Master of Dominion-Chapter 49:Forest Chase

ROAR

BOOM

A scaly, barbed tail whipped through the air and slammed into a massive oak tree, shattering it into splinters and blasting two black-robed figures into chunks of flesh and misted blood.

Drogon widened his single functional eye in terror as he leapt backward, cursing his bad luck for encroaching on the territory of a savage beast ,a Rank 2 Burrowing Basilisk. It had already decimated nearly all the remaining acolytes he’d brought with him.

"Tsk."

He landed and immediately swung his right palm in a backhanded sweep. A huge black palm mirrored his motion, clashing head-on with the basilisk’s barbed, rocky tail.

BOOM

Drogon was blasted off his feet . He coughed out blood as the rebounding force shattered the black palm. His body slammed into a boulder, as crackling sounds echoed from his waist as countless ribs reminded him they were already broken.

He coughed again, then forced himself upright, glaring hatefully at the serpentine beast that glared back in turn. The basilisk had the torso of a humanoid covered in rock-like brown scales and a massive serpent tail lined with barbs. It towered over Drogon at nearly eight feet tall. It hissed in fury and pain. Though it had slaughtered dozens of intruders, it had also suffered heavily at Drogon’s hands for blackened, festering wounds littered its body, the result of Drogon using his men as bait to land brutal strikes.

Drogon tightened his grip on his dagger as his blackish aura surged, making the blade glow red. He glanced toward the direction where the last of his fellow junior brethren had fled into in blind terror, a fear that had clearly outweighed their devotion to die for their curse.

There was no way to slay the beast head-on. The only option was to use that useless bunch as cannon fodder. As for running, the Burrowing Basilisk was far too vengeful. Once provoked, it would pursue trespassers for miles.

Drogon pushed his aura into his feet, keeping a mental timer as he anticipated his repeated clashes with the basilisk using the Wraith Palm technique would eventually weaken it only if he could buy enough time. That was why he needed those cowards.

The Burrowing Basilisk hissed and charged forward with astonishing speed, its flexible body weaving through the trees, venomous fangs jutting from its humanoid head.

Drogon burst into motion, darting into the woods with the beast hot on his heels. He twisted the dagger in his grip and poured aether into his arms, slashing at several trees in his path. Causing them to collapse behind him, with intent of obstructing the basilisk ,but the creature lived up to its name. It dove headfirst into the forest floor, burrowing through the earth and bypassing the falling trunks entirely. 𝚏𝗿𝗲𝐞𝚠𝕖𝐛𝗻𝗼𝐯𝕖𝚕.𝚌𝗼𝗺

Seeing this from the corner of his functional eye, Drogon wasn’t surprised but he was already prepared for what came next.

He leapt upward as black veins surged along his right arm. Black mist coalesced into a massive fist between him and the ground. Tightening his fist, he punched downward.

BAM

The black fist slammed into the basilisk as it erupted from the ground exactly where he’d stood moments earlier. The impact sent the creature crashing back into its own burrow. It hissed furiously and whipped its tail, slamming and dispersing the fist into black smoke.

By then, Drogon was already high above the treetops. He had used the momentum of the clash to propel himself deeper into the forest, where he easily spotted his fleeing brethren. Who had only increased their speed from hearing the chaos behind them,

Drogon growled in rage as he bounded across the canopy, using the treetops as footholds. He could already feel the basilisk closing in.

"How dare you run, you cowards!" Drogon roared as he leapt down from the trees, driving his dagger into trunks to slow his descent.

He landed heavily, his knee groaning in protest but he forced himself forward, bursting into a sprint, and quickly gaining on the terrified acolytes. They glanced back just in time to see Drogon’s furious, hellish expression and the Burrowing Basilisk charging not far behind him.

Causing them to feel the terror of their lives.

"Lord Drogon—!"

The acolyte running at the rear cried out, but Drogon twisted the dagger in his hand and hurled it without hesitation. The blade spun end over end before slicing clean through the man’s leg.

A scream tore through the forest as the acolyte collapsed, tumbling into his own blood. Drogon rushed past him, snatching the dagger back in one smooth motion.

"No..please, no—!"

The acolyte begged in pain and despair as he watched his brethren flee deeper into the treeline, not a single one sparing him a glance. His vision darkened moments later when the Burrowing Basilisk tore his head from his neck, making quick work of him before resuming the chase.

"That is the punishment for your cowardice," Drogon roared. "You disgrace our fallen brethren."

He was already closing in on another acolyte, who couldn’t stop the tears streaming down his red face.

"Please, Lord Drogon... have mercy," the man cried, pushing his exhausted body as hard as he could. But he was only a Tier 3 spellcaster.

Drogon, meanwhile, uncorked an aether recovery potion mid-stride and gulped it down, regaining a small portion of his Aether reserves. He swept past the acolyte and slammed his leg into the man’s kneecap breaking his bone in one smooth motion causing the acolyte to scream and crumple to the ground.

"That is my mercy," Drogon said coldly. "Now buy your brethren time."

He vanished into the woods without another glance.

The acolyte skidded across the forest floor, despair crushing his chest. Still, he forced himself upright, refusing to die easily. He turned just in time to see the Burrowing Basilisk closing in, its serpentine gaze locked onto him.

He clenched his bloodied red fist and screamed, pouring every last drop of aether into a single spell as a dark spear, wreathed in blackish flames, formed above him.

With a roar, he hurled it forward.

The spear screamed through the air towards the basilisk but the basilisk twisted its massive body aside, dodging effortlessly. In the next instant, it tore through the unfortunate acolyte, its claws ripping him in two and splattering blood across the forest floor.

Without slowing, the beast dove into the jagged woods ahead, where Drogon and the remaining acolytes were already waiting.