The Storm Dragon race was renowned for its extreme speed, outpacing even some High-level Dragons.
In solo combat, a Storm Dragon had both offensive and defensive advantages, making it naturally stronger than most lower-tier dragon species.
Although dragon society was rigidly hierarchical, the Storm Dragons were one of the few that dared to defy the High-level Dragons—and could actually win.
Watching from the sidelines, Blank's expression was cold.
"If he burns out his mount, he should just get lost."
Demon Emperor sighed. "Agreed."
Slaughter Spree's acquisition of the Storm Dragon had been a stroke of luck. Unlike other players who raised their dragons from eggs, he had encountered an injured adult Storm Dragon and nursed it back to health.
Thanks to his Dragon Knight candidate status, the beast acknowledged him as its rider.
Now, he was testing his luck against Bibienne, the Golden Dragon Knight.
Bibienne sneered. "I admire your courage, but you will die by my hand."
His crimson dragon lance trembled, unleashing a storm of energy.
Then came the system notification:
"Slaughter Spree's power level is significantly lower. Bibienne has granted him arena customization rights, mount usage, and the ability to select a 2v2 duel mode."
A brief silence followed.
Then—
Laughter erupted across the entire city.
"Damn, even after getting a Storm Dragon, he's still being looked down on? Guess he's trash without his mount."
"Storm Dragon Knights are cool and all, but please, for the love of god, hurry up and die."
Even members of Slaughter Guild were pretending not to know him.
Slaughter Spree's face twitched.
"A Golden Dragon Knight, huh? Well, I'm about to be the first person to peel off some golden dragon scales!"
As he cursed, he glanced toward Demon Emperor.
Demon Emperor chuckled. "Just do your best."
Slaughter Spree's expression darkened. He had no choice but to swallow his frustration.
This was never meant to be a fair fight.
A level 40 Dragon Knight going up against a Saint Lord-Class Golden Dragon Knight? Even with perfect execution, he had zero chance of winning.
His real purpose was to test the dungeon mechanics—to pave the way for Demon Emperor and Blank.
He adjusted his settings:
"Arena Setting: Large River Valley"
"Mounts Allowed"
"No Assistants"
"Ten seconds until battle begins."
The sky over Pondenorlin City warped, forming a shimmering mirage—a vast river valley battlefield.
ShatteredCrown smirked. "He may act like an idiot, but he picked a battlefield that gives the Storm Dragon a serious advantage."
Empress of the Moon agreed. "He can't win outright, but let's see how much damage he can deal before he goes down."
The river valley stretched over ten kilometers in width and length, with massive, interconnected cave systems built into its cliffs.
For a Storm Dragon, it was the perfect hit-and-run environment.
"DIE!"
Bibienne wasted no time. His Golden Dragon roared, wings blasting apart the air as it surged forward like a golden meteor.
Bibienne's blazing golden hair crackled with energy as hundreds of golden lances exploded from his spear, slicing through the sky in a wide AoE assault!
"WHAT THE—"
Slaughter Spree's scalp went numb.
BOOM!
The golden lances cleaved through the valley, carving off entire sections of cliffside.
The attack covered hundreds of meters—pure destruction.
"F**K!"
Slaughter Spree instinctively pulled back, having the Storm Dragon retreat at full speed to minimize the number of projectiles striking them.
Then—
The Storm Dragon let out an earth-shaking roar, summoning a massive cyclone above its head.
Thousands of wind blades rained down.
CRASH!
Golden energy clashed with the storm, neutralizing most of the attack.
However—
A single golden lance pierced the Storm Dragon's side, leaving a gleaming golden scar on its scales.
Then came the debuff notification.
"Gravity Stacks applied! Movement speed reduced! If the effect reaches 10 stacks, the affected unit will be immobilized for 10 seconds!"
Slaughter Spree's eyes narrowed. "Sh*t! His attacks inflict a stacking gravity debuff!"
Demon Emperor's voice came through the guild chat. "Got it. Keep testing."
Suddenly—
The storm vanished.
And so did Slaughter Spree and the Storm Dragon.
ShatteredCrown frowned. "Where the hell did they go?"
Bibienne narrowed his eyes, scanning the cave networks carved into the cliffs.
Then—
"Surprise, b*tch!"
BOOM!
The Storm Dragon exploded out of a hidden tunnel, launching a full-force Dragon Breath attack!
Caught off guard, Bibienne barely had time to react.
He raised his spear to block, but—
Slaughter Spree was already on him.
A perfectly timed lunge—
Punctured through his guard!
CRITICAL HIT!
-100,000!
-100,000!
-100,000!
The Storm Dragon's breath struck point-blank, carving half a million HP off Bibienne!
ShatteredCrown gaped. "Sh*t, this guy actually has skills."
Before Bibienne could retaliate, Slaughter Spree leapt off the Golden Dragon's back—
Just before impact with the river below, the Storm Dragon swooped in and caught him.
Then—
They vanished back into the caves.
The entire crowd was stunned.
Most people grossly underestimated Slaughter Spree, assuming he was nothing more than Demon Emperor's sidekick.
But this?
This was expert-level Dragon Knight piloting.
Flying through narrow cave tunnels at full speed? That took insane precision.
ShatteredCrown muttered, "If this guy actually wins… this NPC is total garbage."
But—
Bibienne suddenly sneered.
"You dare challenge me beneath the majesty of a Golden Dragon?"
Slaughter Spree grinned. "What are you gonna do about it?"
Then—
The Golden Dragon glowed.
An overwhelming golden radiance erupted, illuminating the entire valley like a second sun.
The Dragon Breath attack from the Storm Dragon hit dead-on—
And did absolutely nothing.
Slaughter Spree's smile froze.
Then—
His body floated into the air, completely immobilized.
Drunken Dream's eyes widened. "That's an enhanced Body Domination effect. It even applies an AoE levitation debuff!"
-1.
-1.
-1.
Slaughter Spree's face went pale.
All that effort, and he only dealt one point of damage per second?!
Bibienne chuckled.
Then he casually stabbed his crimson dragon lance forward.
FATAL STRIKE!
-100,000!
Slaughter Spree's armor shattered—
And he was instantly killed.
Bibienne lifted the corpse with his spear.
"I am the Lord of Pondenorlin City."
His voice boomed across the battlefield.
"If any of you think otherwise—
Come and face me."
The Golden Dragon Knight soared through the air, letting everyone see Slaughter Spree's lifeless body.
It was an unmistakable message: Challenge me and you will die.
The crowd fell silent.
"How the hell do we fight that? He's literally invincible in 1v1 combat."
"This whole thing is impossible. What a waste of time."
Blank suddenly spoke up. "I think he can be beaten."
Demon Emperor's gaze sharpened. "You noticed it too?"
She nodded. "His HP recovery rate is abnormally slow."
Slaughter Spree smirked as he revived.
The illusion faded.
Bibienne's HP was still down to 96%.
Then—
A realization spread through the crowd.
"Wait. His HP doesn't reset after each battle?"
Demon Emperor grinned. "Let's confirm it."
Another player from Slaughter Guild stepped forward and issued a challenge.
They lasted barely 30 seconds—
But Bibienne's HP did not reset.
A new idea took root.
This boss could be worn down.