*** Dragon hunting
After a bit of aerial scouting over the Draconic Desert, I finally spot the "dragon." A massive, four-legged beast with crimson scales and a maw full of teeth that made a T. rex look downright adorable. Marching alongside it is a small platoon of lizardmen—all carrying spears, except for one wielding a trident. Some kind of advanced class, maybe? I'll ask Jess later. For now, I need to report back.
I fly back and land beside Jess and Fie. Val isn't far off, busy building a sandcastle for reasons I refuse to question.
"I found the dragon," I say. "And about twenty lizardmen. One of them has a trident."
"A chieftain," Jess explains. "They're smarter than regular lizardmen."
"And capable of casting strengthening magic," Fie adds.
A buffer? That complicates things.
"No problem! I'll just blow them all away!" Val shouts, her staff already glowing.
"Wait until we actually reach them," Jess snaps.
Val lowers her staff with a huff. "I—I know that. I wasn't about to launch an explosion for no reason."
Jess gives her a look. "Violet, guide us to the targets before Val's short fuse goes off."
"Hey! I do not have a short fuse!" Val protests.
"Sorry, Val," Fie says gently, "but you kind of do."
Val pouts.
Right. Time to move before Val gets roasted any harder.
The trek is mercifully short—thankfully, because this sun is brutal. When we reach the spot, we climb a dune and peer down at our targets: the enormous dragon and its twenty-strong escort.
"We take out the lizardmen first, then focus on the dragon," Jess whispers. "Violet, can you keep the dragon busy?"
I crack my knuckles. "Gladly."
She nods.
"Then let's get this party started!" Val shouts before anyone can stop her.
Every lizardman snaps their head up. So much for our element of surprise—
"Explosion!" Val bellows, and the desert erupts into a massive bloom of fire.
…Never mind. They didn't even have time to react.
When the dust settles, the lizardmen are scattered everywhere—hurt, but not out. Guess those tough scales are worth something. And the dragon?
It shakes its enormous head, fixes its glare on us, and lets out a furious roar—more pissed than injured.
Before it can charge, I leap forward, slam overpower up to 100%, and drive a fist straight into its massive skull.
"I'm over here, big guy!" I shout.
It lashes out with its claws—far faster than something that big has any right to be. I barely dodge in time, and even then, the tips rake my skin and draw blood. Not deep, but I guess I can't rely on overpower alone for defense. At least I've got its full attention.
"That all you've got?" I yell, deliberately drawing it farther away from the lizardmen.
The beast snaps at me, jaws wide, but I slam a punch into the side of its mouth, knocking the bite off course and sparing myself a very unpleasant crunch.
"Hey! At least buy a girl a drink first!" I snap.
…Did I just call myself a girl?
Ugh. I've been spending way too much time as Violet lately.
I dodge another swipe.
Now's not the time for distractions—focus.
I slip under the next blow and drive a punch, snapping the massive head back. That seemed to annoy it more than anything.
The dragon rears up on its hind legs, easily standing taller than a two-story house, front claws raised in preparation for battle.
Oh yeah. Definitely focused on me now.
A huge paw comes crashing down. I barely avoid it with a desperate roll. Before I can counter, the other claw slashes at me, forcing me to leap back.
Damn it. This guy has too much of a reach advantage. I can't get close enough to land a hit.
Fine. New plan.
I plant my feet and brace myself, committing to something either incredibly stupid or brilliantly reckless.
The dragon swings again, bringing down a massive paw, and I punch it head-on. Yeah, stupid. The impact rattles my entire body. Painful—but—
"RRAAAAAAAARRRRGH—!!"
The beast roars in agony.
I probably broke one of his fingers with that stunt. Good! I don't waste the opening. I surge forward, closing the gap at last.
We begin an exchange of heavy blows and claws that is definitely not in my favor. I bleed, bruise, and swear under my breath, but I stay close to the beast. I told Jess I'd keep the dragon busy—and I meant it.
Another swipe. I block it and earn a fresh gash across my forearm. If this keeps up, it'll be death by a thousand cuts. But what choice do I have? I grit my teeth and raise my arm again to intercept the next strike.
This time, no blood spills.
Protection magic—my instincts tell me at once. Fie's work.
I glance her way. She and the others have already dealt with the lizardmen. Not a moment too soon.
"Violet, we're here to help!" Fie calls out.
I duck under another attack and jump back, regrouping with the team.
"You good?" Jess asks, shield up and ready.
"Still standing." I reply. Though barely, and my magic reserves aren't doing much better either.
The monster charges, giving us no time to think. I surge forward, committing fully to the role of tank. We collide, and with Fie's support bolstering me, I manage to halt the beast's advance. Jess doesn't hesitate—she darts to its flank and starts carving into it, her high-grade sword biting through the scales. The dragon roars in pain, only to have its cry cut short by a fiery blast from Val.
"Right in its big, fat face!" Val shouts, far too pleased with herself.
The dragon shakes its head, smoke pouring from its jaws. Its insides clearly aren't as fireproof as its hide. Still, aside from some scorched flesh, the damage is minimal. None of our attacks are really doing much harm. Seriously—why are all the bosses I fight like this?
We throw everything we have at it, and the overgrown lizard just soaks it up.
That settles it. Time to change tactics.
"Jess! Can you buy me a minute?" I shout.
She shoots me a look, clearly questioning what I'm planning, but given the circumstances—
"One minute," she answers.
Perfect. I leap back, drop overpower, manifest my wings, and take to the skies.
From above, I watch the team hold the line. Jess keeps the dragon occupied, Fie supports from the rear, and Val rains down explosions. It's a solid formation, applying constant pressure—but they can't keep it up forever.
That's fine.
I just need a moment to recover my magic.
I circle overhead while Val laughs maniacally, hurling spell after spell.
Yeah—completely unhinged, that one. At least she isn't hitting us by accident. And I have to admit, her magic reserves are insane. She's throwing out massive spells like they cost her nothing.
Alright. Enough resting. Time to get back in.
I dismiss my wings and push overpower to 150% bulk. My muscles swell to an absurd size—perhaps too much—but there's no time to worry. I'm already plummeting straight toward the dragon.
Using the added mass, I crash down onto its back.
"RAAARGH!" It roars skyward in agony.
Not done yet. I grab its jaws and force them wide open, straining as the beast thrashes beneath me.
"Val!" I shout, pouring everything I have into holding it still.
The moment she sees the gaping maw, Val gets it. A wicked grin spreads across her face as she raises her staff, a massive fireball forming at its tip.
"Eat this!" she yells, hurling the miniature sun straight into the dragon's mouth.
I slam its jaws shut just as the explosion detonates.
The boss stiffens. For a heartbeat, I worry it might keep fighting—but then it goes limp, collapsing with a heavy thud, smoke pouring from between its teeth.
"Finally… it's over," Fie says, dropping to the sand in exhaustion.
"Not a moment too soon," Val adds, flopping down beside her. "I'm all pooped out of magic." She laments, giving Jess a pleading look full of expectations.
"Alright," Jess says, nodding. "We'll rest for the rest of the day."
"Yes!" Val lets out, already looking better.
She clearly just wants to laze off, but I guess she did earn it. Besides, not everyone recovers magic as fast as I do. I learned a while back that most awakeners need hours to fully recharge.
Just another perk of the succubus class.
*** Orc fighter
We exit the realm and check the loot: dragon leather, a handful of spears, and a trident that boosts support magic. None of it really interests me, so we auction everything off and part ways. I'm not sure how the others plan to spend their free time, but I know exactly what I'm doing.
The Bloody Valley.
I mean, why not? My magic's already fully recharged, and my blood is still boiling from that fight.
I enter the Bloody Valley and take to the skies, scouting for orcs. It doesn't take long—I spot a group of three not too far away. Perfect. I land, activate overpower at 50% bulk, and issue the usual challenge.
The three orcs turn toward me. Scouts, by the look of them—hide armor, bone axes…
Wait.
The one in the back steps forward, and I get a better look. He's no scout. Imposing. Not in a tall way, but broad—his frame packed with more muscle than any orc I've seen before. And his fists… they look like cinder blocks.
"Grundaha!" he bellows, raising those massive fists into a fighting stance.
A brawler? But this one's clearly different from the last one.
Alright then. Let's see what you've got.
I settle into my stance, and the duel begins.
The orc opens with a left, then a right. I block both easily—but his form… It's on point. Did what I taught that last orc actually spread? Seeing my little lesson put to use is… oddly satisfying.
I duck under the next swing and drive a punch into his gut. He blocks it like a pro and fires back.
Impressive!
I'm still better—but he's proving to be quite the challenge.
I feint with my left and slam my right fist into his jaw. The hit lands solidly, yet the orc grits through it and keeps coming.
"Haha! Now this is a fight!" I shout as we trade blows.
I'm not the only one enjoying myself—the orc is grinning too. Guess that's why I get along so well with these guys.
I slip past another swing and drive my elbow into his skull. He doesn't go down, but his eyes glaze for a moment. I press the advantage, unleashing a rapid flurry of punches. He brings his guard up, but the last hit clearly rattled him—he's barely holding it together. It doesn't take long before I force him down to his knees.
Shame. I was really getting into it.
Still, victory is mine, but… now what? I could finish him. A strong foe like him would probably drop some solid loot, but—
These orcs use duels to grow stronger. If I spare him, let him spread what he's learned, wouldn't that mean a valley full of worthy opponents someday?
Yeah. That's probably the dumbest idea I've ever had.
…But just imagine those fights.
I glance at the other two orcs, still hanging back, honoring the duel. I look back at my opponent. He's shaking his head, forcing himself upright, and raising his guard again.
Valiant—but he's in no condition to continue. Still, that kind of stubborn resolve deserves respect.
Screw it. I'm letting him go.
But before I do… I turn to the side, making sure I'm facing no one, and take up a battle stance. The orc looks at me in confusion, but when I begin demonstrating some more advanced combat techniques, he understands my intentions.
"Alright, big guy," I say. "That's your reward for the entertaining fight."
He doesn't understand my words, but he slams a fist to his chest and roars, "Gruga!"
No idea what that means. Maybe thanks?
I nod, spread my wings, and take to the skies—hoping he'll pass on what he's learned and that the Bloody Valley will grow even stronger fighters because of it.