Sapphire returned to the poison woods, fairly well prepared according to her. Taking out a leaf from her coat pocket she placed it into her mouth, tucking it behind her teeth, and walked into the poison woods.
Seems like it is working, Sapphire smiled. From what Kurai taught me, leaves of some plants can work as antidotes. This one is a lesser antidote and can only protect from poisonous air, I just need to keep it in my mouth. At first it tastes sweet, but the taste gets bitter as it absorbs more poisonous air. When it gets very bitter I have to spit it out and replace it with a new one.
Sapphire walked through the poison woods, keeping an eye out for any movement. She had already activated her 'sneak' skill when she entered and was prepared to use shadow movement to dodge any surprise attacks.
The dense poisonous air blocked sunlight from entering the woods, allowing Sapphire to use her shadow movement anywhere and anytime easily, but it also greatly reduced visibility.
"Requirements have been met, acquired skill
Well, that is just better.
Sapphire was on high alert to notice any signs of a dragon. Large tracks, its scent, any loud sounds, any large shadows, or anything that could be the doing of a dragon. While her attention was on a deformed tree, Sapphire fell as her leg slipped on the ground. She fell on her back, but quickly jumped back onto her feet. The ground was wet and slippery, but the liquid didn't seem like water. It was much thicker and purplish in color.
Now that I think about it, I haven't used Appraisal on any object, will it even work? Might as well try it. Appraise.
"Puddle of weak draconic poison."
Wait, draconic poison? Well it does make sense I will find a poison dragon in the poison woods, Sapphire sighed. I wonder how I will fare against one, guessing from this puddle of poison it can spew a large amount of poison onto me, wonder if it has acidic properties.
The sound of a branch cracking caught her attention and she snapped her head in that direction. As she turned her eyes widened at the sight of the colossal beast in front of her.
Just one of its talons was large enough to permanently squash the beast that she had fought to get her bracelet. Its wings were gigantic and its entire body was covered in blackish-purple scales, shiny purple eyes glimmering in its head. Its tail swept the area behind it and covered the tracks left by its four giant talons.
Sapphire wondered how she was supposed to even get near a colossal beast like this without dying, but if she won she was sure to receive a great level boost.
Wait, Appraise.
"Ancient Poison Dragon (male), name: Toxic, level 27, HP: 43780/47800, MP: 50000/50000, Stamina: 53000/53000, Strength: 13683, Defense: 22740, Speed: 231."
H-how am I supposed to win against something like that? All of its stats are more than 50 times mine, I can only beat it in speed, Sapphire realised. No, I am not giving up, this is a high risk high reward situation, and since my speed is higher I can get away from its attacks with ease.
Sapphire charged through the withered flora straight towards the massive tail of the dragon. She jumped onto it and climbed higher onto the dragon's massive body. As she reached its back unsheathing her katana she unleashed a dark slash right on its body.
How much did that do?
"HP: 43675/47800."
I am going to be here all night at this rate, Sapphire complained, well, I will be here all night if I survive.
Unsheathing her other katana she swung both her blades and attacked the dragon at the same spot. There was a short cooldown on using the dark slash, so she simply attacked with both her katana in that cooldown.
Dark Slash again.
The upper layer of the dragon's scales were torn away by the attack, but they simply revealed even more and tougher scales. Sapphire gritted her teeth in annoyance.
"Skill:
Appraise.
"HP: 42700/47800."
Yes, I am making progress, and my attacks are also getting stronger.
Sapphire continued her attack and the dragon didn't even notice that it was being attacked. Sapphire wondered if it possessed some sort of pain nullification skill or it would notice once she got past the scales.
"Skill proficiency reached, acquired the skill:
Sapphire spat out the leaf in her mouth and replaced it with another one as she continued to attack the dragon with both her katana and dark slashes. While there was no way to tell, she figured she has been attacking the dragon for about an hour now.
"Skill:
Appraise.
"HP: 35820/47800."
Just a matter of time now. Let me appraise my stamina.
"Stamina: 480/1150, HP: 762/790."
Seems like I wasn't fast enough in replacing the leaf.
Sapphire continued her barrage of attacks but the dragon didn't even pay her any mind, even though she made it lose nearly one-fourth of its HP. Either it simply didn't think of her as a threat or just let her do her thing before it kills her in one attack, which it very easily can.
It was still some time before dusk and Sapphire was completely worn out from continuously attacking it. She sat on the dragon's back and ate a sandwich and rested a moment to recover her stamina.
Appraise, Sapphire commanded while her mouth was filled with her sandwich, with a leaf still tucked in a corner of her mouth.
"HP: 7800/47800."
Just how in the world has he not noticed that? Is he deliberately ignoring it? Does he actually wants to die? I can't rely on that small possibility, I need to stay on my guard in case it changes its mind, Sapphire warned herself. Well, time to get back to work, Sapphire thought getting up.
She continued with her attacks, but the dragon paid her no attention. From the light in the sky it was evident that there wasn't much time for dusk now.
"Skill:
Appraise.
"HP: 685/47800."
Not too far now, Sapphire thought with a smirk.
Suddenly the dragon shook its body and knocked Sapphire off towards one its wings. It flapped that wing and tossed Sapphire through the air towards the other wing. It smashed her with the other wing and sent her flying through multiple trees.
"W-what?" Sapphire coughed weakly after she crashed.
Her head was bleeding, her arms and legs were scraped from the barren landscape and dry withered trees, and she could taste blood in her mouth as some trickled down from her split lips and tongue which she bit herself. She looked towards the Poison Dragon that slowly turned around towards her and opened its gigantic mouth.
Neither am I going down this easily, nor are you making it out of this place, Sapphire snarled.
The dragon unleashed a flood of venom from its mouth that washed away the trees in its path and melted them into the ground.
It is acidic, Sapphire realized.
She quickly jumped onto a tall tree, both her katana still in her hands, barely hanging from her bleeding palms. She quickly scanned the entire area for things to jump on to reach the dragon.
"Skill:
I guess that is helpful.
The entire area around was flooded with the venom of the dragon. Falling in it was instant death, even with that level of resistance she stood no chance of surviving. There were some trees poking out of this venom lake, but it would be risky to jump from one to other.
I have failed once doing this, but I won't again.
Sapphire leaped from her spot to the tree near it and landed perfectly. If she wanted to make it she needed to do this just fourteen more times. She sped up as she went ahead, her entire focus on it, not letting her guard down like last time. The venom also slowly receded as it flowed to other areas and was absorbed by the earth.
Sapphire glimpsed the dragon opened its jaws from the corner of her eye, just three trees away. She quickened her pace knowing it was no use, its attack would only hit her more accurately the closer she got.
There is nothing I can do here, it's over for me. Wait no, there is one thing I can do, I don't know if it will work or not, but this is do or die right now, though I might die either ways.
Sheathing her older katana which she held in her left hand, she retrieved a small black colored spherical ball from one of her pockets.
"Please work." She prayed as she threw it right into the dragon's jaws.
As the dragon was about to let loose its breath attack an explosion occurred inside of its mouth, interrupting its attack. The dragon spewed a large amount of venom around itself, none reaching Sapphire luckily.
While the dragon was trying to recover from that she cleared her course and jumped onto its leg. Unsheathing her older katana as well she stabbed both into its leg and used them to start climbing.
Just a little more, appraise.
"HP: 478/47800."
The dragon violently shook its leg and knocked Sapphire off it and into the venom lake formed by its breath attacks. Sapphire stared in horror as both her katana detached themselves from the dragon's body and she fell downwards.
This is suicide, but if I die, I am taking you down with me, Sapphire growled as she sheathed both her katana.
Taking out another explosive ball from her pocket she threw it downwards with all her strength so it reaches there before she does. There was a splash as it hit the venom and a bright light shone from the lake after a second. The dragon glanced at her in confusion and Sapphire simply gave a wry smile.
A moment later the entire venom lake exploded, forming a giant crater in the ground and completely obliterating everything in the vicinity.