Kael hesitated, his breath caught in his throat.
He had come here to challenge the Skelvanith Wyrm, a powerful A-rank monster. But now, staring at the broken and charred corpse of the Wyrm sprawled on the ground, his heart sank.
The Wyrm hadn't fallen in combat with him—it had already been slain.
The beast that killed it stood before him: The Infernal Drake.
Its massive body was covered in scales that glowed like molten lava, veins of fiery orange pulsating with heat.
The Drake's glowing eyes turned toward Kael, and the cavern seemed to grow even hotter.
ROOOOAARRR...
The beast let out a deafening roar, its breath igniting the air in front of it.
Kael instinctively raised his sword, but his hands trembled as he gripped the hilt.
"This wasn't supposed to happen," he muttered, his voice shaky.
The Drake took a step forward, its claws gouging deep trenches in the stone floor.
"This is insane," Kael muttered, his heart pounding.
The Drake lunged forward, its massive frame moving with a speed that defied its size.
Its claws swiped at Kael, who dove to the side just in time.
BOOM
The impact of the Drake's attack shattered the ground, sending shards of rock flying in all directions.
Kael rolled to his feet, his sword raised.
"Umbra Void" kael shouted, the blade enveloped in shadowy energy that crackled with dark intensity.
And Umbra void making it hard for Drake to see around.
Kael darted to the left, aiming for the Drake's exposed flank, and slashed with all his might.
SLASH
The sword bit into the beast's scales, but only barely.
Splash
The shallow wound hissed as molten blood seeped out.
The Drake roared in fury, its tail whipping around with incredible speed.
As then his tail comes towards kael.
Kael raised his sword to block, but the sheer force of the blow sent him flying across the cavern.
THUD
He hit the wall hard, pain exploding through his body as he collapsed to the ground.
Kael pushed himself up, blood dripping from his lips.
His vision blurred for a moment, but he forced himself to focus.
ROOOOAARRR...
The Drake retaliated with a burst of flames so intense.
CRACK
Umbra void cracked down.
As then burst of flames comes towards kael.
He barely raised his sword in time to block the searing wave, but the sheer heat forced him to his knees.
The edges of his cloak caught fire, and he quickly ripped it off.
"Damn it," Kael hissed, pain lancing through his body.
The Drake's molten eyes locked onto him as it began to circle, its movements predatory and deliberate.
Kael knew he couldn't afford to make a single mistake.
"Venezia Sanguis," Kael shouted
His blade with crimson energy and charged.
His movements were a blur as he struck at the Drake's leg, aiming for its tendons.
ROOOAARRR...
The beast roared as one of Kael's strikes landed, staggering it slightly.
Then kael darted forward, feinting to the right before dashing to the left.
The Drake's claws came down, narrowly missing him. Kael used the opening to slash at its hind leg, aiming for the joints.
This time, his blade found a weak spot, and the beast stumbled slightly, roaring in anger.
But Kael didn't stop.
He leapt onto a nearby rock formation, using it as a springboard to launch himself toward the Drake's head.
The Drake snapped its jaws at him mid-air, forcing Kael to twist his body to avoid being bitten in half.
He landed on the beast's back, driving his sword into its spine.
The Drake thrashed violently, and Kael was thrown off, landing hard on the ground.
The Drake's chest began to glow brighter, molten energy surging through its body.
It opened its maw wide, gathering energy for a devastating attack.
Kael's instincts screamed at him to move, but the sheer intensity of the heat rooted him to the spot.
He watched in horror as a massive wave of fire erupted from the Drake's jaws.
Ka-Broom-Crack!
Breaking everything in its path.
I can't... I can't stop this," Kael muttered, while Creating a barrier of crimson energy.
because it was too late for him to dodge even by using Venezia sanguis
CLANK
The flames crashed against the barrier, pushing Kael back as he struggled to maintain it.
The ground beneath him cracked and melted from the heat.
Sweat poured down his face, and his muscles screamed in protest.
"I can't... hold this... much longer!" Kael gritted through his teeth.
CRACK
The barrier shattered, and the flames engulfed him.
Kael screamed as the heat seared his skin, his vision going white from the pain.
"This is it," Kael thought bitterly. "I've come so far... and I'm still nothing."
The Drake opened its maw again, flames gathering for another attack.
Kael raised his sword, knowing it wouldn't be enough.
Kael tried to move, but his legs didn't take the lead.
The flames shot toward him, a massive torrent of fire that seemed to fill the entire cavern. Kael closed his eyes, bracing for the end.
A massive column of fire erupted toward Kael. Time seemed to slow.
Then suddenly his mother voice comes in his mind.
"Your power lies within, Kael. It's not about forcing it—it's about finding it, understanding it, and letting it flow."
Then flames engulfed kael, but instead of burning, they swirled around him, forming a protective barrier.
Kael's eyes widened as he felt a warmth—not from the fire, but from within himself.
A surge of energy erupted from deep within Kael, a roaring flame that consumed his fear and pain.
His right hand began to glow, an intricate mark appearing—a dragon's crest, shimmering like molten gold.
The drake hesitated, its fiery eyes narrowing as it sensed the change in Kael.
Kael stood, flames flickering around him, his injuries healing rapidly.
His sword, now enveloped in fire, felt lighter in his grasp
"Oh! so this is fire" kael muttered as he realised that he have awaken his fire element....
"What this mark" kael muttered again looking at the mark that appeared on his right hand.
{Ding}
The familiar blue screen pops up
_________________
Fire element awakened.
Dragonic form awakened — 1%
_________________
...