At Su Li's command, the Abyssal Corroding Slime army immediately bounced forward.
Their half-bloody tentacles whipped wildly through the air, like dozens of crazed octopuses.
"Roar?!"
The Flame Dragon Lizard had never seen such bizarre creatures before, and instinctively felt disgusted and wary.
It took a step back without thinking, letting out a warning growl.
"Is it scared?" Su Li's eyes lit up.
"So Abyss-corrupted creatures really do intimidate native creatures. What if you were invincible in your own world? Now your enemy has come from the skies!"
While the lizard was backing away, Su Li had already circled around behind its flank like a ghost.
"Trying to run? Have you asked my foot?"
He suddenly raised his right foot and stomped hard on the path the lizard would have to take to retreat.
"War Stomp!!"
"Rumble!" Dozens of thick Bone Spikes burst from the ground, forming a dense wall of bone.
The spikes couldn't pierce the lizard's thick leg scales, but they successfully caught its feet and sealed off its escape route.
The lizard was blocked for a moment. That single moment was all it took to decide the fight!
"Eek, eek, eek—!!"
The first few Abyssal Slimes had already managed to latch onto its face!
Their sucker-lined tentacles clung tightly to the lizard's face, trying to worm into its nostrils and ears.
"Good job! Now blow up!" Su Li triggered them with a thought.
"Boom! Boom! Boom!!!" Explosions rang out one after another across the lizard's face.
The Slimes' self-destruction didn't deal especially high damage, but the burst of Rotten Liquid and Abyssal Corrosion splattered all over the lizard's face.
"Roar—!!!" The Flame Dragon Lizard let out a scream of agony.
It frantically whipped its head about, trying to shake off the filth.
But the highly corrosive liquid had already seeped into its most vulnerable eyes!
"Hissss..." Its golden, slit-pupiled eyes were now steaming. The intense pain drove the lizard completely berserk.
Like an out-of-control bulldozer, it charged blindly in every direction with its eyes shut.
"Whoosh—!!!"
Its Flame Breath swept wildly across the area, instantly setting the surrounding dead trees and rocks ablaze.
"Bang—!!!"
Pipi Axe, who had been preparing to rush in and finish it off, was struck squarely by the lizard's wildly swinging claw. He flew away like he'd been hit by a home-run swing, the Plate Armor on his chest turning red from the heat.
"Now! One more kick!" The moment the lizard lowered its head in pain, Su Li seized the opportunity and activated his skill again.
"War Stomp!!"
"Squelch!" A Bone Spike rose at just the right moment and stabbed straight into the lizard's bleeding right eye socket!
[Corruption buildup full! Crimson Corruption!]
Dark red Poison Mist instantly spread from the wound, and patches of shocking Black Spot appeared across the lizard's originally scarlet body.
"It's got Crimson Corruption! No matter how thick your hide is, once you're afflicted with Crimson Corruption, you're on my turf!"
"Strike while you're down and finish you off!"
Su Li's Soul Fire slowly gathered toward his mouth as he aimed at the lizard's blood-soaked head.
"Fus—!!!" A translucent shockwave swept outward.
This time, the Dragon Roar's effect was unexpectedly powerful.
The Flame Dragon Lizard had still been thrashing around, but the instant it heard the roar, it shuddered like a herbivore facing its natural predator and let out a frightened whimper.
It didn't even bother to fight back. It turned and charged into its cave, as if that were the only safe place.
"Huh? What's going on?" Su Li was a little surprised.
"Is the bloodline suppression from Dragon Roar really that strong against Wyrms? Even this incomplete version can scare it out of its wits?"
"But if you want to go back to your nest, that's just what I want!"
"Pipi Axe! Keep up! We'll shut the door and beat the dog!"
Su Li called out and hurried after it to the cave entrance. He tossed a few Corruption Pots at the entrance, completely sealing off the lizard's retreat.
Inside, the cave was unexpectedly spacious. Animal bones lay scattered everywhere, and the air reeked of sulfur.
The Flame Dragon Lizard was huddled in a corner, issuing a fierce-sounding warning at the two intruders.
Crimson Corruption was rapidly draining its life force, leaving it looking incredibly weak.
"Heh, weren't you so tough just a moment ago? So you're the Flame Dragon Lizard, huh?"
Su Li sneered and snapped his fingers. "Get it!!"
"Rustle!" Four Small Finger Bugs had been lying in wait beneath the cave floor. Each carried two Slimes in its hands, and they burst from the soil beneath the lizard like land mines.
"Surprised? Didn't see that coming?"
"Blow up—!!!"
"Boom, boom, boom, boom!!" Another round of point-blank explosions erupted.
The lizard was blasted onto its back, belly-up and howling.
"Now's our chance! Pipi Axe, chop it!"
Pipi Axe roared as he charged in, raised his battleaxe, and hacked down hard at the lizard's relatively soft belly.
"Clang..." But even with thinner scales on its belly, Pipi Axe only managed to leave a bloody gash.
"Hiss—still too tough." Su Li frowned at the sight.
He needed to find a weak spot with absolutely no scales covering it...
His gaze traveled over the lizard's body, finally settling on one particular spot.
"As the saying goes, even the toughest man's straight thing is... Ahem."
Su Li flashed into motion, taking advantage of Pipi Axe drawing its attention to circle around behind it with deft precision.
Gripping the Corrupted Iron Sword in both hands, he aimed at the spot he had identified earlier.
"Take this—Armstrong Cyclic Jet Propelled Armstrong Cannon!!!"
"Squish!!" The blade slid in so smoothly, without the slightest resistance.
"One slash... two slashes... three slashes..." Su Li's hands moved so fast they became a blur.
Fast slash... slow slash... fast slash... erratic slash... slow slash... super-fast!!! Ever seen fast-slow slashes before?
"Roar!!! Whimper—!!!"
The already gravely wounded Flame Dragon Lizard let out a wail that surpassed the limits of its species. It sounded as if the pain had reached the depths of its soul.
"Squish... squish... squish... squelch?"
The Flame Dragon Lizard's body convulsed violently as if electrocuted, then its eyes rolled back and its limbs stiffened.
It was a pain no living creature could withstand.
"Rumble!" Its enormous body crashed heavily to the ground and lay completely still.
[Successfully killed Flame Dragon Lizard (Lv20). Level-difference kill! Gained 1000 experience. Heroic Spirit Absorption: Strength +5, Constitution +5, Spirit +5]
[Congratulations on completing the quest: Kill the Flame Dragon Lizard. Reward: Strength +3, Constitution +3, Spirit +3, Experience +100]
[System prompt: Mount system unlocked!]
At the same time, a warm current flowed into Su Li's body.
[Dragonborn class effect: You killed a creature with dragon blood during combat.]
[Obtained minor Dragon Soul enhancement: Strength +1, Constitution +1, Faith +1]
Su Li stood beside the lizard's corpse, feeling the surging power within him.
"That was a huge stat boost!"
[Strength 36→45, Constitution 30→39, Spirit 32→41, Faith 5→6, Experience (1960/6400)]
"Both Strength and Spirit are over 40! Constitution's almost there, too!"
"If I swing my sword now, even Pipi Axe probably couldn't take the hit."
After calming down a little, Su Li turned his gaze to the enormous corpse on the ground.
He hadn't forgotten his main goal this time. "System, didn't you say I could turn it into a mount?"
Su Li poked the lizard's butt with his sword. When he pulled it out, a spray of blood came with it.
"Why hasn't anything happened yet? Hurry up and transform!!!"
Before you continue