Dain Shafiel was leading his command of 150 men into the Fae Woods. They had been travelling for over a week; the poor weather, consent monsters attacks, and the foot speed of the soldiers meant they had run relatively slow.

Their designated village was Orre, a small wooden fenced village near the swamps that mainly subsisted from hunting and small-time animal heading, foraging, and fishing. They sold wood and other forest materials to a small-time trading caravan that came through a few times a month. It visited most of the villages around here.

Their assignment was to see the head village and cull any nearby monsters. Mostly the Bullywags... Ugly frogmen.

He was hoping that this would be a simple assignment, but he just had a feeling it wouldn't be. That was why he had been reading the bestiary and the theory of many magical beasts. This was getting into the wilderness, and some creatures had lived long enough to awaken varicose forms of natural and racial magic.

Rumours of two dragons were sighted destroying bullywugs cites

Dain had been practising his most valued skill; it had kept him alive through many beast encounters.

Race

Level

XP/Growth

Stat Points

Elf

25

578/1165 [+1 /pd]

0

Strength

Vitality

Agility

Intelligence

Wisdom

Magic

75

67

60

90

60

110

Ability

Effects

Archery Skills [2]

You have trained in the art of Archery play. When fighting, you gain an indication of how to string your [Bow] and place your [Feet] to maintain [Balance] and [Power]. This ability scales with [Dexterity].

Identify [2]

It tells you targets' essential [Species] and [Level]. Can appraise targets up to [40] Levels higher than you.

Headshot [2]

You have gained the feel by shooting bullseye every day for years; this allowed you to extract every measure of power from your [Muscles] when striking a headshot. Can expend [Stamina] to increase the [Power] of a shot.

Dash [3]

By running from a lot of creatures and towards even more danger, you have learned to explosively release your [Muscles] and increase the [Speed] and [Power] of your [Steps] and [Lunges]. With the use of [Mana] move [Double] the speed, the amount is proportional to [Stamina] used.

Beast Knowledge [3]

You have taken the time to read and inspect various beasts and creatures. By [Identifying] with this skill, gain knowledge on how that creature [Grows] and its current state of [Maturity]. Only works on targets below your [Level]. These skills' effects will scale with [Intelligence]. How much is revealed is based on your [Intelligence] and targets.

………….

………………..

Dain looked at his most prized skill. In his 300 years of life, he had picked up a lot. Most of them were utterly useless and involved with crafting and other mundane skills. But these five had been some of his earliest skills and have all gone through an evolution. Some of them twice. He had made sure to get his intelligence to 90 and above for the status details and to increase his beast knowledge skill to a good enough level.

It had been a while since his last level as well. Finding beasts over level 20 was hard, and he didn't get much experience for anything more than five levels beneath him. Anything in this level range either had to be taken down as a group, minimizing the XP earned or being too rare and dangerous. Only powerful and wealthy families could afford to send their members to known and scouted dungeons or other such magical ruins. Such places had a higher density of powerful monsters than in the wilds.

A man on horseback came up to Dain sweating and reported.

"Captain, the scouts have just reported that we're just over an hour away from the village. There had been an incident just over a week ago."

"What sort of incident, goblins? Ogres…"

"No Sir, they said nearly their entire flock had been burned to a crisp and 6 of the townsfolk killed. The bodies were not found till the day after. Lots of beasts had at em' by then."

This was foreboding. The elf hunter sat back in his saddle and considered the beasts that could have done this. Salamanders, but they preferred warmer climates and fewer trees. A powerful fire mage, but why? Someone that powerful would have to be wealthy and trained. Killing farmers in a backwater village was beneath them.

There was only really one conclusion to draw from the recent reports and evidence. Dragon was believed to be a red dragon that had grown and levelled enough to get its breath weapon. The red ones were rare in this climate and were usually a large clutch sign. But the reports said it was of the fae kind, and they don't have fire breaths. They proliferated in magical and mind aspects but were usually somewhat lacking in the strength department. They were the opposite of the metal dragons, who grew fast and strong. Even more abnormal was this fae dragon could use lighting breath.

Dain just hoped that the dragon had not reached perilous levels. Or hates elven kind.

"You're suicidal."

"Um... Sister are ya sure this is a smart idea?" Ash asked his stronger and smarter younger sister.

Imp Shin grumbled. "You're the one to talk. You just tanked my sword!" He hyperventilated.

Truth be told, the faerie was actually surprised that Bullywags balls could make her scales tougher. She had done it earlier today after destroying another one of their villages, and she was hungry. But unlike what she had anticipated -a 1 point for 1 point HP- the effect had instead given her 3 points of HP per 10 balls she ate. So I had nearly triple Oni Shi's own HP with double the strength but half of what her brother is.

For some reason, the males of her tribe refuse to eat the balls of the ulgy frogs.

Regardless, when the wyrmling struck that flying sword with her claw, Calculating the damage, it was only a 7 HP dip. So Nezintic surmises she could take a few hits in the end.

But he was just slightly more instantaneous than her on land.

He created swords out of nothing, which she speculated were [Projection] swords. They were easily far ahead in ranks than what her tail-dagger and pitiful claws could be. They were so much more. When she checked [Inpsected] the black and white blades, she was given a history that stretched longer than she had been alive and will be.

On that note, she needs to observe more elven fighting.

And then there were his suicidal soldierly craftworks. He created openings that could be so easily exploited, except that they were the quagmires. He held his swords at shoulder level, leaving his abdomen and legs open to strikes from any longer-ranged weapons. She even threw stones at her underling, but he saw it before his eyes saw it, and with a single spin of both of his shortswords, he deflected it.

Openings that existed to lure the enemy into striking there. Suicidal, but effective.

Ding!

New Skill! Dragon's Physical Durability (LvL 1)

Ding! Ability Gained +[Regeneration 1]

Ding! Ability Gained [Scaly Skin 1]

Dragon's Physical Durability (LvL 1) Withstand the battlefield with your iron hide

*+0.5% reduction to physical damage per LvL Withstand the battlefield with your iron scales

*+0.5% reduction to magical damage per LvL Scaly Skin (LvL 1) Your scales have reached the point where they can turn even the most fearsome natural weapons. The higher your [Vitality], the tougher your scales. Your scales become highly resistant to [Electricty].

"Excellent. your attack had just made me stronger."

Imp Shin and her brother looked at the dragon queen, turning their head to me from where he lay on the ground. "What kind?" They asked.

"[Dragon's Physical Durability], it's anointed. Gives me a 0.5% reduction to all physical and magical damage per LvL," She responded. "So I have to accumulate... LvL 100 and be a Great Wyrm to remove half of any damage. Not satisfactory. Do skill even LvLs even go that high?"

Ding!

+34xp

"I also received exp from that notification."

Her brother let out an electric breath and glared at her. "How do you grow so fast?" he complained. "Boss sister, you are unfair. Oh Yeah!"

Nezintic kept her stoic gaze and nodded uncarely. "You got your strength and sharp claws. I got my growth."

He shrugged. "Guess I can't complain."

"Alright, let's get back to work."

Lighting fills the cave as the boys worry about how much pain they will be in.

"By the way, if lose you will have to eat the balls with me."