The Most Satisfied Reincarnate

With a mighty roar, the beast seemed to comprehend Desmond's words, and in response, it unleashed a deafening roar of its own. Its colossal wings unfurled with a resounding flap, creating a cacophony of cracks that reverberated through the air. The iron bars that held the creature captive began to display an intricate web of fractures, like fragile glass on the verge of shattering.

In that moment, bolts of lightning arced through the air, colliding with the creature's wings and eliciting pained groans from its colossal form. Rather than calming down, however, the beast grew even more ferocious, lashing out by forcefully slamming its narrow beak against the unyielding iron bars.

A thunderous thump echoed through the chamber as the impact reverberated, reminiscent of a charging knight crashing into a tightly formed soldier's rank. The collision caused the crack on the prison to widen, resulting in a continuous ringing aftermath that dispersed the remaining lightning sparks, forming a swirling cloud of smoke.

Amidst the commotion, the four magic crystals that had reinforced the prison's structure with their crackling energy were reduced to countless fragments scattered across the floor.

Meanwhile, Desmond, positioned near the prison, stood with arms crossed over his chest, his eyes narrowing as he focused on the billowing cloud of smoke. Upon closer inspection, a faint golden barrier enveloped him, forming a protective shield against any impending harm.

As the last of the dissipating lightning sparks vanished, a gentle wheezing sound, akin to the delicate flapping of a bee's wings, filled the air. Bereft of the magic crystals' support, the iron prison slowly reverted to its original form, crumbling like waves receding from the shore, accompanied by a gradual release of dusty particles that replaced the earlier cloud of smoke.

Desmond observed the scene without displaying surprise, as the ambient natural energy gathered around him, indicating his imminent spellcasting.

Suddenly, before the dust and smoke could fully disperse, a powerful gust of wind surged from the prison, forcefully dispersing the remaining particles and cleansing the floor of the scattered crystal fragments.

Just as the cauldrons placed nearby teetered on the verge of toppling over, multiple hands abruptly emerged from the ground, grasping them firmly and preventing any spillage of the blood they contained.

Desmond cast a quick glance at the cauldrons, satisfied that the precious blood remained intact. He then shifted his gaze to the beast, now breathing heavily and towering twice its previous size. If it weren't for Desmond's design of the room, modeled after a grand hall, the ceiling might have buckled under the immense weight of the creature.

The beast, known as 'The Ancestor of the Flying Lizard,' planted its forelegs firmly on the ground, its neck bending as it fixated its gaze upon Desmond. Its colossal beak hovered perilously close to his protective barrier, while its oval-shaped black eyes conveyed an inscrutable expression. None could fathom its thoughts, for it did not perceive Desmond merely as prey.

Instead, it displayed a regal majesty akin to a dragon spreading its wings in a show of dominance. With its vibrant orange membrane wings unfurled, the creature's long tail circled around them, forming a protective barrier with its massive fin obstructing the view from outside, as if preventing Desmond from escaping.

Meanwhile, Desmond's countenance shifted from cold detachment to a mixture of curiosity and astonishment as he observed the creature's behavior. He scrutinized the sinuous green-scaled tail, which circled like a snake preparing to constrict its prey before devouring it.

"Felix," he murmured, addressing the creature with the name it recognized. As he did so, the faint golden barrier surrounding his body flickered briefly when the fin inadvertently brushed against it. Nevertheless, Desmond's magenta pupils, narrow slits brimming with resolve, locked onto the beast's eyes without an ounce of fear.

Simultaneously, as his golden barrier flickered, a translucent screen materialized in his vision, displaying the progression of retrieving Felix's data.

[Successfully entering the target body!]

[A connection has been established!]

[Acquiring target data...]

[Data Updated!]

[

-Status-

Name: Felix (Transformed)

Lifespan: 250 years

Race: Beasts

Species: Pureblood Flying Lizard (20% Awakened)

Classification: C-Rank

Predicted Combat Power (Strength): 50.00

]

Desmond gasped in awe as he absorbed the newly revealed attribute behind Felix's species. The burning spirit in his eyes intensified, replacing curiosity with a newfound determination.

"No wonder Felix appears weakened. It seems his beast blood hasn't fully integrated or adapted to the new body, causing his stats to decline," Desmond pondered, connecting the dots. The prison and lightning sparks he had set up would hardly be enough to restrain Felix if the creature were to unleash its full rampage.

Additionally, he hadn't anticipated that the transformation would instantly restore Felix's main body strength.

"It appears my case is truly unique. Even I required several days to recover," Desmond mused to himself, then turned his attention back to the beast, his interest fully reignited.

However, before Desmond could revel in this revelation, the giant beak vanished from his view. The tail that had been encircling them, providing ample space, abruptly constricted, attempting to crush him within its grasp.

In an instant, a pitch-black, foul-smelling substance made contact with Desmond's barrier, causing him to startle slightly.

Crash!

As Desmond's mage class had not yet reached the realm of a 1st-class mage, the barrier he had conjured shattered like glass struck by a hammer, dissipating into thin air.

With the barrier destroyed, the pitch-black shadow revealed itself, and Desmond saw that it was the beast's giant beak, poised to swallow him whole.

However, before that fate could befall him, Desmond swiftly raised his hands, grabbing hold of the beak with bare hands, halting its momentum and freezing the beast's movement.

Moreover, Desmond sensed something amiss and glanced around. The beast's tail had pressed against his body but was now stuck, unable to squeeze him. It continued to circle around him, eliciting a tickling sensation.

The beast's small black pupils widened as it sensed Desmond's remarkable strength and resistance. A sudden desire to retreat surged within, but it found itself unable to retract its giant beak.

"Cluck?!" The beast emitted a sound, a mixture of a chicken's crow and a groan, as if it realized the danger and the futility of its actions. It attempted to communicate with the tiny creature before it.

"Even your adult counterparts couldn't kill me with their full strength, and yet you—a mere newborn—dare challenge me without knowing your place," Desmond sneered. Simultaneously, he tightened his grip on the giant beak, exerting his full strength.

Rumble

Green blood trickled from the beast's giant beak as it thrashed about, wreaking havoc in its panicked frenzy, nearly destroying the cauldrons in the process.

Desperate to break free from Desmond's grasp, the beast writhed and twisted its body. But its efforts proved futile as its once-mighty beak began to buckle under the pressure of those tiny hands.

Regret filled the beast's eyes as it stared hopelessly at Desmond, pain reverberating through its crushed appendage.

Meanwhile, the multiple hands swiftly relocated the cauldrons to safety, while another prison materialized around Desmond and the incapacitated beast.