I dismissed the message quickly and just in time to dodge another attack from the octopus. I raised my new weapon and struck down at the tentacle. My strike sliced cleanly into the appendage and severed it from the rest of the monster.

Holy shit. The sword I held in my hands was amazing. It cut through the tentacle like – please excuse the cliché but it is a perfect one – a hot knife through butter.

Holy shit!

This second exclamation arrived after the octopus’s severed arm started to spray copious amounts of blood. At the same time, the tentacle pulled out of the hull where it had been attempting to catch me. I rushed to the gaping crevice with the weapon in hand and ready to slice up the sea monster.

As soon as my profile entered the opening, the giant eye of the octopus swiveled to me. Even though it was an animal, I could feel the intense hate roll-off. The eye itself was the diameter of half my body. It was entirely white except the large, dark pupil in the center. It lacked a cornea and with my close proximity, it looked like I was staring into a black hole at the center of a bright galaxy.

The octopus rotated its head until I was looking into both its good and bad eyes. Two of its tentacles slammed down onto the boat behind me. It lifted itself out of the water and I backed up as the giant cephalopod’s bulk rose. Its black chitinous beak was covered in the shadow its body created, but I knew it was close and eager to rend my flesh.

I moved back, scanning the area for a place to go so I would be clear of its dropping bulk. Two of its appendages shot out underneath it. One missed, but I was unable to completely dodge the other. With eight arms and most of its body hidden from me, I was unable to use my power and get a grasp of what it would do. I was struck in the shoulder and sent flying like a pirouetting ballerina.

I slammed into the wall and fell to my hands and knees but recovered quickly. I sliced upwards to sever the tentacle, but only struck the air. I attempted the same with the other appendage, but it too had retracted from the hull. The arms flew at me again and I dodged then chopped the sword down. I sliced off the tip of the extremity as the octopus pulled it back quickly. Blood sprayed from the wound and splashed into my face with enough force to knock me back. The octopus tried a different tactic as well and sprayed ink from its other tentacle. As I stumbled back from the blood and instinctively turned, I was hosed with a stream of ink to my face.

Blind from blood and ink, not knowing whether the next attack would come from the back, front or above, I took matters into my own hands. I ran forward to where the arm was before it sprayed me with ink. I held my hand before me and as soon as I made contact with the rubbery octopus skin, I leaped onto it. As if I was climbing a palm tree, my legs and one arm were wrapped around the appendage, my sword stabbed into the other side and with its cutting ability, it slid deeply into the flesh and wasn’t awkward to hold.

The octopus started to flail its tentacle around in a mixture of pain and in an attempt to dislodge me. I managed to interlock my ankles and I gripped the sword handle tighter but my other arm had nothing to grasp and became loose. My arm was thrown behind me as it came loose as the appendage I was riding like a bull as octopus tried to buck me off. I attempted to open my eyes and was rewarded with a burning pain worse than a direct shampoo injection. Fortunately, I was able to get a quick glimpse of my surroundings.

We were on top of what was left of the ship’s deck. The body of the octopus loomed large over me. Two of its tentacles were perched above it mimicking some type of dual tailed scorpion. I assumed its eyes would have been focused on me but I was wrong.

Then I heard it.

Boom boom, boom boom, boom boom.

Shortly after, I felt it.

It was a deep reverberating and it was intensifying as it came closer.

The eyes of the octopus were looking off the boat toward the underground forest of the cavern. I peeled my eyes open once more to get a view of whatever was coming.

What the hell is that?

Ramdedon – The Red Dragon

Level – ???

Lumbering through the expansive cavern was a huge red dragon. I thought the octopus was big but the size of the dragon made it look puny. Slight bouts of flames sputtered from its mouth and around its teeth as it exhaled. A pair of ash-grey horns protruded from its skull growing backward in a wave. Its eyes were black with yellow corneas.

It loped furiously toward the octopus and me and the trees crumpled were its feel landed. The cavern shook as it ran and I wondered how the glowing crystals or the entire cave hadn’t fallen down yet. The octopus started to turn heedless of the fact that I was still attached to it. Apparently, I was a secondary concern compared to the threat of Ramdedon.

Before the octopus could turn all the way around, Ramdedon leaped into the air and extended its wings. Its wings were clearly too small to support its massive body, yet the dragon still flew upward and its body appeared to expand in size as it rose. Nearing the cavern’s ceiling it belched flames from its mouth in a torrent as is quickly started to descend in a trajectory that would take it to where the octopus and I were.

The dragon was falling quickly but it wasn’t quick enough to stop the octopus. If the octopus made it into the water it would be safe from the dragon and if I was still attached I would be too. Unfortunately, if it made it into the water, I would be at a disadvantage against the octopus. If I fleed from the octopus I might be attacked by the dragon.

I pulled my sword from the octopus and severed the appendage. The octopus ignored the attack completely, choosing to leave me to the mercy of the dragon in favor of escape. It was hanging over the edge of the ship as I ran forward and leaped onto its head and drove the sword deep inside. All its legs stiffened and it fell over the side. We plummeted together toward the frigid water below and I was infused with the warm glow of a level up. I idly wondered what level I was on, but since I was in the middle of an action, my screen didn’t pop up.

The icy water quickly erased the warmth I felt from the level-up. I ripped the sword out of the octopus and tried to push away but the remaining tentacles wrapped around me and the massive boneless body turned into jelly in the water. I tried to slash through everything but the friction from the water didn’t allow me to cut through the body like I could in the air. The deadweight was pushing me down and I was entangled.

The body and arms of the octopus crushed together around me and instead of sinking, I found myself being lifted up. Water fled from the enclosed space I was in and air rushed in to replace it. I hadn’t realized how much I yearned for oxygen until I inhaled deeply. I scrambled around trying to find a way out of the fleshy maze of the dead octopus; I used my sword to stab and pull myself were I could.

Suddenly, gravity pulled me down and I started to slip easily through the slimy carcass. I stabbed my sword forward and managed to find purchase just as I found a hole opening below me. One of my arms and legs dangled out of the hole as I looked down at the moving ground below. We were moving swiftly through the cavern and it appeared we were close to the height of the ceiling. At the edge of the hole I was peeking through, I could see the end of a large red talon piercing the soft flesh of the octopus.

I was in a bad spot and I knew it. I could only hope that the dragon didn’t know I was in its grasp along with the octopus. The sound of flame crackled above and we began to drop swiftly to the cave floor. I peeked forward to our destination and was stunned at the sight. I could see a pile of treasure that far surpassed the measly ship I had just been at. It was more of a hill or small mountain than a pile. Our descent slowed as the dragon seemed to hover over its horde, but then my stomach dropped from quickly plummeting as the dragon dropped the octopus and me.

We hit the ground hard and I found myself flying away from the main body of the dead octopus. I slammed into the treasure without the time to worry if the dragon would see me and then my position was covered as a loose tentacle slammed into me right after. I was happy to have the concealment, but it hurt like hell.

I was pushed down a little as the tentacle came to rest on top of me. With various pieces of metallic disks pressed against one cheek and a cold octopus tentacle on the other, I could see out of the thin crack to the giant dragon that was tearing into the rest of the cephalopod with gusto.

I stared at the dragon while it ate. It was devouring the octopus quickly and it would probably still be hungry when it was done. A rust-red, so dark it was almost brown, painted the ground and seeped between the treasure. I wasn’t sure what I should do and my body ached as the constant rush of adrenaline left me. All I could see were different parts of the treasure, so I had no idea where I would be able to escape. I was struggling with the octopus and the dragon was incredibly stronger but I didn’t know by how much. I analyzed it again then tried to get more info in an attempt to see.

Name: Ramdedon

Type: Dragon

Subtype: Red

Feeding behavior: Carnivorous

Description: The Great Red Dragon Ramdedon. Boss of the Hadaji cave and mother to all the lesser cave wyrms. Only the greatest warrior would dare to confront her and only if wielding the fabled sword Kuran. If neither are within your grasp, then retreat is your only option.

Strength: Analyze Level 50+ required

Weakness: Analyze Level 50+ required

My analyze has to be level 50!? Okay, so I need to run. How am I going to make it away from here?

Without any other ideas and time quickly running out, I knew that I needed something drastic, but I was safe for a few more minutes. I decided to check out my status screen for anything that might help me.