Chapter 51: The Battle Of Fallen (3)
BOOM!
A massive explosion occurred within the first floor. The explosion once again sent shockwaves.
As the wind blew past Pebbles, he found himself back at the ceiling. It took a breath's time before he landed unscathed.
As for the green lizard, Azeth, and the shaman, they couldn't believe their eyes—what they'd seen, and the disheveled state Ryenar was in.
There was a green barrier around his body, a semi-translucent one, but it had a massive hole in it with numerous big cracks. It almost seemed as if one more touch and the entire barrier would break and disappear.
Through it, everyone could see Ryenar. They could see his lower body. There was a line of char glowing faintly with embers. The line was diagonal and extended from one of his shoulders to the opposite side of his waist.
The upper half had been burnt, and its ash was clearly visible on the ground.
The rest of the body visibly twitched, all while Pebbles made a remark, "Guess I was stronger."
Azeth's eyes closely followed that of Pebbles as he landed. He was both awed and filled with respect that could barely be contained in that small body of his.
"Master is... built different." His eyes were wide as his admiration struck like arrows, which Pebbles found a tiny bit annoying.
As for the shaman, she had seen Pebbles' tactical brilliance and smart thinking.
Ryenar was strong, and this entire dungeon was under his radar. Even small fluctuations in aura would be easily detectable, so a sneak attack wouldn't work even if someone tried a hundred times... except, it worked when Pebbles did.
"His Majesty wore that mask in that brief moment..."
When both their attacks had collided and Pebbles vanished temporarily, it was because of the mask. He hid his presence perfectly, confusing the mighty Ryenar.
This was truly breathtaking, and the boss of the tenth floor admired it too.
He looked at Ryenar, who now lay on the ground, only half of his body remaining, which started to vanish too as if turning into dust.
He then turned away and took a few steps. "Are you perhaps the child of Ending?"
Pebbles had his eyes fixed on the green, bleeding lizard who walked a few steps closer before muttering that.
The question did not come as a shock, but Pebbles was surely intrigued by it. After all, he'd never told anyone about that.
"You know about it?"
"Yes. Mother told me once." The green lizard knelt and sat with the support of a stone. He leaned with a sigh while clutching his left arm.
"Mother? The dungeon?" Pebbles half guessed it.
The previous black status screen and a weird voice with the evolution pathway displayed... Pebbles had deduced it to be a dungeon, yet he could not understand why everyone called it "Mother."
Pebbles took a few steps and sat down, right beside the green lizard.
Azeth moved his right arm forward, trying to stop Pebbles, but he knew better than obstructing his master who seemed determined.
"And," he sighed as he raised his gaze to look at the ceiling, "what did Mother say?"
The green lizard looked at the mask. He also looked at how small Pebbles was when he sat down, yet this small package packed a big punch. Thinking about it, he chuckled but ended up coughing blood out.
Cough—cough—
Pebbles glanced at him and then at the shaman. No words were exchanged. It was enough of a command. The shaman raised her staff.
A faint green glow covered the green lizard as his wounds started to heal.
It came as a surprise. He almost jolted forward from his leaning position and looked at the shaman at once. He then looked at Pebbles. "This..."
"Mn. The green glow suits you."
The green lizard had few words to say, and he chose them wisely.
He leaned back while his grip tightened on his left arm.
"Mother told me not to harm you. She said she had finally birthed a child... and that she loves you a lot."
"Mn. Did she say the same to you and him?"
He followed Pebbles' finger that now pointed at the charred markings of Ryenar.
He lowered his head and decided that his few words were over. He didn't reply.
"Mn. So much for a mother who can't even protect her children." Pebbles sighed as he stood up immediately.
"Came in a hurry. Thought the guy was a big shot, but he simply died without putting up much of a fight. And he was the one that traumatized you?"
The shaman didn't reply.
She could swear that Ryenar was much stronger than this... definitely and absolutely, yet he died in just one attack.
She couldn't help but be confused, but she didn't get the chance to say anything.
"Hah... he is strong."
Pebbles' back was facing the green lizard, and it remained that way as he spoke.
"Is?"
"He was. Until I came."
The green lizard chuckled. This time he coughed no blood. The healing was effective.
"You're maybe a dragon, a strong one at that... but it's all thanks to Mother that you were able to defeat him."
Pebbles turned around, gazing at the lizard who seemed a bit better than before.
"The one you claim to have killed has multiple lives. Kuk. You've just created an enemy—an enemy of enemies... he may have fallen now, but he will rise again and come to attack you. So take my advice... you..."
Pebbles stared at the lizard who seemingly acted arrogant.
"And? Your advice is?"
The green lizard pulled himself up and took three steps ahead, bringing him closer to Pebbles.
But Azeth rushed and stood in between them, as if trying to protect Pebbles and proclaiming that before anyone could harm his master, they would have to go through him.
Azeth was sure that the green lizard was going to try something weird, especially with how arrogant he seemed... well, he was right.
The green lizard fell to the ground almost immediately. Both his knees touched the ground as his head banged hard against the rocks beneath.
"Please take me under you!"
"???"
Everyone's mouth remained open, especially that of the small stone spiders who definitely didn't expect such a twist.
"Me joining you will surely benefit you. I promise! I won't be a burden!"
If not for the mask, everyone could see Pebbles' chuckling. He was making the face of someone saying, "New pet acquired."
He turned around and gave another glance to the shaman.
She understood the message and stopped her healing spell.
"You can finally talk without coughing. As for the burden part, let's see about that."
And he walked ahead.
The green lizard raised his head, a smile forming as he realized that he could finally be under the wings of a dragon...
...except, there were no wings yet.
He glanced back only once...
The Battle of Fallen had resulted in a single unanimous victor: Pebbles.
And the news was going to spread far, especially after the mice that accompanied the green lizard rushed out to let every other boss monster in the dungeon know about this.