Rue could feel her heart beating; the powerful organ was sustaining her very life yet also bringing her closer to death. The huge rent in her side continued to spew an alarming amount of lifeblood despite her regeneration and extraordinary vitality. The mana she was drawing from the environment soon began to run dry, the once-burning trees snuffed out by her aura. Fires spread, and she greedily absorbed their heat and power, funneling all her available mana into the wound in her lung and other bleeding organs.
She felt muscle and fat being consumed from the rest of her body, the material repurposed to replenish blood and seal the wound. Slowly, the wound was reduced to a size where the blood could clot—a large, lumpy mass of scales, hide, and coagulated blood forming a blockage to prevent further loss. It took far too long for her to seal the wound. She hadn’t noticed the passage of time; the light had not changed, and her focus had been too intense to track such things. She would need to feed to replenish the lost muscle and tissue consumed to make blood and complete other repairs, but she was too weak now. Moving might reopen the wound, so she lay there, resting and allowing her regeneration to slowly knit her back together.
Rue let her eyes close and allowed her body to do the work as she drifted off to sleep.
She dreamed then, reliving her battle with the dwarf over and over. Each time, he grew larger but did not stop. His form became so massive that she couldn’t see his head as he smashed his enormous metal pole into her repeatedly. In her dreams, she also grew—so large that their battle uprooted trees and shattered boulders, her massive claws rending great gouges in the earth until she stood once more over his smoldering remains. In her dreams, her scales bore only proud battle scars, not the rending wounds she had suffered in the real world.
One day, she would reach those heights, no matter what it would take.
She awoke from the strange images and memories in her sleep to a small tickling sensation on her side. Raising her neck, now feeling much better after some rest, she focused on the sensation. On one of her folded wing's leathery surfaces lay a small, scaly creature. It was no longer than the length of her forepaw as it stretched out on her skin. It seemed to be basking in the warmth she provided.
[Crested Gecko Lv5]
Its little head lifted from rest as it seemed to sense her gaze. Tiny reptilian eyes focused on her before it opened its mouth and froze. It was so small; she must have looked like a mountain in comparison. Its body was covered in tiny scales, brown with flecks of green and black, perfectly camouflaged for what would have been a lush forest. Rue glanced around and noticed shrubs emerging from the ash of the forest floor. Already, small shoots and grasses were vying for dominance in the freshly cleared ground. The old husks of burned trees now supported vines and climbers that wound their way up the branches, ever striving to reach the glowing ceiling above. Birdsong had reclaimed the area, and the air buzzed with the sound of insects and other small creatures once more.
Rue lay still for a moment, but the calling of her stomach soon drove her to action. She reached out toward the lizard with her face. It was too high on her back to reach with a paw, so she gently nudged it until it scampered off. Rising from the ground, she stretched her muscles, the soreness of prolonged inactivity making itself known. She extended her wings and kneaded the ground with her claws.
She had lost weight—a significant amount of her bulk was gone. Her muscles felt weaker, her body drained from the severe wounds and the massive blood loss. But she was alive, and she knew that some food would quickly restore her to prime physical condition.
As Rue moved, she could feel the subtle shifts in her abilities. Some of her skills had improved, as they should have after such a grueling battle. It had been the most perilous and powerful foe she had ever faced, and she had triumphed. She had cast down the dwarf with her flames, burning him to a crisp. A satisfied puff of smoke curled from her nostrils as she settled herself down again, ready to inspect her status.
Ding! For Slaying [Dwarf Lv85] In Combat +5538xp
Ding! For Slaying a Foe [50] Levels Above You Own [+50%] xp +2769xp
Ding! For Slaying a Foe 2x Your level [+20%] xp +1107
Total Xp Earned From Combat Encounters +9414xp
Ding! [1/2] Conditions Met For Species [Maturation] : Requires [8+ Meters] & [Lv 35]
Ding! Core Level Up…+1 [Core Point]
Core Level
Core XP
Core Points
27
8710/14760
1
Her core level had increased, which was a good reward and she was over halfway to the next level. She decided to spend it on 10 stat points and dump them all into vitality. All of the good options for her core required far more points than she currently had available and the fight had left her feeling that more durability was never a bad thing.
Ding! Ability Evolution Dragon Breath [6] => Dragon Breath [7]
Ding! Ability Evolution Scaly Skin [3] => Scaly Skin [4]
Ding! Ability Evolution Regeneration [2] => Regeneration [3]
The most vital skill for the fight had all increased, including her most powerful skill - Dragon Breath, it was the only reason she was able to defeat such a tough foe.
Dragon Breath [7]
Racial ability allows expulsions of magically created [Butanol] from glands near the stomach. Storage of [Butanol] increases with vitality +[25%]/10 Vit. This can be ignited via [Fire Magic]. [Mana] can be used to increase [Volume] and [Temperature] of flames. Can grant flame [Magical] properties based on desire. Magic effects scales with intelligence +[25%]/10 Int.
Scaly Skin [4]
Your scales have reached the point where it can turn even the most fearsome weapons. You scales toughness increases by +[10%]/10 Vit. Your scales become highly resistant to [Fire] and [Nonmagical] attacks.
Regeneration [3]
Through combat and your naturally high healing, your [Body] and [Mana] have learned how to speed up your natural [Recovery]. Your wounds will heal faster and cleaner, you are more resistant to [Infection] and [Disease]. Natural [Recovery] is increased by [Vitality] +[15%]/10 Vit.
The improvements didn’t fundamentally change her skills but added numerical bonuses. However, this didn’t mean the changes weren’t significant. The enhancements made her regeneration nearly 30% faster than before, and her scales were now nearly twice as tough to break. The bonuses were quite substantial, and she couldn’t help but wonder how much stronger they would become as her skill levels increased. If the progression continued at this pace, there might come a day when she could outright ignore most attacks.
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For now, though, Rue set aside thoughts of skill increases and focused on finding something delicious to eat—preferably something large, satisfying, and that would taste good cooked.
She extended her mundane and magical senses to scan an enormous area around her. By incorporating [Mana Sense] into her search, she discovered that all living creatures glowed faintly in her vision, standing out even among the trees, bushes, and occasional rocks.
Her first attempt at locating prey led her toward a goblin nest. Rue headed in that direction, largely ignoring the small fauna scurrying about beneath her notice. Such creatures might have sufficed when she was younger, but she was beyond such meager prey now. They could live beneath her notice.
Ding! +[Draconic Arrogance [1]]
Draconic Arrogance [1]
It is the strong that often become arrogant. A hallmark of most draconic breeds, you feel superior to those with less [Attributes] than yourself.
It was a currently useless skill, but at least it confirmed what she already knew—she was superior to most of the creatures in her vicinity. As Rue moved through the forest in search of a good meal and perhaps some additional levels, she observed the creatures she passed. She could feel how much weaker they were compared to her. When she came across the entrance to a rabbit warren under a sprawling oak tree, she sensed the small, white, fluffy creatures within. They were visible to her eyes, detectable through her mana sense and den sense, and now she could feel their power—a weak flame compared to her raging inferno. It was as though she were walking with a new sense, one that layered itself seamlessly over her other perceptions. She was rapidly growing accustomed to having so many dimensions of awareness.
Her experimentation was cut short when she emerged from the dense forest, nearing the goblin hive. Despite her many senses, she could not detect the goblins. She supposed they must still be some distance away. Moving cautiously forward, she was surprised to find herself less than 40 meters from the settlement. The mud domes and small wooden huts were quiet—too quiet. The place was not the bustling hive of activity she had expected. It was deserted.
Rue growled softly, padding forward at a steady pace to investigate. The smells here were old, the goblins having left many days ago, likely just before or after her previous battle. Her lip curled in frustration. This was not favorable. They had fled—cowards! These were supposed to be her spoils.
With a growl of fury, Rue turned to one of the wooden huts and unleashed her flames. Fire roared from her maw, engulfing the fragile structure. Her claws tore through walls of mud and wood as she danced in the ashes, venting her anger. Burning wood crackled, mud baked in the intense heat, and small objects and clay vessels shattered explosively. When the settlement was reduced to smoldering ruins, Rue stood among the wreckage, spent. The last of her flames had been consumed in her impulsive destruction, leaving her weaker. Still, she felt no regret. They had wronged her. This was her territory. They had lived on her land, and therefore they belonged to her. She had devoured the warriors who had dared to resist, and she would have devoured the rest had they not fled.
Despite her diminished state, Rue reared onto her hind legs, spreading her wings wide, and let loose a deafening roar. The cavern trembled as the sound reverberated through the air, her [Roar] skill amplifying her fury. Let all creatures in the area know of her wrath.
With the goblins no longer an option for food, Rue shifted her focus to other prey. Lesser though they might be, they would serve their purpose as nourishment. Her mind turned back to the rabbits she had seen earlier—they had looked quite tasty. Deciding to retrace her steps, Rue loped quickly back into the dense forest, heading toward the warren beneath the great oak.
She arrived swiftly and spotted several rabbits nibbling in the grassy undergrowth. The last of her flames had been spent on the goblin nest, but she would not have wanted to burn the rabbits anyway. Their tender flesh would be better consumed raw. Creeping to the edge of the clearing, Rue used the dense undergrowth to conceal her sleek form. She honed her senses on her prey, selecting a target and preparing to strike.
[Rabbit lv3]
It wasn’t even a horned variant like the ones she had encountered earlier in the labyrinth. This rabbit looked even weaker—practically harmless. Rue crept closer, silently closing the distance until she was less than 20 meters away. Then, with a powerful burst of speed, she bolted forward. Her wings flared, adding momentum as she surged across the open ground.
The rabbit noticed her just as she covered half the distance, but it was far too late. Before it could make it more than a few frantic hops toward the burrow, Rue’s jaws closed around its fragile form. The creature was eviscerated in a single bite, its limp body bolted down whole, bones and all.
As she swallowed, she couldn’t help but feel a pang of nostalgia for the monstrous rabbit variants she’d been fed as a hatchling. Those had been large and satisfying, a far cry from this meager snack. Still, her ravenous body tore into the meal with ferocious hunger, and she could feel the nutrients being absorbed to fuel her recovery.
She was far from full, however, and much more rabbit hunting would be necessary. The others had bolted into their burrow, but Rue was patient. She would wait until they deemed it safe to come out again, then strike. Alternatively, once her flames had recovered, she could simply flush them out in one fiery burst. Either way, she would not go hungry for long.
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A few days later, Rue lay lazily in the forest, basking in her renewed vitality. She had hunted and feasted on dozens of smaller creatures, steadily regaining her muscle mass and healing her lingering wounds. Thanks to her regeneration and the steady supply of succulent flesh, her body had fully recovered. She could feel her growth resuming, no longer stalled by injuries or lack of sustenance.
Her thoughts drifted to exploration. Earlier that day, she had discovered an exit from the cavern. It lay opposite the entrance she had used before and seemed to lead into another series of passages. Perhaps it would take her to a new cavern—and with it, more tasty goblins.
As Rue exited the cavern, the familiar tunnels she had traversed for hours reentered her senses. The expansive freedom of the cavern was gone. Despite being dozens of meters in diameter, the tunnels now felt cramped. She longed for the open space of another cavern, if such a place existed. The glowing lights embedded in the walls and ceiling seemed intrusive, their brightness grating on her eyes. The terrain here was subdued compared to the forest. Trees were reduced to shrubs, and only bushes and grass flourished. The pervading wildlife consisted of small rodents, creatures far too insignificant to waste her time hunting—for either sustenance or experience.
The tunnel offered no side passages, instead winding in a continuous, serpentine path. It twisted and turned, frequently changing elevation with steep hills and gentle slopes. Occasionally, it would widen slightly, giving Rue fleeting hope of reaching a new cavern, only to constrict again to its usual size.
After wandering the passage for what felt like half a day, Rue came upon something unexpected: a goblin corpse. The body was riddled with small spears that pierced its flesh, the drying blood still glistening in the wounds. Curious, Rue sniffed at the goblin. She was hungry, having passed up the unworthy rodents earlier, and after determining the meat was safe, she began to feed.
Her sharp teeth tore into the juicy flesh, though the embedded spears proved an annoyance. When she attempted to remove them, they broke, their barbed tips embedded deep in the wounds. Still, they posed little obstacle to her powerful jaws, and she crushed wood, bone, and flesh alike. By the time she finished, all that remained was a scattering of blood and viscera. The goblin had not been as large as the warrior types she had previously fought and consumed, but it made for a satisfying meal nonetheless.
Continuing down the tunnel, Rue soon encountered another goblin corpse, this one lying next to a slightly larger goblin, nearly four feet tall. She ignored these remains for now, her hunger sated.
As she moved further along, the air became tinged with the metallic scent of blood. Soon, she came upon a pit filled with death. At the bottom lay a gruesome mess of wooden spikes, leaves, twigs, and impaled goblin bodies. Several goblins had fallen victim to the trap, their flesh torn and punctured. The scene was brutal, a clear indication that something was hunting these goblins. The trail of corpses suggested the predator was still active.
The discovery stirred mixed feelings within Rue. On one hand, she felt anger and disappointment that she hadn’t been the one to kill them herself. On the other, the thought of confronting whatever was responsible excited her. With any luck, it would be a challenge—something strong and worthwhile to fight.
__________________________________________
The pack leader peered through the bushes, his small eyes widening as he beheld a glorious expanse of red scales. Heat suffused his body, a powerful radiance emanating from the god-like creature before him. Despite the comforting warmth, he shivered, gripping his crude spear tightly. Leaning further out of the undergrowth, he dared to take in more of the divine presence.
The magnificent being was gazing at the pit, where the corpses of the vile goblin invaders lay impaled on wooden spikes. Those enemies had been vanquished by the tribe's cunning, yet now the pack leader felt a tremor of unease. Was the god displeased?
His heart pounded as he debated his next move. No chances could be taken. If the deity before him was angry, their entire tribe might suffer. He swallowed hard, backing slowly into the cover of the bush. Preparations had to be made. The tribe needed to be ready. With resolve, he turned and darted away.