Without a speck of hesitation, Dream spun around. With the Nagadread right on his tail, he recognized it was time to execute the age-old strategy of strategic retreat—a.k.a. running away. Yet, this wasn't a matter of cowardice; it was about securing a tactical advantage.
At this point, their stats were fairly balanced, with the Nagadread having slightly more P.P than Dream and him having more A.P in reserve than the Nagadread.
The snake's prior attack was clearly intended to be lethal, but its failure to achieve its goal had only managed to level their overall stats to an equal ground. Well, if you could even consider that level footing.
In that moment, he had two options. The first was to run away, while the other was to directly confront the snake head. He could sense deep in his gut that the latter would likely devolve into a battle of attrition between him and the snake—an outcome he was eager to stay away from.
There were two distinct reasons behind this choice. It stemmed from the only two approaches he could adopt for this battle, should he decide to actually face the snake—a choice he deliberately avoided. These two approaches were rooted in either adopting a defensive or offensive strategy; there was no middle ground. Well, there was one, but it was a very goofy one, so it was best to simply ignore it.
The former approach implied relying on his modest prana reserves to wear down the beast, though this would inevitably leave him devoid of prana by the battle's end, rendering victory impossible. Neither Arcane nor Odo-wielding were suitable for taking down monsters of this caliber.
The latter approach meant leaning heavily on his Odo reserves instead of Arcane energy to defend himself against the snake. Odo, so far, had proven to be the optimal counter against the snake's attacks. Yet, Dream had reservations about this approach as well. Opting for a defensive stance implied being under siege, something he was determined to avoid at any cost, as a single lapse in judgment could prove fatal.
Right now, among the three powers I wield, I mostly rely on my Prana for my fights. Even though I've gained other abilities, I'm mostly a mage. Mages are good at attacking from far away, not up close.
“So, no. It's not about me being a coward. This is just the smart way for the mage that I, very, am to fight.”
The truth was that after his last encounter with the valkyries and his most recent confrontation against the Boomwingers, Dream had come to a realization. Even though the system enabled him to conduct thorough and detailed risk assessments, helping him make sensible choices, he still had this horrible habit of being overly daring when it came to getting close to his opponents.
His confidence in close combat had grown a lot after getting Odo, making him overly sure of himself. In the past, he had every reason to feel that way because hardly anyone could beat him. But now things were totally different. His opponents weren't just mages he could overpower with strength; they were a whole new kind of challenge, with tougher skin and protection. He learned this the hard way. Paying the price, he lost his arm. Dream had learned from this and was now trying hard to fix this bad habit of his.
“I need distance,” coming to a halt, Dream spun around and reached out to the ground. “That’s what I need to put a safe distance between me and my opponents.”
Skill: [ Aspect ]
Aquamorphism
[Morphogenesis]
50
By muddying the ground in the path of the slithering Nagadread, Dream made the creature stumble and fall. Withdrawing away, Dream didn't even bother wasting additional time on using Cryomorphism, knowing it would only hinder the Nagadread for a few seconds.
Emerging from the muddied ground, the snake was visibly furious, its screeches harmonizing with the crackling lightning around it. Its dark mouth gaped open, hissing threateningly at Dream. However, Dream wasn't bothered; in fact, he was satisfied.
This was exactly what wanted: to provoke the Nagadread into anger, pushing it to abandon all reason. He hoped that in its rage, the snake would unleash its electro-elemental fury without restraint. This would lead to a rapid depletion of both its P.P and A.P, leaving Dream with the perfect opportunity to finish it off using his reserves of prana.
I still have one-third of my A.P and half of my P.P. Go ahead, unleash another attack if you dare, Ugly! I'm waiting for it.
Getting ready to summon a thick layer of Odo, Dream patiently waited for the Nagadread to unleash its electro-elemental attack. However, things didn't go as he thought. In a surprising twist, the Nagadread seemed to understand his plan. Rather than using its electric attack, it twisted its body and flung debris and bodies at Dream with forceful movements.
As if grasping the essence of Dream's strategy, the snake-like creature skillfully twisted its body. Instead of launching an electro-elemental assault, it used this maneuver to whip its tails and send a collection of nearby debris and lifeless trees directly in Dream's general direction.
With a swift reaction, Dream summoned,
[ Aero ]
Acolyte
Wind Shield
46
—an aerial wall that shielded him from the torrent of debris and trees. The protective barrier deflected the projectiles away, sparing him from their violent impact.
The Nagadread, nevertheless, wasn't going to give in. It quickly slithered forward with increased vigor, seizing the chance to close the gap between them. It prepared to assault Dream directly, hissing menacingly as it drew near. Its eyes gleamed with an unwavering intensity as it prepared to launch a direct attack on Dream, hissing menacingly as it bore down upon him.
“Tsk.”
This is going to be a waste of my precious P.P but it’s not like I have a choice.
This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.
[ Aero ]
Novice
Hurricane Slash Lvl.1
142
Conjuring his aero-elementalis, Dream unleashed [Hurricane Slash] straight at the creature, before calling forth for his wind to get —before following with
Dream slashed the charging beast with his [Hurricane Slash]. The wind blade struck, causing some damage but not stopping the creature's unrelenting charge. In that critical moment, Dream called forth for his aero-elementalis once more. He propelled himself backward and upward through the air, putting distance between himself and the oncoming threat.
However, the creature showed no hesitation. Without missing a beat, it continued its charge, propelling itself towards Dream who was now suspended midair.
Dream weighed his options. At that moment, he wanted to use Odo, to save his prana reserves, as he had expended a considerable amount of prana during the battle. Doubts crept in, questioning whether he would have enough P.P to actually defeat the creature.
Yet, the sight of the creature's gaping maw, ready to strike closing in, snapped him back to reality: I can’t afford myself the luxury of being stingy.
[ Aero ]
Novice
Hurricane Slash Lvl.1
142
Seizing the moment, Dream summoned [Hurricane Slash] once again. This time, with the creature's wide-open mouth as his target. The wind blade surged forward, striking the creature inside its gaping maw. The force of the attack hit the creature like a hammer, causing it to recoil violently. A painful screech erupted from the Nagadread as it writhed in agony, the wind blade's impact having taken its toll.
Seizing the opportunity, Dream landed safely on the ground. The creature's response allowed him to catch his breath and strategize for his next move. The battlefield rumbled as the Nagadread writhed in pain, its cries reverberating through the air.
Dream's [Hurricane Slash] had given the Nagadread a hard shake, but it wasn't enough to finish it off.
Name
H.P
A.P
W.P
P.P
Threat
Aspect
Lesser Aspect
Nagadread Lvl.3
25▼/57
249▼ / 524
0.5
333▼ / 1576
Behemoth
Elemental Resonance
Electrokinetic Resonance
Electrokinetic Dissonance
Venting its pain through hiss and writhes, the creature endured the pain of eating a literal wind blade, before gradually calming down and regaining its serenity, its attention panning. Meeting the Nagadread's gaze, Dream could see it was far from giving up. In fact, it seemed more determined than ever to end Dream's life.
A swift look at the Nagadread's stats revealed that his recent attack had made an impact, dropping its H.P. below the halfway mark. This was a hopeful sign. Just another 50% to go. Yet, a glance at his own stats erased any potential smile before it even had a chance to form.
Name
H.P
P.P
O.P
O.M.P
A.P
Level
Dream
77▼/108
113▼/1652
212▼/438▲
41.7▲
151▼/439
16
Faced with the harsh reality, two equally bitter options presented themselves to Dream. One path implied not just a strategic retreat, but a complete and absolute withdrawal. The other option was to remain and engage in a battle that would demand every ounce of his strength and determination. However, Dream's rationality, guided by the information provided by the system, whispered a clear truth to him. This was a battle with no hope of victory for him, regardless of how valiantly he fought.
His prana reserves were below 10%, not even enough for another [Hurricane Slash]. His actual P.P was even lower than both his O.P and A.P, which were both equally useless against the Nagadread at the moment.
I only could just rely… even if it’s just a bit, on Odo to lower that thing H.P.
The thing was that, had it been ordinary circumstances—meaning a battle against a non-electro-elemental hybrid creature—he could have used his Odo abilities without hesitation. Even if of course, this meant discarding his previous mantra as a mage, which was to “keep a safe distance from danger.” But if it got the job done, who would really care?
Dream saw his life flash before his eyes, but it didn't go far. It stopped at his latest battle against the Valkyries—his mind fixating on the chakram-wielding Valkyries and the one with a bow.
Stubborn as he was, he summoned Odo and began shaping chakrams slowly. However, as he glanced at the colossal snake before him, he crushed the form taking shape between his fingers with his hands.
While close-distance combat was not the only way to use Odo, as it lacked the otherworldly, world-altering change that prana and Arcane possessed, whether one was considering blunt force, piercing, or slashing, the thought of using Odo primarily centered around physical applications; this also happened to encompass unique approaches like the ballistic one, which was something Dream, as a mage, a creature fond of safe distance, had proven himself quite adept, though he harbored reservations regarding whether any of his Odo-imbued daggers would manage to even scratch the Nagadread's thick scales.
As this realization took root in Dream's mind, a thought flourished, prompting him to mutter, "My daggers won't, but this might..." Under his breath, he summoned Odo particles that coalesced into a lengthy spear, easily twice or thrice his own size. In another context, such a weapon might have been deemed impractical for someone of his stature to wield. However, that would hold true only if that person intended to use the spear conventionally. Dream, on the other hand, had a different plan in mind.
Clutching the golden spear at its midpoint, Dream had his aero-elementalis envelop the entire length of the weapon. It took him a few seconds to grasp exactly what he intended to accomplish with his elementalis.
Once did, he looked at the snake, who seemingly noticed that he was up to something had lightning zapping from all across his body, ready to unleash another lightning elementalis attack at Dream, but before it could do so, Dream hurled his spear at the creature.
The spear soared with a swiftness exceeding the typical velocity of a thrown weapon, propelled not by Dream's physical strength but rather by the force of his aero-elementalis. The spear flew, intercepting the Nagadread just as it was preparing to unleash another lightning elemental attack on Dream.
The golden spear didn't merely disrupt the creature's assault; it buried itself halfway through the Nagadread's flesh, plunging deeply near its eyes. With a resounding impact, the spear buried itself halfway into the creature's flesh, penetrating deep near its eyes. The snake-like creature recoiled and coiled in reaction, its body writhing violently from the force of the blow. The immense pain and shock of the strike had a profound effect, leaving the Nagadread momentarily incapacitated, its once decisive momentum disrupted.
In that moment, as the partially buried spear disappeared, blood gushed from the wound inflicted by the blade, prompting a smile to finally grace one corner of Dream's mouth.