Chapter 12 Part 5 of 6 (Patreon)

He pulled out beast cores and pills.

He threw them back in his mouth. He controlled his elemental core completely, he drove the elements through his body, the pain came but mana washed through him, healing him. Rugrat infused his will into his body, increasing its strength, he infused it into his elemental core, turning it into a tool.

He had all of the power within his body, but now he could use it. With an incredible degree of control.

His body altered and changed. He felt himself breakthrough, the Earth element flowed through his body like broken levees, charging his elemental core.

Rugrat grunted, pulling them under control and tempering his body further, he threw in more pills and monster cores.

He yelled as his body completely tempered with the Earth Element.

Regenerative power flooded his body as his control over the Earth Element reached the point where it was akin to a familiar rifle in his hands.

Rugrat used the power of his body to sustain the changes. Rugrat opened his eyes, awakening to his power. His Mana and Elemental domains overlapped one another. Insights into his power pooled in his mind but he didn’t have time to write them down or think on them.

He pulled out the beast, checking the rifle.

“Rugrat,” Erik yelled from where he was.

“I got my why,” Rugrat said, looking at Erik. “I’ve got some high standards to meet.”

Rugrat pulled his helmet back on and exited the beast storage crate.

The city had been smashed around them, Flowering Jorken were attacking with their pods and flowers, Rin were running after them.

Ran right into them Rugrat could see the Dragon Fields in the distance.

Edmond danced through the Jorken, his sword cut off  one flower, he fired his pistol, knocking a pod away from a team member.

Egbert was on George’s back, making sure that none of the mana made it out of his domain.

Rugrat grasped the mana using his will he drew it to himself, creating a mana void in the area.

“Got some things to learn,” Rugrat ran and jumped, Earth rose from the ground to meet him.

A pod shot out towards him. A blade of mana appeared, splitting the pod with its own force.

Lee was right, control beats power everytime. I have so much to learn.

He also realized that he had been looking down on Erik some with how he had focused on tempering his body. Now he could feel the strength through his body. It was more than any working out could do. He felt the Earth energy like an inexhaustible spring run through him.

Mana wasn’t simply a tool anymore, like the elements, infused with his will it was a part of him and extension of himself.

His domain wrapped around him, as he dodged between the pods and flowers using the elements and spells to enhance himself. His control was such that any mana wasted in his spells was dragged back into his mana gates before it could escape.

It took incredible control, making Rugrat miss one pod that reached out for him.

Mana blades pierced through the pod, shredding it. Spell formations appeared infront of Rugrat, chains shot out, pinning the vines out of the way as he fired the beast through the opening created.

The round struck the heart of the Jorken, spreading green blood across the ground behind it.

Rugrat waved his storage ring, storing it away.

He turned, using his domain to locate Rin he fired the beast.

His reactions and strength had shot up to another level, mana running through his brain made the world seem almost moving in molasses as he rode the recoil from one shot to the next.

He felt a pressure spreading through his body.

He released his will, feeling drained even with his new body.

Seven Rin dropped to the ground.

Rugrat fired and killed two more, the teams used the space to charge the remaining Rin, ending Four Rin and their eight Berin as fast as their blades could move.

Rugrat turned, reloading his rifle as he saw the last Jorken drop to the ground.

Edmond stored the Jorken he and his team had killed.

“More are coming soon,” Davin said.

“Get the reinforcements stored, we’re going to run for it,” Roska said. “Boss, you good?” She used a private channel.

“I’m all healed and then some, bit tired, but I can use an elemental domain and give us warning as we move,” Rugrat looked at her.

She nodded in her helmet.

“If you could guide us?”

“Alright, well Davin is right, we need to get moving.”

Edmond and Kameela remained outside with George, Egbert, Davin, Roska, and Rugrat. The rest stored themselves in the beast storage crate.

They took off at a run.

Rugrat felt like he had been blind before, having relied on his eyes this entire time, using his domain was a newfound freedom.

“Move to the right a bit, there is a Chimora moving past,” He warned Kameela who jumped on the right side of a wall as a Chimora flew past in bat form, diving towards the ground.

They moved like silent wraiths through the city. Davin flew Egbert and George loped alongside Rugrat.

Elemental power was unleashed behind them, the aftershocks reaching Rugrat.

“Looks like the Rin just ran into those Minotaurs we passed.” Egbert said.

They paused, mana light poured down from above, shining off of the silver dome, the light covered the dusty ruins. It was hard to see the creatures sleeping below, buried under buildings, dust and debris. They had become part of the landscape.

Holy shit Rugrat could see all of them. Their elements staining the area as they drew in mana. It was only a small stream between them all, but little of it passed beyond the edge of the beasts.

“Everyone seal your mana gates, even a small disturbance might set them off, Kameela go in the storage crate, we need to keep people to a minimum,” Edmond’s voice had changed, looking to Roska.

“Edmond,” Kameela stared.

“Yell at me later, getting out of here is our priority,” Edmond’s expression and tone cut off her words.

“George, Davin, you go back as well,” Roska said.

They disappeared into the beast storage device.

“And then there were four,” Rugrat muttered.

“Lets get on with it,” Edmond breathed in and stepped forward.

Rugrat grabbed onto his sleeve.

“Let me go first,” He pointed to the sleeping Chimora under a piece of rubble.

He felt Edmond shudder through his sleeve, slowly lowering his foot back where it had come from.

“Might be a good idea,” He whispered even while using his sound transmission device.

“Step where I step.”

Rugrat led the way, his footprints were thankfully clear in the dust. He pushed forward in a quick walk.

AS he advanced the creatures increased in size and lethality. Rugrat forced himself to breath through his nose, focusing totally on the path.

“Seems the Rin are devious bastards but they’re not suicidal,” Egbert said. Rugrat glanced back to see a sweeling group of bloodied Rin staring at them back from the edge of the Dragon Fields.

A Chimora called out in a different direction. Rugrat crouched low, looking around as they all paused.

The Rin scattered with the noise.

A Dragon smaller than the one Rugrat had shot shifted in its slumber, scratching itself and went back to sleeping.

Rugrat could see the creature wasn’t really asleep by the mana it was drawing in.

The Chimora’s cries died out and Rugrat kept moving, he slipped on some debris, Edmond grabbing his shirt to stabilize him.

Rugrat nodded his thanks, righting himself and kept moving.

He got a good look at the Dragons, not letting his eyes stay on them long scared they might sense his eyes falling on them.

They were massive, with bodies as big as a semi-truck and trailer and heads the size of golf carts. Some snorted fire, others had antlers crackling with lightning. They came in all different shapes, most had scales but some had feathers.

Groups of Dragons with similar appearances kept together. They only got bigger and fewer in number as one got closer to the dome.

They continued moving, getting half a kilometer from the dome.

A few hundred meters on Rugrat’s left a Dragon reared out of the ground, a dozen smaller versions of her brood stood with her.

They looked liked Armadillo lizards Grown up and beefed up older cousin. Dark brown and sand coloredSpiked interlacing scales ran down its body giving it a horned appearance. It didn’t have horns but had a spiked shin and four claws that tore through stone as if it was sand.

Their tails spread dust, creating a cloud as a thinner dragon with green, yellow and purple spots created a mottled appearance as it raised its green wings.

Black smoke that melted the ground spread from under its wings and drool from its mouth burned through stone like it was sugar.