Leaving the Commander's office, Leon headed straight for the workshop to quickly adjust his gear.
First, he equipped the full Vaal Hazak Alpha Set provided by the system. This armor was incredibly rare, and wearing the complete set granted a powerful set bonus: [VAAL HAZAK VITALITY].
[VAAL HAZAK VITALITY] granted Super Recovery, allowing health to automatically regenerate until it reached maximum capacity.
Although the full Vaal Hazak set featured ten slots, the drawback was that they could only accommodate Level 1 Decorations.
Leon rummaged through his item box and finally pulled out several jewels to configure his armor skills.
[EQUIPMENT: DECIMATION CLAWS, VAAL HAZAK HELM, VAAL HAZAK MAIL, VAAL HAZAK BRACES, VAAL HAZAK COIL, VAAL HAZAK GREAVES, FAIR WIND CHARM]
[ARMOR SKILLS: EFFLUVIA RESISTANCE LV.2, RECOVERY SPEED LV.2, PEAK PERFORMANCE LV.3, DIVINE BLESSING LV.3, ATTACK BOOST LV.7, CRITICAL EYE LV.3]
With everything ready, Leon set out for the Elder's Recess once more. Within two days, he intended to hunt two Elder Dragons!
...
The Elder's Recess.
Crimson magma churned beneath the earth, the air thick with the scent of sulfur as scorching heat waves lashed against him.
Leon stood atop a high rock wall, gazing out at the searing volcanic rift nearby.
Hunting Teostra and Lunastra was the most difficult task Leon had faced to date, but if he couldn't even handle two High Rank Elder Dragons, how could he hope to face the Black Dragon?
"I'll start with Lunastra."
He vaulted off the wall and moved lightly through the sweltering tunnels, following the old tracks and the route Ramsey had recorded to quickly approach Lunastra's nest.
A sharp screech suddenly echoed from up ahead.
BOOM!!
A searing blast wave erupted as a monster clad in azure scales emerged, bathed in crimson flames.
Upon closer inspection, Lunastra possessed a pair of backward-curving horns and a lion-like face with golden eyes, her neck adorned with a thick mane.
Her wings were broad, perfectly adapted for flight.
She stepped gracefully along the edge of the lava, her eyes burning with an inviolable fury.
Without a moment's hesitation, Leon entered Demon Mode. He dashed low across the ground, his Decimation Claws slicing through the blistering air as he struck at Lunastra's legs!
CLANG—!
Sparks flew as his blades met her scales. Leon frowned, muttering, "As expected, her hide is tough as nails while she's wreathed in flames."
In the next instant...
Lunastra snapped her wings, and a torrent of fire surged forth!
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
Three consecutive pillars of fire erupted around Leon. He used rolls and environmental cover to quickly pull back, the effects of Vaal Hazak Vitality kicking in to rapidly restore his health.
'I have to time my counterattacks perfectly,' Leon thought as he dodged, scanning for an opening in Lunastra's assault.
He needed to get used to her attack patterns first.
Illumined by the firelight, Leon's silhouette darted between charred rocks and blazing flames, every narrow escape fraught with peril.
Fortunately, Leon's stamina was abundant and his recovery speed was fast enough to sustain his movements.
Lunastra maintained her high ground, her golden eyes fixed on the hunter. She suddenly opened her maw, unleashing another fan-shaped wave of fire.
Leon rolled instantly, sliding behind a rocky outcrop. The flames grazed his shoulder, the intense heat singing the edges of his armor.
'Her head tilts back slightly before she breathes fire...' he noted while catching his breath.
Before Leon could recover, Lunastra took to the air, her flapping wings whipping up a scorching whirlwind.
"She's airborne..." Leon's gaze turned cold as he dashed into the open, looking up to track the dragon's shadow.
Lunastra circled halfway and spat a ring of fire diagonally toward the ground. A circle of flames quickly ignited, attempting to trap her prey in the center.
"Trying to box me in?" Leon skidded to a halt and timed three precise rolls out of the ring, barely escaping the burning radius. In Demon Mode, his form flickered like a shadow amidst the flames.
—There's the opening!
During Lunastra's brief recovery after breathing fire, Leon latched onto her belly with his Clutch Claw. He launched himself forward, his dual blades a blur as the Decimation Claws carved into her at high speed.
His blades fell like a torrential storm, drawing roars of pain from Lunastra as blood sprayed from her underbelly.
Lunastra didn't back down. She twisted in mid-air and plummeted downward like a bolt of lightning.
Leon had no time to dodge. The massive shockwave sent him flying, slamming him hard against the rock wall.
A metallic tang filled his mouth, and he coughed up a spray of blood.
"Again!" Leon stood up, his eyes burning with intensity.
Nearby, Lunastra's breathing grew ragged. She let out a roar in the air, causing blue embers to rise from the ground.
Leon knew these embers would trigger explosions. He dodged frantically, positioning himself directly beneath her.
As Lunastra's massive frame slammed down, Leon performed a series of side-steps to create distance.
Supported by his gear, Leon maintained Demon Mode throughout the fight, his movements exceptionally agile.
Lunastra roared where she stood.
Leon wasn't affected at all. He realized that since his Perception had exceeded thirty, he no longer suffered from the flinching caused by monster roars.
In the next heartbeat, Lunastra lashed out with her foreclaws.
Relying on muscle memory, Leon used a Demon Flurry Rush followed by a Left Roundslash and a Left Double Roundslash to evade. He then stuck close to Lunastra's hind legs, launching a fierce assault.
With her hind legs under heavy attack, Lunastra suddenly leaped forward and whipped her head around to breathe fire.
BOOM!
The intense flames erupted. Leon was blasted back, tumbling several times before coming to a stop.
"You're a stubborn one, you dragon queen." Leon pulled a Potion from his Spatial Ring.
He downed the Potion quickly. As the warm liquid slid down his throat, his injuries healed rapidly under the combined effects of Vaal Hazak Vitality and the medicine.
Leon took a deep breath, sweat dripping from his brow, but he showed no sign of retreating.
He charged like a lightning bolt toward Lunastra, his blades striking in rapid succession from her belly to her chest. The Decimation Claws surged with crimson waves of energy.
"Hah!"
With a fierce shout, Leon unleashed a Blade Dance, the powerful flurry of strikes tearing through flesh and bone. Lunastra wailed in agony, her wings snapping open violently.
Just as he was about to continue his pursuit, Leon froze. His ears had caught a low, heavy roar radiating an overwhelming pressure.
BOOM—!
A reddish-gold draconic shadow suddenly soared into the air from the other side of the volcanic rift.
'Is he here?'
Leon snapped his head up, his pupils narrowing.
The figure looked like solidified solar flame, its body covered in scorching lava-like patterns, its mane burning like fire, and its eyes piercing as the midday sun.
—Teostra!
From high above, it looked down upon the battlefield, its burning eyes fixed on Leon and Lunastra. Heat billowed from its snout, distorting the very air.
Leon tightened his grip on his dual blades, cold sweat forming on his forehead.
Sensing her mate's arrival, Lunastra let out a skyward roar, her own flames reigniting with renewed vigor.
"Well, the difficulty just doubled." Leon took a deep breath and stepped back slowly, yet his resolve remained unshaken.
Surrounded by two Elder Dragons, there was no option to flee. He had to win!
Leon's gaze hardened as he prepared for the clash.