I Received System to Become Dragonborn

Erend hovered mid-air, his wings beating steadily as he stared at the swirling portals behind the man in the black cloak. His initial initiative to attack was replaced by hesitation when he watched ten additional portals materialize behind the man.

The man in the cloak let out a chuckle. "What's the matter, Dragonborn? You look kinda unsettled. Your damned scales quivering at the sight of my lord's creations?"

Erend clenched his fists, forcing his expression to remain neutral. The sight was indeed concerning. But not in the way the cloaked figure assumed.

"This isn't about me. It's the palace. The Elves' defenses… Will they hold against this?"

Erend turned his gaze briefly toward the palace behind him. The once-pristine fields and ramparts now teemed with frantic activity. Soldiers scrambled to fortify positions while Mages amplified their chants, layering protections onto the barrier.

Even from this distance he could sense their anxiety.

From the portals, the mechanical birds began to emerge, their sleek metallic frames glinting under the sun. One by one, the enormous constructs flying closer to Erend. Red energy pulsed through the strange lights symbols into their exteriors. Erend worried that it might be fusion of Magic and technology.

"Eleven," Erend muttered under his breath as the last bird emerged, joining the formation that now hovered ominously in front of him and the Elf Palace.

The man in the cloak tilted his head, his glowing blue eyes narrowing with amusement. "You do look shocked. Afraid, even. It suits you."

Erend ignored the taunt and spoke, his tone low and steady. "Did Laston make those things?"

"Of course," the man replied with a smirk, gesturing dramatically toward the hovering machines. "Magnificent, aren't they? A blend of technology and Magic. They will be unstoppable."

Erend's gaze sharpened as his Dragon Eyes flared to life, his pupils narrowing into slits. Orange glow ignited within them, casting a faint orange hue across his face. He studied the mechanical birds intently, tracing the intricate web of runes etched into their metallic bodies.

He sighed. The strange light symbols weren't just ornamental, they were active runes that pulsing with Magic energy. This wasn't merely advanced technology; it was a deadly marriage of Magic and machinery.

The Magic core within each bird radiated power, making them more formidable than he had feared.

"Shit," Erend muttered under his breath. "This is bad."n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

The man in the cloak grinned as if sensing his unease. "Impressed, aren't you? My lord has surpassed your primitive understanding of Magic. You'll soon see just how powerless you are."

Erend exhaled slowly, his mind churning. His instincts told him the immediate threat wasn't to him, the mechanical birds though intimidating, didn't feel like a direct danger to his Dragonborn body.

But the Elves' defenses? That was a different story.

The figure raised an arm and snapped his fingers, a sharp, echoing sound that sent the mechanical birds into motion. Read latest stories on empire

Their wings stretched wide as they began to spread out in the sky and forming a deadly formation.

"Let's see how well your Dragonborn power handle this!" the cloaked man said.

Erend's muscles tensed, and his wings flared as he prepared to act. He don't want to reveal his true strength here to the man before Laston himself appeared.

The number of mechanical birds wasn't overwhelming, and Erend felt confident the palace defenders could handle them for now.

The cloaked man, however, was another story entirely. Erend think that he should handle him and capturing him was also crucial, he needed answers about Laston and his plans.

Erend's wings snapped open, and in an instant, he surged forward, moving so quickly it was as if he had vanished.

He reappeared directly in front of the man in the blink of an eye. The man froze in startled disbelief. His glowing blue eyes widened cause he was caught off guard by the sheer speed of Erend's movement.

Without a word, Erend thrust his hand forward, aiming to grab the man by the throat. His expression remained cold.

But the man's reflexes that was already honed by a combination of advanced technology and Magic, kicked in just in time.

The man's hand shot up, intercepting Erend's grasp just inches from his neck. Their strength clashed for a brief moment, creating a shockwave that rippled through the air around them.

Erend raised an eyebrow. "Oh? That's impressive. I've only ever seen tech like this in movies."

His casual remark seemed to unnerve the man further, his expression shifting from confidence to surprise. "What…?"

However, the man didn't get distracted easily. Before Erend could press the advantage, the man's other arm moved with lightning speed. A sleek metallic weapon extended from beneath his cloak, its barrel humming with energy.

BANG!

The weapon discharged, a high-pitched crack echoing through the sky as the blast struck Erend square in the chest.

The force of the impact sent him hurtling backward, his wings flaring wide to regain balance.

Erend skidded to a halt mid-air, a faint scorch mark visible on his chest armor. His eyes narrowed as he glared at the man.

The attack had been strong enough to push him back, but his Dragonborn scales had absorbed most of the damage.

The man smirked, lowering his weapon slightly. "Still standing? You're tougher than I thought."

Erend straightened, brushing off the faint smoke rising from his armor. "You'll have to do better than that, kid," he said with calm voice though the flicker of flames in his eyes hinted at his growing impatience.

The man in the cloak chuckled. "You're actully managed to withstand that attack. No wonder my lord told me to be careful with you. But don't get cocky, you're not the only one who's special here."

Before Erend could respond, the man raised his arm, and a translucent shield of shimmering energy materialized around him. Runes flickered across its surface, glowing faintly as they powered the barrier.

Erend narrowed his eyes. Magic-infused tech again.

Erend flexed his wings and shot forward again. The man barely had time to react as Erend brought his fist down against the shield.

A shockwave rippled outward from the point of impact, the runes flaring brightly as they absorbed the blow.

The shield held, but cracks began to spiderweb across its surface.

The man gritted his teeth under his mask, his confidence faltering for the first time.

Laston had assured him that their fusion of Magic and technology was far superior to the Elves' Magic alone. But against the Dragonborn? He told him that, that was another matter entirely.

Now, when he stand face-to-face with Erend, the man could understand why Laston harbored such caution when discussing the Dragonborn.

Erend's speed and power defied his expectations, forcing the man to reconsider his approach.

With a sharp breath, he channeled more energy into the translucent shield, the runes blazing brighter as they absorbed the influx of power. Sparks crackled across its surface as the shield began to hum ominously.

"Let's see you handle this!" the man snarled.

A surge of electrical energy burst forth from the shield, red lightning arcing wildly before converging on Erend. The charged energy struck him with ferocious force that making the sky lighting up in a blinding red glow.

The impact was huge, the electricity scorching through the air and enveloping Erend entirely. The sheer force of the attack seemed enough to burn anything.

The lightning dissipated and smoke and ash swirled where Erend had been standing, For a moment, the man allowed himself a flicker of satisfaction.

But then, as the smoke cleared, his satisfaction turned to disbelief.

Erend still floating in his place unharmed, his silhouette emerging from the haze.

His clothes and armor had been incinerated and now revealing a humanoid form encased in gleaming red and black scales. The scales shimmered like molten metal.

Erend rolled his shoulders, small flames licking at the edges of his scales. His orange eyes burned brighter, the intensity of strength in those eyes slicing through the man's confidence like a blade.

The man took a step back, his heart pounding in his chest. His eyes now filled with carefulness.

Erend smirked with his Dragon face.

Without warning, Erend lunged forward, his scaled fist crashing into the translucent shield with even greater force.

The cracks spiderwebbing across its surface expanded rapidly, and the runes struggled to hold the energy together.

The shield buckled under Erend's relentless assault. Sparks and shards of energy flew in all directions as the barrier shattered, leaving him completely exposed.

"Let's talk," Erend growled, his scaled hand wrapping around the man's throat with unyielding strength. "And you're going to tell me everything about Laston."

The man clawed at Erend's grip, his glowing blue eyes wide with terror. For the first time, he realized he was facing something far more dangerous.

The man let out a strained chuckle. "I'll admit that you're powerful, Dragonborn. But at the end of the day, you're still a primitive creature."

Before Erend could tighten his grip, the man's form began to flicker and distort, his body dissolving into a cascade of glitching light. The sensation slipped through Erend's scaled fingers, and the man vanished completely.

A split second later, he reappeared several meters behind Erend. He raising his hand in a commanding gesture.

At his signal, three of the mechanical birds broke formation, their sleek metallic wings slicing through the air as they charged at Erend.

Their glowing red cores pulsed ominously, and their sharp, rune-etched talons gleamed like deadly blades in the sunlight.

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