Starting out as a Dragon Slave-Chapter 47: Rank D dungeon (Part 3)

Isaac, his breath quick and burning with rage, faced the monstrous ant. His whole body trembled with exhaustion and the intense anger that consumed his mind. Opposite him, the grotesque creature stood proudly, its twisted, imposing silhouette shrouded in a black, unhealthy aura, its multiple glowing eyes fixed on him with sadistic cruelty.

The monster, sure of its obvious superiority, advanced slowly, its mandibles emitting perverse, menacing snaps:

- You... weak... human... soon dead...

Isaac felt an uncontrollable rage explode within him, his fists clenched violently around the hilt of his katana. He suddenly realized that he had reached his limit. The usual techniques would not suffice. Not against a creature regenerating so quickly.

So, without further thought, he immediately activated his [Dragon Hand] skill, an intense heat rapidly invading his right arm, now covered in bluish scales. A savage, raw and terrifying strength suddenly awoke in his now clawed fingers, his arm pulsing with draconic power.

The creature immediately leapt towards him, certain of its imminent victory, its chitinous limbs raised like murderous scythes. Isaac waited coldly, calmly, his gaze burning intensely with icy, absolute rage.

At the last moment, just before the ant could strike him, he dodged violently to the side, narrowly avoiding the deadly strike, and brutally seized the creature’s massive neck with his draconic hand, squeezing it with superhuman strength.

The ant let out an agonizing cry of surprise and pain, its multiple eyes wide with fright and unexpected panic. It tried desperately to struggle, its claws frantically lacerating the air, but Isaac held firm, squeezing with brutal intensity, his draconic claws penetrating deep into the monster’s thick chitin.

Isaac’s face, cold and implacable, slowly drew closer to the creature, his gaze fixed intensely in the monster’s multiple terrified eyes:

- Look at me, abomination... he murmured slowly, icy and determined. Look at me as your life is extinguished.

The ant tried to scream, but no sound came from its mandibles, its throat crushed by Isaac’s brutal grip. Pure terror slowly took over the monster’s eyes, its limbs trembling violently from the lack of air and the agony it was now enduring.

Isaac watched this macabre spectacle coldly, holding the monster firmly at arm’s length, his grip never weakening. He could clearly see the monster’s desperate struggle, its massive body shuddering convulsively under the effect of slow, painful asphyxiation.

The ant’s multiple eyes, hitherto glowing with cruelty and perversity, gradually began to lose their lustre, the life slowly, inexorably draining from its massive, monstrous body. His eyes gradually became empty, glassy, his limbs slowly ceasing to move, falling back heavily under the effect of imminent death.

Yet Isaac continued to clench mercilessly, his face utterly cold and implacable, his gaze burning intensely with icy, implacable rage:

- Die, monster. Vanish forever.

Finally, after what seemed like an excruciating eternity, the creature’s body suddenly stiffened one last time, its mandibles slowly clattering together in a last desperate gesture. Then, the light in its multiple eyes faded forever, its massive body falling heavily back into Isaac’s brutal grip, now totally lifeless.

Isaac finally let go of the monster’s body, letting the inert carcass fall heavily to the rocky arena floor.

Around him, the shouting and fighting continued between his team-mates and the queen, but Isaac remained motionless for a moment, breathing slowly, his draconic arm trembling slightly from extreme exhaustion.

He silently watched the corpse of the monster ant, feeling a dark, brutal satisfaction slowly invade his mind. This victory was the brutal proof of his absolute determination, of his icy, implacable rage.

- It’s over..., he murmured slowly, coldly, his gaze fixed intently on the grotesque corpse at his feet. This is how it ends for those who stand in my way.

Isaac was still staring coldly at the inert body of the monstrous ant sprawled at his feet, when a familiar sound resounded clearly in his mind:

[Ding!]

[Boss defeated! Absorption available: Physical stats or physical skill].

He took a deep breath, feeling the tension and rage gradually diminishing within him, slowly replaced by cold satisfaction. Without hesitation, he murmured simply:

- Physical competence.

Immediately, a strange, familiar warmth slowly permeated his exhausted body, seeping into every fiber of his being. A notification appeared clearly before his eyes:

[Ding!]

[Acquired physical skill: Regeneration (Active) Level 1]

[Description: Your body can now gradually regenerate light and moderate wounds, considerably reducing recovery time. Regeneration efficiency increases with level].

Isaac immediately felt the subtle effect of this new skill. The intense pain in his muscles and joints slowly subsided, as the cuts and bruises he had sustained during his battle gradually healed. Even the extreme fatigue that had paralyzed his body seemed to recede slightly, giving him a precious boost of energy.

Behind him, the battle was still raging. Jack, Marcus, Ella, Dimitri, Kara and Seiji faced the Ant Queen and her remaining soldiers in a desperate battle. They were visibly exhausted, their movements becoming progressively less precise, their attacks less effective.

Isaac slowly gripped the hilt of his black katana, now feeling a new power flowing through him. Without wasting any more time, he turned sharply towards the battle still in progress, immediately advancing towards his team-mates.

- I’ll join you," he said in a cold, resolute voice, staring intently at the massive ant queen. Hold on a little longer.

Jack immediately turned to him, relief clearly visible on his tired face:

- Isaac! This thing is still too strong! We need you!

Isaac simply nodded, quickly observing the situation with an icy, strategic and precise gaze. The huge, white, terrifying queen was flailing violently, continually throwing her soldiers into a murderous frenzy against the exhausted hunters.

Isaac advanced rapidly, instinctively activating [Black Stone Skin] to further strengthen his physical protection, his right arm still covered by his [Dragon Hand]. His silhouette quickly became a bolt of deadly lightning, slicing mercilessly through every ant that tried to intercept him.

His arrival immediately changed the dynamic of the battle. His supernatural speed, relentless attacks and icy determination immediately became a decisive factor, immediately inspiring his team-mates and giving them a crucial boost of hope and energy.

Jack, invigorated by Isaac’s presence, let out a determined cry:

- Come on, let’s follow Isaac! Get rid of these soldiers and concentrate on the queen!

The hunters responded immediately, their formation becoming more precise, more determined, each one regaining new strength in the face of Isaac’s decisive arrival. Kara immediately reinforced her support spells, bringing crucial magical protection to her comrades, while Seiji violently intensified his elemental attacks, mercilessly setting fire to nearby ant soldiers.

Isaac, on the other hand, charged straight at the queen, nimbly dodging the furious blows of her massive mandibles. He suddenly propelled himself into the air, immediately using his newly enhanced abilities to move with incredible agility. His blade struck the queen’s thick chitin, creating deep wounds and spurting viscous, blackish blood.

The queen immediately let out an agonizing cry of pain, desperately trying to strike Isaac with her massive limbs. But Isaac dodged every blow with terrifying speed and precision, every move seeming almost predicted in advance.

- Keep going!" he shouted coldly to his team-mates, his katana violently slicing through another part of the queen’s massive body. She’s starting to give way!

Marcus immediately advanced, his shield firmly raised to block the desperate strikes of the last soldiers, while Jack, Ella and Dimitri struck quickly and effectively, immediately taking advantage of the openings created by Isaac.

Gradually, the queen began to weaken under Isaac’s relentless attacks. Her massive body became progressively slower and less precise, her wounds too deep and numerous to ignore.

Isaac continued to strike mercilessly, each attack delivered with surgical precision, his face cold, determined, implacable.

Finally, after one last violent and decisive strike, the queen collapsed heavily to the ground, uttering one last agonizing scream before becoming totally immobile.

An eerie silence suddenly fell over the boss’s room, the last surviving ant soldiers coming to an immediate halt, now deprived of their queen’s mental guidance. Jack, Marcus and the other hunters stared in amazement at the gigantic, motionless corpse of the ant queen.

Isaac slowly sheathed his black katana, his gaze still cold, determined, burning intensely with icy satisfaction.

[Ding]

[Possible absorption]

[Physical skill or physical statistics?]

- Physical skill

[Ding ! Regeneration lvl 2]

Jack, exhausted but deeply grateful, slowly approached Isaac, placing a hand firmly on his shoulder, his face now clearly respectful:

- Isaac... without you, we’d never have got through that thing. You just saved the whole team. Thank you, Isaac.

Isaac simply nodded, remaining cold, impassive, now aware that he had taken a decisive step in his quest for power and vengeance:

- I’ve only done my duty. This is only the beginning.

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It’s me again, the scoundrels! Yes, I still don’t have enough words... I’ll make up for it with other Chapters, I’ve already done one at 2620 words so no criticism! Especially since you love me too much, so I know you’ll be understanding "SMACK"!

It was a kiss ’-’