Mark's head spun as he slid to the ground, dazed and disoriented.
He struggled to regain his senses, looking up to see the dragon he had almost defeated staring at him with surprise –
But its attention quickly shifted behind Mark.
The dragon's ember eyes widened further, and it let out a loud roar:
"KKRRRAAAAGHXAAROTH!"
Mark's instincts screamed at him to move – he slowly turned his head, still dazed...
And saw a shadowy mass looming behind him, partially obscured by the cave's darkness...
Suddenly, Mark remembered the **"INSTINCT: DANGER DETECTED FROM REAR"** warning –
He had ignored it... almost fatally.
Mark scrambled to his feet, ready to face the new threat head-on.
Two dragons now towered over him – the one he had almost defeated, and a newer, equally massive one.
Mark dodged the first dragon's claw swipe, then the second dragon's fiery breath – his agility and Dryad-enhanced reflexes allowing him to evade every attack.
As he fought, Mark noticed the **"INSTINCT"** skill flashing repeatedly in his mind:
**"INSTINCT: DANGER DETECTED FROM LEFT"** - he dodged the first dragon's tail strike.
**"INSTINCT: ATTACK FROM ABOVE IMMINENT"** - he rolled away just as the second dragon's claws slammed down.
**"INSTINCT: BREATH ATTACK FROM BEHIND OFFSET BY 2 FEET"** - he sidestepped right, avoiding a blast of flames by mere inches.
Mark realized the **"INSTINCT"** skill was predicting attacks he wouldn't have seen coming, allowing him to dodge and counterattack with precision.
Mark continued to fight, his movements a blur as he evaded the dragons' attacks:
He dodged the first dragon's jaws, sidestepped the second dragon's claws, and leapt over a stream of fiery breath.
The **"INSTINCT"** skill continued to flash warnings in his mind, guiding his movements:
**"INSTINCT: DOUBLE CLAW ATTACK FROM BOTH DRAGONS"** - Mark jumped straight up, avoiding deadly claws by millimeters.
**"INSTINCT: BREATH ATTACK SYNCED BETWEEN DRAGONS"** - Mark sprinted sideways, escaping a combined blast of flames that would have incinerated him.
After what felt like an eternity of dodging and countering, Mark saw his chance:
An opening appeared – Dragon 1 momentarily left itself exposed, while Dragon 2 swung its claws wildly, becoming trapped in the corner.
Mark seized the opportunity:
He charged towards Dragon 1 with lightning speed, his fists flying in a blur.
Dragon 1 tried to defend itself, but Mark's relentless barrage overwhelmed it:
He punched its scaled face repeatedly –
*CRACK*
*THUD*
*SMASH*
Dragon 1 stumbled backward, its body pinning Dragon 2 against the corner –
Dragon 2 tried to move, to breathe fire or swing its claws, but Dragon 1's bulk trapped it:
A furious Dragon 2 could only glare at Mark with impotent rage, its ember eyes blazing.
Mark continued his merciless assault on Dragon 1, fists moving nonstop
Mark continued his relentless assault on Dragon 1, fists crushing its scaled face.
Dragon 1, desperate to turn the tide, opened its mouth wide to unleash a devastating blast of fiery breath:
Mark saw the flames gathering in the dragon's throat, ready to incinerate him –
But suddenly, Mark's hands shot up, grasping the dragon's jaws and forcing them shut.
The dragon's eyes widened in shock as its own flames erupted inside its mouth –
A muffled explosion of fire and blood occurred within the dragon's skull, causing its body to convulse violently.
The dragon's limbs collapsed, its massive frame crashing to the ground.
Mark stood panting, his hands still gripping the dragon's lifeless jaws.
Meanwhile, Dragon 2 had finally managed to break free from its trapped position –
Enraged by its companion's downfall and its own humiliation, Dragon 2 unleashed a thunderous roar:
"KKRRRAAAAGHXAAROTH!"
Its ember eyes blazed with fury as it charged towards Mark, claws swiping wildly and jaws open wide –
Ready to tear him apart in a frenzy of rage and revenge...
Dragon 2 charged towards Mark with incredible speed, its claws swiping deadly arcs through the air.
Mark dodged to the side, avoiding the attack by mere inches –
But to his surprise, the dragon didn't turn back to strike again...
Instead, it continued running towards the cave entrance, clearly intent on escaping.
Mark's instincts kicked in – he couldn't let the dragon alert others outside!
He sprinted after the dragon, his feet pounding the stone floor:
As he chased, an idea formed in his mind...
Mark quickly unwrapped the chains from his arm, the metal links clanking loose.
He extended his arm forward, chains flying towards the dragon like makeshift lassos –
Miraculously, the chains wrapped around the dragon's neck and forelegs, binding tightly.
Mark gripped the chain ends still attached to his arm, using his enhanced strength to pull hard –
The dragon let out a deafening roar as it was dragged backward, its claws scraping futilely against the floor.
Mark slowly but surely pulled the dragon back into the cave, away from the entrance...
Finally, the dragon collapsed onto the stone ground, trapped and helpless –
Mark stood panting, chains still wrapped around the dragon's body, his arm trembling with exertion...
Mark decided to try to interrogate the dragon, hoping to glean valuable information about its kind and intentions.
He leaned in closer, eyes locked onto the dragon's ember-like gaze:
"Tell me... what do you dragons want here?" Mark demanded.
But before the dragon could respond –
**"INSTINCT: BREATH ATTACK IMMINENT"** flashed urgently in Mark's mind.
Mark reacted instantly – he saw the dragon's throat muscles tense, preparing to unleash fiery breath.
Without hesitation, Mark delivered a powerful punch to the dragon's jaw –
*CRACK*
The dragon's head snapped backward, its attempted breath attack silenced.
Mark followed up with a relentless barrage of blows –
*THUD*
*SMASH*
*CRASH*
The dragon's body went limp, its ember eyes fading to black...
Mark stood panting, victorious but wary – he knew there could be more dragons lurking outside...