If that is the case then it should not have a large energy reserve and will get tired faster than me. At this point that actually feels like my best option so I focus on dodging. Anytime I see an opening I hit it with another Holy Shock until I have used up all of my divine power.

Then I switch to using Lightning Wave since it uses sacred power but does less damage. By now the wyvern is starting to show signs of getting tired and the spell damage has added up. However, I don't let down my guard and keep hitting it over and over.

Finally, it straight up misses on its bite attack and I get the chance to hit it in the neck with Blitz. However, Blitz barely scratches the scales on its neck, it is tougher than I expected. It looks like depending on my magic damage output was the right call to make.

So, I go back to dodging and blasting away at it when I get the chance. I quickly settle into a nice steady rhythm and slowly chip away at its health. Just like that an hour has passed since the fight started and while I still feel fine the wyvern isn't doing so well.

*DING*

Congratulations! Skill Lightning Wave has progressed to level 8!

Lightning Wave

Level: 8

SP Cost: 115

Deals lightning damage in a cone in front of your sword.

Area: 35 foot by 20 foot cone. Damage: Int x 3.5

While the level up helps a little, I am still quickly running out of sacred power. It worries me a little, if I run out of sacred power all I will have left is my mana. I doubt that four hundred or so mana will amount to anything against something this size.

Since it costs less I try using Wind Blade, but like Blitz it fails to penetrate the wyvern's scales. So I stick with using Lightning Wave even though it costs a lot more power. If I run out of sacred power before it dies, I will just have to figure something out.

Then a crazy idea pops into my head, what if I drain the wyvern's life force? It looks fairly old, so its life force should be weak and easy to steal, maybe. The problem is touching it without getting eaten, but luckily it's fatigue and the accumulated damage has slowed it down.

It is worth a try at least, so I put Blitz away and then when I dodge the next bite I try it. It works, but the wyvern moves out of my reach before I can drain very much. Luckily, Drain Touch doesn't cost me anything, so I can use it as much as I want.

So I stop using Lightning Wave and just use Drain Touch, stealing a little life force each time. After a dozen or so successful attacks the wyvern's movements become sluggish. This just makes it easier for me to drain even more life force out of the wyvern.

Stolen novel; please report.

After a few more successful attacks the wyvern collapses, but it isn't dead yet. The amount of life force the wyvern has is surprising, I was expecting it to be dead already. Yet, it stubbornly clings to the last scrap of its life force, refusing to die even now.

It makes one last attempt to bite me, using up the last of its strength. Its last desperate attack is easy for me to dodge and I quickly use Drain Touch on it. With that the last of its life force is absorbed by me and the wyvern finally drops dead.

Once its body collapses, I check to make sure it is truly dead and then move to sit by the pond. It was a long fight and while I am not exhausted, I am a little tired. The air in the grotto is mana rich and I soon feel better just from breathing, then I take a drink.

Mana Pool +50!

'Now that's some high quality H2o!!'

At that thought I nearly fall over laughing, causing Brightfire to give me a strange look. She has left her hiding spot and is examining the wyvern when my sudden laughter makes her jump. Her look is a mixture of puzzlement and anger which I find even more amusing.

Brightfire says "Why are you laughing?!"

"Well, at first I was just happy because the pond increased my mana pool. Then you jumped and tried to glare at me which was even funnier!"

Brightfire says "Are you looking to get beaten?"

"That thing couldn't hurt me, and you think you can?"

Brightfire stares at me for a minute as her face goes red, then she snorts at me and goes back to examining the corpse. After laughing a bit more I take another drink from the pond hoping to increase my mana more. Unfortunately, while the water is mana rich, the increase to my mana pool seems to be a one time effect.

The pond is rather small, it only takes me a small jump to reach the island. The tree is rather small but it has a lot of small green fruits that smell absolutely delicious. I pick a single one and take a closer look at it before I just pop it into my mouth and chew.

Hp +100, SP +100, DP +100, MP +100!!

The effects of the fruit are beyond my wildest dreams and I quickly grab another to eat. Unfortunately, as expected, the boost is a one time thing, but it was still worth the trip. Grabbing a third fruit, I whistle to get Brightfire's attention and then throw it to her.

"Eat that!"

Brightfire says "Uh, okay?"

After tossing Brightfire one I count and find twenty fruits remaining on the tree. So I carefully pick them all and put them into my pouch, I will give them to the elves later. Then I search around the bottom of the tree to make sure there aren't any fallen fruit.

Brightfire says "Wow! This tastes amazing!! Can I have another?"

"Nope, its effect only works once. We should save the rest for other people."

Brightfire says "Effect? What effect?"

"It improves health and mana capacity."

Brightfire says "Wow! Does that mean I can become a mage?"

"I wouldn't go that far, but you could probably learn some basic spells."

Brightfire says "Great! Silverstream says a scout can never learn too many tricks!"

"I can certainly agree with that!"

Having finished checking the grass around the tree I jump back over the pond. However, as I do I catch a glint from the corner of my eye, so I land and turn around for a look. It takes a minute of searching before I spot it again, there is something gold at the bottom of the pond.

While the pond isn't very deep, it is not something I can reach without getting wet. Luckily, I don't have a cat's aversion to water, so I just wade into the pond. I have to fully submerge briefly to be able to reach the item and when I do I find it is a ring.

Putting it aside for now, since I am already wet, I search the rest of the pond just in case. However, I don't find anything else, so I climb out of the pond and use the cleaning stone to dry myself. Then I sit down and take the ring back out to examine it, it is highly magical.