"Sky Dragon?! Why does that sound like some kind of last-boss level monster?!" I exclaimed.
They all immediately had looks of puzzlement on their faces.
"Last…boss?" Andre asked unsure of what I had just said.
"Oh, um... I think my amnesia is affecting my speech as well, ha ha ha..." I said with a nervous laugh.
I did it again?! Ugh! If I don't focus on what I say or think, these weird words slip in without me realizing.
This was starting to seem like a real problem.
"Anyway, the Sky Dragon seems to be attacking a nearby village. We need to get there fast and help," Kaeler said, monitoring the detection device in the Cruiser.
"We're going there?" That was a little too sudden for me. I wasn't expecting that.
"No. We are going. You are staying in the Cruiser, got that?" Hana said, completely unconcerned.
"I don't think that makes me feel any better. What if it comes for the Cruiser?" I asked, a little scared now.
"That's your problem." Hana snorted.
Sigh. Ever since that orb entered me, it's been one problem after another. Can't I get two hours of peace? Is that too much to ask?! I complained silently.
Since they offered me a ride, I had no choice but to stay put in the Cruiser.
It didn't take long to reach the village, but everything was already in ruins.
Flames roared through the streets, devouring what was left of the buildings—now nothing more than broken piles of stone and charred wood. Eye-stinging smoke thickened the air, wrapping everything in a suffocating haze.
Bodies were scattered across the ground—massive, hulking figures. At first, I didn't recognize them as people. Their skin was like stone—gray and cracked—with glowing veins of light running through their bodies. Some had jagged crystal formations jutting from their shoulders or heads. They were unlike anything I'd ever seen—giants carved from the mountains themselves.
They were part of the Stonekin race that lived on the island.
They weren't lifeless, but barely moving, some clutching their wounds, too hurt to even stand. Their low groans mixed with the crackling of the flames. Cries for help echoed through the chaos, desperate and hopeless, but I didn't know if anyone could still save them.
It looked like the world itself was ending—like a scene from an apocalypse. The sheer destruction was overwhelming, and it was terrifying to witness.
And above it all, a massive, lizard-like creature hovered in the sky, its enormous wings beating the air, casting a dark shadow over the devastation below.
The dragon was terrifying, bigger than anything I'd ever seen. Its black scales glistened in the light, sharp and jagged like armor while large spikes protruded from its long and elegant tail. Thick smoke curled from its nostrils, and its glowing red eyes seemed to observe everything beneath it from its lofty vantage point.
Its wings were massive, covering the sky, and each beat made the ground shake. When it opened its mouth, I could see rows of sharp, dripping teeth. The growl it let out was deep, like thunder, and I felt it reverberate in my chest.
The giant monster was about 25 meters long.
"Looks like it's a Drake. It shouldn't be too much of a problem then." Andre said.
"Drake?" I asked.
"A young Sky Dragon. It's not yet an adult; it's in its juvenile stage." Andre replied.
That thing is a juvenile?! It's already big enough to cover most of the sky! How big are the adults then?
Although I had never seen a dragon before, the one above looked nothing like a juvenile in my opinion.
"What's a sky dragon doing here though? The Maelstrom Mountains may not be that far from here but Sky dragons don't just wander out of their territory at random." Kaeler thought aloud.
"We can figure that out later, for now we've got to take care of the current problem." Hana said.
"Let's go!" Andre declared, his tone very serious.
"What about me?" I asked, pointing at myself.
"Stay in the Cruiser," the three of them echoed in unison.
"But—"
"Stay. In. The. Cruiser." Hana cut me off immediately, making sure to stress her words.
The all walked out. I could only observe their battle through the transparent screens on the Cruiser.
What level could this Dragon be at, anyway?
I then used [Appraisal] on the Sky Dragon.
==============================
[MONSTER STATUS]
────────────────────────────
Name: Sky Dragon
Type: Mythical Guardian
Level: 20
Status Effect: Crippling Hex
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Health (HP): 12,810 / 18,300
Celestra: 6,650 / 13,500
Size: 27 meters long
────────────────────────────
[Attributes]:
Strength: 90 Dexterity: 91 Endurance: 95 Intelligence: 95
────────────────────────────
[Known Skills]:
[Storm Breath] (Lv. 5): Releases a devastating torrent of electrified wind, dealing high damage to enemies over a wide area and causing paralysis for 5 seconds.
[Tempest Call] (Lv. 8): Summons a powerful storm that strikes opponents with lightning, increasing the Sky Dragon's attack speed and mobility for 10 seconds.
[Thunderous Roar] (Lv. 2): Emits a thunderous roar that disrupts mana flow, disabling magic usage within a large radius for 8 seconds.
────────────────────────────
[Weaknesses]:
[Frost Vulnerability]: Ice-based attacks deal increased damage.
[Grounded Attacks]: Attacks targeting the wings can impair flight capabilities.
────────────────────────────
Power Level: 60
Rank: E
────────────────────────────
[Drops]:
[Sky Crystal] (Rare): An immensely powerful crystal, used to amplify storm magic. (57% drop rate).
[Dragon Scale] (Rare): A durable scale, often used in crafting armor or enchanted items. (52% drop rate).
────────────────────────────
[Rewards]:
[Exp]: 89,443
[Item]: Thunder Core (Epic)
────────────────────────────
[Description]:
A mythical creature that commands the skies over stormy regions, fiercely territorial and known for its devastating lightning attacks.
────────────────────────────
[System Note]: Maybe avoid creatures with 'sky' in their names... just saying.
==============================
I gulped.
Isn't this thing way above their level?
Hmmm, it has a status effect called [Crippling Hex]. What's that?
==============================
[Crippling Hex]:
A powerful curse placed by an enemy that saps the monster's strength and abilities, leaving it vulnerable.
────────────────────────────
Effect: All stats and skill power reduced by 30%, severely weakening its overall combat effectiveness.
==============================
It's cursed? That's strange. But even with that, this thing has to be too much for them, right?
Since I couldn't really do anything but watch and observe, I could only hope they made it out alive.
After all, I had no one who could help me complete my mission.
The fight started with…
₪₪₪
The Sky Dragon roared, its voice rolling like thunder across the burning village. Hana, Andre, and Kaeler moved forward, each with distinct confidence in their strides, eyes fixed on the monstrous creature above.
The fight was going to be brutal, but none of them showed an ounce of hesitation.
Andre took a step forward, his staff glowing faintly with blue runes that danced across its polished surface. As a Hex Mage, he channeled elemental mana, each movement of his staff like a conductor's wand, bringing a symphony of fire, ice, and arcane power to life. He wasn't the fastest among them, but his presence was imposing.
He raised his staff, muttering an incantation. Mana surged around him as he fired a crackling bolt of electricity straight at the dragon.
Kaeler moved in parallel, a blur of motion as he darted between shattered buildings. The Beastkin had an almost feline agility, each step so light that his feet barely disturbed the ground beneath him.
With dual curved blades in his hands, Kaeler was a Wind Dancer—a master of swift strikes and relentless momentum. The wind seemed to follow him, swirling around his blades, enhancing his already impressive speed.
He slashed forward, sending a blast of focused wind straight toward the dragon's wings.
Hana was a streak of gold and brown. Her twin pistols were extensions of her body, each one inscribed with runes that glowed as she moved.
As a Runeslinger, her attacks weren't just bullets; they were infused with magic through runes. She fired shots that spiraled with elemental mana—ice, fire, lightning—whichever she needed at that moment. Her movement was fluid, unpredictable, always searching for an opening.
The dragon roared in pain as Kaeler's wind blast clipped its wing, causing it to dip slightly mid-air.
Andre followed with an incantation, arcs of fire bursting from his staff, crackling through the air. The fire collided with the dragon's chest, making it recoil, its wings beating harder to regain its balance.
"We dealt damage?! That means the dragon is weakened!" Kaeler shouted, a hint of surprise in his voice.
They had initially been skeptical about whether they could even make a scratch on the Sky Dragon.
Their confidence earlier had been a ruse; they weren't too sure of themselves considering the gap in strength. But after realizing the dragon was probably weakened, they regained some hope.
The fight would become much easier now that they knew the dragon could take damage from their attacks.
"Keep the pressure on!" Andre shouted.
Kaeler darted to the side, a smirk on his face. "I've got the left flank," he called, his voice steady, almost playful.
He lunged at the beast, striking at its legs in a swift flurry of blows, each cut accompanied by a burst of wind that left shallow marks against the dragon's thick scales.
The Sky Dragon's eyes glowed with fury, and it opened its maw. The air around them crackled, a storm brewing in the creature's throat. Hana's eyes widened, recognizing the danger.
"Incoming!" she yelled, diving behind the ruins of a building.
The dragon unleashed its [Storm Breath], a swirling torrent of electrified wind. It carved a path of destruction, vaporizing the remnants of a house and tearing the ground asunder.
Andre raised his staff just in time, conjuring a shimmering barrier of mana. The shield flickered, barely holding against the raw force, but he managed to keep the brunt of the attack at bay.
"That was too close. Even its attacks aren't that powerful, the dragon really is weakened," Andre grunted, sweat trickling down his brow.
Hana leaped out from cover, her pistols blazing. She fired shot after shot, each one glowing with a different elemental hue. A bolt of lightning hit the dragon's shoulder, followed by a burst of ice that spread across its scales, leaving patches of frost that glistened in the sunlight.
Kaeler took advantage of the distraction, rushing forward with incredible speed. His blades danced; each strike guided by the wind that swirled around him.
He targeted the dragon's wings, knowing that grounding the beast would be their best shot at ending the battle. He struck with precision, his blades biting into the leathery membrane of the wing.
The dragon let out a bellowing roar of pain, twisting its body violently to shake Kaeler off. It beat its wings with force, creating a gust that sent Kaeler skidding back, his feet barely finding traction as he was pushed away. He managed to regain his footing, a grin still on his face. He looked over his shoulder at Hana, nodding.
"Now!" Kaeler shouted.
Hana didn't need to be told twice. She ran forward, her feet light on the debris-strewn ground. She was swift, her body constantly in motion, firing shots that glowed bright against the dark scales of the dragon.
She dodged falling debris, using her agility to keep moving, her eyes locked on the vulnerable points Kaeler had exposed. She aimed, her finger tightening on the trigger.
Bang! A shot of ice pierced the membrane of the dragon's wing, and a second later, an explosion of lightning followed, the elemental mana wreaking havoc on the dragon's ability to stay airborne.
The Sky Dragon roared, furious, and unleashed a [Thunderous Roar]. The deafening sound reverberated through the village, shaking even the ground itself. Andre staggered, his concentration shattered, and Kaeler felt his mana flow disrupted, unable to channel the wind for a moment. Hana's movements faltered, the roar making her head spin.
The dragon took advantage of the moment, summoning a [Wind Barrier]. A vortex of high-speed currents surrounded it, reducing the damage it took from Hana's shots.
Andre grit his teeth, forcing himself to focus. He began an incantation, the air around his staff glowing as he gathered mana.
Kaeler, shaking off the effects of the roar, sprinted around the beast. He leaped onto a pile of rubble, using it as a springboard to launch himself at the dragon's side. His blades cut through the air, aiming for the weakened spot on its wing.
He struck true, his blades sinking in deep, but the dragon twisted violently, flinging Kaeler off before he could deal a finishing blow to its wing.
Andre unleashed his spell—a torrent of flames that spiraled towards the dragon. The fire slammed into the dragon's side, its heat intense enough to burn through some of the scales, making the beast roar in pain once more.
"We need to bring it down, now!" Hana called out. She dashed to the side, her eyes always on the dragon, searching for that one critical opening.
She noticed the frost she had created earlier was still on its scales, a weak point they could exploit.
Kaeler, catching his breath, nodded, understanding her intent. He rushed forward again, this time directly towards the dragon's head, hoping to distract it enough for Hana to make her move.
The Sky Dragon snarled, its massive head snapping toward Kaeler. Its eyes narrowed, a growl rumbling in its throat.
Kaeler ducked under a swipe of its claws, his body twisting like a leaf caught in the wind, moving with a fluid grace that defied the dragon's attempts to crush him.
Hana, spotting the opportunity, took aim. Her pistols glowed, runes blazing as she channeled her mana into them. She fired—a shot of ice followed by a shot of lightning. The ice bolt struck first, spreading frost across the dragon's chest, followed by the lightning that shattered the frozen scales, leaving a gaping weak point exposed.
"Andre, now!" Hana shouted.
Andre, staff in hand, channeled a massive surge of mana. Fire and lightning intertwined around the tip of his staff, forming a pulsating sphere of destructive power.
He thrust his staff forward, releasing the mana in a beam that shot straight for the exposed area on the dragon's chest.
The impact was tremendous. The dragon roared, its body convulsing as the beam tore through its defenses. The massive beast thrashed in pain, its wings beating erratically as it struggled to stay airborne.
It was clear that it was losing strength, its movements becoming more sluggish.
With a final desperate effort, the dragon flapped its wings, trying to rise higher into the sky, apparently attempting to escape. Its eyes, filled with a mix of rage and fear, glanced down at the fighters below.
Andre, Hana, and Kaeler watched as the dragon began to pull away, each of them breathing very heavily.
"It's… running away," Andre said, lowering his staff as he watched the dragon closely. He believed it was finally over.
But on the contrary, it wasn't.
To everyone's surprise, the sky dragon immediately stopped ascending.
It looked like it was now falling with its head towards them.
It was nosediving.
"It's nosediving?!" Hana exclaimed.
The dragon was coming down extremely fast with the assistance of gravity, but something was off.
"Wait…it's not coming towards our direction." Kaeler noticed.
Immediately Andre realized what was happening.
"The Cruiser! It's going for the Cruiser!"
Hana's eyes shot wide open in fear, and she shouted, "Jay!"
₪₪₪
"Huh? Why does the dragon look like it's heading this way?" I thought, looking up into the sky.