NOVEL NEXT Chapter 677
Hurricane's Vengeance roared in rage as Sam escaped it. When he appeared beneath its head, it was too surprised to do anything.
Coating his hammer in energy, Sam brought it up, sending it crashing into the dragon's chin. More lightning sped down the weapon's haft, frying his flesh to a crisp. Sam bore the pain, continuing to channel his Dao.
His reward was evident, a hole in the base of the elemental dragon's skull that refused to close over. It was surrounded by the Dao, actively warring with the elemental energy of Hurricane's Vengeance. Had the dragon been a true D Ranker, it would simply have crushed Sam's Dao, but as it was, it couldn't maintain conscious control over something as complicated as a Dao. It could only do things in line with its own element, similar to how the Shadow Raven hadn't locked down space with a manipulation of the Dao, but one of Darkness attuned elemental energy. As Air, or whatever sub element the creature used, wasn't good at combating the specific mix of Daos that Sam used, the ostensibly D Ranked elemental couldn't really do anything.
Sam emerged above the dragon's back, focusing on his other Dao. Retaliation was already quite similar to the path of Vengeance that he walked with his Dao of the Avenger, meaning that it was even easier to upgrade than his Dao of the Passage. The only reason he hadn't was because he needed some sort of catalyst, which a D Rank foe worked nicely for. Trying to upgrade the concept of Retaliation in another situation would either be like a bully responding to a light slap with a bullet if he were far stronger than his enemy, or an ant biting the toe of an elephant if he were weaker. It would either prevent an upgrade, or flavor the Dao in a way unwanted.
Sam focused on the damage he had taken from the dragon, but prevented his mind from analyzing it through the lens of revenge. Instead, he used the cold calculus of battle, of damage traded and gambits lost and won. Sometimes, it was necessary to expose oneself to danger in order to inflict even worse damage on an otherwise unassailable foe. Sam categorized all of his fights with his E Rank memory, focusing on those in which he had suffered the most grievous injury, but still won.
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Enough insights to fill a thousand mortal minds sent his Dao skyrocketing in power, until he finally broke through. As Hurricane's Vengeance turned beneath him, the dragon opened its maw, tightening in the elemental power contained there until it looked almost solid. Shimmering scales of compressed lightning and wind surrounded the creature's ephemeral core, shining in tandem with the armor that already surrounded it.
Sam grinned, and used his newly upgraded Dao Seed. The Dao Seed of Reaction. He focused on the entirety of the fight, and suddenly, within his mind, insight gathered. A new skill formed, and a System notification appeared. Sam ignored it, and continued to fight. He knew what it did already.
Every moment of pain he had suffered in the fight, every injury, all of it fed the grand engine of his Dao. In a single moment, he found the dragon's weak spot, outlined in brilliant red. The more he was hurt, the stronger his new skill would become.
Sam smiled, and then descended like a bullet. A veil of light surrounded him, and shards of power pressed deeper into his form as he furthered Dao Juggernaut with his own Dao. Pain exploded through him, but it was worth it as he streaked down towards the monster's back.
Hurricane's Vengeance reared back, trying to bite him out of the air. Then Sam hit home. Terra's Will blasted into the center of the glowing red circle, which, compared to the size of the dragon, was almost a dozen feet wide.
The elemental's flesh exploded outwards as Sam struck, a wave of kinetic force tearing through it. It was the sum total of the damage Sam had taken, multiplied by the force of his Dao to new heights.
A second blast of energy rippled after the first strike, nearly ripping the dragon in two. Sam flew down through the center of the monster, using his newly upgraded teleportation skill to phase through the strip of cloud that stubbornly remained in place.
The dragon let out a pained groan, but it was still a D Ranker, if in name only. Sam's strike had done a lot of damage, but it wasn't going to finish the powerful monster off on its own.