Author's Reincarnation in a Fantasy Setting

Chapter 172 Klauth [3]

The ocean-blue sword didn't shine, instead, it captured all the light within itself as entangling black mist shrouded the blade like shadows. I felt blood rushing through my veins and nerves, my mana felt more precise, more powerful. I felt like I could do anything.

This was amazing. This was my first magiken release.

[See? I told you it'll work. Now don't doze off, he's coming.]

'Yeah. I want to ask how, but let's save it for later.'

I narrowed my eyes and looked at the approaching klauth. My feet moved and pulled me forward, and in no time I was running.

I called the element of ice, the elements heeded my call and a staircase made of frost started forming below my feet as I marched forward. This helped me to climb and get to the height of the klauth. I know it'll take a hell lot of mana, but this is not the time to care about such things.

I ran, step after step, until I was against the dragon's head. It came close to me, running, let out a roar, and breathed fire. I jumped to my side on an ice platform I created seconds after I took the jump.

The flames passed beside me and even if this breath was not as big as the previous one, not as destructive as the previous one, not as deadly as the previous one. I still noticed my whole left side burning with heat, even though not a single ember's touched me.

But I, of course, didn't have time to react to such things. I reached near the dragon's neck and jumped away from the platform I was creating; it dissolved into nothing instantly afterward.

I thought about screaming, but then decided otherwise. Raising the sword high, I touched the Kloth's skin with it. The impact I absorbed on my hands was like I was hitting strong and pure iron with my sword instead of a creature.

Still, backing off was never an option. I pushed forward, further into the dragon's skin. I pushed the sword deep, as deep as I could. At one point, I was hanging on the sword as the blade drilled itself into the dragon's skin. I'd made a hole, but that's not what I wanted, it was a gush I needed; a deadly cut.

I tried to bring the sword down with my weight and open up a cleavage, but the sword was not moving…it was stuck in the dragon's flesh.

A murky, reddish-brown liquid poured out from the wound I'd made with the sword and dripped directly into my mouth when I had it open to take a few deep breaths.

It was the Kloth's blood, and I will say it wasn't good in taste…not in the slightest. Plus, I don't even know it will react once it gets into my system, maybe a few more expensive healing potions will be needed.

Pushing the thought of how much it will cost aside, I placed both my legs on the dragon's neck and tried to push myself down in hope of finally leaving a cut, but this was also a failure.

The dragon shook its neck, perhaps due to the twitching feeling I was giving him. It was trying to find me by looking around on the ground, sniffing where I'd created the ice staircase, but obviously, I wasn't there.

[You don't know how to use a sword, do you?] Req asked, out of nowhere.

Here I was a bit confused, confused about whether she even needed my answer or not. Because before I could respond, she appeared beside me. Her hands were on the sword's hilt, just near mine.

She didn't struggle or tried to hang onto the sword as she was able to levitate. She just held the sword carefully alongside me, she clenched the hilt I was holding and applied force downward.

Then she twisted the sword, the blade's frontal edge that was facing down all this time, she gnarled it to the side. Since her face was only inches away from mine, I watched her—or observed her. That was the only thing I had the most pride in, after all.

Her expression was calm and dressed with a small little smile, her eyes burning with delicacy. It was like watching a Master Chef create a dish; she knew exactly what needs to be done.

And then when the blade was in the right position, she pushed it ahead. This time it slid and gushed through the dragon's skin like a hot knife in butter. As the sword slashed, the Kloth's flesh, leaving a deep and long laceration behind. Her expression turned similar to a child playing with his favorite toys.

Fountains and loads of blood poured out like a dam had been broken. It splashed onto the ground a distance away from where we landed.

Req glanced at me with a delightful smile, [See? It is that easy!]

I ignored her. If you're wondering why we were still talking with our minds when she was no longer a sword, well, we didn't have the privilege to talk comfortably while the huge Kloth was screaming hard with pain.

'I can take it from here. It's not like I can't use a sword, I was just distracted by the magiken. Go back, you can't be in this form for the next part.'

[Yes, yes, I'm going. You just ruined the mood, if you're aware of it.]

The girl's body disappeared with a bright flash of light, and just the sword remained in my hand. I quickly dashed away from the place I was standing as the dragon's foot smashed it afterward a few seconds later.

Regaining my balance, I collected my thoughts. The truth for why I wasn't able to deliver a good wound with the sword before was because the power of magiken had overwhelmed me. It was much more than what I expected.

But now I am fine. I'd measured the power and observed what it could do and its limits; like how much speed and strength it would amplify and all that.

I backed off a few steps and took my position as I concentrated on the Kloth's movements. I took note of the areas where it did not have scales covering its skin as armor.

I took a run again, creating an ice platform and launching myself in the air. This time, however, I didn't go all the way up. Stopping by the side of its limbs, I stepped off of the platform and delivered a good, deep slash on its right arm.

This time the cut was smooth, I didn't feel like it was the same creature I was cutting. This was mainly because I'd used the magiken the right way, the way it should be used, and had concentrated my mana in the blade just before the collision.

Longing the slash I created another platform by taking only a single step, I landed my legs on it, and before I could jump to the ground I swung the sword and threw it straight toward the right leg of the Kloth.

The sword spun into several arcs before a bright light flashed, and the next moment Req came out, held the sword, gushed through the dragon's leg, passed it, turned, threw the sword back toward me, and disappeared with the same flash of light.

I reached out my hand and got hold of the sword before landing on the ground.

[Well, that went smoothly.]

'It sure did.'

The dragon screeched its throat out in agony as it struggled to maintain balance. The wound we'd given him didn't separate its limbs in two, but they were deep enough to make the creature think twice before forcing its heavy body completely on them—there was no saying when they might break into two.

All the satisfaction of how it all worked smoothly went away, when I felt my body breaking into a million pieces as the Kloth's huge tail slapped me hard, blasting me away.

I flew, crashed, rolled, and got dragged by force on the ground before finally coming to an abrupt stop.

It was painful, really painful. Since we were in an entirely different dimension and there were no walls to stop me, I was thrown and rugged on the ground for as long as was practically possible. I didn't dare try to stop myself from using one of my hands and legs, as I knew they would only break if I placed them wrong.

And when I finally stopped, I was a total mess.

My cloak was torn up, but that was the least of my worries. I had skinned my limbs and back and was drowned in blood. Even my forehead was cut and droplets of blood were drenching my eyes.

My senses were also of no use, for a moment I was dizzy as fuck. Everything seemed moving in a different direction, the world was turning around like crazy. The voices I heard grew hazy and clear time by time and for a few minutes, I was not even able to stand up.

Although, when I did stand up somehow, all I saw through my vague dizzy vision was the klauth running toward me with anger and fury burning in its eyes.

It was really mad at me and wasn't going to stop anytime soon.

[Can you fight?] Req asked as she materialized beside me.

"It's not like I have a choice, now do I?"

I saw a smirk spread on her mouth before she again disappeared with a flash of light.

I let out a closed my eyes, drew in a deep breath, opened my eyes, and exhaled. Held the sword and pointed it toward the upcoming dragon, and braced myself for the upcoming blows I was going to deliver and receive.