Blood and hungry orange energy burst from AlanaÆs wound like tongues of flame Hissing in displeasure the dragon pulled back somewhat and raised its neck to unleash a bolt of its breath directly toward Alana
With a snort Alana lashed out and kicked it in the chest As it spiraled away in agony Alana also dodged two more cobalt bolts fired by its allies with the rebounding force from her kick Alana spun around mid air until she caught sight of a chunk of rock that likely weighed as much as she did She twisted her body controlling her tumbling momentum to flow quickly toward that stone
Her eyes burned as Alana shoved her hand through the exterior rock and gripped the surface with a desperate glee Then she twisted bringing the rock in a full orbit around her body Twisting her abdominal muscles even further to force the movement while midair AlanaÆs spin accelerated As the dragons gathered above her once more she smashed aside their long range breath attacks with the whirling stone
In an infinite helix downward Alana and the stone became a halo of orange energy and evaporating ice The dragons seemed to sense that she was regaining her strength because they roared and surged closer Wind and darkness seethed around them
Alana knew that all she really had to do was buy time At some point the howling wind would give way to their inevitable landing It would hurt like a bitch but AlanaÆs confidence in surviving was surging back with every moment As she struggled at the edge of her capability her image felt like it was weaving itself into existence at her slightest whim
And once they were on the ground these dragons would be nothing to her Yet some part of Alana urged her to take a different Path One that involved fighting now and damn the consequences That was the part of her that identified with Randidly Ghosthound her own savior What had he felt like struggling against the entirety of Donnyton
AlanaÆs mouth curled into a smile
This time the Dragons came with a plan One dragon wildly beat its wings ascending upwards to blast periodic ice bolts downward to limit AlanaÆs mobility The smallest of the dragons circled rapidly around them all while the two largest spiraled downward and came at Alana from either side Their mouths were open and their fangs were so bright and white that they seemed to have been carved from the purest snow
Ice is truly so fragile Alana gaze caught on their luminous teeth for several seconds Then she began her counterattack
The muscles of AlanaÆs right arm bulged as she twisted her body out of the tight spiral with the stone The vein along her bicep wriggled with the exertion But then with a bellow Alana managed to break the holding pattern and whip the stone upward like an asteroid
The Dragon above Alana squawked and had to twist to the side and use its wing to awkwardly deflect the projectile Wind whipped at AlanaÆs hair around in a wild tangle as her toss threw her downward out of the path of the two Dragons that had struck to surround her
But of course the fourth and smallest Dragon swept downward with its claws outstretched and received a spear through its chest for its troubles Alana regarded it coolly before looking upward to the weapon that had mortally wounded the Dragon
A long gleaming silver spear that stretched almost three meters long a full meter beyond the usual range for her spear was clearly stretching out of the DragonÆs chest Orange energy radiated outward from the gleaming attack like drunk dragonflies It was an attack made entirely with the image that extended as Alana used a Skill
In the classification that Randidly and Helen popularized in their clear demonstration of power this would be the abilities of an Adept AlanaÆs heart beat faster at the sharp joy she felt at finally making a step forward in the art of images
And this step was not a small one
Do you think you will be the end of me Alana barred her teeth at the struggling dragon Then she looked up with a dark smile toward its companions Her orange energy surged forward flooding into the wound to burn the body of this dying Dragon from the inside out in some terrible method of torture
AlanaÆs gaze swept between the suddenly hesitant Dragons No need to come one at a time I will personally end you all one way or another
The metal of her Valkyrie helmet felt hot against her skin even as her smiling face was numbed by the tumultuous wind For several long seconds Alana considered her foes But then the Dragons abruptly spread their wings wide and their speed seemed to drop to nothing To AlanaÆs vision the Dragons seemed to zip upward as though yanked by a long rope
Alana glanced downward and grimaced She stored her spear in her ring and twisted so the feebly writhing Dragon was below her to break the fall
Stone shattered and ice flew up in a chilly plume Her knees ached but Alana forced herself to remain on her feet Beneath her she could feel the ribcage and organs of the Dragon rupture
Alana staggered several steps forward Even though she had braced herself and used the body of the Dragon as a cushion her teeth still ached painfully after they crashed into one of the ridges below the peak of Mount Olympus And the impact would have been even worse if the ice or rock of the outcropping they smashed into hadnÆt cracked and splintered from the mountain proper
Due to the constant swirl of snow in the dark night Alana couldnÆt tell their exact position relative to the peak But due to the direction of the wind it was likely that she had blown into the dangerous northern foothills surrounding Mount Olympus
Even as Alana looked slowly around to the grey slate and dark ice around her the sensation of rumbling traveled up through the soles of her feet The ground underneath her feet began to rumble and turn slowly as the shattered ridge began to tumble down toward deeper crevices
Alana looked sharply up The Dragons circled having difficulty seeing her through the debris from the crash She should really be focusing on preparing for her next attack but on the other hand
As the Dragons took a few moments to gather themselves Alana poured some of her gathered PP into her Path that was very close to completion With big jumps in Elemental Resistance Sun Strike and Fighting Proficiency Alana was just barely able to complete the Path
Congratulations You have completed the Heretical Ascendant of the Red Star Alaihym Path Guided by one of the seven false stairs held by the World Tree Yggdrasil you have embarked upon the Path to change your very nature It is difficult to predict this Path because it is tied to the growth of an unpredictable world that is not a world but a body
But like all Paths there is great meaning in continuing to walk forward We wish you luck All Stats +25 Your Stat Resistance has evolved to become Inviolability
Inviolability In addition to increasing your ability to resist external influences you have gained a spark of celestial energy All specific weapons and methods will be ineffective at ending your existence the first time they are used to do so
Congratulations A distant resonance was detected Energy and meaning flood to fill the gaps
Your Soulskill has evolved to become The Life of Alaihym the Angel with no Lineage
Chapter 1005
Before Alana could truly examine the notifications she had received the huge boulder she was currently riding cracked further splitting directly underneath her feet Immediately the Dragons roared in triumph as they spotted her moving through the swirling snow She sidestepped quickly and looked upward toward her attackers
As she suspected the Dragons were wasting no time in pouncing downward in order to strike while she was vulnerable Cobalt bolts began to crash against the ground around her scattering shards of stone that left tiny paper thin cuts on her legs Unfortunately for them Alana felt that the change that resulted from the evolution of her Stat was much more potent than the rather short paragraph would indicate