As Zero waited for the dust to clear, his toe knocked against something solid - the chest.
He picked it up and found it actually wasn't as heavy as it looked. Taking the chest wasn't enough for them to get out of here, but they could at least see what they're risking their lives to take from Askook.
Zero popped open the chest since the lock had long been broken. He raised an eyebrow as he didn't see a single valuable jewel inside. Instead, he found three large objects that were much more interesting.
Meanwhile, Kai landed awkwardly but was able to stay on his feet after being blown back by the blast. He still held his energy blade in his hand as he wiped some dust from his face.
"That had to at least stun him." He said as if he wasn't even sure himself. "There's no way he was able to dodge at that range." But a pair of sinister dark eyes that appeared before him said otherwise.
Askook survived. And he was royally pissed.
"You're kidding me, not even that?" Kai joked nervously. He knew that was their one and only shot at this - they weren't going to get that opening a second time. He checked the spot where the attack had landed and didn't even so much as a paper cut.
"Clever players...you have one slinking around like a rat while you wait to finish the course after it's been prepared by your rat friend. Sneaky. But foolish."
Shit, I'm still feeling it from that last attack, Kai thought as he felt the pain radiating from his side. Maybe Zero can try blinding him again? No...he no knows our aim. He won't leave a single trace of darkness around-
Askook's tail whipped around and smacked Kai hard off of his feet. He bounced off the ground several times before coming to a stop not far from one of the fiery walls. Thankfully the spines on it missed him, but he did receive a nasty cut along his chest.
As Kai struggled once more to get back to his feet, a digital warning appeared in his vision for the first time:
[ Warning: Low Health! ]
"Oh. That's not good." Kai mumbled between pain breaths. They didn't have visible health bars so this was their only indication to flee, fight harder, or come up with some final words.
Askook perched atop the fiery wall above where Kai laid with trails of smoke coming from its nostrils.
"You have your own selfishness to blame for your demise. You all do." Askook began to open its mouth to release the fatal flames hiding behind it, when Zero's voice suddenly cut through the tension.
"Askook, that's enough!"
The mighty dragon chanced a small peek out the corner of his eye without even giving the dignity of a head turn. However, Kai could see from down below that Askook looked as if his non-existent heart just dropped.
"WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING?!!" Askook roared with a voice so deep that they sent vibrations through the ground.
Kai painfully moved his head in the direction that Askook was now facing, only to see Zero holding the open chest towards himself.
"W-what?" Kai said as his mouth went agape. "You mean we can just open the chest without defeating this guy??" The one and only chest Kai had opened prior to meeting Zero had a magical lock on it that required something to be done before it would open.
As Zero looked down at the contents of the chest he realized a truth that would set his course for the rest of the game.
Power isn't the only way to bring down an enemy.
Zero's gaze shifted up to Askook who had begun to take heavy steps towards him.
"Put. It. Down. PLAYER!" The dragon opened his mouth as if he was about to officially roast Zero. He smoothly turned the chest around to face the others and revealed its contents - 3 blue speckled eggs. Each one was about the size of a car tire, but still very light.
Askook shut his mouth almost instantly at the sight.
"Are those...dragon eggs?" Kai mumbled to himself.
Zero showed no fear while he stood his ground with the egg between him and certain death.
"So these are yours." Zero confirmed after seeing Askook's reaction.
The dragon snarled in rage, but moved no closer to him. "Filthy conniving player..."
Kai looked from Askook to Zero and saw the sudden power balance shift between the two. A small tingle ran down his spine.
Zero wasn't sure whether Askook's want to kill him would outweigh the want to save the eggs, but either way he wasn't going to let the dragon kill them for free. Askook stared down Zero without saying a word for moments; the players didn't chance a movement either as they waited to see what it would do.
A puff of smoke came out of Askook's nostrils which made the others tense.
".....let me guess, you wish to make a deal for your life? To take one or even two of my eggs to sell off?" Askook seethed.
Wait, these are worth something? Zero thought. No, I can't risk a big gamble here. He could still roast me and the eggs. I've got to go for the sure fire way to get out of here.
"Let us leave and we'll leave the eggs. ALL of them." Zero stated. He knew that if Askook stopped caring about the eggs, they still were no match for him at their current level.
"What?" The dragon seemed taken back by Zero's offer as he simply stared into his eyes. It felt like Askook was looking right through him with his piercing glare. As if he was judging a piece of meat before properly cooking it.
Kai meanwhile held a tight grip on his energy sword in anticipation of what Askook's next move may be. His vision had become a little hazy from the quick accumulated damage, but he wasn't going to go down without a fight. Are we just gonna give up on the loot? He thought.
The dragon's head dipped a little and Zero felt a weird sensation in his head.
I sense...an emptiness inside you more so than your companion. As if something is missing from within. You are a strange one, player.
Zero blinked as he heard Askook's voice in his mind all of a sudden.
What the?! Zero thought.
This is no feat - all Echos are able to link telepathically with other species. Did you not come here for valuables? Isn't that how you obtain more?
Yes, but it's clear that we can't beat you yet. It's not worth throwing away our lives.
Many players would disagree with you. A dragon egg is rare after all. There are plenty who would trade their very homes for it.
That's not us. I have to reach the end of this game to save everyone! I'm not ending it all here.
The dragon went silent for a moment in their mental conversation. It felt like Askook sighed before finally speaking.
Without a living dragon to feed energy into the eggs, they take years to hatch. How do I not know you simply won't come back and simply steal them again when you're stronger?
Trust me. We're not coming back to this death trap.
Askook looked from Zero to Kai, and then back to the eggs in the chest. He let out a spectral puff of smoke and suddenly the flames surrounding the walls fell down and the exit was once again unblocked.
Kai looked at the occurrence in shock as he had no idea about the conversation that transpired between the others.
"It's letting us go?" He asked loud enough for Zero to hear.
"It appears so." He replied. They took on a boss fight way above their pay grade and they now both knew it.
Askook stomped his heavy foot into the ground causing it to collapse into a 6ft. hole. Zero and Kai both swallowed.
"Place the chest in here. Then leave, forever."