Chapter 145 – Blasting Away.

Somewhere far away, a beam of light streaked across the morning sky like a falling star. Rusty felt weightless, formless. He could see nothing and feel nothing, yet he was still something—pure energy, or as his guides once explained, particles of light.

Traveling in this form took almost no time, though the distance covered was immense. It was a useful skill for quick escapes, but it came with one major drawback: he could never quite predict where he would end up. He had only used it once before, during his journey with Gleam. That time, he had landed in the branches of a tree, disoriented and unaware of his location. Fortunately, Gleam had managed to track him down, and they were able to continue their travels.

The sensation of motion ended with a sudden jolt. His body reassembled like molten metal cooling and solidifying, piece by piece. In an instant, the scattered particles of light became solid mass once more, and his steel form reappeared, still airborne and carrying leftover momentum.

‘I’m alive… but…’

Rusty was still flying, but that wasn’t the problem. He was slowing down, and he knew all too well that what goes up must come down. The clearing he had started from was nowhere in sight, and the landscape below looked unfamiliar. There were far fewer trees here, and he was on a direct collision course with a jagged cliffside. He had hoped for a soft landing, maybe among tree branches like before. Instead, the hard face of a rocky mountain rushed up to meet him.

‘Have to protect my core!’

While still soaring through the air, Rusty pulled out another mana potion and splashed it across his metallic frame. A faint glow followed as the liquid was absorbed into his metal. He quickly lowered his helmet and curled into a tight ball, hugging it close to protect the vital core inside.

To protect himself, he activated Fortify Armor, bracing his body for impact, then triggered Weight Control to reduce his mass. He had a rudimentary understanding of physics, knowing that the heavier he was, the harder he would hit. A loud clang rang out as he slammed into the mountainside. The collision rocked his entire frame, sending sparks and shards of metal flying into the morning light. A moment later, he ricocheted off the rock face, tumbling down the cliffside like a runaway barrel of steel, clattering and crashing over sharp stone.

His metal scraped against stone. Pieces of armor chipped off, and each collision threatened to crack open his helmet to expose his core. He bounced once, twice—then broke through a patch of loose brush and crashed into a hollow depression in the mountainside. The fall finally ended in a thud, half-buried among shredded leaves and broken twigs.

Rusty groaned, or would have, if he had lungs. Instead, the strained sound of bending metal came from deep within his chest as he directed what steel he could spare toward repairing his damaged frame. He had escaped the Orcs, but he had no idea where he had ended up. His visor flickered as the light of his guides reappeared, both struggling to make sense of their new surroundings.

“This doesn’t look like the forest anymore.”

Alexander said quietly as he scanned the area. Aburdon let out a sharp laugh to mock him.

“How brilliant of you to notice, great hero.”

Rusty slowly gathered himself and took a better look at where he had landed. The ground beneath him was sunken, forming a wide, shallow crater. Thick vines curled along the edges, and the stone bore deep claw marks. Bits of shredded fur and broken bones littered the ground around him.

Then he saw them. At the center of the crater rested four massive eggs. Each one was about the size of a goblin, their glossy shells dark blue with green veins that pulsed with a faint glow.

“Those aren’t normal eggs.”

Alexander said as he tried to bring attention to the gravity of the situation.

“Rusty, we have to leave. Right now.”

As the words left his glowing form, one of the eggs began to crack. A moment later, another followed. The first creature that emerged was rather small yet terrifying. Sleek scales shimmered in the morning light as it stretched out its wings. Its talons looked like blades, and its glowing yellow eyes locked onto Rusty with a predatory focus. It was a baby wyvern.

The second egg burst open next, revealing a sibling. Smaller, but already hissing and fluttering its half-formed wings. The creatures turned their attention to Rusty, drawn to his movement, or perhaps the magic emanating from his core.

“They don’t look that strong to me…”

Rusty wasn’t quite sure why his two guides were panicking. The creatures before him looked fragile and unsteady. They struggled to stand, their movements clumsy and weak. He doubted they could survive even a single strike from his sword. Still, as he rose to his feet to get a better look, the first wyvern let out a piercing, high-pitched scream. A moment later, the second joined in with the same shrill cry.

“This doesn’t look good, Rusty. It might be better to jump before…”

Right as Alexander was speaking, a vast shadow passed over them. It was more than a passing cloud. The sunlight dimmed, and the sky vanished behind a massive shape that descended from above; it was as if an eclipse was occurring. Warnings glared within his head. Something was coming, something far beyond his ability to handle.

He raised his helmet to look, and then he saw her. The mother wyvern landed with a deafening impact just outside the crater. The ground shook as her talons gouged deep trenches into the rock. Her wings folded against her sides, thick and leathery.

She was enormous, easily four times Rusty’s size. Her entire body was covered in thick emerald scales that shimmered faintly with lingering magic. Her head, unmistakably draconic, turned toward him. Her glowing eyes first checked on the two shrieking hatchlings, then locked onto the intruder standing near them. Her gaze burned with pure, unmistakable rage.

“I don’t suppose we could talk this out. Madam, this is just a big mistake…”

He addressed the towering creature, but it was clear she could not, or would not, communicate with a suit of living armor. The mother wyvern let out a thunderous roar, the force of it so powerful that it sent nearby rocks tumbling and leaves spiraling into the air. Her chest expanded, gathering breath, and Rusty could already detect faint traces of elemental magic buildup, probably fire, and most definitely fatal. Without a word, Rusty turned on his heel and ran.

This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.

“I vote jump!”

Alexander shouted.

“I second that motion!”

Aburdon agreed.

“…”

He sprinted toward the edge of the monster’s nest, his metal frame clanking with every frantic step. Behind him, the shrill cries of the wyvern hatchlings grew louder as their mother’s wingbeats began again, kicking up blasts of wind that nearly knocked him off his feet. Just as he reached the edge of the crater, she roared again and then… she breathed.

A jet of boiling green flame roared past him, melting through the stone like candle wax. Rusty didn’t look back. He launched himself over the edge and plummeted into the unknown once more. The wind howled against his frame as he fell, the world blurring around him. Before he could even begin to grasp how far he had traveled, a new sound reached his ears. It was the rush of flowing water, a river.

He struck it like a cannonball, and the impact was explosive. Water erupted in all directions, shooting skyward in a towering spray as if a geyser had burst from below.