The Dragon’s Railgun

"D7 Team, D7 Team, this is D9 Apache Squadron. Please respond if you hear us, please respond!"

Three Apache helicopters maneuvered toward the distress signal from D7, their rotors' buzz scaring off wildlife unaccustomed to such terrifying steel behemoths. The Apache might have its shortcomings, but its performance was unmatched, a testament to its service alongside the American military across the globe during this era of relative peace.

Pilots navigated the machines while attempting to make contact with their comrades at the front, but static was all that filled their headsets.

The pilot glanced at the signal, which showed no faults. In modern warfare, communication was essential, and with American satellites blanketing the globe, signal weakness was hardly an issue in the dense jungle.

"FUXK, D7 is not responding. Whatever they encountered, we need to increase speed and stay alert!"

"Yes, sir!"

The towering trees of the Amazon hid the ground from sight, forcing the Apache squadron to press on despite their anxiety.

Then, the commanding officer caught a glimpse of a golden light from the corner of his eye. No alarms went off in the cockpit, meaning it wasn't a missile or RPG. As he turned to get a better look, his world was rocked by the sound of impact and twisting metal.

"What the hell is happening?!"

His roar was the last thing he uttered before his helicopter, split in two, spiraled to the ground and exploded upon impact.

The crew of the downed helicopter had no idea where the attack came from, but the other two Apaches witnessed it all.

"Oh, Shit! What is that thing?!"

An American soldier gasped in disbelief at the sight of a ten-meter-long dragon adorned with a crown, its form seemingly cast from gold.

"Damn it! What sort of monster is this?!"

"God Almighty, it's a dragon! An actual dragon!"

"Stop kidding. Dragons are from fairy tales... It's the twenty-first century!"

"Watch out! The dragon's coming for us!"

"Damn, D7 must've been wiped out by this beast!"

"Fire, fire!!! Don't let it get close!"

Fear-filled roars erupted from the humans as the dragon's immense size shook them to their core, especially since its appearance had coincided with the destruction of an Apache.

Though jarred and disordered, the soldiers, true to their American military training, managed to operate their weapons amidst fear and prepared to engage the dragon.

Drake, on spotting the three helicopters, didn't foolishly expose himself to their fire. As a demi-dragon, he could face a carrier fleet or even a military base without fear, but as a juvenile—albeit evolved dragon—he wasn't about to risk a head-on collision with technology.

Instead, he opted for a stealth approach, rocketing up from beneath one Apache and bisecting it with a flick of his tail, effortlessly sending it crashing down.

The remaining two helicopters had noticed him and quickly turned their turrets his way. Apaches are armed with Hydra 70 rocket launchers and Hellfire anti-tank missiles, not to mention the 30mm M230 chain gun capable of shredding steel with a staggering rate of 1000 rounds per minute.

Drake wasn't confident he could withstand a barrage of anti-tank missiles or chain gun fire. Perhaps after another evolution, he might be tempted to test his durability against them. For now, it was best to avoid direct hits.

Even with his agility, it was unlikely the helicopters could match him in the air, let alone hit him—unless they fired infrared or heat-seeking missiles. But Drake had a better method to deal with the Apaches.

"Fear Aura!"

Activating the 'Dominion Crown' perched upon his head, Drake unleashed an invisible aura of fear that rapidly expanded, covering a kilometer radius with its dreadful essence.

In an instant, the Amazon was thrown into chaos under the spell's influence. Animals howled, birds took flight, and insects fled en masse. It was akin to the apocalypse.

The humans affected by the aura were assaulted by terrifying illusions, as if peering into the abyss of hell. The crew aboard the Apaches lost control of their bodies as the aircraft tilted, the M230 chain gun firing wildly, rockets launching haphazardly—all missing Drake.

"Ahhhhh—"

"Mommy—"

"Don't come any closer, please!"

"Boom, boom, boom—"

Amidst the screams of terror and successive explosions, the lush jungle was engulfed in anarchy, with the chain gun tearing the earth asunder. The scene was brutally chaotic, yet Drake remained untouched.

This was Earth's technology's Achilles' heel—or perhaps humanity's. In the world of Saint Soren, professionals had their own powers to resist such auras. The Fear Aura's effects were significantly reduced or even nullified against those with strong willpower or higher-ranked professionals. But before Earth's humans, this ability was maximized.

Humans were almost defenseless against attacks on the soul or mind. Compared to cataclysmic magics, such psychic assaults were a true disaster for Earthlings!

The Fear Aura induced insanity for only a moment, and over time, those affected would regain their senses, though the internal terror was not easily quelled.

Watching the helicopters' crew succumb, Drake approached with ease, tapping an Apache's propeller with his claw. Sparks flew, and the helicopter plummeted into the inferno below.

Pleased to see his claws unscathed, Drake nodded in satisfaction. Then, with his mouth agape, he targeted the last Apache, ready to unleash the special ability he had acquired in his recent evolution.

Electric sparks danced in his maw, converging through a mysterious force, culminating in a kilometer-long beam of light erupting from his jaws.

"Damn the Pentagon! They never told us we'd be fighting a dragon, not some fleeing regime!!"

This was the last cry of the soldiers aboard the helicopter, never anticipating they'd live a scene straight out of a blockbuster—a regrettable fact since they weren't the heroes, but expendable extras.

The beam of electricity pierced through the last Apache, erupting in an intense explosion. The once-dominating force of the American military was easily swept aside by Drake.

And Drake's ability to spew electric cannons was the highlight of his evolution, granting him an attack of immense strength—the Railgun!