CHAPTER 24: STRAY ARROW

The iron doors to the lower armory groaned as they swung open.

A few small torches lit the room up and a couple colored could be seen on a table. Ranging fron swords, spears, and a few warped bows that had seen better days.

The prisoners filed into the room, their chains still clamping against the floor.

Most of their eyes were sunken from long days in the cells, but there was a hungry gleam in their eye now.

Lady Genevieve stood at the end of the table. A guard stood beside her with his hand on his sword. Waiting for anyone to make a wrong move.

"Pick," she said coldly. "Im giving you one chance to earn your freedom. Don’t screw this up."

A wiry man with missing teeth grinned and snatched a short sword and a dagger.

Another grabbed a spear, and anofher grabbed a sword and shield.

She let them picked their weapons without interfering, but her gaze kept looking toward the man with the eyepatch.

He hadn’t rushed for a weapon, he waited patiently as evedyone picked their weapons. He weighed his options to decide what was best to use in a beast who could swallow a man whole.

"My son will be in the field," Genevieve said as she stepped closer. "He will not die. If he does, your life will be considerably worse this time around."

The man with the eyepatch reached foward, grabbing a long blackened spear. The shaft was scorched and the tip was jagged from use.

But the spear had more weight than other weapons. Weight often is better than a shiny new weapon when it comes to inflicting damage.

He gave her a faint smile. "Your boy is in good hands."

" I dont care if its your life that has to be sacrificed. You will jump in front of my boy no matter the situation!" Lady Genevieve screamed at the top of her lungs.

He chuckled under his breath. "I know, you’ll kill me yourself. I wouldn’t want to lose another eye."

"Glad we understand each other."

One by one, the guard released fhe shackles of the prisoners.

When the mam with the eye patch chains hit the ground, flames erupted fhrough put the chamber.

He cracked his neck.

Crack!!!

"Oh man, does it feel good to use magical again!"

--

Jack’s boots splashed in the shallow puddles as he made his way up the hill.

Every roar from below rattle the ground. From here, he could see the battlefield spread out like a bloody painting.

The ring on his thrummed. It sounded like an annoying insect buzzing next to his ear, but in a way that sounded pleasant.

Every breath he took felt lighter, and he could feel the mana in his body stronger from wearing this new artifact.

Jack’s lips curved into a grin. "Let’s see what i can now with this."

A shriek cut through the rain that sounded closer than the battle raging on below him.

Three four legged beasts 3 meters long and had blood red scales.

It locked eyes with Jack immediately. Its nostrils flared as fire erupted.

[Enemies Detected]

[Fire Drake ×3]

[Rank: Vile]

[Level: 12]

[Level: 14]

[Level: 15]

[HP: 500]

[Mana: 700]

[Affinity: Fire]

[Recommendation: use magical as their scales make all physical attack damage -60%]

Wow, your only a vile rank. But you have some crazy stats. The fact that all three of fhem have the same stats despite being different levels is insane.

The beast roared before charging at Jack.

Jack vanished before the beast. The drake’s claws slammed into the cloud where Jack just was.

Jack appeared a meter to the right of the drake that charged at him.

Time to test this new skill. ’Thunder Stomp!’

Crack!

Crack!

Tremble!

The ground began to crack and solit just like an earthquake. The drake pulled its claws out of the mud and faced Jack.

Just as it turned toward Jack, the ground beneath its feet broke and the drake collapsed below.

A Loud bolt of thunder shot from the ground and up into the sky.

[-816 HP.]

Jack was confused by the damage output and the fact he just one shot a dragon.

Boom!

A large boom went off through the entire battlefield. Every dragon turned its head and looked in the direction of Jack.

The drake’s

[Fire Drake slain.]

[EXP: 500 EXP.]

[Vile core obtained.]

[Congratulations on slaying your first dragon!]

[EXP: 1000 EXP]

[Congratulations you have leveled up!]

[You are now Level 5!]

Before Jack could process the information. The next drake pushed foward.

The drake charged foward and swung its claws in an x shape. Jack jumped over the drake’s claws and landed on its back.

’Thundershock!’

Purple lightning began dripping off Jack’s hand as static lighting began forming from his hand. He pushed it into the drake’s back.

Crackle!

It sounded like a bird humming as it went into the drake’s body.

[-1,428 damage.]

[Fire Drake slain.]

[Reward: 500 EXP.]

The last drake burst from the treeline line behind him. Its teeth were glowing red as it spit fire from its mouth.

This drake was about twice the size of the other drake’s. Its jaw was wide enough to eat Jack in a single bite.

Jack tightened the grip on his spear as he stepped off the drake.

Than he felt blood coming down his face from his cheek. A black fetched arrow fhe size of a short sword hummed past Jack and sent through the beasts mouth and out the back of its head.

The drake was mid charge as its head just dove straight into the mud.

Jack froze. He turned around and scanned the area. He used analyze, but he couldn’t find a single person in sight.

Jack was confused but he didn’t waste any more time.

System! Who shot that arrow!

[I do not know Jack. They are out of your range. They must be a skilled archer to hit thendragon from such a length.]

Alright, clearly they are on my side. They are just sending a message. Otherwise the arrow would have went through my head.

Can you explain why im getting so much EXP and how im doing so much damage?

[Of course Jack. Since you put all your free stat points into Magic Stat when purchasing skills. It brought your magic to 43. The ring of Astraios adds 25 points to all stats. Than the ring increases damage by 1.5]

But that doesn’t add up. They explains about half the damage.

[Its very simple Jack. Lightning Magic is a dragon’s weakness. All damage is multiplied by 2 when attacking a dragon with lightning magic.]

So if I fight dragons, I’m basically broken. If my stats were any higher the damage would be more ridiculous.

[Hidden Quest Received]

[Quest: Survive the dragon onslaught.]

[Reward: +5,000 EXP, ??]

Wait, how did i Level two times? Shouldn’t my Class be getting EXP and not my level?

[No Jack. Class can only be leveled up while in a dungeon. All quests and monster kills outside of dungeons go towards your level.]

That’s wild. I think im going to level alot before this is over.

Roar!!

The ground began to shake as Jack’s concentration was broken. Above Jack could see the dragon more closely.

It wasn’t a wyrm, a drake, or even a wyvern. It was a bloody dragon. A full grown dragon.

But this dragon looked different than anything he thought he would see. He could only see the outline, but the outline of the dragon showed that the dragon had two heads.