Well, there goes Chapter 31! Only a few chapters away till we get the big reveal, so stay tune!

That aside, I have a big test coming so I won't be updating in the few days to review. I hope I pass lol.

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Chapter 31: Hot things are hot

The fight has been going on for several minutes now and yet this woman still hasn’t shown any signs of exhaustion. I don’t know who she is but she’s a lot stronger than any I’ve encountered before. That man in the dungeon, however, is on a different level but this woman wouldn’t be too far behind us both.

I’m assuming she notices this too, as she suddenly changes her stance. She hunches down low while holding her sword with her left hand behind her back.

In that short instant, I use [Observe] to reveal her abilities.

Race: Dragon of Old

Name: Valeria

Level: 141

Skills: [Flight], [Flame Burst], [Ancient Sword], [Dragon Skin], [Transformation], [One-Handed Sword Mastery], [Two-Handed Sword Mastery]

Magic: [Invoke Flame]

Valeria, eh? What a pretty name. Though it sucks that she’s one heck of a lunatic. And for a Dragon to participate in this massacre; did Minerva lie when she said that they’re the Guardians of this world? I’d like to think otherwise but no other explanation is better than seeing it firsthand.

It feels like her next response would be to cut my throat the moment I step in her zone. Yes, I’ve seen it happen in movies after all. As I wait, her right hand bursts into flames. Grasping that flame in her hand, she pushes her sword’s pommel, as if feeding it. Then her whole sword ignites into a giant flame, incinerating the corpses around her. Even the female knight that man ordered me to save wasn’t spared from this fate. I am sorry.

Once the flames have subsided, it materializes a long, single edged claymore held by a thin silver handle half the blade’s size. Crimson linings representing her flame element adorn the dark blade while the guard itself represents a dragon’s wing.

Perfect weapon for a dangerous opponent. How great. I feel like my chances of survival has lessened all of a sudden. Because of that, I look at my current skillset. It’s a little disheartening that I don’t have any offensive skills to use at all.

The thought makes me swallow hard. If this woman knew what I was thinking, she would kill me on the spot. The only reason she’s being wary is because I showed her that I could keep up. In truth, it was my instincts that saved me all this time. Without it, even with my unnaturally high stats, my brain wouldn’t be able to match her intensity.

In any case, if fire her is her element, then I would need something to extinguish those flames.

Thus I return [Cerberus] back to inventory and bring out a pair of [Frost Breath]s. Although the weapon is classified as a one-handed sword, the shape and appearance is more akin to that of a scimitar. The blade doesn’t have any fancy decoration to it, but it’s not wise to underestimate this weapon. The blade itself, after all, distorts the temperature around it strong enough to make me feel the chill despite with [Cold Resistance] on.

“A relic?” murmurs the woman, but she doesn’t relinquish her stance.

A swift sound, and crimson flames swallow my field of vision! There’s no room for me to run I step forward and cut through her flames with my ice blades. Hot! The flames burning my skin make me grit my teeth. As soon as I make my way out of that hell-fire, the woman rushes in and brandishes her obsidian claymore in a circular swing. I block with both swords, but the motion lifts me off the ground and sends me high up in the air.

Boulder-sized fireballs shoot out from her right hand. One by one I slash through her fireballs as I descend. When I land, she charges towards me and slashes me twice with her sword unleashing flame waves.

“Shit!” I back away on the second swing, but another wave of fire greets me as I look up. With [Quicken] I manage to dodge with my life, but her relentless assault does not stop there.

A scream launches out of my mouth as the tip of her claymore finds its mark on my shoulder. I retaliate as soon as I fixed my grip, slashing in every direction possible. But the girl presses on. She keeps on hacking expressionlessly, as if saying she won’t stop until I’m dead on her feet.

Blood spattered on the ground as I continue my desperate actions. My [Hp] bar slowly depletes down into the yellow area, below sixty percent!

“I won’t die here!” I swing my right sword downward with a scream.

“Then try and survive if you can, human!” She swats and redirects my strike with her long blade. Spinning, she kicks me hard on the chest. Damn, my chest twists and I can’t breathe! I stagger due to the lack of oxygen and drop my right sword. Noticing her blade leveled above my head in time, I raise the other one to defend. But before her obsidian blade descends, she shifts her wrists to slash me horizontally instead. I wouldn’t be able to avoid it!

Yet somehow, her blade doesn’t reach me. Her sword stopped just before it could cut me. No, it didn’t stop. Something forced it to halt. It’s not something you would notice at first glance, but these layers of circular shields is that — Minerva’s!

Then for some odd reason, the woman leaps backwards to distance herself.

A man, sporting his rough blonde hair and lean build, walks in front of me carrying a pair of dual daggers with an eerie shine. I think I know him, but I can’t remember. Beside him is a person with wolfish ears. She looks at me, her lips trembling, but doesn’t say a word. This worrywart I know for sure.

“You’re a dragon but I don’t recognize your soul. Explain yourself!” the man demands with a fierce voice.

Only then I realize that this man is Simon. What in the heavens?! He’s a Dragon as well?

Even though it’s not the best time, questions after questions take root in my head. There’s so many things I want to know, right here and right now, but I just grip the handle of my sword tight. Persevere Dude! You need to survive this first!

“Master, I’m so glad we made it in time,” Fia whispers as she helps me get back on my feet.

“But I thought… Didn’t they took you captive?” My voice sounds so feeble it comes as a surprise. I’m that close to death, am I?

Fia nods and takes out a page from a healing book. She presses a palm on my chest and heals my cuts before saying, “They did, Master, but things have changed. He’s on our side. We can trust him.”

Something must’ve happened indeed. I lift my head to look at the two Dragons staring at each other.

“Aww, would you look at that.” The woman bites her index finger. “You’re that hatchling who replaced Grimgal. Oh how you’ve grown.”

“Grimgal?” asks Simon. Just because of those few words, he’s shaking all of a sudden.

“Yes, he seeks destruction just like our Master. But he’s long gone, you see. That bastard put him to eternal sleep. But don’t worry, you can take his spot, right beside the Goddess herself. What say you, my brother? Would you join us? Just like old times? Please?” Her words are so gentle that it’s soothing to the ears. What is this sensation in my head? A spell?

Simon puts a palm on his forehead. “Stop… Don’t say anymore…”

“Wake up from your dream, hatchling. A dragon’s sole duty isn’t to protect, it is to destroy! Search deep inside of you; I know it is destruction you seek. That purpose is embedded deep in our cores — our souls. As all is the will of the Goddess.”

“Silence! I won’t tolerate anymore of your ramblings!” Simon breaks free from his shaking and points the tip of his knife at the woman.

“Come, Brother. Join me! Let us bring forth strife and chaos — Her gift to mankind. Just like our sister. Right, Laura?”

The woman turns to her side, and comes down is Laura with her wings visible on her back. But this isn’t the Laura I know. Her eye color is hard to determine, because her widely diluted pupils make them look entirely black, and she’s hugging the [Dragon Killer] sword as if it’s her last lifeline.

“All is the will of the Goddess,” Laura says in a monotone.

“Snap out of it, Laura! Don’t listen to her!” I shout at the top of my lungs. But she’s not responding, not even acknowledging my presence — shit!

Simon raises a hand and signals me to stop. “That’s enough. She can’t hear you.”

“Damn you!”

“Look, I don’t know what’s happened myself, but we need to get that sword away from her.” Simon balances the dual knives in his hands and enters a battle stance. “I might not have the chance to say this later, so listen closely: I’m sorry.”

His sincere apology calmed my boiling blood.

“What needs to be done?” I ask him.

The woman extends her hand to Simon. “My little brother, don’t be a fool. You belong on our side.”

But Simon merely sighs. “I’ll hold her off; you handle Laura.”

“That woman’s insane. You won’t last a minute.”

“Then so be it.” I sense confidence in his voice. A large purple flame then swallows his right arm whole. When I blink, Simon has already lunged himself at his target, trapping his foe on the ruined housings.

The battle to end this madness has begun!

I lift my sword and point it to Laura. "It pains me to do this, but it looks like I’m gonna have to do it after all."