A thunderous roar erupted, followed by seven more in rapid succession. Over thirty seconds had passed since Logan had unleashed his auditory assault, and the hydra writhed in distress. So heads, having shaken off his control, lashed out at their neighbors, sinking their teeth into flesh in a desperate attempt to snap them out of their stupor.
Logan didn't waste a second. He surged forward, wielding Zephyr's most powerful ability—Typhoon Barrage. Blades of wind spiraled around him, crackling with electricity as they spun at breakneck speed. The force was so intense that the vibrations created an additional elental effect—a rare phenonon.
Just ters from the hydra, Logan halted, but the storm he had conjured did not. The whirling blades shot forward, multiplying into twenty in the short distance he traveled. Had he been airborne, he could have gathered even more, but the sheer force of the twenty was enough to shove the hydra back.
It was the wake-up call the beast needed—but at a steep price. Blood and shattered scales littered the ground as its body weakened under the weight of both ntal strain and physical wounds. Yet, even battered, the hydra refused to surrender. Its seven heads reared back, pooling their fiery energy into a concentrated beam, locking onto Logan once more.
Logan leaped backward, putting distance between himself and the great beast. A quick warp with Arcane Displacent carried him further away, but doubt gnawed at him—until he rembered his army of moths. They were exactly what he needed to buy ti.
He cast Infernal Swarm, summoning his creatures from the shadows. They gathered overhead in a blazing vortex, their wings igniting with fiery magic. Hundreds ca—then thousands. Logan wasn't sure where the extras had appeared from, but he sensed his tad moths had been lurking within the massive pillar.
He unleashed the firestorm toward the hydra. Though he knew the flas wouldn't do much damage, the fire was rely a distraction. What he truly needed were abilities capable of weakening the beast.
Ashen Drift took effect—the moths hovering above let the powdery ash clinging to their wings drift downward, blinding the hydra once again. Then ca Fla Mirage—the insects released a second powder, weaving illusions into the air, distorting the creature's senses and clouding its perception as the thin veil caused it to enter a state of confusion.
anwhile, Logan seized the brief mont of respite. He retrieved a vial of mana-infused water and a pure crystal, draining their energy to restore a third of his depleted mana. Then, crafting a pillar of earth, he sank behind it, breath ragged, as his mind remained locked in battle with the beast's formidable will.
Logan glanced back, watching the swarm continue its relentless assault. Yet, despite the fiery storm, the hydra's scales rendered the flas ineffective. The real advantage lay in the powder cascading down—its blindness remained absolute.
"Enough of this fight! Beco my tad and claim the strength that awaits you—the power to never fall to a re human or the insects that swarm you. Aren't you a dragon? Do you not wish to evolve?" Logan's voice rang out, infused with Persuasive Speech, steadily working its way into the creature's mind.
The hydra roared, its seven voices overlapping in frustration. Worn from battle, its injuries mounting, an undeniable truth seeped in—the need to transcend. The long years spent dormant had weakened it, a disgrace to its draconic lineage, a wound to the collective pride of its seven heads.
Then, suddenly, it yielded. Blood from its wounds seeped through a fractured scale, marking its thigh with the mark that reflected its willingness.
[Stop the blinding powder, I have accepted your request!]
The hydra's words struck Logan with force—not just for their aning, but for their delivery. Seven distinct voices spoke in unison, a layered echo that sent a shiver through him.
Wasting no ti, he cast Infernal Swarm again, calling the moths back. As they fluttered toward him, the hydra began to radiate—a glow signaling the onset of evolution. Its massive form swelled, rising onto two legs, its elongated necks stretching as a chorus of roars tore through the air. Muscle defined its once-heavy fra, its body refining itself with each painful second.
But the transformation did not stop.
Logan watched, wide-eyed, as the process began anew. This was beyond his expectations.
The hydra's second transformation surged forward, altering its form beyond recognition. Massive wings burst forth, and with their first powerful beat, an intense wave of heat radiated outward. Logan instinctively shielded his face with his arms as the surrounding temperature spiked—even the volcano itself seed to react, growing hotter in response.
Taking a few steps back, Logan heard a familiar roar from above. Activating Zephyr's vision enhancing skill, he spotted Silvia atop Wyver, her figure outlined against the sky. She waved toward him, her expression filled with concern.
[Are you alright? Do you need to be warped away?] Her voice echoed in his mind, carrying the weight of her doubt along with fear and affection.
Logan smirked at her worry. [It's fine, Silv. I've tad the hydra—it'll be a powerful ally in the battle against the demons.]
His attention returned to the evolving creature. The hydra's final form was awe-inspiring—four enormous wings now spread wide, their full span reaching nearly thirty ters. Its elongated body, now stretching to eight ters, was defined by its many necks, and two formidable tails extended behind it, each asuring at least four ters in length.
Then, its voice thundered through his mind.
[Human, bring my treasure. This place no longer interests . I require a new ho—one worthy of my size.]
Logan couldn't help but laugh. The volcano, for all its vastness, was now nothing more than a cramped closet compared to the hydra's newfound majestic figure.
[Very well—let's go.]
With a swift motion, Logan stored all the relics and valuables from the fire temple within one of his rings. Before departing, he assigned five of his moths to remain behind, ensuring a watchful presence over the now-empty domain.
Logan hesitated for a mont before calling forth Infernus, the strongest among his swarm. The moth stepped forward, and Logan granted it the Monarch's Blessing—the stored gift he had long intended to give to another creature.
Logan could sense the fire spirit's growing furious. It had probably long watched over his battle, and how it's guardian—the hydra—was preparing to leave. The spirit's displeasure rippled through the very foundations of the temple, causing the ground to tremble in defiance, a silent but unmistakable warning of its will.
[Infernus, you are tasked with protecting this place. Form a powerful colony so I may call upon it in the future.]
The moth before him underwent a subtle transformation—a faint crown-like appendage appearing between its antennae. It fluttered, an unspoken acknowledgnt of its new duty.
Logan understood that, despite its evolution, Infernus had not yet gained the ability to speak. Instead, like the others, it communicated through silent cues—perhaps signals or intricate wing movents, passing commands in ways yet to be fully understood.
With his decision made, Logan took the five moths he had chosen for further training. As followers of a blessed, they too would benefit from the divine connection, ensuring their leader remained at the pinnacle of their collective strength.
"Well then, that's everything we ca here to do. Let's go." Logan grinned, as he used his angelic wings to get on the hydras back.
The creature's four powerful wings flared, the air rippling with their movents. For the first ti, the hydra felt the freedom of flight—as a true dragon.
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