I am really exhausted, but try to mobalize the last power in my body. Couldn't go all out without Ryuu as I normally would need to go back or still need to defend against monsters while I take a break.
Now I could use everything. My leg hurt and my body screams from all the cuts over my body.
I run to the left side so my spear in my right could defend, but I still needed to dodge from the next attack from the dragon, as a thin spearshaft couldn't defend against a breath full of fire. But instead of rolling out of range, I roll forwards, under the fireball. I pick up speed from the momentum and ran past it as the second one spits out fire right in front the first, but as I ran past the flank, I jump on its back and run with what was left in my muscles. I grit my teeth in pain. I am just two meters away from the head as I saw a claw attack from his companion swipe in my direction.
If I went ahead I probably could injure or kill this Infant Dragon, but would be so injured myself that Ryuu needs to clean up the second.
So instead of that I step on the left flank of the Dragon I am standing on and jump to the other ones head. As that one was mid-swing in his claws attack and just used his breath, he couldn't defend and I stabbed his throat. Normal monsters would definitely die from that, but this here here is an unofficial level 2 monster, so even if it was seriously injured it didn't die and instead the one were I ran before now tried to attack me. I changed the direction of the speartip and used my bodyweight to slide down while leaving a big wound that wasn't so deep, but would definitely bring it a lot more bloodloss.
As I landed, I made some space so I wasn't trampled on by one of their feet and gain momentum for my next move. I now had to choose between ending the first and had to fidght a healthy one or using the body of the injured one as cover to injure the second on the cost that two could attack me. My body couldn't hold on for long and before I could make a decision the healthy one pounced in my direction. Infant Dragons couldn't fly with their underdeveloped wings, but those could still be used to jump a greater distance than one could think of the giant lizards. As before I dodge it by running to the right, but it's heavy landing made a shockwave that still throwed me to the ground. The heavyly injured one that waited at the back used this opportunity to get revenge by attacking me now. The madness in it's eyes showd, it didn't care for its life anymore but wanted to make me suffer with it.
So while it snapped at me, I raised my spear and used the earth beneath so it would impale itself at it. It was surprised by the move but reacted too late to change directions. It died as the speartip got through its head, but maybe because of the resentment even in death its body weight landed mostly on my injured leg, that make a crushing sound.
The pain I felt in this moment couldn't be described.
"Ahhhh.", I screamed out. Ryuu behind me wanted to step in, but either through willpower or sheer stubbornness I said: "I'm not finished."
She looked at me with a mixture of shock and surprise, but I couldn't say if she thought I had a great mentality or behaved like an idiot in her eyes. But at that moment, I didn't care.
I used the strenght of my arms to heave the Dragon to the side with the help of the spear that behaved like a lever.
The other monster didn't just wait an used another breath attack, but as I saw it in the corner of my eye, I hid behind the corpse of the dead Dragon with its fireproof skin. But I crawl away in its shadow to distance myself as it would disintegrate a few moments after death. The stronger the monster, the longer the timeframe so this Infant Dragon could hold out for a few dozen seconds.
Now only one enemy was left, but my leg was definitely broken and I couldn't muster much strength, but the Infant Dragon wasn't injured at all.
I used the time it spewed fire on my previous position to drink two mid-grade health potions. They couldn't heal me completely and the leg was still broken, but the increased life energy in my body also helped to lessen the pain in my muscles.
Running with one leg was nearly impossible so I needed the monster to get to me without just waiting to grill me from a distance. So even if it couldn't understand me, I try to taunt it with words and gestures: "Hey salamander, do you really like to roast your friend so much? Why not try to roast me instead?"
The taunt worked perfectly. Maybe a little too well?
It stormed at me with great speed and coupled with my lessened movability, dodging wouldn't be possible.
So instead I used its momentum against it to impale itself like its comrade, but I raised the spear too early and it had enough time to slap it away with its claw. I couldn't hold on it, so it flew in the distance.
The only weapon I could use normal was my dagger, but I really questioned myself if I could injure the hide of the Dragon with a blade the size of its tooth.
I didn't had time to think, as I just fell to its left and try to stab its eye when it passed me, but I missed and didn't even leave a wound on its cheek. Then I wanted to ask Ryuu for help as I didn't had any other means to attack and the Dragon stood above me and snapped at me with its mouth, but I had a crazy idea. If I couldn't injure the hide, than go inside. With that completely stupid idea I jump between its jaws and stab the ceiling of the mouth multiple times. There is just one problem with that idea again.
Like my taunt it worked so well, that the Infant Dragon screamed in pain and opened its mouth to get me out. But as I was a little stubborn again, it resorted to another thing.
You see jumping inside a fire-breathing lizard couldn't be the greatest idea if you aren't fire resistant. And I wasn't, so as soon as I saw the spark near its gland, I exited as fast as I could, but still got a lot of my back burned.
Like the first one this monster survived as my dagger couldn't reach its brain and so I used my last weapon, that I didn't use that much, if there aren't flying monsters like the bats.
My bow.
I didn't use it before as I was more accustomed to my spear and the ramming dragon was too close to get my bow and shoot an arrow, so I used my dagger, but as I now had a few meters distance and the Dragon wailed a little in its pain, I got it from my back.
It was in a bad state. It was chipped and slightly burned from the attack just now, but I hoped it would hold out for a few attacks. I aimed, but because of its movements, I had a hard time. But after a few seconds it remembered I was still there and the moment it looked in my direction, I loosed my arrow. I didn't wait till it reached and layed on another arrow. As I aimed I saw it hit its target but didn't hurt it too much. It still roared enraged and I could see the wounds in its mouth that my dagger left, so I shot at it.
And finally, after nearly a hour of constant battle, I defeated the monster party.
"I commend your achievement, but you were a little thoughtless. We still need to go to the 18th floor, so your injury will slow us down. Why didn't you let me help?"
"Because it is hard for me to level up it seems. I defeated an Infant Dragon a couple of weeks back, what is normally a worthy achievement, but even then it wasn't enough, so I wanted to use this monster party as my stepping stone. Sorry to delay our speed, Miss Lion."
"Well alright, but in the future you should hunt something with a party, because your solo hunting could really be your death one day."
"Thanks for your advise. Should we get going then?"
"No. We take a rest next to the stairs. I have a high-grade potion for your leg and you should get some energy back before we move on."
"Good idea. Thank you."
And so I had some time to check my 'Status'.
It wasn't maxed out, but next to my level were brackets with the number two inside.
So I could 'Level Up'.
I wait till I return as I couldn't explain to Ryuu how I could level up without a god and I could still gain some attributes on our exploration.
But I must say that the monster party gave me a lot of growth.