"Shit, shit, shit!"
Whoosh!
Wise darted to the side, his feet sliding on the water’s surface, unsettling it as a gust of green, putrid slime shot out of the water.
The foul liquid cut past him, the putrid smell hitting him like a bus. He gagged, one arm on his nose and the other on his sword.
"What the fuck!"
It even smelled worse than he had expected, like shit marinated in skunk musk.
Voom!
Another wave surged forward, tearing the water apart and unsettling the pond. Wise jumped backward, then twisted his body as another wave rushed past him.
And then the first Dolodile emerged, splitting through the water like a freight train and sending water in all directions.
Its limbs were tucked by its sides, its mouth closed, making it akin to an arrow—
For maximum speed.
Wise swerved to the left, the monster cutting through his side just as he lashed out at it, tearing off its hind limb with his sword.
Whoosh!
Another monster emerged with a thunderous fury, its maw wide open.
Wise flipped above it, grabbing onto its tail and bringing down the monster, its body folding like a plank as it slammed against the water, creating a large splash.
Once again, the water swelled, and another one flew out, but Wise had already moved, racing across the water’s surface.
He jumped, just as another Dolodile reached toward him, it was a few moments away from snapping him in half.
Wise felt the wind rush past him, he felt his adrenaline spike as water droplets blew past his face.
Placing his palm on its snout, Wise pushed his legs above its mouth—placing his legs on its body and running across its back.
SWISH!
Dark red blood exploded like a tap as Wise split the monster in two halves, falling back to the water.
He rotated midair, watching, eyes wide as the water bubbled.
Whoosh!
The bane of his existence, the thing he hated the most at this point...
That cursed green sludge!
Right now it was flying at him, with no way to dodge.
’Good thing I don’t need to dodge.’
Crack!
Blue sparks began to form on his palms, surrounding them, and very soon an inferno was birthed in them.
The fire bubbled, raging as it washed past his body, flickering in the wind.
He brought his palms together, pointing them at the approaching wave.
The air trembled, the wind simmered, and a shockwave cut through the pond, unsettling the waters and causing high waves to rise...
As the fire clashed against the Dolodile’s projectile, tearing through it and exploding against the swamp.
BOOM!
About three Dolodiles rose from the water, bellies turned. Dead.
Wise’s feet made contact with the large wave, his legs unstable as he raced downward, a smile on his face.
Touching the crocodile spit meant deat.... the death of the charisma he had tried so hard to build.
And he aimed to be flawless.
"Ah, how exhilarating!"
He turned, as two Dolodiles sprang out of the wave, spinning their bodies around and cornering the water along with them.
Two small whirlpools were brought into existence, each one violent, each one raging, each one directed at him!
Wise laughed as he pushed his strength to his right leg, casually drawing his left leg back, and then he spun.
He saw the world rotate far too fast for him to keep track of. And so he blinked, his eyes changing instantly to his dragon eyes.
Suddenly, the world seemed to slow. He could see the water drops whistling past him, he could see Daphne and Charlotte at the edge watching with awe, and he could see the two whirlpools charging at him with far more clarity than he needed...
As he spun, his body rotating like a frisbee, and his sword outstretched.
And then he met the whirlpool—
With a storm of steel!
Clash!
The water exploded, rippling on impact. The whirlpool was cleaved in half, and the monsters within it along with it.
Strips of monster meat, blood, and entrails scattered around as Wise continued to spin, right until he landed.
Steam rising from his body as it rained blood.
The water rushed past him as a huge wave rose from the waters.
All the Dolodiles were dead...
That could only mean—
The water burst forth, revealing a creature akin to a dragon.
Its scales were thick and clumpy, joining each other at the seams like chainmail armor. Its claws were long, each one about the size of a fully grown man.
It opened its maw and roared—a thunderous howl that reverberated all around them, unsettling the air, troubling the waters, and causing their ears to ring.
It was the king of the swamp, and it didn’t look too happy that they had interrupted its nap.
"Big guy, huh."
The beast locked its eyes on Wise, and he began to casually walk toward it—and then his steps quickened—turning into a quick walk—before converting to a full-on sprint.
Wham! For original chapters go to novel※fire.net
Its colossal fist made contact with Wise’s scale covered fist, causing a shockwave to cut past them.
The two monsters clashed, launching a wave of colossal attacks that caused the world to quake.
Its claw cut past Wise, ripping through his skin, followed by a blow that uplifted him, knocking him into the air.
And then, joining its hands together, it hammered Wise to the water, his body bouncing against the swamp with a bang.
Wise slowly stood up and staggered.
Then he pointed a finger at the beast, his smile forced. "That actually hurt, bastard."
In that moment, the beast’s gaze locked on his slit eyes and it stumbled back—the realization of what it was facing dawning upon it.
It snarled and charged, racing at him with both claws outstretched.
It knew that Wise would not let it live. There was no escape.
One of them was going to die. That was the only way this would end.
Wise chuckled and drew his arms back, forming a T-shape with his body. "In your next life..."
Bubbling blue fire sparked to existence on both hands, sparking and expanding as he slowly brought his arms forward.
The temperature around him rose. The disgusting smell of boiling swamp water reached Wise and he spat.
"Pray you get reincarnated..."
The monster reached him, its claws just a few centimeters from his face.
He brought his hands together in a resounding clap.
VWOOSH!!
The flames exploded like a violent bomb, just as the monster was mere moments away from reaching its goal.
A roaring inferno engulfed its body, the fire burning brighter and brighter just before erupting once more, creating a fog of steam over the water.
"...as a dragon."
The apex of all things.