After dodging and deflecting multiple lightning strikes, I landed on the ground, facing the monster.
"Appraisal..."
Name: Thunder Dragon
Level: 70
HP: 320,000 / 320,000
MP: 70,000 / 70,000
Type: Lightning, Dragon
Abilities:
Lightning Resistance: Immunity against all lightning attacks.
Dragon Rage: Attack damage increases by 20%; an additional 40% damage if the attack is dragon-type.
I had no idea this snake-like thing was considered a dragon. But that didn't matter. What mattered was that I had to defeat this monster and save the day—like any hero would.
First things first—
"Say cheese!"
I snapped a picture of the Thunder Dragon and stashed my smartphone back into my inventory. Evidence secured.
Then, I pulled out a magic wand—a farewell gift from everyone at Elesis Fort. According to its stats, this wand could amplify my magical attacks by 50%.
Since this monster had lightning resistance, using lightning-based attacks was out of the question. That much was obvious.
I pressed my hand against the ground and shouted, "Giant Earth Drill!"
Jagged spikes of rock burst from the earth, spinning violently toward the Thunder Dragon. Based on the logic of the games I played, lightning-type monsters were weak to earth-based attacks. This should be super effective!
The Thunder Dragon wasn't going down that easily. It thrashed its massive body, shattering my earth drill, then twisted around and slammed its enormous tail in my direction.
I barely managed to leap away in time.
Zap! Zap! Zap!
Sparks flickered along the dragon's body, then shot toward me like a web of crackling lightning.
"Barrier!"
A shimmering shield enveloped me, deflecting the first few bolts, but the onslaught didn't stop. If I stayed put, the barrier would break under the continuous barrage.
I needed a new strategy. Fast.
I refused to be useless again.
Because of my weakness, I had been unable to save Meily and everyone else. That regret still haunted me.
To make up for it, I trained hard with Rin and the others.
I raised my staff again. "Glacial Spear!"
A jagged ice lance shot forward, but before it could pierce the dragon's scales, a surge of lightning shattered it into mist. I clenched my teeth.
Fine. If ice wouldn't work—
"Aqua Bind!"
Torrents of water swirled around the Thunder Dragon, forming a vortex meant to restrict its movement. But in an instant, the water boiled away under the sheer heat of its crackling electricity.
The dragon reared back and fired a concentrated lightning beam. I barely managed to dodge, but the explosion sent me crashing into the ground, pain shooting through my back.
"Tch..."
I wasn't done yet.
"Eruption!"
A geyser of flames burst from beneath the dragon. The beast roared, but to my horror, it absorbed the heat, turning it into energy that crackled along its scales. I gasped.
It had a secondary ability—Heat Conduction!
A flash of light—
Before I could react, a bolt of lightning streaked toward me. I twisted at the last second, but the shockwave sent my body skidding across the dirt.
The Thunder Dragon wasted no time. It lunged, jaws snapping. I barely managed to roll away before its fangs could crush me.
This was bad.
None of my elemental attacks were working.
[Thunder dragon HP: 290,000/320,000]
I needed to change my approach—fast.
The Thunder Dragon roared and unleashed a torrent of lightning. I braced myself, slamming my hands on the ground.
"Earth Guard!"
Three thick layers of earth barriers erupted in front of me, intercepting the attack. The impact shattered the rock, kicking up a cloud of dust and debris.
The dragon assumed I was still behind the rubble and lunged forward with its fangs bared.
But it found nothing.
Confused, the dragon scanned the battlefield, searching for me.
Above.
I had already taken to the air, staff raised high.
"Trap Hole!"
The ground beneath the dragon gave way, forming a deep chasm. The beast roared as it sank, its massive body trapped inside a fifty-meter-deep pit.
With a flick of my wrist, I unleashed a barrage of fireballs, hammering the immobilized dragon with relentless explosions. Its HP plummeted from 290,000 to 180,000 just in few moments.
The dragon retaliated, launching bolts of lightning upward, but they dissipated before reaching me.
Cornered.
[Thunder dragon HP: 120,000/320,000]
No matter how much it struggled, there was no escape.
This was my victory.
"Time for you to become my experience points."
I gathered every ounce of mana into my staff. Flames spiraled around me, condensing into a brilliant sphere of destructive energy.
"Infernal Burst!"
A massive pillar of fire engulfed the pit, swallowing the Thunder Dragon whole.
A deafening roar.
Then silence.
...
[Experience points gained.]
[Level up: 65!]
[Skill points acquired.]
[New skills unlocked.]
With the Thunder Dragon defeated, things should have returned to normal. Now that the apex predator was gone, the other monsters would likely retreat back to their habitats in the eastern mountains.
And yet—
I couldn't shake this unease in my chest.
"Things are going to be fine... right?" I muttered to myself.
But my gut feeling wouldn't go away.
And I never ignored my instincts.
If that demon woman was behind all this chaos, I needed to act fast.
I knew that if I faced her again right now, I would lose. She was far stronger than me.
I needed a strategy.
For now, I could reinforce the walls I had created. The guild would assign adventurers to guard the nearby human settlements. That would buy me some time.
I would investigate this alone later. I couldn't ignore this gut feeling.
I levitated into the air, gazing out over the vast mountain range. From a distance, I could feel it—a dark, overwhelming energy.
"?!"
What is that?! Could it be?!
A power I had encountered once before.
My breath hitched. My body trembled—not from the cold, but from the sheer malice radiating from afar.
My mind flashed back to my battle with the blood-manipulating demon.
I shivered, but I couldn't let my fear control me anymore.
I had to stand and fight.
No matter what.
I clenched my fists.
"This time... I won't lose."