Chapter 104
After Michalis' intense battle, he carefully collected the magical stones from the fallen silverbacks he had vanquished.
As he pocketed the precious gems, a sense of triumph swelled within him.
The others, who had watched the fight with bated breath, quickly rushed to his side, their faces alight with elation.
"Well done, Michalis!" they cheered, offering him countless praises.
Michalis basked in their admiration, feeling a swell of pride in his chest.
"Michalis, that was an incredible display of your skill!" Clair exclaimed, patting him on the back, much to his elation.
"Thank you” Michalis shyly replied.
“Hmmf, you did manage to show a bit of skill but……” Vasiliki’s words trailed, her eyes fixed on his wounds.
“Tsk, here” Vasiliki said, digging through her dungeon bag before throwing something at him.
Michalis hastily stretched his had to catch it, looking at his palm, he could see a potion bottle.
“Is this for me?” Michalis asked, a bit taken aback by Vasiliki’s gesture.
“Sigh, it’s hard to believe that you managed to win with that brain of yours” Vasiliki replied.
‘Ugh, why cant she just………Sigh, never mind. What does Draco nii think?’ Michalis thought, suppressing his itch to fight Vasiliki.
Turning to Draco, Michalis eagerly awaited his older brother’s verdict on the fight.
Draco's approval meant that he really did good, as he greatly respected his judgment.
"Good job," Draco said, acknowledging Michalis' efforts with a nod.
"I'm sure our goddess will also be pleased with your performance." Draco added.
Upon hearing Draco's praise, Michalis felt the tension he hadn't even realized he was carrying dissipate from his body.
Despite the immense pressure of being the first to attempt the challenge and the sheer difficulty of his opponents, he had accomplished what he had set out to do.
'Phew, that was intense,' Draco thought, the tension in his mind slowly dissipating.
Draco let out a subtle sigh of relief, his gaze sweeping over Michalis.
Watching Michalis battle had been both exhilarating and worrisome.
He had somewhat expected the fight to be challenging, but not to the extent he had just witnessed.
Michalis had faced several near-death experiences during the confrontation, and it had taken every ounce of his restraint not to intervene.
Yet, somehow, the determined young boy had emerged victorious, filling Draco with a sense of pride but also a twinge of concern.
'Did I set the difficulty too high?' Draco wondered, his brow furrowing slightly.
The silverbacks Michalis had defeated were among the weakest challenges Draco had designed, and he couldn't help but worry if the others would be able to overcome their own trials with the same tenacity and skill.
He had given Michalis a weaker challenge, because he was the only one who had a big handicap on his magic skill, so he couldn’t display all that he had.
Nikolaos, who had been observing the exchange, noticed Draco's pensive expression.
"Is something bothering you?" he asked, his red eyes gleaming with curiosity.
Draco offered Nikolaos a reassuring smile. "I'm fine, just thinking about certain things," he replied, reaching out to gently ruffle Nikolaos' vibrant red hair.
"By the way, it seems you're up next. Are you feeling ready?" he asked, changing the topic.
Nikolaos' pointed ears perked and his lips stretched into a feral grin, his excitement palpable.
"I am as ready as I'll ever be," he declared, his voice laced with anticipation.
Draco was momentarily taken aback by Nikolaos' eagerness, but he returned the smile, a hint of amusement dancing in his eyes.
"Alright, then let's head to the next floor," Draco announced, gaining the attention of the entire group.
Without further delay, they set out towards the 12th floor, where Nikolaos' opponent awaited.
Draco had carefully chosen a difficult challenge for Nikolaos, taking into account his strengths and weaknesses.
Nikolaos was a strength-focused fighter, wielding a brutal two-handed spiked maul – a weapon that possessed devastating attacking power but was also heavy and cumbersome.
While Nikolaos had received a significant boost to his stats, the inherent drawbacks of his weapon, such as slower attacks and vulnerability to fast-moving opponents, remained.
Draco had also considered Nikolaos' transformation ability, which could potentially allow him to overcome opponents stronger than himself.
Searching the upper and upper-middle floors, Draco had settled on an Infant Dragon as Nikolaos' opponent.
Originally, he had intended to find a swift foe, but within the floors that he had chosen, he couldn't find any monsters that would truly challenge Nikolaos' mobility.
The Infant Dragon, however, presented a different kind of challenge.
Though not as agile as Draco had initially planned, the dragon's immense size, durability, and raw power would force Nikolaos to rely on his transformation and strategic thinking to emerge victorious.
As they descended the opening to the 12 floor , Draco couldn't help but wonder if he had struck the right balance between difficulty and fairness for his familia.
Michalis had managed to overcome his trial, but Draco knew that each individual had their own unique strengths and weaknesses, and the challenges he had designed would test them in different ways.
The group soon arrived at the entrance to the trial area that Draco had set on 12th floor.
Draco turned to face Nikolaos, his expression serious yet encouraging.
"Alright, this is it. Nikolaos, I know you're ready for this. But remember, your life comes first” Draco warned again.
He knew how difficult the fight was going to be for Nikolaos, after-all he was the one who captured the infant Dragon.
It wasn’t an easy feat but he had managed with the first stage of his transformation.
Nikolaos nodded, his eyes burning with determination.
"Don’t worry Draco nii. I won’t lose, no I can’t lose. I will win and return victorious” Nikolaos confidently replied.
Draco placed a reassuring hand on Nikolaos' shoulder.
"I have no doubt about that. Now, go and show our goddess that you possess the making of a hero." with a savage smile on his lips.
With a deep breath, Nikolaos turned and stepped forward, his grip tightening around the hilt of his massive maul.
The others watched with bated breath as he disappeared into the dimly lit chamber, ready to face his greatest challenge yet.
Draco watched his brother retreating form, his heart swelling with a mixture of pride and concern.
‘Return safe’ Draco thought, before placing his hand on the ground.
He then sent a pulse of earth magic into the enclosure, releasing the Infant dragon from its entrapment.
………………………………………………………………………………………
The air in the dimly lit area was thick with a heavy, oppressive fog that obscured visibility, creating an unsettling atmosphere of uncertainty and unease.
Nikolaos gripped his massive, spiked maul tightly, his heart pounding with a mixture of adrenaline and apprehension as he cautiously navigated his way through the fog.
Suddenly, a deep, guttural roar echoed through the chamber, sending a shiver down Nikolaos' spine.
A massive beast standing at a staggering 4.5 feet tall and around 4 meters in length, emerged from the mist, its long neck and thick, elephant-like legs casting an imposing silhouette.
Nikolaos tightened his grip on his spiked maul, his muscles tensing and knuckles turning white as he prepared for the impending battle.
Roar !!
With a sudden roar, the infant dragon charged through the mist, its long neck lashing out like a battering ram, aiming to slam into Nikolaos with bone-crushing force.
Nikolaos managed to evade, narrowly avoiding the attack.
The force of the Infant dragon’s charge was so strong that, the impact of the creature's head against the stone wall reverberating through the area.
Nikolaos heart nearly popped out of his chest upon witnessing its ridiculous strength, but he didn’t dwell on it for long.
Immediately he scrambled on his feet to seize the opportunity presented to him.
Nikolaos swung his spiked maul with all his might, the spiked head colliding with the dragon's flank.
Thud !!
The weapon connected with the infant dragon's tough hide, but the blow barely seemed to register.
Undeterred, the infant dragon whipped its head around, its jaws snapping at Nikolaos, who barely managed to evade the powerful bite.
The dragon's movements were quite dexterous and unpredictable, making it difficult for Nikolaos to any significant blows with his heavy weapon.
The boy realized he needed to adjust his strategy.
Seeing as his strength wasn’t enough to deal any significant damage, Nikolaos created some distance between them and activated his skill called ‘Feral Wolf Spirit’ for a boost.
He immediately felt the primal essence of his inner beast surge within him, and with a mighty roar, his features began to shift.
His eyes narrowed, his brow furrowed, and his body grew larger, more muscular, as his wolf like features became more defined.
The dragon's next attack was met with a flurry of savage strikes from Nikolaos.
He darted around the beast, using his enhanced speed and agility to his advantage.
Each blow of his maul echoed through the chamber, but the dragon's thick hide deflected the majority of the hits.
Frustrated, Nikolaos attempted to find a weak spot, focusing his attacks on the dragon's neck, joints and underbelly.
The creature's movements were slower than him, but its sheer size, weight, reach, strength and defence more than made up for it.
Thump !
Nikolaos narrowly avoided a crushing stomp, the dragon's massive foot cracking the stone floor where he once stood.
Darting around the dragon's relentless attacks, Nikolaos soon found a weaknesses that he could exploit.
He noticed that the upper part of dragon's neck and lower underbelly, while incredibly strong, seemed to be vulnerable spots.
The joints on its legs were too thick for his maul to do any critical damage.
Gripping his maul with both hands, he waited for the right moment when the dragon stretched its neck.
He evaded and swung the spiked head of his maul directly at the dragon's neck.
The impact was brutal, and the dragon let out a shriek of pain, its movements becoming more erratic.
Nikolaos pressed his advantage, unleashing a flurry of strikes, each one aimed at the dragon's neck and underbelly – the areas he had identified as most vulnerable.
The battle continued, the misty room echoing with the sounds of metal colliding with bone, the dragon's roars, and Nikolaos' savage growls as he unleashed his attacks with feral ferocity.
Despite the dragon's size and toughness, Nikolaos' skill and ferocity began to wear it down.
Sensing an opportunity, Nikolaos feinted a strike to the dragon's neck, only to change direction mid-swing and bring the maul down on the charging creature's leg.
The impact was devastating, and one of the dragon's leg buckled, causing it to stumble and temporarily lose its balance.
Sensing another opportunity, Nikolaos leapt onto the dragon's back, using his claws to cling to the creature's hide.
He then began raining down blows, targeting its skull.
The dragon thrashed and wildly twisted around, trying to dislodge its attacker, but Nikolaos held on, his strong desire to win fueling his actions.
As the battle raged on, Nikolaos began to tire, his enhanced strength and speed slowly waning.
Soon his grip began weakening and he was forced to jump off the Infant dragons back as it crash heavily on the ground.
Seeing that his opponent was exhausted and lying on the ground, Nikolaos let his guard down.
He wasn’t expecting a sudden counter from the dragon as it had significantly been weakened, this proved to be a terrible a mistake.
The dragon, sensing its opponent's vulnerability, launched a desperate charge, its neck snapping forward in a lightning-fast strike.
Nikolaos caught off guard, the dragon's jaws clamped down on his arm brace, eliciting a pained cry.
Gritting his teeth against the agony, Nikolaos swung his maul with the strength he could muster, slamming the spiked head into the dragon's eye.
The beast recoiled, releasing its grip, and Nikolaos tumbled to the ground, clutching his injured arm.
The dragon thrashed wildly, its wounded eye oozing a red, viscous fluid.
Nikolaos knew that he couldn’t prolong the battle with his injured arm, so he seized the opportunity, and summoned every ounce of his remaining strength to deal a devastating blow.
With a savage roar, he charged forward, his maul raised high with both hands, and be jumped up, ignoring all the pain.
His maul crashed down with all his might, shattering the dragon's neck, and the infant dragon let out a final, agonized roar before collapsing to the ground, its life force ebbing away.
Nikolaos stood over the defeated dragon, his chest heaving, his wolf-like features slowly fading back to his normal appearance.
He had emerged victorious, but not without cost.
His armor was dented, his arm was broken and bleeding, and he could feel the ache of the bruises across his body.
As the adrenaline began to wear off, Nikolaos took a moment to catch his breath, his gaze fixed on the fallen dragon.
He knew that this was only the beginning, that there would be many more battles to come, but for now, he had proven his mettle, emerging from the fog-shrouded room as the victor.
Draco immediately rushed towards him to check on his arm, the others following behind in concern.
“Niko, are you ok?” Dimitra asked, searching his body for any other injuries.
“Haha, I will live” Nikolaos replied, letting out a weak laugh.
‘Phew’ Draco sighed in relief after inspecting Nikolaos injured arm.
Nikolaos arm hadn't completely shatter under the dragons bite, but his bone was severely fractured.
His arm brace had taken the brunt of the damage, saving his arm.
He just needed to remove the metal fragments lodged in Nikolaos skin, set the bone fragments in his arm before using his heal spell, then apply a cast for Nikolaos to recover smoothly.