The crocodile closed his eyes as I saw me jumping towards him.

For a brief second, everything slowed.

The air felt thick, heavy, almost still, like the world itself was holding its breath.

His lips curled slightly, not in worry, not in panic, but in quiet confidence.

He didn't even bother to move.

He didn't feel the need to.

"Hehe, this Kobold, there is no way his punch hit me."

His voice was calm, lazy even, filled with certainty.

To him, this moment was already decided.

He had already seen the ending in his mind, already imagined me falling short, already imagined laughing after.

But his idea soon vanished.

The instant my punch landed on his body, the sound was dull and deep, like something heavy crashing into wet stone.

Blood oozed from the place where my fist struck, slow at first, then faster, dark and warm, spilling down his rough scales.

The area around the impact became battered, twisted inward, broken in a way his body was never meant to bend.

His eyes snapped open.

They widened so fast it looked painful.

"Wait, how?"

The words slipped out of his mouth without strength, without confidence.

His voice cracked, thin and sharp, nothing like before.

The disbelief in his eyes was clear, raw, and unhidden.

He didn't understand what had happened, and that confusion hurt him more than the punch.

I smirked when I saw it.

That fear.

That sudden change.

I didn't give him time to think.

I kept punching him without mercy.

One punch followed another, and another, my fists moving on their own, driven by something deep and steady.

Each hit blew the wind massively, air snapping and roaring with every strike.

The ground trembled beneath us, dust rising, leaves shaking, the world reacting to each blow.

He tried to move, tried to block, but his body didn't listen anymore.

Every punch forced out breath, blood, and sound.

His strong form shook again and again, until strength meant nothing.

Time lost meaning as the beating continued, my arms rising and falling in a brutal rhythm that never slowed.

An hour passed.

Or maybe more.

By the time I stopped, the crocodile no longer moved.

His body lay still, cold, broken beyond recognition.

The forest around us had gone quiet again, like it always does after violence has finished speaking.

I lit a campfire nearby, the small flames crackling softly, gentle compared to what came before.

The warmth spread slowly, steady and calm.

I looked at the cold dead body for a long moment, not feeling anything special, not feeling regret or pride.

It was simply done.

I sat near the fire and cooked his meat in barbecue.

The smell rose into the air, rich and heavy, mixing with smoke and ash.

My stomach reacted before my thoughts did.

"Smells good," I said, my voice low, casual, as if this was just another meal on another day.

I took a munch, teeth sinking in, heat spreading across my tongue.

"And taste even better."

The words came naturally, honest.

There was no rush, no tension now.

I ate slowly, letting the fire burn down, letting the world settle back into its normal sounds.

After thirty minutes of eating, both my hunger and thirst got filled.

My body relaxed, full and heavy, satisfied in the simplest way.

I lay under a tree's shadow, enjoying the breeze as it brushed against my skin.

Leaves whispered above me, sunlight shifting gently through branches.

For a moment, everything felt quiet, almost peaceful.

"1 is out, three to go."

The words left my mouth calmly, like counting steps on a road.

No anger.

No excitement.

Just a fact.

Then I lifted my head.

Something dark was moving in the horizon.

A black form, small at first, but growing bigger with every passing second.

My eyes narrowed as I watched it approach, the shape becoming clearer, faster.

I squinted even more.

Then I heard it.

A shout.

The sound cut through the air, sharp and wild, carrying weight and emotion.

As the figure got closer, the outline became clear, wings beating hard, movements uneven.

Just as she got near enough, I could clearly hear her voice.

It was the same dragon from before.

Her body was battered, scorched in places, lighting elements still crawling faintly across her scales, sparking and fading.

Her eyes were wide, crazed, locked onto me with a fierce, unbroken stare.

"Husband, I finally found you!"

The words hit harder than any punch.

My heart sank.

A cold feeling spread through my chest, fast and deep.

There was no time to think it through, no time to argue with myself.

"Not good, time to run again."

I dashed out instantly, feet pounding against the ground, pushing myself forward as fast as I could.

The wind rushed past my ears, breath burning in my lungs.

Trees blurred, rocks passed, the world turning into streaks of green and brown as I ran with everything I had.

It felt like running a marathon.

Every step grew heavier, every breath sharper, but I didn't stop until my body screamed for rest.

When I finally slowed, then stopped, I bent slightly and looked back.

"Phew, somehow I lost that crazy dragon."

Relief washed over me, shaky and thin, but real.

My chest rose and fell as I caught my breath.

The forest stood quiet again, no wings, no shouts, only wind and distant sounds.

Then I looked around me.

The biggest thing in sight stood tall and dark ahead.

A huge black mountain rose from the land, its surface rough and jagged, swallowing the sky behind it.

Something about it felt wrong.

Heavy.

Silent in a way that wasn't natural.

I had a feeling this mountain wasn't normal.

I gulped and walked towards it, each step slower than the last.

As I neared, the air felt colder, thicker.

Then I saw it.

A huge cave opened in the mountain's side, wide and deep, like a mouth waiting to speak.

Sounds came from inside, voices echoing faintly through stone.

I walked closer, careful, hiding near a bush nearby.

I held still and listened, letting the leaves cover me as I focused on the voices coming from the cave.

"What should we do big brother?"

"The empress had ran away."

"And the new King is backed by the violet archmage."

The younger voice sounded worried, unsure, filled with tension.

A pause followed, long enough to feel the weight of the question.

Then a deeper voice replied.

"Don't worry."

"I know the violet mage wouldn't got interested in mundane world."

His tone was steady, confident, like someone used to thinking ahead.

He continued without rush.

"That king must have used one time promise of her or something."

"And she must have left by now."

The words settled in the cave, calm and certain.

The younger voice answered again, relief clear in every word.

"As expected brother, you are the smartest among us."

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.