8

8

(After 2 months)

I concentrated on mana purification last couple of weeks.

Thanks to the new method suggested by Artalis, I had been able to remove almost all the impurities from mana.I could feel myself getting more and more connected to the mana free in air.I knew if I managed to clear mana of impurities completely I would be able to unlock new abilities,but I was unable to fasten the process instead it happened automatically, albeit at a snail pace. So I confronted Artalis,.

"Do you know any way to make this happen faster. Any more slower and I would have gone senile by the time I clear out my system, even with my partial immortality" I asked gloomily while casually crushing the skull of a hyena who tried to bite my leg off. We ran into this pack of hyena three days ago , even after crushing at least ten daily they kept on attacking me.

"I don't,"she replied"my suggestion is to let nature run it's course". I thought while stomping on another hyena's head and stabbing through another with my bare hands."Then what do you think I should do meanwhile?."You know, I could train you in combat, your current fighting techniques aren't fit to fighting humanoids"

After spending more than two years fighting animals,I developed many techniques, but as Artalis had implied, they were all made for fighting them so I agreed to her suggestion "You are right. The vamps must have many techniques so it will give them an edge when fighting me."I replied. Even though I could punch holes through six inches of iron, I cannot always rely on brute force. I used my rinkaku to finish off last eight members of the pack."Ok let's do it, so when are we going to start?" I asked mentally with an excited voice while sitting on convenient tree root. I was immediately pulled into my mind space. Artalis was laying on the ground with her giant head on the floor while drawing circles with her claws like a bored child would. When she saw me she quickly raised her head with visible excitement."Finally, you are here. Do you know how bored I was without having to do anything" she complained without a hint of her former maturity"the only thing to do here is either watch you fight weaklings or talk to you, and you don't even do that often"

"I'll do something about it later. So when will you start teaching me?"I cut off her complaining, and asked."well, no time like the present I guess" she grumbled , then with a flash of blinding blue light she transformed to her human form.

Just as depicted on earth, her humanoid from was similar to a beautiful human woman, with the exception of her dragon horns and wings. Before I could open my mouth to comment on the new form, I felt myself flying back at bullet speed. Reacting quickly I flipped backwards planting my feet on the reflective ground. Skidding for tens of meters I stopped myself, as soon as my shattered jaw fixed itself I hollered "What the hell was that for woman!!" At the dragon at distance . She had literally sent me flying with a punch.

"Even though I am stronger in my dragon form ,human form is only a fraction weaker, and it compresses the power of a dragon to a human sized body allowing to deliver blows with a higher precision. " . Saying so Artalis disappeared from my field of vision.I barely had time raise my arms when a kick slammed to my privates temporarily stunning me overwhelming me with pain.

"Lesson one , aim for the weak areas."

I could barely make out her voice while I worked myself through the pain." And just so you know, all injuries that happen here will be reflected to your body. "

I got up shakily, how dare she !!. Any other male in my shoes would have turned and run off impotent. But I am no ordinary man. I will heal thankfully, but that doesn't give her the rights.How dare a woman (Dragon) attack a man's precious privates without having an inkling of the physical and emotional consequences .

That moment I had an epiphany. There's no man or woman in battle, as a well educated young man had once said I will be a true advocate of gender equality. And I will not hesitate to drop kick a woman in the ovaries or in my case a resident dragon'.

Lifting my head, I glared at Artalis as she observed me

struggling to get up. As soon as I had a steady footing, I dashed at her arm blades fully equipped.

With a mocking smile Artalis easily grabbed my right arm which was aimed for her neck,before my other hand blade even reached her side ,her heel smashed into my chin making me fly directly up. I quickly brought up my wings and corrected myself only to see her missing again.I instinctively

covered my body with my wings as a sleeping bat would only for a fist to slam into it and shatter the entire structure. I felt myself falling down with great momentum only to hear a chilling voice from right under me "lesson 2 , don't let a weakned enemy recover"

I could only helplessly watch the grey sky when a delicate fist shattered my spine and rose through my chest like a xenomorph(an alien from alien franchise) chest buster would while my consciousness fled my grasp.