Compared to Ivan, the pure black dragon that Nicholas II transford into was considerably smaller.
With its wings fully extended, the wingspan was only about six ters. Standing on the ground, the tallest point was less than three ters from the ground... roughly the height of a normal indoor ceiling, small enough to crouch in a room with its head lowered.
It wasn’t even as large as the "Baboon Spirit" from before.
This was because the dragon form that Nicholas II had taken on was the Frost Scaled Dragon that "would have been born if Annan died at that very mont."
The people of Frost Speech, upon their death and through the effect of the "Heart of Winter," might transform into Frost Scaled Dragons.
And the size of the dragon they beca was generally related to their age when they passed away.
Annan was only fifteen this year. The "Dragon in the Lake" that Nicholas II had projected using Annan’s body, in terms of dragon age, could barely qualify as a "young dragon."
"——Frost Scaled Dragon."
Nicholas II spoke in a deep draconic tongue, "Impressive. The dragon’s body... so strong and healthy, this seemingly endless vitality, the Elental Power of frost flowing through the blood... truly the most noble of creatures."
But clearly, Nicholas was very satisfied with this body.
Annan narrowed his eyes slightly, "My reflection, huh..."
This was a Gold-level transformation spell, "Forbidden Alchemy: Reflection of the Flesh."
In ancient tis, it was called "Legendary Creature Mirror Magic."
Annan recognized this spell because long before his confrontation with the Spirit Tender, Salvatore had ntioned it to him.
In Forbidden Alchemy, the greatest taboo wasn’t "human alchemy," but "self-alchemy."
It wasn’t a Shapeshifting spell from the School of Sculpting but an irreversible transformation spell from the School of Transmutation.
By actively destroying one’s forr body and undergoing "post-mortem alchemy," one would project one of a chosen target’s essential natures onto one’s own corpse... thereby acquiring the mirrored body of the other and being reborn imdiately.
Even for a wizard, this was an exceptionally extre way to fight.
If the spell failed, it would be the sa as committing suicide on the spot. As the transformation spell could only take effect after confirming one’s own death... this could be even more thorough than being killed by soone else.
Perhaps only wizards adept in the School of Idolatry, possessing "resurrection abilities," would dare to use such a thod... turning their body into the material for transformation and transforming into the "enemy."
Nicholas II clearly couldn’t possess such ability.
If he really wanted to resist "Silver Fla Assault," it wouldn’t be difficult.
He simply needed to burn his soul and use his Elental Power to hide behind a lofty false body—dodging this attack.
But Nicholas II didn’t want to use this more conservative approach.
He would rather die directly in the fire than admit he was at a disadvantage or that his trump card had been exhausted.
That is to say, he would rather gamble it all in one go than to wear down his resources.
He regarded the attack that he was currently enduring, which was sufficient to destroy him, as part of the "alchemy" process.
Like the flas that sear ores—
He destroyed his body in the fire without hesitation, as if burning the "ore."
At the mont the flas stopped, with the concept of "calcination," he considered the old body as ore and the new one as red copper.
At the mont the flas stopped, it was the "completion of alchemy," the mont of death and rebirth.
And Nicholas II clearly believed that among Annan’s many concepts... only the nature of "dragonkind" was the most powerful.
Therefore, he didn’t take on the Radiance Form of today, nor does he use Annan’s Heart of Winter, nor did he transform into any form related to the Sky Chariot...
...Absolute elitism, huh.
Annan snickered soundlessly.
This indeed fit well with Nicholas II’s aesthetics.
He saw himself as the "supre entity."
And compared to humans, elves were a more noble, perfect race. The elves themselves had the Tradition of Dragon Worship, venerating dragons over gods.
Thus, Nicholas II believed that if he could transform into a dragon—even if just a false dragon—he could be considered on the path to greatness. His previous body was rely the residue left after "calcination."
But perhaps Nicholas II didn’t know.
For allies, not to consider—for there were special cases from the Land of Light.
But for bosses, "gigantic transformations" were almost always an imdiate death flag in most cases...
Facing the dragon whose scales were like coal, Annan swung his strike through the air once again.
The crystal-like glimring sword trail flashed by, leaving a string of frost marks suspended in the air.
It was as though ti itself had co to a halt.
The dragon of reflections rely raised its head and exhaled deeply.
Its dim red dragon breath instantly stigmatized the air before it—as if a dark red rose silently blood in the air.
At the mont that sword trail struck the "rose," the invisible deep red brilliance suddenly dispersed, silently catching the sword.
The crystal sword trail, which seed capable of freezing space and ti, was instead dyed from the bottom up into a magnificent crystalline red by the dragon breath.
—Is this Elental Power?
Annan was sowhat astonished.
But Nicholas II obviously hadn’t unveiled his Radiance Form... or was it that his Radiance Form was so unique that Annan couldn’t help but overlook its presence?
While pondering, Annan didn’t hesitate to dodge to the side.
To prevent the "backflowing" crystalline red unidentified Elental Power from spreading to himself.
The next mont, he raised his halved light sword in front of him.
As Annan’s ethereal wings burst open behind him, he plumted downward at high speed—
And after Nicholas II exhaled his first dragon breath of his life, he adapted to the dragon form briefly and then began to chant again:
"Left Hummingbird."
As his voice fell, the pitch-black scales on his body fell off one by one.
Each scale transford into deep blue living flas, flying upside-down like feathers, like teors counterattacking, from the bottom up towards Annan!
Each burst of living fla was hot enough to pierce through dragon scales in an instant.
Annan’s form changed abruptly—his figure glowed amidst the surrounding light fog, and every ti he suddenly altered his flight trajectory, he would leave behind an "afterimage."
But it wasn’t just a residual image that could remain on the retina.
It was a very real "crystal substitute."
This was a capability Annan had newly mastered.
The powers of "Radiance" and "Frost" combined, leaving behind a glowing substitute in his original position every ti Annan dodged backward or to the side. And only when the substitute was shattered would Annan’s new position be revealed.
Those deep blue living flas were misled every ti, and after Annan’s three dodges, he was already directly above Nicholas II.
Although Nicholas II had wings, he was still clinging to the ground.
Because he had just acquired the Dragon Form and didn’t dare to fly in front of Annan—after all, "flight" was still a fairly unfamiliar realm to him.
So when the players arrived at Blood Butterfly Valley, out of breath, they witnessed an unforgettable spectacle:
Annan only had his ethereal wings contorted like tendrils behind him, yet he maneuvered high in the sky like a Valkyrie with swift agility; while clearly a caster class, he wielded a light sword more akin to a lance—engaged in close combat with the black giant... juvenile dragon who, though possessing powerful wings, stubbornly refused to fly and stayed grounded.
Nicholas II imdiately caught onto this.
He was exceedingly arrogant, yet still extrely cautious.
Upon seeing reinforcents arrive for Annan... Nicholas II’s first reaction was to prevent them from joining the battlefield.
Even if they were all just silver rank.
"Crown of the Azure Sky," "Earth’s Calamity,"...
Nicholas II began chanting in a low voice.
After feinting a "thrust," Annan retreated rapidly—then suddenly plunged down, his spear of light piercing into the dragon’s shoulder blade, nearly tearing off Nicholas II’s right wing!
But Nicholas II withstood the blow, continuing his stubborn chant: "Demon’s Blood," "Soul of the Innocent," "Cat’s Footstep," "Fish’s Breath,"...
A cunning gleam flashed in the dragon’s eyes.
Capturing that malicious hint, Annan, though not understanding what it was, suddenly felt an extrely strong, almost lethal sense of crisis.
Despite not knowing what it was... considering such a long chant, it was presumably safer to back away.
So, without hesitation and leaving behind an illusion, Annan imdiately withdrew his sword and retreated.
At this point, the dragon’s chant was also nearing completion:
"—’Hers’ Triple-Great Dust of Poison.’"
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