I took off my jacket (already completely ruined with rips, holes, and now burns) and used it to make an improvised bed for Impeto; he deserves it after all the work.
'Although I wish I could have done something about the smell.'
I know complaining about something like that considering the situation is at least idiotic, but I still had to say the smell of Drake's burnt flesh and blood was like burnt cooking oil mixed with kerosene; it irritated my eyes and nose quite a bit.
'But if getting rid of a beast that size means putting up with a bit of a bad smell, it's a trade anyone would certainly make.'
Besides, the sight of that annoying monster, over 4 meters tall, lying on the ground like a turtle and burning, is honestly beautiful to behold.
'Oops, now's not the time to appreciate a job well done. Hmmm, where is... oh, right there.'
I thought as I found the large old stone lying near one of the holes the kobolds had come out of; it must have fallen from the pile during Drake's "struggle." My bones were cracking, my joints were killing me, I was hungry and in pain in literally every part of my body.
Still, I forced my body to make a final effort to reach the reason for all this mess in the first place. The closer I got, the more the stone seemed to shine in my eyes, and just as I was about to pick it up, I heard a *whoops* approaching me.
To dodge it, I ducked slightly, and the spear passed over my shoulder, stopping near the stone. Looking back, I saw a wounded but still determined kobold galloping towards me.
It seems Lumi let one slip by, but that didn't matter at this point. Raising my hand, I conjured the basic form of the shadow sphere without any adjustments, at the basic mana cost. It formed in 3 seconds and was launched right in the kobold's face.
[You eliminated a kobold soldier. Experience gained]
As I said, it didn't matter if a few stragglers showed up now. All that mattered was getting that damn stone, going back home, resting, and taking it to my parents.
'Aaaaaahhhhh finally, now it's just—?!'
Wait a minute!!!, something's wrong here.
We definitely defeated Drake, so why are the kobolds still here? They surely heard their "master's" screams, smelled the burning flesh and blood, and even felt his silence now that he's not moving.
'And also why didn't a notification appear—!!!!!!'
It was unexpectedly subtle, unlike how he remained motionless until now; I only noticed because of the shadow he cast right above me. Lifting my head, I saw Drake's gaping maw almost above me, with a burnt yellow glow emanating from his throat, a striking gleam, and blood dripping from the hole in the garage and his mouth.
Many films have different versions of what happens when you're face to face with death. Some freeze, others scream, others accept it, others move, etc. The reaction generally differs according to the role and the moment in the film.
This, at this moment, isn't a movie. It's my life, and my reaction seeing death right in my face was:
'HOW IS THAT MISERABLE LIZARD STILL ALIVE!!!!!!'
That was the thought; the action I took wasn't thought out, it was automatic. Simultaneously, I extended my obsidian claws as I lunged toward Drake's open mouth.
I plunged my claws into my own hand, opening holes that pierced it, and from the blood that flowed, I used the only skill I hadn't used until now.
"[Blood Magic: Bloody Blade]!!!"
[-5 HP]
[-10 MP]
From my right hand, the falling blood formed a sphere enveloping my hand, and from the sphere a semi-solid blade of blood formed and extended towards the roof of Drake's mouth. In mere seconds or microseconds, the blade, which wasn't even 1 meter long, extended to more than 3 meters, piercing Drake's palate and even the bone of his skull as if it were paper.
"QQQWQWQQQUIIIIIIIWWWWWWAAAAAAHHHHHHH"
"SHUT THE FUCK UP, AND DIE ALREADY!!!!!!"
I literally screamed with my mouth as wide open as possible, almost as if I were competing with Drake to see who would be the loudest between us. Drake's blood gushed onto my face and into my mouth.
[Ability: Bloodsucker activated]
I had a faint sensation of the ability activating, but I didn't taste the blood, feel its consistency, or anything like that. I just focused on extending the blood blade even further to break the damned skull and reach the brain.
Putting all the mana I could into the blade, I felt every muscle in my body tense to the maximum; I think I even heard the sound of some snapping, or maybe that was the sound of my body being torn apart by Drake's breathing attack.
[Ability acquired-]
'NOT NOW!!!'
The strange sound and sensation were as constant as the blood dripping from the blade and occasionally entering my mouth. We continued like this for a while. I don't know if I had already died and all of this was a hallucination, if my body had somehow gained resistance or something.
But the little bit of my consciousness that wasn't focused on breaking Drake's skull noticed that, at the same time I was attacking him, he was also attacking me with his breath.
However, that part of my consciousness refused to acknowledge the damage that had occurred. The rest of my mind continued to focus on sending more mana to the blade, and continuing the movement from the palate to the skull and from the skull to the brain.
A snap later, that I don't know if it was mine or Drake's, if it was real or not, happened. And I felt the bloody blade finally overcome the resistance of Drake's skull.
Before I could think, the blade extended completely, mercilessly piercing Drake's brain and continuing until it exited at the back of the creature's head. I felt him thrash, gasp, tremble, and then become completely still. Moments later he fell again.
*Boom*
Since I was still in his mouth, I ended up being thrown out. I rolled several meters down the embankment, only stopping when I hit the red magic stone. My consciousness was hanging by a thread.
With great difficulty, I managed to slightly raise my head to look at Drake; blood gushed from his mouth, and from the fissure I had opened in his palate, it was possible to see a pinkish mass waiting beside him. I was sure he was dead when I saw his body undulate slightly and a series of notifications appear.
*[You eliminated monster named: ANQBROM, MASTER OF THE UNDERGROUND PLAINS (Stone Drake, level 40).]
[Large amount of experience gained.]
[Congratulations on–]
'Finally.'
I thought before everything went black.
"""""""""""""""""""
3rd person POV
Nando could have fainted from the effort of killing a Drake with the strength of someone at level 10. But even so, the notifications didn't stop.
[Congratulations on leveling up, level 9–>10]
[Congratulations on leveling up, level 10→11]
[Congratulations on leveling up.... Level 17]
[Your hired animal Impeto has leveled up... Impeto level 22]
[Title received: The One on the Edge.]
[Title received: Dragonkin Slayer]
[ERROR DETECTED: individual and location have not yet been fully integrated, titles receipt, along with reward skill, will be delayed until full integration.]
[Skill: Stone Leather, not acquired. Temporarily on hold]
[Skill: Intimidation Aura, not acquired. Temporarily on hold]
[Skill: Draconic Aura, not acquired. Temporarily on hold]
[Title: Dragonkin Slayer, not acquired. Temporarily on hold.]
[Reward for defeating named monster... Partially acquireable.]
[Reward: AREA OF REGENCY, partially acquireable. Temporarily disabled]
[WARNING: Individual under the influence of a unique skill. Unique skill in effect may affect reward, AREA OF REGENCY.]
[Calculating countermeasures... Calculated, countermeasures implemented.]
With this notification, a white light, similar to a dream cocoon, enveloped Nando's almost destroyed body. A small red dot on his chest slowly extended into a semi-invisible thread, going from Impeto and Lumi to Mari, the chickens, Nawa, Pomo, Limpador, until it enveloped the house without anyone noticing.
From there, it spread to two people sitting with nothing much to do in an office on the second floor of a gas station, surrounded by a rock of monsters.
They all received a red mark in the middle of their chest without knowing it. And this mark would soon prove very important to everyone.