(!!!!POLE to help me decide the next evolution: In the paragraph comments, vote with your likes. (hopefully, it works, this is my first time doing something like this and webnovel has no inbuilt function for this, so let’s pray that it works) (Also, think about all of the implications of your decision ))
An armoured collum kept marching forward, their steps echoing through the mountains. Their armours were no longer pristine and shining but seared and blackened. Also, their steps were no longer as steady as before as doubts surfaced in their minds.
Finally, one of them spotted a black gaping hole high on the peak, “Look over there! We can do it. We are so close now! It is a volcanic stone that definitely isn’t natural.”
The rest of the hunters looked where he pointed, and a cacophony of cheers erupted, all of their doubts vanishing. However, when they looked at the high cliffs between them and their goal, they immediately calmed down, realising that their journey wasn’t on end yet.
Vesuvius kept watching it all from a large distance peeking only his head from behind a large mountain and carefully controlling the wind to send fumes in the opposite direction. He grinned, ‘They will be most vulnerable when climbing, and that will be when I strike.’
He knew that they had superhuman strength compared to humans back on the earth, allowing them to climb much faster. However, they would still need all four of their hand to climb, making them vulnerable.
‘There is a second option of them waiting down where they currently are. Besieging my lair and waiting for me. Both of these scenarios are advantageous to me. Now I will just wait for the players from my faction to arrive.’
Then he sighed, ‘How regrettable that my wind affinity regressed so much, making it impossible to annihilate them with nearly invisible attacks from a distance.’
In the meantime, the hunters stopped and started to build their camp, bringing tents out of spacial artifacts and carefully placing their three remaining balistae.
‘This a good time for a small strike. They are busy making their camp.’
Vesuvius opened his mouth. A magical circle formed inside, and magma quickly flowed out of his throat, gathering into a sphere. Its temperature was quickly growing together with its diameter. The magical circuit started to tremble as the sphere almost reached its current limit. Then a new batch of magical symbols arranged into a square, and the magical circle vanished, releasing the sphere of magma forward. It passed through the square, quickly decreasing in size, its concentration quickly rising as it changed shape into a spike.
Finally, the dragon carefully aimed his head towards one of the balistae and released his spell. The spike of magma, bigger than ever, rushed forward, quickly hurling toward the ballista.
It crossed the distance in a few moments and pierced right through the wooden machine, melting its metallic parts and turning its wooden part into a cinder before it continued and drilled deep into the ground.
“Shit, we are under attack!” the hunters quickly stopped their work and instead grabbed their weapons, observing their surroundings, expecting another attack.”
Vesuvius just grinned and Vanished into a distance flapping his wings, ‘No need to hurry. I can slowly destroy their heavy equipment and cull their numbers.’
There was still one thing Vesuvius couldn’t understand, ‘Why are they still not retreating? They have suffered casualties, and most of their heavy weaponry was destroyed. That means they are either too greedy or still have some trump card.’
Evening the same day:
The hunters patrolled around the camp, aware of attacks from the ground or air.
“I have enough of this… It was supposed to be a quick job. One ambush and the wyrm was supposed to be dead.”
“Calm down, don’t you see that we are so close to the richness? It is a wyrm and an elder one on top of that. Just imagine its treasure, and there is still captain.”
“But, we have only one ballista remaining…”
Suddenly smooth, bright orange light passed above their head, and then flames engulfed their last ballista. Then more than dozen figures in black mantles and masks jumped out from the darkness running towards the patrols.
“Shit!” the hunter aimed his crossbow and launched a glowing bolt, whistling through the air before it pierced the chest of a masked figure.
A small fireball flew from the dark figures and exploded between two hunters. Runes on their armours flared up, suppressing the damage as they aimed their crossbows once again.
Suddenly the dragon descended down, each flap of his wings causing powerful gusts of wind. His heart was burning with excitement and rage as he was about to finally destroy his enemies.
‘I originally wanted to wait for them to start climbing, but it has been hours without any moves from them. I have enough of this. I want to end it now.’
“Die mortals, I the elder wyrm Vesuvius condemn you as guilty of trespassing into my rightful domain.”
The dragon opened his mouth and spewed out a stream of blazing magma that descended towards the camp destroying everything in its path.
A swarm of crossbow bolts rose up, hitting the dragon and getting stuck in black volcanic stone. A magma gushed, pushing the bolts out and mending the holes.
Lava spread through the camp, and the group of players surrounded one of the patroling hunters. The player with a flaming spear stabbed forward; however, the hunter easily pushed it away with his sword making a loud clinging noise. Then the award in mantles and mask swung his axe at the hunter from behind. The hunter had no time to react as a heavy-looking axe descended from behind at his neck, taking advantage of the unarmored space under his helmet, its sheer weight causing his spine to shatter.
“This is it. Today we will see the winner!” the priest and his group of players rushed out of the camp fully armed and excited for the upcoming battle. The last remaining member of the patrol breathed out in relief at reinforcement.