Challenge accepted.

The roar was that of a proper monster and there was no mistake. This was something unlike anything I had seen thus far. Though I am not sure if it was my imagination I was pretty sure that I just felt the chamber tremble under the force of the beasts roar.

As I took in the sight of it a box sprang up.

Elite Draconic Ratkin

Level 21

The creature was basically a rippling wall of muscle. It had hair that looked like spikes which ringed the base of its neck and patches of scales covered most of its body except a few areas were its muscles showed. One extremely pointy short horn rested on its head right between its brightly glowing red eyes. It had a long tail that looked like it was made of the same scales that comprised the rest of its armor and if it had to be described in one word that word would be. Deadly.

Yup, I have no clue how I am going to beat this thing. Also, it seems to have finally decided that it’s time for me to die. Glaring at me like I was already dead it opens its mouth and a stream of flame soars through the air at me.

I leap aside and though I dodge as best I can as the flames shoot by, I can feel the heat kiss my skin. It becomes slightly more difficult to breath and as I recover from my dodge the elite dragon rat charges forward towards me on all fours.

Knowing I have no chance if I turn my back on it, I grip my club and charge to meet the beast. We clash together with my club hammering down on its shoulder as it barrels into me.  My makeshift club shatters into splinters in my hands at the impact leaving one of its scales with a noticeable crack. This does not stop its momentum however and it slams against me sending me airborne for a few moments until I feel my back slam against that chamber wall.

Small stones fly off the wall as I impact and then fall to the ground, landing on my feet and going to a knee amid a nest full of eggs. The monster eyed me and paused, snarling at my descent on what was probably its future children.

Glancing at the eggs, I remember they are absurdly sturdy and my new strategy forms. I grab one of the smaller football sized eggs just as the beast apparently decides that killing me is worth some fried eggs. Opening its mouth it shoots another stream of flame at me giving me just enough time to throw the egg directly at its mouth and yell “go suck an egg you filthy animal”.

Its fanged mouth clamps shut with a snap as the egg flies inside of it and lodges in the back of its throat. I charge forward with another large egg in my hand, determined to make use of the opportunity. Closing the distance in a flash as the draconic ratkin shakes its head violently trying to dislodge the egg from its airway, I use both hands to slam the second egg straight into the beasts head causing it to hit the ground, seemingly stunned for the moment.

But I was not done yet, not at all. I jump on the elite and straddle its back and lining up the pointy end of the egg with the elites eye and carefully avoiding the horn I set to work, trying to make eggnog as I hammer the egg repeatedly into the elites head as it struggles to rise,  its tail trashing behind it.

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Suddenly a particularly jarring shake forces me to tumble off the beasts shoulders and lose my grip on the second egg as my enemy makes its way back to its feet with sheer strength of will, one of its eyes a ruined mess with fluid running down its face. It stumbles against a wall bodily and tries to keep its feet as it deals with its no doubt very soon deadly case of affixation. I honestly did not know how it was still alive, let alone standing; I could only imagine what its constitution might be, it had to be nearly dead.

Not wanting to lose the opportunity to end it just in case it had some unheard of bull shit ability it could use to survive. I charge back at it and throw all my weight into a body slam that does not seem to have any effect whatsoever. Changing tactics I attempt to body hug the elite as it struggles to both kill me and breathe. It slams us both into a wall repeatedly trying to crush me between it and any surface it could as I hang on for dear life, attempting to absorb its life and energy.

Maybe I could earn another title, “Mosquito of the Apocalypse” or something.

After what seemed like an eternity the struggle of Mr. Badass started to slow down coming to an abrupt and final rest. Rolling away from the elite I notice a somewhat large stalactite sticking from its back and smile warily with relief. If that had hit me too then instead of just the elite I would have been an Elite Jax shish kebab. Not the way I wanted it to go. Checking the first notification, what I see makes me frown.

Achievement Unlocked: Unique Kill Method : Brutal

Reward: Increased Drop Chance

Duration: 1 Hour

Achievement Stage: (1/4)

Sometimes killing is it's own reward, sometimes it's not.

Just my luck, because there was no way I could not have gotten that before I killed the elite, still there is no sense in crying over it. Recalling how I found the last book, I start searching the recently made corpse.  It only takes a moment before I find the prize, a skill book trapped between two of the ratkins larger scales. Wriggling it to work it free, I inspect it carefully and within moments I receive a notification box.

Draconic: Flame Of The Hidden

Activate Skill Book?

  (Yes/No)

This was it. The broken, overpowered, reason defying ability that would be my key to unlocking my destiny! I would not have to deal with anymore snide sucking jokes from notification boxes.

Activating the skill book I get several notifications and eagerly start reading them in order.

Draconic: Flame of the Hidden learned

Ability: Flame of the Hidden grants the user burning insights.

Ability Type: Rare

Energy Manipulation Type: Breath (Unlocked)

Ability Rank: Novice

Breath attack unlocked

Achievement unlocked

Achievement reward : Title Gain: Blower

Error

Interaction with previous titles

Override Accepted

Conflict resolved: Great Sucker and Blower

Unique Title Upgrade: Great Sucker and Blower Merge

Unique Title Gain: Suck and Blow Champion

Calculating alterations to Draconic: Flame of the Hidden

Ability Type: Rare

Energy Manipulation Type Change: Psychic

Ability Rank: Great

Restrictions: Touch

If you don’t like it, suck it. If you still don’t like it, blow me sucker.

With near certainty, I now knew my location. It could only be hell.