We sprinted toward the sound of the explosion, dodging debris and ducking beneath branches as the ground quaked from distant tremors. The forest around us lay in ruins, smoldering leaves drifting down from trees that had been splintered into sharp, jagged shards. A circle of destruction opened up ahead, and I caught sight of four adventurers in the middle, each one bloodied and battered.

"Hold on!" I called out, but they looked too dazed to respond, barely clinging to their weapons.

The men glanced upward, their faces frozen in horror as shadows blotted out the sun. Five massive shapes circled above us—Earth dragons. Their wings, each spanning nearly six meters, cut through the air with an ominous hiss. One of them tilted its wings, diving straight for the adventurers, its claws gleaming in the sunlight.

I didn’t waste a second. "Stay behind me!" I shouted, crossing my blades as I leaped in front of the four men. The dragon’s claws struck my twin blades, the impact reverberating through my arms. Gritting my teeth, I angled a kick at its thick, scaled neck, forcing it back with a snarl. It hovered for a moment, furious, then shot upward, regrouping with the others.

I looked over my shoulder at the team, my heart pounding. "Alright, here's the plan. Sylas, you’re on wings. Ground them, one at a time if possible."

Sylas nodded, her bow already drawn. "Got it. I'll focus on the one to the left."

"Kaldor, Kael, as soon as they’re down, close in with me. We’ve got to keep the pressure on—take out one before they regroup."

“On it,” Kael replied, his dagger ready. Kaldor simply nodded, his jaw set.

Mira clenched her staff, determination in her eyes. “And I’ll keep you all on your feet.”

We spread out, moving into positions that gave us the advantage of cover and angles on the dragons. I dashed to the side, climbing up the branches, aiming for height to get closer to them.

One of the dragons dipped low, giving me the opening I needed. I launched myself at it, both swords ready. With a shout, I drove both blades deep into the dragon’s scaled hide, trying to pull it down and steer it into the others.

But the dragons dodged out of the way with incredible speed, leaving me hurtling down alone. The ground rushed up fast. I twisted, bracing for impact, and hit hard. Pain shot through my leg as I pushed myself up, Mira rushing over to heal me with a worried frown.

That was one down and I'm already badly injured, these dragons are actually no joke. But my fascination for dragons increased as I continued the fight

"Sylas, go!" I shouted, and she raised her staff, a determined glint in her eyes. The air shimmered around her as she channeled her magic, forming multiple ice shards of crackling energy.

"Shards of ice, form and strike! Ice Shard!"

She released it with a swift thrust of her staff, and the magical projectile hurtled through the air, striking one of the dragon’s wings with deadly precision.

The drill tore through the wing membrane, leaving a smoldering cut. The dragon roared in fury, its graceful wingbeats faltering as it struggled to maintain altitude. It spiraled downwards, its wing movements uneven and erratic.

"Nice hit, Sylas!" I called, giving her a quick nod.

Kaldor and Kael charged the grounded dragon, Kaldor’s massive form closing in fast. But just as they neared, three of the other dragons swooped in, their tails lashing through the air.

"Duck!" Kael yelled, diving out of the way just as a thick, scaly tail struck the spot he’d been standing in. But Kaldor wasn’t as lucky—he was hit and sent tumbling backward, his body slamming into a tree.

“Kaldor!” Mira called, reaching her hands out to heal him, but she hesitated. The dragons’ focus had shifted to Sylas, who was now alone and vulnerable on the ground.

I gritted my teeth. "Sylas, use the barrier! It’ll buy you time."

Sylas raised her staff, it glowing with magic as she formed a wall of earth between her and the advancing dragons. It held for only a few moments before their talons tore through, clawing away chunks of the stone as if it were clay.

Sylas took a step back, her face pale. "This isn’t going to hold…!"

The four adventurers, regaining some of their strength, threw themselves in front of Sylas, flailing their weapons to deflect the dragons’ blows. One of them, the man with the bent shield, turned to us with urgency in his eyes. "If you’re gonna kill them, do it now—more could be coming!"

“Understood,” I replied, motioning to Mira. “Heal Kaldor quick. Sylas, keep aiming for the wings. Kael, you and I are going in close. We have to hit them hard and fast.”

"Ready," Kael said, his grip tightening on his dagger. Kaldor, now standing steady thanks to Mira’s healing magic, nodded fiercely, a look of raw determination in his eyes as he hefted his shield and hammer.

With a fierce resolve, I charged forward, feeling the adrenaline surge through me. Kael was right beside me, slipping through the chaotic gaps in the dragons’ defenses with agile precision. We advanced on one of the wounded dragons, its wings tattered from Sylas’s magic.

I swung both blades at the nearest dragon’s leg, managing to cut a deep gash into its thick hide. The dragon snarled, snapping its jaws down toward me, and I barely leaped back in time to avoid the razor-sharp teeth. Kael darted in from the side, sliding beneath its defenses to plunge his dagger into the softer scales of its underbelly. The dragon screeched, flailing as dark blood seeped from the wound.

But the others weren’t letting up. Two of the dragons had set their sights on Sylas, recognizing her as a threat. She was casting sharp spears of magic with impressive accuracy, but the dragons’ relentless attacks kept her dodging, her concentration slipping with each thunderous roar.

"Kaldor, on me!" I yelled, spotting Sylas struggling to keep her distance from the enraged beasts. Kaldor charged in with his shield raised, slamming it into the side of one dragon as it reared back, trying to pin Sylas. The beast staggered, and Kaldor used that moment to swing his hammer into its ribcage, the impact resonating through the clearing like thunder.

Sylas took the opportunity, hurling an earth drill straight into the dragon’s eye. The dragon bellowed, thrashing in agony, its wingbeats growing weaker as it stumbled, crashing to the ground with a heavy thud. Kaldor grinned at her, sweat dripping from his brow.

But before we could celebrate, the remaining dragons turned their fury on us. One swung its tail with devastating force, catching Kael in the side and sending him sprawling. He crashed into the base of a tree with a groan, clutching his ribs.

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"Kael!" I shouted, feeling a chill of panic. But there was no time to help him as one of the dragons lunged at me, its maw snapping inches from my face. I managed to roll to the side, slicing upward at its face, but my blade only grazed its scales.

Kaldor planted his shield into the ground, gritting his teeth as another dragon slammed against it. The impact forced him back, his heels digging into the earth, but he held his ground. With a roar, he swung his hammer upward, cracking it into the dragon’s jaw, and it recoiled, momentarily dazed.

Mira was casting healing magic from a distance, her face pale as she worked to keep our wounds in check. "Hang in there!" she shouted, though her own exhaustion was starting to show.

I nodded, rallying myself. "Sylas, aim for the weak spots! Kaldor, keep that shield up, and Kael—if you’re able, stay low and look for an opening!"

Kael staggered back to his feet, one hand pressed against his ribs, but he managed a determined nod. His face was lined with pain, but he wasn’t giving up. He circled around one of the dragons, looking for an opening to strike.

We regrouped, forming a rough line as the dragons advanced again, snarling and snapping. Every step was grueling, and every strike from the dragons felt like a battering ram, but we pressed on, dodging, blocking, and countering. I could feel the bruises and cuts adding up, my muscles aching with every movement, but we had to finish this.

Sylas launched multiple ice shards, striking one dragon in its neck, and as it staggered, Kaldor rushed in, bashing it with his shield to drive it back further. Kael darted forward, thrusting his dagger into its exposed flank before quickly retreating to avoid a retaliatory bite. With one final push, I leaped onto its back, but I completely missed as the dragon twisted around, its claws grabbed me and tried to slam me into a tree

Shit, this is not good, I'm gonna get killed.

Suddenly three arrows were shot at the dragon’s claw. I looked down and saw the ranger from the four-men group raising his bow high with 3 arrows in it

He shot again, this time aimed at the wing. Lost the balance, the dragon fell down, releasing me in mid-air. The guy with the huge sword jumped up and saved me

“Thank you, sir,” I said as the dragon fell down behind me causing a loud explosion

But the dragon isn’t done yet, it raises its claws high.

A guy ran past me like a breeze, when I turned back, I saw the dragon’s claws were perfectly cut. The guy ducked down as a boulder was thrown at it, smashing its head to the tree behind.

Only one dragon remained now, snarling as it circled us warily, realizing its pack had fallen. We were battered, barely able to stand, but we held our ground.

The last dragon let out a low, angry hiss as it surveyed the battered remains of its fallen kin. With a final, defiant snarl, it spread its tattered wings, beating them with enough force to whip up a cloud of dust and leaves. It rose into the air, gliding away, its shadow casting long and ominous streaks over the battlefield. We watched it disappear into the distance, each of us too worn to give chase—not that we wanted to. I exhaled, a deep wave of relief washing over me as I finally let my guard down.

“Is… is it over?” Sylas asked, her voice edged with exhaustion, lowering her staff as she wiped a streak of sweat from her brow.

Kaldor gave a weary chuckle, clutching his bruised shoulder. “If it’s smart, it won’t come back.”

Mira was already busy patching us up, her healing magic working wonders as it eased the worst of our injuries.

The four adventurers, still visibly shaken, made their way toward us. Their armor was dented, their faces covered in dirt and streaked with blood, but gratitude filled their expressions.

“I am Corti Jerad, the leader of Woodenring, thank you. The guy with the sword is Rugne, he and I are the frontline. Or archer is Worte and our mage, Fyroe,” one of them said, his hand pressed to a nasty gash on his shoulder. “We’d have been dragon food without you all.”

“Agreed,” Rugne chimed in, offering a weak grin. “We owe you big time. You’ve got some serious skill, especially you,” he added, looking at me with wide eyes. “I thought you were going to be crushed under that dragon’s weight!”

“I am Duke Caddel, leader of the Rising Dawn. I was the one who needed to say that first. If it hadn’t been for you guys, I would be a hamburger now” I replied forgetting no one knows what a hamburger is and they looked at me weirdly. I just stand there and smile awkwardly

“The Rising Dawn? Aren’t you the group of new popular adventurers, I heard about your party when you helped my daughter in Brightmoor. I heard that you guys are strong, but in reality, you guys are even stronger.” Corti said in surprise

I remember helping a lost girl in Brightmoor a few months ago, she was lost in the square, crying for help. I walked up to her, using some old tricks like the magic where you can tear your finger in half or the one where you take out a coin from the ear to cheer her up but it was useless and everyone else looked at me like a freak. I managed to ward them off and helped the girl to go back home. It took me hours to actually find her house,... maybe not because I got lost too.

Kael shot me a grin, chuckling. “Yeah, Duke has a habit of jumping headfirst into trouble.”

“What brought you all out here anyway?” I asked, curious despite the fatigue setting in. “Not many would come this deep into a forest full of earth dragons.”

The leader of the group scratched the back of his neck sheepishly. “Well… the truth is, we came out here for treasure. Rumor has it these dragons have been gathering up quite the hoard—coins, gemstones, and old relics. We figured, why not go after it?”

Kaldor crossed his arms, raising a brow. “And you thought taking on dragons was going to be easy?”

They exchanged awkward glances. “Not exactly,” the leader admitted, chuckling. “But the potential payout was… tempting.”

The adventurers looked between themselves, then back at us. "In any case, we owe you all a serious debt. Thank you for the save."

I gave a casual wave. “It’s no trouble. Good to help others out when they’re in need.”

The group nodded gratefully, but I couldn’t resist flashing a sly grin. “Now, about that treasure... Seems only fair we split it up, right?”

Their leader’s face faltered, caught between laughter and mild panic, and the other three exchanged awkward glances. After a tense moment, he gave a slow, reluctant nod. “Y-Yeah… sounds fair. Wouldn’t want to be accused of hoarding.”

The others sighed and nodded as well, each giving an awkward smile.

Sylas, Kael, and Mira smothered chuckles, clearly entertained by their reaction, while Kaldor grinned broadly. We’d worked hard for this victory, and the thought of returning with a reward was a welcome bonus

Before we had a chance to rest, a shadow cast over us, blocking out the sun. I looked up, my breath catching as a massive silhouette descended from the sky. The figure was draconic, but there was something distinctly human in its posture and the intensity of its gaze.

I froze, my heart pounding. This was no Earth dragon—this was a Drakonian. I’d heard tales of their kind, half-dragon, half-human beings known for their strength, power, and ferocity. Their kind rarely left their homeland, and their presence usually spelled trouble for anyone nearby.

The Drakonian descended before us, a figure that seemed carved from legend. Standing tall, their body was sheathed in emerald scales that shimmered in the spring light, each one like a gem catching the sun. Their golden, slit-pupiled eyes scanned us with a piercing intensity, holding an ancient wisdom mingled with fierce strength. Massive wings, dark and leathery, were folded behind them, their edges lined with veins like the roots of ancient trees. A long, powerful tail moved in smooth arcs, hinting at the raw strength coiled within. I’d heard stories about Drakonians—warriors said to possess the might of dragons and a will as unbreakable as steel. Seeing one in person, though, made the tales feel far too small.

In the back of my mind, I couldn't ignore the history bound to the Drakonians. Though they had joined forces with other races in the third great war, They were once the whole world's most fearful enemies. Once, they’d rained havoc on villages and kingdoms, staking their claim as the strongest race—a belief rooted in their formidable strength and sheer resilience. To them, it might be their birthright, and for ages, they’d seen other races as little more than challengers or lesser beings. Seeing one up close, I could feel the weight of that pride, a silent assertion of dominance that still lingered in their gaze.

"Everyone… back up slowly," I murmured, feeling a chill run down my spine. I’d been raised on stories of Drakonians—stories where they were rarely the heroes, tales of their might and their wrath. Their legends spoke of fire, devastation, and battles that tore landscapes apart.

The Drakonian’s gaze swept over us, its bright yellow eyes glowing faintly as it studied each of us, its expression unreadable.