Drake was recovering quickly. However the phantom pain kept his movements rigid and slower than usual. Thankfully he was leaning heavily into his magic and with his increased stats, he could only hope for the best, to be able to support Han during this fight.
There was no way around it. He and Han Kol would have to do their best to win out in a three versus two against what might possibly be the strongest being in the multiverse.
Drake had been able to manage so far but one look at his status sheet told him quickly he was treading water. And against an opponent like this? The possibility of drawing was almost certain.
[Temporary Mana Vessel]
[Drake Wallen Asura]
[Race: Asuran] [E-Rank]
[Profession: None]
[Weakened Magic Tempered Asuran Initiate] [Unique] Level 36
[Vitality] 916 (+40%)
[Strength] 1608 (+105%)
[Dexterity] 1056 (+115%)
[Intelligence] 1497 (+70%)
[Wisdom] 1051 (+70%)
[Endurance] 900 (+115%)
[Free Points] 150
Titles
Dual Class, End is Nye, Tooth for a Tooth, Slayer of the Old
Skills Branches
Primary
Sealed Arbiter of Elements P1 27% [E-Rank] 0/5
Elemental Archon's Mixing Bowl P1(7%) [E-Rank] [Weakened]Power Word Mana P1(5%) [E-Rank] [Weakened]Archon's Mana Germination P1(8%) [E-Rank] [Weakend]Archon's Elemental Apocalypse P1(0%) [E-Rank] [Weakend]Empty
Secondary
Sealed Primordial Asuran Archon P1 35% [E-Rank] 0/5
Your Blood, My Bone P1(74%)[E-Rank] [Weakened]Tyrannical Grand War General's Aura P1(32%) [E-Rank] [Weakened]Overcome Limits P1(15%) [E-Rank] [Weakend]Empty
Primary Subtree
Celestial Alignment P1(11%) [E-Rank] [Weakened]
Elemental Archon's Dynamic Entrance P1(3%) [E-Rank] [Weakend]Empty
Secondary Subtree
Tyrannical Subjugation Arena P1(9%) [E-Rank] [Weakend]
Beastial Insight and Tracking P1(2%) [E-Rank] [Weakend]Grotesque Resistance P1(3%) [E-Rank] [Weakend]Empty
Tertiary Subtree
Akashik Resonance P1(4%) [E-Rank] [Weakened]
Akashic Spell System P1(2%) [E-Rank] [Weakend]Empty
Quaternary Subtree
Archon's Embodiment P1(2%) [E-Rank] [Weakend]
Empty
He still had twenty skill slots to fill, his skills were in the beginning stages of proficiency. And despite many similarities to his original skills, the nuance of his new skills made his use of them clumsy at best for now.
Even more annoying was the fact that each of his skills were in a weakened stage until he was able to fully realize his Asuran heritage. If that was even a real possibility at this rate.
There was no telling when he would regain the full heritage, but at the very least the amount he was getting each time he did was increasing.
Drake had been carried away from any of the bodies that dropped skill stones, leaving him out of options for increasing his current strength. He simply had to make due with his current skill set and do his best to help Han defeat the three voidlings.
"So how are we going to win this?" Drake asked.
"I told you to leave," Han replied, then glanced at Drake in interest, "You made a floating seat of stone?"
"I do lots of crazy things that people don't want me to do. You get used to it," Drake shrugged.
Han took in a deep breath trying to stay his annoyance, "We do not win," he said seriously, his golden hair bristling as they both stared back at the three voidlings, "You can not win against the Father of the Void, you can only survive… I am only still a fresh E-Rank. I am not yet strong enough to free my brother from his darkness."
Drake did a double take.
"You're only E-Rank?! I thought that dude was S-Rank?" Drake exclaimed pointing at his father's brother, or his more apt named, uncle.
"The Void embodies the person it takes and amplifies their stats. My brother was on the cusp of D-Rank when he went missing. Thankfully he does not retain the status bonuses of equipment or racials. It would be even more troublesome if he was able to call on the strength of our bloodline. Thankfully he never broke through to fully obtain it."
Drake's head swam with new information.
Bloodlines? D-Rank? Racials?
The fact he even had an uncle to begin with? His family tree was growing and shrinking faster than his own waist line at Thanksgiving.
But Drake did his best to refocus. Their was a task at hand they needed to complete first.
"So how do we survive then?"
Han looked Drake up and down, unsure how useful he could be in his current state.
"Support me with whatever magic is available to you. And do not attack my brother, it seems to be the one hosting the majority of Marun' Dune's consciousness. If they were to focus on you in your state, I do not think I could aid you."
Drake felt a bit irritated by the notion of needing help at all, but then again he was being assisted by a flying wheelchair of stone at the moment, so who was he to argue.
"Right, I'll just ignore you insulting me for now… So you take on your brother, and I'll handle supporting you with the other two."
Han nodded just as Norris slipped out of view, shimmering from sight with his invisibility. Kuuwei bringing six floating purple blades to his side, staying close to Han's brother.
Drake clicked his tongue, "Damn I forgot that little weasel could go invisible!"
"It is not a problem, with you staying behind it has given me some new options. Perhaps I can let loose a bit more." Han waved, his gauntlets melting around his hands and becoming two long blades attached by golden and red chains.
"Just how does that thing work?" Drake exclaimed.
But Drake took a spectator seat for the moment, seeing Han release more mana and Aura into his surroundings, seemingly using a new skill.
"Omnipotent Weapon Master. Asura's Legacy Conversion."
Drake saw at first Han's body bathed in crimson light, the glow condensing on the weapons, breathing monstrous palpable aura into them. And then suddenly Han summoned every element Drake had seen him utilize before, only for each element to wink out and cast a golden light on Han Kol.
He heard a snicker behind him forcing Drake to turn. Behind him he saw Mir'phyra, her face in abject pleasure and ecstasy.
"Ahhh… How I have longed to see this again. My perfect toy… One of a kind…" she mused gleefully.
Drake felt a chill run down his spine, both from her words and from the power Han suddenly exuded.
Han bent at the knees, holding both blades at the ready as he chanted one final skill.
"Zenith!"
The density of power around Han exploded, kicking up wind, dirt and momentarily revealing Norris creeping up their flank.
Han shot forward, ignoring Norris as he aimed to end the fight quickly barreling straight for Marun' Dune and Kuuwei.
Drake instantly took the hint, his spells flaring to life as they began a prismatic barrage.
Norris began scrambling, dodging and weaving the incoming spells.
Little bastard is faster than he was alive! Are these the extra stats from becoming a voidling?! Drake cursed.
Thankfully for Drake however, Norris wasn't the type of fighter that was able to take their opponent head on. So while Drake couldn't land a blow for now, neither could Norris.
It was a mismatch for Drake, he was used to overpowering his opponent in a straight fight, not an extended game of cat and mouse.
He didn't like it, but to help Han he may have to come up with something more desperate. Right now his body was fully healed, his status window confirmed it. But the overuse of all his makeshift buffs left his entire being in so much pain, despite what his status said, that even sitting in his floating chair was a struggle.
Drake continued to stream spell after spell at the fleeing Norris, trying his best to corner the Voidling while Hand battled the other two in the background.
Even going to lengths to trap the Voidling, Drake placed spells in specific areas ready to spring once he had maneuvered Norris to them. All Drake was hoping for, all he needed was a single moment where Norris paused and stopped.
Hearing the battle unfolding further out between Han and Marun' Dune, Drake began forming a cold sweat. What the Primordial Void had said in passing early creeping its way back into his mind.
It seems my children have arrived.
If what that goat back on Earth said is right, I definitely don't want to meet the family… Drake thought, remembering the more than small warning Pythanuel had given him and the others regarding Titans.
Firing off more spells, Drake slowly regained feeling into his extremities. The pain was immense, but now manageable. His stats and recovery were truly monstrous, even without a full set of skills.
He couldn't help but smile as he thought of the future possibilities all the while cornering Norris.
Drake couldn't help but think that while Norris was a bad match in a fight for him, Marun' Dune had also decided to bring back one of the squad that had the lowest combat ability. Norris had once told Drake he was a scouting class and it shone through.
But Norris was still a slippery opponent in a fight that every second counted if he wanted to escape the incoming doom looming over himself and Han.
Finally, Drake fired an ice shard. Norris trapped between two trees, Drake extended the shard, putting up a massive wall of ice.
Drake used his eyes to direct and will a net of lightning above the wall, giving Norris only one option to possibly leave the encirclement.
Seeing Norris's eyes come to the realization and turn for the only exit Drake provided. Drake instantly knew he had him.
In a quaking entrance, he used his Earthen Dynamic Entrance. Drake appeared in front of Norris, Drake's arms wide and body covered in fire, a ball of water bubbling in front of his face.
"Games over, Norris! I would say it's been fun, but we've only known each other a few days!"
Drake condensed the water, as his arms wrapped around Norris's Void body, the sound of fire searing filling his ears. Drake did his best to lock his arms and legs around the Voidling, then willing the fire to move, encasing the ball of condensed water in a fiery cage of black flames.
Drake summoned a brutally torrential wind behind the ball as he screamed.
"Cero!"
The Voidling's eyes went wide as the spell fired point blank right at its head, searing it clean off.
No notification for the kill appeared but Drake was sure he had dispatched the thing as the rest of the body scattered and disappeared.
"One down!" he cheered, his body falling to the ground in a muted thud.