I adopted a low stance, keeping my eyes on the movements of the beast instead of the surrounding magma.
'Wings, legs, head and the claws. This is where reacting comes in.' I left the Penilume in its sheath; with no weapon equipped, I wouldn't focus on trying to get damage in. It freed the necessary mind space to focus on what mattered.
... The dragon's capabilities.
The beast's movements were slow and choreographed but powerful. A dragon's strongest tool was not its speed but its power.
Reeling back, the dragon's mouth started glowing a bright red. I rushed to the closest stalagmite, jumping over pools of magma. It wasn't worth the risk trying to dodge it, even if it was just a single ball of flames. The heat ramped up as the flames met the ashen rock of the stalagmite, curving around it and incinerating it. The sweat running down my face immediately evaporated, and my surroundings began to blur. It was clear that the rock couldn't sustain the dragon's constant rain of fire, even my path out was blocked by the flames.
[ Your Dragonhide's Cloak begins to consume some of the heat around you. ]
This was the cloak's passive, it would consume the flames around a certain radius this was integral for it's second active where it would unleash them.
I could hear blood rushing behind my ears, but I focused on how long the flame blast lasted instead. 5 seconds... 6... 7... 8. The flames began to recede into smoulders. I immediately poked my head out.
Plumes of ash consumed the dragon's mouth.
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The earth shook as the beast began it's march towards me. One of it's steps would surmount fifty of mine. A single misposition would leave in cinders. I dashed out of the stalagmite's shadow and rushed to the next one, keeping my distance from the dragon. Whilst running, I drew my blade and sliced towards one of its hind legs, creating an arc of moonlight that flew forward. The moonlight cut at the dragon's scales before turning into particles.
[ 105 damage. ]
'It was better than nothing'. I flew several more before taking cover under the rocks. Only a few actually landed.
[ 105 damage.]
[ 105 damage.]
[ 105 damage.]
The air around me began to heat up again as the flames began eating away at the stalagmite.
[ Your Dragonhide's Cloak consumes more of the heat around you. ]
After 8 seconds, I rushed back out just as the cinders died down. I glanced at how many stalagmites were within range of the wasteland's centre, there were only 2 left. I sprinted towards the next one, stopping just before it to throw more arcs towards the beast's left hind leg. The dragon ignored the attack and charged up another blast of flames.
I hid under the stalagmite's shadows as a surge of heat descended. This time it lasted only six seconds.
'Was it running of out energy?' I needed to get out there immediately, take this advantage, and take it as far as I could. I would close the gap. Collapse one of it's legs before aiming for the head.
'But it could be a trap.' Dragons weren't dumb creatures, their A.I was advanced and allowed for adaptation. It was why they were a struggle to fight against, even when in large groups.
These two thoughts fought in the split second that the flames receded two seconds earlier than it should. But rationale took over. I needed every chance I could get, considering the difference in Fragments. I pushed out from the shadows only to be submerged in a plomb of cinders. My nerves went into overdrive as I felt a sudden burst of heat surge over me. My health rapidly depleted trying to regenerate the burns that turned my flesh into ash. It shot down from 100% to 70% in a split second. I rushed to activate the Dragonhide's Cloak's first active.
[ Dragonhide's Cloak's 1st Active has been used. ]
[ The Cloak ravenously devours the flames that light you. ]
Should i keep using AI to help edit?
