The dragon's harem

After observing the horrid nightmare for almost an hour, Arad managed to learn a few things. While it’s near-immortal, all the small ones do is eat at the insides of its stomach, not the upper chest or head.

The plan had now become clear. He and Neige need to make a sneak attack at the start of the fight and make sure to drop the boss on its head to deal maximum damage from the start. They can then hide back into the shadows and sneak attack it again.

Arad returned to their hideout and found Neige sitting beside the fire, hugging her knees with a terrified and pale face. Her eyes reeked with madness, glaring straight at the flames without even blinking.

“Our plan still stands. I cut its wings, you knock it down.” He approached and took a closer look at her face. “You look worse than before.”

She remained silent for a while, then slowly turned toward him, “You didn’t see what I saw.”

Arad sat beside her and Ombre walked out of his shadow, taking a seat at his other side. Arad looked at the flames, “Like most problems in life, the easiest way to deal with fear is to kill it.”

Neige looked back at the flames, hugging her knees tighter, stretching her toes to bask in the warmth of the fire. Soon her eyes twitched, “What if it’s something you can’t kill, or shouldn’t kill?”

Arad smiled, “And like most hurdles in life, it depends.” He threw a stick into the fire. “The nightmare won’t die even if we kill it, so our actions can’t be a problem. The thing is designed for this. And about its strength, the odds aren’t that stacked against us.”

“I don’t want to fight it.” Neige leaned on him. “I want to just sit here.”

Arad nodded with a smile, “Then you need someone to drag you out, make you fight. Courage can be borrowed.” He grabbed her by the hand and stood, making her stand with him.

“Courage or stupidity.” She looked at him with a pained grin, and he laughed, “They are the same thing as far as I know. Doing something stupid and living to tell the tale is what people call courage.”

He tapped her on the back, “Those who die are the fools, and those who survive are the courageous. Those who lose are evil, and those who win are the heroes who write history.”

Neige finally smiled, a giggle escaping her lips, “Who’s the idiot who taught you that?”

“Dad.” Arad replied with a smile, most of what he learned either came from life experience or from Alcott, who taught him how to wield a sword. Thinking about it now, Alcott might be the most insane man he ever met.

“What would he say if he saw that thing?” Neige asked and Arad smiled, “Damn, you’re ugly.”

****

Minutes later, the two were hanging on the walls of the spire right above the horrifying nightmare monster. Arad held to the wall with his hands, ready to leap out at any moment. While Neige just held herself in place, ready to drop down and transform. Ombre will go with Arad since he is the weakest of them all, and the one who needs to move a lot.

“Ready?” Arad looked at Neige, and she nodded. Giving her one last nod, he jumped onto the nightmare’s back, and she dropped down. Her eyes flashed the moment she was no longer hidden by Ombre’s shadows, and the nightmare immediately twitched.

“Damn, you’re ugly.” She transformed into her true form, growing several times larger, and then kicked the spire with her hind legs, headbutting the disgusting nightmare right on its lower abdomen.

It was then that the nightmare’s wings fell off; Arad had managed to sneak up and slash them with his great sword.

Before the nightmare could react, its body was already plummeting to the ground, the heavy Neige right above him, ready to fall on his skull with a deathly stomp. Seeing those two fight was enough to make any human gouge their eyes out and regret ever being born to watch such creatures, the mere sight could drive a man to insanity.

But… there was one man who was used to seeing those things around. Arad jumped from the nightmare’s back after slashing its wings, he landed on the air, a small black barrier that was two feet wide beneath his feet. This was as large a barrier as Arad can make now with his little to no mana, but it used to be transparent. Now, the shadows of Ombre had invaded it, causing it to turn as black as the shadows of the terror.

With each new step, the barrier before would disappear and another would hold his weight, like this, Arad ran through the air as fast as he could on land. ^Thanks, Kayden. Thanks, Yog.^ If those two didn’t make sure he understood what barriers were and how to use them, he probably won’t be able to do this… No, his thanks should go to his brother, who taught him how to use them.

The nightmare hit the ground face first, and Neige fell right above him, stomping his ugly face with her front legs. She grimaced, feeling her bones almost cracking. The bastard’s skull was as hard as steel.

But this was what they planned, so she immediately jumped away, making sure she wasn’t touching the ugly thing anymore… It was then that Arad had to do his part.

Lightning crackled in the clouds, and with a single look, Neige could see him standing in the middle of the air, all of his muscles tensed like some ancient god, carrying a whole lightning bolt in his arm.

Giving the ugly nightmare one last glance, Arad threw the lightning bolt down and it flashed with blinding light, illuminating the whole floor as it struck the boss’s head. Soon, a thunderclap followed. That alone was enough to make the nightmare moan in pain, its tongue legs twitching like it’s having a seizure.

^Still got nineteen spears… I hope they are enough.^ With that thought, Arad faded into the darkness like the silence after a lightning strike.