THOSE FEARD BY ALL!

I left the dungeon following the path I came through, but I soon faced another obstacle which was the wall that separated the cave from the dungeon. You could also call it the dungeon gate. Being totally clueless about how to get to the other side of the wall, I ask AJ how I'm supposed to unlock it. He then goes ahead to tell me that, since I cleared this dungeon, I was basically the new owner of the dungeon. So all I had to do was envision that I could leave the place.

I didn't really get him, but I had a vague idea, and there was no harm in trying. I closed my eyes, and pictured how the wall gave in when I entered earlier, then I felt mana pulse through the wall and it gave in in the same fashion once again. Normally, I'd have celebrated with joy for escaping but, I had to put that aside and think of how to survive enormous dragon before me. It was as if it had been waiting for me because, it was just sitting in wait, facing the wall as if it knew I was going to come out of there.

I can only imagine how hungry it must be for it to wait that long. The dragon spread its wings full length horizontally, and let's out a roar which shook the whole forest behind it. I quickly did a cross check in my mind on what I had at my disposal as of the moment, and all that reliable was my elemental magic, the arknight's battle arts, and the swordsmanship I learnt from AJ. These were the weapons I were most familiar with. I had just gotten AJ's grimmoire and haven't even tried to use it.

I take in a deep breath, and I exhale, trying to calm myself down. I keep my swords on guard so I'll be able to react if the dragon attacked, whist I slowly and steadily moved sideways, making the dragona also move away from the entrance. It moved as I expected it to, then when I was close to the entrance and I thought I'd be able to make it out alive. It breaths out intense flames that could burn anything to ashes. I quickly dive to the right, out of the range of the fire, then I quickly get to my feet, and make a break for it.

The dragon suddenly appears before me instantly, which was abnormal for a creature it's size. It gives another thunderous roar, sending me back a few feet, then it flaps its wings, taking to the air. It then follows through to breath fire out of its mouth, covering the ground with fire. I literally had no where to run. I used body reinforcement, and lightning boost, and took a leap into the air, evading the flames which had now scorched the ground. The heat emanating from the ground alone would let you know it was any flame at all.

It was all or nothing at this point so I took out kókkinos daímonas and lefkós ángelos or converger as I've decided to call them collectively, then I shoot towards the dragon, aim to go for its under belly. It shoots another flame breath at me, and I duck in order to avoid it, and successfully make it under its belly. I quickly unleashed the first hunt under it, but all I made to do was give it two very shallow cuts. I don't falter as my life depends on it, then I quickly zap from beneath it, avoiding its body slam. I activate the nature's of the swords for the first time since learning how to do it, and launch demon hunt, aiming for the area on its neck with relatively weak scales. The attack causes a burn and freeze effect simultaneously, dealing three times the damage I could have dealt if I had attacked with the weapon arts alone.

The dragon gives another roar, then I realize I'm in big trouble, or so I thought. It lowers its wings, lies down, and bows its head. I'm left in a trance for a short time, wondering why it was acting that way, then it says through telepathy, "I almost thought I'd die before you arrived, the one who has been, is here, and will be." His statement makes me even more confused. "You have been waiting for me?..." I ask and he responds with a nod, then I continue by asking what he meant by what he said. He's taken aback slightly, then he says, "...it seems you have not awoken yet..."

He adds that, if I have gone inside the dungeon and returned, it means I have cleared the dungeon and freed banished celestial. Which means I'm the one who was foretold in the prophesy, and that everything will become clear as I move on. He suddenly gives another roar, and his head crashes to the ground. His eyes had suddenly become almost void of life, then he says to me, "...it seems my time has finally caught up to me..."

It seems he had been keeping himself alive using a binding vow, and now that the conditions have been fulfilled, it was time for him to pay up. He continues to talk to me, saying, "...I knew you were the 'one' when you came of the dungeon, but I wanted to test you to make sure I have really fulfilled my mission. You may not know it as of now, but you will find out eventually, the purpose for which you were born. And when that time comes, please, free me and my brethren. I wish I could help you when that time comes but as you can see, I'm already on my death bed, so I can only leave you my will, my heart, and my body. Do with it as you please, to make yourself stronger, or however you'd like to use it so you can save my brethren. I will also leave my only daughter in your care. Don't let her experience the fate which befell our race, and when she becomes mature enough, let her know that I want her to live freely like a true dragon. Her name will be Nariko Thora Druk. Let her know she is a proud descendant of Raamiah Adad Druk, and she has nothing to fear."

Everything was happening so fast and all I could do in response was nod in agreement. He closes his eyes, and lightning descends out of no where, striking me directly. I could feel every single cell in my body being electrocuted. It felt like I could die at any moment. I couldn't bear the pain any longer and let out a scream, falling to my knees. The lightning stops suddenly, and lightning discharges around my body. As if I was generating lighting with every breath. I was huffing and puffing, trying to catch my breath after a near death experience. His eyes open again, and he says, " ...you are now the thunder dragon Druk's slayer as you have taken on my power..." He points to an object in the corner of the cave, camouflaged in the shadows with many feathers and says, keep my daughter safe, and finally closes his eyes for good.

AJ and I stare at his lifeless body, and close our eyes and utter a short prayer for him. His heart then crystallizes, and forces its way out of his chest, and comes towards my direction. As expected, it was huge. It was about the size of my whole upper body. I ask Aj what I was supposed to do with the heart, and he tells me we could use it to make high grade potions for healing, mana amplification, aura amplification, and many more, but the most effective way to gain all those is to implant it into my body. He goes on to tell me that, aside the first dragon slayer, no one else has survived the implantation, so I should take my time to choose.

As if making a choice of its own, the heart resizes, to about the size of my fist, and starts to enter my chest. It surprised me and I was expecting to be in excruciating pain but I couldn't feel anything. It was as if it was phasing into my body. I feel my whole thorax twist and reform, then finally. The hearts start to beat in perfect sync. I could feel the enormous power of the dragons flow through my veins. It was as if the heart was pumping mana its self. I now understood why dragons were so powerful. Using magic was like breathing to them since they were born with great power.

In my moment of admiration, a sharp pain run through my body. It felt as if my head was being split open, the muscles and bones were being torn out of my back, my tailbone was being pulled out, along with my spine, and my skin was being burnt with a brand. When the pain subsided and I can to my sense, my vision was weird. I could see farther than I ever could, my vision was clearer, and I could see weird glows all through the forest and around me. My hand moved from muscle memory to rub my hair, but it's blocked by what felt like a horn, which made my observe my own body. I realized that, my skin had white markings all over it, and I could feel heavy wings on my back, and a tail waging around. Is this what they call beautification? I asked myself in total astonishment. My body quickly returned to normal in about 10 seconds time, and sat on the ground, giving out a sigh.

I think about how curiosity brought me here, and I've experienced many once in a lifetime occasions in the short time as a cause of that, and I let out a laugh in relief that I survived it all.