Chapter 198: Strax vs Kryssia

The message [Danger] wasn't about Kryssia... On the contrary, the messages were about Strax's body.

He shouldn't have been stronger than her, or rather, it shouldn't have been possible. He was nearly reaching the Grandmaster level, while Kryssia... She was at the King stage, two levels above...

The solution? He used everything at his disposal. And now, that reality hit him with a force he couldn't ignore. He shouldn't be able to compete with her, and yet, here he was, facing her.

Ouroboros and Tiamat together decided to cooperate, lending him everything they had.

The assimilation with the Infinite Dragon and the Golden Dragon Queen... That was the power he was wielding with his two swords at that moment.

He had only one minute, a single minute to destroy everything and save his wives...

Kryssia smiled, a cold and arrogant expression, as the ice around her condensed into sharp blades that floated like deadly shrieks ready to attack. She was testing Strax, pushing him, but she wasn't even close to fighting with everything she had.

"You think you can really fight me?" Kryssia sneered, her eyes gleaming with icy power. "You're barely scratching the surface of what I'm capable of."

'Focus, dear... I'll do my best,' Ouroboros said, so focused that she managed to synchronize with Tiamat. 'It's time,' Tiamat said, and Strax blinked twice.

[Skill: Fire Manipulation evolved into Black Fire Manipulation]

'Thank you...' Strax thanked Ouroboros before continuing [Amplified Dragon Scales].

'Don't forget about me, darling,' Tiamat said, crossing her arms as the man's body began to form invisible scales, like an invisible mantle.

He clenched his fists, Strax clenched his fists, the muscles in his body twisting as he tried to suppress what was happening inside.

"I can't lose, not now." His body screamed for rest as it was pushed to its limit, but his mind was focused solely on victory.

He had to use everything at his disposal.

"Come at me!" With a deep roar, he unleashed his full aura.

His body began to emit a warm glow, and the flames covering parts of his skin became more visible, radiating an ancient and primal energy.

It was time to fight with everything.

He charged forward.

Kryssia calmly raised her sword, and the ice around her reformed into a sharp, translucent wall. Strax's fist collided with the ice shield, and for a brief moment, the world seemed to freeze.

The impact was devastating.

The ground around them exploded into fragments as a massive shockwave erupted, sending Beatrice, Monica, and Samira flying backward.

Strax tried to get up, but the ice lodged in his abdomen held him down. His vision was blurring, his breathing ragged. He was on the verge of collapse, but he couldn't give up. Not now.

With one last effort of will, Strax gathered every bit of his remaining energy. His reptilian eyes glowed fiercely, and he let out a roar of pure fury. His body began to shine with an intense light, and an explosion of energy erupted from him, melting the ice around him.

Kryssia stepped back, surprised by Strax's sudden surge of power, though far from intimidated. She watched with sharp eyes as he rose, blood still dripping from his wounds, but his aura now stronger than ever. His scales were fully visible, and a raw, animalistic energy emanated from him.

"You... won't... defeat me!" Strax shouted, his voice reverberating across the battlefield.

Kryssia narrowed her eyes, realizing this fight was far from over.

"Let's see how long you can last, Strax," she responded, readying herself for the next clash.

Strax could feel the power surging through his veins, a wild, untamed force that he could barely control. The heat radiating from his body was so intense that the ice surrounding him melted upon contact. But something was wrong.

His sanity was slipping away, like grains of sand slipping through his fingers.

'He's losing himself to the assimilation... letting the wild side take over,' Ouroboros muttered, followed by Tiamat's voice. 'The survival instincts of a dragon...'

He couldn't afford to think too much.

All that mattered was the fight, the burning desire to defeat Kryssia, to destroy her by any means necessary.

His heartbeat thundered in his ears, like a war drum echoing in his mind. His blood boiled, and for a brief moment, everything turned red.

Strax's eyes became more feral, glowing with an inhuman intensity, and his breathing grew heavy, almost beast-like. He was no longer fighting like a strategist but like a cornered animal driven by primal instincts.

The power was consuming him, and with it, something deeper within him began to crack.

The wall that he once viewed from below was now level with his sight... and with one strike...

He shattered it.

[DANGER! User is undergoing an advancement during assimilation! Disable Assimilation for a proper advance!]

"Fuck that," Strax growled.

Scales began to truly form over his body, claws extending, and even horns pushing through his skull.

Kryssia watched Strax's transformation, a mix of curiosity and caution on her face. "A Dragonoid? I've killed many of those..."

"ROOOOOOOOOOOOOAAAAARRRRRRRRR!" Strax roared in response, his voice almost indistinguishable from a beast's. The scales on his body expanded, covering more of his skin, while his muscles bulged with unnatural density. He was becoming something more — or perhaps less — than human. And he knew it.

But the only thing keeping him focused was the absolute desire to win.