Chapter 346: Ignis The Mighty!

Uhtred and Zara shifted into a ready state immediately, their cores primed to cast magic at a moment’s notice.

At the same time, Uhtred focused his attention on the six Plasma-Ice cannons placed around the island. Since he and Zara had claimed Lyra Starweaver and her deceased team’s island, they had also claimed the weapons on them.

Uhtred had sole control of these weapons. He could individually man each of the weapons or he could simply control them from his control panel — each had their benefits and downsides.

Needless to say, Uhtred chose the simpler method. While he would sacrifice pinpoint accuracy and would also have to split his attention between each weapon and their targets, he still preferred this method.

"Ease off on the speed, Zara," Uhtred said after positioning all the cannons to face the several islands they were closing onto. He was previously in control of steering the island, but he relinquished that authority to Zara. He controlled the weapons while she controlled the island.

"You guys had better brace yourselves..." Lyra Starweaver muttered from the side, her voice surprisingly somber. "There are Dragonkin within those islands."

Finally, I’ll get to see these Dragonkin in action myself, Uhtred mused internally, a slight excitement building in his mind.

The islands ahead were now clearly defined, their shapes more like islands than dots. If anyone had the intention of attacking them, now would be the time...

Yet, the attack they expected never came. In fact, the closer Uhtred and Zara got to the Floating Islands, the more puzzled they became.

Instead of the chaotic, frenzied scene they expected based on Lyra Starweaver’s description, the islands were surprisingly calm. And that was because the focus of every island owner was locked onto one singular central island.

Uhtred counted seventeen different islands, some joined together like theirs, and others remaining singular. All of them surrounded a larger island at the center, where a terrifying surge of essence emanated from in violent bursts.

"They’re all watching a battle?" Zara asked in confusion.

Uhtred also had a confused look on his face. More than what Zara had just said, he went even further, puzzled as to why exactly Champions of different races — the naturally feisty and daring ones, in fact — had chosen to maintain peace just to watch a battle.

Whose battle could be so interesting that literally every Champion present had chosen a ceasefire just so they could watch?

"The Dragonkin..." Lyra Starweaver muttered, her voice heavy with disbelief. "They chose to fight among themselves first before attacking anyone else?"

Based on Lyra’s expression, Uhtred could tell that she meant what she had said about the Dragonkin — about how powerful they were and how they saw the weakness of other races as a sin that needed rectifying... with death.

Seeing such battle-crazed monsters go against their usual tendencies and focus on slaughtering their own kind first, one could understand Lyra’s shock.

Granted, she had also mentioned that Dragonkin held no special affection for their own kind. If a fellow Dragonkin was weak, they were viewed as just another flaw to be purged.

However, Uhtred reasoned that rule only applied when a Dragonkin happened to cross paths with a weak kin. He doubted they actively hunted down their own kind just to purge them.

The spectacle unfolding before them confirmed his theory. There was a far deeper motive driving the Dragonkin to clash so violently while every other Champion quietly spectated.

Does their fight have anything to do with reaching this Floor’s sub-scenario? Uhtred thought.

Glancing at Zara and Lyra Starweaver quickly, he saw a similar question in their eyes. One way or another, it seemed this grand fight definitely had something to do with the sub-scenario.

Well, at least now I know Lyra Starweaver also reached the sub-scenario on the previous Floor too, Uhtred thought, though he hadn’t doubted that initially.

Drawing closer to the other Floating Islands, he scanned their surfaces, his eyes locking onto figures of the other races — Half-Dragonkin Half-Elves, Elves, Half-Elf Half-Humans, Trolls, Beastkin...

Except for the reclusive Faeries, every race was represented here.

Just as Uhtred observed every island, the occupants also scanned him from head to toe. He could feel several attempts to inspect his level. Some failed, others succeeded — though he had still felt that he was being inspected. And he was sure there were even more that he couldn’t feel.

He could already see some Champions who were up to ten levels ahead of him. If they inspected him, he wouldn’t even be able to sense it.

Uhtred didn’t care though; all they could see was his Level, while he could see their full details with his Gnostic Eye.

Damn... this really is a congregation of talents across our universe, Uhtred mused.

Nearly every Champion present was at least Unique Grade. Only a few Beastkin, Half-Human Half-Troll, Troll, and a single Goblin — probably the last alive among its race — possessed an Epic Grade talent or less. Every other Champion was Unique Grade. A handful were even Legendary.

Their classes were also interesting. Elemental-types were standard, but the truly interesting ones possessed Esoteric magic on top of that. One — a female Elf, Eileen Ra’Elis, the sister to Eifrith Ra’Elis — was even like Zara, possessing an affinity for space magic.

She was the only person Uhtred had seen apart from Zara to possess a Fundamental Law-type class. The moment Uhtred’s eyes washed over her from the distance, her gaze locked onto his with surprising intensity.

Uhtred felt a slight shiver immediately.

What’s with her look? he thought, nearly frowning. The Elf looked so much like her sister that for a second, Uhtred thought they might be the same person. Damn. Don’t tell me this one’s also delusional?

Uhtred could read a clear scorn in her eyes — par for the course, considering she was an Elf. But aside from that, there was also an undertone of something else he couldn’t quite read.

He quickly shifted his gaze from her and to the other Elves. But they weren’t any better.

Collectively, the gaze of every Elf was locked onto their island, particularly on his and Zara’s figures.

"Ah," Uhtred muttered under his breath, finally realizing why they were all staring at him and Zara so pointedly and furiously. "It’s because of you, isn’t it?"

Uhtred directed his words at Lyra Starweaver, who stood between him and Zara.

"For some reason, I really feel like gouging those scornful eyes of theirs out," Zara said out of nowhere, staring at the Elves with open hostility.

"We really do think alike, Zara," Uhtred chortled. "I was just imagining the same thing."

"How pleasant that would be," Zara sighed, a weird smile playing on her lips as her gaze turned vacant.

Look at that devious smile, Uhtred thought with humor, glancing at Zara. This is usually not like her, so I guess her Eternal bloodline is acting up too. Seems like I’m not the only one.

The thought made Uhtred wonder just how mighty the Eternals were that their bloodline could make him and Zara act so out-of-character when faced with the scorn of the so-called superior races.

Speaking of superior races...

Uhtred finally turned his attention to the central island. They had gotten close enough to basically dock into a similar orbit as the other islands around the central island.

So far, Uhtred, Zara, and Lyra Starweaver had only felt the violent shocks and essence emanations to know there was a fight ongoing...

But as they finally docked, bypassing the other islands to gain an unobstructed view, Uhtred’s thoughts immediately went silent.

What the hell am I watching...

That was the first thought that finally formed in Uhtred’s mind after a long, silent minute of witnessing the Dragonkin do battle.

Could I have survived that strike?

How would I have reacted there?

I can keep up with his pace, but how would I handle those hits...?

Uhtred’s mind rapidly analyzed as he tracked the Dragonkin rampaging before him.

The description of the Dragonkin having terrifying physical strength was no joke. They were built like monsters, with even the smallest of them being at least eight feet tall, and the largest being closer to eleven feet.

Their bodies were covered in a hard, natural scale. Those scales were further enhanced by essence as the Dragonkin did battle, creating a dense, nearly impenetrable layer of protection over every part of their body.

Of course, there were gaps in this natural armor — areas like joints that needed constant movement. But the Dragonkin were acutely aware of this, protecting those vital areas with smart applications of their magic.

And their magic was no joke either. Not a single one of them possessed a talent grade less than Unique. Of the ten battling each other, Uhtred counted five with Legendary Grade talent. Only four possessed Unique Grade talent. The last one was something Uhtred had never even seen before, possessed by none other than the number one ranker on the Scenario Leaderboard:

Ignis the Mighty. A Mythic Grade talent.

"So that’s what a Mythic Grade is like..." Uhtred muttered under his breath, his eyes tracking Ignis the Mighty like a hawk.

This is the guy I want to dethrone?

Looking at him now, for the first time, Uhtred knew he’d met someone he couldn’t defeat. The Dragonkin moved like an incarnation of destruction, his every strike enough to kill any normal Nascent Realm ascender in an instant.

And based on his class, Uhtred could understand exactly why.

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[Name: Ignis the Mighty]

[Species name: Dragonkin]

[Level: 69]

[Core Grade: Mythic]

[Class Name: Kinetic Energy Paragon]

[Core Rank: Nascent (Kinetic Energy Magic attuned)]

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[Attributes]

Strength: 800

Agility: 790

Endurance: 698

Vitality: 751

Intelligence: 673

Perception: 757

Willpower: 699

Luck: 21

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[Innate Skills]

Elemental Siphon

Elemental Conversion

Energy Discharge

Energy Shield

Obliterate All

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