The dragon began to laugh, a deep, guttural, monstrous laugh. Each echo vibrated through the mountain's core. The ground shook, the torches flickered, and even the air seemed to freeze.
Then, suddenly, it stopped. Its blazing red eyes fixed on Melvar and his tribe. When it spoke, its voice was anything but human. Deep and resonant, it seemed to come from the very depths of the earth. Just hearing it made the Melocs tremble from within, seized by an instinctive fear.
"You should have left this mine to me…"
It slowly licked its black lips, a greedy smile stretching its muzzle covered in burning scales.
"This jewel… I have felt its presence for a long time. It will be mine."
Melvar stepped forward, raising his massive axe. His voice, though tense, remained firm and echoed across the scorched plain.
"You'll have to go over our bodies to get it!"
The five Meloc hunters formed a circle around the dragon, their weapons raised, ready to defend their territory to the death. Melvar, at the center, held the front line, axe raised high, muscles taut as cords.
The dragon sneered, its fangs gleaming with an infernal light.
"Ah… fools. Do you really think you can reach me?"
"For the clan!" Melvar shouted.
The hunters repeated in unison, their voices merging as one:
"For the clan!"
Their cries rang out like a war oath. They charged together, spears pointed at the beast. The dragon inhaled deeply, then spewed a jet of green flames, illuminating the cave with a spectral light. Two hunters were thrown back, their bodies engulfed in fire.
Melvar leaped onto the dragon's back, striking with all his strength with his axe. Each blow echoed like thunder, but the creature's scales were as hard as rock. No impact seemed to affect it.
"Insolent fools!" the beast roared, unleashing an explosion of black energy that violently sent all the Melocs flying.
The dragon flapped its powerful wings, took off with a deafening roar, then violently slammed its tail onto the ground, crushing Melvar and his companions before throwing them several meters away. They all fell heavily, unable to rise.
The dragon, majestic and triumphant, spoke in a rumbling voice:
"No one can rival me. Never forget… the greedy are always the masters."
All lay on the ground, battered and bleeding. Melvar, panting, slowly rose, blood dripping from his lips.
"You will pay for this!" he spat, eyes filled with rage.
Brandishing his long axe, he lunged with all the strength he had left. In a flash of fury and despair, the blade sliced through the air and struck directly at the dragon's eyes.
A sinister crack echoed as metal pierced the scaly flesh.
The monster's roar shook the ground. Staggering back, it shook its colossal head as shards of scales flew around its sockets. Dark blood gushed, streaming over its muzzle and veiling its once-brilliant gaze.
Melvar remained still for a moment, panting, arms trembling, but his eyes burned with defiance. A smile appeared on his split lips:
"Even you… can bleed."
The dragon, blinded but still fueled by a bestial fury, roared so loudly that the cave walls trembled. Thick, burning smoke poured from its nostrils, filling the air with suffocating heat. Its rage had been reignited, and the battle was far from over.
It inhaled deeply, and the entire atmosphere seemed to vibrate under the power it was gathering. The air twisted, charged with fire and destruction.
Melvar felt his heart tighten: this was an attack no force could withstand.
Then, in a final surge of clarity, he dropped his axe and turned to cast one last look at the cave, hoping his son was safe. His eyes met the entrance… and he saw Boros, frozen in fear.
Without hesitation, Melvar leapt, eyes full of worry for his son. He threw himself with all his strength and pushed him away. Boros tumbled down the slope, narrowly escaping the blazing breath that consumed everything behind him.
Time seemed to freeze.
Flames engulfed Melvar, his silhouette wavering in the light. A smile, filled with courage and tenderness, spread across his soot-covered face.
Melvar, tears in his eyes but a big smile on his face, whispered: "Survive."
The dragon exhaled its breath with unimaginable force. The entire cave was consumed; the walls shattered under the onslaught of flames racing toward Boros… but a collapse of rocks stopped the blast, saving his life. The impact knocked him unconscious.
The dragon, blinded and wounded by Melvar's strike, fled into the sky, roaring, leaving a field of devastation behind.
That day, the Meloc people were annihilated, leaving only one survivor: Boros.
When he awoke, Boros remembered everything that had happened. He screamed and cried, helpless, alone amidst the ruins of his people.
Boros wanted revenge, but he knew he could not. His family was dead, his people destroyed… His only responsibility now was to protect the cave, the last legacy of those he loved. He decided to train relentlessly, determined to become strong enough to defend this sanctuary and honor his family's memory.
Years passed. Boros became as strong as his father, capable of wielding the axe with impressive precision and power. But even this strength was not enough to kill the dragon.
Then, a strange man appeared. A long hooded cloak concealed his face, and he held a massive axe, similar to Melvar's… but amplified by an invisible power.
"I sense your desire for strength," he said in a deep, resonant voice. "Take this weapon. It will grant you the power you need."
Boros reached out and grasped the axe. A strange, intense energy coursed through his body, vibrating to the very core of his bones. Then the man vanished, leaving only an aura of mystery behind.
With this new weapon and unwavering determination, Boros quickly became one of the ten kings, his power surpassing anything he had ever imagined.
A flash of light pierced Alex's mind. He gradually regained consciousness, emerging from Boros' memory, and wiped the blood from his mouth.
Alex stepped toward Boros and, once in front of him, pressed his fingers into his own hand again, letting the blood flow onto his unconscious opponent. He then activated his Blood Regeneration skill. A red glow enveloped Boros, and all his wounds healed instantly.
When the process was complete, Alex began walking toward Andris and Linnie. In a calm voice, he said:
"Come, Andris… Linnie… we're leaving."
Andris and Linnie, confused but without asking questions, responded in unison: "Alright."
They followed Alex without hesitation.