Chase gritted his teeth, willing himself to hold on, but the strain was too much. With each passing second, the ice shield weakened, fissures spreading across its surface. He could see the flames at the edges, threatening to engulf him entirely.
But just whan he thought it was over…
CLANG!
A massive sound could be heard clanging, in the next instant the flames stopped.
Chase fell to the ground as his ice cocoon finally shattered, shards scattering around him as he panted heavily, feeling the weight of exhaustion settle in. Just as he tried to catch his breath, a dragonkin undead lunged toward him, its sharp, decayed claws aiming straight for his head. But in a flash, a guild member appeared, swinging a massive sword that cleaved through the undead creature with brutal efficiency. The blade sliced through rotting flesh and shattered bone, spraying dark, foul-smelling blood across the ground as the creature collapsed. The guild member turned to Chase, extending a hand.
“Need some help?”
Chase took the offered hand gratefully, pulling himself up. “Thanks… I owe you one.”
The moment was short-lived, as a sudden BOOM echoed nearby. Both of them whipped their heads toward the sound, just in time to see the skull of the bone dragon crash to the ground, sending a cloud of dust billowing into the air.
Chase and his companion stared in stunned silence, struggling to understand what just happened. “What… happened to it?” they mumbled in unison, eyes wide with shock.
A voice cut through the haze. “You two alright?”
They looked up and spotted Team Leader Xaiver standing atop the dragon’s skeletal frame. Chase’s eyes widened in disbelief. “Xaiver?! When did you get up there?”
Xaiver smirked. “I climbed, obviously,” he said, as if it were the simplest answer in the world. Before Chase could question further, Xaiver sheathed his own sword and gripped Alexei’s weapon with both hands. In one swift motion, he tore through the dragon’s ribcage, ripping bones aside with ease before leaping down to stand atop the creature’s exposed core, his boots landing on the pulsing, hollow orb.
With a serious look on his face, he plunged Alexei’s sword through the center of the core, twisting the blade cracking and shattering it with that, silence suddenly fell over the battlefield.
As Xaiver shattered the core, the massive skeletal frame of the bone dragon began to crumble.
Its massive ribs, spine, and claws collapsed in on themselves, falling to the ground in a rain of broken bones and dust. The ground shook with each impact, filling the battlefield with a thick haze.
Around them, the glow that had controlled the movements of the lesser undead flickered and faded.
The flames in their eyes extinguished, and one by one, the undead creatures collapsed lifelessly to the ground, their bodies dissolving into ash and bones.
Just as Chase and the others caught their breath, a shimmering talent window materialized before them, its golden letters glowing brightly against the darkened battlefield.
Congratulations! Dungeon Cleared!
The words hovered in the air, each teammate staring at it with a touch of exhaustion and relief. They had done it.
The guild members erupted in cheers, their voices filling the air. Some high-fived, while others exchanged backslaps, laughter ringing out as they celebrated their hard-fought victory.
The atmosphere was electric, a touch of relief and excitement as they embraced the moment, their exhaustion forgotten for the time being.
Xaiver, taking charge of the situation, clapped his hands to gather everyone’s attention. “Alright, healers, let’s get to work. Patch everyone up!” he commanded, his voice firm.
The healers quickly moved to assess the injuries of their teammates, readying bandages to tend to the wounds inflicted during the battle.
As the guild members began to regroup, Xaiver walked over to Chase, who was still catching his breath.
“I don’t know what you were thinking going after the dragon like that,” he said, a smirk forming on his lips.
“But I commend your courage.”
Chase’s face lit up with pride at the compliment, but it quickly fadded as Xaiver added, “It was also a dumb move.”
“What exactly where you hoping your ice would do against its flames?”
“Your talent my be S ranked by you sound also look at elemental differences, although rank is
a clear indicator of strength, it dosent mean one can negete the laws of physics all because they are of a higher rank…”
“Well… Unless it a null type talent.”
The teasing tone in Xaiver’s voice took the edge off the criticism, and Chase chuckled, his earlier bravado calming down into a feeling of humility.
“I’ll keep that in mind,” Chase replied, a sheepish grin on his face. “But what’s that sword you’ve got there?”
Xaiver glanced down at the gleaming weapon in his grip, the light catching its edge. “This belongs to the boss monster,” he explained, his tone shifting to one of admiration.
“The strength and sharpness of this blade are incredible. Dragon gear is no joke.”
“They are mythical grade monsters for a reason.”
Chase’s eyes widened as he examined the sword, marveling at its craftsmanship. “No wonder
you took it from the beast,” he said, impressed.
“Exactly,” Xaiver replied. “Now, let’s wrap this up and get out of here. Harvesters, begin
looting! We need to gather whatever we can before we leave.”
“Also someone follow me so we can go harvest the boss’ remains”
“Well take the casualty report later.”
As the guild members set to work, the excitement of victory transformed into the hustle and bustle of securing their hard-earned spoils.
…
Alister, Lila, and Cinder made their way through the mall, but it wasn’t long before they
attracted attention.
Alister had recently gotten a haircut, a drastic change that somehow made him
unrecognizable. The new style accentuated his features, making him look incredibly
handsome, and the response was instantaneous.
People turned their heads, whispering and pointing as he passed by, completely oblivious to
the commotion he was causing.
“Can we move a little faster?” Lila asked, her cheeks slightly flushed as she glanced at the throngs of people staring at Alister. “I feel like we’re in a parade.”
Cinder smirked, unable to hide her amusement. “It is only natural for humans to admire
amazing things, it is understandable they can’t advert their gazes from my lord, he is simply
dazzling.”
Alister rubbed the back of his neck, clearly uncomfortable with the attention. “I didn’t think it would be this big of a deal,” he said sheepishly. “It’s just a haircut.”
“Just a haircut?” Lila echoed, incredulity in her voice. “It looks like you stepped out of a magazine! We need to get you a face mask or something to tone it down.”
Cinder narrowed her gaze, “You wish for my lord to hide his face?”
“why shou-”
“Cinder, she has a point.”
“Understood my lord.”
After searching the nearby stores, they found a simple black face mask. Alister put it on, sighing in relief as the stares began to fade. “Is this better?” he asked, his voice slightly
muffled.
“Much better,” Lila replied, smiling as they resumed their trek through the mall. “Now we can actually move without getting mobbed.”
As they made their way toward the exit, Alister felt grateful for the mask, but he couldn’t shake the feeling of unease.
He had never considered himself to be anything special, but today’s experience was a clear reminder that appearances could sometimes change everything.
“Let’s just get out of here,” Lila said, glancing back at the crowd. “I don’t want to stick around and find out what else happens if you keep drawing in admirers.”