FIRE BREATHING LIZARD, I'M I RIGHT?

"Look at this useless overgrown lizard! Giving me more work than I signed up for!" I complained as I stared angrily at the smug look on its face.

"I bet you planned of this from the very start, didn't you?"

As its answer, it launched that heat breath of its at me, which almost destroyed my jet pack with the amount of heat it was exhibiting, but luckily, it had a ridiculous amount of heat resistant. Though I couldn't say the same for me.

I could feel all the hairs on my legs burn even after dodging that powerful death blast. Something not as fun for a half-wolf.

***

<*The 'great mountain lizard' has acknowledged you as its opponent*>

***

[Oh how grand. As if I didn't notice that with the blast it used to push me away!]

<*sarcasm detected*>

***

<*New mission acquired!*>

<*Take down the great mountain lizard. Use of any skill is allowed, provided no one realizes it's from you. If they do, this mission will be a failure*>

<*Reward: New passive ability: Heat resistance*>

<*Penalty for failure: probably won't survive death from that beast so is the only penalty available you*>

***

[Seems fair enough. No surprise such a mission came up–wait what do you mean death is the penalty?! You think I can't escape from that thing?!]

***

<*System thinks that escaping is a weakling way to live as monster. Death will still come even after escaping*>

***

[Oh look, the first words you say to me after all that time and it's to make sure I'm dead?!]

<Don't you have other problems to deal with?>

***

"You heard that yourself, folks. The hero that saved most camps from destruction has been chosen to finally put that thing down! I don't know about you crowd, but I'm getting goosebumps just thinking about the fight between one of the oldest monsters ever caught by the corps Vs the rumoured strongest kid from the first years!"

"YEEEEAAAAH!" the crowd cheered in excitement.

"No pressure from us kid. Just about everyone in this place life is at stake, but, you know, do your best!" the announcer proudly announced.

"Sure. No pressure at all," I muttered to my com sarcastically, then threw the communication device away to stop any distractions.

I think the crowd completely forgot the point of this competition, and that was the people in the race. Not the person invigilating it!

I have no idea who won the race this time, but I don't think it really mattered at this point cause, let's be honest, most of the crowd just came here for some action. And unfortunately, I was forced to be the one to provide it.

I could almost feel the smile Flintheart was giving me when he heard I had to face that thing. Creepy.

"All right, you big paluka! Have at it!"

–––

<*Ability (Warlock king LVL 4) is in use! *>

<*Spell magic 'earth(tier three)' has been activated!*>

–––

The Centurion beast slowly started sinking into the ground. Though to the crowd, I'm sure they were guessing that the ground couldn't handle the weight of the large beast since the lava around was melting all the rocks.

But to me and the beast, we both knew who was the real culprit. But this beast looked calm, almost like it was focusing. Then suddenly, ice appeared below its feet, making it stable one again.

"You're going to be a tricky one, aren't you?"

(Nice try, monster. It will take a lot more than some mud slide to bring me down) a voice echoed in my mind.

"Talking monster? Question, is the 'I'm gonna eliminate everything in my sight unless I don't advance to a Millennial monster tantrum' crap you are pulling really necessary?"

(But of course! Year after year I kept following this basic 'rules' that you monsters have put against me. All I ever wanted was just to be more powerful. But all you lot have brought me is weaklings! How I'm I supposed to move to the next stage without fighting strong opponents?!)

"So that gives you the right to kill every student brought before you?!" I asked the beast while I dodged the ice shards that it launched at me.

(I thought by angering those powerful monsters that always rescued this little weaklings, I'd finally get the fight I deserve! That's why I became more violent. But they always ignored my declaration of war. Last year, I had to get a little rough) it smiled when it said this.

I stopped in my tracks and stared back at it, now angry. So it did know what it was doing intentionally. And it looks like it enjoyed it!

(But alas! Even that wasn't enough to anger them. So this year, I had to switch the game. Make my own rules, see?) it said.

Everyone in the crowd I'm sure were wondering why the hell we were just staring at each other. What they didn't know was that I could understand the damn thing, surprisingly as that can be. Or may be it just chose me to speak to after all this time.

I folded my arms. "Let me guess. Killing a student. I'm I right?"

(Smart one, are you? Too bad the best I could do was put that monster in a coma before that teacher saved him from my clutches.)

"Then why didn't you kill the young girl that was right in front of you? She was an easy target for you, you know?"

(What is this? Trying to help me or something? But to answer your question, I saw more people worthy of me to kill to get some power. If I killed the girl earlier, this competition would have already ended or more accurately be cancelled. I didn't want that)

(Also, when I saw you rescue that girl, we could say it was fate that you were the one to finally give me the breakthrough I deserve!)

I guess talking time was over cause suddenly, lava from all around the lava dome spewed out and at once all attacked me.

***

<*Ability 'warlock(LVL 4)' in use!*>

<*Skill 'speed' has been activated!*>

***

I managed to dodge the death trap and circled around the beast. I thing I've dodged just enough times for it to think I'm weak. Time to show it just who I am.

"Alright, my turn to attack!"

(Do your best, monster! My scales are the hardest–OOF!)

I connected a solid punch to its face that sent it swerving to the left, almost breaking it in one go. The entire crowd went silent after seeing my one attack.

"Uh... did that kid just punch a Centurion monster clear in the face and it moved?!" the announcer asked the crowd just for confirmation. He got no feedback from the crowd as they were even more shocked when the dragon turned back and there was blood dripping from its mouth.

I could see my self on the screen as I stretched my right fist while staring at the shocked face of the great lizard. Oh my gods, that angle they have on me is absolutly horrific! Anyways...

(What did you–)

"Please. You really thought I was scared of you? I've had more challenging fights like this for breakfast for almost six months, and since for many years all you've had to face were some 'weaklings' as you said, you have lost all battle senses for a beast. You may be at the peak of centurion, but you are far from even grasping a low centurion monsters strength!"

The crowd finally came to their senses and I heard the distant cheered from all over. I caught some words too.

"NO WAY THAT KID JUST DID THAT! EVEN I CAN'T DO THAT TO SUCH A BEAST!"

"NO WONDER HE WASN'T ALLOWED ON THE COMPETITION!"

"JOIN OUR GUILD, KID!"

And so own, but I had to return my focus back to the beast. Surprisingly, I think it had a smile on its face.

"ROOOAAAAR!"

It screeched to everyone around but spoke in my head while doing so.

(I knew you would be the one to quell me of my thirst! You're not like the rest of those snot nosed brats! Almost makes me not want to kill you)

"No offense. You couldn't even if you tried," I winked at it.

"Looks like the kid is saying some words to the beast. And looks like the beast is enjoying them!"

(NOW I CAN GO ALL OUT!)

An earthquake from out of nowhere suddenly shook the entire field. The lava dome started shaking with so much force, like it was trying to prevent something from entering, and that seemed to be the case cause with a large boom, almost half of all the other fields appeared and joined together with the lava dome.

It was all I could do to escape the large fields coming my way.

"The beast has decided to take things seriously! Look at just how easily it summoned those fields! Even after seeing what this Furrha has got for us, I'm not sure even he could handle it,"

Just as the announcer had mentioned, all three fields were converging at one place, right below the Great Mountain Lizard.

ROOOAAAH!!! (STILL THINK I'M SOME HALF BAKED CENTURION!!)

Large vines from the new playground it had just created stretched out with excellent speed and precision that I couldn't dodge them in time. They both grabbed me by my limbs and one managed to damage my jet pack.

"Shit!"

"Oooh! Looks like this hero of ours was just caught in the beasts attack! Will he be able to weasel his way out of this?!"

You know, I don't need a constant reminder that people are watching me battle a beast that should be way out of my league and no one's offering support.

The vines dragged me back to the beast, which was loading up for another one of its flame blasts.

This was really not a fight I was expecting. Back in the dungeon Spir, I've face hordes of beasts under a lot of gravity pressure and still made it out alive. This is light work.

"That's all you can do? Catch me with some vines, throw some ice shards here and there and blow your smelly breath at me? I'm quite disappointed, actually,"

(You talk big for someone who's about to die. Why don't you show me what you've got, huh?!)

"Believe me, if I did that, this fight would have already finished a lot earlier. But since you asked so kindly, I'll be more than happy to oblige."

I easily broke through the large vines that had snagged me before, and since I was still in the presence of people, I allowed myself to fall to the ground, but before impact, used my flight magic to ease the burden on my legs.

The crowd wooed at my display, but this was just the beginning. What I'm about to do next will make them question if I really I'm an almost fifteen year old Furrha.

The beast had called off it's blast when I had dropped down to the ground, and was now focusing on another one of its abilities.

"You think I'm going to allow you to blast that lava at me? I don't think so,"

***

<*skill magic 'strength' is in use*>

***

I circled around the lizard and grabbed its tail, then, using all my strength, lifted it a good height before launching it towards the remaining ice field.

"THE HELL IS THAT STRENGTH COMING FROM THAT KID?!"

The beast collided painfully with the field, but I didn't give it time to recover. I was already on it before it could even think about coming up.

"I think we've drag this out for so long. What say you, Lizard?"

*Roooar...*(ugh.. .)

"You're lucky they want you alive,"

As a last ditch effort, it tried to fire another ice shard at me, but I didn't give it a chance. I punched the daylights out of the beast, which effectively sent it back to slumber town.

***

<*Mission complete!*>

<*New skill has been aquired!*>

<*passive skill 'Heat resistance(LVL 1)' has been added to arsenal!*>