!!!!! Pr Credits To Draconis & Tembulon who not only both pred it but improved this ch's quality greatly please rep them. Also Full Credits to Askard who maintains the Information Doc where a majority of spectral regalia information is written please Rep him to ^^!!!
this chapter marks a turn in the writing material for the story i have learnt a lot thanks mostly to my readers giving criticism im sure i have narrowed down the majority of what makes a good balance for a story aswell as a side charecters and i will be trying to implement them at a fair pace while trying to keep things new and fresh.
i was going to release this tmr but take the early release as a special gift for you all :D after reading this chapter you may have some questions please read the authors note i left at the bottom as it may answer some for you.
Please Rate/Follow/Favourite/Share/Enjoy Ch 83 :)
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The mercenaries were panicking, as rubble started to appear from cracks that had loosened parts of the ceiling and crashed down against the tiles, causing the ground to shake. “GO! HURRY!!” Felia called out to her people, ordering them to rush off to the entrance of the dungeon. She understood it was better to retreat for the moment, rather than to rush in with a chance of getting cut off.
Kael dashed to one side, narrowly managing to avoid a large chunk of rock that had crashed beside him. The ground shook, making him lose balance and tumble over. “Ah..!” He cried out as he looked up to see a larger piece of rock falling towards him. Clenching his teeth, he expected the worst, but the rock blew to pieces as a figure towered above him.
“Damn boy. You are a magnet for death...” Clovis, who had saved Kael, couldn't help but say. Kael nervously laughed and stood up “T...Thank you, Sir Clovis...” Clovis shook his head before punching and shattering another boulder sized piece of rock that had fallen down. “Uh, don't start with the formalities, Clovis is fine… Go get to safety...”
Kael nodded as he rushed off to the mercenaries at the entrance. Avrin had no choice but to assist Clovis in smashing debris that had threatened to crush some mercenaries. Wyni was also enjoying herself, with her legion hammer managing to keep up with both Clovis and Avrin as she hit falling rocks as if they were tennis balls.
“This hammer is amazing!” She happily laughed out. “Tsch... Wyni, stop playing around and get over here!” Felia didn't seem to find her humorous, as she wanted someone capable next to them.
It had taken a minute before the ground and the ceiling, which was now cracked and torn in many spots, to settle down. Avrin kept his guard up carefully, before quietly walking over towards the mercenary group.
“We need to leave...” Avrin uttered out, knowing the Dragon was most likely angry at him. He did not want to go head to head with it if he could avoid the situation. “I agree… No doubt that pressure comes from something we can't hope to ever handle.” Clovis replied as he retreated back.
Felia nodded, having been scared out of her wits, but still showed only a nervous expression. “Fine, I think we can come back another time…” Avrin sighed inwardly. He had no intention to return back to a place that may end up being his tomb.
Before he could walk a few meters, a voice echoed out throughout the entire dungeon, causing the walls and everyone to shudder with terror. “You want to try and escape!?... You think I will let you run free after killing my property!?!...” The voice carried an ancient and murderous killing intent. It was like a flood.
Avrin felt the ground underneath him shake for only a moment, before it exploded, causing rock and debris to shoot up in all directions. “YOU!!!” The voice seemed clearer, as a large, scale engulfed claw grasped around Avrin, who was still recovering from what had just happened. But before he could recover his wits, the large claw retracted as the figure it belonged to speedily returned to the depths.
“MASTER!!!” Kael called out as he tried to rush out, but was tightly grabbed by Clovis, who threw him back into a group of mercenaries. “Don't be stupid, boy! Avrin won't die that easy. We need to get out of here.” Clovis ordered with a serious tone.
Kael bit his tongue in anger before nodding. He knew he didn't have the strength to help Avrin, and he would only get in the way. The entire troop quickly picked up some injured that had been hit with the flying debris that had been shot out from the ground exploded.
Felia only expressed an outward appearance of helplessness and a thought as she retreated. “-Avrin...you better come back with fists full of gold…-” Trying to cheer herself up, these thoughts were repeated.
Meanwhile, underground, like a large machine shooting down a tunnel the claw had returned, showing that it had extended out from the Dragon’s body.
The creature grasped onto Avrin tightly, but not enough to kill him, and glanced at him. Avrin, who was struggling a little, looked at the Dragon. His face somewhat pale, but still showed signs of arrogance.
“Lord Dragon….what have I done to offend you?” Avrin called out. The Dragon’s eyes fixed onto him, before it moved its hand around with Avrin, so he could see the corpse of Gyunicc with several Draconians around it, as well as the other two Avrin had defeated.
“Oh, him? Was he someone important to you?” Avrin tried not to mock, but wanted to know what he was in for. With a quick blur and a flick of the Dragon’s wrist, Avrin shot like a rocket, smashing against the wall. Enough to inflict pain, but not enough to injure him greatly.
Avrin gasped and coughed, as his organs rippled a bit. He felt the Dragon was going easy on him, as if wanting to savor killing him. Avrin quietly stood up from the indentation of the near solid rock that made the large formless cave.
The area itself didn't seem like it was a part of the dungeon, and seemed to be extremely large. He noticed there were hundreds, if not over a thousand, Draconians of all sorts of shapes and sizes around parts of the cave wall and ceiling.
Of course, he finally glanced at the large, towering Dragon that seemed angry enough to breathe fire from its nostrils. “You killed...my Gyunicc…. My property… How dare you….” Avrin frowned. He was ready for the worst, and was quietly preparing Nebula Mist and feeding it into the ground.
“Lord Dragon, was I not allowed to protect myself? Your follower tried to kill me...am I not allowed to retaliate?” The Dragon glanced at Avrin as he roared out; causing a shock wave to shake what seemed like the entire underground, making Avrin cover his ears as well as the other Draconians.
Avrin felt his heart beating extremely quickly. “-This loud bastard…-” Avrin thought to himself. The Dragon then spoke. “You little demon… You stink of dark corruption...you trespass in my home and claim self defence against my followers? And you think I will side with you!!?”
Avrin remained quiet. He knew the Dragon was right. He and the others did indeed trespass on this land. The Dragon began to emit a powerful glowing yellow aura that lit up the cave system. “Lord Dragon, surely we can work things out… Do you not have anything you admire? Perhaps rare ores or the like?”
The Dragon eyed Avrin carefully, before raising its hand, as if preparing to swat a fly. “Do not try to bribe me, little demon… Perish, and think of your mistakes in your next life!” Avrin snuck a glance, seeing that the two Draconians that were different from the others were showing faces of happiness but also fear. Happy to see Avrin die, but fearful of their master’s power.
“-Me, die?...Fuck off, you lizard…-” Avrin thought, before causing the Nebula Mist he had gathered to shoot up, forming an incredibly large shadow wall that was 20 meters wide, 20 meters tall, and 3 meters thick.
Wruen glanced and huffed in dissatisfaction, before swiping against the shadow wall as if collapsing a stacked deck of cards with no trouble. “You think your dark magic can stop me? A Dragon of the first race!?!” He roared out, before glancing passed the wall he had knocked down, before Wruen’s eyes widened with amazement and fear.
A tyrannical pressure was emitted around the cave system, causing him to shudder, as well as the Draconians around to flee and scream. Some tried to claw at their heads and bodies, feeling that the pressure was making their organs itch and ripple.
Avrin was revealed in his second augmentation and wielding Astaroth, which was glowing a bright red with purple edges. He had a pained look, as his lips parted and his teeth clenched. Astaroth sent out pulses and emitted a screeching sound.
Avrin felt his body tremble, as he was trying his best to use what he could handle of Astaroth's power. “Dragon? First race? I had a bad experience with one...so I'll take my frustration out on YOU!” Avrin roared out, before turning into a bright purple light and reappearing in the air at Wruen’s face level.
“Little demon! You are dangerous indeed! I shall rid this world of your evil!!” Avrin’s lips curled into a smile, despite his body feeling as if it were burning and being devoured by Astaroth. Red lines of light crept over both his hands and slowly extended up his arms as purple smoke emitted around the areas, as if it were feeding off his dark matter.
“Stygian Crescent!” Giving a diagonal slash of Astaroth with all the strength in the limit he had reached. The intention of this was to kill the Dragon in one go, as well as give it little room to dodge, if possible.
A surge of power similar to the slash he had used to dispatch the Mana Cyclone in the seas appeared, but the slash cut across the room, ripping the air as if it were scaring the universe. The shape of the slash was the shape of the scythe head, cutting across everything in its path in a fast rush of energy.
“GRAH!!!” Wruen panicked and fury filled him as he charged a Terror Burst on reflex, causing the space around it to distort before shooting it towards the slash that Astaroth had sent out. The channeled beam caused the cave to shake, but he did his best to focus it all onto the slash to destroy it as well as Avrin behind it.
The slash, though, was underestimated, and something he had never experienced before. Being a Dragon, he had never experienced a foe or enemy capable of challenging him. The Stygian Crescent easily tore away at the Terror Burst as if it weren't there at all. It actually seemed to strengthen it a little.
“YOU!!!” Wruen roared out. But in that short amount of time, he tried to dodge as fast he could. He tried to jump to the lower side of the diagonal energy slash, but had wasted too much time. His arm had cleanly been cut off, as well as a clean portion of the crystals protruding out of his back.
He roared out in agony as yellow blood bled out from the wound. He had never experienced this sort of pain in his life. It was new to him in all the years he had survived. “IT HURTS!!!” Wruen roared out and twisted around crazily like an infant having a tantrum.
Avrin, though, was somewhat better off, as he quickly willed Astaroth to stop keeping its current power by tightening the limiter on it. Avrin glanced at Wruen as he clenched the hilt of Astaroth. He glanced at the energy wave that had continued on into the cave vanish into the air slowly as he remade the limiter. As if it's connection with the weapon that set it off had vanished.
“10%....did this much… But that's my limit for now” He glanced smugly at Wruen, who was focusing his mana into his wound to try and heal it. Wruen glanced at his wound before glancing at Avrin, even more so at the weapon that hid its tyrannical aura. Wruen’s eyes watched with fear, and Avrin saw this.
“What's wrong? Aren't you going to kill me? You know, I'm not sure if you know Lang, but she tried to kill me before… This put me in a similar mood… Something just clicked, and I knew I had to return the favor to your race.”
Wruen used his legs and remaining arm to lift himself up as he growled at Avrin. “You...YOU INSECT!!!... How dare you… How DARE you injure me….” Avrin gazed at Wruen before speaking up. “If you still want to fight...I'll show no mercy… I don't want to kill you, but if you put me in a position to, I won't hesitate…”
Avrin understood having the knowledge of a Dragon, especially one that seemed like it was attuned to earth, would hold many advantages to him. It would help him discover rare ores and such.
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Wruen remained quiet. He knew Avrin’s weapon was something incredible and more than he could handle. He presumed he was a Sigil Wielder, one of the people that his creator had warned him not to irritate.
“Hmm… You expect me not to retaliate? You think me a worm? To be fearful of you… Are you a Sigil Wielder? Have you come here to try and claim glory by defeating me!!?” Avrin was speechless. He wasn't sure how to answer the Dragon. He had presumed it guessed that because of Astaroth.
“Take your weapon and PERISH!!!” Wruen began to charge another Terror Burst, which immediately made Avrin clutch on to Astaroth, before a surge of energy enveloped him, emitting a powerful pressure that was as strong as when he had first shot off the attack.
“5%...should be enough… Stygian Crescent!!” Astaroth emitted a banshee-like scream as it screeched through the air, releasing a powerful wave of energy that short forth horizontally.
Wruen also shot off a more powerful Terror Burst, feeling somewhat more comfortable as the slash Avrin sent seemed to hold less pressure. But it was met with a similar result. The Stygian Crescent only struggled for a moment before it cut apart the channeled Terror Burst and seemed to be growing bit by bit.
This time, Wruen empowered the beam of energy as he tried to resist, but he didn't know all he did was adding fuel to the fire. “NO!” He roared out as he tried to dodge again, his large frame causing the ground to shake. The moment he did, the Stygian Crescent dissipated. As if being willed to.
Wruen had managed to avoid the slash with only a few of the crystalline pillars on his back being sliced off. “-Close…-” Wruen thought to himself. But as he glanced back to Avrin, he saw he was in the air in front of him with Astaroth brought behind his, back ready to slash, and a monstrous grin on his face.
“-This Dragon is like me… We both have incredible energy in our grasps… He in his body and me in Astaroth-Avrin slashed down towards the Dragon's head with pure force.
Wruen showed a stunned expression, as he felt the wind pressure that was impossible for him to avoid split past his body. “My… My defences...are the best of my kind… How could this whelp…” Blood sprayed out in a line across Wruen’s body. Wruen silently collapsed on to the floor of the cave. Avrin glanced at Wruen and frowned.
“You're incredibly powerful….but your body was just too big… I was just the worst match for you. Your defences, compared to Astaroth, mean nothing...” Avrin walked over towards the head of Wruen, gazing at the eyes that were open and that seemed like enormous jewels.
As Avrin clutched Astaroth in his right hand, he turned for a moment, feeling the battle was over. “Sorry to say...but your brats put up more of a fight then-” Wruen’s head turned into a quick blur. Avrin used instinct to kick away. He felt a great pain on his left side.
As he turned to look, he saw his arm and shoulder and some of his side was missing with a clean bite. Wruen’s mouth was stained with blood both red and blue. Wruen gave menacing look towards Avrin and uttered out. “Wruen… Know the name...of one who almost killed you…” He uttered out, before his eyes slowly closed while gazing at Avrin, never to be opened again.
Before blood could leak out, Avrin extended his hand towards his missing half, engulfing it in Nebula Mist to stop it from getting worse. “Haha...HAHAHAHA!” Avrin laughed out as he fell to his knees in pain. He glanced at Wruen, placing the hilt of Astaroth onto the ground.
Avrin grinned with sweat running down his face. “If I was...a foot closer to you...I would have joined you in death… In the end, I underestimated you…” Gazing at the blood stains on Wruen’s mouth, Avrin willed the blue blood to disperse and return to him.
Although he was in his second augmentation, he was still much slower than Wruen’s head movement. He understood that Wruen couldn't move fast himself, but his arms and head were most likely incredibly fast.
Taking a deep breath, Avrin felt killing intent behind him as he slowly stood up. He ducked down as a streak of light cut across the air where his upper body was. He quickly turned, before smashing the rod section of Astaroth against the figure behind him.
“Gah!” The figure, being the Draconian Luzar, felt his ribs break as he was smashed away like a ragdoll. Avrin glanced at him fiercely. “Don't bother… In this augmentation and with this weapon, I can kill a thousand of you…” Avrin threatened him, who clutched his ribs and hissed angrily.
Avrin then glanced back at Wruen’s corpse, trying to ignore the intense pain of his left half. He also ignored Luzar, who seemed to be nervously still and quiet. He knew he had lost his chance to kill him, so he wouldn't dare now.
“-This Dragon was the perfect match for me...and yet he still almost got me with one movement… Until my base from reaches a higher level, I won't dare to tangle with any more...-” Avrin quivered as the pain in his left side seemed to get worse at the thought.
Avrin glanced back at the corpse, as he was wondering if he could salvage anything from it, but soon snapped out of it as his shortened Divine Sense had just come up with something.
He could clearly feel everything. The Draconians, the corpse of Wruen, the cave system, the entire dungeon, as well as the mercenaries, as his Divine Sense was expanded greatly. “-Could Wruen’s death have been the trigger to a magic or seal that stopped sensory abilities? How powerful...-” Avrin couldn't help but admit inwardly that Wruen would have fared better if he didn't underestimate Avrin.
Avrin knew he could meet up with the mercenaries any time he pleased, but his focus was down the seemingly endless hole not too far from Wruen’s corpse. It was at least a kilometer deep, which surprised Avrin.
Glancing at the side of his body, where his energy was mainly focused on, he could feel that there was an abundance of treasure down there, but frowned, as his reason for even joining the dungeon was not with it.
Ge couldn't feel any Sky Metal at all. Even with his powerful Divine Sense. “This...is quite unfair…” He helplessly spoke to himself, as if wanting to let a tear out. Using his Void Step, it had only taken an instant for him to appear at the bottom of the hole, where the surface of the wall was covered with yellow crystals that emitted a powerful glow.
Enough to shine against the precious metals and items of those ancient adventurers that had fallen in the dungeon, as well as ores and metals that had been gathered by it over hundreds of years.
Avrin spent a good half an hour picking and going through everything, looking for something valuable that would make his effort worth it. His left side had already been completely healed and the clothing replaced, but his disappointment remained.
“Nothing! Nothing of value, this Wruen must be the poorest dragon on this planet...…” Avrin tried to joke by taking his frustration out on the dead dragon. Avrin sighed before reaching over and grabbing 4 large chunks of ore that he deemed to be at least Unique in rarity. He would use this to train his own blacksmithing and barter somewhat later on.
Using a Void Step, he appeared next to Wruen’s corpse, seeing Draconians weeping all over it, as if having lost their father. But as soon as they saw Avrin, they screeched and ran off in all directions, like creatures scattering at the sign of light being shined on them.
“Now then…” Avrin walked over, picking up a fragment of a crystal that was protruding from Wruen’s back and examined it carefully. “These things hold quite a bit of mana. This will be good to absorb for dark matter when I need it.” Still clutching Astaroth, Avrin quickly sent it away to its space before forming a hammer from dark matter.
He took the time to make sure it was concentrated heavily in the shape of the legion hammer as it had a balance he liked. Jumping onto Wruen’s back. He immediately smashed some of the crystals. Shattering them into fragments, to which a swirl of Nebula Mist grasped onto it and gathered it all before placing it into the enchanted sack.
Avrin looked around a bit more. He took a seat on a crystal stump and began to think. He looked around, seeing that no more Draconians were in the room. The must have skittered off into the many tunnels from the cave system that even his Divine Sense couldn't see the end of.
“I’ve killed a Dragon. There is no way this is going to end well.” He rubbed his forehead quietly. “I can't be too greedy.” He raised the Void Hammer, willing it to reshape into a dagger, before he also formed several vials from Nebula Mist. He then walked over towards Wruen’s neck and stabbed the side, cutting down, before it's blood began to spurt out into the vials that the Nebula Mist was holding over it.
Using the mist to hold objects and move about as it pleased was something Avrin felt was easy in a second augmentation. The feeling of entering it was also much more comfortable ever since he had healed up. Although there was a bit of pain from augmenting, it wasn't an issue.
After he had filled up several vials, he engulfed Wruen’s corpse in Nebula Mist completely. “Your corpse will definitely leak to the outside world, so I'll just remove it.” Of course, Avrin would also benefit.
He knew that if he could ever make organic things, with the knowledge of Wruen’s blood and body, he would be able to create what he needed if the time ever called for it. But the main reason was that if the mercenaries saw the corpse of a Dragon, they would never believe him if he said he didn't kill it. Especially when the corpse would still be fresh.
After having taken care of everything he needed, Avrin stood up. In truth, he found no value in the Dragon other than to use some pieces and parts to barter with people in higher positions, or possibly use it's blood in alchemy, which he doubted would be impossible.
He glanced up, seeing the mercenaries were already in the second chamber and heading towards the exit of it. Without waiting, he used a Void Step before appearing in the middle of the entire line of people, who immediately jumped away in fright of Avrin appearing so suddenly.
“Avrin!!” A voice called out.
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(A:N)
so i felt this dungeon shouldn't drag out as i had read in the comments which is why i tried to make it end within this chapter so to speak, but i felt that i shouldn't write it badly so i tried to make it as fitting as i could.
avrin didn't hold back, he killed Wruen going all out, but Wruen himself wasn't a good match for avrin in the sense that he's body isn't meant for agile movements and is mainly for defence but against Astaroth it's not very effective.
also I didn't want dragons to be underestimated which is why i had wruen bite off avrins left side with only the quick head of the dragon to show avrin that if he met a dragon that didn't focus on defence but offense or agile movements than at he's current level he is outmatched even with astarot, unless he could hit them or keep up he is dead.
the sigil weapons themselves also play to this as they increase the users power overall as well as have their own strengths to help them match any dragon.
also i didn't give him sky metal because it felt a bit cliche yeah you beat a dragon and you get skymetal i feel this unexpected touch is great especially since he isn't really strong yet and hasnt mastered astaroth it would be to soon to give him another op godly weapon.
i want to try and focus on content and excitement in the way that avrin suprises people as well as try not to rush things i also want to focus a bit on improving and helping avrin get stronger.
I'm sure some of you are happy avrin wasn't steamrolled in this ch before winning. If you compare those chapters to this one you will see i tried to make it all flow in a logical way. He tried gauging strength and getting used to fighting people on he's level and pushing himself.
But at the same time he knew if he underestimated Wruen he would die which is why he used what he learnt and finally went all out on him.