NOVEL WEB Chapter 282: Xyrran's Clone, Aura Pressure
[Xyrran, Primordial Space and Time Dragon (Clone)]
[5 seconds before "Fated Cataclysm" explosion.]
"I guess that was pretty good," Xyrran's clone chuckled.
His voice echoed through the air, calm and confident, like he was in complete control.
He was the only one capable of speaking among the group of clones, his voice cutting through the tension.
Maybe it was because this clone was more than just a simple copy.
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Xyrran himself had created it, and thus the connection between the original and the clone was stronger.
[4 seconds before "Fated Cataclysm" explosion.]
None of the other dragons had even gotten the chance to use their skills.
They were wiped out too fast.
But Xyrran's clone was different, he wasn't just another dragon in the crowd.
And that made all the difference.
[3 seconds before "Fated Cataclysm" explosion.]
"Get ready," the clone grinned, flashing his razor-sharp teeth, his eyes gleaming with malice, "At least three of you are going to die right after this attack!"
The participants felt a shiver go through their spines as they looked up.
Three of them?
It didn't take much for Alex to figure out who the clone meant when he said that three would die: himself, Clovox, and Lira.
Astariel was far too strong to go down easily, and Draven... well, Draven supposedly couldn't die at all.
[2 seconds before "Fated Cataclysm" explosion.]
"Here goes," the clone growled, his voice turning into a roar that seemed to shake the very air around them.
Up in the sky, crimson particles began swirling, gathering into a massive, ominous cloud.
The energy radiating from it was powerful, but not the most powerful one he had felt.
[1 second before "Fated Cataclysm" explosion.]
"HERE IT GOES!"
Suddenly, the air grew heavy.
AURA PRESSURE!
[Effect: Use your aura to pressure the enemies, stopping them from moving and even crushing their bones if their will is too weak compared to yours.]
The aura poured down from the sky like an invisible, crushing ceiling.
And before anyone could react, it slammed into them.
Alex's heart pounded in his chest.
'I can't survive that!'
The realization hit him like a slap to the face.
This wasn't just strong, it was unstoppable.
He could feel it deep in his bones.
There was no way out.
Destiny Shift!
Beep!
[You cannot undo an intangible attack.]
"What?"
Alex's eyes widened in disbelief.
This was the first time Destiny Shift had failed.
He had always been able to rely on it to undo even the worst of attacks, but this time...
It was useless.
"Bye bye," Xyrran's clone laughed, his voice dripping with mockery.
Around him, Alex could see his teammates bracing themselves.
Astariel, Draven, Lira, and Clovox, all of them took their stances, their eyes locked on the sky as the aura bore down on them.
But just as it was about to crush them...
Fated Cataclysm!
The giant golden orb Alex had sent out earlier suddenly expanded, swelling until it filled the entire domain.
And then...
BOOOOOOOOOOM!
The explosion rocked the battlefield.
The ground shook. The air split.
Everything was swallowed by the blinding light and deafening roar of the blast.
"Again?!" Lira groaned, collapsing to one knee.
She threw up a barrier around herself, gritting her teeth against the force of the explosion.
Clovox, the massive minotaur, activated his [Ultimate Defense], his body glowing with protective energy.
Draven, as usual, did nothing.
He just stood there, unmoving, unfazed.
But Astariel...
Astariel's eyes narrowed. He had never seen an attack like this before.
And despite all his battles, all his victories against powerful foes, something about this attack set off alarms in his head.
It wasn't just strong, it was deadly.
He didn't hesitate.
In a flash, he summoned the [White Blade] and [Dark Blade] into his hands.
He stabbed their tips into the ground and began to spin, carving a perfect circle around himself.
Fwish!
[Void Barrier]
A swirling black and white barrier rose from the ground, encasing Astariel in its protective embrace.
Meanwhile, Alex stood still.
He didn't need to do anything, his own attacks couldn't hurt him, that was one of the few perks of this chaotic power.
But as for Xyrran's clone...
Fwish! Boom!
The explosion hit him square on.
And just like that, he was gone.
With the clone's death, the oppressive Aura Pressure vanished.
The weight that had been crushing down on Alex and his team lifted instantly.
The battlefield fell silent.
When the smoke and dust cleared, all that was left was a massive, gaping crater that had taken almost the entire domain.
In fact, upon looking around, Alex noticed that the shimmering dome of the trial that was supposedly impenetrable had cracks all over it.
One more attack like that, and it would shatter completely.
'Well, I guess that's that,' Alex thought, shrugging to himself.
"Holy hell," Lira muttered, pushing herself to her feet.
Her barrier flickered and shattered around her, and she coughed up blood.
"Was this one stronger than the last?"
"Maybe..." Alex replied, though he honestly wasn't sure.
Clovox let out a hearty laugh, his massive frame shaking, "My ultimate defense worked again!"
Astariel stood quietly, unsummoning his blades.
He hadn't expected it, but during this entire trial, Alex's attack had brought him the closest to death.
And as for Draven...
He was gone.
"Did he die?" Alex asked, frowning.
"No, just wait a few seconds," Lira sighed.
True to her word, a vortex suddenly appeared in the air.
And from within it, Draven emerged, looking as calm as ever.
"That was a strong attack..." Draven murmured, brushing dust off his clothes.
He had been completely disintegrated, yet here he was, standing like nothing had happened.
And that could only mean one thing.
Ding! Ding! Ding!
[The Dragon Bloodline Trial "Token Holder" is over!]
[Survivors: 5]
[You will all be immediately teleported to participate in the judgment in front of the entirety of Dragon City.]
They had won.
They actually did it.
It was said that this was the hardest trial of all, crafted by Xyrran himself.
No one expected more than one or two to survive, but five of them stood victorious.
Even the dragons watching had to be shocked.
They had faced the final calamity event without losing a single person.
"Now, all that's left is the judgment," Alphox's voice rumbled, calm and steady, "Be ready."
"Yeah," Alex nodded, his heart pounding.
The judgment of the Primordial Dragons was no small thing.
If he passed, though that seemed unlikely, he would become a dragon.
[Teleporting...]
The moment he saw this message, Alex didn't waste a single second, he dashed toward Clovox and started hitting him repeatedly just like before.
He needed to have all of his Destiny Points in case anything happened.
"You're trying again, heh, human," Clovox laughed, "Unfortunately my body is too strong!"
Alex ignored him, entirely focusing on the task at hand.
[Destiny Points: 100/100]
Eventually, he reached the amount he wanted.
And right afterward, a flash of light surrounded them.
Alex felt his body being pulled through space.
The discomfort of teleportation gripped him, twisting his stomach, but he forced himself to stay focused.
This was it.
The Primordial Arcane Dragon, Orvion, was likely the one transporting them.
Their bodies were drawn into a swirling vortex of light, and within seconds, the world around them shifted.
The moment his feet touched solid ground again, a message appeared in front of his eyes.
[Welcome to the Judgment.]
The final step was here.