Chapter 70
Dragon Slaying (Part 1)
Erin and Lexton had managed to reach the metal crates that had been dropped from the ceiling. The two of them began to immediately go through them in the hopes of finding weapons that they could use against the dragon, but it wasn’t looking too good for them.
“Hey, I found a rifle!” Erin said as she picked up said firearm. “Do you think this is good enough?”
“Not at all. Against that beast, it’s about as effective as a peashooter,” Lexton said. “The dragon’s armor is way too thick to get pierced by that, so you’d only end up annoying it.”
“Goddammit…” the redhead cursed as she dropped the rifle and continued her search for something better. “This is even tougher than I thought. Is there really anything here that can help us kill that damn thing?”
“Trust me. We can find something. While I’m not expecting these guys to give us the perfect tools for the task, I’m sure there is something that can get the job done,” the kobold said as he continued his search. “It’s more about figuring out how to use what we’ve got, instead of being provided what we need. Some outside of the box thinking is all we really need. And that’s my specialty.”
Having finished searching through the crate he had been at, Lexton moved on to the next one. However, just as he was about to reach it, he stopped in his tracks upon noticing it move. There was something inside the crate that was moving around. Something alive.
Before the kobold could move away, the crate was broken from the inside and two creature appeared from within. One was a large spider, while the other one was a monstrous wasp. The shock from the sudden appearance of these monsters, caused Lexton to panic and fall on his back.
Spotting easy prey nearby, the spider moved towards the kobold, intent on sinking its venomous fangs into the small lizard. Lexton closed his eyes, expecting his life to come to an end.
Before the spider was able to bite down on its prey, a shot from a firearm echoed through the arena and a bullet pierced through the arachnid’s body. The monster fell to the ground while oozing purple blood.
“Lex, are you okay!?” Erin called out to her friend, holding the rifle she had found not too long ago.
“Yeah! I’m fine… Just a little shaken,” Lexton answered as he wiped off the purple spider blood that had splashed on his face. The kobold then noticed the other beast, flying around the redhead. “Watch out! The other one is still nearby!”
Erin quickly spotted the wasp, flying close to her and clearly aiming to attack. Wasting no time, the redhead took aim with her rifle and began firing towards it. Unfortunately, the beast was too fast and erratic in its movements, making it a very difficult target.
It didn’t take long for Erin to run out of bullets, which didn’t seem to go unnoticed by the wasp. Now it was starting to move towards her with its stinger at the ready. Realizing the danger she was in, the redhead began to desperately look for another weapon to defend herself with.
Seeing this as the perfect opportunity for an attack, the wasp began to fly towards Erin, stinger positioned for stabbing into its target. As the monster came closer, the redhead’s hands managed to grab something.
Taking hold of what she found, Erin thrust her new weapon towards the oncoming wasp. Right away, blood was spilled to the ground, as a sharp object pierced itself through a body.
The redhead slowly opened her eyes and saw that she had just managed to find a crude spear in time to defend herself, as the wasp’s body futilely struggled at the end of the weapon’s pole. It soon ran out of the strength, stopped moving and died.
“Erin! Are you okay!?” Lexton asked worriedly as he ran up to the redhead.
“Y-Yeah… I’m fine,” Erin answered. “I’m just a bit shaken up by the whole thing.”
“For good reason, as well. That thing is a Canyon Stinger,” the kobold explained. “Had you not been able to kill it, I doubt you would have survived. The venom in their stingers is so potent that most creatures actually avoid them on instinct.”
“...Good to know I was close to death, I guess,” the redhead said bluntly, as she shuddered at the thought of getting stung by the wasp monster. “What’s really upsetting, though, is that we have pretty much just wasted our time here. Not only were we not able to find any weapons that could help us defeat the dragon, but we now have to face other creatures as well. Talk about unfair.”
Lexton didn’t respond to Erin right away. Instead, he looked at the spear the redhead was holding and the two dead beasts in thought.
“Lex?” Erin called out to the kobold. “Is something wrong?”
“Not at all,” Lexton replied. “In fact, I think we might have just found our tools for dragon slaying.”
“What are you talking about?” the redhead asked.
Instead of replying to the question, the kobold simply held out his hand, waiting for Erin to hand him the spear. Once she did so, he jabbed the tip of it into the part of the wasp that contained its venom. The tip was now coated in a yellow liquid that had a somewhat bitter smell.
“There we go,” Lexton said with a proud nod as he handed the spear back to Erin. “That should be enough.”
“...Seriously?” the redhead asked, staring down at the spear with a look of disbelief on her face. “You honestly think we can kill a dragon with just this thing?”
“Not just that, you moron!” the kobold said angrily. “That spear is only meant for weakening it, as the venom is potent enough to even harm a dragon!”
“Okay, I guess that makes sense,” Erin said, still not fully behind her friend’s idea. “Although, how am I supposed to injure it with this? That thing is built like a tank.”
“There are still soft spots in its body, like the belly, the eyes and the inside of its mouth,” Lexton explained. “Personally, I’d recommend aiming for one of the eyes. Not only will you affect its ability to see, but the venom should spread faster.”
“...I’ll try my best, but I hope you understand that I’m not exactly fond of the idea of trying to go for that thing’s eyes,” the redhead said. Before she left, she had one more question. “By the way, you said that this was meant to weaken it, but not actually kill it. How are we actually going to kill that thing?”
“You just leave that to me,” the kobold said with a smirk. “I’ve got just the idea.”
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Meanwhile, on the other end of the arena, Ryle and Durge were hiding behind a barricade, while the dragon was prowling the area in search of more victims. The argument between the two had come to a sudden halt upon the blonde mentioning the incident in which she had seen the orc for the first time. It was also the time when she had developed somewhat of a fear towards berserkers, due to the horrifying carnage she had witnessed back then.
However, while Ryle had expected to see anger, denial or some other form of defiance from Durge, what she got was completely unexpected. Instead of the orc showing even a hint of anger, he seemed to be completely terrified, like he was facing a ghost. Gone was the warrior that would face the most ferocious of beasts, replaced by a pale man that looked like he was close to getting a heart attack from the slightest scare.
“How… How do you know about that?” Durge asked.
“What?” Ryle asked in return, confused by the whole situation. “You mean the incident from a couple of years ago?”
“What else do you think I’m talking about!?” the orc asked in a panicked tone. “I thought there weren’t anyone left… That I had left that part of me behind…”
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“...Well, to answer your question, I was there myself. I saw the whole thing with my own two eyes,” the blonde answered. “I hid under some of the bodies in fear. I guess since you were in your uncontrollable berserker rage mode, you didn’t notice.”
“I see… Makes sense,” Durge said with a hollow chuckle. “I guess even though I had turned myself into a monster, I lacked the instincts of one. I’m not sure whether I should be happy that someone survived or not…”
“Huh!? What the hell are you on about!?” Ryle asked. “Why would that be a hard choice for you!? Didn’t you go into that state just so you could kill everyone around you!?”
“Not exactly… But I suppose that’s not entirely untrue either,” the orc replied. “If you actually saw that, then I do not blame you for hating me. In fact, I’m more surprised that you haven’t tried to kill me.”
“Okay, what the hell is up with you?” the blonde asked. “You’re acting like you’re actually ashamed of yourself. I thought people that used things like the berserker state out of their own free will. If you didn’t want to do what you did, why would you use such a technique at all?”
“Because it isn’t the same thing as a berserker state,” Durge began to explain. “There’s a special thing inside me that gives me a boost of strength. Mostly it just allows me to have above normal physical abilities, but if I allow the seal on it to be released, I will turn into a bloodthirsty monster that kills everything around it.”
“How is that different from the berserker thing?” Ryle asked.
“Those who use the berserker state still have some level of control over themselves. Only when they allow their rage and power fully consume them do they turn on their allies and other people they don’t wish to harm,” the orc replied. “The thing in me grants far greater strength, but there is no control over it at all. I pretty much just black out and wake up to whatever horrors I’ve caused. Like that time years back that you saw…”
“Okay, so that does sound bad… But we still need that strength of yours,” the blonde said. “I’ve seen just how powerful you can be, so why not use it quickly to deal with the dragon?”
“No! You don’t understand!” Durge said while looking visibly distressed, which once again surprised Ryle. “I can’t simply turn it on and off, like some sort of a switch! Once I change, I won’t turn back until everything around me is dead! I cannot allow that to happen!”
Before the blonde could say anything else in return, the orc looked at her in a way that was almost pleading with her.
“Please… I don’t want more innocent blood on my hands due to my own stupidity,” Durge practically begged.
Ryle was completely taken aback by this. She had always imagined the man she had seen back then to be nothing more than a monster, not caring about who or what he destroyed. Yet here was that same man, who had not only helped her and her friends, but was now acting like a scared child. Could they truly be the same person?
The blonde’s thoughts were cut off upon hearing the dragon roar. She looked from behind the barricade to see that the beast had taken notice of Erin, who was now trying to make her way to it while holding a spear in her hands.
“There might not be much of a choice for you, I’m afraid,” Ryle said. “It seems we are moving in to kill that damn thing now!”
Erin had wanted to take the dragon by surprise from the behind. This would have allowed her to get close enough to actually use her spear the way Lexton had instructed her to do. That had all gone out of the window, as the beast had now spotted her first and was moving in for the attack. The flames could be seen building up within its maw, as another breath attack was being charged.
Luckily for the redhead, there was another barricade close that she could use as cover, allowing her to avoid the flames. The barricade melted from the heat, having taken the full power of the monster’s attack.
However, Erin was now left completely defenseless, as her cover had been melted into a puddle and there was nothing else in sight to hide behind. She could only stare in horror, as the dragon prepared another breath attack in its mouth.
Just as the dragon was about to unleash its flames, Ryle came in to save her friend. As the flame-breathing beast was too focused on Erin, the blonde was able to run up to the dragon and deliver her special move on it. By gathering as much ki as she could in her fist, Ryle unleashed the attack that she had used in her battle against Yin, one of The Four War Maidens. The attack unleashed a massive impact that could be felt throughout the whole arena.
Yet against a dragon, it was all for nothing. It might have stopped from charging its fire breath, but the beast was mostly left undamaged. All that was really accomplished was that the dragon now had a new target. One that was exhausted and hurt from using a devastating attack.
The dragon was about to go for the kill and bite down on Ryle, who had been forced down on her knees from the toll her attack had taken on her body, but the fire-breathing monster was stopped once again. This time the interference came in the form of Erin using her spear. With the dragon distracted by Ryle, the redhead had been able to quickly run up to the beast and jab the weapon through its eye.
image [https://i.ibb.co/PW9BhgR/Ch-70-Pic-1.jpg]
What followed then was chaos, as the dragon roared in pain and began to violently thrash around, causing the whole arena to shake. A couple of the remaining contestants were actually shaken so badly, that they fell over the edge and down to the awaiting ghouls.
Ryle would have been crushed underneath the wildly rampaging dragon’s feet had it not been for Durge coming to the rescue. The orc had quickly grabbed the blonde by the back of her shirt and dragged her away, so that she was no longer in immediate danger from the dragon.
However, the same couldn’t be said about Erin. The redhead had tried to make a run for it, but was struck by the dragon’s tail. The blow was very powerful and sent her flying backwards, before tumbling painfully across the arena floor.
“ERIN!” Ryle yelled, horrified over what had happened to her friend. “I have to-!”
“No! You can’t!” Durge said, holding back the blonde. “You can’t just rush in there in your condition! You’ll only get yourself killed!”
“Screw you! I’m not going to abandon her!” Ryle yelled back. “I don’t care even if there’s a hundred dragons! I am not going to just leave my friend like that!”
“...Then let me handle the dragon first,” the orc said in a grim and serious tone.
“Huh!? What are you talking about!?” the blonde asked, until her eyes went wide in realization. “Are you-!?”
“Just hide for now. Once you see an opportunity to go help your friend, then make your move,” Durge said as he turned to face towards the dragon. “Ironic that the thing that put so much blood on my hands is what will help atone for my crimes.”
The orc took off his shirt and bit his thumb, drawing blood from it. He then smeared the blood over what seemed like a tattoo on his chest. The tattoo then lit up and disappeared from sight. Once this was done, Durge took a deep breath and got himself ready.
At first, nothing seemed to happen. Then the changes came.
A sickening cracking sound could be heard coming from Durge, as his body began to bulge and grow larger in different places. It was like his body was breaking apart from within to build itself back bigger and stronger. His teeth also changed into sharp fangs and his hair grew into a long mane. The pupils of his eyes disappeared, leaving back empty orbs that glowed with a pale yellow light. Finally, his skin turned into a dark red color, almost like he was some sort of a devil.
Ryle watched with wide-eyed horror at the monster Durge had just turned into. It was the exact same thing she had seen years ago.
image [https://i.ibb.co/JyTv6pk/Ch-70-Pic-2.jpg]
With his transformation now complete, Durge let out a roar filled with rage that shook the arena. This also caught the attention of the dragon. The beast immediately recognized the orc as the most dangerous being in the area and made eliminating it its priority.
The two massive beasts rushed towards one another, before colliding like two freight trains that were moving at top speed. It became a vicious and chaotic brawl, as the two combatants used everything they had to try and kill each other. Durge threw powerful punches that landed with the force of missiles, while the dragon would use its jaws, claws and even tail to wound the raging orc. They were now locked in combat that would only end once the other one was dead.
Using this opportunity to her advantage, Ryle rushed over to Erin to see of she was alright. The redhead had not moved at all ever since she got hit by the dragon’s tail, which immensely worried the blonde. She only hoped that her friend could still be saved.
“Erin! ERIN!” Ryle desperately called out while holding the redhead’s body in her arms. “Come on, don’t do this shit to me! Wake up already!”
“...Please, not so loud,” Erin finally answered in a pained voice. “I have a bad enough headache as it is.”
“Screw your headache! I’m just glad you’re still alive!” the blonde said happily. “The hit you took scared the hell out of me! I honestly thought you were dead!”
“He he… Sorry to disappoint,” the redhead joked. “But while I’m still alive and my arms and legs are okay, that thing still did a number on me. I’m sure I have a few broken ribs.”
“Well, I’m sure we can fix those, as long as we get out of here,” Ryle said as she put Erin’s arm over her shoulders in order to help her walk. She the looked back at the fight between Durge and the dragon to see how it was going. “Getting out of here might be the hard part actually…”
Erin’s eye went wide with shock as she saw how Durge had transformed and how he was fighting the dragon. He reminded her of a comic book character Devin had once showed her long ago, who transformed into a powerful and massive beast whenever he got angry, except far more terrifying and beastly.
“Is that… Is that Durge!?” Erin asked, horrified by the orc’s new form. “How did he-!?”
“I’m not completely sure, but it seems he’s a bit of a special case,” Ryle replied. “Turns out he has some type of a berserker form, except not the usual kind. I’m pretty sure that’s the same thing I saw him use a couple years back.”
“W-We have to help him!” the redhead said. “He might have gotten stronger, but I doubt he can take on a dragon!”
“Are you out of your mind!? No way are we going to get mixed up in that!” the blonde said as she pointed at the brawl between the two monsters. “Not only are we unable to actually help, but Durge no longer sees us allies! The moment he notices us, he’s going to kill us!”
“GODDAMMIT, RYLE! ARE YOU STILL ON WITH THAT CRAP!?” Erin yelled angrily. “EVEN AFTER EVERYTHING HE HAS DONE FOR US, ARE YOU STILL SAYING THAT-!?”
The redhead’s angry rant was cut off by a slap across the face by Ryle. Erin was about to yell at the blonde angrily, only to see an expression on her face that caused her to stop. Instead of being angry and defiant, it seemed like Ryle was sad and regretful.
“...I know that I was wrong. I just couldn’t shake the image of what happened back then out of my mind, even after everything he has done for us,” the blonde said. “However, while I do want to help him like you do, the problem is we can’t. Not just because we are too powerless to do anything, but because it would leave his sacrifice in vain. He turned into that monster in order to help us. We shouldn’t make his effort meaningless by our own actions.”
Erin looked back at the battle between Durge and the dragon. It was clear even without anyone stating it, but it was a fight that they had no place in. It was two massive monsters going at each other, making all of their previous battles seem like nothing in comparison. Was there really nothing that they could do?
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Meanwhile, the control room in charge of the games looked like it was a party, as the Laughing Ogre thugs in charge of it were having the time of their lives. They essentially got the best view of the show, so it wasn’t unusual for them to bring in food and drinks to liven things up. As long as they did their job, there were no issues, so they took full advantage of their position.
“Wow. Who knew that bastard Durge had something like that up his sleeve?” one of the thugs commented, impressed by the orc’s transformation. “Do you think he could actually kill the dragon?”
“Of course not, idiot!” another one said mockingly. “He might have gotten a bit stronger, but that’s nothing against an actual dragon! He’ll just end up as lunch for that thing!”
“He better! I bet money on all of the contestants dying!” a third one commented, getting a laugh out of the whole group.
As they were watching the battle unfold, one of the monitors suddenly went dark. The thugs were so focused on the battle with the dragon that it almost went completely unnoticed.
“Hey… One of the screens just went dark,” one of the thugs said, noticing the problem.
“Probably just a malfunction. It’s been a while since the equipment got a maintenance check,” another one commented, not really concerned over what had happened. “As long was we have most of the screens available, it shouldn’t be too much of an issue.”
However, just as the thug said this, the rest of the screens began to shut down one after another. The control room crew immediately jumped into action, trying to find the issue, but weren’t able to fix it no matter what they did. They then tried to use the communicators in the room to contact someone outside in order to report the issues, but even that wasn’t working. With no other options, they tried to get out only to find the electric door not moving. The control room crew was now effectively cut off from the outside completely, unable to do anything.
This was all caused by a certain cat boy right outside the control room, who had a smirk on his face. It was time to get into action.