Jelo's profile now looked like this:

Name: Jelo Milton

Rank: level 3

Species: Hatchling

Speed: 32

Strength: 32

Stamina: 32

Draconic Essence( Ess) : 210/250

Health 20/100

Flaw: Draconic Hoard

Skills:

Dragon Claw

Scaled Guard

Wingburst

Assess

Unknown to him, he was quite close to another level up, even though his last level up was not too long ago.

The scientist was no longer laughing. The manic glee that had dominated his expression moments before had vanished completely, replaced by a look of anger and surprise that twisted his features into something ugly and bitter. He stared at the three fallen monsters littering his bunker floor, his precious creations reduced to corpses, and Jelo could see the realization settling in. Jelo had defeated three of his best monsters. Three experiments that were supposed to be unstoppable. Three weapons that were supposed to prove his genius.

All gone.

Jelo then taunted the scientist, his voice hoarse but steady. "Why aren't you smiling anymore? I thought this was all so magnificent. So priceless."

The scientist's jaw clenched, his hands curling into fists at his sides. His eyes burned with barely controlled rage. "You've been a pain in the ass since you came to this bunker to disturb my peace and quiet!" he spat, his voice rising with each word. "You broke into my sanctuary! You destroyed years of research! You killed my children!"

As he stepped forward, the overhead lights caught something metallic on his hands. Jelo's eyes narrowed as he noticed the scientist was wearing a set of gloves. They were sleek and technological, covered in what looked like micro-circuits and energy nodes that glowed faintly with blue light. The design was sophisticated, nothing like the crude equipment scattered around the rest of the bunker.

The scientist flexed his fingers, and the gloves hummed to life, the glow intensifying. "Your nuisance comes to an end now," he said coldly, all traces of theatricality gone from his voice. This wasn't the mad scientist performing for an audience anymore. This was something more dangerous. More focused.

The scientist attacked with a swing of his fist, the gloved hand cutting through the air with shocking speed.

Jelo dodged it, throwing himself to the side. The punch missed him by inches, but he felt the displacement of air as it passed. That wasn't a normal punch. The force behind it was enhanced somehow, amplified by whatever technology was built into those gloves.

The fight erupted instantly, explosive and brutal from the very first exchange.

The scientist came in hard, his gloved fist cracking toward Jelo with shocking speed that belied his age and build. The man moved like someone decades younger, his enhanced strength propelling him forward with mechanical precision. Jelo barely activated Skilled Guard in time, the hardened skin forming just as the impact landed. The blow rattled through his entire body, the force of it driving him back several feet. His boots scraped against the metal floor as he struggled to maintain his balance.

Before Jelo could counter, before he could even process what had just happened, thin beams of light fired from the gloves. The lasers cut through the air with deadly accuracy, scorching the floor where Jelo had been standing just a moment before. The metal beneath melted and bubbled, leaving smoking holes in the bunker floor.

Jelo answered with a Wing Burst, vanishing in a blur of motion and reappearing behind the scientist in an instant. He launched a Dragon Claw immediately, not giving the man time to turn around. The energy projection sliced through the air with lethal intent, aimed at the scientist's back.

The scientist twisted away at the last possible second, his body moving with unnatural fluidity. The energy grazed his side instead of landing clean, tearing through his lab coat and drawing a thin line of blood across his ribs. The scientist hissed in pain but didn't slow down. He spun to face Jelo, his gloves already charging for another attack.

For a while, neither gained ground. The fight became a brutal stalemate, both combatants giving everything they had just to stay in the fight.

Punches and lasers forced Jelo to keep moving constantly, burning through what little stamina he had left as he dodged and guarded. The scientist's attacks were relentless, coming in rapid succession with no pause, no hesitation. A punch would force Jelo to guard, and immediately a laser would follow, forcing him to move. Every time Jelo tried to create space, the scientist closed the distance with enhanced speed.

Every time Jelo pressed forward, trying to take the offensive, the scientist met him with brutal precision. The man's combat skills were far better than Jelo had anticipated. He wasn't just a mad scientist hiding behind his creations—he could actually fight. His punches landed with devastating force, sending Jelo skidding backward, breath knocked loose from his lungs. His laser attacks forced Jelo to constantly adjust his positioning, never allowing him to settle into a rhythm.

Jelo retaliated with claws and bursts of speed, using everything he had left. Dragon Claw struck again and again, the energy projections cracking the bunker walls and leaving deep gouges in the metal surfaces. Wing Burst allowed him to evade the worst of the scientist's attacks, repositioning faster than the man could track. Slowly, step by step, Jelo pushed the scientist back, forcing him into a more defensive position.

But it was exhausting. Every movement cost energy Jelo didn't have. Every activation of his abilities drained reserves that were already nearly empty. His health bar hovered dangerously low. His fire energy was almost gone. His body screamed for rest.

Both were breathing hard now, chests heaving with exertion. Sweat dripped down Jelo's face, stinging his eyes. The scientist's lab coat was torn and burned in several places, and blood seeped from multiple cuts and grazes across his body.

Timing became everything. One mistake would end the fight. One wrong move would be fatal.

The scientist, perhaps sensing his advantage slipping away, overcommitted to a laser barrage. Both gloves lit up simultaneously, firing multiple beams in rapid succession. The attack was overwhelming, filling the space between them with deadly light.

Jelo saw the opening. The scientist was pouring everything into the attack, leaving himself exposed for just a fraction of a second. It was enough.

Jelo activated Wing Burst, propelling himself straight through the gap in the laser fire. The beams scorched past him, one grazing his shoulder and burning through his shirt, but he didn't stop. He closed the distance in an instant.

The scientist tried to adjust, throwing a desperate punch as Jelo appeared in front of him. Jelo endured it, activating Skilled Guard one last time. The hardened skin absorbed the blow, and though the impact rattled through his body and sent fresh pain radiating through his already battered frame, he held his ground.

Then Jelo drove a fully focused punch into the scientist's chest, pouring every last bit of strength he had into the strike.

The impact was devastating. The scientist's eyes widened in shock as the air was driven from his lungs. His body lifted slightly off the ground from the force, and when he came back down, his legs buckled.

The scientist collapsed in pain, clutching his chest and gasping for air. His gloves sparked and flickered, their energy cells damaged or depleted.

Jelo didn't stop. He couldn't risk the scientist recovering, couldn't risk him pulling out another weapon or activating some hidden trap. Jelo continued to hit the man, his fists coming down again and again. He wasn't thinking anymore, wasn't calculating. He was just moving, driven by exhaustion and desperation and the absolute need to end this fight.

Finally, after what felt like an eternity but was probably only seconds, the scientist stopped moving. His body went limp, his eyes closed, his breathing shallow but steady. He was unconscious.

Jelo stood up slowly, his legs trembling with the effort. His entire body felt like it was made of lead. He could barely keep his eyes open.

Then the system sent him a notification, the translucent panel appearing in his vision:

<[Opponent Defeated, +40 Ess]>

Another message appeared immediately after:

<[You Are Eligible For a Level Up]>

<[Do You Accept?]>

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