Greytile Town (Part 8)

"Poison resistance?" I muttered in disbelief.

I never imagined a monster could have access to the system. Much less learn a skill specifically designed to counter my equipment. That dragon had adapted—to me. My poison stinger, my carefully honed advantage, was now completely useless.

I clicked my tongue in frustration. "Tch."

I had been looking forward to defeating the Crystal Dragon by poisoning it—slowly watching its massive body weaken, until it collapsed under its own weight. But now…? That dream was dead.

"Rooooaaaarrrrr!"

The dragon's thunderous cry shook the air. I could feel a strange sensation creeping over my body, like an invisible pressure weighing me down. It was… off. What was happening? Why did it feel like something was invading me through the atmosphere itself? The sensation wasn't physical, but it wasn't magical either. It was something else entirely.

Could it be…?

"Appraisal!" I cast without hesitation.

The familiar stream of information flooded my vision, displaying the updated status of the Crystal Dragon. My stomach twisted as I read it.

"This dragon… It learned several more skills again," I murmured, my hands clenching into fists. "Taunt… Lightning Resistance… Drain…"

"What the heck?!" I shouted, feeling the panic start to bubble in my chest.

My other weapon—Lightning dragon Blade—was now completely ineffective. Lightning Resistance would nullify its damage. And Taunt… the dragon was using it to draw other monsters straight to its position, luring them in like moths to a flame. Once close enough, it devoured them with a single bite. After chewing and swallowing, its wounds began to heal. HP and MP restored… just like that.

"This has got to be cheating," I hissed. "Monsters shouldn't be able to learn skills like a human! They're supposed to have fixed abilities, like in the games! This dragon… it's like a monster specifically designed not to be defeated by a player!"

I ranted aloud, but it didn't change anything. My frustration wouldn't stop the dragon from unleashing another devastating fire breath in my direction.

"Shit!" I cursed, reacting just in time. I activated Levitation, propelling myself upward and narrowly dodging the torrent of flame. If I'd been even a second slower… I didn't want to think about it.

But then I turned around—and my heart dropped.

The fire breath had carved a scorched, blackened scar across the eastern mountainside. The intense heat still shimmered in the air, distorting the distant landscape.

"That fire breath… it's even stronger than before," I muttered, beads of sweat forming on my forehead. "Good thing I decided to dodge instead of trying to block it with a barrier. That would've roasted me alive."

Before I could catch my breath, the ground below rumbled violently. Jagged boulders erupted from the earth, floating ominously in mid-air around the dragon. Its massive claws twitched slightly, and the stones launched toward me like cannonballs.

"Tch! This monster isn't going to give me a break, huh?" I grit my teeth and swerved to avoid the incoming projectiles.

Flying like this drained my MP at a dangerous rate. If I kept dodging, I'd run out of energy—and then I'd be easy prey.

I had to act.

"I'm done running around…" I growled, gathering every ounce of magic I could muster. "Unleash!"

A series of intricate magic circles appeared behind me, humming with energy. The air buzzed as I poured my remaining power into them.

"This dragon might've learned several elemental resistances, but that doesn't mean it's immune to everything." I locked my eyes on the crystal beast. "I'll attack you with pure magic instead."

It was risky. Pure magic consumption was heavy on my MP reserves, but I had no other option.

"Magic Barrage!"

Spheres of energy burst from the circles and shot toward the dragon in rapid succession. They smashed into the incoming boulders, shattering them mid-flight. The blasts didn't stop there—they pushed forward, striking the Crystal Dragon's glittering scales.

"It's working…" My heart raced with hope.

I released more magic, pouring everything I had into the barrage. Explosion after explosion rocked the dragon's massive body as I continued my assault.

"Eat this!" I roared.

The dragon howled in pain—its deafening cry nearly throwing me off balance. It flapped its titanic wings, creating a violent windstorm. The sudden gusts sent me spiraling through the sky, disrupting my casting.

"Shit—!" I barely regained control when I spotted a new threat: another fire breath attack, faster than before.

"This is bad!" I dodged desperately, but the flames grazed my side. I winced as the heat singed my skin.

Before I realized it, I had drifted dangerously close to the dragon's massive tail. It moved like a whip, slamming into my body with bone-crushing force.

"Guh—!!"

The impact hurled me straight down. My body crashed into the ground with a tremendous shockwave, sending dirt and debris flying everywhere. The sound of the impact echoed like a thunderclap.

I coughed up blood, struggling to breathe. I had layered multiple barriers in time to soften the blow—but not enough to block it completely. Agony coursed through my muscles as I tried to move.

My vision blurred from the dust, but I could still make out the scarlet glow of the Crystal Dragon's eyes. It hadn't moved an inch from its perch.

I clenched my fists. "You bastard…"

It was mocking me. Standing there as if it didn't need to move an inch to defeat me. As if I was nothing but a weak insect beneath its gaze.

"Is this… my end?" I whispered.

Would I really die here? Defeated by the very first monster I encountered in this strange new world?

The dragon inhaled deeply, charging up another fire breath to finish me off. I could feel the temperature rising already.

"Like hell I'm dying here!" I shouted. "I haven't found my purpose yet! That's why I keep surviving in this other world!"

Summoning every ounce of strength left in me, I fired a concentrated beam of magic directly at the dragon's mouth. If I could just disrupt its next attack…

"Inventory!" I called, opening my item storage.

With shaky hands, I grabbed a Max Healing Potion, yanked off the cap, and chugged it down. The warmth of restored HP and MP surged through me.

"Heh… Well, this is something players can do," I smirked.

It reminded me of an old match I had with a classmate. I'd been this close to winning—until he pulled out a Max Potion and reversed everything. It was total BS… but now, I was the one "cheating."

I had twelve Max Potions, thirty regular Potions, and five Teleport Stones. The Max Potions were rare; I got them for free as a farewell gift from Rin back at Elesis Fort. I was planning to sell them for profit, but… thank the gods I didn't.

After replenishing my HP and MP, I forced myself to stand. My wings spread wide, and I took to the sky again.

"Ready for round two… Magic Barrage!"

Once more, I showered the Crystal Dragon with relentless blasts. This time, it tanked the damage without flinching. Then, unexpectedly, it opened its maw—not to breathe fire, but to exhale a thick mist.

"What the—?" I froze.

The mist expanded rapidly, engulfing everything in a dense fog. It rose high into the air, and soon I couldn't see anything beyond a few feet.

"Looks like this monster's capable of strategy, too," I muttered.

A faint crackling noise echoed around me.

"Appraisal!" I cast it again… but nothing happened.

"Tch! I can't see the target—Appraisal won't work."

I didn't like this. I had no idea what was coming.

"Barrier!" I threw up three layers, playing it safe.

Then I saw it—brief flashes of light in all directions. I realized too late what was happening.

"This isn't just mist… It's a thundercloud!"

Bolts of lightning struck me from every angle, devouring my barriers. The magic cracked under the pressure—and then shattered.

"AAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!!" I screamed as lightning tore through my body, searing me inside and out. My HP plummeted rapidly, dropping by the second.

I tried to reinforce my barrier, but I couldn't keep up. My whole body felt like it was burning to a crisp.

When the lightning finally subsided, I was left with less than ten percent of my HP. I was falling fast, barely conscious. My transformation disguise shattered, revealing my true appearance.

The dragon charged another fire breath, ready to end it.

"This is… incredibly painful," I muttered, tasting blood. "But I can't die here…"

I reached into my Inventory one last time and grabbed a Teleport Stone.

Just before the flames reached me, I activated it—teleporting back to a safe zone near Greytile Town.

"Cough… cough…"

I dropped to my knees. My body ached all over. Potions could restore HP and MP… but they didn't heal the pain or mend the injuries completely. I'd need another kind of magic for that.

Before I could think of anything else… everything went black.