Martial Arts Vs Magic - Chapter 125

Chapter 125: A Deadly Race

The Glass Serpent's crystalline body shattered into a thousand glittering fragments as Lailah's wind blade sliced through its midsection. The monster's death throes sent sparkling shards flying in all directions, forcing me to shield my face with my arm.

"Not bad," I called out as the dust settled. "Though you telegraphed that final strike so clearly even a blind monk could have seen it coming."

Lailah straightened, brushing desert grit from her clothes. Sweat glistened on her brow, but her breathing remained steady—a marked improvement from our first encounter with desert predators.

"Yeah? The monster didn’t, and that’s what matters," she retorted, silver eyes flashing with defiance and pride.

"Monsters wouldn’t be your only opponent in this life, LailahΩ," I advised, sliding down from my perch on a sun-baked boulder. "Killing it efficiently and killing it eventually are different matters. In the desert, wasted energy is a luxury we can't afford."

“Alright, alright, I get it mister.”

Lailah was learning fast, her spirit taking to her newfound power like a desert hawk to the wind. It reminded me of ancient Murim tales, where the God-like entities spoke of Spirit Flame and Soul Fire. Soul Fire resonance could amplify one's abilities when faith, either in oneself or from another, was intensely focused. Such tales were often dismissed as allegories for sheer willpower by the weaker martial artists, but the Transcendent knew the truth. 

Was it because Jinns were more spirit than physical entities, that Lailah was having an easier time with my guidance? Maybe she was just talented. I could only know once I reach the 9th Ascension and get access to Soul Fire.

We retreated to the shadow of a sandstone overhang, a rare mercy in this relentless landscape. The afternoon sun beat down with vindictive intensity, turning the air into a shimmering curtain of heat.

As Lailah settled beside me, I found myself studying her with renewed interest. She looked a bit difficult to recognize. Following my suggestion, she'd used some of our newly acquired treasures to alter her appearance, to avoid immediate detection if we came across the Baron later. 

Golden earrings dangled from her lobes, catching the light with each movement of her head. A delicate chain with a small sun pendant adorned her forehead, drawing attention to eyes that seemed to shift between silver and white depending on how the light struck them.

She'd wrapped a cream-colored shawl around her head and shoulders, leaving just enough of her face visible to be alluring while concealing her most recognizable features. The maroon fabric of her desert garb contrasted beautifully with her deep bronze skin, which seemed to glow with an inner light that had nothing to do with the desert heat.

"What?" she asked, noticing my scrutiny.

"Nothing," I replied, a smirk playing at the corners of my mouth. "Just admiring how the desert rose has begun to show its gold. Not just in the trinkets she’s acquired, but in the steel that's settled in her gaze." I gestured toward her new adornments. "Gold suits the desert."

Her eyes narrowed, but I caught the hint of a pleased smile before she turned away. "Is that your attempt at flattery, Alexander?"

"Merely an observation. The farmer's daughter is fading, replaced by something... sharper."

"And you prefer sharp things, I suppose?"

"I prefer dangerous things," I corrected her. Somehow, it wasn’t even a lie. Each of my lovers’ families could kill me with a slap. "They're so much more interesting than safe ones."

Lailah rolled her eyes, but the blush creeping across her cheeks told a different story. She busied herself with unpacking our stolen supplies, laying out the remaining food and water with careful precision.

"We should catalog what we have," she said, clearly trying to change the subject. "The journey ahead will be—"

"Treacherous, arduous, potentially fatal?" I offered helpfully. "Take your pick."

"I was going to say 'challenging,'" she replied dryly. "But your flair for the dramatic is noted."

As she sorted through the young nobleman's pack, I retrieved her mother's map from my own satchel. The worn parchment crackled as I unfolded it, revealing intricate lines and symbols that spoke of a different era—a time when the desert's secrets were known to those who lived in harmony with its cruel beauty. Where had that woman found such a thing?

"Let's see if we can make more sense of our route now," I suggested, spreading the map on a flat rock between us.

Lailah nodded, then paused as her fingers brushed against something in the nobleman's pack. Frowning, she withdrew a folded piece of paper that had been tucked into a hidden compartment.

"What's this?" she murmured, carefully unfolding it.

I leaned closer, our shoulders touching as we examined the new discovery. It was another map—cruder than her mother's, but more recent. Inked lines showed paths through the Lightning Canyons, with small notations in a precise hand marking potential dangers and safe passages.

"Well, well," I said, placing it beside her mother's map. "It seems our young friend was more valuable than we thought."

Lailah's eyes widened as she compared the two. "These markings... they align with my mother's map, but there are differences." Her finger traced a route that wound through the eastern reaches of the canyons. "This shows a different approach to the Shattered Moon formation."

"Huh," I noted, studying the discrepancies. "The dude was lying till the end."

"What do you mean?"

"He gave us just enough truth to seem honest, but kept the most valuable information hidden. If we never took his bag, we’d have never known about this." I tapped the newer map. "This shows common monster routes, creature lairs to avoid... and look here." I pointed to a small notation near the supposed location of the oasis.

Lailah leaned closer, squinting at the tiny script. "'Beware the midnight tide. Blood price for entry,'" she read aloud. Her face paled slightly. "What does that mean?"

"Nothing pleasant," I replied grimly. "Sounds like our Baron knows more about this oasis than he's letting on. There may be some kind of ritual requirement?"

"Blood magic?" Lailah whispered, her voice tinged with horror. "But that's—"

"It’s not that forbidden, one of my very close allies is a Blood Mage. She was fine with the public knowing that fact. However, yes, Blood Magic is prone to be more evil than naught." I studied the map more closely. "The Baron must be desperate indeed if he's willing to dabble in blood rites. Or perhaps it's the Prince who's pushing for it."

“You’re not even pretending to lose your memories anymore?”

I shrugged, “Never said I lost my memories, just that they were cloudy.”

Lailah huffed and sat back, her expression troubled. "Anyhow, my mother used to say that water touched by leviathans carried both blessing and curse. That those who drank without proper respect paid with more than coin."

"Poetic, but not particularly helpful," I muttered. "What we need now is speed. The Baron will be traveling with sand drakes or similar mounts. We're on foot with a significant head start, but that advantage won't last forever."

"Then we should—"

Lailah's words died in her throat. Her body suddenly went rigid, silver-white eyes unfocusing as if seeing something beyond our small sanctuary. The air around us, which had been still and oppressive, began to stir, circling her form like an invisible caress.

Dust motes danced in the swirling currents, catching the light like tiny stars orbiting a human sun. Her lips parted slightly, and when she spoke, her voice carried an otherworldly timbre.

"Azahira... she says... they know."

I straightened, instantly alert. "They? The expedition party?"

Lailah nodded slowly, still caught in whatever communion she shared with her unseen companion. "Yes... The young man we let go... he must have been important, because people found him quickly." She blinked, returning fully to herself. "They know someone has their map."

"Wonderful," I hummed, weighing our options. "So now we're not just racing against time, but actively being hunted."

"Ugh, this is so troublesome," Lailah said, the wind dying down around her. "If only we hadn't insisted on mercy—"

"Don't," I cut her off. "Mercy isn't a weakness, Lailah. Sometimes… It's the only thing separating us from the monsters we fight." I said, as memories of the ritual where the poor civilians sacrificed themselves for me surfaced. I laughed. "Though if you tell anyone I said that, I'll deny it vehemently."

A small smile tugged at her lips. "Your secret heart is safe with me, Alexander."

"I have no heart," I insisted. "Just a practical understanding that dead men tell no tales, but rescued ones sometimes become allies. Although no, this one won’t be an ally."

"Is that what you call it?" she teased, her spirits lifting slightly despite our predicament. "And here I thought you were revealing your hidden conscience."

"A conscience is a luxury for those who can afford it," I replied, gathering up the maps. "Like silk underwear in the desert—utterly impractical and likely to chafe."

Lailah's laughter rang out, echoing against the stone walls of our shelter. The sound stirred something in my chest. I ignored it.

"You are a strange man," she said, shaking her head. "Speaking of impractical luxuries while planning around blood rituals and outrunning desert warlords."

"We all have our contradictions," I shrugged. "You're a farm girl who commands the wind and converses with spirits. I'm a one-armed wanderer with delusions of adequacy."

"Delusions?" She raised an eyebrow. "You've killed monsters that would make hardened warriors flee, moved faster than the eye can follow, and somehow managed to keep us alive in a wasteland that has claimed countless lives." Her gaze softened. "I'd say you've proven yourself more than adequate."

"Careful with the compliments," I warned, though I couldn't help the warmth spreading through me at her words. "My ego is already dangerously oversized. Any more inflation and it might block out the sun."

"That would be a blessing in this heat," she quipped, rising to her feet and gathering our supplies. "So, what's our plan now that we're being hunted?"

I studied the combined maps once more, tracing possible routes with my finger. "Hmmm…”

****

"There," I whispered, pointing toward a ripple in the sand dunes. "Sand Drakes."

We lay prone at the crest of a dune, observing three massive reptilian forms basking in the late afternoon sun. Their scaled hides shimmered with iridescent patterns of amber and bronze, catching the light like living metal. Each drake was easily the size of a small wagon, with muscular bodies built for both speed and power. Their tails, tipped with bony spurs, left lazy trails in the sand as they swished back and forth.

[Sand Drake, Level 32]

[Sand Drake, Level 30]

[Sand Drake, Level 34]

"Magnificent creatures," I murmured, studying their movements. "Perfect balance of strength and agility. And those claws could shred a man to ribbons faster than you could blink."

Lailah shifted nervously beside me. "And your plan is to... what? Pet them until they let us ride them to the oasis?"

I chuckled, appreciating her skepticism. "As much as I’d love to carry you in my arms, my dear, we’d benefit more by riding those creatures. They’re fast."

That was the plan. Since the Baron was coming with his elite group, alongside the 7th Prince of Erebia and possibly his own personal guards, we couldn’t risk delaying. Ideally, I wanted to be in and out of the oasis before the Baron reached it. 

"Alexander, I've seen you fight monsters, but these are Sand Drakes." Her silver eyes were wide with concern. "They're territorial, vicious, and..." she lowered her voice, as if the drakes might overhear, "Level 30, at least, right? And a group. Even the Baron's elite hunters approach a group of Sand Drakes with caution."

"You wound me with your lack of faith," I replied, feigning hurt. "After all we've been through."

"It's not lack of faith. It's healthy respect for creatures that could swallow me whole."

I studied the drakes more carefully, noting the way the largest one—a male with a crest of spines along its back—kept watch while the others dozed. Their eyes were like molten gold, constantly scanning the horizon for threats or prey.

"Look," Lailah continued, "I've seen you move faster than any man should. I've watched you kill monsters that would make seasoned warriors soil themselves. But these are a group of Sand Drakes, Alexander. They're not like the beasts we've faced so far."

I turned to her, a slow smile spreading across my face. "You're right. They're better."

Before she could protest further, I slid down the dune and walked directly into the drakes' line of sight. The reaction was immediate and exactly what I'd anticipated.

All three beasts snapped to attention, their golden eyes locking onto me with predatory focus. The male rose to its full height, nearly twice my own, and let out a roar that shook the very air. Sand cascaded from its scales as it charged, followed closely by its companions.

Time seemed to slow as I centered myself. Without Qi, without my full strength, I had only the Heavenly Demon Body and the muscle memory of countless battles fought across two lifetimes. It would have to be enough.

The lead drake lunged, jaws wide enough to engulf my torso. 

Instead of dodging, I stepped into the attack, ducking under its chin and delivering a precise strike to the soft tissue beneath its jaw. The beast's momentum carried it past me, momentarily stunned.

The second drake attacked from my left, its tail whipping toward me like a scythe. I leapt, using the tail as a springboard to vault over its back, landing a series of rapid blows along its spine as I passed.

"What are you doing?" Lailah's panicked voice carried from the dune. "Just finish them before it gets dangerous!"

"And waste perfectly good mounts?" I called back, sliding beneath the third drake as it charged. "Where's the artistry in that?"

This wasn't a battle for survival—it was a dance of dominance. Each move calculated, each strike precise. I wasn't trying to kill these magnificent creatures; I was speaking to them in the only language they truly respected. Power.

The male recovered first, circling back with surprising speed for its size. Its claws raked the air where I had been a heartbeat before. I pivoted, driving my elbow into a nerve cluster just behind its front leg. The drake stumbled, momentarily paralyzed on one side.

"See?" I shouted to Lailah. "They're just like oversized lizards with anger management issues!"

The second drake caught me with a glancing blow from its tail, sending me tumbling across the sand. Pain blossomed along my ribs, but I rolled with the impact, springing back to my feet before the third could capitalize on my vulnerability.

"Just like lizards," I muttered, spitting blood. "Very fast, very angry lizards."

For several minutes, the dance continued—a blur of scales, claws, and precisely targeted strikes. I moved between the drakes like a shadow, never still, never predictable. Where they relied on brute strength, I countered with speed and technique. Where they attacked with primal fury, I responded with calculated precision.

One by one, the drakes began to falter. The female on the right collapsed first, her legs buckling after I struck a particular point at the base of her skull. The second female followed shortly after, overwhelmed by a rapid sequence of blows to her pressure points.

The male, however, proved more resilient. Bleeding from several minor wounds, it backed away, reassessing this strange prey that refused to die or flee. Its golden eyes narrowed, intelligence replacing blind rage.

"That's it," I said softly, circling with the drake. "You're beginning to understand, aren't you? I'm not here to kill you."

The drake hissed, its tail lashing the sand in agitation.

"I could have ended this already if that was my intention." I gestured to its fallen companions. "They'll recover. As will you."

With a final, desperate roar, the male charged. I stood my ground until the last possible moment, then stepped aside, delivering a precise strike to the base of its skull as it passed. The drake stumbled, staggered a few more steps, then collapsed in the sand, unconscious but breathing.

I stood amid the fallen drakes, my chest heaving with exertion. Sweat mingled with blood on my skin, the salt stinging my various cuts and scrapes. But I was alive, and more importantly, victorious. It made me feel great to see I could take on three Third Ascension monsters even in my weakened state.

Unfortunately, this much wasn’t enough to tame them. They wouldn’t try to fight me any longer, knowing I meant no harm and was too strong to be defeated, but they wouldn’t listen to me either.  

So, the real taming would begin now.

"Vyrn," I called, touching the pendant at my neck. "I require your assistance."

The spectral owl materialized, circling the scene with curious hoots.

"Can you influence them?" I asked, gesturing to the male and the stronger female drake. "Not permanent control, just... a temporary alignment of interests."

In theory, it should work. Vyrn had managed to overpower the corrupted minds of Outer God Cultists, after all, these monsters shouldn’t be any issue.

Vyrn tilted his head, considering, then swooped down toward the fallen creatures. His ethereal form seemed to expand, enveloping first one drake, then the other, in a ghostly luminescence. The light pulsed, rhythmic as a heartbeat, before slowly fading.

The two drakes stirred, their golden eyes opening. But where before they had radiated primal fury, now they regarded me with something closer to wary respect.

"Up," I commanded, making a rising gesture with my hand.

Slowly, awkwardly, the drakes complied, rising to their feet and shaking sand from their scales.

"Sit," I ordered, and again, they obeyed, though the larger of the two snorted its displeasure.

I grinned, turning toward the dune where Lailah remained hidden. "You can come out now! I promise they won't eat you... probably."

Lailah emerged cautiously, her silver eyes wide with disbelief. "How did you...? What did you...?"

"A combination of martial skill, dumb luck, and a very useful spectral owl," I replied, patting one drake's snout as if it were a dog rather than a creature that could bite me in half. "Come, meet our new transportation."

She approached with understandable hesitation. "Are they... tame?"

"Not tame. Never tame," I corrected her. "They're wild creatures with temporarily adjusted priorities. Thanks to Vyrn, they now see us as... let's call it 'not food' and 'possibly worth following.'"

To demonstrate, I gave another command. "Jump."

Both drakes awkwardly hopped, their massive bodies briefly leaving the sand in what might generously be called a leap.

Lailah's face transformed with delight, a laugh escaping her that seemed to surprise even her. "That's... that's incredible! I've never seen anyone command Sand Drakes like this. Even the hardened warrior who’d ‘tamed’ a few, can only task them with running and stopping, and that’s with the bait of food."

"Few have such a useful Owl friend," I said, giving the drakes another pat. "Necessity is the mother of insanity, and we needed faster transportation. Let’s just be happy this worked."

Her gaze shifted to the still-unconscious male drake. "What about that one? Should we... finish it?"

I shook my head. "It would be cruel to ride two of its kin while butchering the third. Besides," I added with a wink, "I have a feeling the male one here loves both of them, killing one of his lovers is pure evil."

"You're a strange man, Alexander," Lailah said, cautiously reaching out to touch one drake's scales. "One moment you're stealing from innocent travelers, the next you're showing mercy to creatures that tried to eat you."

"Consistency is the hobgoblin of small minds," I replied, helping her climb onto the male drake, Level 34. "And my mind is vast and full of contradictions."

As we settled onto our new mounts, the drakes shifting beneath our weight, I caught Lailah watching me with an expression I couldn't quite decipher.

"What?" I asked.

"Nothing," she said, a smile playing at the corners of her mouth. "Just thinking that perhaps the most dangerous creature in this desert isn't the one I'm sitting on."

I laughed, a genuine sound that echoed across the dunes. "In this world, my dear, the most dangerous creatures rarely look the part. Now, shall we?"

With a command and a gentle nudge, our drakes lurched forward, quickly finding their rhythm. Soon we were racing across the desert, sand spraying in our wake, the wind whipping through our hair. The shattered moon formation awaited, and beyond it, the promise of healing waters.

And somewhere behind us, I knew, the Baron's expedition followed, unaware that their quarry had just gained a significant advantage in this deadly race.

The next day, Lailah finally reached Level 20. With Class Selection available.