Clash with the Scarred Red Drake
Down. Further down.
I pressed on endlessly.
Any obstacle in my path, no matter what it was, fell without hesitation.
Even A-rank monsters could no longer match me easily, so it was impossible for lesser ones to stand in my way.
That said, threats were never entirely absent.
Even monsters ranked below me became troublesome in packs.
Some A-rank foes were fairly tough opponents, and among them were a few that stood out even among their peers, much like myself.
The same held true now.
62nd floor of the Lava Zone.
As usual, I cut down both those charging at me and those fleeing in terror—treating them all equally—when it suddenly appeared.
“Grrr…”
With a low howl, it revealed itself: one of the Red Drakes, a familiar sight in this lava region.
At least A-rank.
A standard Red Drake wouldn’t have been an issue—I’d felled plenty already—but this one was markedly different from the rest.
Its bulk was about 1.5 times larger than average, with a sleeker, fiercer appearance.
And crucially, a long scar over one eye.
At a glance, it was no ordinary beast.
Floor boss?
The thought triggered my body into combat readiness.
Muscles contracted and expanded reflexively throughout my frame.
Strike first? Or observe and gauge it once?
Retreat wasn’t an option.
From the moment our eyes met, I’d decided to kill it.
It might even be stronger than me, but fleeing never crossed my mind.
My Instinct is quieter than expected, so it’s not unbeatable.
After all our time together, I trusted Instinct more than anything—sometimes even over my own judgment. This time was no different.
“Grrrng.”
As my thoughts tilted toward offense over defense, a heavy voice echoed suddenly.
Are you the one causing all this commotion lately, without rhyme or reason?
Not in my ears, but straight into my mind—a telepathic transmission.
A faint memory confirmed it: unmistakable thought speech.
Shii——
The first since parting from the Queen in the Forest Zone.
After a year and a half without it, I couldn’t help but falter slightly.
My burning battle lust cooled a notch.
Can’t do thought speech?
“Grrr—”
The deep rumble reverberated in my skull again. I hesitated, then responded.
[…I know it.]
Thought speech after so long wasn’t hard, but it felt unfamiliar.
Hmph… At least you’ve got the intelligence for conversation.
It snorted dismissively at my curt reply, then continued.
So I’ll ask again. Are you the one stirring up the upper floors lately?
[Not sure about ‘stirring,’ but I’ve hunted a bit.]
Hah… More honest than I expected.
It chuckled shortly, nodding as it stared me down.
One question. Why kill those who blocked you? With your intelligence, you could’ve talked them down and sent them packing.
[Talk them down? Between monsters? What a joke.]
Now it was my turn to scoff.
It gave a wry smile at my smirk.
…Fair enough. I agree completely. What’s the point of talk between monsters? Kill or be killed—that’s it.
It nodded slowly, then suddenly unfurled its body. Its already massive frame looked twice as large.
The Boss or Big Bro said to try talking you down, but that’s not my style!
[Boss? Big Bro?]
I questioned, puzzled, but it ignored me.
It’s been ages since my last fight! Even if it’s just a half-baked snake like you!
[…A lizard with nothing but stubby limbs.]
“Grrr—”
“Shii—”
We snarled at each other, then charged.
The unwieldy talk had dulled my edge somewhat, but stopping wasn’t on my mind.
It had wanted this fight from the start, just like me.
Despite its size, it moved with startling agility.
So fast I nearly lost it from sight in an instant.
Luckily, I relied more on my tongue than eyes—otherwise, I’d have taken a nasty hit by a hair’s breadth.
As I dodged, its jaws snapped at empty air, then whipped toward me.
“───!!!”
A feral roar beyond words, followed by its long tail lashing like a whip.
I countered with my own tail.
Perfect timing for my skill.
Tail Strike A
Our tails collided mid-air with the usual calm system voice.
“Shaa──!”
“Kraaaah───!!!”
Dizzying pain surged.
Even with the skill, it felt like my tail had snapped clean off.
Does it have the same skill?
Fortunately, it reeled too.
Tenacity A
Super Regeneration S
The pain vanished instantly thanks to the duo.
Its face twisted in lingering agony as I lunged first.
Body Reinforcement A
Fierce Charge A
Mana-fueled Body Reinforcement, plus Fierce Charge—an evolution of my old reliable Charge.
Like a missile, I rocketed forward; it barely dodged.
Again, improbably nimble for its size. I activated my third eye.
Against a same-rank dragonkin with innate mana resistance, petrification or charm wouldn’t work.
I just needed a tiny opening.
No direct damage required—a split-second hesitation would do.
Shaa──!!!
Magic Eye’s petrification ability.
Unlike before, it didn’t even petrify a corpse fragment—but it created the gap I wanted.
Its retreating body stuttered for an instant.
A fleeting lapse, fatal in this razor-edge fight.
I seized it.
Coiling smoothly around its massive form.
Constrict—honed thousands of times on countless foes.
Fluid as water, I sank my fangs into its neck.
Pumping in venom as it thrashed desperately.
Extreme Poison A.
Tough against same-rank dragonkin, but I excelled in prolonged battles.
Just endure, and victory was mine.
“Kroooaaah───!!!”
It convulsed wildly, fighting for life—like every foe I’d crushed.
Muscles screamed under its death throes.
But I held firm, as always.
Letting go meant death; easing now could reverse my advantage.
My durability is my second-highest stat—near S-rank at almost 70. I can outlast it.
No matter how hard it struggled, I was fine.
How much time passed?
“Kr… grrr…”
Its trembling body signaled the end.
Its mentions of ‘Boss’ and ‘Big Bro’ nagged, but releasing it for info? No.
Even if it cooperated post-mortem, talk between monsters was a luxury unfit for us.
Not just between monsters—for monsters themselves, it was.
I’d learned that brutally over 18 months.
Look at now.
Even this conversational one preferred fighting over talking.
That was monster life.
The weak die.
The insufficient get eaten.
The strong take all.
The jungle’s law, survival of the fittest.
The sole truth I’d grasped reaching here.
Gulp—
I devoured its corpse, claiming the victor’s right.
Its size slowed me, but Gluttony accelerated digestion.
Battle-spent mana recovered ages ago.
Worthily A-rank—top-tier among my meals.
While its body digested in my gut, I waited, then moved.
No nearby life signs.
The fight had scattered them far.
Belly full, no need to hunt… but
With Gluttony’s limitless storage, more prey meant more energy—always good.
Shii───
I slunk into Shadow Stealth, probing with tongue and mana for new quarry.
Preferably weak after battle, but I wouldn’t dodge the strong—greater gains.
Indeed, post-Drake, my stalled stats ticked up slightly.
Just 1-2 points overall, but my first rise lately—pure joy.
Not a breakthrough, but proof I was on track.
And so, felling more foes as always, descending further—
One day, I met another.
Flap flap—
A crimson wyvern, scattering ash and smoke with vast wings.
Unmistakable S-rank monster.
We crossed paths on a volcano in the 64th floor.