Chapter 6: Pushed to the brink.
The air was filled with whistling wind as the feather attack moved, carrying a faint scent of expensive perfume that prickled Su Ping's scaled nostrils as he stood frozen.
" Defend!" Lucinda commanded but his infant drake form was rigid with indecision, his purple-black eyes wide with the dawning realization that he had no defensive skills to counter the onslaught.
The energy feathers struck his pitch-black scales, each one slicing through the air with a whistle before grazing his flesh, leaving shallow cuts that stung like fire but failed to pierce deeply, the glowing purple gaps between his scales pulsing faintly as if mocking the attack's ineffectiveness.
" What do you think your doing! I said defend, not stand still and get git!"
From the sidelines, Lucinda, shouted in a voice laced with fury and desperation as Su Ping stood in place, her short black hair swaying as she leaned forward, urging Su Ping to defend himself.
Her words grew louder and more frustrated with each moment but Su Ping remained rooted, his clawed feet digging into the earthy arena surface, his mind a whirlwind of confusion and fear, unable to summon a single action to shield himself from the barrage.
" Hahahaha I didn't think your summon would be this brainless Lucinda, looks like the both of you have something in common at least."
Roland, standing opposite with his brown hair swept back and a smirk curling his lips, raised an eyebrow in surprise, his arrogant demeanor momentarily shaken by the resilience of Su Ping's scaled hide. But even he knew that with time, that so called defense would be breached.
" Damnit! Are you deaf, is the summoning contract broken or something?!"
Normally once one was under a contract, both parties would easily be able to understand each other no matter their racial difference but seeing this, Lucinda couldn't help but worry that she might have messed up the contract. After all, it was her first time summoning an Abyssal creature.
Lucinda's voice rose again, this time with a frantic edge, her dark-circled eyes flashing as she ordered Su Ping to attack the peacock, her hands clenched into fists at her sides.
But Su Ping, still grappling with the alien instincts of his drake body, did nothing, his inaction drawing a scowl from Lucinda that deepened the shadows on her face, her frustration palpable in the way her shoulders tensed.
Roland, seizing the moment, let out a low chuckle, his confidence swelling as he instructed his peacock to maintain its aerial assault, the creature flapping its wings to release wave after wave of glowing feathers that sliced through the air, each one finding Su Ping's scales with relentless precision.
Su Ping gnashed his teeth, the constant barrage of cuts stinging his flesh, the pain a dull roar that grew sharper with each hit, like a rain of never-ending blades that threatened to wear down his resolve.
It wasn't that he didn't want to defend but he didn't know how!
' Damnit! There has to be something I can do!'
Driven by a surge of anger, Su Ping charged toward the peacock, his small, lizard-like body bounding across the arena's grassy floor, his claws tearing into the earth with each desperate stride.
But the peacock, hovering just out of reach, danced in the air, its movements fluid and mocking, turning to continue it's attacks on Su Ping no matter where he ran, its vibrant feathers catching the light as it continued its assault.
' Blasted bird! I'll kill you!'
Su Ping's frustration boiled over, his tail lashing as he leaped, only to fall short, the glowing feathers raining down on him, each cut trying to brand the words helpless into his flesh.
' Damnit! Isn't it supposed to be from the Abyss?! How come it's so weak?'
Lucinda's panic grew, her voice cracking as she shouted incoherent commands, while Roland's laughter rang out, cold and triumphant, his words dripping with certainty as he declared his victory assured, his eyes gleaming with the thrill of dominance.
' it hurts!'
' it hurts it hurts it hurts!' the more the feathers sliced the deeper they went.
The constant slicing of the feathers pushed Su Ping to the edge, his mind teetering on the brink of madness, the pain and humiliation condensing into a primal rage that clouded his thoughts.
But just then he recalled something in his mind. He consciously summoned his status and what he was looking for emerged before him.
The students were stunned by the holographic panel Infront of him, wondering how a Lvl 1 beast could summon it's own status.
' There it is!'
[Innate Talent: Dark Dragon Eyes( Allows you to mimick the skills and techniques of others while also granting the power to induce illusions. Increases psychic attack resistance) ]
After reading the talents info, Su Ping didn't hesitate to use it.
His eyes glowed a deep eerie purple mixed with black, his slits constricting due to his growing hunger from constant blood loss and his surging anger threatening to spill out.
Then, his gaze locked onto the peacock mid air and something shifted within him, his eyes flared with an even more burning rage.
' Let's see how long you last before I rip you to pieces'
The crowd gasped as his claws began to glow, mirroring the peacock's radiant feathers, the light pulsing with an eerie intensity that seemed to draw the very air inward.
With a roar that was more beast than man, Su Ping slashed his claws toward the airborne peacock, unleashing arcs of dark purple energy that tore through the air with a low, resonant hum.
The peacock, caught off guard, screeched as the slashes struck its wings, the force knocking it off balance, its graceful flight faltering as it spiraled downward.
The crowd held its breath, the arena silent save for the rustle of feathers and the thud of the peacock's body hitting the ground.
Before it could recover, Su Ping pounced, his small form a blur of black scales and glowing claws as he landed on the creature's back, his rage unleashed in a frenzy of slashing and tearing attacks.