A wave of searing heat surged through the air.
The massive form of the Ancient Flame Dragon loomed over Sakeer, casting a suffocating shadow of oppression over him.
Its scales, each the size of a basin, gleamed under the crimson glow of the lava sea behind it, giving the illusion of a burning red sun. A metallic sheen coated its colossal body, exuding an aura of indestructibility.
The air itself seemed to freeze under its terrifying presence.
Precious magic items?
What the hell is it talking about?
Sakeer's face darkened, his body tense. His left foot instinctively stepped backward.
This place was dangerously close to the magma sea—the La-Angler Lava Lord's domain. The sudden appearance of an Ancient Flame Dragon here was completely unexpected.
Why?
Could it be that his repeated use of Tier-5 magic had drawn this monstrosity to him?
He couldn't help but curse in his mind.
This was sheer bad luck.
As for the "precious magic items" the dragon spoke of—
He had no idea what it meant.
Right now, that was the least of his worries.
His eyes darted around, scanning the terrain.
It was open, devoid of cover. There were no obstacles to exploit, no clear escape routes.
And standing in his way—
A Dragon.
Sakeer had always known that, sooner or later, he would encounter a true dragon in this world.
But he had assumed it would happen when he was strong enough to face one.
Not now!
Not when he was outmatched!
The La-Angler Lava Lord was already a Level 47 threat, and this Ancient Flame Dragon was bound to be even stronger.
After all—
Dragons are the strongest race.
Even at the same level, their base stats were off the charts.
A sense of helpless frustration twisted in his chest.
"This is bad."
Sakeer's body tensed further, his mind racing.
His mana reserves were already drained.
He couldn't even cast basic spells, let alone something as taxing as "Flight."
Not that it would help.
Trying to outrun a dragon in the air was suicidal.
"Snort—"
A deep, rumbling breath escaped the dragon's nostrils, sending a wave of blistering heat across the terrain.
Its eyes, burning like molten gold, narrowed as it observed the frozen human before it.
To the dragon, he looked terrified.
Pathetic.
Lifting its massive head, it gazed downward, its voice laced with arrogance and disdain:
"Humble inferior creature, you should feel honored to witness my greatness."
Its voice carried an unshakable authority, reverberating off the surrounding mountain walls.
"I do not repeat myself."
A pause.
Then, with chilling indifference—
"Surrender your magic items, and I will allow you to leave this place alive."
A smug sense of superiority radiated from its every word.
Even as it spoke, a flicker of impatience flashed through its crimson pupils.
A mere human.
Not even worthy of conversation.
At any other time, it would have simply taken what it wanted.
But—
There was something odd about this one.
Something that bothered the dragon.
It had a natural sensitivity to magic, an instinctive ability to detect fluctuations in power.
And the human before it—
Had a presence that felt… strange.
Faint.
Almost undetectable.
Yet, somehow, unsettling.
Logically, this was nothing more than a minor threat—a strong fighter for a lesser race, but ultimately, insignificant.
Yet, caution, honed over centuries, made the dragon hesitate.
That was the only reason it had chosen to speak first.
Sakeer's eyelids lowered slightly, his mind working at full speed.
He knew it now.
This wasn't going to end peacefully.
A dragon's arrogance wouldn't allow it.
Even if he handed over every artifact he had, the dragon would never let him go.
If he was an ant—
Then he only had one option.
To bite back.
Thoughts flashed through his mind in rapid succession.
His usual dark magic—
Wouldn't work.
Dragons had natural resistance to negative status effects, rendering his "Dark Wave" almost useless.
He couldn't weaken it.
That meant—
He had to go for the kill.
A decision was made.
Sakeer didn't hesitate.
Swish!
His legs bent, muscles coiling like a spring, and then—
He moved.
A sharp, deliberate step crushed the ground beneath him.
In the same instant—
A magic sword materialized in his grip.
And at that precise moment—
The Ancient Flame Dragon's arrogant expression shifted.
Its fiery pupilscontracted sharply.
A sudden, alien sensation crawled up its spine—
Death.
It could feel it.
A brief, terrifying chill ran along the back of its massive neck.
It had been wrong.
This human was dangerous!
Bang!At that moment, Sakeer moved. He planted his foot firmly on the ground and disappeared, transforming into a black afterimage as he shot toward the Ancient Flame Dragon."Lowly human, you dare defy a TRUE DRAGON?!"The Ancient Flame Dragon's eyes widened in shock and fury. Its slender neck recoiled before realization struck, and an overwhelming sense of humiliation surged through its heart. A deafening roar erupted from its throat.It had hesitated for a brief moment!It had actually felt fear!?Fear of an inferior creature—impossible!The Ancient Flame Dragon's fiery-red eyes burned with rage. It refused to believe it had flinched, yet the unmistakable sense of danger emanating from the human before it forced an immediate response.Sakeer's speed wasn't overwhelming.Even so, the Ancient Flame Dragon wasted no time. Its maw opened wide as a violent red light gathered within, forming into a devastating inferno before surging outward in a torrent of flames."Flame Breath!"Boom!The stench of sulfur and burning pumice filled the air. Scorching flames, radiating an unbearable heat, surged toward Sakeer like an all-consuming tide.A wide, fan-shaped wave of dragon breath.Sakeer, mid-charge, realized there was no way to evade it.With his current level of defense, he had no hope of withstanding such an attack—especially given his lack of fire resistance.But that didn't mean he couldn't stop it."Impure Impact Shield!"Sakeer's eyes sharpened as he let out a thunderous cry.Bang!A surge of red energy erupted outward from his body, forming an unstoppable shockwave that collided with the oncoming inferno.Yet, there was no deafening explosion, no violent clash of elements.Like snow melting under the sun, the once-overwhelming flames dissipated in an instant."What—?!"The Ancient Flame Dragon's eyes widened in disbelief.Whoosh!By then, Sakeer had already closed the distance. He bent his legs and launched himself skyward, soaring seven or eight meters high, right in front of the dragon's chest.Snap!Panic flashed across the flame dragon's face. It flapped its wings in an attempt to rise into the air.A powerful gust swept through the battlefield.Sakeer noticed that even with his leap, he could only reach the dragon's chest if it remained grounded. A fleeting look of regret crossed his eyes—before it was replaced by an icy gleam."Die.""Quick Slash!"Sakeer gripped his magic sword with both hands, dark cursed energy swirling around the blade. Without hesitation, he swung with all his might.This was no time to worry about the magic sword being damaged by the cursed energy.The sheer force of his strike ripped through the air, hurtling toward the dragon's heavy, metallic-red scales.[Aura of Courage] – First strike in close combat is a guaranteed critical hit! (1.5x damage bonus)[Extra Weapon Expertise] – Slashing damage +110%, Area damage +50%.[Quick Slash] – Skill damage +10%.With the effects stacked, Sakeer's attack unleashed more than three times his base damage—power beyond the comprehension of ordinary fighters.Puff!The dragon's seemingly impenetrable scales shredded like brittle parchment as the magic sword cut deep into its flesh.Sakeer gripped the hilt tightly. As his body descended, he attempted to drag the blade downward, aiming to carve open the dragon's chest like splitting a carcass."ROAR! GET OFF ME, HUMAN!"The Ancient Flame Dragon let out a pained bellow, its massive, crimson wings flapping frantically as it took to the air. At the same time, one of its powerful front claws swung down with crushing force.A sharp whistling sound cut through the air.Sakeer's expression changed. With no time to dodge, he wrenched his sword free and raised it above his head to block the incoming strike.Compared to his overwhelming attack power, his defense was far weaker.A tremendous force traveled down his arms.Bang!Sakeer felt his limbs go numb as his body was sent hurtling toward the ground like a meteor.The earth trembled upon impact, a crater forming where he landed."Cough!"Sakeer struggled out of the pit, blood spurting from his mouth and splattering onto the scorched ground—only to evaporate instantly in the lingering heat.His arms trembled violently, barely able to keep a grip on his weapon.Crack!A faint snapping sound reached his ears. He glanced down at his sword—an unmistakable fracture had appeared along its length."It's not just the curse energy… That last attack must have pushed the magic sword past its limits."Sakeer wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth, then lifted his gaze skyward, his expression cold and unwavering."ROAR!"Above, the Ancient Flame Dragon howled in agony. A massive, gaping wound several meters long spewed blood like a fountain."You wretched, lowly creature!""FILTHY ANT!"Its furious roars shook the skies, but beneath its rage, there was an undeniable weakness in its voice.Even its once-graceful flight had become visibly unstable.It was gravely wounded."Cough... cough."Sakeer steadied himself, spitting out another mouthful of blood. He grinned through the pain."As expected of a dragon… even after taking more than three times the damage, it's still standing."A guttural growl rumbled from the Ancient Flame Dragon, still barely managing to stay aloft. But then—Roar!A pained wail escaped its throat as its body gave out, plummeting uncontrollably toward the ground.Sakeer's eyes narrowed. The "instant death" curse imbued in his attack had taken effect.Even with the dragon race's natural resilience, it wouldn't be enough to completely nullify the curse. At the very least, its body would be severely weakened.Ignoring the numbness and pain surging through his arms, Sakeer gripped his cracked magic sword tightly, preparing to land the finishing blow as soon as the dragon hit the ground.However—The Ancient Flame Dragon, though faltering, still weakly flapped its wings, shifting its descent.Its massive body veered off course—toward the magma sea.A brilliant red light flickered as the dragon crashed into the molten surface, sending a massive wave of magma shooting into the air.Sakeer instinctively halted his next move, his gaze fixed on the searing-hot lake of fire. His eyelid twitched."This damn big lizard… it would rather fall into magma than die by my blade? No… wait. For a red dragon, magma's heat is nothing."A thought flashed through his mind, and his expression darkened."But isn't that the territory of the La-Angler Lava Lord?"His eyes gleamed with understanding, but he wasted no time. Clutching his chest, he turned and bolted.He couldn't risk getting close to the magma sea. The chance to finish the dragon would have to wait.Most importantly, there was still the looming threat of the Slane Theocracy.No one knew exactly when their forces would arrive, but Sakeer's mana was depleted, his body battered.He had to leave this place immediately.Boom!But suddenly, a powerful suction force erupted from above the magma sea.A furious, hate-filled roar followed."Die, human!"Sakeer had no time to react before his body was yanked off the ground, pulled toward the seething lava.Even before reaching the center of the pull, the sheer heat was already searing his flesh. His skin blistered, patches of it burning away."Fuck!"A grimace of pain crossed his face, but he clenched his teeth and roared—"Impure Impact Shield!"A red-black shockwave exploded outward, forcefully counteracting the terrifying suction.But it wasn't over.Even as he steadied himself—"Fire Javelin!"Sakeer thrust his hand forward, summoning and launching a blazing javelin of pure energy.Seizing the brief reprieve, he turned and dashed toward the outskirts of the battlefield.Plop!A massive figure burst out of the magma sea.Its grotesque eyes, shimmering with an eerie crimson liquid, locked onto Sakeer.Towering tentacles, like molten lanterns, lashed out, aiming straight for him.The air itself boiled.Sakeer heard the movement behind him and instinctively glanced back—his expression drastically changing.If he had only been fighting the Ancient Flame Dragon, or only the La-Angler Lava Lord, he wouldn't have been this concerned.But here, in this volcanic wasteland, the environment itself was against him."Damn it… the Impure Shock Shield is already spent!"Both of his activation charges were used up—he had no way to counter the La-Angler Lava Lord's next attack.Desperation flashed across his face."Heroic Spirit!"Whoosh!A milky white phantom emerged from his body, surging forward to shield him.But in an instant—A tentacle coiled around it, dragging it mercilessly into the lava.SPLASH!As magma erupted into the air, a small, fist-sized red fish monster surfaced—eerily resembling the La-Angler Lava Lord.Sakeer's pupils contracted."Another creature…? Does this mean more of them exist within the magma?"The thought barely had time to settle before he kept moving.Boom!"DIE! DIE!"The enraged howl of the Ancient Flame Dragon bellowed from deep within the magma.The powerful suction force returned.This time, Sakeer couldn't resist.His feet lifted off the ground.Gravity betrayed him.The ruthless pull dragged him toward his fiery demise.His gaze turned sharp.A cold glint flashed in his eyes.His hand shot out.Grabbing the small, burning La-Angler Lava Lord—