The Domain of Balmung was harder to learn than expected. Even with the help of Blue who gave me better instructions on what to do and what to avoid, I can barely set up the whole barrier. It was like I was not meant to use the spell at all.
"Blue, this is impossible. Learning this spell drains my energy and my mana too much. How come this is very hard?"
"That is expected. With a spell connected to the legendary Balmung, it is understandable that obtaining a spell even though it was a replica from the original weapon needs too much understanding, mastery, and endurance. You also need to require patience. Learning something like this spell needs time Kazuma. Your monstrous learning speed is also blocked out by the spell itself. It is better to do what you can just do instead of trying too hard on a spell that you might not need," Blue said.
"I have no need? This spell might be the only spell that can counter the attacks of that dragon. I will have no more chance to do that if I don't get to learn this one."
"Well, if you really want to learn the spell, then you need to persevere. Anyways, I will go back to my slumber. The method that I told you is the same. You can do it alone."
And with that, Blue goes back to slumber. The girl is still unconscious and my familiars seem tired as they didn't do any noise in my head. With everything in mind, I continue the learning chances. It is hard and I never think I will be able to get it learned in a short time. After a few while, I found out that my mana is running low.
"Damn it..." I cursed and lean on the cave's wall. I sighed and grabbed a bottle of water that came from the dimensional storage of Yuri and Yuto. If I have known that those familiars of mine have those skills, I should have prepared food, weapons, water, and other necessities.
I was resting when all of a sudden, I felt a presence not too far away. Ever since I became a magician, my senses have been enhanced a lot. I immediately carried the unconscious girl deeper into the cave while I activated my Mana Scan. I made sure to monitor the movements of the enemies. I can't fight properly if there is someone I need to protect, therefore if these guys managed to find the cave, I will make sure to stop them at all costs.
Luckily, they didn't manage to find the place and they left. I was relieved, maybe the track I made a lot of effort to erase were able to stop them from detecting us. However, it is proven that this place is getting dangerous, both against humans and monsters. So much for training, this is survival of the fittest. I didn't sign up for this...
...
Around thirty minutes, my mana is full again allowing me to get rid of the fatigue. I monitored the movement of the Participant Killers for a while since they are still lingering not too far from the entrance of the cave. I am just making sure they are not going to find our hiding place until the girl is awake. While monitoring them, I also tried to study the structure of the Domain of Balmung since it is described in the chatgroup's server. Although this is not the actual process, there might be some clues on how I can learn the skill as fast as possible.
I was ready to deal and get exhausted again when I heard screams from a few men outside the cave. Of course, I have no intention to peek outside. I activated my Mana Scan and check the men outside. I involuntarily shivered when I saw a huge figure outside and the men that were color blue in the mana scan were all gobbled down by the huge figure while some were torn to pieces. If I have looked outside, I might have puked out my breakfast. The huge figure was the dragon that we met earlier and the participant killers were unlucky enough to be the target of the dragon as it's next meal.
The screams continued for at least thirty minutes. Two of the Participant killers were trying to kill the dragon and they were having a hard time. I dunno about it but the dragon seems getting slower however, I can tell that the Participant killers are getting weaker too. However, I have no intention of helping them.
After around an hour or so, the movements of both the dragon and the Participant Killers halted and they are no longer moving. I waited for a few more minutes but there is still no movement. A few more minutes and I noticed that the dragon and the participant killers are turning grey. The killers were the first to become fully grey while the dragon only has a lighter shade of grey and blue.
Is this my chance to beat the dragon?
There is a big chance that the dragon will still be able to kill me even in it's dying state but doesn't that mean I will miss my chance to get the points? After hesitating for quite a few times, I decided to go and deal the final blow to the dying dragon and get the full amount of points needed.
As I get out of the cave, the big body of the dragon immediately greets my vision. I have underestimated the Participant Killers. For them to kill a dragon like this, that really means they are strong enough but from the looks of it, they are caught off guard by the dragon causing their deaths. Still, they have died while also bringing down the dragon in return.
The Participant Killers were killed brutally as their bodies were barely recognizable and one is even ripped to pieces. If I didn't steel myself, it would have been a very troublesome puking session. I grab the bloodied spear on the dead guy who I remembered to be their leader. It is still a bit sticky with blood but that is washable. The dragon is still breathing but it is not moving.
I was about to stab the dragon when all of a sudden, I heard a voice of an old man.
"Are you one of these people?"
I looked around to see if there is anyone else besides me but I don't see anyone. I am not afraid of ghosts at all so I didn't freak out but I am in high alert because it might be an enemy lurking around.
"Sorry, I didn't introduce myself, I am the dragon you are facing right now."
Hearing this, I step back a little bit and grip the spear hard and ready to put the flames on it to enhance its power.
"I see. You might have stained your hands with blood but you didn't intentionally do it. A person who does both good and evil, a person who is in favor of good but has the tendency to do evil. You are not one of them."
The dragon is talking to me but I am not surprised with all the times I have seen dragons speak in games.
"As you can see, I am dying already. And my child will be alone if I am gone in this world. Dragon remains will turn to dust after we die so we are not much of use. My child will no longer be able to know where I may be. I may be irresponsible entrusting my child to a human I didn't know but my instincts tell me you are not someone who will do that."
"Are you telling me to take care of your offspring? I am a human, you should look for a dragon instead. And besides, dragons can live without any problem, right?" I quickly said.
"No. In this universe, I am the only dragon. But in your world, the Dragons of the Land are still living. Asking another dragon is also not possible because dragons take pride in taking care of their own offspring while killing the others."
I hesitated at first but I still wanted to know what will happen so I press on. "If I am going to take care of your child, then what will I do to get your child to grow?"
"I will pass my knowledge in raising a child. Also, I will give you a task to find her mother. In exchange, I will help you learn the Domain of Balmung that you are trying to learn."