The Mana Fields had disappeared due to the loss of focus. There was nothing to hold him in place; the impact would send him over the edge and make him plummet to his death. It was the first time he felt the dire need to be able to fly.
Fuck!
There was no time to curse or do anything else. He focused his sharpened mind entirely on chanting and moving his staff. He succeeded just as he was about to be flung off the mountain.
“Earth Spike!”
The earth behind, on his way down, rose as a spike. He crashed on the Earth Spike, stopping suddenly. Blood freely flowed out of his mouth. He could hear the Griffin flapping its wings to reach him.
“…Minor Heal.”
Twin Minor Heal washed over him. As he looked ahead with hazy eyes, he could only see the Boss’ enormous figure. He ducked just in time to avoid a swipe, which destroyed his Earth Spike. Chanting left his bloodied mouth.
“Mana Field.”
Twin maelstroms formed once more, but this time, Michael was much closer to the edge. They pressed down on the Griffin, slowing it down. Michael created more spikes, aiming them at the Boss’ eyes. The beast noticed it too late. The two spikes accurately pierced through its eyes, making it screech in pain. The sound destabilized him, but he had been half-prepared. Orange energy filled the creature’s frame. It flapped its wings once. Michael felt as if he had gotten hit in the face by a hurricane. Only the remainders of the Earth Spike behind him kept him from flying off. When the Griffin lifted its wings again, Michael knew that he couldn’t let the same thing happen. It would mean his demise.
Focus!
He concentrated almost an entire Mana Field’s worth of mana into two masses, which turned into large spikes. Then, he sent them hurling at the base of the wings. The spikes unceremoniously tore through the feathers and skin, severing the wings entirely before disappearing. The talons of several eagles dug into his thighs and left arm, which had already been damaged and maimed. However, Michael persevered.
I can win this.
It was as if the mana storm around him became even denser. Orbs relentlessly crushed the eagles. Every time he Leveled up, he healed a bit; it was invaluable. Lost in its pain, blind and wingless, the Griffin continuously cried out. Blood flowed out of Michael’s ears. He needed a finishing blow. He attempted to create the same two large spikes as before, but the various attacks hindered him. His focus remained, but the pain of having his bones cut in pieces by sharp talons was starting to override the Clarity Skill. There was only one thing he could still manage to do.
The twin Mana Fields revolved like a hurricane. Using their rotational force, Michael crashed the storm against the Griffin’s body. The creature immediately resisted. His plan was simple: now that the Griffin could no longer fly, he would push it off the edge. He was in no condition to cast anything that would be capable of killing a creature of that size. It didn’t matter if it would count as his kill or not.
The winds of mana relentlessly crashed against the Boss’ body, slowly inching it closer to the edge. It was heavy, incredibly so. Michael strained every single bit of power he had with gritted teeth. As one leg fell out of the mountain’s path, the Griffin slipped. It was the opportunity he had been waiting for.
“Die.”
Almost on its own, the Griffin fell from the mountain path, clawing at the stone and trying desperately to hold on, before being devoured by the untold void below.
Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.
[You have slain a Royal Griffin, Level 41.]
[You have cleared the Eagles Peak Dungeon. You have received three Skill Points and twenty Free Points.]
[You can now leave the Dungeon.]
He had succeeded. He almost collapsed, but the eagles hounding him were a sharp reminder that the battle wasn’t over. With the Griffin gone, the twin Mana Fields returned to their cycle around him, dragging in and destroying any eagle that got too close. Michael heaved. In spite of being tired and in severe pain, the halo above him kept rotating, mending his wounds slowly.
As he noticed the number of eagles around him decrease – due to the sheer number he had killed – he dismissed the Mana Fields and continually cast twin Minor Heals before the others could approach. His condition immediately improved considerably. One of the eagles emitted their characteristic sharp cry. His staff drew a line in the air.
“Mana Wave. Just shut the fuck up.”
His ears were still ringing. The Mana Wave, faster than before, seared through the eagle’s body. He looked at one particular notification.
[You have reached Level 39.]
Good.
Now, there was only one enemy left that mattered. The man responsible for untold amounts of pain. He hatefully glared at the mountain peak and started his trek towards it. Every eagle that approached was swiftly taken care of; they no longer had the advantage of overwhelming numbers. Michael walked slowly, casting Minor Heals as fast as he could.
35% mana left.
Truthfully, his mana pool was great enough to be terrifying. It was the biggest boon he had received from his draconic lineage so far and it was the base for all of his abilities. He was thankful for it. Soon, his physical condition was restored under the effects of Cleansing and twin Minor Heals. The mental fatigue, however, was undeniable. He just wanted to end this quickly and go back to somewhere safe. But, moments like this were the most dangerous. He needed to keep his guard up.
Slowly, he walked. Finally, he reached the peak. Sitting in the middle of a giant nest was Lohann. The man stood up with a foul expression.
“To think you would be able to mow down everything that I put in your way. Commendable. Are you sure you won’t join me?”
Michael had no desire to talk with this filth. He merely raised his staff and drew a circle in the air. The most basic Mana Sphere appeared. Lohann only had the time to jump to the side before it shot toward him. His left forearm and hand disappeared. The man screamed in pain. Michael walked closer. Lohann laughed amidst the pain.
“A-Are you trying to make me feel the same pain as the one I caused? We could save humanity together! Be the driving force it needs! Listen to me, Michael!”
No, he had simply thought that that much would have been enough to kill a worm like Lohann. He wouldn’t make the same mistake again. As he walked closer, Danger Sense flared up. Lohann twisted his body with a triumphant smile and extended his right arm towards Michael. The brand on it shone brightly. Michael looked at it before realizing it was too late. The brand enveloped the entirety of his field of view. He blinked.
As his eyes opened, he didn’t find himself at the mountain peak. Instead, he was somewhere far more familiar and intimate: his spiritual world. He looked down at his hands, seeing the scales on their backs. He was witnessing this from his spiritual self’s point of view. At that moment, the fabric that made up the astral world was torn open. Lohann’s spiritual self entered from the gap, the brand on his palm burning brighter than ever. Yet, as he looked at Michael, he froze. He opened his mouth; words didn’t come out, but Michael understood him all the same.
“You… What? What… Are you?”
Michael clenched his fists. He let out a breath; a trail of pure power followed it. He felt as if he would be able to pluck mountains with his fingers. He spoke in a low voice.
“You picked the worst possible battlefield.”
His horns seemed to stretch themselves. The scales around his eyes and on the backs of his hands and feet shone with golden light. His claws extended as he opened his mouth. Power gathered. Lohann screamed.
“You were blessed too!? No!”
He hurriedly put the brand in front of him, as if it would allow him to overcome this scenario. It was a foolish thought process. The brand flew at Michael, growing bigger and bigger. Lohann moved, as if running away. Yet, his heart did not even waver. He believed in the power he could currently feel. Power continued gathering in his mouth and then…
Breath.
…Was fired as a single, unstoppable beam. The brand did not withstand the spiritual Breath for even a second. It burned to nothingness as the beam kept going. Lohann’s spiritual self, which was in the process of retreating, had its left side mostly destroyed. The astral entity ‘screamed,’ then dragged itself through the hole it had torn open. Michael willed for himself to leave his spiritual world as well. The astral world was replaced by reality. He looked at the dying man in front of him.