-Liliruca Arde-
The beastly roar sent a shiver down her spine. Lili tried to remain well-hidden beneath the collapsed debris acting as cover, yet it would only be a matter of time before the monster’s eyes turned in her direction.
Lili had been scared for her life before, many times, in fact. It came with the profession of being a Supporter, and adventuring the early Middle Floors as a Level One.
However…
The beast in front of her was nothing like she had witnessed before.
Tall, probably around four to five meters. Covered in dark green scales stronger than any conventional armor. Four powerful limbs that made the floor below them quake with each step, and as if the muscle-dense limbs weren’t enough, each was adorned with deadly claws that could render apart the flesh and bone of even Level Two Adventurers effortlessly.
Things just got worse the more in-depth she looked. A tail extended past the beast’s back, swishing slightly side to side. A deceiving limb that could easily hit with all the strength of an Orc.
And, as if to crown the killing machine, a pair of yellow, slitted eyes that screamed danger, and right below them a set of angular, sharp teeth. Teeth that opened wide, making the beast release yet another bone-chilling roar.
‘’RAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!’’
And just like that, Canoe’s little dozen-man squad was sent into shambles. Their already poor coordination had broken apart when Lili had disappeared into the fog with that stupid, dull dagger. But now? Having been dropped an entire floor below? Facing a beast that far outclassed every single Adventurer present?
It was utter chaos.
One man, lanky and blonde, armed with ‘’bravery’’ and a sword, tried swinging at the beast.
‘’Attack it! Kill the bastard! Oh fuck—‘’ Crunch!
Only for his life to end between steel-like fangs. The sound of bone being turned to paste was a particular, brand-new feeling of terror.
Others were not so valiant. Two men. One out-of-shape fatass, different from Canoe—as he was no beastman—tried to grab as many bags from their fallen ‘comrades’ as he could.
Meanwhile, the other man, a pointy-eared, roguish-looking elf, merely shook his partner. ‘’Run away, you greedy simpleton! We are going to die!’’
‘’But what about the loot?!’’ The man shouted back.
‘’WHO GIVES A SHIT—AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!’’
Only for both to get burned to a crisp under a ball of orange, hot flames.
Three lives were lost. Three unimportant ones at that. The kind that Lili would not lament, but praise the fact they were removed from this world.
Yet, what she feared most was just how easily they were removed.
‘’Huh… So stay away from the chompers, the stabbies, and the skin crispers, got it.’’
And all Lili had at her side right now was a half-conscious man who couldn’t stop saying stupid shit!
‘’Master Roy, don’t get up! You still haven’t recovered from your wounds…!’’ She shushed, panicked. ‘And if you reveal our location, I’ll kill you right now and then myself!’
‘’Hm? Oh.’’ The brown-haired man blinked. He sniffed, partially wiping the dried blood below his nose with his sleeve. ‘’My bad… I just think better out loud.’’
Lili doubted the man could think at all, considering his choice of armor and general attitude, but if there was one time she would give the benefit of the doubt, it was right now.
‘Especially with that weird dagger…’ Lili reminded herself.
Because on the man’s right arm rested one of those bunny-hume’s daggers. Lili had managed to take it away from some idiot who got cocky showing it off after snatching it from the girl.
Her previous plan was to steal any valuables that remained and drop a few Monster Baits all around her ‘Familia Members’. Lili could then back herself into a narrow spot and use the mist to pick the bastards out one by one. Maybe use her magic dagger, if push came to shove.
…That was before the idiot in front of her leveled up the damn chamber and sent them all to their death!
The dagger that Lili thought to be some pricey artifact or maybe an ancient family heirloom had no edge at all. However, inside this dark spot, covered by rocks, Lili could see the strange scribblings on the black blade come to life. It had happened the moment she had put the weapon in Roy’s hand, and it had also happened when that bunny-hume was using it.
Whatever it was, the dagger looked as sharp as ever, and if it wasn’t a weapon she could use, then it was worth more in Roy Raynolds' hands… as much as it pained her.
‘’Y-you fucks! Help me here… I’m trapped!’’
Reality was brought to the forefront of the Supporter’s mind as a scream of agonizing pain echoed in the chamber. One peek through the rocks revealed that some poor bastard had been trapped below the monster’s left foreleg and was currently trying to chip at the green scales that made up the limb with a dagger, to absolutely no result.
‘’G-get off… Get… off—‘’ Splat.
His useless thrashing proved in naught, as the creature finally put pressure under its leg and turned the man’s entire torso into a smear.
Lili winced, eyes turning away. Disturbingly enough, Roy’s eyes merely narrowed in focus, and his gaze never turned away from the gory scene.
‘’So…’’ The man started again. In a lower tone, much to her relief. ‘’That’s a Dragon. Like, a real dragon.’’
Lili blinked, only now remembering that this was a rookie she had around. A rookie with stupid and extraordinary powers and equipment, but a rookie nonetheless.
‘’An Infant Dragon.’’ She corrected meekly, part of her still playing the part of the poor little Supporter. ‘’It’s… a very strong monster. Considered by many the Monster Rex of the Upper Floors. It’s stronger than a Minotaur and twice as tough.’’
Lili would lie if the realization that dawned on the man’s face didn’t bring her a bit of satisfaction.
‘’So it’s stronger than that piece of retarded beef?’’ But the sheer excitement and anticipation in the man’s tone and posture made that satisfaction die a horrible death. ‘’Spit me some more shit, hobbit-Lili. I’ll pay you double rate—Nah, triple.’’
‘Is that desperation speaking, or is he really stupid enough to think he can beat that after seeing what it did to the rest?’ Lili thought.
But… A little part of her, diminutive as it was, wished to cling to the hope that she would escape today alive.
It was dumb, and now bordering on a fantasy, but the words she kept repeating today like a mantra came to mind. Her fists clenched together in anger.
If anything, maybe she could use Roy as a distraction and make a run for it. If that failed, maybe her concealed magic dagger should buy her at least some time to run away.
With a half-baked plan in mind, she cleared her throat.
‘’They can spit fire but not frequently.’’ Lili kept explaining. As if to prove her point, a ball of orange flames licked at the edges of the cave, making another two Adventurers turn into complete ashes. ‘’Almost an entire minute in between shots. Its underbelly is pretty ‘soft’ compared to the rest of the body.’’
‘’What about the eyes?’’ He asked with a frown.
Lili shook her head. ‘’Lili doesn’t think it’s worth it. Getting that close guarantees you become ashes or dinner.’’
The man hummed before slowly turning to face her and the crossbolt she always carried around.
‘’What about shooting at them?’’
Lili opened her mouth and paused. ‘’…Difficult shot.’’
‘’Not impossible.’’ He stated, and Lili couldn’t bring herself to say no. ‘’Alright… I know what we are doing now. You follow my lead.’’
Lili froze, chestnut eyes widening in panic as she tried regaining some of her earlier ‘innocence.’ ‘’N-no… I mean… Master Roy, a useless Pallum like Lili, would only get in the way! Only the strongest of Adventurers… Like Master Roy… could hope to do any damage to an Infant Dragon.’’
The man looked her straight in the eye for a few seconds. If the screams outside weren’t unnerving enough, Roy looking any degree of serious did the trick… until he snorted.
‘’Girl, I ain’t buying what you’re selling.’’ He waved her off. Lili stared in confusion, making his eyes roll. ‘’You disappeared in the middle of the fog, conveniently just before we got jumped… on a random floor that we decided to explore today on a whim.’’
Ah… so he knew.
Lili’s meek act finally dropped. The nervousness was replaced by a scowl.
‘’Ohh, now that’s a pretty face~’’ He cackled. In less than a blink, the black dagger was aimed at her. ‘’…You know, if you had tried to kill me alone, that would have been fine. I respect the hustle, if anything.’’
Lili scoffed, almost sneering at the dagger aimed at her neck. ‘’…But Lili helped hurt your loved ones, so you won’t let it pass? That it?’’
‘’Something like that. I won’t lie, the urge to punt you straight to that Dragon’s maw is very strong.’’ Roy admitted. His smile, now crooked at the edges, sent a shiver down Lili’s spine, which made him snort again. ‘’Buuut, I digress. You healed me up, hid me away, and told me all about that scaly fucker. More importantly, Bell and Midna are alive, so you can thank your lucky stars for that.’’
Lili almost released a sigh of relief. If it wasn’t for the dagger still pointing at her.
‘’To be honest… I’m more pissed off at you not having the balls—Er, ovaries? To do it yourself. Pussy.’’ He said. ‘’You got Bell’s dagger back. Weird thing to do if you were the bitch that unclipped it off the ceiling. Not to mention, that bolt that pierced my hand ain’t one of yours, either, shrimp.’’
What did that have to do with anything? Sure, Lili may not have been the one to get it, but she still led them to a darn deathtrap. She planned to scurry away with the magic item until she noticed how useless it was in her hands.
Hell, helping Roy Raynolds was more out of convenience than anything else! So why was this bastard still smiling?! He should be hating her guts right now. Punching her in the face. Damn it, killing her would have been a fair thing, too! She almost killed two of his friends, for heaven’s sake!
The man just laughed. Why? Why were his eyes filled with mirth? Lili knew he was an idiot, but he was also cunning. She couldn’t get a proper read on him no matter how much she tried. What was he thinking?
Lili’s fists clenched in frustration. ‘’So what? Lili could be lying. She has done so before. Think she won’t do it again?’’
‘’Nah. You’re a liar, that’s true, but you weren’t lying then.’’ He used his free hand to tap the side of his head. ‘’I have a knack for it. Trust me, bro.’’
Now, besides being fearful, Lili was flabbergasted.
‘Is he serious or just messing with me before killing me?’ She wondered. ‘’…If you’re going to end it. Do it, but know you won’t hear begging out of Lili’s mouth, you—‘’
‘’ROOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOAR!’’
The entire chamber shook again. The dragon was running out of little targets to feed on, yet it remained just as pissed off.
‘’None of that matters if we don’t get out of here alive, shrimp.’’ Roy sighed, having turned his attention outside before and lowering the dagger. A look she couldn’t discern was shot Lili’s way. ‘’…My offer still stands. Triple rate or nothing?’’
Lili blinked and took a deep breath. What other option did she have, really? ‘’Quadruple or nothing.’’
‘’Greedy lil’ midget.’’ He sniffed. ‘’Fine… Now, do you know what ragebaiting is?’’
Lili was not familiar with the term, so she shook her head.
And that only made Roy’s face contort into a wide, unsettling grin ‘’Time for a crash course, Lil’ Lili.’’
…Maybe she should have asked for five times her usual rate. Truly, what a missed opportunity.
-X-x-X
-Roy Raynolds-
I was, honest to God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit, still pissed as hell. That midget almost got all of us killed—Those I cared about, I mean. There were still a bunch of dudes getting gored by the beast.
I was truthful when I said that Bell and Midna being alive was her only saving grace. That, and helping me out. I would have been the lizard’s first snack otherwise. And yet, I was seconds away from going back on my word and punting Lili down the dragon’s throat anyway. That’s how pissed off I was.
But that was some pussy-ass shit.
…The fact that Lili looked one bad word away from bailing her eyes out of sheer frustration did not have anything to do with it. No sir.
I blame Bell. She made me soft. The cool Roy would have given zero fucks, skidaddled out of here, and pissed on these Adventurers’ graves once he was out. Truly, I had become a lesser version of myself.
‘Nah, I’m just scared as shit. That is still a dragon.’ I told myself as I stepped out of hiding. My face contorted into a grimace as I couldn’t help but notice the gory scene.
The floors were covered in blood from the Adventurers that the dragon had torn apart. The walls scorched black and brittle. Not to mention, the entrances to the chamber were partially collapsed, impeding an easy escape for anyone.
A drop of sweat fell from the back of my head as I stared up at the towering, green-scaled dragon.
‘I mean, not really a dragon. This thing doesn’t have wings…’ I mused internally, as if trying to distract myself from the fact that I was stepping past the half-crushed corpse of that one unlucky bastard. ‘Ah, whatever the fuck. It can breathe fire, and it has scales… Sixty-percent dragon?’
‘’G-get away!’’ A quivering, scared voice reached my ears.
The dragon was right in front of a fat man with raccoon ears. His rust-colored eyes filled with utter terror as he waved a short sword in the air. The beast merely growled, making him release a high-pitched squeal akin to that of a pig.
Suddenly, a sour, pungent smell reached my nose, making me almost gag. Just as the man’s pants turned a darker pitch.
‘Really, dude?’ I sighed internally. ‘Yes, it's a dragon, but you look forty-ish. Have some dignity, man.’ This chapter was taken from g.com without permission.
As the monster raised one of its hind legs to crush the fat, soiled adventurer, I put my hands around my mouth and shouted.
‘’Yo, gecko-looking fuck!’’
The dragon stilled for just a moment.
‘’Yes, I’m talking to you, evolutionary failure!’’ I continued. ‘’Infant ‘Dragon’, my ass! Dragons have wings, you witless lizard. You’re a heavens-damn Drake!’’
A wave of red covered the chamber. The Infant Dragon stilled, neck slowly turning to me. Golden, slitted eyes stared me up and down.
‘Finally...’ I scratched the back of my head, feeling my smile widen. ‘’Yeah, I’m talking to you! Come here and take a bite outta me if you dare, scaly motherfucker!’’
The dragon blinked slowly. For a moment, I thought it even looked surprised.
‘’HIEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEH!’’ Then its leg came down, crushing the fatso’s legs into paste.
Its body turned to face me. Now, I had its full attention, which meant it was time for the plan. I took a deep breath, clutching Bell’s dagger tight. The Infant Dragon and I matched each other’s glares… before I started emptying my pockets.
‘’Random bullshit go!’’ Desperately, I started chucking things at it.
From knives to sticky bombs to some of those smoke screens. The projectiles hit home, but bounced off its tough body armor ineffectively. That is, until I aimed one knife at a smoke bomb.
The creature’s face was bombarded by awful-smelling, dark-grey smoke. A roar escaped past its maw as it barreled forward. Before it could turn me into a smear on the floor, I clapped my hands.
I appeared right behind it, having swapped with one of the many knives I’ve thrown. With a cackle escaping past my lips, I ran at it.
The tail of the beast swiped at the air, almost smashing against my right shoulder if I hadn’t ducked out of the way in time. With one mighty jump, I soared past the floor and onto the monster’s back.
‘’Fuck you, no diddy!’’ I shouted, plunging Bell’s dagger downwards.
And much to my surprise, the scales parted… if only for the first few inches. Unrelenting in my assault, I pulled the weapon out and tried again. Slash after slash cut through hard, dark-green scales, and for a few moments, I swore that the black dagger had started glowing with more intensity.
However, only a few drops of blood were drawn from the monster, even after all that effort.
‘’GYOOOOOOOOOOGH!’’ In fact, I think that just pissed it off even more.
Just as I pulled the curved blade out for what felt like the twelfth time, the monster started thrashing, trying to get me off. I took another leap, aiming for the neck. However, the dagger met the same fate of merely lodging itself in the dark body armor. At least like this, I didn’t get thrown off as long as I maintained my grip—
The dragon stilled.
I looked upwards, only to meet angry, golden eyes. The beast’s neck twisted just enough to face me.
‘’Hi.’’ I smiled.
The creature’s maw opened wide and sparks of fire manifested from the dark void that was its stomach.
‘’Shit—‘’
FWOSH!
Orange flames covered my vision. I was barely able to clap my hands together in time to not become ash. I scoffed, looking at the dragon from the side while patting myself over to remove the soot.
‘’…I’m surprised this cobalt shit didn’t melt straight off.’’ I hummed. The chamber trembled. ‘’Right, big dragon.’’
The lizard, now with a black dagger stuck to its neck, raised one of its hind limbs high. Claws bigger than my arms glinted under the poor lighting and came down with the intent of slicing me apart.
But then it paused. A confused, throaty sound escaped past its maw.
The sticky bombs I had thrown earlier clung to its rear legs. Clawed limbs struggled just a smidge to move. Not like that would stop it, but it was more than enough to annoy the beast and distract it for a second.
A second I took to really look at the monster’s exposed underbelly. As Lili had said, the scales looked a shade lighter there, probably more sensitive. However, with Bell’s dagger stuck in the monster’s neck, and my unwillingness to test if the Infant Dragon would just let its weight crush me flat, my brain started machinating another idea.
And it all started as a bolt was shot near its face. Barely missing one of its golden eyes. The metal bounced off ineffectively against the scales with a little spark, but it certainly brought its attention.
Golden eyes focused on the small figure who had shot that projectile from a distance. The dragon’s muscles tensed, aiming to shoot straight at the Pallum, who would not survive a charge like that.
However, before the dragon could pounce, Lili threw three little spheres to the ground, releasing smoke to cover her escape.
The Infant Dragon looked around, maw curling into a scowl, trying to locate the pesky runt. Only to get another bolt to the face, which made it roar in annoyance.
With its back turned to me, I was on the move again. ‘’Look back at me, dumbass! Does your lizard brain only focus on one thing at a time? Multi-tasking can’t be that bad!’’
Only that instead of discreetly trying to recover my weapon, I grabbed its attention, taking the heat off Lili’s back as she repositioned.
A puff of smoke released through the dragon’s nostrils. Its charge, once aimed at the midget, was now aimed at me. My eyes widened in surprise at the speed in which the creature closed the distance.
My hands came together in a clap, but there was no way I’d complete the swap in time. That pesky tail made the air crack like a whip the moment it made contact with my chest.
Immediately, I felt breathless, and something below my cloak cracked. Either my armor or my ribs, as I was sent straight into a wall.
I choked, dust covering my eyes and my breakfast leaving through my mouth. My body was lodged into the wall entirely, not allowing me to move. The chestplate must have bent and cracked, as I felt something pushing against my ribs and threatening to pierce into my flesh with every breath.
Words attempted to leave my mouth in the form of a witty comeback, but the only thing I could do was wheeze in pain.
The sound of loud thudding against the ground made me look up. The beast stared me down almost condescendingly, if the monster could even understand what that was.
A shaky smirk parted my lips… because my swap wasn’t intended for me to avoid the attack.
Instead, as another metal bolt cut through the smoke and falling debris, I clapped. The once useless projectile got swapped with a tiny bag.
And once it hit the dragon’s head, it exploded, releasing a blue, almost purplish dust everywhere. The dragon roared as the bag’s contents filled its open maw, eyes, and nose.
‘’Guess I can add… providing illegal substances to ‘Infants’... to my record… Ugh.’’ I rasped out.
Because that powder wasn’t anything but the drug Dodo had helped me make yesterday. When smoked, that shit hit like a truck. Now, what would the effects of getting the substance administered through your body via three different orifices be?
The answer came to me as the monster roared. Its claws tore at the floor around it. Once the cloud of ‘’dust’’ cleared off its head, it was clear to see the effects.
Its eyes were unfocused, looking everywhere in complete disorientation. Its nose was covered in the stuff, and each breath the dragon took was another one that sent it higher than an airplane.
Lastly, and more importantly, the mouth. The dragon, in its intoxicated state and probably tripping balls, decided that lighting up another fireball was a great idea. Only for the drugs inside to ignite. The orange fire turned blue on contact, though the shot was aimed wide and hit the roof, causing more rocks and debris to fall on the already struggling drake.
Blue smoke traveled into the monster’s throat, clinging to the walls of its lungs, and it became even more erratic. Lunging at things that just weren’t there. Trying to spark more fire to reduce everything to ash, only to forget its own ability had a damn cooldown.
Thankfully, it didn’t aim at me, but the fact of the matter was that the Infant Dragon was either fighting Satan or Spongebob right now, and I don’t know which was worse.
I sniffed. ‘Think I inhaled some…’
Past the debris and smoke, the tiny figure of Lili appeared before me. The Pallum looked up at the dragon while using a knife to chip away at my prison of stone.
‘’Lili can’t believe that worked…’’ She whispered, shaking her head. ‘’…You’re paying for Lili’s knife after this.’’
‘’Yeah, yeah. Just… Oof!’’ As the wall finally gave up enough for my body to fall forward, I looked in amazement as the tiny midget easily supported my weight with her hands. ‘’…Damn, you’re strong.’’
The girl scrunched up her nose, not meeting my gaze while muttering something about ‘’Supporter Skills.’’
‘’Do… do we run now?’’ She asked while focusing back on the thrashing dragon fighting its own drugged mind.
‘’Tunnels are collapsed…’’ I coughed. ‘’We’ll be better off killing the damn thing right now before it recovers.’’
Now the Supporter looked at me like I had gone mad. ‘’Are you insane? You barely put a scratch on it with that dagger.’’
I ignored her lack of faith, eyes focused on the ‘weak’ underbelly of the monster. Finally, an idea sparked.
‘’Hey… the insides of a dragon shouldn’t be as strong as its outsides, right?’’
Lili paused, now looking at me strangely. ‘’…No? Lili doesn’t think so, but how will you get to the mouth or eyes without dying?’’
I smirked. ‘’Who said I was going anywhere near the head?’’
It took a few seconds for the Pallum’s eyes to widen in realization. Her face scrunched up in sheer disgust, and I could see her falter in the decision of helping me stand or not.
‘’You’re revolting—‘’
‘’Just make sure it’s distracted, dammit!’’ I huffed.
Lili pursed her lips and finally released me. I could barely stand on my own, but as long as I could keep myself on two feet, this could work.
Without much hesitation, or maybe in fear that the drugs would wear out soon, Lili charged her crossbow and started dashing. Her short legs carried her forward as she started unloading bolt after bolt on the dragon’s face.
‘’Over here, you overgrown lizard!’’ She shouted.
‘She needs to work on her slurs.’ I shook my head.
The shouting did take the dragon’s attention. However, in its intoxicated state, it failed to pinpoint Lili’s location. Preferring instead to thrash around, turning boulders into powder, and making the already unstable chamber tremble with each movement.
If it kept going, it would make the entire place collapse, and we’d be buried alive alongside it and the many corpses.
I took a deep breath. My body protested against it, making me very aware of my cracked ribs and how they would puncture straight through my lungs if I wasn’t careful.
And I started chanting.
The world around me stilled. For a single second, it seemed the Infant Dragon had regained some sort of lucidity, because it snapped its head back to me. Golden, intoxicated eyes widening like saucers.
Only for one of those same eyes to receive a metal bolt straight through.
‘’GYYYYYYYYYYYYOOoOoowwww!’’
The painful howling made my ears ring. With one eye less, the angry and drugged dragon turned around. The pain served to ground it, and finally, its lone eye landed on Lili, whose annoyed frown contorted into panic.
‘’Luck N’ Load.’’ The last words of the chant left my mouth, and a surge of power filled my body.
A halo manifested on my upper back and spun softly. It spread warmth all around my bruised, battered body. I almost wanted the moment to last a bit more.
Sadly, if that was to happen, I’d have a very dead Pallum on my hands. Just as the Infant Dragon opened its maw, intending to scorch Lili alive… I clapped.
I wasn’t staring at the drugged monster creating a fireball and Lili’s scared face anymore. Instead, dark green scales filled my vision, as did a pair of hind legs.
I was right behind the dragon, beneath its tail. My nose had started to bleed again because of how many swaps I’ve made today.
The magic I had cast behaved erratically, not liking the fact that I had used two different ‘’spells’’ at once. The halo behind me spun faster, kind of like a turbine.
All the indications of an Ignis Fatus.
But the winning ticket was right in front of me. Two crevices that, if I were to squint at, would reveal a pinkish interior.
With what little control I had left, I channeled the magic around my right arm. Considering its warm feeling covering me head to toe, with just a smidge of underlying danger, it had to be some kind of fire and explosion-related bullshit.
‘’MASTER ROY, HURRY UP!’’ I heard panicked screams over pained growls.
I took another deep breath. A smile appeared on my face as I tried not to laugh, lest I actually puncture my ribs.
Before punching my entire arm through the dragon’s asshole. This chapter was taken from g.com without permission.
‘’G-gyo?!’’ The tiny growl akin to a whimper was hilarious.
‘’Huh… so you are a male.’’ I frowned. ‘’Shame.’’
The dragon’s maw snapped shut with a click. Its body moved, legs raising and tail moving out of the way. All for the sake of staring at whoever was dumb enough to shove an entire arm inside its body.
My eyes met a single, golden one. Suddenly, realization dawned on me.
‘’Oh right…’’ I sighed, offering an insincere grin. ‘’No homo.’’
And then I let the last remnants of my concentration fail. And the Ignis Fatus threatening to blow my entire arm up? Had no place to go but the Infant Dragon’s intestines.
Everything became a bloody mess of gore, scales, and bone. I felt like I passed out somewhere in the middle of the explosion, because my ears were ringing pretty badly and my vision was all blurred.
I could still feel my arms, however. Both of them. Meaning that at least I didn’t lose the privilege of jerking my hog if I felt like it.
The only thing I could make out was black dust escaping the upper half of an immobile dragon. A show of gore was all that remained of its lower end.
The magic stone, a purplish, almost black boulder-sized crystal, touched the air, and the Infant Dragon disappeared into a cloud of ash, leaving behind that single, golden eye, which fell to the floor with a clack. As if it were one more crystal instead of a fleshy orb. Alongside it, the magic stone and Bell’s dagger remained.
‘’…You’re a disgusting creature,’’ Lili stated from behind me. It seemed she had been dragging me away from the mess.
I was going to laugh, but then the taste of something sour made me gag. ‘’I think some got into my mouth.’’ I blanched.
A sound akin to a snort escaped the tiny Pallum. I followed along with my own laugh, albeit much more restrained thanks to my current rib situation.
‘’You know…’’ I coughed, taking short breaths as I was slowly carried around. ‘’I think I’m starting to like you, Lili.’’
‘’Not interested, Master Roy.’’ I heard her reply flatly.
‘’Not like that, dumbass… though I do feel some curves around my arms.’’ My words were punished via the two diminutive hands squeezing my ribs. ‘’Ow, ow, ow! Fuck, just take the compliment, woman! I meant personality-wise, personality-wise…!’’
A tiny huff escaped the chestnut-haired girl, along with a grumble. ‘’…Can’t say the same.’’
The sound of crawling, along with pained sobs, made the Pallum pause her stride. My eyes darted to the side and widened in surprise as I saw that fat raccoon man using his chubby arms to drag his crushed body around.
‘’H-help… please… I don’t want… I don’t want to die…’’ He sobbed.
It would have brought some degree of sympathy if it wasn’t because this hog and his buddies were the reason we got into this mess.
Rest in piss for all I cared.
I felt myself be placed on the floor. Lili, much to my surprise, took a few steps forward in the man’s direction.
‘’Hey, Canoe.’’ She said impassively, but I could see her fists curl up in anger.
The raccoon-man looked up. Suddenly, his dark eyes widened in realization, and a wobbly smile took over his previously pained, snotty expression. ‘’L-Little runt! Help me! Use that Skill of yours to carry me to the s-surface!’’
With Lili’s back turned to me, I couldn’t see her expression, but I did see something shift beneath her cloak.
‘’I’m already carrying someone.’’ She said, referring to me.
‘Canoe’ turned his head, and all the pain and previous begging turned to fury. ‘’Who gives a—Ughh—shit about him?! I’m a member of your Familia, y-you little brat! I take priority over some cobalt-wearing nobody!’’
‘’Rude.’’ I huffed. Though I didn’t even pay attention to the man’s ramblings or half-baked arguments. Only the Pallum.
‘’Canoe…’’ She interrupted.
‘’What?!’’ The man growled out. ‘’Help me already, runt! What’s taking so long to—‘’
‘’Eat shit.’’
Thunk.
The raccoon man's words were cut off. Blood dripped down his face, courtesy of the crossbow bolt now lodged in his forehead. He couldn’t even articulate a word as he fell to the ground face-first. Dead.
‘’Damn.’’ I pursed my lips. ‘’Badass, Little Lili.’’
The Pallum turned to me with a confused frown, patting over her crossbow as if it had gotten dirty somehow. ‘’…You don’t care?’’
I blinked, pausing. Did I care?
‘’You chose him over me, so I’m not complaining.’’ I shrugged. ‘’…Though, I would crush his head with a boulder and pin it on the dragon just in case. You know, because dragons don’t really use crossbows?’’
Lili shook her head, lips twitching upwards. ‘’You’re insane.’’
‘’Insanely handsome, maybe.’’ I crossed my arms from my place on the floor. ‘’Aren’t you forgetting something, though?’’
She paused. ‘’…The exit?’’
I huffed. ‘’The loot, girl! There are twelve dead rat-bastards here. Not to mention the magic crystal and item drop!’’
Now that made the girl’s eyes brighten, as if comically replaced by gold coins. A genuine smile appeared on her face as she saluted.
‘’Yes, Master Roy!’’
‘’…You better not steal my dragon eye, you little shit.’’
‘’Wouldn’t think of it, Master Roy.’’
She was definitely thinking about it.
-X-x-X-
-Bonus Scene: A Familiar Face-
-‘’Gerone’’ (Eagle Man)-
Being pulled from entrance duty was something that Gerone didn’t expect. However, a ‘strange pallum’ had exited the Dungeon with an unconscious bunny-hume shouting something about ‘’stupid, big-ass dragon’’ and ‘’limp-dicked, rat fuckwits.’’
There had been an intent to rob, and more than likely kill, a small-time Familia, along with the event of an Infant Dragon spawning, if the reports were anything to trust.
So, almost immediately, a search party had been thrown by the Ganesha Familia, and Gerone, being a Level Two, was pulled along.
However, as he walked down the Dungeon floors, having separated from the rest momentarily, Gerone sighed in disappointment.
Already, his mind went through the motions of informing the distraught Familia about the loss of their loved ones.
‘A Level One Adventurer and a little Pallum girl…’ He frowned. ‘There’s no way they’re alive, especially if the entire chamber caved in.’
Yet, as Gerone turned a corner, cutting through the mist of the tenth floor, his ears caught… a song?
‘’Seventy-four bottles of beer on the wall, seventy-four bottles of beer!’’ A male voice hummed.
‘’Could you please stop?’’ Another, high-pitched one said flatly.
‘’Take one down, pass it around, seventy-three bottles of beer on the wall…!’’
The sound of something heavy being dragged through the ground followed the non-stopping song. As Gerone followed along, his eyes widened in surprise at what he found.
One Pallum girl, dressed in torn, dirty white robes, carrying a giant sack… while also dragging along a brown-haired man dressed in broken blue armor, blood dripping down his mouth and nose.
When their eyes met, the girl froze, pulling back as if ready to fight. He, however, was focused on the man being dragged around.
‘’…Mr. Raynolds?’’ Gerone echoed, causing the Pallum to frown in confusion.
‘’Hm?’’ The clearly injured man turned his head. Chocolate eyes widened in recognition as his smile grew wide. ‘’Eagle man! My man, my brochacho. How’ve you been?’’
Gerone blinked.
‘’Um… Quite alright, Mr. Raynolds.’’ Looking the two up and down, realization whipped him like a wet rag. ‘’…You wouldn’t happen to know of an Infant Dragon and a group of bandits, right?’’
‘’Hm? Oh, bastards are all dead.’’ He said. That much, he could guess— ‘’And I killed the dragon myself!’’
‘’…What.’’
As if to prove a point, the man pulled out a yellow orb from his pocket, but if Gerone was to pay attention, he’d notice the slitted eye right in the middle.
‘An Item Drop?’ The man’s words had some truth, then, but… how? ‘’Never mind that! You’re injured, are you not? Don’t worry, I’ll call the rest and get you out immediately.’’
When he turned to the Pallum girl, searching for injuries, all he got was a scrutinizing gaze and… relief?
‘’Great, so you know this idiot.’’ She said, letting the man fall to the floor with a thud, which drew both a wince out of Gerone and an ‘ow’ from the man. ‘’He’s your problem now.’’
‘…This is so weird.’
Even from his place on the floor, Roy Raynolds looked oddly calm.
‘’Seventy-three bottles of beer on the wall. Seventy-three bottles of beer…’’
And then he just started singing again, drawing a groan out of his Pallum companion.
‘’Take one down, pass it around, seventy-two bottles of beer on the wall…!’’
If anything, Gerone was happy he didn’t have to be the deliverer of bad news for once.
-X-x-X-.
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Author's Note:
I was inspired in that fatality thanks to Musa and their ''I, Draugr'' fic where blowing dragon's assholes is a recurrent theme. Very good fic; I'd recommend.
The original version of this chapter had Roy as a less angry Roy. A bit of a slight on my part, but I think this version represents him better.
Like I mentioned in a previous reply in this thread, killing Lili off is unlike Roy considering her actions, but annoying the ever-living fuck out of her isn't. Kekw.
I also publish on other sites, if you wish to check them out:
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