I Have a Task Log

Four Kobolds and two humanoid creatures about the height of a normal person stood at the back of the cave chamber.

The two humanoids were covered in scales. A ragged black cloth was draped over their heads, with two short, curved horns and a long, draconic snout poking out from holes in the fabric.

'So they really are Black Dragon Descendants,' Colin thought.

The two Black Dragon Descendants wore sturdy Studded Leather Armor. One held two Short Swords, while the other gripped a Long Sword.

The Long Sword was quite unusual; it looked like it had been carved from a very thick bone.

However, even Colin could tell that its craftsmanship was extremely crude. It looked like it had been merely polished a little, and its shape was strange and awkward. It definitely wouldn't be easy to wield.

'Could this Long Sword have been made from the dragon skeleton outside? They must have used the few usable pieces of Dragonbone.'

As he thought this, Colin reached back for his Magic Material Bag.

CLANG!

The sound of metal on metal rang out from his Helmet, followed by a crisp tinkling sound.

Colin glanced down and saw a crude, iron throwing knife on the ground.

A voice echoed from within the cave, "More soft-fleshed insects."

'We've been discovered!'

Colin quickly pulled out a piece of Beast Hide and a glass rod and began his Spellcasting. At the same time, the sound of Ale's Spellcasting came from behind him.

Meanwhile, the two Black Dragon Descendants opened their draconic snouts and began to inhale forcefully. Their lungs expanded rapidly, a chilling sight to behold.

Their intake of breath was much more powerful than the Cultists they had encountered earlier. Through his night-vision goggles, Colin could almost see the airflow in the air.

The incantations for the Magic and the charging of the dragon breath happened simultaneously.

For a moment, the entire battlefield fell into an eerie silence.

The next instant, the four combatants inside and outside the cave entrance moved at once.

Colin was the first to act, flicking out the glass rod and pointing it at his opponents. A blue Magic Radiance surged down his arm to his fingertips, then instantly channeled to the tip of the rod and exploded outward.

White lightning shot toward the two Black Dragon Descendants in an instant.

In that split second, Colin could clearly see the draconic faces filled with shock and astonishment—they probably hadn't expected someone in Plate Armor to be able to cast Magic.

Immediately after, dark green acid tore through the lightning and flew toward Colin.

Colin clearly felt the acid splash onto his shoulder.

A sizzling sound followed, and the white vapor that billowed out flooded into his Helmet.

The stench of rust and decay filled his nostrils.

Colin felt a sharp, burning pain sear through his windpipe, and a bitter taste rose in his throat.

A cold sensation spread from his shoulder, quickly turning into an agonizing, tearing pain, as if a thousand worms were burrowing into his flesh.

The potent acid corroded a large hole in the thick rock wall, and even Ale, who was standing behind it, was caught in the blast.

Colin watched as a small, mangled hand, scarred by the acid, reached out from the edge of his vision. A fireball then shot from the tip of the Magic Staff it held, exploding between the two Black Dragon Descendants.

The first exchange was over.

Trembling, Colin straightened up. A corrosive scar now marked his right shoulder, and the pauldron was almost completely destroyed.

Ale, behind him, was probably in slightly better shape, since she had some cover.

The two Black Dragon Descendants before them weren't in great shape either.

Their Leather Armor was mostly ruined from the two Tier Three Magic spells. Large patches of their scales had been blasted away, revealing charred black skin. In some places, even white bone was visible.

As for the other Kobolds, they were now nothing but charred corpses.

The two Black Dragon Descendants immediately reached for the Potions on their Medicated Bandages, trying to drink them.

Gripping Burning Blood, Colin charged straight forward.

With a thought, the Potion straw hidden inside his armor floated to his mouth. This advantage meant he didn't have to go through the trouble of taking out a Potion, saving him a significant amount of time.

And that small amount of time was the key to victory!

As Colin charged, he swiped the blade across his palm.

Blood instantly seeped into the grooves on the blade. The originally faint patterns on the sword suddenly erupted with a blinding red light, as if they had truly caught fire.

Colin unleashed an enhanced Emerald Flame Sword strike at the opponent holding the Long Sword.

An arc of fire flashed.

With a soft WHOOSH, the Black Dragon Descendant's arm was severed. Blood gushed from the stump, and the burst of Flame exploded on the other one's chest.

The two Dragon Descendants barely withstood the powerful assault and drank their Potions.

Their wounds began to heal at a visibly rapid pace.

Then, the one with two Short Swords charged directly at Colin, while his companion clutched his severed arm and retreated.

Seeing the Short Swords hacking at him from two directions, Colin didn't dodge. Instead, he countered with an Emerald Flame Sword strike of his own at the Black Dragon Descendant.

The Black Dragon Descendant pulled back one Short Sword to defend and continued attacking with the other.

'The Drow I fought last time did the same thing.'

Colin thought, simultaneously interrupting his Spellcasting. He began to cast Silver Light Sharp Words instead, changing his weapon's trajectory to swing directly at the incoming Short Sword.

The angle of Burning Blood's swing was perfect.

Under the effect of the Magic, the Black Dragon Descendant couldn't react at all.

As his blade knocked the Short Sword aside, Colin used his sword's longer reach to land the tip directly on the Dragon Descendant's protruding snout. The gushing blood dripped to the ground, kicking up a puff of white smoke.

This was "Fury Strike," one of the techniques of a Swordsmanship Master Strike.

Just as Colin was about to press his advantage, he caught a glimpse of the other Black Dragon Descendant, who had retreated, stuffing something into his mouth. It didn't look like a Potion or anything similar.

Before he could react, the retreated Black Dragon Descendant flicked his right hand.

A sharp pain suddenly shot through Colin's shoulder.

He glanced over and saw a black throwing knife lodged in his shoulder, having passed through the small hole corroded in his armor.

Colin frowned, pulled the knife out, and threw it on the ground.

A chill crawled up his spine. He felt every muscle in his body go weak, as if his strength was being clawed away by an invisible hand.

At the same time, the dragon's eye he had seen when affected by the dragon's might began to flicker hazily in his vision.

'The knife was poisoned...'

Colin's eyes widened, and he clenched his jaw.

Perhaps because he had been stimulated by the Black Dragon's might before, he quickly shook off the effects of the poison. But by then, the two Short Swords and the Dragonbone Longsword were already upon him.

Colin used Defense in Attack, focusing all his remaining energy on his Defense.

In an instant, sparks of fire erupted.

Burning Blood swung in a perfect arc through the air, parrying all three incoming blades.

Colin leaped back two steps, creating distance.

As he regulated his breathing, he thought, 'Ale hasn't made a move. She must have been hit by a poisoned knife, too, and the effect is probably much more severe on her than it was on me.'

He looked at his opponents.

The two Black Dragon Descendants had also reached their limit.

The Black Dragon Descendant with the Long Sword hadn't reattached his arm and was covered in blood. The one with the Short Swords had a wound on his face so deep the bone was visible, and foul-smelling, dark green blood was still oozing out.

'I can win.'

Colin hopped back another step. He held Burning Blood in one hand and reached into his Magic Material Bag with the other, pulling out a feather and a sweet-tart.

As his opponents gave chase, he began to cast the Shield spell.