Chapter 234: Demonic Dragon Breath
"How much power…" he murmured to himself as he tried to look down, but he was far too large.
His body felt strange; it was the first time he experienced such discomfort, as if he were a giant worm. He had only been accustomed to having a human form, and this was entirely new!
But before he could worry about it, he looked at the Dragon Woman with Black Hair, also known as Ouroboros... She was...
"Darling, control yourself..." he murmured, his voice coming out hoarse and imposing, much deeper than his human voice.
'Oh... it seems it was the same case as Tiamat... when I first met her in her dragon form, her voice was much stronger...' he thought, recalling Tiamat's enormous form.
His transformation was truly something new, and despite not realizing it, his presence was causing everything around him to crumble.
The Twelve-Legged Demon Spider, still in its berserk state, didn't immediately notice the change in its opponent, focusing instead on the fury that consumed it. It was pounding against the walls and attacking its own offspring nearby.
"Darling! Fuck me! Please! FUCK ME HARD!" Ouroboros screamed, drawing Strax's attention, who looked at her in shock.
"Yes, I agree," Tiamat commented. "Don't forget about me." She looked at him, her hands gripping between her thighs, swaying side to side.
"I want it too…" Kallamos murmured, "My senses are screaming here; you're evil! End this and do your job!" she shouted at Strax, who let out a sigh.
That sigh, however, unleashed a jet of fire that incinerated several spiders.
"Huh?" Strax was startled and looked at the three dragon spirits. "You're a Long, just like me!" Ouroboros finally realized.
Strax's scaled body was long, resembling a giant serpent, much like Ouroboros, known as the Dragon of Infinity for her elongated form.
"And how do I fly with this?" Strax questioned, and she smiled at him. "You're already flying," she said.
"The longs fly by holding onto clouds or manipulating the air with their bodies, or they simply levitate, it really depends on the dragon. I, for example, like to swim in the air; it makes me feel freer," Ouroboros said with a shrug.
"Well, I'm going to kill this thing." Strax felt the adrenaline pulsing through his new draconic body, every scaly fiber vibrating with a primal and powerful force.
The Twelve-Legged Demon Spider was still in a frenzy, its rage blinding it to the transformation happening right before it.
He thought about how he wanted to move, recalling how he'd seen dragons on TV in his past life, and then... he began to glide calmly through the air. The cave, although massive, wasn't the right place for him to fight with all his might.
With a quick, instinctive movement, he lunged forward, his jaws snapping shut like a deadly trap.
"Come here!!" he shouted at himself, the words echoing in a deep, resonant tone, more powerful than he ever imagined possible.
Everything trembled as his teeth pierced the spider and held it firmly.
'What a terrible taste,' he thought as he bit down on one of the spider's thick legs, tasting the acidic venom mixed with demonic blood. With a surge of strength, he lifted off the ground, taking the spider with him in a tumultuous flight.
He was still trying to maintain control, but the spider was heavy for him; as he ascended, he crashed against the cave walls, climbing towards the sky and bursting through the hole he had created moments earlier.
"He forgot to free the women from the black ice…" Kallamos remarked, glancing at Ouroboros. "Well," she said, snapping her fingers, making the ice disappear.
"Now, I'm in front; he's going to fuck me first. I've already said it!" Ouroboros raised her hand as if she had won something.
"Only in your dreams!" Tiamat shot back.
"Well... I'd be last anyway, so whatever," Kallamos replied.
"What happened here?" Samira's voice emerged; she was closest to the dragon women.
"Darling wanted to do everything alone again; you know him well. We made some pacts and gave our lineages to him; at least it was his best chance of survival, but it seems we overdid it," Tiamat said with a shrug.
"W-who are you?!" Veronica questioned.
"Hmm, has she already forgotten us?" Tiamat said, looking at Ouroboros. "Humans are idiots; it makes sense she'd forget," Ouroboros replied. "Indeed."
"I-I'm not an idiot!" Veronica retorted.
"Tiamat... where is my dear?" Beatrice asked as she approached, and the blonde woman pointed to the sky. "The dragon flying clumsily with the spider in its mouth is Strax," she said, and the women were in shock.
"What?" Veronica couldn't even process what she was seeing.
"Oh, right, this idiot didn't know that, did she? I guess I leaked the secret," Tiamat commented.
"Well, not that it matters; after all... he probably doesn't care about this problem," Ouroboros said.
"Yeah, he might want to show off, actually," Kallamos chimed in.
"ROOOOOOOOOAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRRRRR!" A quake erupted with just one roar, releasing a jet of fire directly onto the spider's body as he held it in his jaws.
"It's like... swimming in the air," he pondered, trying to recall Ouroboros's words as he felt himself float and fall.
However, controlling his new body wasn't as simple. He ended up releasing the spider, which fell into an open field in the forest, while Strax continued to adjust to flying like a dragon. He descended towards her as she appeared to be exiting her berserk state.
Strax clenched his teeth, and with a firm movement, he launched the spider aside, executing a sweeping blow with his body, allowing his form to stabilize momentarily as he glided through the air like lightning. "Now it's your turn!" he growled, his body finally finding a brief balance. He turned, locking eyes with the spider, his golden gaze fixed and ready for another strike.
The spider, furious, reared up, its twelve legs moving with impressive agility, the rage almost palpable in the air. It attacked with renewed fury, its legs slicing through the space around it like sharp blades. Strax barely managed to dodge, feeling the sting of a blow that tore at his scales, but quickly recovered, ignoring the burning pain in his body.
"Nothing can stop me now!" he shouted. He launched himself again, his claws outstretched, cutting through the air with sharp precision. Each movement was a dance of power, a new form of battle he was beginning to master.
[You have learned Dragon Claw]
[You have learned Dragon Flight]
[You have learned Demonic Dragon Breath]
The abilities of his dragon form began to emerge in his mind, as if the system was aiding him in fully understanding his new form.
The spider, sensing the ferocity in his eyes, hesitated for a moment, allowing Strax to close in. With a swift move, he slid to the side and bit down again, this time catching her in the softer flesh at her side. The taste of demon blood filled his mouth, and Strax felt a surge of power rising within him. "Feel this!" he roared, shaking his head and delivering a significant impact.
But the spider wasn't an easy opponent. With a desperate scream, she retaliated, shooting a jet of venom in his direction. Strax managed to evade it, but not before a drop hit his side, burning like fire. He howled in pain, but the adrenaline kept him from backing down. "I won't let this stop me!"
He took a deep breath, focusing on the power now pulsing through his scales. "It's time to end this!" he shouted, launching toward the spider once more; this was a battle he could not afford to lose.
As he approached, he noticed a change in the spider's demeanor. She was retreating, a growing fear spreading in her multifaceted eyes. "You won't escape!" Strax roared, launching his body at the spider with all the strength he could muster.
The impact was brutal; the spider was thrown against a rock, and Strax felt invincible. "This is what you deserve for hurting my wives!" he yelled, his sharp claws digging into her back.
"KRRIRIIIII!" The spider screamed, an agonizing sound that reverberated off the cave walls. Strax felt satisfaction coursing through his body, a wave of power enveloping him. "I'm starting to understand how this works," he thought, a smile forming on his draconic face. "Now, for the final blow."
With a swift movement, he turned and, using his tail, hurled the spider into the air, causing her to spin and lose her balance. Her body writhed as Strax followed, his fury now transformed into determination. "This is for what you did to them!" he roared, preparing for the final attack.
He opened his mouth, focusing on the energy that pulsed within him, a burning heat that grew, accumulating into a sphere of fire that illuminated the cave.
[Demonic Dragon Breath]
Unleashing a wave of flames that engulfed the spider in a spectacle of destruction. The heat was intense, and the spider's scream blended with the roar of the fire, creating a symphony of power and devastation.
As the smoke cleared, Strax floated gently downward, his scales glistening in the sunlight.
[You have completed the mission]
[Reward: Demonic Essence of the Demon Buer – One of the 72 Keys – Key 10.]
[Demonic Essence of the Demon Buer: Consume to increase your Demonic power and gain abilities.]