Talent Awakening: Draconic Overlord Of The Apocalypse - Chapter 40

Chapter 40: Claws and Fury
Alister’s wounds steamed as they healed, but the pain still lingered. He glanced at Cinder, who watched him intently.

“We need to keep moving,” Alister said.

“There are more wolves out there.”

Cinder nodded, her massive body shifting slightly as she prepared for the next wave. They moved forward, making their way through the debris of fallen buildings scattered throughout the wilderness. Each step Cinder made seemed to make the very earth quake. As they did, Alister was breathing out steam from his mouth softly, his yellow eyes glowing intensely, making him look like some sort of monster.

The next wave of wolves came swiftly. They emerged from the shadows, their eyes glowing and teeth bared. Alister tightened his grip on his gauntlets, his mind focused.

“Come on, let’s get this over with.”

The first wolf lunged at him, and Alister leaped forward, sidestepping with his claws slashing through its side. Blood sprayed, and the wolf fell, but there were more behind it, though they were starting to become hesitant.

The death of their pack members was starting to get to them, and the massive dragon a few feet behind added to their sense of dread. They began to yelp as they ran away.

“Cowards,” Alister muttered.

“Alright, Cinder, incinerate them.”

Cinder’s flames sprung forward, incinerating the retreating group of wolves that had tried to flank them. The heat melted the surrounding debris, creating pools of molten metal and stone. But there were always those who dared to test their courage, and they would unfortunately meet the same fate.

Finally, the last wolf fell, its body reduced to nothing on the ground.

[Notice! Quest completed! Monsters eliminated 50/50!]

[Mini-Quest: An overlord finishes what he starts. Quest details: you just eliminated a pack of silver wolves; all that is left is to take out their alpha! Reward: Sand draconic summoning conduit.]

Alister stood in the carnage as he gazed at the system window, his chest heaving and his body radiating steam as his wounds slowly healed. He wiped the sweat from his brow, his eyes scanning the area for any remaining threats.

‘Summoning conduit? For summoning a dragon? Another one?’

‘Also, now that I think about it, I’ve killed so many monsters, why haven’t I leveled up?’

[Notice! When the player has a summon out, the amount of experience gained is split evenly between the player and their summon.]

‘Makes sense, I haven’t leveled up because it seems like I’m gaining experience from fighting F-class monsters instead of D, probably even lower if lower grades existed.’

Cinder approached, her flames flickering softly. “Well done, my lord.”

Alister nodded, still catching his breath. “Thanks. But we’re not done yet. The Alpha is still out there.”

They continued moving forward, making their way through the ruins and debris. The air grew colder; Alister’s mind was focused, ready for whatever came next.

They finally reached a large clearing, where the remaining wolves gathered. At the center stood the Silver Wolf Alpha, its fur a deep, almost metallic silver. The beast’s eyes glowed with a blue light, and its presence gave off power and dominance.

The blue talent system window appeared, revealing its information.

「Monster: Silver Wolf Alpha

Rank: C

Class: Large

Total Combat Power: 6,000」

Alister glanced at Cinder, who nodded. “You know what to do.”

“I’ll take care of the others,” she replied, her voice steady.

Alister stepped forward, his eyes locked on the Silver Wolf Alpha. The beast let out a low growl, its eyes narrowing.

“Alright, let’s do this.”

The Alpha wolf lunged at him, its speed and power could be seen as the earth buckled beneath its feet. Alister barely had time to react, rolling to the side as the beast’s massive claws slashed through the air where he had just stood.

He came up on one knee, slashing at the Alpha’s side with his gauntlets. The claws tore through fur and flesh, but the Alpha barely flinched, its thick hide absorbing most of the damage.

The wolf swung its massive paw at him, and Alister ducked, feeling the rush of air above his head. He countered with a quick slash to the wolf’s underbelly, but the Alpha twisted, its body moving sprinly fast and nimbly.

The next moment, its teeth were snapping at Alister’s arm. He pulled back just in time, the wolf’s jaws closing inches from his skin.

‘This thing is faster and stronger than any of the others,’ Alister thought, his mind racing. ‘I need to be quicker, more precise.’

His glowing reptilian eyes focused even further.

The Alpha attacked again, and Alister leaped to the side, using the debris around him to his advantage. He pushed off a fallen building, launching himself at the wolf’s back. His claws dug in, and he dragged them down its spine, but the Alpha jumped, throwing him off.

Alister hit the ground and rolled, coming up on his feet just as the Alpha charged. He jumped, landing on a crumbling wall and using it to gain height. The wolf slammed into the wall, shattering it, but Alister was already moving, his gauntlets glowing as he gathered his strength.

The Alpha whirled, its eyes locked onto him. Alister grinned, his confidence growing despite the odds. He dashed forward, ducking under the wolf’s swipe and slashing at its legs. The claws cut deep, and the Alpha howled in pain, stumbling slightly.

‘Got you.’

But the victory was short-lived. The Alpha recovered quickly, its eyes blazing with anger. It lunged, and Alister barely managed to block with his gauntlets.

It’s massive paw connected with Alister abdomen with massive force, causing him to cough up blood.

The force of the impact sent him skidding back, his feet digging trenches into the ground.

The wolf didn’t stop. It was on him in an instant, snapping and slashing with its claws as fast as it could.

Alister dodged and counterd what he could, his movements growing more desperate as he tried to find an opening. He felt a claw rake across his back, tearing through his flesh. As he made a backflip in an attempt to gain some distance.

[Notice: Blood Healing activated.]

[Notice: Blood Manipulation activated.]

Steam rose from the wound as it healed, but the pain and fatigue were beginning to wear on him. ‘I can’t keep this up forever,’ he thought, gritting his teeth. ‘I need to finish this.’