Damien stood still, watching the Obsidian Drake rise again. Its molten veins pulsed with fiery anger, smoke seeping from the corners of its massive jaws as it prepared for another attack.
Damien tightened his grip on his blade, knowing that brute strength alone wouldn’t be enough to bring this creature down.
Just then, the familiar sound of a system notification broke through his thoughts.
Ding!
«New Mission! Hunt The Impossible!» Stay updated via empire
«Description: Hunt a mana beast or demon that would be considered impossible for somebody your ranking and slay that creature. For you and your summons, it would be anything from Grade Two to Grade Zero.»
«Failure: Death!»
«Reward: Grade Two Essence Core, Rank Four Essence Ore, Subskill (Transformation) unlocked, +2 points to all stats, +500 units of Magic Essence»
«Good luck with the mission!»
Damien’s eyes widened as he read the mission details. The rewards alone were enough to make his heart race, especially the promise of unlocking the (Transformation) subskill.
It had been over a year since his last subskill was unlocked, and this was an opportunity he couldn’t afford to pass up.
The stakes were high—failure meant death. But Damien had long since accepted the risks that came with his path.
“Alright,” he muttered, steeling himself. “No turning back now.”
The Obsidian Drake faced him once more, smoke billowing ominously from its mouth. Damien could feel the tension in the air as the beast seemed to be preparing another devastating lava attack.
Before he could make his next move, two simultaneous notifications popped up from Fenrir and Cerbe.
Ding!
«Summon Request: Your summon, Fenrir requests permission to activate Gigantification!»
«Summon Request: Your summon, Cerbe requests permission to activate Berserker Mode!»
Damien smiled faintly, remembering the hidden cards his summons had hinted at before. “Convert eighty percent of my life force to magic essence.”
«Converting 8,000 units of Life Force to Magic Essence…»
«+80,000 units of Magic Essence!»
“Permission granted to both,” he said, his voice steady.
Immediately, he felt a massive surge of magic essence leave his core, fueling the abilities of his summons.
Ding!
«-15,000 units of Magic Essence!»
«Subskill (Gigantification) activated!»
«-10,000 units of Magic Essence!»
«Skill (Berserker) activated!»
Fenrir’s size increased dramatically, its already formidable form growing even larger. Its silver-streaked fur bristled with energy, and its crimson eyes burned with a feral intensity. Its aura thickened, becoming almost suffocating.
Cerbe’s change was less physical but no less imposing. Its three heads snarled and snapped, their eyes glowing with an eerie light.
Its movements became wild, almost reckless, yet still carried a calculated precision. The ferocity of its aura spiked, and Damien recognized the terrifying focus of a berserk predator.
The two advanced toward the drake, their combined presence a direct challenge to the monstrous beast.
The Obsidian Drake reared back, inhaling deeply. The air grew colder, a stark contrast to the heat radiating from its molten veins. Damien’s instincts screamed at him.
“Move!” he yelled at his summons, his voice sharp and urgent.
But before any of them could react, Luton—the smallest of his summons—vanished from its position.
Damien’s eyes widened in surprise as the Stellar Slime reappeared directly in front of the drake’s maw. The slime expanded rapidly, its gelatinous body growing large enough to completely cover the beast’s mouth.
“What are you doing?” Damien murmured, stunned.
The drake unleashed its attack, a massive column of molten lava surging from its throat. But instead of incinerating everything in its path, the lava disappeared into Luton’s shimmering form. The Stellar Slime’s (Universal Space) skill activated, absorbing the entire attack into its otherworldly storage.
The drake roared in frustration, twisting its massive body in an attempt to disperse the lava in all directions. But Luton held firm, absorbing every last drop of the fiery torrent.
When the attack ceased, silence fell over the battlefield. Even the Obsidian Drake seemed momentarily stunned, its molten eyes glaring at the tiny slime.
Luton detached itself from the drake’s mouth, shrinking back to its normal size. It wobbled slightly as it moved a safe distance away, its red form shimmering faintly.
Then, to everyone’s astonishment, Luton expanded once more.
“What are you—” Damien started, but his words caught in his throat.
The slime opened a small portal in its body, and from it came the very same lava attack the drake had just unleashed.
The drake’s eyes widened in shock, but it was too late to dodge. The stored attack slammed into the beast with a deafening explosion, the force sending shockwaves through the forest.
Booooom!!
Flames and molten energy engulfed the drake, and for the first time, the beast let out a roar of genuine pain.
Damien’s summons didn’t waste the opportunity.
“Now!” Damien shouted, his voice carrying over the chaos.
Cerbe lunged forward, its three heads snapping viciously at the drake’s exposed flanks. Its jaws clamped down with enough force to crack several of the beast’s scales, leaving deep gouges in its otherwise impenetrable hide.
Fenrir followed suit, its massive form crashing into the drake’s legs with enough power to make the beast stagger. The wolf’s fangs glowed faintly as it tore into the softer joints of the drake’s limbs, drawing molten blood.
Aquila swooped down from above, its talons raking across the drake’s back. It aimed for the weak spot Damien had already exposed, widening the wound with each strike.
The drake thrashed wildly, its massive tail sweeping across the battlefield. Cerbe narrowly dodged the attack, but Fenrir was caught off guard, the tail sending the wolf skidding across the ground.
Despite the setback, Damien could feel the momentum shifting in their favor.
The Obsidian Drake roared again, its fury undiminished despite the injuries it had sustained. It rose to its full height, molten veins pulsing brighter than ever.
Damien gritted his teeth, his mind racing. “It’s not going down without a fight.”
He channeled more magic essence into his blade, the flames surrounding it growing hotter and more intense. “We can do this.”
With a determined shout, Damien launched himself toward the drake, his summons flanking him on all sides.
As the drake reared back for one last attack, Damien and his summons prepared to strike with everything they had. Victory was within reach—but so was disaster.