Chapter 290
If audio player doesn't work, press Stop then Play button again
The giant centipede that reeked of evil could talk, but it was not really in the mood to talk as it opened it's mouth and spewed out and insane amount of gas. I raised my hands up and weaved a shield in front of us, stopping what ever gas it was that was heading for us. The gas crashed against the shield and began to cover it in a layer of frost as the temperature dropped to intense degrees.
The attack was blocked, but the power behind it actually cracked my shield, and threw the environment into disarray as everything became seriously cold. Every breath I took fogged up, and a soft layer of mist was beginning to cover the entire area before the bridge.
Hera and her team were not idle as they opened fire on the monster in front of us. At first I thought that their guns were shooting lasers, but it took me a while to notice that thief triggers had tiny barbed pins on it, and the gun itself was filled with a variety of wards and spell formations. This was a perfect marriage between science and magic, and the ammunition being used was none other than their own blood.
And based on how angry the monster looked, it seems to be working. The blood lasers flew true and when they touched it's body, they let of sizzling sounds as it's flesh was being burnt. The monster roared in indignation and anger as it drew itself up, standing high above us, with it's head almost touching the ceiling of the cavern highway. And then we noticed the numerous mouths that were on its belly, giving it a more grotesque appearance than I originally imagined.
One of the mouth opened up, and shot a bolt of lightening at us, smashing through my shield and hitting me right in the center of my chest. The ensuing blast from my shield being destroyed threw my backwards until I slayed into the ship behind me, creating a hole of my own into it's interior. Hera and her teak were not spared as they were also thrown back and separated from each other.
But it was at that moment the remaining forces of Ethernalia Leonis came through the hole in the ship, and without asking questions, making their judgment based on the injured look of their comrades, they opened fire. Pelting the monster with numerous blood lasers that drilled and burned holes into it's flesh.
But I was worried, this monster had enough power to smash my shield into pieces. Which means it was a level stronger than my weaving abilities and my connection to nature and soul energy. I had to figure out a way to beat him, and after that focus on strengthening me weaving abilities and expanding my soul runes. The feeling of my unbeatable defense being smashed apart like it was made of glass did not sit well with me.
I got up and ran out, flying into the air with my wings while I kept my aura in preparation for another move. I was not really used to flying with my wings, you would think it would come natural, but right now I was just helplessly wobbling in the air. It was not a pretty sight, but it was enough for me to finish what I had planned.
I stretched out both my hands and took my time as an intricate rune circle, forged and written in draconic script came into existence. Ever since my awakening, my runes were no longer in English, but rather in dragon tongue. I was thankful I didn't have to learn how to use it, as knowledge for it came to me with an almost godlike clarity.
I used the shield soul rune as a base, then made another circle where the push soul rune would repel any attack, and then a third where the light common rune was placed. It wouldn't have as much power as my soul runes, but it would work just fine as it was mainly just there as a concept. Light was a symbol for good and healing and whatever mushy, gooey stuff that kept evil at bay. It gave courage, it gave strength and it would spur the troops of Ethernalia Leonis to attack harder. This was a rune phrase, a rune sentence would have been better, but rather than one powerful activity, I needed this rune circle to have multiple functions and work like the cog in a well oiled machine. As soon as I was done the rune circle blazed into existence, round and separating us from the monster. It went all the way to the very top of the cavern, giving the monster no gap to launch an attack.
And then natures backlash came, and this time it actually renewed my energy. I was a little surprised though that's to be expected. I've not made a powerful enough rune circle since my awakening that would warrant nature's backlash, heck even this rune circle was not so crazy and out of whack insane, that it restructured the rules of nature enough to elicit a Nature's backlash. But it did, and the ensuing punishment was....pleasant. I guess that's it means to be a draconic nature spirit.
*BRookkkoookkkkooolkkkkoooo*
I had no idea what kind of growl was that, but it was released from one of the mouths of the monster. And once it did so, it released a ripple of sound and energy that was so powerful it was actually visible to the naked eye. The ripple hit the shield, and it was repelled with even greater force back to the monster. Whatever that ripple was, even the monster was not willing to take it head one, as another mouth opened up and spat out rocks that quickly gathered to make up a wall.
The rippled smashed into the massive rock wall, and in seconds it was turned to dust, and it still went on ahead to touch the body of the monster, turning it's head and the entire part of its body that was still exposed over the bridge to bloody mess that evaporate quickly into a black vapor of multiple screaming souls that went down into the river of blood below. That was a rather anticlimactic end to the battle, though I had to admit if it wasn't attacked by it's own move, we would probably be dead.
"Is it dead?" I heard somebody ask from amongst then soldiers.
*Rumble!* *Screeeeeeeee!*
"God damn it's wade you jinxed us don't you ever shut up?" the partner of the guy who just asked a question replied.
"No, not when I'm awake." The guy called Wade replied.
I ignored their banter and focused my gaze on what was left of the monster centipede of evil…..maybe it needed a new name. The previous attack had at the very least destroyed a quarter of its body, and since it was the head, I though the remaining ¾ was nothing more than a carcass. How wrong I was.
Right in front of my eyes, I watched as the monsters head started reforming, it was now shorter than it's previous form, but that didn't mean it was any less powerful. It had multiple mouths capable of firing off different forms of elemental attacks. It had used ice, lightening and a variation of wind that could only be sound. I had no idea what other tricks it had up it's sleeves…..or scales. So we had to kill this thing, and fast.
"You miserable blood suckers. Do you have any idea how long it took me to grow to that length, how many of your cursed and desolate kind I've had to eat, and how many souls I have had to harvest? Of course you don't, you're heading for a land of death and suffering so yes! I'm sure you idiots know nothing! But I'm going to make you pay, I'm going to take your souls!"
Then the monster opened it's mouth and spat out a huge fireball. I was confused at first, because the first element that it's main mouth used was ice, and now it used fire. The fireball hit the shield so hard that it's entire form blazed with light and it was pushed back a bit. I was so scared that the shield wouldn't be able to hold, and it was then I realized that the reason why this monster's elements and abilities are so powerful and effective to a certain extent against my runes. It was because they were all powered by soul energy, and based on the sheer amount of souls it had trapped within it's body, I would say that it has a lot, like a whole lot more than should be normal in the body of anything at all.
The shield held and sent the fireball flying back with twice as much intensity and power that it received. But right before our surprised gaze the monster's entire body seemed to fade in and out of existence as the fireball phased through and past it's body, flying across the bridge until it hit a support beam of it. The long metal bridge stood sturdy, not even shaking from the hit. It would have been holding the weight of this monster for a long time, so without a doubt the structure had to be really strong.
But it was not the strength of the bridge that was getting to me right now, it was the monster's new bloody ability to negate damage. Any attack would literally go right through it without it receiving any sort of damage. It was at that time I received a message from Malek, I almost forgot that he along with the rest of Ethernalia Leonis were watching.
"Your majesty! It can only use one mouth at a time. Which means it can't attack and phase through an attack at the same time. If you want to cause any damage to it, you have to do it when it's attacking. The release of it's skills and abilities are instantaneous, so you have to time it right. But to be on the safe side, everybody else should open fire. The shield should hold on for another two or three hits."
He wasn't talking to me alone, and everyone else had heard what he had to say about defeating the monster. So we all got to it. The soldiers started firing at it, and even though it was phasing, I don't think that would last for long as it would need a physical form to attack us. And phased or not, I had methods that I could use to hurt it, if all other options failed. But Malek was right, I only had a small window of opportunity and I had to make the best of it.
I called out both my handguns, feeling the soft grooves of their grip for the first time in quite a while. I've almost forgotten how much power I could bring to bear when I used these guns. Though I'm not really a gun person, especially seeing as I could move faster than any bullet or laser, unless of course I was caught of guard. So I didn't find much of a use for them, but still there were a useful tool to have around, especially when you had to blow some monster to kingdom come.
The monster's phasing duration came to an end, and it rushed forward, shaking the earth as it moved, looking all imposing and terrifying as the ghastly aura it releases left me feeling nauseous. The soldiers down below were not idle either as they kept firing at it's rapidly approaching body, burning holes through it and eliciting angry growls from it in the process. And then.
*BANG!*
It slammed it's body against the shield and caused a shockwave that threw a lot of the vampires off their feet and straight to the ground. Then it phased and moved back, it's body a whole lot more burned than before. I reckon if figured that having it's own attacks thrown back at it with twice the power was stupid. It had no idea how long that shield would stand, even though it looked fragile, plus it couldn't keep phasing for the whole day, so the most probably solution it came up with, was to smash the shield with it's body, at least it could control the way it's own body would be thrown backwards.
For the most part it was right. The shield and push rune worked perfectly, but so too did the light rune. It was like holy water to a vampire, of course we're not the kind of vampires that affected by holy water, that's just in the movies. I made the light rune especially effective against anything evil, heck if I go close to it, I might actually get burned too. But the monster was gearing up for a second charge, and so was I.
The guns in my hand began to glow as I pooled my energies within them. I've not gotten to the point where all the energies I controlled could be perfectly molded together. I no longer had access to ether or mana, but my aura, mental energy and soul energy were powerful in their own rights. And it was a better combination since they sort of complemented themselves. The power of the soul, the mind, and of emotions. Each one very volatile and capable of a significant amount of damage. I waited, and just as I expected the monster charged for the shield, roaring bloody murder as it got closer. And it got close, ignoring the barrage of painful shots from the guns of the vampires below, he wouldn't be able to ignore mine.
*BANG!* *BOOOM!*
Please report us if you find any errors so we can fix it asap!
The giant centipede that reeked of evil could talk, but it was not really in the mood to talk as it opened it's mouth and spewed out and insane amount of gas. I raised my hands up and weaved a shield in front of us, stopping what ever gas it was that was heading for us. The gas crashed against the shield and began to cover it in a layer of frost as the temperature dropped to intense degrees.
The attack was blocked, but the power behind it actually cracked my shield, and threw the environment into disarray as everything became seriously cold. Every breath I took fogged up, and a soft layer of mist was beginning to cover the entire area before the bridge.
Hera and her team were not idle as they opened fire on the monster in front of us. At first I thought that their guns were shooting lasers, but it took me a while to notice that thief triggers had tiny barbed pins on it, and the gun itself was filled with a variety of wards and spell formations. This was a perfect marriage between science and magic, and the ammunition being used was none other than their own blood.
And based on how angry the monster looked, it seems to be working. The blood lasers flew true and when they touched it's body, they let of sizzling sounds as it's flesh was being burnt. The monster roared in indignation and anger as it drew itself up, standing high above us, with it's head almost touching the ceiling of the cavern highway. And then we noticed the numerous mouths that were on its belly, giving it a more grotesque appearance than I originally imagined.
One of the mouth opened up, and shot a bolt of lightening at us, smashing through my shield and hitting me right in the center of my chest. The ensuing blast from my shield being destroyed threw my backwards until I slayed into the ship behind me, creating a hole of my own into it's interior. Hera and her teak were not spared as they were also thrown back and separated from each other.
But it was at that moment the remaining forces of Ethernalia Leonis came through the hole in the ship, and without asking questions, making their judgment based on the injured look of their comrades, they opened fire. Pelting the monster with numerous blood lasers that drilled and burned holes into it's flesh.
But I was worried, this monster had enough power to smash my shield into pieces. Which means it was a level stronger than my weaving abilities and my connection to nature and soul energy. I had to figure out a way to beat him, and after that focus on strengthening me weaving abilities and expanding my soul runes. The feeling of my unbeatable defense being smashed apart like it was made of glass did not sit well with me.
I got up and ran out, flying into the air with my wings while I kept my aura in preparation for another move. I was not really used to flying with my wings, you would think it would come natural, but right now I was just helplessly wobbling in the air. It was not a pretty sight, but it was enough for me to finish what I had planned.
I stretched out both my hands and took my time as an intricate rune circle, forged and written in draconic script came into existence. Ever since my awakening, my runes were no longer in English, but rather in dragon tongue. I was thankful I didn't have to learn how to use it, as knowledge for it came to me with an almost godlike clarity.
I used the shield soul rune as a base, then made another circle where the push soul rune would repel any attack, and then a third where the light common rune was placed. It wouldn't have as much power as my soul runes, but it would work just fine as it was mainly just there as a concept. Light was a symbol for good and healing and whatever mushy, gooey stuff that kept evil at bay. It gave courage, it gave strength and it would spur the troops of Ethernalia Leonis to attack harder. This was a rune phrase, a rune sentence would have been better, but rather than one powerful activity, I needed this rune circle to have multiple functions and work like the cog in a well oiled machine. As soon as I was done the rune circle blazed into existence, round and separating us from the monster. It went all the way to the very top of the cavern, giving the monster no gap to launch an attack.
And then natures backlash came, and this time it actually renewed my energy. I was a little surprised though that's to be expected. I've not made a powerful enough rune circle since my awakening that would warrant nature's backlash, heck even this rune circle was not so crazy and out of whack insane, that it restructured the rules of nature enough to elicit a Nature's backlash. But it did, and the ensuing punishment was....pleasant. I guess that's it means to be a draconic nature spirit.
*BRookkkoookkkkooolkkkkoooo*
I had no idea what kind of growl was that, but it was released from one of the mouths of the monster. And once it did so, it released a ripple of sound and energy that was so powerful it was actually visible to the naked eye. The ripple hit the shield, and it was repelled with even greater force back to the monster. Whatever that ripple was, even the monster was not willing to take it head one, as another mouth opened up and spat out rocks that quickly gathered to make up a wall.
The rippled smashed into the massive rock wall, and in seconds it was turned to dust, and it still went on ahead to touch the body of the monster, turning it's head and the entire part of its body that was still exposed over the bridge to bloody mess that evaporate quickly into a black vapor of multiple screaming souls that went down into the river of blood below. That was a rather anticlimactic end to the battle, though I had to admit if it wasn't attacked by it's own move, we would probably be dead.
"Is it dead?" I heard somebody ask from amongst then soldiers.
*Rumble!* *Screeeeeeeee!*
"God damn it's wade you jinxed us don't you ever shut up?" the partner of the guy who just asked a question replied.
"No, not when I'm awake." The guy called Wade replied.
I ignored their banter and focused my gaze on what was left of the monster centipede of evil…..maybe it needed a new name. The previous attack had at the very least destroyed a quarter of its body, and since it was the head, I though the remaining ¾ was nothing more than a carcass. How wrong I was.
Right in front of my eyes, I watched as the monsters head started reforming, it was now shorter than it's previous form, but that didn't mean it was any less powerful. It had multiple mouths capable of firing off different forms of elemental attacks. It had used ice, lightening and a variation of wind that could only be sound. I had no idea what other tricks it had up it's sleeves…..or scales. So we had to kill this thing, and fast.
"You miserable blood suckers. Do you have any idea how long it took me to grow to that length, how many of your cursed and desolate kind I've had to eat, and how many souls I have had to harvest? Of course you don't, you're heading for a land of death and suffering so yes! I'm sure you idiots know nothing! But I'm going to make you pay, I'm going to take your souls!"
Then the monster opened it's mouth and spat out a huge fireball. I was confused at first, because the first element that it's main mouth used was ice, and now it used fire. The fireball hit the shield so hard that it's entire form blazed with light and it was pushed back a bit. I was so scared that the shield wouldn't be able to hold, and it was then I realized that the reason why this monster's elements and abilities are so powerful and effective to a certain extent against my runes. It was because they were all powered by soul energy, and based on the sheer amount of souls it had trapped within it's body, I would say that it has a lot, like a whole lot more than should be normal in the body of anything at all.
The shield held and sent the fireball flying back with twice as much intensity and power that it received. But right before our surprised gaze the monster's entire body seemed to fade in and out of existence as the fireball phased through and past it's body, flying across the bridge until it hit a support beam of it. The long metal bridge stood sturdy, not even shaking from the hit. It would have been holding the weight of this monster for a long time, so without a doubt the structure had to be really strong.
But it was not the strength of the bridge that was getting to me right now, it was the monster's new bloody ability to negate damage. Any attack would literally go right through it without it receiving any sort of damage. It was at that time I received a message from Malek, I almost forgot that he along with the rest of Ethernalia Leonis were watching.
"Your majesty! It can only use one mouth at a time. Which means it can't attack and phase through an attack at the same time. If you want to cause any damage to it, you have to do it when it's attacking. The release of it's skills and abilities are instantaneous, so you have to time it right. But to be on the safe side, everybody else should open fire. The shield should hold on for another two or three hits."
He wasn't talking to me alone, and everyone else had heard what he had to say about defeating the monster. So we all got to it. The soldiers started firing at it, and even though it was phasing, I don't think that would last for long as it would need a physical form to attack us. And phased or not, I had methods that I could use to hurt it, if all other options failed. But Malek was right, I only had a small window of opportunity and I had to make the best of it.
I called out both my handguns, feeling the soft grooves of their grip for the first time in quite a while. I've almost forgotten how much power I could bring to bear when I used these guns. Though I'm not really a gun person, especially seeing as I could move faster than any bullet or laser, unless of course I was caught of guard. So I didn't find much of a use for them, but still there were a useful tool to have around, especially when you had to blow some monster to kingdom come.
The monster's phasing duration came to an end, and it rushed forward, shaking the earth as it moved, looking all imposing and terrifying as the ghastly aura it releases left me feeling nauseous. The soldiers down below were not idle either as they kept firing at it's rapidly approaching body, burning holes through it and eliciting angry growls from it in the process. And then.
*BANG!*
It slammed it's body against the shield and caused a shockwave that threw a lot of the vampires off their feet and straight to the ground. Then it phased and moved back, it's body a whole lot more burned than before. I reckon if figured that having it's own attacks thrown back at it with twice the power was stupid. It had no idea how long that shield would stand, even though it looked fragile, plus it couldn't keep phasing for the whole day, so the most probably solution it came up with, was to smash the shield with it's body, at least it could control the way it's own body would be thrown backwards.
For the most part it was right. The shield and push rune worked perfectly, but so too did the light rune. It was like holy water to a vampire, of course we're not the kind of vampires that affected by holy water, that's just in the movies. I made the light rune especially effective against anything evil, heck if I go close to it, I might actually get burned too. But the monster was gearing up for a second charge, and so was I.
The guns in my hand began to glow as I pooled my energies within them. I've not gotten to the point where all the energies I controlled could be perfectly molded together. I no longer had access to ether or mana, but my aura, mental energy and soul energy were powerful in their own rights. And it was a better combination since they sort of complemented themselves. The power of the soul, the mind, and of emotions. Each one very volatile and capable of a significant amount of damage. I waited, and just as I expected the monster charged for the shield, roaring bloody murder as it got closer. And it got close, ignoring the barrage of painful shots from the guns of the vampires below, he wouldn't be able to ignore mine.
*BANG!* *BOOOM!*
The giant centipede that reeked of evil could talk, but it was not really in the mood to talk as it opened it's mouth and spewed out and insane amount of gas. I raised my hands up and weaved a shield in front of us, stopping what ever gas it was that was heading for us. The gas crashed against the shield and began to cover it in a layer of frost as the temperature dropped to intense degrees. The attack was blocked, but the power behind it actually cracked my shield, and threw the environment into disarray as everything became seriously cold. Every breath I took fogged up, and a soft layer of mist was beginning to cover the entire area before the bridge. Hera and her team were not idle as they opened fire on the monster in front of us. At first I thought that their guns were shooting lasers, but it took me a while to notice that thief triggers had tiny barbed pins on it, and the gun itself was filled with a variety of wards and spell formations. This was a perfect marriage between science and magic, and the ammunition being used was none other than their own blood. And based on how angry the monster looked, it seems to be working. The blood lasers flew true and when they touched it's body, they let of sizzling sounds as it's flesh was being burnt. The monster roared in indignation and anger as it drew itself up, standing high above us, with it's head almost touching the ceiling of the cavern highway. And then we noticed the numerous mouths that were on its belly, giving it a more grotesque appearance than I originally imagined. One of the mouth opened up, and shot a bolt of lightening at us, smashing through my shield and hitting me right in the center of my chest. The ensuing blast from my shield being destroyed threw my backwards until I slayed into the ship behind me, creating a hole of my own into it's interior. Hera and her teak were not spared as they were also thrown back and separated from each other. But it was at that moment the remaining forces of Ethernalia Leonis came through the hole in the ship, and without asking questions, making their judgment based on the injured look of their comrades, they opened fire. Pelting the monster with numerous blood lasers that drilled and burned holes into it's flesh. But I was worried, this monster had enough power to smash my shield into pieces. Which means it was a level stronger than my weaving abilities and my connection to nature and soul energy. I had to figure out a way to beat him, and after that focus on strengthening me weaving abilities and expanding my soul runes. The feeling of my unbeatable defense being smashed apart like it was made of glass did not sit well with me. I got up and ran out, flying into the air with my wings while I kept my aura in preparation for another move. I was not really used to flying with my wings, you would think it would come natural, but right now I was just helplessly wobbling in the air. It was not a pretty sight, but it was enough for me to finish what I had planned. I stretched out both my hands and took my time as an intricate rune circle, forged and written in draconic script came into existence. Ever since my awakening, my runes were no longer in English, but rather in dragon tongue. I was thankful I didn't have to learn how to use it, as knowledge for it came to me with an almost godlike clarity. I used the shield soul rune as a base, then made another circle where the push soul rune would repel any attack, and then a third where the light common rune was placed. It wouldn't have as much power as my soul runes, but it would work just fine as it was mainly just there as a concept. Light was a symbol for good and healing and whatever mushy, gooey stuff that kept evil at bay. It gave courage, it gave strength and it would spur the troops of Ethernalia Leonis to attack harder. This was a rune phrase, a rune sentence would have been better, but rather than one powerful activity, I needed this rune circle to have multiple functions and work like the cog in a well oiled machine. As soon as I was done the rune circle blazed into existence, round and separating us from the monster. It went all the way to the very top of the cavern, giving the monster no gap to launch an attack. And then natures backlash came, and this time it actually renewed my energy. I was a little surprised though that's to be expected. I've not made a powerful enough rune circle since my awakening that would warrant nature's backlash, heck even this rune circle was not so crazy and out of whack insane, that it restructured the rules of nature enough to elicit a Nature's backlash. But it did, and the ensuing punishment was....pleasant. I guess that's it means to be a draconic nature spirit. *BRookkkoookkkkooolkkkkoooo* I had no idea what kind of growl was that, but it was released from one of the mouths of the monster. And once it did so, it released a ripple of sound and energy that was so powerful it was actually visible to the naked eye. The ripple hit the shield, and it was repelled with even greater force back to the monster. Whatever that ripple was, even the monster was not willing to take it head one, as another mouth opened up and spat out rocks that quickly gathered to make up a wall. The rippled smashed into the massive rock wall, and in seconds it was turned to dust, and it still went on ahead to touch the body of the monster, turning it's head and the entire part of its body that was still exposed over the bridge to bloody mess that evaporate quickly into a black vapor of multiple screaming souls that went down into the river of blood below. That was a rather anticlimactic end to the battle, though I had to admit if it wasn't attacked by it's own move, we would probably be dead. "Is it dead?" I heard somebody ask from amongst then soldiers. *Rumble!* *Screeeeeeeee!* "God damn it's wade you jinxed us don't you ever shut up?" the partner of the guy who just asked a question replied. "No, not when I'm awake." The guy called Wade replied. I ignored their banter and focused my gaze on what was left of the monster centipede of evil..maybe it needed a new name. The previous attack had at the very least destroyed a quarter of its body, and since it was the head, I though the remaining was nothing more than a carcass. How wrong I was. Right in front of my eyes, I watched as the monsters head started reforming, it was now shorter than it's previous form, but that didn't mean it was any less powerful. It had multiple mouths capable of firing off different forms of elemental attacks. It had used ice, lightening and a variation of wind that could only be sound. I had no idea what other tricks it had up it's sleeves..or scales. So we had to kill this thing, and fast. "You miserable blood suckers. Do you have any idea how long it took me to grow to that length, how many of your cursed and desolate kind I've had to eat, and how many souls I have had to harvest? Of course you don't, you're heading for a land of death and suffering so yes! I'm sure you idiots know nothing! But I'm going to make you pay, I'm going to take your souls!" Then the monster opened it's mouth and spat out a huge fireball. I was confused at first, because the first element that it's main mouth used was ice, and now it used fire. The fireball hit the shield so hard that it's entire form blazed with light and it was pushed back a bit. I was so scared that the shield wouldn't be able to hold, and it was then I realized that the reason why this monster's elements and abilities are so powerful and effective to a certain extent against my runes. It was because they were all powered by soul energy, and based on the sheer amount of souls it had trapped within it's body, I would say that it has a lot, like a whole lot more than should be normal in the body of anything at all. The shield held and sent the fireball flying back with twice as much intensity and power that it received. But right before our surprised gaze the monster's entire body seemed to fade in and out of existence as the fireball phased through and past it's body, flying across the bridge until it hit a support beam of it. The long metal bridge stood sturdy, not even shaking from the hit. It would have been holding the weight of this monster for a long time, so without a doubt the structure had to be really strong. But it was not the strength of the bridge that was getting to me right now, it was the monster's new bloody ability to negate damage. Any attack would literally go right through it without it receiving any sort of damage. It was at that time I received a message from Malek, I almost forgot that he along with the rest of Ethernalia Leonis were watching. "Your majesty! It can only use one mouth at a time. Which means it can't attack and phase through an attack at the same time. If you want to cause any damage to it, you have to do it when it's attacking. The release of it's skills and abilities are instantaneous, so you have to time it right. But to be on the safe side, everybody else should open fire. The shield should hold on for another two or three hits." He wasn't talking to me alone, and everyone else had heard what he had to say about defeating the monster. So we all got to it. The soldiers started firing at it, and even though it was phasing, I don't think that would last for long as it would need a physical form to attack us. And phased or not, I had methods that I could use to hurt it, if all other options failed. But Malek was right, I only had a small window of opportunity and I had to make the best of it. I called out both my handguns, feeling the soft grooves of their grip for the first time in quite a while. I've almost forgotten how much power I could bring to bear when I used these guns. Though I'm not really a gun person, especially seeing as I could move faster than any bullet or laser, unless of course I was caught of guard. So I didn't find much of a use for them, but still there were a useful tool to have around, especially when you had to blow some monster to kingdom come. The monster's phasing duration came to an end, and it rushed forward, shaking the earth as it moved, looking all imposing and terrifying as the ghastly aura it releases left me feeling nauseous. The soldiers down below were not idle either as they kept firing at it's rapidly approaching body, burning holes through it and eliciting angry growls from it in the process. And then. *BANG!* It slammed it's body against the shield and caused a shockwave that threw a lot of the vampires off their feet and straight to the ground. Then it phased and moved back, it's body a whole lot more burned than before. I reckon if figured that having it's own attacks thrown back at it with twice the power was stupid. It had no idea how long that shield would stand, even though it looked fragile, plus it couldn't keep phasing for the whole day, so the most probably solution it came up with, was to smash the shield with it's body, at least it could control the way it's own body would be thrown backwards. For the most part it was right. The shield and push rune worked perfectly, but so too did the light rune. It was like holy water to a vampire, of course we're not the kind of vampires that affected by holy water, that's just in the movies. I made the light rune especially effective against anything evil, heck if I go close to it, I might actually get burned too. But the monster was gearing up for a second charge, and so was I. The guns in my hand began to glow as I pooled my energies within them. I've not gotten to the point where all the energies I controlled could be perfectly molded together. I no longer had access to ether or mana, but my aura, mental energy and soul energy were powerful in their own rights. And it was a better combination since they sort of complemented themselves. The power of the soul, the mind, and of emotions. Each one very volatile and capable of a significant amount of damage. I waited, and just as I expected the monster charged for the shield, roaring bloody murder as it got closer. And it got close, ignoring the barrage of painful shots from the guns of the vampires below, he wouldn't be able to ignore mine. *BANG!* *BOOOM!*
