[42] Matched

After all, Bell's magic and skills were both exceptionally powerful and rare. Firebolt was a highly potent magic that even Riveria Ljos Alf, the city's most powerful mage and a member of the Elven royalty with the title of Nine Hell, regarded as exceedingly rare. Meanwhile, Argonaut, Bell's unique skill, had a cooldown of one week.

The Infant Dragon defeated by these two abilities wasn't inherently weak; it just had the misfortune of encountering his overpowered skills.

"I wonder if I can take it down. Even though my basic stats except for magic have all reached S-rank, and I've completed half of my tasks, I don't have an official cheat skill like Argonaut or any magic."

"But I do have my natural strength. Win or lose, I'll have to fight to find out."

"If I can kill this Infant Dragon, I might be able to level up. However, if I level up now, my strength might not break through to SS-rank." With a backward leap to dodge an orc's attack, Aiden weighed the pros and cons of defeating the Infant Dragon.

Despite his words, Aiden had already considered the Infant Dragon as his to claim.

Through the dense fog, Aiden saw the massive silhouette of the Infant Dragon and understood the predicament the adventurers were in.

Aiden recalled a similar scene from the anime, where the leader of the Takemikazuchi Familia, in order to save his team, diverted the monster towards Bell group, trapping them in a perilous situation. If not for luck or plot armor, they would have perished.

The lives of his familia members versus the lives of innocent bystanders, which was more important?

From a leader's perspective, Aiden could understand and even agree with Takemikazuchi Familia's captain, Kashima Ouka's actions. But from the perspective of the innocent parties involved, Aiden would not have been as forgiving as Bell. 

In contrast to the actions of the stranger adventurer he now faced, Aiden felt a deep respect. In such a dire situation, he doubted he could make such a selfless decision.

"No more thinking. There's no better time than now. Bell likely broke through to S-rank during his fight with the Minotaur, right?"

"I don't know if this man's actions count as self-sacrifice or foolishness, or if his teammates will scorn him."

"Although I'm not a good person..."

"I just know that such a good person shouldn't die here!"

Aiden dropped his playful demeanor and got serious.

*Thud* *Thud* *Thud* *Thud*

The Infant Dragon pursued Dunn and his team, the ground resonating with low, thunderous sounds.

Clang!

Aiden slowly drew Durandal, the sword that hadn't seen the light of day for a long time, and charged at the Infant Dragon.

Today, Aiden Sparda joined the hunt.

"Captain, who is that boy?" One of the adventurers was bewildered.

"Don't worry about it now; we can barely save ourselves." Another adventurer echoing the majority's view and instinct. After all, when one's life is at risk, who would think about others?

"White-haired lad, that's an Infant Dragon, run!" Seeing that Aiden was not only staying but recklessly charging at the dragon, Dunn shouted again in desperation.

Hearing the well-meaning warning from Dunn, Aiden's lips curved into a slight smile, but he didn't respond immediately. He waited until the adventurers had passed him by.

"Everything's fine now! You know why? Because I'm here! Leave it to me, old man!" Aiden called back to Dunn, giving him a confident thumbs-up.

"Maybe he really does have a way to deal with the dragon." Dunn feeling a bit of relief. Even in the brief moment they passed by, he could see that Aiden's sword, Durandal, was extraordinary, and Aiden's confidence was reassuring.

As Aiden approached the Infant Dragon, he realized just how unreliable the person who named it had been.

Though it was called Infant Dragon, this creature was a terrifying giant, standing four or five meters tall, covered in a dull yellow hue. It had sharp dragon horns and blood-red eyes devoid of any rationality, filled with an insatiable desire to kill, as if it wanted to annihilate all life around it.

Its sturdy limbs supported its massive body, and its scales looked thick and scarred... a testament to its survival through numerous battles.

Its thick neck and tail swayed, knocking down countless gray, withered trees with ease... one of its primary weapons.

Despite being a monster that a Level 2 adventurer could challenge, it exuded an immense pressure.

Perhaps driven by instinct, the Infant Dragon seemed to sense the threat posed by this small figure before it. It stopped its pursuit of the adventurer team.

The dragon's terrifying, crimson eyes locked onto Aiden, and it opened its massive, tooth-filled mouth, letting out a soul-piercing roar.

*ROOOOOOAR*

"I finally understand what it's like to fight a dragon." The Infant Dragon's thunderous roar echoed in Aiden's ears, and as he faced its imposing presence, he felt a kinship with the battles against Elder Dragons in Monster Hunter World.

A strange standoff ensued between man and dragon.

Aiden took a deep breath, adjusting his stance.

The stronger the opponent, the more excited Aiden became about achieving greatness and breaking through to S-rank.

With a smirk, Aiden pointed Durandal at the dragon. "This shall be your grave." 

Roaring in response, the dragon seemed to understand Aiden's challenge, its anger escalating.

"No worries, sweetheart, I'll be gentle. It won't hurt a bit." Aiden smiled in the face of the dragon's roar.

With his words, Aiden didn't hesitate. Gripping Durandal tightly with both hands, he propelled himself forward like an arrow released from a bow, aiming straight for the dragon.

In the blink of an eye, a chilling golden sword light tore through the mist, tracing a plain and straightforward path directly towards the dragon's head.

The dragon, relying on the strength of its horns and the sheer power of its neck, made no attempt to dodge. Instead, it twisted its neck like a meteor hammer, swinging its head fiercely towards Aiden with a dull roar, sending a shockwave through the air.

Clang!

With a crisp sound, the sword and the horn clashed head-on, emitting a resounding clang of metal. The mist dispersed at the point of impact, revealing a surprising sight... the sword and the horn, evenly matched in strength!

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