Absolute Craft-Chapter 99: Taming The Rebellious Hounds (4)

Chapter 99: Taming The Rebellious Hounds (4)

Sol had always been eager to fight and take on a meaningful role in Blake’s endeavors. He welcomed every chance to prove himself. Now that he possessed a new, armored dragon husk, Blake allowed him to battle another player one-on-one.

Meanwhile, Blake pondered the concept of a king.

He knew it would be helpful to have someone cover for him while he explored far and wide to develop a new battle style that matched his rising standards. With Kyria on his team, he also reminded himself not to be too gentle in training Sol. 𝒻𝘳𝘦𝘦𝘸ℯ𝒷𝘯𝘰𝑣ℯ𝑙.𝘤𝑜𝘮

This little one was driven by a raw thirst for combat. Just as bear cubs or tiger cubs look adorable yet remain dangerous, one must never forget Sol’s true nature.

"You think a mere pet can defeat me?!" BloodFang shouted.

He shifted into a serious stance that would challenge even Blake. Thanks to his refined swordsmanship, he could use his skills more quickly and effectively. Without hesitation, he appeared beside Sol and slashed at him.

His blade cut a deep wound into Sol’s side and sliced through his armor. Though it looked like a simple slash, it carried substantial speed and power.

Frowning, Sol rose into the air and spewed flames at his opponent. A wave of red fire spread out like a carpet, ready to burn everything to ash. Yet BloodFang spun effortlessly, scattering Sol’s flames before they could inflict any real damage.

As the two clashed, Blake found his mind wandering back to the idea of kingship. But more than anything, he wanted to aid Sol. A part of him longed to intervene—slip his sword between BloodFang’s spinning defense and leave him exposed so Sol could finish him off.

However, that wouldn’t align with Blake’s vision of a king.

What did it truly mean to be a king? What sort of king was the 12th Lost King—or the 11th, for that matter? Though curious, Blake felt certain the 12th Lost King hadn’t been a genuine king. He was a selfish man who took all burdens upon himself, letting his people live free from worry.

He insisted on doing everything on his own.

’I was about to do the same thing,’ Blake admitted to himself.

Had he stepped in to weaken BloodFang for Sol, he would have mirrored the 12th Lost King’s mistakes. The parallel was obvious enough that Blake caught on quickly.

’I must... offer better opportunities while also challenging them,’ Blake thought, feeling closer to his new approach.

In a flash, he raised his hand and spread his fingers wide, as if trying to grasp both Sol and BloodFang.

<You have used Endless Curse (Debuff Enchantment) (Legendary) on a foreign player>

<You have used Infinite Blessings (Buff Enchantment) (Legendary) on Sol>

A strange force seized them both, strongly affecting each one’s state. BloodFang felt as though an invisible anvil weighed on him with every movement.

<You have been hit by Ermacles’ Effort (Legendary Debuff)—You are slowed by 45% for thirty seconds. Each movement or action increases stamina consumption by 5%, up to 100%. Standing still nullifies the debuff. The effect lasts thirty seconds.>

’You’ve got to be kidding me! What is this?!’ BloodFang screamed inside his head.

Not only was he slowed significantly, but every action drained more stamina. His swordsmanship relied on rapid movement, so he would soon deplete his stamina after a single rotation of skills.

’Ridiculous!’ he fumed.

This debuff felt like a boss mechanic that forced party members to protect the affected player until it wore off. Such a skill had no place in a tutorial zone!

Meanwhile...

<You have received The Crimson Dragon’s Heart (Legendary Buff)—Your flames become more powerful and penetrating. Each fire skill you use further intensifies your flames, stacking up to 300% additional damage. At 300%, you unlock Dragon’s Wrath, causing your fire skills to burn the enemy’s stamina and mana. The buff lasts thirty seconds.>

Sol heard a resounding heartbeat in his mind. The little dragon blinked, and his eyes sparkled with sudden energy. He felt overwhelming power surging through him—feeling more like a dragon than ever before!

Capitalizing on this momentum, Sol opened his jaws and unleashed a new dragon breath that shook both earth and sky. His raw, draconic roar reverberated across the grassland, leaving everyone who heard it quaking.

Flames billowed forth in abundance, all converging on BloodFang.

With no safe place to stand, BloodFang raised his guard and tried to evade. Yet each roll and leap felt like he was dragging chains behind him.

What made matters worse was that the torrent of fire didn’t relent. Sol merely shifted his head, continuing to track BloodFang’s every move with searing flames.

Ultimately, BloodFang had little choice but to brace himself, sword raised, hoping he could survive until the debuff ran its course.

From the corner of his eye, he noticed the White Demon ignore him and move toward the main battlefield, where The Hounds and Anonymous House were locked in fierce combat. It was hardly a fair fight—Anonymous House had literally dropped out of the sky, taking down several enemies on impact.

Even so, The Hounds fought with relentless resolve. Their healers and tanks worked together to keep damage dealers alive, forming a fortress around their tanks to maintain their numbers.

Kyria, Wolfang, Beatrix, and Joel were each doing a fine job breaking through that defense.

Raising his hand, Blake produced a small figurine. "Time for the queen to take the stage."

This battlefield became a board where every single player was a pawn. Like a chess grandmaster, he advanced his queen’s pawn. Of course, it wasn’t—and would never be—a fair chess game. Blake already imagined deploying more pawns in the future, when the time was right, positioning himself as the king orchestrating his strategy from outside the board... or perhaps right in the middle.

<You have used The Woman General Figurine’s Black Storm (9/10)>

The grasslands darkened as black clouds gathered overhead. Within them, serpentine arcs of black lightning hissed and crackled.

Then all hell broke loose.