Chapter 23

Wisps of crimson fire escapes his draconic jaws, and as he charges up his breath attack, I contemplate how we ended up in this situation.

It has been five years since I became an adventurer, since I joined the Silver Sky, since my escape from my gilded cage. It didn't take all that long before I was completely accepted by the adventuring community, my strength speaking for itself.

It only took a few months to climb the ranks to join my compatriots in the Adamantite rank.

And only a few days ago we accepted a quest that had been on the boards for some time now, the investigation of a cavern in which many people have disappeared. There weren't just ordinary citizens that were reported to have vanished, many adventurers that went looking for the missing population, also disappeared along with them.

From Iron rank to the most prestigious Orichalcum rank, the mission slowly raised in difficulty, as the perceived danger continued to increase with each adventuring team that failed to return. Up till the point where an Orichalcum party was deployed.

That was a few weeks ago, and due to the fact that if even they failed, then anyone else would most likely meet the same fate.

What that fate is, is what we were sent to find out. Though the reality was that they were more than likely dead.

And what do you know? We found out what had happened to everyone.

A dragon. 

And not just any run of the mill draconic monster, no, otherwise the Orichalcum, or even the Mithril rank teams could have slain it.

Unfortunately for all of its victims, it wasn't a young drake or some inexperienced overconfident dragon.

It was an Elder Fire Dragon.

Their strength was only equaled by their arrogance, on the totem pole of dragon hierarchy they were only below the Dragon Lords.

Of course we are not including True Dragon Lords on that list, since they were basically in an entirely different category, each and every single one of them had the potential to lay ruin upon every single nation in the region.

And this Elder Dragon seemed to be particularly powerful, even more so than ordinary.

That quest led us here where we are currently confronting this beast, within a tight underground corridor without any space to evade the breath of devastation that he was about to unleash.

Verica suddenly stopped floating alongside with and raised her familiar obsidian staff and cast a spell at the top of her breath.

"BREAK: FIRE!"

The dragon released his breath, letting a sea flames fill the subterranean cave, the stone instantly melting the second the fire touched it, a kaleidoscope of red, yellow and orange came towards us in a flood of that invites death.

However I felt no fear, the trust that had been cultivated between us wouldn't be shaken up with the mere presence of a little burn.

My lack of apprehension was instantly gratified, for as we all stopped along with her, and the attack reached the wizard, it started dissipating. 

With a backdrop of a giant inferno, with brilliant light that could blind the visionless, contrasting that all we could see was her dark silhouette, as the flames weakened the nearer they came to her.

It all parted when it came upon her, not a tendril of flame touched her.

The fire scattered around Verica, and by the time any of it reached us, all that was left were dim embers that looked like fireflies in the night.

That spell was created by our mage herself, made to disperse elemental attacks, inspired by the Resist Energy spell, that gave a specific mage resistance to an individual. It was extremely impressive for anyone to make a custom spell, especially for someone so young, it was proof that she was a veritable genius.

Seconds later, it was over, and we once more departed as fast as we could.

Not even looking behind us to see the devastation the attack had wrought, but we could hear a roar of fury that seemed to shake the foundation of the world. Nearly sending Bastien to the ground, but was saved from a tumble by Wrai extending his arm mid run.

Our extremely fast pace carried us, and within moments we could see the light of the outside world, no longer needing to rely on the spheres of light providing a way to sight.

We all leaped out of the cavern, continuing with our spring for a bit before turning around and waiting for the dragon to catch up, so that we could exterminate it once and for all.

Our patience was rewarded, for a mere minute later, we could all feel the earth quake, as the monster exploded out the entrance, scattering debris all across the surroundings, that happened to be a grass plane.

"Foolish pests, why do you invade my home?" The dragon spoke, his dull scarlet scales denoting his age, his various scars speaking to the battles he had survived, a real veteran.

"Unfortunately, you've killed just too many people. And it's our job to remove threats such as yourself." Replied Wrai, looking dead serious, he always took the deaths of others quite seriously.

"It was their mistake for coming into my home, I merely dispensed justice. Not that I expect monkeys such as yourself to understand."

"Well, I guess all that's left is to kill each other."