Showdown with the Red Wyvern
They had just passed the 63rd floor and arrived at the 64th, still getting their bearings on the local terrain.
As he wandered leisurely in search of prey, just like always, his Instinct suddenly buzzed sharply.
An urgent warning, rarer than usual.
Before he could even think, he twisted his body to dodge—and there it was, having appeared out of nowhere.
A massive frame as large as the Red Drake he'd fought before.
A deep crimson wyvern, two or three times bigger than the average wyvern.
He had no idea when it had shown up, but a single Red Wyvern was flapping its wings silently in midair, gazing down at him.
Shii──.
The overwhelming pressure it exuded was no joke.
Just gauging its aura sent a chill crawling over his scales, like something squeezing his body tight.
'S-rank…!'
His Instinct—evolved from Crisis Detection—blared nonstop warnings.
Instinct screamed before reason could catch up.
Run.
This wasn't his first time seeing an S-rank monster.
Even in the previous Plains Zone, he'd encountered plenty—not quite as intense as here, but still a fair number.
After entering the Lava Zone, spotting S-rank monsters hadn't been all that hard either.
In fact, he'd clashed directly with a few of them.
No matter that they were all oversized S-ranks beyond the norm, there were always some a bit below average—and he'd fought those.
Sometimes he'd tied, sometimes won, and sometimes fled after failing to win.
Win or lose, he always ended up a battered wreck, his Gluttony reserves drained dry. And every time, he felt it.
S-ranks were on another level entirely.
No matter how hunters had grown stronger over time, dulling the terror of S-rank monsters compared to the past, an S-rank was still an S-rank.
Impossible to take lightly.
And the one before him now? The real deal.
Not some half-baked S-rank he'd scrapped with before—this was the genuine article.
An off-the-charts monster radiating true S-rank majesty.
Tension and unease crept up, mingled with a flicker of competitive thrill and fighting spirit.
He flicked his tongue slyly at the wyvern still hovering above, staring down.
'What are my odds?'
Generously, 8-to-2 or 9-to-1. Coldly calculated, zero chance of victory.
Even if he was quasi-S-rank, that was just comparable—he couldn't hide the gap against a true one.
Plus, this thing was a flying wyvern.
He had more anti-air options now than before, but he still couldn't match anything that ruled the skies.
Weighing all the factors, his win rate was regrettably nil.
'Best to run?'
No matter how much he'd staked his life on strength, he had no intention of dying pointlessly.
'But can I even escape?'
He could probably slip away using tricks, but shaking pursuit afterward? That was the question.
'Given its mobility, probably impossible.'
Glancing at those sturdy wings, the difference in maneuverability between a ground-crawler like him and a sky-soarer was obvious.
'At least it's not showing hostility right away.'
So why had it appeared before him? No clue.
Locked in a staring contest with the wyvern as it watched him silently, it suddenly flapped its massive wings and descended slowly to the ground.
"Was it you causing all that recent commotion?"
Thud—with a heavy thud, the beast landed and immediately spoke via telepathy.
Caught off-guard by the unexpected response, he froze for a moment, tension coiling inside.
The previous Red Drake had been the same—had he really stirred enough trouble to draw S-rank monsters like this?
[…Looks like I've gained some fame. Visitors like you prove it… So why ask?]
[Can't just ignore someone stirring up trouble in the Boss's territory.]
[…Boss?]
A vague memory surfaced from his chat with the Red Drake before.
Did monsters have some kind of organization?
He wasn't sure yet, but this wyvern might be the "big brother" the drake mentioned.
If so, what kind of existence commanded a wyvern like this…?
[If you came from above, it's natural you wouldn't know about the Boss. If you did, you wouldn't be acting so recklessly.]
He flicked his tongue once as the wyvern's calm voice reached him. Despite its relaxed posture, no openings showed.
[…So why seek me out? To teach a lesson to someone messing in your turf?]
[It was supposed to be just a warning… but things have changed.]
He pulled back warily as the wyvern flapped its wings slightly.
Thankfully, no attack came—it wasn't planning one—but even that tiny motion set him on edge.
[Things have changed?]
[There was a guy from our side who came looking for you recently. Pretty strong by our standards…]
The wyvern spoke flatly, then its eyes flashed.
A surge of killing intent made his whole body twitch.
[Did you kill him?]
[He came at me first.]
[…Didn't like the guy, but he's still one of ours. Gotta avenge him, right?]
Flap flap—the wyvern began powerful wingbeats.
Even a simple flap whipped up gusts that rocked his massive body.
Soaring effortlessly into the sky, it continued.
[Don't worry. Revenge aside, the Boss hates needless bloodshed. I won't take your life.]
It declared this with utter calm, as if stating plain fact.
Rage boiled at the attitude—like he was trash it could crush effortlessly.
True as it might be, his pride stung.
[…Don't get too cocky. My venom's pretty nasty.]
[Hm. Think your puny fangs can pierce my scales?]
Roaring at the wyvern's smug smirk and taunt, he lunged.
Shaa───!!!
Using his body's momentum, he shot toward it like an arrow.
Fueled by skills, the attack packed power no S-rank could ignore—but no matter how strong, it meant nothing if it didn't connect.
The wyvern dodged his lightning-fast strike with ridiculous ease.
'Damn wings!'
One flap sent it drifting skyward, drawing a scowl.
Flying foes were always a nightmare.
Shuuung—
As his charge missed and he hit the ground, the wyvern struck back instantly.
Razor-sharp talons grazed just above his head.
It hadn't gone all-out—pure nonchalance—but to him, it was chilling enough to bristle every scale.
Finishing its casual jab, it glided leisurely overhead.
That infuriating ease furrowed his brow again.
'Let's see how long that lasts.'
He preferred probing, wearing foes down slowly—but this wasn't one he could outlast that way.
No, to even survive, he needed full throttle, no holding back.
Shii────
His base form, Spirit Boa, earned its name by wielding magic like spirits.
As its variant, he'd gained comparable magic prowess through evolutions—but relying on physical might meant he wasn't adept.
Fire and Water Magic sat at a measly D-rank.
No way that scratched an S-rank Red Wyvern.
But one magic he trusted? Poison Magic, at A-rank.
Frequent synergy with his innate venom had boosted it exceptionally.
It wouldn't devastate an S-rank, but combined with his poison? Unignorable damage.
He unleashed the prepared spell without delay.
A purple poison spear, Poison Spear, lanced at the Red Wyvern.
It dodged effortlessly in flight—as expected—but that wasn't the point.
Trailing a beat behind, a purple serpent shape.
Hidden in the spear's shadow, Venom Shock revealed itself, targeting the wyvern.
“───!!!”
The wyvern let out a short roar, flapping hard.
As it banked sharply to evade, he didn't sit idle.
He opened his third eye.
Magic Eye's petrification power, as always.
Normally, his low-rank eye wouldn't faze it—but he pushed harder.
Gathering mana.
A stinging pain flooded his raised third eye.
He wanted to stop and squeeze it shut, but endured.
Tenacity A
Mana overloaded his limit; blood vessels in his eye burst.
Gush—blood welled as tears, streaming down his forehead's center.
Super Regeneration S
Ignoring the excruciating pain and bloody tears, he pressed on.
And reaped the reward.
The wyvern's powerful wingbeats hitched for a moment.
Not fully petrified, but that brief stutter created a gaping opening.
Meager for the agony and mana poured in—but no regrets.
That was the goal.
The serpent shape closed in, jaws gaping like a live snake, about to slam home.
'Got it. Won't deal massive damage, but if it poisons…'
His 10% odds would skyrocket.
More than victory, landing a hit on this smug bastard thrilled him.
Look at that twisted face—
'What…?!'
The wyvern's expression defied expectations.
No panicked frustration—just mild surprise and "unexpected."
“───!”
Facing Venom Shock nose-to-nose, it roared lightly.
Its cry vibrated the air as a dome of roaring flames enveloped it.
Boom—
Venom Shock burst futilely against the thick fire barrier.
The Red Wyvern emerged unscathed, flapping leisurely.
'A skill? Fire-attribute magic?'
Frustration and fury surged at his trump card's failure, but he analyzed coolly.
'True S-rank. Won't go down easy, huh?'
Mana was endless via Gluttony, but his overtaxed Magic Eye was out for now.
Only magic attacks left…
'Fire magic's useless against its affinity. Water's just for poking.'
Back to Poison Magic, like before.
And it'd blocked that easily—minimal impact.
'…Buy time, wait for an opening. Gluttony and Super Regeneration can tank anything.'
This might drag into a war of attrition he wasn't confident in.
But…
“Krrrh─.”
Unlike before, the wyvern was ramping up, baring real intent. Surviving wouldn't be easy.