NOVEL NEXT Chapter 66: Bone Dragon
The bone dragon's roar shook the entire column.
Blue fire licked out between its ribs, lighting the abyss below in flashes of ghostly flame.
The stench of scorched air filled Wade's nose as the creature lowered its massive skull, hollow eyes burning like twin furnaces.
Wade raised his sword, a grin spreading across his face. "Alright, let's dance."
The dragon lunged first.
Its skeletal claws scraped against the blue-tiled floor, sending sparks flying.
Wade dodged to the side, the claws carving deep gouges where he had just stood.
He swung his sword across the creature's leg, sparks flaring as steel met bone.
The blade bit deep, but not enough.
The dragon merely hissed, tail whipping around in retaliation.
Wade threw himself backward, his boots skidding against the smooth surface.
The tail whooshed past him, slicing through the air with enough force to tear a man in two.
He slammed a hand down and activated Mirror Step.
A perfect illusory copy of himself appeared to the side, darting forward to draw the dragon's attention.
The beast turned, jaws snapping through the illusion.
Its bite passed harmlessly through the fake image, the light shattering like glass.
That was Wade's chance.
He dashed forward, his sword glowing faintly as he summoned Basic Ward on his left arm, shaping it into a curved shield of golden light.
The dragon swung its head toward him again, jaws opening wide.
The glow within its chest intensified. Wade barely had time to react.
Fwoooosh!
A torrent of blue fire erupted from the dragon's mouth.
Wade raised his barrier, bracing himself.
The flames smashed into the ward like a tsunami.
The light flared, flickered, then cracked under the pressure.
The heat punched through, searing his face and arms even through his armor.
He gritted his teeth, forcing his mana into the barrier. "Hold!"
The flames relented, but only for a moment.
The dragon lunged through its own fire, jaws snapping.
Wade rolled aside, the beast's skull slamming into the tiles, shattering chunks of stone that tumbled into the black void below.
He came up on one knee and slashed at the creature's neck.
The blade scraped along the spine, severing one of the thinner bones.
The dragon recoiled, letting out a shriek that echoed through the endless dark.
"Yeah, didn't like that, did you?" Wade muttered, breathing hard.
The dragon's tail swung around again, faster this time.
Wade raised his barrier, but it was too slow.
The tail slammed into his ribs, shattering the light of the barrier and sending him flying.
He hit the ground, skidding across the smooth tile until his boots caught on a crack.
Pain flared across his side. His health bar dipped sharply in the corner of his vision.
The dragon stomped towards him, the column trembling with every step.
Its wings spread wide, bone creaking like strained timber.
Wade could feel the air pressure change, the force of the creature's presence nearly suffocating.
"Not… yet!" He pushed himself up, summoning Basic Ward again and slamming it into the dragon's face as it lunged.
The barrier exploded in light, momentarily blinding the creature.
Wade surged forward, stabbing his sword deep into its chest.
The sword pierced through bone and lodged between ribs. He twisted, the sound of cracking filling the air.
The dragon screeched and reared back, flinging Wade off his feet.
The sword tore free from its grip as Wade flew backward, slamming onto his back near the edge of the column.
He coughed, the impact knocking the breath from his lungs.
The dragon advanced again, blue fire burning brighter in its maw.
Wade scrambled to his feet, blood dripping down his lip. "Come on, you overgrown fossil!"
The dragon roared, exhaling another burst of fire.
Wade threw up his barrier again, but it shattered instantly under the sheer heat.
The blast caught him full on, the shockwave throwing him backward.
The world tilted.
The column's edge rushed up to meet him, and suddenly, there was nothing beneath his boots.
For one heart-stopping moment, Wade hung in midair, the abyss yawning beneath him as the blue glow of the dragon's fire danced over his falling form.
His eyes widened, and all he could feel below him was the darkness of the abyss.
If he dropped down there, he wasn't so sure if he'd be able to get back up.
It would mean being trapped here forever. It would mean death.
And just as he began to fall, his instincts began screaming at him.
He clenched his teeth, forcing mana through his veins.
Chain Step!
The world blurred.
Space folded for a moment, then snapped back into focus.
Wade reappeared on the platform behind the dragon, the soles of his boots slamming against the blue tile.
The sudden impact jolted through his legs, but he was alive.
The dragon whirled, its empty eye sockets blazing with azure fire.
Wade didn't give it a chance to breathe flame again.
His hand shot forward, summoning a ball of fire that hovered above his palm.
"Fireburst!"
A violent explosion of flame erupted point-blank against the dragon's skull.
Bone cracked, and blue fire clashing against red.
The beast screamed, its massive body staggering sideways, one of its horns snapping off and spinning into the abyss below.
Wade didn't let up.
He sprinted forward, chaining his movements together with Chain Step, flickering again and again, every movement ending in an attack.
Each reappearance brought him closer to victory, his sword slashing in rapid succession.
Clang! Clang! Crack!
Each blow chipped bone. Sparks danced with every strike.
The dragon lashed out, claws slicing through the air like guillotines.
Wade ducked one, vanished, and appeared on its opposite flank.
His sword came down, carving a deep gash along its ribcage.
The dragon twisted, roaring, its tail whipping around.
Wade's barrier flickered to life just in time, the translucent blue shield taking the brunt of the hit before shattering.
The impact still sent him stumbling back, but he caught himself, using Short Step to instantly reposition before the dragon could crush him underfoot.
"Come on, big guy," he muttered, panting. "Let's finish this dance."