Arthur burst from the inky shadows, his new wings unfurling like jagged obsidian blades, propelling him forward with a force that churned the dark waters behind him. His molten claws ignited mid-strike, glowing like twin suns dragged from the depths of hell, and he drove them toward the exposed underside of the Serpent—a vulnerable patch hidden beneath layers of sulfur-stained armor. The water around him roiled, boiling in response to the sheer heat radiating from his talons.

The Serpent's scream was not a sound but a vibration, a deep, resonating tremor that shook Arthur's bones and threatened to shatter the cavern's walls. Its colossal body writhed in agony, sulfurous gas seeping from fresh wounds. But Arthur gave it no reprieve. He was relentless, claws carving fiery paths into the creature's flesh with every furious swipe. Steam exploded into the water as molten claws met acidic blood, turning the abyss around them into a battlefield of hissing bubbles and corrosive mist.

The Serpent thrashed wildly, its titanic coils snapping with a force that could have crushed mountains, but Arthur moved with a dancer's grace—no, a predator's instinct. His Synergy with the darkness wrapped around him like a second skin, blurring the lines between shadow and motion. It felt like swimming through pure thought, every movement frictionless, every dodge effortless. As the Serpent's massive tail whipped toward him, Arthur folded his wings tight and dove, the tail narrowly missing him by inches, stirring a shockwave that displaced the murky water.

Arthur slipped beneath the beast again, claws crackling with renewed heat. Each strike was sharper, deeper, a deliberate dissection of its defenses. Where the Serpent's gas hissed out in bursts, Arthur's molten trails cauterized it, sealing shut what should have festered and spread.

The beast's roar became desperate—feral. It lashed out with both its tail and fangs, twisting its entire body into chaotic knots, a vortex of limbs and venom. But Arthur remained a ghost in the shadows. He darted between strikes, appearing just long enough to leave another blazing gash in the monster's side before vanishing again. His heart pounded, the rhythm of battle aligning with the pulse of his Synergy, the shadows whispering strategies that no mortal mind could have devised.

"You dare challenge meee?!" the Serpent screeched, its voice full of fury. "I will devour you, little draake!"

The Serpent's body convulsed, and suddenly, the entire battlefield shifted. The geothermal vents beneath them erupted, spewing boiling steam and molten rock into the water. The heat was overwhelming, and Arthur felt the pressure of the steam pushing against him. The Serpent had manipulated the environment, turning the battlefield into a death trap.

Arthur gritted his teeth, his claws slashing through the thick steam as he dodged another one of the Serpent's attacks. It was regenerating—slowly, but surely. The gashes Arthur had inflicted were closing, the flesh knitting itself back together as the Serpent absorbed the geothermal energy from the vents.

He needed to end this quickly.

Arthur swam upward, using his wings to gain height. The Serpent followed, its crystal eyes glowing with hatred as it pursued him through the boiling water. Arthur dove down, aiming for the Serpent's head, his claws glowing with molten heat. But just as he was about to strike, the Serpent's tail whipped around, faster than he could react.

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Wham!

Arthur was slammed into the seabed, the impact knocking the wind out of him. He struggled to get up, but before he could, the Serpent's massive body coiled around him, crushing him in its grip.

"Sssstruggle all you want, draake..." the Serpent hissed, its voice dripping with malice. "You are mine now..."

Arthur growled, his molten claws digging into the Serpent's flesh, but it wasn't enough. The pressure was too much. He could feel his hard ribs cracking, the air being squeezed from his lungs. The Serpent's body tightened around him, its crystal teeth gleaming as it prepared to strike the final blow.

No. Not like this.

Arthur's mind raced. A memory flickered in Arthur's mind—his crystals!

Whipping out a crystal from his [Inventory], Arthur grabbed it, its jagged edges cutting into his claws. The Serpent's fangs were inches from his face, its body tightening around him like a vice. Arthur grinned, his eyes gleaming with defiance.

"Not today."

He slammed the crystal into the Serpent's side.

The reaction was immediate.

The Serpent screamed, its body convulsing as the salt from the crystals burned through its flesh like acid. Its coils loosened, and Arthur took the opportunity to break free. He slashed at the Serpent's body with his molten claws, each strike sending the creature into a frenzy of pain and panic.

The Serpent's body convulsed, thrashing with such force that the water itself seemed to tremble. The salt crystal burned into its flesh, hissing and bubbling as it dissolved into its scaled hide. The creature's eyes, once burning with cruel amusement, flared wide with shock and agony. Its mouth opened in a shriek that sounded more like metal being torn apart.

"I… will… not… fall… to you…" the Serpent hissed, voice slurring, body writhing uncontrollably. It lashed out wildly, acidic gas spilling from its pores as it thrashed the water, creating deadly whirlpools of corrosive mist. Arthur barely dodged the next strike as the Serpent's massive tail swung past, missing him by inches.

The water boiled around them, thick with the poisonous fumes. Arthur's heart pounded in his chest. This monster wasn't just flailing in pain—it was still dangerous, deadly. One wrong move, and he'd be skewered by those razor-like tendrils or worse, melted alive by the very air around the beast.

The Serpent coiled tighter, its body trembling. "How… dare… you…" Its eyes glowed with hatred, like it couldn't comprehend that this "little drake" had wounded it so deeply.

Arthur grabbed another salt crystal and charged, his molten claws heating the water around him as he aimed for the creature's head. He had to end this. Now.

The Serpent's massive form twisted again, but it was slower now, the salt burning deeper into its body. Arthur leaped, salt crystal raised high above his head, and with a furious roar, he slammed it down.

The crystal plunged into the Serpent's gaping maw, driving straight through its upper skull and pinning it to the seabed. The Serpent's eyes widened, pupils dilating as the salt dissolved through its brain. It let out one final, ear-splitting screech before its body fell limp, coiled and motionless.

Arthur stood above it, chest heaving, eyes wide with adrenaline. He roared in triumph, the sound echoing through the water. He had done it. He had killed the monster. He flexed his molten claws, the heat still radiating from them as the last remnants of the Serpent's life force slipped away.

But something gnawed at him. Where was the system notification? Why hadn't he felt that familiar rush of power?

Arthur froze. The Serpent's body was too still. Too quiet. Slowly, realization dawned. He turned, eyes narrowing just in time to see the Serpent's jaws snap shut, crushing the salt crystal inside.

Shit.