Chapter 543 - Lightning Bolt
The situation was dire for the lizardmen aboard the boat, with each passing second their thoughts slowed more and more while their muscles grew stiffer and stiffer.
Soon enough as the electricity surged, no one would be able to move.
Forever.
The dragon mount, one of the few present immune to electricity took a sudden and rapid dive into the water. It placed itself underneath the large ship. With the ship on its back, the dragon mount then fluttered its wings.
Using as much strength as it could muster, the ship started to slowly rise away from the fierce and paralyzing electrical currents.
“Ah’¦” “God’¦” “My life’¦ this close’¦” The lizardmen all started to collapse onto the ship’s deck one by one after the dragon barely managed to lift the ship out of the water. Some could still feel a current running through their body.
“No, wait!” Someone then exclaimed. They ignored their sore and pained muscles and ran over to the side of the ship where they then peered down onto the water.
“Nooo!” There was only one dragon but two ships. The lizardman saw as the bodies of their fellows twitched and contorted with a mixture of numbed and pained expressions. Some stared back at the flying ship with hopeless eyes which inevitably rolled back into their heads.
As soon as the discharge of electricity came to an end, the bodies of these lizardmen flopped onto the deck. They fell lifelessly as if they had been dead all along. Well, maybe that comparison didn’t make sense but there was a sense of timelessness involved.
The lizardman who had just witnessed the spectacle from his VIP seating couldn’t help but have this memory ingrained into their brain. Var Agus who had at some point also peered over the side shared a similar experience.
He, too, had no doubt this would be a memory ingrained into his mind. Still, sacrifices had been made along the entire journey. He immediately focused on the survival of the living.
“The dragon will fly the ship to safe land” Var Agus knew that the undead dragon had to be struggling to keep the ship in the air. Were it not for the fact that it was technically an undead the ship would have long since plummeted into the water.
That being the case, he had to ask for it to quickly deposit them somewhere safe. As for what would happen thereafter’¦ It was hard to say, the battle appeared to have no victor and only that much was clear.
It was here that A who had for the most part remained dormant finally pitched in.
“We almost have it, it’s too soon to give up” Considering the casualties that they had suffered leaving now would be no different from defeat. The blood beast might also recover if it was left entirely to its own devices.
“Dakgu will take the lead from now on” A then added intending to speak out his plan right away. The sooner they put it into practice the better.
Dakgu who couldn’t understand their language was stunned to hear his name emerge.
‘Dakgu, your skills are a bit lacking but it shouldn’t be impossible for you to improve them’ Ed transmitted to Dakgu. That was right, Ed transmitted to Dakgu.
A had explained his plan to Ed who had spiritual marks on both Sharog and Dakgu. Anyway, while he spoke of his plan to the lizardman and explained them, Ed could do the same for Sharog and Dakgu.
More importantly, however, he could tell them the plan in specific detail since there was no way his plan would be misunderstood while using the transmission skill.
Ed quickly started to explain to Dakgu how to properly apply his lightning technique. As an individual with a high-level mana manipulation skill on multiple bodies Ed was more than qualified to lecture Dakgu.
Since that was the case Dakgu was naturally willing to listen and pay attention. In fact, his eyes were currently shining with understanding. Getting teachings from Ed could be said to have been one of his long-time dreams.
Sharog who was also listening in as she too was a target of the transmission was equally enlightened and joyous. While lightning and wind were fundamentally different there was still some overlap in the methods Ed described.
<“I see!”> Dakgu exclaimed with understanding.
Lightning was a destructive element so its precise handling required great control but that went against the very principle of the element. Needless to say, this resulted in lowered power.
What Ed was instructing Dakgu to do was to allow it to run more rampant in his body and only try to exert minimal influence over things like direction and power.
‘If you do that it shouldn’t be impossible to break through the icy defenses’ Since the lightning element was both destructive and hot making a dent in the icy core was entirely within Dakgu’s capabilities.
‘Well, piercing past is still more than just a tad bit difficult but’¦’ The key was that it wasn’t impossible. The only issue was that a variety of factors had to align. ρꪖꪕᦔꪖꪕꪫꪣꫀꪶ
‘First, after that discharge, the blood gauntlet has lost a lot of mass’ The liquid exterior had been completely eroded leaving nothing but the icy core. If the gauntlet beast wanted to perform another electrifying display it would need to weaken its core further and further.
‘We must bait more of those attacks’ Baiting those was easier said than done, however. The blood beast would be less and less muddled-headed as it released more of them. In the end, it was all about finding a balance.
“Got it!” “Understood!” On A’s side, the lizardmen were all nodding in understanding. He had also just finished explaining more or less how the plan would pan out.
Var Agus had his apprehensions with the plan but he believed that a piece of God could not be wrong in its assertions. There was also no problem with trusting the orc they brought along.
Shortly after the discussion was over, the ship was lowered back into the water and the true climax of the battle started. The beast’s icy carapace started to thaw and new slim tentacles started to form from the thawed blood.
These tentacles attempted to eliminate the remaining lizardmen but with Sharog having regained some of her mana it was an impossible task. It didn’t take very long for the creature to refreeze its entire being having lost little to no mass.
‘Dakgu, it’s time’ A believed that the best time to strike was when the creature believed itself to be safe. Seeing as it didn’t thaw away more ice, there wasn’t going to be another electrical surge. However…Â
Dakgu jumped off the ship and was then caught by the dragon who had skirted the water below and took off into the higher skies.
Dakgu stood atop of the dragon holding onto nothing, this wouldn’t be a regular dive.
“AAAAAAH!!” Dakgu started to scream as the dragon descended at high speeds towards the icy core. The intention this time did not depend on the dragon but on Dakgu.
The dragon then spun its body as it dove in a way that ensured Dakgu would stay on his feet. Nevertheless, there was nothing about his food staying in his stomach. Dakgu had to fight an aerial battle with his stomach before his feet alighted from the dragon.
It was time.
The moment he was let go was the moment that Dakgu was to charge up for a piercing attack.
Dakgu’s arm started to sparkle wildly without a shred of control. It wasn’t concentrated around Dakgu’s hand or fist, the lightning took over his entire arm.
While concentrating the mana of other elements tended to work wonders, lightning needed to run wild, or at least, until it found a suitable target to shoot out towards.
Dakgu and his insane speed were suddenly augmented. It was as if he had turned into a real bolt of lightning that fell from the skies to punish the heathens on the ground. Yes, Dakgu was about to dish out divine punishment.
A loud sound resounded in the marshlands anew. This time it was clearly the sound of lightning striking the solid ground in close vicinity.
“What the?!” “I’m blind!” “Argh!” The spectators all went blind or deaf temporarily from the outrageous power of the attack.
Even A who had devised the plan and suggested Ed advise Dakgu was stunned. Never did he imagine Dakgu would turn into a bolt of lightning!
Well, not to such an extent anyway. The basis for the move per his plans was to have the lightning drag Dakgu around instead of the other way around. Why would lightning need any help getting to the ground? Wasn’t that its sole purpose anyway?
With this principle in mind, the attack should in theory be more powerful. But of course, that depended on the amount of mana Dakgu carried and chose to discharge. Given by the turn of events, clearly, he had gone all out to empty his reserves.
“Dakgu’¦” Sharog who had to remain on the ship made a troubled and worried expression as the debris and waters surrounding the point of impact settled. Soon enough, the outcome of the exchange appeared.
A ragged young orc emerged from a cloud of dust and mist, his body appeared mangled and ragged. In particular, the arm he used to shoot out the lightning attack was bloodied and charred.
It was a harrowing sight.
Dakgu then suddenly put up his good arm and revealed an object. It was a broken gauntlet!
The lizardmen among the ship all instantly fell into celebration. It was over!