In a remote mountain valley, a massive, crimson-scaled beast lay coiled in repose.
A dragon.
An iconic creature of fantasy, always depicted as a being of immense power. This world was no exception.
For an ordinary adventurer, a dragon was an insurmountable foe. Its scales were harder than steel, and its innate magical resistance rendered most spells useless.
In layman's terms, it had high physical and magical resistance. This was the conclusion Stell had drawn from observing Takson's battle with the beast.
ROAR!
CRASH!
The monster's final cry was cut short by the sound of its massive body hitting the ground.
"So, Teacher, how'd I do this time?" Takson asked, not even turning around, already sensing Stell's approach.
"Affirmative. Your performance on this test was excellent," Stell replied. "Addendum: Your progress has been substantial. You are to be commended."
"Hehehe."
I ignored my apprentice as he puffed out his chest with pride. I walked past him and approached the dragon's corpse, which was already beginning to dissolve into dust.
I had recorded and analyzed the entire fight. My conclusion: I could have killed this dragon in less than a second.
It seemed the dragons of this world were not as formidable as their counterparts in other fiction.
A few moments later, the body was gone, leaving only a massive crater as evidence of the battle.
[Data log complete. Subject added to Virtual Combat Arena presets.]
I gave the crater one last look, then turned my attention to the dragon's lair, a massive cave carved into the side of the mountain.
My earlier scans had revealed a massive hoard of gold and treasure within. It seemed the dragons of this world shared the classic draconic love for shiny objects.
This was the true reason we were here. I had chosen this dragon as this month's "test" for Takson, but my own objective was the grimoire I had detected buried beneath its hoard.
Takson, for his part, had no complaints. Slaying a dragon was a noble and heroic act, and it had saved the nearby villagers from living in constant fear.
...
I flew to the top of the dragon's hoard, a mountain of gold coins and precious gems.
[Scan complete. Target locked.]
My visual sensors highlighted the grimoire, buried deep beneath a hundred tons of treasure. A troublesome obstacle. But fortunately, I had recently acquired a very useful spell.
"True Endo: Storage Space"
A massive black hole opened in the air above the hoard. The treasure, freed from the bonds of gravity, began to flow upwards, a river of gold pouring into my pocket dimension. Just as the grimoire was about to be sucked in, I snatched it from the air.
I began my high-speed "reading" as I slowly descended. By the time Takson had climbed to the top of the now-empty cave, I was already halfway through the book.
"What's this one, Teacher?" he asked. After all this time, he was no longer surprised by my ability to instantly master any new spell I encountered. It was just another one of my "angelic" powers.
But this time, I didn't immediately cast the new spell. Takson recognized the signs. Is this a type of magic Teacher doesn't like? He remembered the time I had acquired a "Charm" spell...
A shiver ran down Takson's spine at the memory. He didn't know the specifics, his teacher had never told him, but he remembered waking up, tied to a tree branch by his ankles, every muscle in his body screaming in agony.
"Answer: This magic is not suitable for demonstration."
"Ah, right. Got it."
"Notice: It is time to continue our journey."
"Aren't we going to tell the villagers?" Takson asked, confused. He thought they should at least report back that the dragon was dead.
"Query: Can you not inform them yourself?"
"Uh... huh?"
"Explanation: After you have delivered the report, I will open a portal to bring you to my new location."
It was an efficient solution. Takson knew that his teacher was always aware of his position, making a targeted teleport a simple matter. "Okay, Teacher. I'll go now," he said, and without another word, he set off at a run towards the village.
After he was gone, I incinerated the grimoire.
"Query: Why would a spell like this even exist?"
I had read the book. I knew what it did. It was a spell to create monsters from nothing. But my curiosity was piqued. I had sent Takson away so I could test it, just once.
"True Endo: Monster Creation"
A massive, complex magic circle, glowing with a faint golden light, spread across the ground before me.
According to the grimoire, the monster's power would be proportional to the mana I invested, and its form would be dictated by my imagination.
The creature would be a neutral entity, not under my control. It was a bizarre, seemingly self-destructive spell.
But I had the perfect counter, a spell I had acquired not long ago.
I carefully limited my power output, not wanting to create something truly catastrophic. Golden energy began to coalesce in the center of the circle, then shifted, turning a deep, ominous crimson.
A moment later, a massive figure took shape.
ROAR!
The sound was immense, a physical wave of force that shook the entire valley.
...
In the village, the people were in the middle of celebrating, thanking Takson for slaying the dragon.
And then they heard it. A terrifying roar, so powerful it seemed to shake the very foundations of the world.
The villagers froze, their faces pale with terror.
Takson spun around, his eyes fixed on the direction of the sound. It was where he had just come from. A new monster?!
He quickly reassured the villagers, then took off at a sprint, heading back towards the dragon's lair. The portal hadn't opened. That could only mean one thing. Teacher is fighting it herself!
He pushed himself to his limits, his powerful legs eating up the ground. As he got closer, he saw it.
A colossal figure, silhouetted against the sky. He couldn't make out its features, but even from this distance, he could feel an oppressive, suffocating pressure radiating from it.
What... is that thing? was the only thought in his mind.
….
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