Banished from the herd, I was actually a member of a very rare species. ~With the unique skills that only I can use, I can grow and evolve quickly. I will become an unrivaled monster~ - Episode 160: The Ancient White-Fanged Dragon of Unchanging Might 4

Episode 160: The Ancient White-Fanged Dragon of Unchanging Might 4

Thunder roared, and sharp claws whistled through the air. The “Ancient King” tore through the lightning bolts and bared its fangs at me. When I dodged, it stomped midair to turn and swung its spiked tail like a whip.

“([Shape-Fixing]!)”

I braced myself to take the hit directly. The tail strike, imbued with absolute ‘Change’, hit my brightly glowing body. But it slid off without leaving a single scratch. Since my shape-fixing matches the power of its ‘Change’, my |Toughness| remains unbroken.

At that moment, one of my drones swooped in, ramming into the “Ancient King” and delivering a close-range lightning strike.

“(Good, I can now handle everything but the fangs without taking damage.)”

As I dealt with the “Ancient King’s” rapid, sky-leaping attacks, I felt the growth of my [Unique Skill]. Since the start of the battle, my [The Endless Cycle of Thunderous Rebirth] has been evolving rapidly. I understood now that the god’s words were true: my [Unique Skill] grows through combat.

“(Though that’s not the only factor.)”

The more I used my skill, the more deeply I understood its power. Since my [True Transformation], I could feel myself getting a firmer grasp on the core of the ability. I could now sense the exact targets my power affected.

As I had suspected, my [Unique Skill] also applies a bonus to the acquisition of <Soul Fragments> and [Skill] mastery. And it seemed that this bonus even extended to the [Skill] itself. Furthermore, the “All abilities are boosted” trait by [Courage] was enhancing the performance of my [Unique Skill].

That’s how my [Endless Cycle of Thunderous Rebirth] managed to catch up with the “Ancient King’s” output of ‘Change’ in such a short time.

“(I want to push this to the point where I can land an instant-kill… but that’s still a tall order.)”

The power of 〔Soul Arche〕theft doesn’t work well against an opponent of equal strength. I need to have a considerable advantage in power. To surpass a Beast King and reach the level of the Star God requires an overwhelming force capable of breaking the laws of nature. Since I can’t do that with my [Unique Skill], I’ve been raising my <Level> through more conventional means. Trying to jump straight to that level is out of reach for now.

Weakening the enemy would make landing an instant-kill easier. But thanks to the “Ancient King’s” ‘Unchangeable’, that’s difficult to achieve.

“(Which is why I need this… alternative approach.)”

“GRAAAAH!”

“([Shape-Fixing]! [Lightning Strike]!)”

I used one of my drones to deflect a claw strike and countered with a bolt of lightning. The drone was light and got knocked far away by the impact. But the other drones kept up the pressure until it returned.

Initially, I had kept the drones at a considerable distance. But lately, I’ve been staying just beyond the range of the “Ancient King’s” tail. At this distance, I can use all seven drones to disrupt the “Ancient King”, while I can also move acrobatically to keep it on its toes.

Of course, this raises the risk of getting hit by surprise attacks, as happened earlier. But the benefits outweigh the risks. The worst scenario would be letting the “Ancient King” close the gap and leave the drones behind—especially now that it can kick through the air as it’s flying.

“([Lightning Strike]!)”

“GRRROOOOOOOOAAH!”

At this point, our battle had entered a sort of deadlock. However, this stalemate was a result of both of us giving everything we had. The “Ancient King’s” raw |Stats| were far superior. But I managed to dodge its attacks with enhanced thought speed and evasion [Skills]. Anything I couldn’t dodge, I deflected.

The “Ancient King” was growing accustomed to the drone attacks, so I experimented with different angles and timings to catch it off guard. In the same way, the “Ancient King” adjusted its tactics, learning to prioritize biting attacks after softening me up with its other moves.

This fierce exchange unfolded across various stages—one moment we fought in the air, the next we crashed down to the ground, then tumbled over a lake. The shockwave itself exposed the lakebed. I leaped to avoid the “Ancient King’s” fangs, and we returned to aerial combat once more.

If I let my guard down for even a second, it would catch me. The tension was as taut as a wire. But I could feel my [Unique Skill] rapidly evolving under this extreme pressure. The more I used it, the more precise, reliable, and powerful my [Endless Cycle of Thunderous Rebirth] became. No doubt, I was benefiting from fighting such a strong and unique opponent.

The “Ancient King’s” ‘Change’ ability, which directly opposed my shape-fixing, turned out to be the perfect training tool. With every swing of my [Skill], I felt my 〔Soul Arche〕 being sharpened and refined. My control was becoming faster and more efficient, allowing me to target broader and more numerous objects.

Before I knew it, night had fallen. Neither the “Ancient King” nor I were hindered by the darkness, but the passage of time was a testament to how long we had been fighting.

“([Repair Moonlight]!)”

“GYARRRAAAAAAAAH!”

I used a recovery [Skill] to dispel my fatigue and restore my stamina. Meanwhile, the “Ancient King” showed no signs of exhaustion, continuing its relentless assault. It didn’t seem fatigued at all—maybe it had a permanent recovery [Skill], or perhaps this too was the effect of its ‘Unchangeable’.

We had been fighting for over half a day, yet neither of us showed signs of running out of resources. The reason was that both of us were constantly using ‘Absorption’ on the |Mana| inside the vast [Dominion] we had established. This allowed us to keep using |Mana|-intensive [Skills] without any concern for depletion.

Especially for me, being made entirely of Mana Crystals, I could automatically absorb |Mana| from the environment. So even the consumption of my [Unique Skill] and other abilities wasn’t a burden at all.

Then, as the sky became studded with countless stars, I finally succeeded in blocking the “Ancient King’s” fangs without taking any damage.

“GRR!?”

“(Got it now.)”

The “Ancient King” must have been shocked—never expecting that an attack that had worked at the beginning of the battle would become ineffective in such a short span of time. It was thrown off by the unexpected resistance and instinctively tried to pull back.

But I wasn’t about to miss this opening.

I unleashed the hidden trump card I’d been timing all along.

“([Shape-Fixing], Target: Air!)”

I fired my [Unique Skill] from a drone inside the “Ancient King’s” mouth. While it still maintained the power of its forced ‘Change’, I now had enough leeway to focus my power elsewhere.

“GRR… GUH…!?”

The solidified air obstructed its breathing, causing a brief hesitation in its movements. While suffocating a Beast King with its massive |Life| isn’t realistic, it was enough to create a small opening.

“([Super Jump]! [Cursed Bindings]!)”

I immediately closed the gap, rushing in and latching onto its face. Channeling a surge of |Mana|, I activated [The Endless Cycle of Thunderous Rebirth].

“[Shape-Fixing], Target──”