The dragon let out a growl when it saw us.

 

"Stay calm," I said to Grace.

 

"It seems there are some other monsters," The Rider said. He pointed her sword at the three of us. "Prepare to die, foul beasts!" Then flames burst from the sword and shot toward us. Grace and Mira dodged to the right and I dodged to the left. The fire scorched the ground where we had been standing.

 

Then, suddenly, the Rider was right in front of me. I had barely seen him move at all! He slashed down with his shining blade. I dodged to the side, my Spd easily exceeding his.

 

[Grayson Storm]

[Level 37] [Human] ♂

HP: [3,000/3,000]

MP: [11,060/12,000]

SP: [2,000/2,000]

[Spd: 65(-10)] [Str: 1,500] [Atk: 200(+900)] [Mag Atk: 700] [Def: 100(+2700)]

 

I used [Poison Stake]. Poison coalesced in front of me and shot forward. The Rider's armor was very tough, but the spike managed to get through and scrape the man's side.

 

[Grayson Storm]

HP: [2,450/3,000]

[Condition: Poisoned II]

 

He cried out. Then the dragon roared. I felt heat coming from behind me and leaped away. The dragon let out a beam of powerful silver energy that was so powerful that it turned the dirt to dust.

 

"Die already!" The Rider said.

 

Duck! Mira said. I did and watched as a glowing white extension of Mira's scythe leg cut across the area. It slashed across the Rider's armor, cutting it open and leaving a gash on his chest. The dragon was the most affected, seeing as its frontmost right leg was completely severed and the left one was close.

 

Blood dripped from the huge wound on the chest of the dragon. It roared in anger and pain, unleashing the same silver energy as before wildly.

 

While the Rider was watching the dragon, I snuck up behind him. I grabbed onto his armor and ripped it off him before sinking my fangs into the exposed skin of his back.

 

He died in second to my venom. Then I turned to the dragon. Grace was standing on top of its head, her jaws clamped around its neck. It tried to shake her free but couldn't. Then Mira stabbed her leg into the chest of the dragon, right into its heart. It died quickly.

 

"Experience threshold reached. [Level] has risen from [Level 1] to [Level 9]," The system suddenly said.

 

"That much experience?" I asked. "What the hell?"

 

"The Rider and the dragon were pretty high level," Grace said. "Because you were such a low level, it gave you a lot of experience."

 

"Oh," I said.

 

"This has happened before," Mira said. "Remember when we beat that fire dragon in the Labyrinth?"

 

"Yeah, but it was like, level 130 or something," I said. "I would think something only level 37 wouldn't give this much experience."

 

"It might have something to do with them being a bonded Rider and dragon," Grace said. "Killing the Rider gives you the experience from them, but also a portion of the experience from the dragon."

 

"Oh," I said. "That makes some sense."

 

"What should we do now?" Mira asked.

 

"Find some other monsters to fight, maybe?" I said. "We're close to level 10."

 

"That sounds like a good idea," Mira said. "Grace, what level are you now?"

 

"Um. . ." Grace said. "I'm level 9."

 

"Then you're close to leveling up too," I said.

 

"Do you guys hear that?" Mira asked.

 

"Hear what?" I asked. I listened and then heard the sound of wolves.

 

"Aw, crap," I said.