Draconic Ascension - System Apocalypse Isekai LitRPG

Even though they were lower-leveled than him, it seemed that all of them were over Level 25 and had undergone evolution. He needed to discover what their special Skill was. He cast twin Mana Waves the moment they got within range, but they were effortlessly dodged. The advantage of being capable of flying was too great. He cast them again, trying to widen their area-of-effect as much as possible. Most of the eagles avoided them, but two of them couldn’t stop diving fast enough. One lost both wings and fell off the mountain, while the other’s head was destroyed, its carcass staining the pure white snow. Michael let out a breath.

As soon as the other Eagles got within thirty meters of him, he cast the most fitting Skill for this kind of battle. The eagles approached him as he drew symbols in the air and chanted. When the first eagle was within five meters of him, he slammed the butt of his staff on the snow.

“Mana Field!”

A maelstrom of mana flowed out of him, immediately making the closest eagle crash to the ground. As it spread, it constrained and pressured every enemy within thirty meters. Due to the sudden weight, many eagles fell off the mountain, plummeting towards the vast sea of nothingness beyond the mountain proper. Yet, as soon as they left the Mana Field’s range, they flapped their wings and steadied themselves.

The pressure alone won’t result in any kills.

He needed to attack. Three spikes condensed above him and pierced the bodies of the eagles held in place by the Field. The maelstrom revolved around him like a small hurricane. It was then.

One of the eagles that had been circling the Mana Field without approaching started flying in place and opened its beak. Michael readied himself for a long-range attack. A sudden, incredibly loud cry was emitted from the open beak. The sound waves hit him almost instantly. His ears started ringing as he stumbled in place. The storm of mana wavered.

A sound attack!?

It wasn’t something that he could block with Mana Field. At least, not currently. The eagles possessed one of the most effective Skills to be used against his current self, who possessed omnidirectional attack and defense due to Mana Field. A gap was created in the storm. A single eagle unhesitatingly dove through it, reaching Michael, who raised his arm and staff. The avian’s talons unceremoniously tried to dig into his forearm and tear off a piece of flesh, but only managed to create a cut because of his high Constitution. The next second, the Field filled in the gap, making the eagle collapse to the ground. An orb crushed its head. A halo appeared above Michael’s head.

Sustaining Cleansing and Mana Field at once was taxing, but he needed to eliminate as many eagles as he could before the Griffin returned. Spikes and orbs coalesced around him, killing the eagles in range and even a few of those outside of the Field’s range that were flying too slowly.

Another cry hit his ears. He lost his sense of balance once again. Talons slashed his back. He gritted his teeth.

Crush!

His intention was imbued in the mana around him. The attacker died before it hit the ground. Cleansing helped him heal the damage caused by both the cries and the direct attacks alongside his Dragonheart, as he couldn’t cast Minor Heal. He moved slowly, trying to avoid as many attacks as he could while withstanding the loud cries, taking care not to get too close to the edge. If a cry made him lose his sense of balance there, it would be over.

Their Skill is even more annoying because of the terrain!

His domain revolved around him, dragging a few eagles into its range and immediately turning them into easy targets for the spikes and orbs. This dangerous dance between the dozens of eagles and a single man continued for an unknown amount of time.

I can do this.

His Mana Field was slowly expanding at the cost of more mana, while his attacks were landing more often. He had even managed to defend against a few of the eagles that attacked during the gaps without dispersing the storm. Then, as if to destroy his hopes, he heard a cry much louder than the previous ones. Mana Field collapsed completely. With ringing ears, he looked at the mountain peak. The Griffin was descending at blinding speed. Three eagles immediately dived towards him, raising their talons. Light coursed through his veins. Lightspeed allowed him to jump back and avoid the attacks.

“Mana Wave!”

His staff glowed as the twin Mana Waves cut through the three eagles.

I’m fighting the whole Dungeon at once!

And worst of all, the Boss approached, glowing with orange energy. The halo above his head continued to rotate. His Dragonheart thumped inside his chest, flooding him with power. Michael closed his eyes. He felt the wind on his skin, the chill from the snow, the pain from his wounds. Then, he slammed the butt of his staff on the ground.

“Twin Mana Fields.”

A hurricane of mana burst out of him, draining his reserves at an alarming rate. It was something that he had hurriedly tested on the way to the Dungeon but hadn’t expected to use. The domains superimposed each other, increasing their respective ranges and effects. Like a black hole, the other eagles were starting to be sucked into the Fields and destroyed by the spikes that kept coalescing. Michael’s mind was running on overdrive. Keeping Cleansing and twin Mana Fields active, while also being ready to use Lightspeed at a moment’s notice, was enormously taxing on his mind. He barely had enough mental power to continue fighting while coordinating all the moving pieces.

It was at that moment that the Griffin arrived.

The Griffin decisively entered deep into the Fields, which immediately slowed it down tremendously. Yet, it could still move. Given its size, it could reach Michael. It raised its injured paw with a sharp cry. Michael gritted his teeth. He took a few steps back – it was the most that he could do while keeping everything up – but it wasn’t enough. The paw slammed on his left side as his right leg dug into the ground in a desperate attempt to keep him from being flung. He felt the bones in his left arm and hand creak and groan, while his legs tried to bear the attack’s weight. The Boss’ claws slashed his back, making blood fall to the snow.

Forcefully, he used the mana storms to create a defensive layer between his body and the paw, pushing it away, then turned into a spike. The spike drilled into the paw, making the Griffin emit another sharp cry. Orange energy flooded its arm as it swung it, making the spike come undone. At the same time, the surrounding eagles kept crying out and circling him while flying, taking care not to enter the Fields, though a few of them were dragged in.

It was overwhelming. He felt as if the number of enemies around him was endless.

Calm down.

His Clarity Skill proved its value. His mind remained razor-sharp. He kept creating spikes and orbs to off the eagles caught by the Fields while watching the Boss, which had stopped swinging its paw and was now staring at him. It opened its beak. Michael immediately dropped all attacks to condense a barrier around himself, hoping it would help somehow.

The Boss’ cry pierced through his very being, rattling him to the core. Yet, he didn’t collapse. Gritting his teeth, he made the mana around the Boss heavier and heavier, even discarding the pressure on many of the eagles. The Griffin cried out, but it was clearly being restrained. It was as if he were focusing the maelstroms of mana entirely on the Griffin. The eagles, now more free from the pressure, didn’t miss this chance. They relentlessly attempted to get closer to him. A few of them succeeded. Their talons caused burning pain, but Michael paid the wounds no heed. He believed in Cleansing and his Dragonheart. The Griffin was the biggest priority.

He kept creating spikes and sinking them into the Griffin’s flesh, making it cry out. Orange energy flooded its frame as it protected its vital spots. It looked at Michael with vengeance in its eyes. Then, it lunged towards him. He only had the time to create a crude barrier and raise his staff in front of him before he felt the impact. It was as if he had been hit by a freight train. He flew backwards, coughing up blood. A realization struck him instantly.

I’m going to fly off the edge.