Ultimate Level 1
Chapter 525: It's Big

Chapter 525 - It's Big

“It’s pretty big,” Fowl said, his voice not hiding his shock.

“It’s not that big,” Max replied.

“Bah, don’t lie. It’s the biggest one I’ve ever seen or imagined!”

Groans came from the three women behind them, and both men glanced back, shaking their heads at them.

“Really? We’re talking about that boss.”

“Suuuuure,” Cordellia replied. “You expect us to believe that?”

“Trust me.”

Batrire shook her head at Fowl. “You both done having fun? We need to figure out how we’re going to do this. We’ve only got about three minutes left.”

Max nodded, the timer floating near them counting down. It had already taken off less than two minutes since he arrived first.

Before them was a massive open area, easily a few miles from what Cordellia had said in every direction. Stone walls went upward, and he couldn’t see the end of them, not knowing if the sky above could be reached or if there was a barrier somewhere to stop him.

On a grassy field was the largest dragon he had seen besides Wekime. Its green scales shimmered in the light of the day and its black eyes stared at them.

“I mean, I could try to talk to it. The problem is I don’t know if we can pass this floor without killing it. Chromie had said all we needed to do was get past them.”

“Do you think it would be that easy?” Fowl asked. “Why would the tower give us a dragon when you seem to get along with most of them?”

“I don’t get along with most of them. I’ve killed three, two of which were not fans of me at all,” Max replied. “Still, I want to know why this is our first boss. I can see how it would be a tough battle for any group.”

“Especially considering there aren’t any natural defenses that we can find. Just pure open space and nowhere to hide,” Tanila said. “It’s basically a dragon's killing field.”

“I say we let Max talk with it,” Cordellia said. In the worst-case scenario, it attacks, and he gets hit first.”

“What she said,” Fowl said.

Sighing, Max shrugged and summoned both weapons, feeling power surge through him.

[ Total Stat Check - Simple ]

*****

STR - 8743

DEX - 8668

CON - 8743

INT - 6731

WIS - 6669

*****

Every time I look at those numbers, I’m interested to know what a difference it will make when fighting something like that.

Then don’t talk, just attack.

I’m not sure Wekime would appreciate that.

He would most likely not. Still, I am just as anxious as you to see how much damage you can do. But play the game. Let it decide if it will be the test subject.

“Alright, let’s get ready. After Batrire buffs us, I’ll go.”

“Want the special buff?” their healer asked.

“No. Save it. I doubt we’ll need it for this one.”

“Wait, why do you say that?” Fowl asked. “Do you expect it not to attack?”

Max grinned and shook his head.

“No. It’s because I’m ready to test my new toy out.”

***

“Stop human! Do not come closer.”

Max did as the green dragon asked, looking up at the huge beast, knowing it was probably a fourth bigger than the gold dragon he had slain for Aerthen.

“I bear the mark of your Father. Tell me, dragon, what is your name?”

He smiled as the beast’s head rose, and it cocked its immense head a little.

“You speak our tongue? Not only do you bear the mark but I also sense something else within you. A kindred… soul. Tell me, how, why do I sense this?”

“Names first. I am Max Hoste, and you are?”

The green dragon huffed, shifting its wings as it stared at him momentarily.

“My name… There is power in one's name, yet you freely give yours. Either you are foolish or what I sense is worthy of me giving it. Tell me, why should I not simply attack? You would be another to die by my claws.”

Max shook his head and began to laugh.

A loud growl came, and he could sense a change in the air.

“I have killed three dragons, all smaller than you, yet one was only slightly smaller. All of them thought they were stronger and each of them now is a material I give to those who are my friends or allies, filling vaults with scales, teeth, and bones that will take ages to craft.

“Two dragons I call friend, a third… I believe I could have had there been no way to go on without killing him. One of those dragons… is my dragon. Bound to me.”

The swelling growing in the green dragon’s chest stopped, and those black eyes narrowed, its head slowly coming toward him.

“You… I know not your name, but I have seen you in my dreams. Not as you look, but different.”

“It is how your father communicates with you,” Max replied. “Trust me when I say I can go either way. Tell me your name, show me another way for my friends and me to pass this tower floor, or know that I will not hold back. I will send another one of his children to him if I must.”

“Bekat. That is my name.”

“Bekat?”

“Are you mocking me, Max? ”

“No, just ensuring I said it right,” he replied. “Now tell me, is there a way for us to move on from here without slaying you?”

The green dragon snorted, a tiny wisp of green smoke escaping its nostrils.

“You speak as if I will stand here and let you simply cut my heart out. I am not like the other dragons you have faced.”

“And I am like nothing you have ever encountered,” Max said. “I will take from you your core, preventing you from healing, and then I will take your heart.”

The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.

I’m beginning to think you should just attack him. This is boring me to death.

Bekat shifted his position, letting out a roar as it did.

“You can not speak to me like I am nothing! I shall–”

Max stopped listening, knowing he would either piss off the dragon with his last statement or cause it to back down. Once it roared, he knew there was no going back.

It has been a while since I have been this excited!

[ Ultimate Form ]

[ Berserker ]

[ Power Strike ]

[ Magical Strike ]

[ Rampage ]

[ Haste ]

Max’s movement was so fast that it almost made the first attack he made not hit where he wanted. Bob helped get him under control, adjusting the path with Wind Magic as he shot toward the dragon’s stomach.

Both weapons became curved swords, and the swing of his newest weapon cut through those scales with ease. They parted as the second and third slashes created an opening into the dragon’s skin.

Bob reset his cooldowns repeatedly, allowing Max to hack and slash his way through Bekat as the dragon began to move.

Stone, air, and ice walls grew inside the dragon’s body, keeping flesh from squishing him. His skill sent out waves of fire, bolts of lightning, and wind blades that went off in other directions.

Max knew the dragon was trying to expel him somehow, its body most likely airborne as the world seemed to want to pull him backward, yet Bob kept his position secure with his magic.

It grew hotter as he cleaved his way through the dragon. Things changed when an attack hit a thinner part, sending gas rushing at him, along with liquid that smelled like death.

[ Personal Barrier ]

[ Poison Resisted ]

Another roar came, muffled to almost nothing, yet Max could feel the vibrations through the beast, knowing he was where he wanted to be.

Power was nearby, and a slight glimpse of light was visible amidst the darkness of Bekat’s body.

You need to thank Aerthen for telling you dragon anatomy so well.

Later, focus!

Bob’s laughter and enjoyment of this moment flooded his senses as he pushed past the liquid pouring into the tunnel he had carved out. Turning both weapons into spears, Max flew forward, able to see that he had indeed reached the belly of the dragon.

Inside, it was a core much larger than he had expected.

Bob sent out walls and tried to stop the stomach that began closing in on itself, gas coming up from below and filling the space.

[ Poison Resisted ]

I’ll bet this dragon is rethinking his original plan.

Grunting, Max raced to the core and put both hands on it, trying to store it.

Tendrils of magic resisted his attempts, the power flow keeping the core attached to the stomach lining.

I guess we’ll have to cut this out after all.

Bob released chaos in every direction, sending out spells that tore through the dragon’s stomach, yet no matter how much they cut, the stomach would shift, putting the core against another patch, and healing the injuries they caused before Max could break it free.

I guess you finally get to try out that new spell.

Holding out his left hand, Max pointed his spear forward and started channeling.

[ Wildfire ]

His arm glowed like the sun, and the very flesh of it melted away.

Regeneration was dealing with the damage the stomach acid had caused, but this time it didn’t do anything as everything except his bones was devoured from his shoulder down.

It ached and burned as the spell grew and then raced forward, striking the walls of Bekat’s stomach.

The beast let out a cry that turned into a long wail as Max watched the wildfire begin to grow, spreading in every direction, consuming the flesh it touched, always spreading and preventing the dragon from being able to heal.

Now.

Even with his arm still nothing but bone, Max moved quickly, putting his hand on the core and willed it to his storage.

It vanished, the light of the beast's stomach turning as bright as the sun. The spell grew outward, encircling him and creating a growing space for him to fly in.

We need to get out of here. Your arm is slowly regrowing, but we cannot stay here.

[ Dimensional Space - Blocked ]

Cursing under his breath, Max wondered if there would be a floor on which he could use the spell again. Knowing the tower was blocking it now made him angry.

Can we cut our way through the spell?

No. We’ll do it another way. Be ready.

[ Cooldowns Reset ]

[ Haste ]

[ Phasing ]

He shot outward, nervous when his body passed through the glowing edges of the spell. Max thought he could feel it trying to touch him for a moment, but they were gone, back into the light of the tower floor.

Bekat was flailing in the air, wings beating irregularly as it tried to endure what was afflicting it.

“I warned you!” Max shouted as Bob flew him close to the dragon’s head. “You should have listened.”

Another cry of pain came and Max laughed as the dragon started to descend, those black eyes getting dimmer each second.

Bekat crashed into the ground, sending up a massive cloud of dust.

Returning to his friends, Max saw the looks they gave him and felt the heal from Batrire.

“Your arm!” Tanila shouted. “Why is it not healing?!”

He didn’t know and Bob wasn’t telling him anything, but the heal hadn’t done anything to help his recovery.

More spells came and their healer cursed each time it had no impact.

“What did you do?” Fowl asked, his head constantly swiveling between looking at him and the dragon writhing on the ground.

“Cut my way to its stomach. Cast my new spell and took its core,” Max replied. “The spell did this.”

He could sense their hearts racing and saw the look Tanila couldn’t hide. He knew exactly why she looked afraid.

If she had this spell and cast it. What would have happened to her?

Nothing good. The power of the spell is feared as you can see. That dragon is being eaten away from the inside. By the looks of it, there will be nothing to harvest.

Because of the spell or because I cast it?

“Drink this,” Cordellia said, holding a blue potion before his face.

“What–”

“Drink it!”

Nodding, he took it, pulled out the stopper with his teeth and drained it.

Warmth filled his stomach and then his left arm erupted in agony.

Flesh grew and was removed. Over and over it happened. Whatever the potion tried to fix, the spell was still fighting it.

“It’s slowing down, look!” Fowl said.

Forcing himself to ignore the pain of his body trying to heal, Max turned and saw that massive sections of Bekat’s scales were missing, the wildfire having eaten them.

Now the spell seemed to be dimming, going out, and the destruction of the corpse was slowed.

Half a minute later, less than a third of the dragon survived the spell, the light fading completely. The second it did, his arm burned as it had when he cast the spell, muscle and flesh regrowing in a heartbeat.

“What was that potion?”

“Basically one of a kind. Some troll potion with something else,” their ranger replied. “Tom gave it to me this week. Said it was a gift he picked up recently. Would regrow anything… or so he said.”

Max frowned and sighed.

“Thank you for using it on me, though I’m sorry it didn’t work.”

“It wasn’t the potion or Batrire’s spells that failed,” Tanila said. “It was the wildfire. Somehow, there is a connection between it and whatever you used it on. Until it runs out, you won’t be able to heal the injury it causes.”

“Well that sucks,” Fowl muttered. “Still… you just soloed a dragon, Max. The biggest fricking dragon I’ve ever seen… well… besides the one…”

Everyone’s mood shifted as they all came up and gave him a pat on the back or arm.

“That’s our Max,” Cordellia said. “Carrying us through the tower again.”

‎