Panic consumed me once again.
My mind raced, searching for any way to survive.
I wasn't thinking about defeating the Rock Dragon anymore.
I was thinking about escaping.
The only idea that came to mind was to grab Grizella and run.
But...
Run where?
Behind us was the cliff we had climbed.
One wrong step, and we would fall to our deaths.
In front of us stood the Rock Dragon.
Rock Dragon...
Rock...
Exploding Rock Fist.
That was my greatest weapon.
I gathered mana around my gauntlets and charged.
Before I could even reach the dragon—
A stone wall erupted from the ground.
Boom!
I shattered it with a single punch.
Useless...
So what if I destroyed the wall?
The dragon remained completely unharmed.
I charged again.
This time, I was ready.
Halfway through my sprint, I shifted from the First Form into the Third Form.
A stone pillar shot up from my left.
Crash!
It slammed me into the cave wall.
I absorbed most of the impact.
Good...
I can survive this.
I charged again.
The same thing happened.
"Arrggh!"
"I can't even get close!"
Frustration escaped my lips.
I had to end this quickly.
Otherwise...
Grizella would die.
Again.
Again.
Again.
Each attempt ended the same way.
I was thrown around like a rag doll.
The dragon never moved.
It simply watched me.
Out of anger, I grabbed a nearby boulder.
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I stored it inside my Force Space before launching it like a cannonball.
The Rock Dragon casually raised its head.
The boulder stopped in midair.
"...What?"
Of course.
It's a Rock Dragon.
It controls stone.
"Damn..."
"Damn it!"
What else could I use?
The Flame Staff?
No.
A wall of stone would block every shot.
Even if it landed, the flames weren't hot enough to burn those scales.
Think...
Think!
Blink Knight Arts?
Let's try it.
Green mana surrounded my body.
I rushed forward.
Third Stance!
A pillar shot upward.
I barely dodged it.
Charge.
Another pillar.
Dodge.
Charge.
A stone wall appeared.
Blag!
My face slammed into it.
Before I could recover—
Boom!
Another stone pillar struck my chest and launched me across the cave.
"Gah!"
I hadn't switched back into the Third Form.
My body wasn't reinforced.
Blood filled my mouth as I crashed onto the rocky floor.
Getting back up felt impossible.
Damn this quest...
I turned my head.
Grizella lay unconscious, covered in blood.
No...
I have to save her.
Using every ounce of strength left, I crawled toward her.
I placed my hand on the ground.
The stone vanished.
A tunnel opened beneath us.
I dragged her inside and immediately sealed the entrance.
Carefully, I straightened her broken arm.
Then I opened her mouth.
I filled my own mouth with Miracle Water and gently poured it into hers.
A soft orange glow surrounded her body.
Good...
It's working.
I drank some myself.
The medallion's light had become noticeably weaker.
Without hesitation, I stored it inside my mental space beside the Mana Crystal so it could slowly recharge.
My thoughts suddenly stopped.
The ground moved.
The entire tunnel shifted.
The Rock Dragon...
It was moving the mountain itself.
Before I could react, the tunnel collapsed, throwing us back into the open chamber.
I dragged Grizella behind me.
Then I faced the dragon once more.
I summoned the medallion back into my hand and gripped it tightly.
There has to be something...
Every creature has a weakness.
Then...
I remembered the Stone Crawler.
Its rocky shell was incredibly hard.
But the soft flesh between its segments wasn't.
Segments...
I studied the Rock Dragon carefully.
No segments.
Its body was covered entirely in jagged stone scales.
The only soft-looking part...
...was its eyes.
But reaching them was impossible.
Wait...
I glanced down at my armguards.
They were crafted from the Stone Crawler's underbelly.
Strong.
Flexible.
Underbelly...
That's it!
If its back was armored...
Maybe its underside wasn't.
"...But how am I supposed to reach it?"
The dragon silently watched me struggle.
"I'm back."
A cheerful voice interrupted my thoughts.
"Thanks for the kiss."
I turned.
Grizella was standing again.
The Miracle Water had healed her enough to fight.
"So..."
"What's the plan?" she asked.
"...I don't have one."
"Hya hya hya hya!"
"I like this."
"My husband and I fighting together."
I let out a deep sigh.
"I'm too young to get married."
"Let's survive first."
"Your kiss filled me with energy!"
Before I could stop her—
She charged.
"Come back, you idiot!"
Without thinking, I chased after her.
Think!
What haven't I tried?
The cave...
It's too dark...
Dark...
Darkness...
That's it!
I pulled out the Flame Staff.
Instead of concentrating the fire into a Fire Blast...
I overloaded it.
The goal wasn't power.
It was light.
"Scatter!"
Flames exploded throughout the cave, illuminating every corner with blinding flashes.
"GRAAAAHHH!"
The Rock Dragon let out an agonizing roar.
It squeezed its eyes shut.
Its eyes!
They were sensitive to bright light!
"Grizella!"
"Now!"
She understood immediately.
Orange mana exploded around her fist.
With a powerful leap, she drove a single punch straight into the dragon's face.
BOOM!
The massive beast staggered sideways.
For the first time...
It lost its balance.
Its soft underbelly was exposed.
"Now!"
The two of us rushed in together.
Our fists became a storm.
Punch after punch crashed into its exposed belly.
The dragon slammed into the cave wall under the force of our combined assault.
I stopped.
Gathered every remaining drop of mana into my right fist.
"Exploding Rock Fist..."
"First Form!"
BOOM!
My fist pierced deep into its underbelly.
At the same instant—
Grizella's fist punched through from the opposite side.
Blood burst from both wounds.
The Rock Dragon let out one final roar before its enormous body collapsed.
Silence filled the cave.
The two of us stood there, breathing heavily.
Then...
We looked at each other.
Inside the dragon's torn body...
A faint orange light pulsed gently.