Despite the possibly gut-wrenching altitude we hovered at, the winds were gentle. Soothing sounds of running water was all around us. The place was a little foggy, so we hadn’t the best idea of what laid far in the distance, but the crimson beam permeated all visual hindrances. We rode at a slower pace to ensure we could react in time if anything wanted to surprise us in the fog. The first few minutes of our journey was tranquil and serene, so my mind wandered into the icy little home Edurne made herself in stage two. There were many books, notes, and research scattered about the place. I dumped them all in my inventory. Just a peek wo—

“My Lord!” Einar stopped me just in time. At the fore of us was a small floating island, quite typical in open-world RPG games. There was water running off parts of it like a waterfall. Once we ventured past the perimeter of the island, the fog disappeared. A luscious and verdant oasis of meadow and forests awaited us. The thing was mountainous, reaching almost as far as the eye could see, but while outside, it had the appearance of a small island no bigger than a hockey rink.

We explored the terrain-shifting island. Although the marvel of floating islands struck me as unique, the inside was normal; geologists would be rather disappointed. Continuing like this, a few more islands were the same. Small outside, but inexplicably humungous on the inside, like we were weaving through dimensions.

In some hours, we made it to the island which had the red light. “Do you not find it strange, Lord?” Einar asked. “This one,” we entered, “is much bigger on the outside than the others.”

“I guess that’s why,” I said. We beheld a great black citadel with an imposing presence in it. It was the only structure in the entire stage, and it was a superstructure at that.

Einar was understandably hesitant. His grip on the warhorse’s reins tightened as he peered at the hellish fortress. Truthfully, I could understand why. Whatever laid in that castle wasn’t normal. “Go,” I told him.

He looked at the portal I created with some apprehension. “Forgive me, My Lord. This one, is outside of my skillset. I shall await your return.” He made a gratus and left through the portal.

I rode through the raining skies and made my way down towards a landing on the citadel’s premises. The place was covered in black bricks, as was the rest of the place. The view from that landing would’ve been superb had the dreary weather not stain it.

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There was nothing but the beat of raindrops carried through the air; stillness otherwise ruled the stronghold. Until, at the side of me, a scorching heat massacred the rains from the heavens and would’ve incinerated me had I not pulled off a last-minute Aether Shell. Being caught in the fiery blast, I couldn’t tell just how powerful it was until the smoke and rubble cleared and a gaping fissure the size of a stadium was carved into the earth. Bits and pieces of fire remained, burning perpetually anything that survived the fury of the explosion.

The roar of death and scent of burned vegetation riddled me with both awe and fear at the majesty of the mythical creature perched atop one of the spires on the black citadel. Upon noticing I was still alive, another great breath of fire swirled downwards to me and split in half when I cast Terra’s Love, a master earth spell that encapsulated the user in a thick sphere of earth which shifted properties to match different type of attacks. Even if Aether Shell was a great general defensive spell, it wasn’t capable of specializing and was more focused on damage that was sparser.

The minute I removed it a Ray of Sol came down exploding upon me. The black-scaled dragon descended with fury unmatched and dropped upon me with a claw so devastating that had I not been lucky enough to land between its talons, I’d have been crushed.

I raised my scepter fast and fired off a blinding Dawnlight, then following up with Call of the Grave, which exuded a frightening and ghastly sound and atmosphere and instilled a festering feeling of doom and death onto the target.

Its talons squeezed down into the dirt and its body trembled with more and more exaggerated shaking. Something’s wrong…

I teleported away and mounted Dreadhoof from the air. I wasn’t about to wait about and see if there were diplomatic solutions with a damned dragon. I was about to cast Bloodthorn, but the dragon suddenly broke free from Call of the Grave and launched a breath of fire many times taller than the citadel, dwarfing it easily. I would be nothing but cinders if I was directly above the beast.

I sacrificed Bloodthorn to make more distance; even the heat from that fire breath was dangerous. To think it’d break out of a master spell… I cast Bloodthorn properly this time, and the gigantic red harpoon of ice burrowed into the thick hide of the dragon. I heard its squeal and knew it was done for, but I took no chances. Another Bloodthorn pierced through its skull and put it down.

I went over to the dead behemoth and dragged its body into my inventory. Looking at the devastation caused from just a few attacks, I rued the idea of a dragon being free in the outside world. Humans nor demons hadn’t even the slightest chance of surviving against that monster.

I finally caught my breath. Geez… Just when the calming rains came back to bless the destroyed land, I felt a strong presence within the citadel. Whatever Einar was afraid of, was still alive.

That dragon wasn’t the boss, then.

A small creature came out of the main entrance.

Robe. Bones. Staff. I see.