Chapter 199: Battle with the Crystal Skeleton

Kei knew his transformation magic had been seen right through.

He immediately dropped the disguise, retreating rapidly. Simultaneously, Kai didn’t hesitate to partialize into his dragon form, his black claws gleaming beneath the golden illumination as he lunged straight toward the Crystal Skeleton.

The battle erupted instantly.

The Crystal Skeleton swept its arm. A streak of golden radiance sliced diagonally through the air, targeting Kai’s chest. Kai banked his body to evade, yet the beam still grazed his shoulder, leaving a deep gash across his dragon scales.

"Watch out Kai! Its attacks can bypass defenses!" Kei shouted.

Kai retaliated with a roar, sweeping his tail horizontally. The Crystal Skeleton raised an arm to block. The impact rang out like a hammer striking crystal. The stone floor beneath its boots fractured, yet the transparent golden skeleton merely retreated half a step.

It was that overwhelmingly formidable!

Kei couldn’t afford to waste mana on futile strikes. Raising his hand, he instantly cast a supporting spell on Kai.

[Speed Enhancement]!

A ring of blue radiance cascaded over Kai. His stride accelerated dramatically, allowing him to slip past the Crystal Skeleton’s subsequent strike and pivot around to its flank.

[Strength Enhancement]!

Crimson light enshrouded both of Kai’s arms. Dragon claws raked viciously against the crystalline bone plating, producing a piercing, screeching scrape. A miniature fissure materialized across the Crystal Skeleton’s arm.

It spun instantly, seizing Kai by the wrist.

Golden light radiated outward from its palm. The black scales coating Kai’s arm emitted a cracking pop, as though on the verge of getting crushed to powder. Kei flicked his wrist, raising a magic shield between the pair. The golden beam slammed into the barrier, causing its surface to shudder violently.

"Don’t let it grab you!" Kei yelled.

Kai roared, driving his knee straight into the Crystal Skeleton’s midsection. His opponent released its grip. Kai backed away, while Kei instantly erected an additional layer of shielding before him.

The Crystal Skeleton stared down at the crack along its arm, letting out a dry, grating laugh.

"Is that truly the extent of your power? So pathetic!"

It raised both hands. The scattered fragments of Golden Mithril littering the cavern floor rose into the air simultaneously, swirling around its body like a metallic storm. They hurtled toward Kai from every conceivable vector.

Kei gritted his teeth, erecting an earthen wall before them. The ore fragments slammed into the wall, punching through successive layers of stone before shattering to pieces. The barrier held out for barely a few seconds, yet that proved sufficient for Kai to bolt clear of the kill zone.

He spun mid-air, his semi-dragon wings spreading wide. A wave of scorching heat billowed from his throat.

"Fall back, Kei!"

Kai spewed a torrent of black flames. The conflagration engulfed the Crystal Skeleton, illuminating the entire cavern in dark, oppressive radiance. The pieces of Golden Mithril orbiting it superheated to a cherry-red glow before dropping helplessly onto the ground.

Yet the flames were violently repelled an instant later.

The Crystal Skeleton stepped clear of the sea of fire. Its crystalline physique was merely singed slightly black, the burn marks instantly swallowed and healed by a wash of golden light. Reaching out toward Kai, an invisible wave of pressure descended abruptly.

Kai stalled mid-air, slammed heavily downward toward the stone floor. The rock beneath his boots splintered apart.

[Gravity Pressure]! Recognizing the technique, Kei flicked his wrist, instantly neutralizing the gravitational weight crushing Kai.

Cold sweat trickled down Kei’s temples. His remaining mana pool ran desperately thin. If they continued slugging it out through this attrition-style duel, he would be the first one to collapse.

Kei swept his gaze across the cavern. The golden veins tracing the rock walls all converged directly upon the Crystal Skeleton. Golden Mithril resided not merely within its body; this entire cavernous domain was actively sustaining and empowering it.

"Its core!" Kei yelled. "Kai, focus your strikes on the cracks across its chest!"

Planting one hand against the stone, Kai forced himself upright. Wiping a streak of blood from the corner of his mouth, he broke into a feral grin.

"Got it!"

Kei hoisted both hands upward. He lacked the remaining mana to execute a massive nuke, yet he could still carve out an opening for Kai.

[Earthly Binding]!

The stone beneath the Crystal Skeleton’s boots fractured. Rigid slabs of earth surged upward, coiling tightly around its legs. The monster gave a violent jerk, cracking the rock instantly, but that fraction of delay provided all the opening needed.

Kai lunged forward.

His dragon claws drove straight into the fissure across the Crystal Skeleton’s chest. A deafening, piercing fracture reverberated across the cavern. The crack propagated outward, spider-webbing across its crystalline ribcage.

The Crystal Skeleton roared. Golden radiance detonated outward, hurling Kai backward. He slammed violently against the rock wall, cascading debris burying his shoulders.

"Kei! It’s charging straight toward your position, run!"

Kai scrambled instantly to his feet, but the Crystal Skeleton had already closed the distance right before Kei. Swinging its arm like a razor-sharp blade, it slashed straight downward toward Kei.

Kei threw up a shield. The barrier shattered the instant the strike connected. He was blasted backward, his spine slamming hard against the cavern wall. Pain lanced through his frame, air choked straight out of his lungs.

For a heartbeat, he couldn’t push himself back up.

The Crystal Skeleton strode toward Kei. The golden fires within its eye sockets blazed fiercely.

"Weak, troublesome human! Go die!"

Kai roared, charging forward to interpose his body before Kei. Flinging his arms wide, he drove his claws deep into the stone floor to anchor his frame.

"Don’t you dare touch Kei!"

The Crystal Skeleton raised a hand, condensing golden light into a razor-sharp apex.

Kei braced his palms against the ground. His arms trembled, yet he forced himself back upright. His internal mana reserves were virtually scraped bottom. He had precisely one final chance left!