System Made Me a Tank [LitRPG-Evolution]

Lightning flashed in the Queen Wyvern's eyes. She was wounded, and by a human no less. This was an unforgivable insult to her pride. She inflated the air sacs in her chest, her ribcage expanding as she took a deep breath.

Boran noticed the change in the Wyvern's movements. "Breath attack coming!" he shouted to those above.

The Queen Wyvern threw her head back and then thrust it forward, opening her mouth wide. A violent rumble rose from the depths of her throat, and a moment later, a sharp blue lightning beam burst directly toward Boran. As the electrically charged elemental breath tore through the air, even the surrounding rocks trembled.

Boran tried to make a move at the last moment, but he wasn't fast enough. The lightning struck directly into his chest, and his entire body briefly shone with intensity. He let out an agonizing scream as his metal armor conducted the electricity. The shock wave hurled him several meters backward, and his back hit the rock wall. He lay motionless for a moment where he fell, thin smoke rising from his armor.

[You took 220 damage]

"Damn it..." said Boran, quickly getting to his feet.

Noemi was concerned by the scene she witnessed from above.

The Queen, despite her successful first attack, was furious. She turned her massive body and, with a heavy yet surprisingly agile movement, swung her tail toward Boran. The Wyvern's tail, covered in sharp spikes, traced an arc in the air.

Boran had seen the danger and instinctively raised his shield. Fortunately, he raised it just in time, and when the tail struck the shield, an orange light flashed, and Boran took no damage. A yellow bar appeared above the Queen, and 20% of the bar was filled.

"Boran!" Noemi cried out, aiming her staff again.

"I'm fine!" Boran shouted. He had unintentionally used his "Breaking Point" ability.

Noemi stepped forward and pointed her staff at the Queen Wyvern. A determined expression appeared on her face, her eyes focused as she slightly bit her lips. As she raised her staff, a bright red light began to form at its tip. She could feel the energy in the air as she gathered her concentration.

A massive fireball shot from the tip of her staff. The fireball, advancing through the air, shone like the sun. Within seconds, it heated the air in the crater as it rapidly moved toward the Wyvern.

The giant fireball hit the Queen Wyvern's back and exploded with a violent blast. The creature let out a cry of pain as flame particles scattered around it. The scales on its back were charred, exposing skin in some areas.

[Queen Wyvern took 340 damage]

Boney also seized an opportunity and fired two more arrows. The first hit the Wyvern's wing, while the second lodged between the more sensitive scales at the lower part of its neck. The Wyvern angrily raised its head, looked up, and fixed its eyes on Noemi and Boney.

Boran took advantage of this distraction. He rolled on the ground and stood up, ignoring his aching ribs, and caught the moment when the Wyvern's attention was diverted. He quickly ran and lunged toward the Queen's hind leg, swinging his shield at the weaker scaled area just behind the knee joint.

The wounded Queen suddenly turned, lowering her head with lightning speed and swinging her steel horns toward Boran. This was much faster than her previous attacks.

Boran tried to jump backward, but he wasn't quick enough. The Wyvern's right horn grazed his shoulder, piercing through his armor and tearing his flesh. He felt a sharp pain and noticed hot blood flowing down his arm.

[You took 170 damage]

Despite his wounded shoulder, Boran firmly gripped his shield. He retreated behind a rock fragment, carefully watching the Queen as he tried to regulate his breathing.

"Let's keep going!" he shouted to his friends. "We need to attack together, in coordination! Noemi, signal when you're ready!"

The Queen Wyvern glanced between her three enemies. She spread her wings, trying to make herself look bigger with a showy movement. She was making a threat display, but it wasn't enough to frighten these three hunters.

Noemi raised her staff from her position at the edge of the crater. "I'm ready!" she called out. "Attacking... now!"

A crimson-purple fireball shot from her staff, spiraling through the air toward the Wyvern. At the same time, Boney fired two arrows at once.

Boran also lunged forward, moving with agility despite his injuries, trying to get into the Wyvern's blind spot.

The Queen Wyvern saw the incoming fireball. She tried to dodge to the side quickly, but Boran prevented this. He had momentarily stunned the Queen with his shield. The fireball, instead of hitting her body directly, struck her wing. The wing membrane partially melted from the flames, and the smell of burnt skin spread through the air.

Both of Boney's arrows missed.

The Queen seemed to have lost control. She let out a cry filled with pain and anger, inflated her chest, and opened her mouth wide. This time, she began to spew fire as her elemental breath – flames scattered throughout the crater.

Boran quickly hid behind a rock block as the flames passed over him. The heat was so intense that the surface of the rocks began to glow red. Above, Noemi and Boney also changed positions, taking cover behind another outcropping to protect themselves from the flames.

The Wyvern's fire breath ceased, and the creature was forced to catch its breath. It was still standing and still deadly dangerous.

Boran emerged from his hiding place after waiting for the flames to subside. The sweat on his body had evaporated, and his face was covered with soot marks. He firmly gripped his shield and began to circle around the Queen.

"She won't be able to use a breath attack so easily again," he shouted to those above. "She needs time to gather energy. We should attack now!"

When the Queen Wyvern realized her flames were no longer effective, she made a sudden strategic change. She lowered her body, tensed all her muscles, and remained motionless for a moment. This pause caused Boran to lose focus – exactly as the creature intended.

In the blink of an eye, the Queen's wings suddenly opened. A violent wind blew, raising dust in the crater. She was preparing to use her wings as a weapon. Golden lights sparkled from her wings.

"Golden attack... Watch out!" Boran shouted.

The Queen suddenly lifted herself into the air and then, with lightning speed, passed over Boran. Her wings sliced through the air like sharp blades. Boran threw himself to the ground, but the pointed tip of the right wing grazed his back.

"Argh!" Boran cried out in pain.

[You took 120 damage]

The Wyvern didn't slow down. With a sudden maneuver, she turned in the air and this time charged toward the elevation where Noemi was positioned. Noemi raised her staff and hastily created a Shield spell, but the wings shattered the shield. As Noemi threw herself backward, she fell to the flat ground below, hitting a hard rock as she fell.

Boney, anticipating that the Queen would turn to him, ran to a narrower point of the elevation where he was standing. He had chosen an area where she couldn't fully spread her wings. The Wyvern noticed this tactic and instead of a wing attack, suddenly rose and descended again. This time she was preparing for a different attack.

Boran got to his feet, ignoring his bleeding back as he looked toward the Wyvern.

The Wyvern attacked Boney with its front talons at incredible speed. The first strike hit his shoulder, the second grazed his chest. It raised its claw to deliver the third strike, and when it swung quickly, Boney's body was thrown against a rock, shattering into pieces.

Using this moment when the Queen's attention was diverted, Boran attached his shield to his back. He ran quickly, with a powerful leap grabbed onto the Wyvern's tail, and began to climb between its scales.

"Boney!" Boran cried out.

The Queen had not yet uttered her victory cry. When she felt the disturbing sensation on her tail, she quickly turned her head and saw Boran climbing up her back. She let out an angry shriek and suddenly launched herself into the air.

Boran slipped his fingers into the gaps between the scales to hold onto the Queen's back. His muscles burned as gravity pulled him down. The Queen rose vertically, emerged above the crater, and hung there for a moment.

"Try to drop me," Boran muttered through gritted teeth.

The Queen intended to do just that. She suddenly closed her wings and began diving rapidly downward. She was executing a harsh maneuver to throw Boran off her back. She started spinning quickly, tracing a spiral around her own axis.

Boran felt nauseated, his head spinning. Just as he was about to fall from the Wyvern's back, he gripped his shield with his right hand and brought it down with all his might on the Queen's head.

The unexpected blow disrupted the Wyvern's rapid dive. Dazed, she lost control of her flight. With one final move, Boran hurled himself from the Queen and toward a rock outcropping a few meters above the crater floor. He hit the ground and rolled.

[You took 60 damage]

The Queen was now completely out of control. Her head was spinning, her wings flapping irregularly. She fell rapidly toward the ground and crashed with a loud thud. A cloud of dust enveloped the area.

[Queen took 780 damage]