Synn was dodging the drakes tail swipes and claws as he dodged between pillars firing off shots of the newly acquired void bullet. He’d been heading to the exit when the doors clicked shut barring his escape and as a result had almost been caught by the drakes’ tail swiping low at his upper thigh.
Having thrown himself low to the floor as the razor-sharp scales of the tail scraped along his lightly armoured back, he’d just about managed to stay in the fight although blood was now running down the back of his left arm making the hilt of his sword slick in his grip. Slowly he was working to turn the fight back to his favour.
The biggest benefit to the stolen skill was it stopped the drake from using it. The second benefit, the void bullets that he was using to return fire actually had an effect. This had been the most surprising part to Synn in all honesty. He’d thought with a powerful skill like void blast the drake would have some sort of natural immunity to that element, but it turned out the drake was just as vulnerable as everyone else.
The drake wasn’t done yet though. Along with it’s tail it still had a breath attack which is used to fire dark flames at Synn. This was a skill it was able to use approximately every 30 seconds and when used it was like a flamethrower engulfing everything within a section of the room where Synn could hide and take a momentary pause to plan his next steps.
The battle had become a war of attrition. Synn was firing nonstop at the drake and its armour was gradually fading away. It’s scales barely visible as the void energy ate away at its existence.
The drake gave up on chasing as one leg visibly ceased to be and instead of swiping at Synn it tried to pin him in the corner or force him to stop hiding by ramping up the level of its dark flame breath technique.
The flames now clung to the floor, the pillars, and the ceiling. Even without a fuel to burn they continued to trap Synn.
‘I guess my luck finally ran out.’ He pensively groaned as his inner dialogue became louder than his short breaths and booming rapid heartbeats. ‘So much left undone. Grandpa, I’ve failed. I promised myself I’d find out just what happened to you in that dungeon, but it looks like I’ll never be strong enough now. I left without telling my family where I was going or that I planned to surpass all of them and their ridiculous stats and skills. Become a bigger name than all of them and push them into obscurity. They didn’t even blink when Grandpa disappeared, are they really that numb to the loss of human life after so many years of delving. Guess if I survive this, I should try to enjoy life a little more and appreciate those around me more.
Synn was crouched behind one of the flaming pillars, he could feel the searing heat probably destroying his skin and a sneaky look back showed another blast of flame coming in but in a pleasant surprise, half of the drake’s chest had a huge hole appearing in it and within that hole a shimmering purple orb.
‘It has its dragon core exposed now. Maybe there is time for one last heroic move before the flames devour me. If I can just get my sword into that opening.’
Synn ran from behind the pillar as the flame blast ended, jumped a line of fire burning on the floor and quickly closed on the drake.
Both swords were in hand, and he used an underhand throw to flick one sword like a throwing knife straight at the drake’s open maw. The drake turned away slightly to protect its mouth, and this gave Synn just the opening he needed, he dove to knees like a kid on the dance floor at the end of a party and slid towards the drake with the sword locked in both hands pointing directly at the purple core.
Time seemed to slow as the first sword bounced off the side of the drake’s lower jaw, and it started to round on Synn once more. It bared its teeth looking ready to cut him in two with those sharp fangs. Still Synn was sliding towards the drake. He had no intention of being roasted alive so bitten in two was a slightly better alternative although still not on his list of things to do today.
The drake’s jaws snapped just behind Synn, he’d done it, the final defence had been passed and now the tip of the sword connected with the orb. The initial contact felt like he’d hit a solid metal wall but the sword continued, penetrating the core and shattering it.
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Synn had no energy left and he was directly underneath the drake, ‘Oh no. Instead of burnt to death I’m going to be squished to death. Why can’t this day just end already!’
The drake roared, pushing up onto its two half existing hind legs, ready to drop down and crush Synn with its dying breath. But rather than come straight down the void energy finally removed one of the hind legs and it toppled sideways just missing Synn as it drew its final breath.
Synn just lay still on the floor for a moment. With the defeat of the drake the void bullet skill left Synn and as a result the damage it was inflicting also stopped leaving a half-ravaged drake corpse next to him. The flames had wilted and winked out of existence at the drakes demise too.
The last thing that happened as the drake died was a golden light flashed into existence right next to him leaving him feeling partially blinded but as it faded away it left behind a beautiful, gleaming golden chest.
‘A rewards chest!!!’ Excitement bubbled over within Synn so that he felt he could dance for joy despite the lack of energy within him right now. ‘I knew my luck was changing. I just knew it!!!’
Unable to wait he dragged his tired and damaged body over to the chest and threw open the latch, lifting the lid.
As the lid lifted more golden aura spilled out revealing a plush golden cushion upon which sat three items. Two of the items he immediately knew just from a cursory glance. One was a pouch filled with golden coins that spilt out over the drawstring top, obvious enough. The second was a silver crystal and from what Synn had read this was a dungeon creation crystal. On the rare occasion a guild managed to find one they could instantly propel them to a level several ranks higher. It allowed them to create a dungeon entrance in the place of their choosing. It could be their guild hall or on their land but regardless of where they chose it would allow them to delve on a regular basis and thus gain more experience for their members. The number of dungeons and the levels they were at was a great way of advertising for the guilds. More dungeons at a range of levels meant more opportunities for them to level up and obtain rewards. Synn’s hand hovering over the crystal instantly gave him the information that it would create a level 15 dungeon.
If he could retain ownership of the item, it would be of tremendous benefit to him in the future when negotiating with a guild. And there in lay his dilemma, first pick of the rewards would usually go to whoever had slain the boss of the dungeon and this was a reward that could set him up for life, but the final item was calling to him even more so. The last item looked like a skill crystal that could be absorbed into the body and would instantly grant them the skill and sometimes if the one absorbing it was lucky a slight stat boost. This crystal varied in colour though, a skill crystal would normally be in the shape of a pentagonal pyramid with a light blue shade, like that of a clear sky on a summers day. This crystal still had the pentagonal pyramid shape but instead had a vividly sizzling, deep purple, amethyst hue.
Synn knew he could absorb this crystal, but he didn’t know what it would do for him as no information was given when he held it.
‘Okay, it may seem greedy but I’m going to take a chance and absorb you now before the others come back in the hope that I can then retain the dungeon creation crystal when dividing up rewards later. Well providing someone manages to get that door open.’
Synn held the amethyst crystal in his left hand and after a brief ‘here goes nothing’ he pressed it into an open wound on his right forearm. The crystal dissolved which is what a skill crystal would do, and the energy it generated then flowed into his bloodstream.
From what he’d read and been told, absorbing a skill crystal would just imprint on him the new skill and the knowledge to go with it and then he would be done.
Not this amethyst crystal, this roved around his body almost sizing him up before seeming to find where his soul was tethered to his body and pausing, next thing he knew notifications began to appear.
Evolution Crystal Absorbed.
User and Skills analysed… Detrimental innate skill discovered. Analysis shows level locked and with limiting factors. Suggesting a rebuild of innate skill as no other options currently available.
Does user Synn accept?
Yes/No?
Synn’s pause was nonexistent. ‘Yes, all day long YES!!!’
User acceptance recognised. Beginning innate skill restructure. As this is a key part of your being side effects may include numbness, loss of consciousness, temporary loss of movement in limbs, temporary stopping of the heart.
‘Stopping of the heart? You can’t be serious!’