The dungeon thick with the smell of ash and burnt air. Minho stood, gaze fixed on the dragon. "I'm not supposed to fight this thing? What do I do? Talk to it? Read it a bedtime story? What does the system want?" He muttered, frustration creeping in.
Minho barely dove out of the way as it lunged after him, the pain from the lost hand starting to settle in.
The dragon's claws went into the wall, leaving a very large crater web. With no idea on how to stop the monster, since the system specified not to fight, he did what he thought of first.
"HEYYY!" His voice echoed across the space. The dragon seemed to pause in confusion. Well, since he could speak monster language so the dragon shouldn't be able to understand.
"Uhh... Calm down, I just want to talk?" He continued. "I don't want to fight you." But he had something else to say in his head. 'It's because I can't, you giant lump of hard meat.'
"Listen, I know we can…we can settle this with out violence, yeah?"
Minho was now fully convinced his trick was working. "So, what is your—"
The dragon cut him off, smacking him into a wall across the dungeon. Strangely, it had that how's-that-my-problem kinda face.
Minho hit the ground, scowling. He hadn't wanted to use his powers so badly before. Just one hit. He could manage one hit. Pour out all he had into it, but the system doesn't sympathize.
He stood up, looking for all skills he could use that weren't offensive.
[Aura Of A Monarch Activated!]
[Super Stealth Activated!]
[Dash Activated!]
[Dragon Leap Activated!]
[Artifact - Skin of a Dire has been used. +20 on Defensive output!]
[Artifact - Serpent Necklace his been used. +30 on Defensive output!]
[Artifact - Ice Elf's Ember has been used. +50 Agility! +50 Perception!]
[Artifact - Dragon Ember has been used. Flame resistance increased by Fivefold! +50 Defensive output!]
The air crackled with unfiltered power. He used all he could use to get on a defensive stance. He never thought there'd be a monster out there that would force this much out of him. But here was, wasn't he?
The hair on his body stood as the air around him distorted, crackling with red lightening and sparks of fire. His irises became vertical slits of glowing crimson light.
The dragon's eyes widened a fraction, but it stood its ground.
"Hey," Minho's voice carried, full of authority and power. "What am I supposed to do with you already?"
The dragon roared at him, finally releasing it's mana. It sent a sickening wave across the dungeon. It was intimidating for Minho, but obviously not enough to shatter his willpower.
"SHUT UP!" Minho yelled, though it sounded more like a roar. His aura flared, opposing the wave of energy. The dragon flapped it's wings towards his direction, sending a powerful gust of wind.
It took Minho by surprise, an attempt to pin him to the wall. In the last second, Minho twisted, setting his legs to ricochet off the wall. He put all he had into the spring and shot himself. "DO I LOOK LIKE A JOKE TO YOU?!" He bent his body, skidding beneath its underbelly to the other side.
The dragon turned almost immediately, fire already forming in its mouth. Minho skidding to a half, cocking his hand back. It brought down its head, perfectly aiming at him.
The sound of the fire coming together seemed to hollow out all sounds.
Minho started muttering, trying to remind himself of the quest requirements, his voice increasing with each one. "Don't fight. Don't fight. Don't fight! Don't fight!"
The dragon blasted the beam of fire at him.
"DON'T FIGHT?! DON'T FIGHT?!"
The fire casted an orange glow in his face, just like watching a sunset. The beam made contact.
It was the end for Minho.
The lights should start to fade.
It was the end…
"DON'T MAKE ME LAUGH!"
The dragon's eyes widened in pure shock as the beam started to narrow down as if being quenched or absorbed. It could feel Minho's aura growing stronger and stronger. It felt a more ancient aura coming off him.
The beam became a thin line before vanishing. Minho's form appeared by the side of it's head, clothes burnt into rags. His arm was still cocked back, now blazing with the exact same fire from the dragon's breath. "AAAAAAAHHHHHH!" He roared. "DO. NOT…"
The fire in his hand became a dark crimson, fusing the dragon's flames with his. The flames shun and at some point, all of sound and color faded to black and white.
His hand stopped just an inch away from its eyes. The flames died down, so did his aura. "Piss me off." He completed, dropping his hands, eyes hidden behind his fallen hair. Blood trailed out from the corners of his lips, forcing themselves out of his mouth. His nose bled too.
The dragon closed it's eyes, a surge of aura wrapping it's entire form. Minho didn't flinch. He was too exhausted to. The injuries had drained him faster than he expected. Slowly, the burnt off area if his hand started bleeding, thanks to the amount of pressure he exerted on his whole body. His head was banging. He'd broken his threshold, but at what cost?
The surge of aura dissipated. Minho barely raised his head, to peek through his hair. His eyes widened a fraction. "Huh?" He muttered weakly.
[Pop-up 2 Quest Completed!]
The dragon took a hybrid form. Taller than a man, its scales became like a designer armor, its wings nowhere to be found, tail smaller.
But most surprisingly, it had one knee on the ground, fist also firmly down, head low. It was bowing.
[Reward Claimed!]
[First Disciple, "Rathalos" has joined the Dragon Court!]