getting too one-sidedly unfair? Eat this!” He shouted, raining bolts at the Boomwinger [Queen]. She was hit and plummeted to the ground, landing with a crash.
Name
H.P
A.P
W.P
Aspect
Lesser Aspect
Boomwingers
[Queen]
10/17
47/400
1
Morphogenesis
Photomorphism
Landing back on the ground, Dream noted that his blow didn’t deliver the final strike. He wasted no time and charged at her, summoning [Thunderspear] to deal the final blow. But just as he was about to unleash his Thunderspear from a distance, he saw the Boomwinger [Queen] get back to all fours and turn toward him.
Name
H.P
A.P
W.P
Aspect
Lesser Aspect
Boomwingers
[Queen]
⥈
00▼/400
1
Morphogenesis
Photomorphism
“Huh?”
The next thing Dream saw was a blinding white light, instantly followed by a massive detonation.
Dream's body was sent rolling backward into the distance, enveloped inside the coat of Odo he had summoned just in time before being engulfed by the explosion. He rolled uncomfortably for a while before finally coming to a stop.
As the smoke and dust settled, Dream groaned, feeling a bit disoriented from the impact. Slowly, he pushed himself up, his body aching from the tumble. He was grateful for the protective Odo coating that had shielded him from the worst of the explosion. Coughing to clear the lingering smoke from his lungs, Dream glanced over to where the Boomwinger [Queen] had been standing. “To think she did that…”
Taking a moment to catch his breath and allow the buzzing sound in his ears to calm down, Dream assessed his surroundings. The area was scattered with debris from the explosion, and the air was thick with smoke and the acrid smell of burnt ozone. Once he gathered himself, Dream marched forward towards the center of the explosion, where the Boomwinger [Queen] had fallen, a particularly unpleasant thought manifesting in his heart.
“Don’t tell me…”