4

I slammed my fist down on it's back as hard as I could. Pushing flames out from the point of impact. Not even a crack. It's shell put the goblin to shame. I could feel the bones in my hand breaking. 

I didn't stand a chance as I was now, but I couldn't leave unless I killed her. Fire was my only weapon. I needed to focus. Look for a weak point. Something I could use. 

I wasn't strong enough to crack this shell. There had to be a point in this shell that wasn't as strong as the rest. Maybe the joints? I darted around the small space. Contorting myself in ways that I never could before. 

I could feel my joints straining as I forced my body to flex more then it was used to. My tendons felt as if they were tearing apart. My body felt as if it was going to come apart at the seams. I was used to being in this sort of pain. I could handle this as long as I didn't get hurt any further. 

Pained joints was just the norm for me. I spotted a crack in the wall, and I rushed for it. The beast didn't notice the crack. I got there first. Shoving myself into the crack the best I could. 

It was barely wide enough for me to stand in there. The beast slammed into the wall over, and over again as it tried to get to me. The walls had held up to it's onslaught when it was struggling to move earlier so it was safe to assume that the walls could handle the beast. I could only stand there, and hope the walls didn't break for now. I launched flames out into the cavern with the beast. 

My whole world narrowed to just the space where the monster couldn't get me, and the heat that the fire created. I sweat like a stuck pig. Yet I couldn't leave. I was completely unable to get out of this place. All I could do was throw fire into the void, and hope for the best. 

I threw fire at the void until I ran out of mana. Waited for it to regenerate before doing it all over again. Rinse repeat. I didn't see any damage, but I was gaining experience in using my fire. 

Basic fire magic level up

I had to be doing some sort of damage for it to level up. It wasn't exciting, but it would work eventually. I'd just chip away at the beast's health until it died. It was probably some kind of bug queen if I had to guess from the look of the floor so far. The heat was really beginning to get to me though. 

I could feel my hands blistering as they touched the stone near the entrance. Even with the elemental resistance my new armor granted me I was still being burned. I kept on throwing flames out of the crack. Burning myself more, and more as the rock heated. Feeling incredible relief when the flames finally thinned. 

My vitality did a good job of shrinking the burns in the time I wasn't adding to them. I kept on throwing flames out despite the nasty blisters, and burns. Either I would die here or he would. Exhaustion overcame me after a while, and I passed out wedged up against the back of the crack. I dreamed of dragons. 

All different shapes, and sizes. Some small, and slender like a snake. Others large red, and bulky like the European stories. Mellow slow moving green, and brown ones. Purple ones that had a neck that reminded me of a cobra. 

A slender one that was nearly white with shiny feathered wings that looked almost like a glass sculpture. Then there was the blue one. Sharp scales like blades. The tips frosted with white. Even it's wings appeared to be covered in freshly formed frost. 

It snarled down at me with obvious superiority. Then it struck, and I was shocked back into total awareness. I realized I was sluffing forward in the gap. About to be snatched out like the little bug I was pretending to be. My burns screamed, but not moving meant death so I moved. 

All these little burns were going to amount to some nasty scars. I wasn't getting healed from the daily healing as often because time worked faster while I was in here. The benefits of new awakening didn't really apply in places like this. My muscles tensed up slowly as I thought about what might next. I wasn't going to last forever if my body was already beginning to fail me. 

Passing out was one of the first steps to being completely fucked. My body wasn't holding up well. My arm was badly burned, and my body was feeling the effects. It wouldn't be too long before I simply wouldn't be able to fight anymore. If I kept doing damage to myself then it wouldn't matter that I was protected by this crack. 

My own magic would do me in soon enough. It was time to change the game, and I didn't plan on playing fair. I wouldn't live long enough to regret what I was about to do if it didn't work. The two big claws slammed down first. Sending shudders through the entirety of the walls. 

The two big claws were stopping the smaller claws from reaching me. I rushed through the gap after the double bang. When both of it's claws would be drawn back. The smaller claws lashed out for me only to hit nothing but air. My high jump skill activated in time, and I was able to jump through it's claws. 

I had no intention of allowing this beast to take me down. I was behind it before it even knew what was happening. The beast looked at me with rage. Unable to turn around in the narrow pathway. It didn't have any spinnerets like I expected.