Kael knew the Dragonscale Wyrm was on its way.
He had approached from the east, but he didn't run back in that direction. There was no escape that way. Even reaching the Elven village would be useless. The Elves were too weak; if they truly had the power to deal with the Dragonscale Wyrm, why would they assign the task to a human they had just met? The quest to retrieve the venom sac wasn't a job—it was a trial.
Kael fled south.
Carrying the egg negated his [Soul Cloak]. Monsters all around him immediately took heed, converging on his position. The moment they saw the massive egg on his shoulders, however, they scattered in terror, wanting no part of the trouble that was sure to follow.
Kael had anticipated this. He lumbered along, panting with the effort, his speed cut in half.
Soon, he heard a thunderous crashing sound from behind. The Wyrm was close.
"So fast!" Kael thought, shocked. He had overestimated his own encumbered speed.
Still, he didn't panic. He activated his clone ability, and three identical "Dawnbreakers," each carrying a phantom egg, appeared. Please let the aggro from the illusion work, he prayed.
He kept two clones with him while one remained behind. When the Wyrm entered the clone's line of sight, the illusion immediately took off, dragging the Wyrm's attention westward. Enraged at the sight of its stolen egg being carried by a puny human, the great serpent changed course and gave chase.
A minute later, Kael received the notification that his clone had been destroyed. He let out a breath of relief. He then repeated the tactic, sending a second clone to deceive the great serpent.
It worked again, buying him a few more precious minutes. The third clone was just as successful, leading the Dragonscale Wyrm on another merry chase.
Kael felt a surge of triumph. A bold thought even crossed his mind. At this rate, could I actually get this egg all the way out of the forest? The low-level mobs don't dare to attack me, after all.
Just as he was about to try his luck with another set of clones, his plan blew up in his face. The Dragonscale Wyrm was no longer falling for the trick. It ignored the new illusion and charged directly toward Kael's true position.
He wasn't disappointed. He had already reached his destination.
The sky was beginning to lighten. The dense forest had given way to a wide, open grassland, itself encircled by the woods. Kael stood on a high slope overlooking the plains. He gently placed the giant egg on the ground and turned to face his pursuer.
A few moments later, the Dragonscale Wyrm burst through the tree line. Seeing its egg, it didn't hesitate for a second, launching itself toward Kael.
Kael gave it a casual wave, then did something that sent the Wyrm into a frenzy of rage.
He pushed the egg, sending it rolling down the grassy slope.
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At the same instant, Kael sprinted sideways along the ridge. One a precious child, the other a thief. The Dragonscale Wyrm's choice, of course, was: it wanted both.
Its head lunged in the direction of the rolling egg while its massive tail whipped toward the despicable human, intending to smash him into paste. Yet, strangely, as its tail was about to connect, it felt nothing out of the ordinary—just a smooth, effortless sweep through the air.
A flicker of confusion crossed the Wyrm's mind. Why didn't I feel an impact? Am I so powerful now that hitting such a tiny creature is like swatting a gnat?
It had no time to search for the thief's remains. Its only priority was its child. As dawn broke, its own power would diminish significantly. It had to get the egg and leave.
But just then, the Wyrm's worst fears were realized.
From the tall grass at the bottom of the slope, another monster rose to its feet. The Dragonscale Wyrm slammed on the brakes, but its immense momentum sent it sliding across the dewy grass until it came face to face with the newcomer.
The other creature was wary at first, but at the sight of the giant egg at its feet, its demeanor shifted to one of sheer, predatory excitement. It let out a deafening roar that echoed across the entire plain.
[Ironmane Lion]: Level 60
Lions were the undisputed kings of the grassland, and this Ironmane Lion was the king of kings. At some point in its evolution, razor-sharp steel quills had sprouted from its back, making it an unstoppable force that terrorized the entire region.
It had once encountered the Dragonscale Wyrm in the forest and, disadvantaged by the terrain, had lost by the narrowest of margins. Since then, it had relentlessly hunted the other beasts of the plains, building its strength for a rematch. It longed for the day it could enter that forest and challenge the Wyrm again.
And now, that day had come. Better yet, the Wyrm had delivered itself to the Lion's home turf—the open plains. No more pesky trees for the serpent to climb!
The Ironmane Lion was a vicious creature by nature. With its rival trespassing on its territory, it showed no hesitation. With a bloodcurdling roar, it pounced.
The Dragonscale Wyrm was on high alert. Its strength was greatly diminished after laying three eggs, though it had been slowly recovering by secretly drinking the sap of the Tree of World. It felt no fear for this opponent it had defeated once before. Its thick, dragon-like scales provided immense defensive power.
And so, the two overlords of the Aelindale Forest and the Aelindale Grassland tore into each other.
From his perch on the slope, Kael sat and watched the titanic battle unfold. He had used the 0.3-second invulnerability frame from his clone-casting skill to dodge the Wyrm's tail swipe and had been observing ever since.
In his past life, this scene was the stuff of legends.
The strategy had been discovered by a low-level newbie who, while questing, had learned of the bitter rivalry between the two world bosses. The player had livestreamed his entire, harebrained attempt.
To escape the Wyrm's pursuit, he had died no fewer than ten times. It was only after dozens of other players supported him with speed potions and sacrificed themselves to set up traps along the route that he finally managed to roll the egg before the Ironmane Lion. He himself was unceremoniously flattened by the Wyrm's tail.
The ensuing battle was recorded by other players, a spectacle of tooth and claw as epic as the one Kael was witnessing now.
Afterward, when the two bosses respawned, countless players tried to replicate the event, but they always failed.
From then on, whenever the two bosses met, they would skirmish but never fight to the death, and both would reset to full health upon disengaging.
This time, Kael wasn't streaming or recording. He was simply watching the carnage for his own benefit, a rapt audience of one.
He knew how this was supposed to end: the Dragonscale Wyrm would be killed, and the Ironmane Lion would retreat, heavily wounded. That would give him a thirty-minute window to collect the venom sac before other predators arrived.
He waited with complete confidence for that outcome. But as he watched, the Dragonscale Wyrm suddenly let out a furious roar and slammed its head into the Ironmane Lion's exposed abdomen with earth-shattering force. The Lion couldn't withstand the blow. It collapsed, dead.
"What the fuck?" Kael stared, his eyes wide with disbelief. "How did this happen?"