Chapter 22: Praise the Sun!

Chapter 22: Praise the Sun!

My mind raced faster than ever before to think of something, anything to survive this breath. I couldn't use estus, the breath would break the bottle. I couldn't use heal, I couldn't focus to cast it. I couldn't call out to Solaire, my lungs were scorched.

Is this it?

And suddenly the blue aura that was the only thing keeping me together shattered. Alongside the wave of despair that came with that realization there was also a brief moment of clarity, I felt more focused, and pushing the pain to the back of my mind I scoured through everything I had while I was getting cremated alive.

-

The Hellkite Drake had never encountered such troublesome undead before.

Sure there were a rare few who could stand up to its flames for a brief moment and inflict some injuries before perishing. But none were as persistent as the one occupying its back.

No matter what it did to shake it off. I still stayed on firmly like a parasite and inflicted one injury after the other causing it much agony. And what's even worse was the pests friend fired off spears of lightning that caused no small amounts of pain to the mighty drake.

But now that the pesky undead got another wave of the Hellkite drake's breath without that obstacle of his, it was certain that the undead would be burnt to a crisp to the satisfaction of the lesser dragon.

At least that was what was supposed to happen. Much to its confusion.

After its breath subsided it saw a sight it couldn't even comprehend.

There stood the hollow, standing upright as he crushed a black sprite that miraculously healed his broken and burnt body. And the cold, dead stare filled with malice the hollow gave sent a feeling of primal fear down the drake's spine.

-

In a last-ditch effort, I remembered the healing properties of humanity. So I risked it all and summoned and crushed the solid humanity as I quickly approached death. Fortunately, the humanity healed me marginally faster than the wave of scorching death tried to claim me.

<Your skill {Elementary Fire resistance lv.3} has leveled up!2x>

< {Elementary Fire resistance lv.3} -> {Elementary Fire resistance lv.5} >

< {Blue tearstone ring} has broken. >

< *!?Error: Insufficient *********** ?!(?) >

< {???} has ??? the {???}. >

<You have...>

I didn't care about the messages at the moment as the moment the drake let up its breath I popped another humanity to stay alive and shouted at the top of my lungs.

''SOLAIRE! ITS WINGS! BRING IT DOWN!!!''

And a moment after the words left my mouth the drake suddenly recoiled as it lost its balance and shrieked in pain. As courtesy of Solaire, it now had a significant hole in one of its wings. I grabbed my blade stuck to the Drake and braced myself for the rough landing.

*Slamm!*

The instant we were about to make contact with the ground I jumped out and landed next to sunlight bro to regroup. We needed to change our plans and approach. The Drake took far less damage and dealt far more damage than we expected.

''How much focus do you have left in the tank?''

''I can only cast another {lightning spear} before needing to recharge.''

Great. Our main DPS, support, and ranger just ran out of mp.

''I will distract it while you take to recoup your focus alright? How long do you need?''

''About two or three minutes.''

That's right. I could do this.

I wasn't alone.

I had Solaire with me.

Who believed in me. Even though I didn't believe in myself.

A man too good, righteous, and pure for this world. If a man like that believed in me then who was I to disappoint?

Exchanging a nod between us we both started. Suddenly Solaire released a full-power lightning spear(which he hadn't done in a while) and hit the unsuspecting drake causing its attention to turn to Solaire.

And you may ask about my role here. And that was running.

While Solaire kept its attention my job was to run to the end of the bridge. To the bonfire.

I ran with all the strength I could afford. My lungs burnt. My muscles ached, my mind was screaming and my body was crying. I could barely walk yet I was running. But it was not in vain, my combination of focus and acrobatics kept me on my feet long enough to reach the bonfire.

[BONFIRE LIT]

I knew I couldn't rest at the bonfire long enough to get any meaningful healing but I knew I could do something here. I was still in hollow form after all.

[Offer humanity and reverse Hollowing? Yes / No ]

Yes! I felt the surge of warm wash over my body getting rid of my accumulated fatigue and filling my undead body with vigor. I didn't dare dally any further and dashed toward Solaire with renewed energy. Along the way, I found the perfect opportunity and summoned the winged spear in my hand and chucked it full strength at one of its many open wounds.

*Raaaaaaaooooooouuuuurrrrh!!!*

When it turned around I had already ran under its legs and reached Solaire who was relieved to see my plan had succeeded and moved onto the next stage. I brought out my zweihander and Solaire used every single focus left in his body to enchant with sunlight blade.

''...Good luck friend...''

With that Solaire collapsed to his knees though he didn't pass out. Giving him a reassuring smile just as he had given me I dashed out and drew my accursed adversaries attention once more. Since Solaire had passed out in its mind I was its only target. Which worked for me as I forced it to give chase to me even in his battered form.

Even though I had far more energy than before, I was still pretty exhausted. And I didn't even for a second dare underestimate my adversary for I knew I was only an attack away from certain death.

I ran while avoiding its attacks not worried about it not being able to keep up with me as one step for him was 50 steps for me. And I finally reached it, his perch. Truly a poetic place for his execution even though I didn't mean it to be so.

I leaped up and climbed crevices around to leach higher while avoiding the occasional lunge then the beast. And once I got solid ground I used my focus skill to its max as I felt the world around me slow down. The dragon was below me and I was above it. But that wasn't enough.

I used {Deadman's blow: Leap} and reached higher and positioned the sunlight-clad zweihander below me and descended at frightening speed toward the Drake's head before it could see me coming.

Unsatisfied with even that my willpower directed what little remained of my focus and directed it toward the aura covering my blade, making it stronger. And with that, my blade plunged down.

''{Sunlight Guillotine}!''

*PLUNGE!!! *Fshhhhhh!!!*

[CRITICAL!!!]

My blade went all the went through its skull. Killing it

But even though I had slain it I knew I had to do something. I climbed up the lesser dragon's unmoving body and reached the top of its body, making eye contact with Solaire. And as though we had an unspoken agreement we both straightened our bodies out and held out our arms in a o/ shape to signify and celebrate our victory.

Praise the sun!

<You have slain the {Hellkite Drake} +20,000souls>