NOVEL NEXT Chapter 67: Second Pick
The dragon reared back, its chest glowing with blue fire as it inhaled. Wade saw the buildup, and smiled.
He lifted his palm again, the flame flaring brighter this time.
"Fireburst!"
The moment the dragon opened its maw, Wade fired.
His spell collided directly into the forming breath attack.
The resulting explosion was deafening.
Blue and red fire clashed in the air, bursting outward in a shockwave that nearly blew Wade off his feet.
The dragon howled in pain, its chest cavity cracked open, ribs glowing molten red from the inside.
Wade didn't hesitate.
He flashed forward again, reappearing right before the wounded beast.
His sword gleamed as he swung it two-handed, driving it deep into the creature's exposed chest.
The blade struck something hard.
A shimmering sphere of light nestled between the broken ribs. The dragon's core.
It thrashed wildly, its skeletal tail smashing into the tiles, sending chunks flying into the abyss.
Wade gritted his teeth and held on with all he had.
"Let's see how much mana you've got left," he snarled, forcing every ounce of energy into his sword.
His weapon flared with red light, fire crawling up the blade.
The dragon lunged one last time, snapping its jaws at him.
Wade thrust downward.
The sword pierced through the glowing orb.
For a second, the entire world went silent. Then, light erupted from the dragon's chest, pouring through every crack in its skeleton.
The dragon gave one final, earth-shaking roar, then shattered.
The explosion of light blinded Wade.
He threw up an arm to shield his eyes as shards of bone and flickers of blue fire scattered around him, fading into motes of dust before they hit the floor.
When the light dimmed, all that remained of the dragon was its faint outline, dissolving slowly into nothingness.
The massive form disintegrated, its remains scattering like ash on a wind that didn't exist.
Wade exhaled, lowering his sword.
"Damn," he muttered, breathing hard. "That was… actually fun."
A faint shimmer caught his eye.
He looked down to see a few glowing items lying where the dragon had fallen.
"Loot," he said with a grin, wiping sweat from his brow.
Ding!
A familiar golden glow washed over Wade's vision.
[Congratulations! You have leveled up.]
[Level: 4↑]
[+5 unassigned stat points.]
Wade grinned, exhaling as the exhaustion from the battle eased slightly.
"About time," he muttered, pulling up his status screen.
He skimmed over the numbers. His agility and mana were fine, but strength… that needed work.
This dungeon wasn't just about speed. Every blow needed to hit hard enough to break through bone.
Without hesitation, he dumped all five points into Strength.
[Strength: +5]
[HP: 270/270↑]
He flexed his arm experimentally, feeling the new tension in his muscles.
"Perfect," he said under his breath.
His body felt denser and stronger. It was an almost miniscule change, but right now, he could still feel the minute difference.
With the level-up handled, he turned his attention to the glowing loot before him.
Two mid-sized chests floated slightly above the blue tile, faintly radiating gold light.
He crouched beside the first one and flipped it open.
[Coins (x1,000)]
He smiled. "Not bad."
The second chest contained the same reward. Another neat stack of coins that shimmered faintly before dissolving into his inventory.
[Coins (x1,000)]
But the third reward caught his eye.
It was a breastplate made entirely of pale bone.
Each plate was shaped with unnatural smoothness, like it had been grown rather than forged.
[Item: Dragon Plate]
[Material: Bone of the Fallen Drake]
[Effect: +200 HP, Enhanced Durability, Fire Resistance +10%]
Wade whistled low. "Now this… this is loot."
He unequipped his old metal breastplate, sliding it into his inventory beside the coins, and lifted the Dragon Plate.
It felt surprisingly light, but that didn't mean it couldn't do its job well.
He fitted it on, the bone plates locking into place perfectly along his chest. A rush of energy surged through him.
[HP: 470/470↑]
Wade chuckled, patting the armor's smooth surface. "Fits like it was made for me."
He rolled his shoulders, the armor moving effortlessly with him.
With that, he picked up his sword and glanced towards the abyss ahead.
The abyss seemed to stretch into infinity, endless columns rising and falling in no discernible pattern.
The nearest ones shimmered faintly under the light of the giant torches of the arena, one topped in yellow, the other in red.
He exhaled slowly.
"So… blue meant dragon." His voice echoed into the void.
"That leaves red, green, and yellow. One of them has to be safe."
But which?
His gaze hovered between the two closest tiles.
The yellow one glowed faintly, almost welcoming, and the red one burned brighter, harsh and ominous.
'Most people,' he reasoned, 'would avoid red. It screamed danger.'
Which meant it could be the safe one.
It could be a trick. A test of nerves.
"Reverse psychology, huh?" Wade muttered, the corner of his mouth twitching into a grin.
"Let's see how clever this dungeon really is."
He adjusted his footing, and teleported.
His body blurred forward, vanishing from his current platform and reappearing atop the red-tiled column.
For a moment, nothing happened.
Then the sky above him split open with a thunderous crash.
A massive shadow descended like a meteor, shaking the entire column when it landed.
Shards of bone and dust exploded outward, forcing Wade to shield his face with his arm.
When the smoke cleared, a hulking figure stood before him.
A stone golem.
It rose to its full height, easily twice Wade's size, with veins of molten light running through cracks in its rocky frame.
Its head turned with grinding slowness, glowing eyes locking onto him.
The column trembled again as it shifted its weight, each movement resounding like a miniature earthquake.
Wade stared up at the giant construct, his earlier grin fading.
"Well," he said dryly, raising his sword, "so much for reverse psychology."
The golem's fist clenched, stone grinding against stone.
He sighed. "Guess I picked wrong again."