Reborn as a Dragon:Rise of The Draconic King-Chapter 57 - 53 – The Edge of Collapse*

The forest had grown loud with violence.

Steel clashed against bone. Arrows tore through the air in sharp whistles. The heavy growl of the monster rolled through the clearing like distant thunder.

John stood on a thick branch high above the battlefield, hidden among the leaves. From his position he could see everything.

The elves had formed a loose semicircle around the monster, keeping their distance while the archers fired from behind the warriors. Their movements were disciplined, quick, and practiced. They had clearly fought together many times before.

But this monster was different from the others.

The creature towered over them, easily twice the height of the tallest elf. Its body looked like a twisted fusion of beast and stone, its skin thick and gray like weathered rock. Jagged ridges ran across its back and shoulders, and every step it took cracked branches and crushed roots beneath its weight.

Its eyes burned with a dull crimson glow.

The Tier-6 monster moved with terrifying strength.

One of the elf warriors rushed forward, spear aimed for the creature’s side. His movement was quick and confident, but the monster reacted faster than expected.

With a sudden swipe of its massive arm, the creature knocked the spear aside.

The impact sent the warrior flying several meters across the ground. He crashed into the dirt, rolling before coming to a painful stop near the base of a tree.

Another warrior immediately stepped in to cover him, raising a curved blade and striking at the monster’s exposed leg.

The blade connected.

Sparks flew.

But the attack barely scratched the creature’s hide.

The monster roared.

The sound shook the air.

Behind the warriors, the archers released another volley of arrows. The arrows struck the creature’s chest, shoulders, and neck in rapid succession.

Some bounced off harmlessly.

A few managed to pierce shallowly between the rough plates of its hide.

The monster barely reacted.

John watched quietly.

His eyes moved across the battlefield, analyzing everything.

The elves were skilled. Their coordination was impressive, especially considering their numbers. The warriors moved carefully, drawing the monster’s attention while the archers searched for weak points.

But their attacks lacked the power needed to bring the creature down quickly.

Against lower-tier monsters, their tactics would have worked perfectly.

Against something like this, it was only delaying the inevitable.

The creature slammed one of its massive fists into the ground.

The impact sent a shock through the clearing.

Two elves lost their balance and stumbled backward.

The monster immediately lunged forward.

One of the warriors raised his shield just in time.

The creature’s claws smashed into the shield with tremendous force.

The elf held for a brief moment.

Then the shield shattered.

The warrior was thrown backward, crashing into the dirt with a cry of pain.

Another elf rushed forward to pull him away before the monster could strike again.

From deeper within the forest, a horn sounded.

Low.

Sharp.

It was a signal.

More elves were arriving.

John tilted his head slightly, listening.

Branches rustled as additional warriors and archers emerged from the trees, quickly joining the battle. They moved with urgency but without panic.

This fight had already drawn the attention of the village.

Even with the reinforcements, however, the situation did not improve.

The Tier-6 monster continued advancing.

It moved slowly, deliberately, forcing the elves to retreat step by step.

The ground beneath its feet cracked with each heavy stride.

An arrow struck one of its glowing eyes.

For a brief moment, the creature recoiled.

The elves seized the opportunity.

Three warriors charged together, blades flashing.

One struck at the monster’s knee joint.

Another aimed for the side of its ribs.

The third leapt forward, attempting to drive his spear into the creature’s neck.

Their coordination was excellent.

But the monster’s reaction was brutal.

Its tail swung around in a violent arc.

The thick, armored limb struck the three warriors with devastating force.

Two were knocked aside immediately.

The third was thrown several meters through the air before slamming into the trunk of a tree.

The sound of cracking wood echoed through the clearing.

The battle line faltered.

For the first time, hesitation appeared among the elves.

John remained still.

From his vantage point, the fight was easy to read.

The elves had reached their limit.

Individually, many of them were strong. Even the younger warriors showed solid training and good instincts.

But strength alone wasn’t enough.

Against a Tier-6 monster, they lacked the overwhelming force required to end the battle quickly.

And long fights favored monsters.

The creature roared again, louder this time.

Its injured eye bled dark liquid down the side of its face, but the wound only seemed to make it angrier.

It charged forward.

The speed was shocking for something its size.

Two warriors were forced to dive aside as the monster crashed through their position, smashing through a fallen log like it was nothing.

The formation broke.

Archers scattered to avoid being trampled.

The monster swung wildly, its claws carving deep gouges into the earth.

One elf wasn’t fast enough.

The creature’s claw caught him across the side.

Blood sprayed across the ground as the warrior was thrown violently into the air.

He landed hard and did not move.

For a moment, the battlefield went quiet.

Then the elves attacked again.

Anger replaced hesitation.

Arrows rained down in rapid volleys. Warriors darted forward in coordinated pairs, striking and retreating before the monster could counter.

They fought with fierce determination.

John could see it clearly.

They were protecting something.

Their village.

Their families.

Their home.

But determination could only carry them so far.

The Tier-6 monster continued pushing forward.

Slowly.

Relentlessly.

One of the larger elves stepped forward from the back of the formation.

He was taller than the others, his body broader and more muscular. Scars lined his arms and shoulders, evidence of many past battles.

The leader.

John had noticed him earlier.

The elf carried a heavy spear, longer and thicker than the weapons used by the others.

Without hesitation, he charged the monster.

The creature swung one of its massive arms downward.

The elf moved with surprising speed, sliding beneath the attack and driving his spear upward with all his strength.

The spear pierced deep into the monster’s side.

For the first time, the creature screamed in real pain.

The leader twisted the weapon, widening the wound.

Dark blood poured from the injury.

The other elves immediately pressed the attack.

Arrows struck the exposed wound again and again.

Warriors rushed forward, striking at the creature’s legs to keep it from retreating.

For a moment, it looked like they might actually bring it down.

Then the monster grabbed the spear.

Its claws wrapped around the weapon’s shaft.

With a sudden jerk, it ripped the spear from its own body.

The force pulled the elf leader forward.

The monster roared and slammed its head downward.

The impact sent the elf crashing into the ground.

The spear snapped in half.

The leader rolled away quickly, barely avoiding the monster’s follow-up strike.

But when he stood again, blood ran down his forehead.

The momentum of the battle shifted again.

The elves were tiring.

Their movements were slower now. Their attacks lacked the sharp precision they had shown earlier.

John’s gaze shifted away from the battlefield for a moment.

He looked deeper into the forest.

Far beyond the clearing.

His eyes narrowed.

The air had changed.

A faint tremor passed through the ground beneath the trees.

Birds suddenly burst from the canopy in a chaotic swarm.

Animals fled through the underbrush, running in every direction.

Something was coming.

Something big.

Even from this distance, John could feel it.

A presence.

Heavy.

Predatory.

Stronger than the monster currently fighting the elves.

Much stronger.

He slowly exhaled.

"So it’s finally getting closer," he murmured quietly to himself.

The elves below hadn’t noticed yet.

They were too focused on the battle in front of them.

The Tier-6 monster slammed its fist into the ground again, sending several warriors sprawling.

The leader stood once more, gripping the broken half of his spear.

Despite his injuries, he stepped forward again.

The elves rallied behind him.

They were not retreating.

John watched silently.

If the larger threat reached the clearing while the elves were already exhausted...

The outcome would be obvious.

None of them would survive.

His eyes returned to the approaching presence in the forest.

The tremors were growing stronger now.

Trees swayed slightly as something massive pushed through the distant undergrowth.

Still far away.

But not for long.

John shifted his stance on the branch.

The wood creaked softly beneath his weight.

For weeks he had simply observed.

Watching.

Learning.

Measuring the strength of the creatures in this forest.

Measuring the strength of the elves.

But the situation was changing.

The monster below roared again, slamming an elf warrior into the dirt with brutal force.

Another archer screamed as the creature’s tail struck him across the chest.

The elves were being pushed back.

Their formation was collapsing.

John slowly flexed his fingers.

A faint crackle of energy moved through his body.

His gaze returned once more to the distant forest.

The larger threat was almost here.

He could feel its presence clearly now.

A faint smile touched the corner of his lips.

"Looks like the timing might finally be right," he murmured quietly.

Below him, the Tier-6 monster roared again as the elves prepared for another desperate charge.

None of them realized that something far more dangerous was approaching.

But John did.

And soon, the entire battlefield was going to change.