The enormous serpent lay motionless.
Magma continued to bubble up through the cracks in the cavern, while the smell of blood, molten rock, and burnt flesh filled the air.
Noir lay there for several minutes, breathing heavily.
His whole body ached.
Every muscle seemed to be protesting the strain of the battle, and an unpleasant feeling of exhaustion washed over his limbs.
Still... he couldn’t help but smile.
He had won.
That felt good.
Really good!
The golden sphere kept spinning above its head as if it were the one who had defeated the serpent.
’You didn’t do anything.’
The sphere continued to celebrate.
’Absolutely nothing!’
The sphere spun even faster.
Noir decided to ignore it and examined his body. He now felt stronger; his muscles seemed more dense, his scales tougher, and the blood flowing through his veins was slightly warmer.
His mana reserves had also increased; everything felt stronger, and his senses were sharper.
His attention turned to the enormous corpse.
Although the fight was over, he still had things to do; excited, he wagged his tail.
’I wonder what it tastes like.’
The little black dragon approached the carcass and eagerly began devouring it; he had been eating nothing but grass for many days.
The snake tasted like chicken; he had thought that, being a reptile, it would have a more distinctive flavor, but that didn’t seem to be the case.
He continued devouring until he reached the section covered in rocks and magma. A familiar blue window appeared before him.
[A portion of the Venomous Fang Serpent has been devoured.]
[Analyzing biological characteristics... skeletal structure... features...]
[A biological fragment has been obtained...]
[Minor Poison Resistance.]
Noir stared at the words for several seconds, then looked at the corpse. This time, he hadn’t gained any abilities, but he had gained something important.
’If I had devoured the entire body, would I have gained an ability in addition to poison resistance?’
He paused to think for a moment, but there was no way for him to know, since the other half of the body was submerged in magma and molten rock.
But there was still another part left to devour.
And so the feast continued.
Over the next few hours, he devoured as much as he could.
Every bite gave him a little more strength; every mouthful seemed to nourish something deep inside him.
When he was finally done, Noir collapsed onto a nearby rock; his stomach was full... too full.
He felt like he could sleep for a whole week, and that’s exactly what he did.
The little dragon crawled away from the corpse, went to a corner of the room, and lay down, slowly closing his eyes until he fell asleep.
***
About three days later, Noir woke up feeling completely refreshed. He stretched his front legs, arched his back, and yawned like a cat with a strangely draconic appearance before letting out a huge yawn.
’What an incredible respite...’
His eyes slowly scanned the cavern.
Everything was just as it had been.
The magma continued to bubble up through the cracks in the rock, while the smell of blood, molten stone, and burnt flesh still hung in the air.
The enormous snake was still there, motionless.
Although much of its body had already been partially buried by the rubble and molten rock.
The golden sphere, sensing that he had finally woken up, darted toward him and began rubbing against one of his cheeks, as if scolding him for having slept for so long.
Noir watched it for a few seconds.
’First of all... good morning.’
He gently nudged it aside with a paw.
The little sphere spun indignantly around on its axis.
’And second...’
The little dragon sat up and shook the dust from his scales.
’I think I’ve rested long enough.’
His hunger had completely vanished, as had the fatigue he’d felt after the battle.
Now there was only one thing left to do.
Keep moving forward.
Noir raised a claw and pointed ahead with all the dignity he could muster.
’Show me the way, my faithful and kind companion!’
The golden sphere shone brightly. Then it spun merrily around and flew off toward one of the tunnels.
Noir smiled. For once, that little traitor seemed to be coming in handy.
The little dragon set off without wasting any time. His paws moved steadily over the rock as the orb lit the path several meters ahead.
The tunnels seemed endless, just like the cave itself.
Some chambers led downward into the depths. Others sloped upward so steeply that Noir had to use his wings to keep his balance.
Even so, the journey was much less dangerous than before.
...Or at least that’s how it was during the first few hours.
The first monster appeared as they were crossing an area covered in bluish crystals.
A six-legged lizard-like creature emerged from a crevice and lunged straight at him.
In the past, that would have taken him by surprise.
Not now.
His Draconic Senses detected the movement even before the monster attacked.
Noir spun around.
The creature passed right by him.
And a Draconic Claw came crashing down on its neck.
SLASH!
The head rolled across the floor, leaving a long trail of blood in its wake.
"..."
Noir looked at the corpse, then at his own claws.
’Wow.’
The difference was obvious.
Before, he had had to fight desperately to survive; now he could take down a monster with relative ease.
Naturally, he proceeded to devour it; the energy he gained was meager—just a warm sensation that coursed through his body—and he didn’t gain any new abilities.
But he kept going.
The days went by.
Some monsters were weak.
Others forced him to work hard.
Once, he had to face a colony of spiders as big as dogs. Another time, he fought a strange, rocky creature that looked like a cross between a turtle and a scorpion.
Every battle taught him something new.
How to flap his wings more effectively, how to use his tail in combat, and how to manage his mana. And above all... how to think while fighting.
The golden sphere watched all his progress from above. Of course, it never helped... It just watched.
And it cheered when Noir won.
’Someday I’m going to make you pay for all those non-existent assists.’
The sphere spun merrily, clearly unconcerned.
About two weeks later, Noir no longer looked like the same dragon that had left Chrysola’s cave.
His movements were more fluid, his scales had become slightly tougher... Even his body had grown a little.
Not much.
But enough for him to start noticing it himself—and yet... the cave went on and on.
More and more tunnels.
More chambers.
More darkness.
Deeper and deeper.
At times, Noir began to wonder if that place would ever really end.
Until something changed.
The air.
It was a subtle difference at first.
Then it became increasingly obvious; the temperature dropped, and the sounds faded away. Even the monsters began to grow scarce.
For nearly a week, he didn’t encounter a single creature.
Not a single one.
It felt strange. His Draconic Senses remained active as he moved forward slowly.
The golden sphere also seemed quieter than usual.
Finally, the tunnel began to widen.
And it kept widening.
Until it turned into a vast underground gallery.
Noir slowed down. Something told him he was approaching somewhere important.
The walls became smoother, more uniform, as if they had been carved. Not created by nature... but created by someone.
That thought sent a chill running down his spine.
Civilization? Ruins? Magic? He had no answers.
And then the tunnel came to an end.
Noir took one last step and stood still. Before him stood a gigantic black iron gate.
It was so enormous that it looked like a vertical wall.
Thick chains, as thick as tree trunks, ran across its entire surface, and strange symbols were engraved on the ancient metal; they seemed to have been worn down by countless years.
The little dragon slowly raised its head.
"..."
For the first time in many days, Noir couldn’t think of a single joke to make.
...
Author note:
I’ve finally created a Discord server. Here’s the link
https://discord.gg/vXqDg2aF9c