Chapter 318: Rounding Up

Huff! Huff! Huff!

Misty puffs of breaths clouded before Brandon’s tattered frame, lying back down staring at the sky.

Beside him a massive crater, in which a golden cocoon pulsed!

His chest rose and fell in the crackling silence of nothing but flickering flames and his exhausted breaths...

Crawling back up to his feet he stared at the glowing cocoon, his expression placid but his tightened fists drawing blood as his fingernails pricked against his skin, relaying another emotion entirely.

"Fucking coward!" he cursed, directed to none other than the simmering cocoon.

Just now he clearly had the upper hand, he had thrashed the dragon properly, dealing a satisfying chain of critical hits.

Only for the beast to end up in this indestructible cocoon!

Brandon didn’t know the real cause behind the cocoon formation but he assumed it to be the dragon’s defensive skill.

The beast had clearly sensed his superiority, and decided to hide in its shell like the fucking cowardly tortoise it was.

Brandon felt the heat of rage well up in his chest again, he felt true fury, he was pissed. With a scornful hack he spat on the cocoon only for his saliva to sizzle and evaporate the same second it landed.

"Fucker, you think you’re safe? Nothing will save you from me." he raged, leaping down the crater, he summoned a glowing, flat, circular device, pulsing unsteadily.

A sinister glow dawned on Brandon’s face, ’Let’s see you survive a nuke tucked up your ass, motherfucker!’

Heaving with all his might, he tucked the glowing device underneath the pulsing cocoon, installing it carefully.

Finally done, only then did Brandon feel content and satisfied, at least this way the beast would feel his wrath regardless.

Smiling and dusting his hands, he leaped out of the smoldering crater, activating his transmission. "YO! How are things going on your end?" he called out to his division over the static frequency.

A brief moment of silence followed, before a reply came in. "We are done on our end, Boss, it’s up to you when we depart."

Brandon nodded, even he had installed the last device in his arsenal, so naturally it was time to fall back, and depart this shit hole.

"Good, let’s meet up at the rendezvous point." he ordered.

"Copy, Boss!" the voice on the other end confirmed, before the transmission was cut.

Stretching and popping his joints, Brandon stared at the sky in worry... "I wonder how big bro is doing..."

...

At the same time, right at the peak of the slumbering giant volcano, situated at the rim, rows of evolvers clad in hulking mecha suits moved about.

Some could even be found inside the volcano, stirring the volcano awake in a slow terrifying beat.

As lava bubbled and hissed all around them.

An evolver held onto a portable parameter display, as small frequencies were emitted by the device, washing down the volcanic depths to measure activity.

And now with recent pulses, the evolver’s gaze sharpened with realization. Rushing back upwards was a figure donning noticeably smaller armour than the rest.

"Leader! Leader!" a feminine voice echoed out of the intimidating mecha as she rushed towards Elaine.

"We have done it! The volcanic activity is at an all-time high, the thermal pressure is building, as the gasses are overly saturated, it’s only a matter of time-"

"Before it erupts," Elaine spoke out suddenly, completing the statement before the evolver could.

The mecha’s head bobbed, "Indeed!"

"Good then gather the others, its time to retreat!" Elaine ordered, clasping her hands behind her back.

This place couldn’t get any more uncomfortable for an ice user, she wanted to get out as fast as she could.

The evolver in the mecha suit nodded and proceeded to relay the news to the rest, the entire division beginning to prepare and retreat down the super volcano.

The process could be seen from all angles, from Jack, to Lucas and Dorian.

Some had similar tales of their opponents suddenly being encased by an indestructible, cocoon-like shell.

They all met up, and realized... time was ticking and Seth was still nowhere to be found.

...

Back at the depths, on Seth’s end!

Consumed by a relentless pulse of pain overwhelming all his senses, to the extent he had long lost all feel and all sense of time.

Had it been seconds? Minutes? Hours? Days?

Seth couldn’t tell, what he did know was that he wanted the pain to stop, it was unbearable and he didn’t know how much more he could take-

Suddenly like a sudden burden releasing the pain all evaporated, his entire being going light...

"F-Finally!" he groaned... or at least that was what he attempted to do, but all that met his ears was a harsh beastly growl.

Seth’s eyes snapped open, half confused as a rush of system texts flowed in...

[Draconic Transformation complete!]

[The host has embodied a divine beast, the demon dragon of dread "Auro"!]

[Warning! Host Being is too fragile to maintain Embodiment! Transformation will end in: 3m:02s]

’Ah right the transformation is complete.’ Seth thought attempting to rise.

In his current state not only did he not understand his body, he also didn’t know what to expect, it wasn’t like there was a mirror he could use to examine himself.

And right now everything felt both alien yet familiar, guided by his pet companion’s instincts Seth didn’t feel too adversely uncomfortable.

With minimal effort he was up on all fours, his neck stretching long in all its draconic glory, a low rumble bellowing from the depths of his throat.

Seth felt strange yet whole, it was unnerving to say the least. He glanced down at his legs, catching sight of a pair of meat-shredding claws digging into the earth.

A light tickle itched from behind, and his back swelled, a pair of wings sprouting high...

"TSK! TSK! So this is how it feels to be a dragon... such a shitty fee- OW!" he hissed mid-curse.

It was the glyph dragon taking offence. "My bad, little guy." he chuckled, low, his eyes like glowing orbs scanning the plain.

Now it was time to get to work... In this state no one could hinder him even if they tried.