The Hero King, Reincarnate to Master the Art of War - CHAPTER 364 – 16 YEAR OLD INGLIS AND THE MEANING OF MATCHMAKING (16)

The movements of Inglis’ fists, specifically her mana flow as she invoked her sorcery, intertwined with her Dragon Roar, leading the two to meld and evolve.

This was no mere sorcery, but a new technique that essentially combined Dragon Roar and sorcery. Calling it Dragon Sorcery seemed fitting. This was the outcome of Inglis’s dedicated training over the past month or so. While she had been thoroughly studying the Artifact, she, of course, did not neglect to refine her own combat abilities.

Her enhanced control over Dragon Roar, which now allowed her to fully synchronize it with her movements, was a humble yet crucial advancement. Surprisingly, Dragon Roar was easier to control and more malleable than Ether.

This was the might of the dragons, rumored to be creatures from another realm. Inglis was left to wonder, could it be possible that the Dragon Roar’s instability in this foreign realm was, in a somewhat ironic twist, the very factor that made it so remarkably malleable?

“This is the result of my training! I’ll need you to help me test it out!” she exclaimed.
“Test away! It serves both of us well!” he responded.

The original inspiration for this Dragon Sorcery was drawn from the Artifacts owned by Raphael and King Charleas, namely the Dragon Fang and Dragon Claw, which appeared to be crafted from dragon materials. It was evident that these Artifacts were a fusion of pure sorcery and Dragon Roar.

The power of those Artifacts was notably superior to other High-Grade Artifacts. While they weren’t as mighty as Hyrule Menaces, their performance alone could classify them as Super High-Grade Artifacts.

Having seen these Artifacts in action, Inglis realized that mana and Dragon Roar could be combined.

Previous examples showed Dragon Roar seeping into and altering the Artifacts that Leone and Liselotte owned. Inglis’ Dragon Sorcery—specifically the Dragon Ice Sword—was an intentional attempt to trigger a similar mutation, applying Dragon Roar to an ice sword created by sorcery.

Up until this point, Inglis’ combat techniques could be categorized into three types: Ether battle skills, minor techniques like Ether Pierce or deploying sorcery by converting Ether into mana, and finally, the Dragon Roar that Vufailbane the Dragon God had granted her.

While Inglis was able to simultaneously activate these methods, reaching her peak battle prowess, the second technique—utilizing minor maneuvers or sorcery—was ineffective against formidable adversaries. Thus, she had so far been fighting using a combination of the first and third methods.

In essence, Dragon Sorcery was a blend of the second and third techniques. This allowed her to make use of a previously ineffective combat style. This might appear insignificant, but it marked a sure, albeit gradual, improvement.

“HERE I GO!! SORYAAAH!!”

Jeldegrīva was quick to make the first move. Dropping his hips, he drove his foot into the ground and executed a palm strike towards Inglis, despite the considerable distance separating them.

The intention behind his actions was clear in an instant.

Like an explosive thunderbolt, he projected a high-speed palm strike. It forced the air ahead of it, resulting in a heavily compressed shockwave that mirrored the shape of his palm. As the shockwave displaced the surrounding air, it generated friction, enough to enrobe it in red flame. A scarlet palm-shaped shockwave surged towards Inglis at breakneck speed.

“Wonderful—!”

That a mere palm swing could trigger such a phenomenon! Being who she was, Inglis couldn’t resist confronting this attack head-on. She thrust the dragon ice sword in her right hand at the approaching red shockwave.

With a gasp, she noted the immense force. Her right hand was sent reeling back instantly.

Quickly, Inglis used her left hand to support the hilt of her sword, countering the attack with both hands.

Even then, she was forcibly pushed back. The grass in the meadow swirled chaotically, and large furrows formed under her feet due to the intensity of the shock.

“You pushed me back so far…!”

But that was acceptable. Her dragon ice sword had successfully withstood the red shockwave. An ordinary ice sword would have shattered after a single swing under the influence of her Ether Armor, a fact proven in her confrontation with Black Mask above the royal castle. However, the dragon ice sword displayed no signs of damage. Its resilience far surpassed that of a typical ice sword.

“There’s more where it comes! Crimson Palm!!”
“Yes! Keep them coming!”

Red shockwaves were hurled towards Inglis in rapid succession.

“HYAAaaaaaaaahhhh!”

She lowered her waist and braced herself. If she didn’t swing her sword with everything she had, the sword would succumb to the pressure. But if she managed to resist, how much could the dragon ice sword, imbued with the Ether from her Ether Armor, withstand? This was an intense experimental battle.

Despite being pushed back, Inglis sliced through the onslaught of Crimson Palms with her ice sword.

“One, two, three—ten, twenty…!!”

Her dragon ice sword remained unbroken. Were there minuscule cracks? Even if there were, Inglis could still wield it.

“I’ll up the speed! SEE IF YOU CAN STILL COUNT IT!”

The red barrage’s density quickly intensified. She can’t keep count anymore…!

“I can’t…! As expected of you!”

The tiny cracks on the dragon ice sword also rapidly multiplied.

Finally, after enduring a barrage of hundreds, maybe even more attacks, the dragon ice sword shattered with a high-pitched ring. Yet, it had stood strong against such relentless onslaughts.

While it might not be as robust as the dragon-scale sword, crafted from the scales of the Dragon God, it was certainly stronger than its previous iteration and more adaptable for her. Her first battle implementing Dragon Sorcery was going successfully.

If she could combine Dragon Sorcery with her ongoing research into unique Artifact modifications, she might be able to create a weapon comparable to the dragon-scale sword.

However, before she could consider that, she had to deal with the countless Crimson Palms bearing down on her.