During the three years he spent back in Alexei's days, from the moment he set his goal to devour the moons and suns to the day he ultimately escaped the fortress, Dream and Suraxai spent most of their time, when not training his elementalis, discussing ways he could use the Nexus system that Suraxai was so proud of to his advantage. They brainstormed ideas about how he could harness his powers and the soon-to-be-acquired powers to defeat his up-until-then imaginary future opponents. Their conversations were filled with tactical planning, power optimization, and the exploration of the potential strengths and weaknesses of those who Suraxai imagined would, in the future, stand in his way.
They had brainstormed so extensively that, if Dream were to encounter an opponent previously mentioned by Suraxai, he would already have a flexibly crafted plan of attack, dug from the depths of his memory and formulated years ago by none other than Suraxai himself. Thus far, aside from the Valkyries, which surprisingly Suraxai hadn't spent as much time discussing, Dream had never had the opportunity to implement these plans. However, as he looked at this man and realized who he was upon seeing his status screen, the day Dream would finally make use of these plans seemed to have arrived.
Name
H.P
A.P
W.P
Aspect
Durant, Seventh Sage
(Reflection)
262▼/825
8012 / 17105
2
Chaos Vitalis [⥈]
Elemental Arcana [2]
Skills [Aspect]
Aspect
Lesser Aspect
W.P
Chaos Vitalis
⥈
⥈
Elemental Arcana
Aqualis
2
Aether
2
Sthal
1
Calcis
2
Ignis
2
Electrum
1.5
Silica
1.5
Terrae
2
“A child? Who are you?"
“You’ll be dead before getting an answer to that," Dream replied.
Suraxai had three maxims that he ingrained deeply into Dream's consciousness:
The first maxim was to never engage with anything significantly stronger than oneself. Running away was perfectly acceptable, and one should cast away all forms of pride and arrogance if necessary. Pride could always be recovered later.
The second maxim was to never use his strongest mantra, the highest level of his highest-ranked available mantra, against an opponent he wasn't certain would be defeated with a single strike of that mantra. He should only unleash it when he was absolutely sure of victory, because doing so would deplete at least half of his pranic reserves. If, by some stroke of bad luck, the opponent were to rise from the dead, having at least half his reserves left would allow him to apply the first maxim.
The third maxim was that when encountering a being that qualified as either a "godsent" or a "lord of old," there were two immediate courses of action for him to take. The first was to hold nothing back and cleanse that being without hesitation from the surface of the earth. The other was, in accordance with the first maxim, to run away if the opponent was too powerful for him to currently handle. This latter choice was seen as a worst-case scenario and was the one to be avoided at all costs.
Luckily for Dream, it appeared that he wouldn't need to apply the third maxim and run away; instead, he had the opportunity to do the other thing: eliminate the unfortunate being from the face of the earth.
“Who do you think you are to attack me like that!?” The man barked.
Ignoring the man’s barkings, Dream swiftly sent a mental command, and his two frontliner Battle Maidens, Selene and Luna, darted towards the man with incredible speed, their gleaming spears poised to strike.
Name
HP
O.P
O.M.P
Luna
185/185
4227/5917
1860
Name
HP
The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.
O.P
O.M.P
Selene
186/186
4468/6010
1860
I do not know where it got his arm chopped off, but to stumble upon the weakened reflection of one of the eight sages here, could it be that I’m finally getting luckier?
The man continued to control the swirling gusts around him, sending powerful blasts of wind towards the approaching Selene and Luna.
The Battle Maidens struggled against the force of the wind, their metallic wings flapping to keep them steady, but they couldn't close the gap between them and the elusive opponent. The gusts were too strong, pushing them back with each attempt to approach.
"I guess I have to assist them," Dream mumbled, then he had Nox fly up toward Selene and Luna, followed closely by Atlas.
As Dream's gaze met with that of the man, who hovered in the middair with an extremely confused expression on his face and wind engulfing him, Dream pointed his finger in his direction and unleashed his electro-elementalis.
[ Electro ]
Acolyte
Lightning Torrent.Lvl.2
233
A surge of electricity crackled through the air as Dream unleashed his electro-elementalis, sending a powerful bolt of lightning directly at the man. The bolt moved with incredible speed, closing the distance between them almost instantly. Caught off guard by the sudden attack, the man struggled to react in time.
However, just before the lightning could strike him, a swirling vortex of wind and gusts formed around the man, creating a makeshift shield that absorbed the brunt of the electrical blast. The wind shield crackled and flickered, but it held. The man, though bewildered, had managed to protect himself from Dream's attack.
“Aero-elementalis, Electro-elementalis… Pranakinesis!?” The old man barked, dumbfounded, “A DragonBane?! No, that can’t be!? Another of her spawns?! That antlers, those limbs, those valkyries, you’re an odo-wielder but how?! Who are you—No, what are you?”
“I already told you aren’t getting an answer to that question, for this is your burial ground.”
The old man's voice dripped with disdain as he shouted at Dream, "Insolence!"
Without summoning more winds to protect himself, the man suddenly dove towards the ground. At first, Dream was bewildered by this unexpected move, but he quickly grasped the man's intention.
As the old man descended, the wind circling him intensified, drawing dust and colorful boulders from the earth. These elements merged into individual, vibrant boulders that floated around him, adding an extra layer of defense. To make matters worse, liquid shot up from the ground and merged with the swirling elements.
Taking advantage of the momentary distraction created by his barrage, the old man swiftly rushed past the two battle maidens and came charging straight for Dream. His eyes blazed with determination and a hint of desperation.
Dream, cradled in Nox's arms, calmly assessed the situation. He understood that he needed to act swiftly to protect himself and his battle maidens. Without hesitation, he summoned odo-spears and hurled them at the approaching man.
The spears shot toward the old man with incredible speed and precision, but he was prepared. He used his aspect [Elemental Arcana], which granted him mastery over the swirling elements, to conjure a barrier of colorful boulders and swirling dust, creating a defensive shield that deflected the incoming spears with a series of dazzling sparks.
With the spears deflected, the old man closed the distance between them rapidly, his intent clear: to engage Dream in a close-quarters battle where apparently he seemed to believe his elemental powers could shine.
As the man closed in on Dream, the latter remained completely undeterred and unmoved by his approaching presence. With unwavering confidence, Dream made a mental command and had Atlas swiftly stand in his path, her shield at the ready.
The man, driven by his determination to engage Dream in close-quarters combat, bluntly bumped into Atlas's shield with force, creating a brief clash of power. In retaliation, he unleashed another barrage of colorful boulders, targeting the valiant Battle Maiden. With incredible reflexes, Atlas unfurled her wings to create a protective barrier against the incoming projectiles.
Despite her valiant efforts, a few of the boulders managed to strike Atlas, sending her tumbling backward through the air. Dream watched in alarm, ready to unleash an attack in case the man immediately targeted her. However, the man seemed to completely ignore Atlas, who, with a determined flap of her wings, struggled but quickly regained her balance in mid-air.
The old man had a more significant target in mind: Dream himself. Ignoring Atlas, he continued his relentless advance, closing the gap between them with astonishing speed and determination.
"For someone so intent on closing in on me at close quarters, you're far too slow and presumptuous, old man."
Dream's taunting words echoed through the air as he unleashed an electrifying arc of lightning at the approaching old man. The man, despite his earlier evasive maneuvers, couldn't avoid this new attack in time and was caught off guard. He quickly ascended into the air to evade the crackling lightning that surged toward him.
"Speak for yourself," the old man retorted.
However, Dream's devious plan didn't end there. As the lightning arc surged past the man, he began to descend once more, preparing to once again charge at Dream. But before he could reach his target, he heard Dream's confident voice from below.
“Oh, on the contrary, I was clearly not speaking for myself,” Dream declared with a sly smile.
The man turned his head just in time to see the same lightning he had just avoided now coming back at him from behind, sent back by none other than Dream's battle maiden. The Battle Maiden served as a perfect catalyst for Dream's electro-elementalis to bounce back at the man from an unexpected angle.
Caught in Dream's trap, the man had little time to react. With a mix of surprise and frustration, he attempted to evade the returning lightning, but the maneuverability of his makeshift elemental defenses was limited. The electrifying arc struck him, enveloping him in crackling energy. He let out a pained cry as the lightning coursed through his form, causing him to momentarily lose control of the swirling elements that surrounded him.
[ Electro ]
Acolyte
Lightning Torrent.Lvl.2
233
Before he could regain his composure, Dream followed up with another electro-elementalis attack. The man, barely having time to defend himself, braced for impact. The elements he had gathered around himself scattered as he was sent reeling backward in the air. He quickly recovered, his face a mixture of panic and concern as he stared at Dream.
Desperate to collect more elements from the ground, the man made a dive downward. But Dream was not about to let him off so easily. With a determined look, Dream commanded his battle maidens, Luna, Selene and even Atlas to block the man's access to the ground, effectively preventing him from replenishing his elemental defenses. The man was now trapped in a precarious situation, hovering in the air with limited resources to defend himself.
Name
H.P
A.P
W.P
Aspect
Durant, Seventh Sage
(Reflection)
98▼/825
3112▼ / 17105
2
Chaos Vitalis [⥈]
Elemental Arcana [2]
Stuck between a rock and a hard place, with Dream's battle maiden and Dream himself descending upon him, the man cast a fearful glance at Dream, realizing the direness of his situation. Without further hesitation, he chose what Dream deemed to be the most sensible course of action: to flee.
Controlling the winds around him, the man propelled himself upward and away, swiftly putting distance between himself and his pursuers. He soared through the sky, leaving a gust of wind in his wake.
"After him!" Dream mentally commanded his battle maidens, fully expecting the man's escape attempt. Selene, Luna, Atlas, and Nox all took to the sky in pursuit, their golden wings glinting in the sunlight as they chased after the fleeing figure.
Chasing after the old man, Dream and his battle maidens quickly adapted to the man's rhythm. Despite the man being ahead initially, they steadily closed the gap between them. The old man's attempts to shake off his pursuers were met with staunch resistance from Selene, Luna, Atlas, and Nox, who pursued him relentlessly, drawing nearer with each passing moment.
He sent his frontliners, Selene and Luna, to harass the old man, while he in her arms had Nox remain in the background, summoning a large spear into his hand. He muttered to himself, "Time to put an end to this. This has been dragged on for a bit too long."
Skill: [ Aspect ]
Photomorphism
[Morphogenesis]
1200
The old man attempted to shake off the battle maidens, using his control over the winds to keep them at bay. He managed to keep them at a distance, but he couldn't lose them entirely. Selene and Luna were nearly as rapid as he was, if not even more so. The chase continued, and the battle between the pursuit and the pursued raged on through the skies.
With a mental command, Dream had Selene and Luna withdraw from the vicinity of the old man. As formidable as they were, while they were proven to be immune to his electro-elementalis, they were not immune to "that". He deemed it wise not to risk their safety.
The old man, perplexed by their sudden retreat, turned around just in time to see Dream hurl a large golden spear through his [Galestrike Spear]. The spear closed in on him rapidly, and as it did, it was followed by a sudden burst of blinding light, leaving him with just no time to react.
Caught in the brilliant burst of energy, the old man let out a scream as he was being devoured by the sudden burst. The impact sent shockwaves rippling through the air, and the man was enveloped in a blinding explosion of light and power. It was a spectacular display of pranic might, and as the light subsided, the old man's form could no longer be seen.
Dream and his battle maidens hovered in the air, cautiously watching the winds and the explosion's aftermath calm down, leaving behind only the echo of his presence.