Luck Encounter.

Rune flew deep into the forest on Lenthandra's back. This time, he was determined to fight beyond his level. He wanted to test his capabilities against formidable foes, and the Jade Body Level magical beasts were his best beasts to content with.

Lenthandra veered to the left with tremendous speed sending Rune's hair flying back in a streak.

In no time, he could feel the suppressing presence of the beast up ahead. This was no easy target. Its aura far surpassed those that he had come across before by three to four folds.

'roar!!!'

Rune was deafened by the sudden roar. Up ahead, a towering centipede rose above the tree canopies.

It was goldish in colour, with rows and rows of legs on either side of its body. The head had two beady eyes that reflected the sun up in the sky.

Two filaments as thick as Rune's arm flicked in the air in front of it. Just looking at the beast sent shivers through Rune's body. Let alone the opening and closing pincers dripping with dark blue saliva.

Lenthandra headed straight for the beast without wavering. Each beat of her wings drew them closer. There was no going back. It was time to do this. Time to test their power before heading back to civilisation.

As they had done countless times before, Rune drew his sword and hacked at the centipede as Lenthandra flew past.

The sword only left a shallow scratch show casing the defensive power of this magical beast. It was by no means an easy target.

His blood boiled and his battle honed instincts kicked in. This was it.

The centipede turned and chased after its foes. It wouldn't let them leave just like that. Whoever entered its territory didn't leave, never, not without her permission.

Lenthandra twisted and spiralled making a sharp u-turn that nearly sent Rune tumbling off her back.

By the time the centipede realised the change in trajectory, two talons were firmly embedded in its thorax.

Rune jumped off into the air, sword raised and firmly thrusted it to the hilt in the head of the thrashing centipede.

It hissed and roared and spit out its acidic saliva to no avail. It had not even had the chance to employ its magical abilities before it was dealt a fatal blow.

And just like that, an Early Jade Body Level magical beast was dead. At their hands!

Rune felt unstoppable, invincible. With his armour, cloak, sword and friend, Lenthandra, what can possibly stand in his way.

Don't be so full of yourself Rune. This centipede underestimated us. We would have stood no chance if it had fought us with its mind magical abilities. Consider it a luck encounter.

Mind magic!? Rune was flabbergasted. He had never had of this type of magic before, even in his previous life.

Yes , it could have sent us into a bottomless illusion, fight each other or something like that. But the end result of either scenario is we would have been at its mercy no matter how and from which angle you look at it. No wonder it has grown so big and to this level in this forest .

Fortunately, it would make a fine mind protector talisman. Or you can buy a mind talisman from the store. Don't forget.

After some contemplation and debate, they turned back from the Jade Body Level magical beasts territory into the Diamond Flesh level beasts.

The Jades were a far reach for them. A normal confrontation or mistake will get them annihilated. This wasn't the time to be greedy for nothing. They had still more to live for than die.

...

I will keep watch. Be careful. Lenthandra warned Rune.

They had only travelled a few miles when they encountered a python coiled around a large brown tortoise.

The surrounding area was charred and gorged. It looked like the two had been at it for hours.

"Human, stay out of this if you know what's good for you!" A hissing voice came from the snake. " Or else you will be my next meal"

Rune wasn't surprised that a beast could speak to him. It's just that most of the beasts he had encountered before didn't like speaking to humans.

Rune drew his sword when he was a few metres from the duo. From this far, he could clearly see the despair in the tortoise's eyes.

His heart went out to it. He didn't know why but he felt like saving this tortoise. It looked at him without saying anything, no pride nor pity, just an immovable mountain even on the brink of death. This realization resonated with Rune to the core.

Let's see you eating me then. He thought to himself as he jumped and swiftly thrust forward.

The python hissed and lunged forward, its body uncoiling from the tortoise.

A split second before the sword sank into its scales, it swayed to the side, evading the point of the sword blade.

Its canines sank into Rune's arm, sending a dosage of poison rushing into his blood system.

His hand cramped up and his sword slipped and clattered to the ground.

No!? My hand ! Why is my healing attribute not working!

Lenthandra looked on hearing Rune's thoughts. She kept quiet wanting to see how far he will go before breaking. Not that she would let him get broken on her watch.

The tortoise looked at the human, his hand was now useless, and soon his heart would stop. What a pity. She herself was in the same predicament. Her legs couldn't move an inch where she stood.

"Uhmp"

The python snorted looking down at the human while it coiled its body around him.

" You had your chance to walk away, let not the heavens say I wasn't kind"

Rune felt the coils tightening around him when something unexpected happened.

No matter how much the python tightened its body, it couldn't squash this little human.

Rune gritted his teeth and summoned all his strength. The coils gave way an inch before closing in again.

" No!!!!!"

He roared into the sky in denial. He can't die just like this, at the hands of a cruel arrogant powerless python. He had more to live for, if he dies Sigrid will never forgive him. This was it, I have to stay alive.

His thoughts churned and his mind went into overdrive. Plans formed and disintegrated in his mind at the speed of light. Each plan was formed, evaluated, checked for flaws, its probability of successful execution calculated, if less than fifty percent, it was discarded.

The python grew more desperate. Its eyes turned green and a green poisonous gas quietly came to be around it and rune.

Rune's eyes misted and and his lungs dried up. The gas was corrosive. It ate at his internal organs

He had to end this before things got out of hand.

Do something Rune, don't stick to your physical strength. Lenthandra encouraged him seeing things going south.

That was all Rune needed. He looked at the python straight in the eyes and gritted his teeth.

Gravitational runes appeared around the python's head before seamlessly sinking into it.

The snake's head crashed to the ground with enormous force, sending waves of dirt in all directions.

Rune was beyond angry, he spelt two destruction runes on its head which left nothing but gore on the ground.

The rest of the python's body slacked and fell to the ground.

That's much better. Now do something about the poison heading to your heart.

The tortoise looked on in bewilderment. This turn of events was unexpected. Unfortunately , the human has been poisoned and paralyzed.

The next thing left it shocked. The human shook his hand as if nothing had happened to it, picked his sword and approached her.

" I know you can understand me, and you can speak too. So, please don't waste my time. I want you ...."

"kill me already if you are going to."

Rune was in a foul mood. It's only that it was being misdirected on an innocent creature. Being cut off didn't help either.

Lenthandra flew and bumped into Rune sending him sprawling on the ground. She had long made sense of what was going on here.

The python wanted the tortoise's eggs which were about to hatch. This tortoise was a mother protecting its own unborn children.

Lenthandra wouldn't let Rune's mood and anger cloud his judgement and let him do something that he would regret for life.

The tortoise was shocked at the appearance of a dragon. In its hundreds of years, she had always been taught to respect the lords and queens of the sky, Dragons! And here was one in front of her.

What was its life turning into?

From python to human to dragon! What have I done to deserve such calamities. I'm dying anyway, this poison will surely kill me in a few days.

A column of golden fire spewed from Lenthandra's mouth onto the tortoise. Its shell, legs, head, everywhere where the fire touched, healing essence did its wonders.

What is your name ? Lenthandra asked.

Onyx. The tortoise replied with humility. This dragon had healed her from all her injuries, old and new, and even restored her fractured soul into a complete one.

I hope you will find it in your heart to forgive my friend, he did not mean you harm

Lenthandra conveyed the message telepathically to the tortoise, grabbed Rune with her claws and flew into the sky.