Reinventing Magic: An Inventor's Tale-Chapter 74: The Battle in the Sky

A shadow loomed over the sky, vast and menacing, as the Storm Wyrm soared through the stormy heavens. Its wings, each spanning over thirty meters, cut through the turbulent winds with the force of a hurricane. Jagged lightning crackled around its massive, serpentine body, illuminating its obsidian scales that shimmered with an eerie, storm-forged luster.

The Wyrm’s eyes glowed with a malevolent blue light, twin beacons of raw elemental power, and its forked tongue flickered like a living lightning bolt between rows of dagger-like fangs. Every beat of its wings sent thunderclaps rippling through the sky, heralding its presence like an omen of destruction.

Inside the cockpit of the Sentinel, Kael’s expression remained calm, but his mind was already formulating a strategy. His fingers tightened around the control grip as he initiated the Sentinel’s stealth function. The shimmering blue hue of the Sentinel wavered for a moment before disappearing entirely from sight. The Storm Wyrm, momentarily confused, released an earth-shaking roar as it scanned its surroundings for its prey.

Kael wasted no time. Pressing a button on the control grip, he activated the charging mechanism for the Sentinel’s proton beam. The mana core whirred to life, glowing faintly as power surged into the weapon. He exhaled slowly, waiting for the optimal moment to strike.

The blink function was next—a feature Kael had painstakingly integrated into the Sentinel’s framework. It was an improvement born from previous aerial encounters where maneuverability was critical. By manipulating compressed mana sequences, he had devised a teleportation mechanism capable of shifting the Sentinel a short distance instantaneously.

It had taken weeks of trial and error, recalibrating mana channels and testing structural integrity under sudden shifts, but the result was an unprecedented advantage in aerial combat.

With the Storm Wyrm still scanning the skies, Kael activated the blink function. The Sentinel had teleported in an instant, reappearing just at the beast’s flank. The monstrous creature let out a confused snarl, its eyes darting in search of its vanished prey.

Kael seized the opportunity. His thumb pressed the fire button, and the Sentinel’s proton beam discharged a concentrated surge of energy, striking the Storm Wyrm’s side in a blinding explosion. Yet, as the smoke cleared, his eyes narrowed in frustration—the beast’s scales had absorbed the attack with no visible damage.

He fired again. The second proton beam struck true, yet again the Storm Wyrm emerged unscathed, its crackling defenses holding firm. The beast, now aware of its attacker, reared back and unleashed its counterattack—a devastating surge of lightning from its maw. The bolt struck where the Sentinel had fired from, splitting the sky apart with sheer force. Kael barely maneuvered the Sentinel out of the blast radius, the aftershock causing the Sentinel to tremble under its force.

"Tsk." Kael clicked his tongue, his analytical mind racing through possible solutions. "Its defenses are as tough as the Naga I fought before. This won’t do—the proton beam doesn’t have enough offensive power to break through its hide."

Alice, standing at Kael’s side, spoke with unwavering resolve. "Master, do you want me to go out and fight?"

Kael glanced at her before turning to Lucien. "Lucien, take control of the Sentinel."

"But, My Lord—I don’t know how to fly this thing." Lucien objected, his eyes widened in alarm.

Kael gave him a firm look. "The controls are simple. Step on this pedal to move, use this lever to increase speed, and steer using the control grip. Left and right for direction."

"But—"

"No buts. Take control, or we’ll be eaten by that thing outside."

Lucien swallowed hard, then hesitantly grabbed the control grip and seated himself in the pilot chair. His hands trembled slightly as he adjusted his grip, forcing himself to steady his nerves.

Kael turned to Alice. "We’re going outside."

A single command and both vanished in a blink, reappearing in midair, now hovering face-to-face with the Storm Wyrm.

Alice’s spirit crystal pulsed, releasing a surge of energy that enveloped her in a radiant aura. She ascended higher, her body shifting as arcane runes ignited at the back of her frame. With a flash of violet light, her form transformed—her exoskeleton unfolding like enchanted armor plating, reinforcing her strength and resilience. Lightning crackled between her fingers as she clenched her fists, ready for battle.

Kael summoned his twin daggers from his infinite storage, their edges gleaming with raw mana. Without hesitation, he activated a self-enhancement spell—an advanced augmentation he had designed after studying Gregor’s Titan Leap spell.

The air around him shimmered as his speed and agility skyrocketed by fivefold. With the Arcane Gauntlet of Aetherium equipped, his spells amplified further, fueling his relentless momentum. With a flick of his wrist, he unleashed a concentrated Wind Blade, slicing through the storm-wrought sky with deadly precision.

The Storm Wyrm roared, its massive claws swiping toward them in retaliation. Alice intercepted, her fists colliding with the beast’s talons in an explosive clash of raw force and magic. The impact sent shockwaves rippling through the air, forcing Kael to weave through the turbulence with expert agility.

Kael and Alice pushed their limits against the legendary creature, their battle unfolding high above the storm-torn battlefield. Lightning flashed around them as Alice clashed with the wyrm’s massive claws, her exoskeleton absorbing the impact.

Kael continued to weave through the turbulence, his speed-enhancing spell allowing him to evade the beast’s strikes with fluid precision. The sky crackled with energy as their combined efforts kept the wyrm occupied, a relentless struggle between raw elemental fury and arcane mastery.

He blinked from one position to another, striking at the Storm Wyrm’s scales with rapid, precise cuts. Each strike of the Shadowfangs bypassed the beast’s magical defenses, the void-infused blades carving through its hide with unnatural ease. He moved like a whirlwind, slashing across the wyrm’s chest before vanishing just as its claws lashed out in retaliation.

Alice timed her attacks perfectly, unleashing devastating punches from different angles. Each strike sent ripples of force through the beast’s frame, cracking its scales. The wyrm thrashed violently, attempting to shake them off, but Kael and Alice’s relentless assault continued without pause.

Spotting a weakened area on its chest, Kael blinked into position, his twin daggers flashing in an arc. Shadowfangs cut deep, the Voidsteel bypassing the beast’s resistance as it roared in agony. With a final slash, a massive wound tore across its chest, exposing raw flesh beneath.

Kael didn’t hesitate. He began charging his proton beam spell, the energy building up within his gauntlet. Four seconds—the longest four seconds in battle. The Storm Wyrm, enraged, lunged toward him with lightning crackling between its jaws.

At the last moment, Kael blinked again, reappearing right at the beast’s exposed chest.

"Now."

A blinding beam of concentrated energy erupted from his gauntlet, striking the weakened flesh at point-blank range. The spell penetrated the beast’s defenses, the raw force burning through its core. The Storm Wyrm let out one final, thunderous roar before its massive body convulsed and went limp, plummeting toward the ground below.

Kael wasted no time. Diving after the falling corpse, he extended his hand and activated his infinite storage. A surge of mana engulfed the Storm Wyrm’s body, and in an instant, the massive creature vanished into his inventory.

Silence filled the skies.

Lucien and Isolde could only stare in awe, their admiration for Kael reaching new heights. The battle had ended in mere moments, but its impact on them would last a lifetime.

Kael turned to Alice, offering a slight nod. "Let’s return."

Lucien and Isolde were still entranced by the chaos unfolding outside when a faint shimmer pulsed behind them. In an instant, Kael materialized back inside the Sentinel, his sudden presence breaking the spell of awe that had held the two mage in place.

Lucien turned, nearly jumping at their sudden reappearance. "By the gods—! When did you—?"

Meanwhile, Alice teleported to a different compartment within the Sentinel, swiftly changing clothes before rejoining them moments later.

Kael let out a slow breath, adjusting his stance. "Whew, now that we have that taken care of, let us proceed to the Sacred Mountain to obtain the Eldersilver."

Alice nodded wordlessly, her glowing spirit crystal dimming slightly as she is now on her human form. She took her place beside Kael, her expression unreadable as always, yet a quiet sense of satisfaction radiated from her presence.

Kael took control of the Sentinel once more, his hands moving seamlessly over the controls. The enormous war machine surged forward, slicing through the turbulent skies as it set its course toward the distant peak.

As they approached, the Sacred Mountain revealed itself in all its majesty. The sheer scale of it was breathtaking—it towered so high it seemed to pierce the heavens, its snow-capped peak lost in the veil of drifting clouds. The slopes were jagged and treacherous, adorned with crystalline formations that shimmered like frozen starlight.

Rivers of molten silver wove intricate patterns along the mountainside, an ethereal glow marking their path as they cascaded into mist-laden valleys below. Ancient ruins dotted the cliffs, remnants of a forgotten civilization now reclaimed by time.

The deeper they ventured, the more Kael’s mana sense began to stir. A strange pressure built up within him, an unseen force pressing against his mind. Something was here. Something immense.

His fingers moved swiftly across the controls. "Activating mana radar," he muttered.

The Sentinel’s scanning array hummed to life, sending pulses of mana outward. The display flickered, then stabilized—revealing something colossal lurking within the mountain’s depths. A reading so vast it eclipsed anything Kael had encountered before.

His eyes narrowed. "What the hell is that thing?"

Silence filled the cockpit as they stared at the ominous signal pulsing on the screen, its sheer size sending a chill down Kael’s spine.

And then, the mountain trembled.

A deep, guttural sound rumbled through the air, like the groaning of the earth itself awakening from its slumber.

Something was coming.

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