Chapter 74 Dragon and Tiger
The ferocious roar of the dragon instilled unease in the Frost Tiger.
Its fur bristled, and the anticipatory glint in its eyes transformed into a cautious and wary gaze, as if recognizing that this looming dragon was not to be trifled with, unlike the previous frail prey it had encountered.
After intimidating the Frost Tiger, Brian's gaze became sharp and dangerous.
It was just a large feline. How could it dare to roar and provoke a True Dragon?
Hovering in the air, he didn't land but instead decreased the distance, bringing the Frost Tiger into his spell's attack range.
Next, Brian slightly parted his jaws, and under the vigilant gaze of the Frost Tiger, he began muttering the obscure incantation for a fireball spell, extending his claws and pointing at the tiger.
Extending his claws wasn't necessary for casting the spell; it chiefly served to guide his mental power, ensuring a smoother release of his magical energy.
Some spellcasters favor loudly proclaiming the spell's name upon completion, which was useful to enhance the spell's effect slightly.
A pea-sized fireball materialized at Brian's sharp fingertips.
Suddenly, it vanished, cutting through the air as a red streak, hurtling toward the Frost Tiger.
Rolling flames engulfed a thirty-feet radius, yet the tiger's silhouette was nowhere to be seen within the blaze.
The cat's dynamic vision had been maximized in this Frost Tiger, discerning the fireball's trajectory and evading it with a nimble, graceful leap.
From years of battling magical creatures, the Frost Tiger wasn't deceived by the fireball's appearance; its animal instincts sensed the danger.
'While the savagery does not enhance intelligence, it greatly amplifies survival instincts.'
Brian's eyes flashed with contemplation as the incantations continued, and pea-sized fireballs rapidly appeared in front of him, darting toward the Frost Tiger.
Thanks to the innate ability of dragons to store immense amounts of magic far surpassing human spellcasters, Brian's casting barely drained him. He felt he could cast third-level fireball spells all day long.
Meanwhile, the Frost Tiger was persistently dodging the barrage of fireballs, its agile maneuvers and excellent dynamic vision rendering Brian's attacks ineffective. The area transformed into a sea of flames that illuminated the surroundings in red hues.
Encouraged by its success in evasion, the Frost Tiger emitted a low growl toward Brian.
Then it crouched slightly, its defined muscles bulging as it jumped up, leaving cracks like spiderwebs on the ground.
The Frost Tiger leapt ferociously into the sky, reaching a height of over a hundred feet, pouncing toward Brian.
The tremendous leap impressed Brian slightly.
Reflected in his platinum pupils, the rapidly approaching Frost Tiger brought no panic to Brian.
Under his control, the power of time extended and merged with an inconspicuous small fireball, hidden among five other small fireballs, all targeting the Frost Tiger.
The Frost Tiger, now fully aware of the fireball's speed, twisted mid-air, evading three in succession.
The fourth fireball, however, abruptly accelerated, striking the Frost Tiger squarely.
A burst of flames blossomed in mid-air.
Howling in agony, the Frost Tiger, its fur igniting, plummeted toward the ground.
The creatures of the far north's icy plains mostly possessed high frost resistance but were weak against flames, causing fire spells to nearly double their harm.
Rolling on the ground, the Frost Tiger gradually extinguished the flames.
A ghastly, charred wound marred its right forelimb.
Brian wrinkled his nose, catching a whiff of the faintly sour, burnt meat scent amid the singed fur, frowning.
"It smells just like an ordinary Frost Tiger..." Brian muttered, disappointed.
He had tasted regular Frost Tiger before and found it unpalatable. He had hoped the flesh of a savage one would offer a distinct flavor. Yet, to his disappointment, it was no different.
Below, the injured Frost Tiger, its aggression swiftly fading, leapt away from Brian, sprinting at an astonishing speed even with its wounded forelimb, outpacing most of the icy plains' predators.
But Brian was an excellent hunter.
Unfurling his wings, he launched into an Acceleration State, his body transforming into a streaking white blur, landing gracefully.
Within a few breaths, Brian overtook the Frost Tiger, intercepting it.
Cornered and unable to escape, the tiger's eyes gleamed with desperate ferocity, charging with renewed speed at Brian.
Yet, as it entered within sixty feet of Brian, the tiger suddenly faltered, the dragon disappearing from its sight as if it had been a mere illusion.
Simultaneously, it felt an extreme danger from behind.
It whipped its head around to see a white-scaled dragon fist hurtling down.
The punch landed squarely on the Frost Tiger's head.
Unable to rival the conqueror of the White Dragon Mother, the Frost Tiger's limbs gave out, collapsing the ground beneath it slightly.
Brian loosened his dragon fist, flexing his wrist.
At this moment, it had not yet died. It was only severely injured and unable to move, looking at Brian, angrily roaring.
'This Frost Tiger isn't tasty, but it's slightly stronger than the northern berserk bear...'
Brian's curiosity about the tiger's savagery and its impressive combat capabilities led him to consider taming it.
Among his subordinates, the dragonblood ogre was the strongest, yet it wasn't an elite icy plains creature, incapable of providing the joy of hunting high-tier prey like the northern berserk bear.
After the two young bear cubs matured, they might suffice, but not yet.
Without his temporal abilities, defeating the Frost Tiger wouldn't have been this straightforward. Capturing it would bolster his ranks with a formidable ally.
Determined, Brian's gaze hardened, and Dragon's Might erupted.
The Frost Tiger trembled under Brian's Dragon's Might, shakily losing consciousness.
Gathering the unconscious Frost Tiger, Brian soared back to his Ice Cliff territory.
