WebNovels

Chapter 4 - The Hydra’s Trial

The roar of the Verdant Horror shook the dungeon.

Chunks of stone rained from the ceiling. The walls pulsed with green veins of raw magic. The stench of rot and poison filled the air as the three heads of the hydra snapped in every direction—each one dripping with a different elemental toxin.

Kai didn't hesitate.

He threw himself forward, claws scraping across moss-covered tiles as he lunged toward the center head—the largest and most serpentine of the three. Fire surged in his chest. His new Ember-Scale instincts flared.

Fire Burst.

A wave of flame exploded from his body, slamming into the guardian's center face. The head recoiled, snarling—but didn't burn. The vines across its skin withered slightly, but the creature was too dense, too magical.

It absorbed part of the fire.

The system's warning came too late.

[Target possesses Elemental Affinity: Nature][Fire damage reduced by 40% due to Hydra's Core Regeneration Trait]

"Of course," Kai growled. "It's a dungeon guardian. It's supposed to cheat."

A tail of thorned vines whipped toward him. He dodged—but not fast enough. The tip slashed across his shoulder, leaving a searing welt. His blood hit the ground—and the vines twitched toward it.

The hydra was feeding on everything.

Behind him, the Sylphen regrouped.

The warrior woman shouted in her native tongue, gesturing frantically toward the hydra's back legs. The two druids lit their staffs with shimmering green and blue light, then began weaving spells.

Kai didn't understand their words—but he understood strategy.

They were going to flank it.

He didn't have time to question alliances. He would die alone. But maybe—just maybe—he'd survive if they worked together.

So he ran straight into the beast's reach.

The left head lashed out, spewing a stream of violet spores. They clung to the air like dust, then exploded in a puff of paralysis.

Kai ducked behind a pillar, coughing. His status blinked red.

[Debuff: Toxin Spores]Movement Speed Reduced – 20%Duration: 15 seconds

He cursed, flicking the purple powder off his face with his wings. One of the Sylphen druids shouted something and hurled a glowing seed into the cloud. It burst with wind magic, scattering the spores.

A rare moment of teamwork.

Then the hydra's right head slammed into the floor, cracking it open and releasing a surge of thorny roots. They ripped across the floor like snakes—aiming for the druids.

Kai didn't think.

He leapt.

He landed on one of the roots and ignited it with a close-range Fire Burst, forcing the tendrils back. The two Sylphen flinched in surprise—but one of them gave him a sharp nod.

The other pointed toward the hydra's underside and shouted a word that sounded like "kor-vehn!"

Kai turned.

The beast's lower belly was glowing faintly.

A weak spot.

The system picked it up a second later.

[Guardian Core Node Detected – Target for Critical Damage]

"Got it."

He sprinted under the creature's chest, dodging low-hanging vines. The warrior Sylphen charged alongside him, her boneblade gleaming with green light. The two moved like predators—she darted left, distracting the hydra's right head, while Kai rolled forward and bit into the glowing core.

The result was immediate.

The entire hydra screamed. The light in its three heads flickered. For a moment, it staggered.

[Critical Hit Registered – Core Node Stability Decreased by 35%][Guardian Regeneration Interrupted]

But Kai's triumph was short-lived.

The center head struck like a hammer.

It smashed Kai across the ribs, sending him flying through a stone pillar. His vision dimmed. Blood poured from his mouth.

[Health Warning – 28% HP Remaining][System Suggestion: Retreat or Consume to Recover]

Kai struggled to his feet.

Retreat?

Not an option.

He looked up—and saw the druid launching another glowing seed into the air.

This one pulsed with energy.

It exploded in a radiant shower of light above the hydra—and roots began to twist and wrap around the guardian's legs, briefly binding it.

A lockdown spell.

The warrior shouted—pointing.

Now.

Kai roared.

He inhaled—and instead of a regular flame, focused everything into his new ability.

Fire Burst: Overload.

He sprinted forward, heart pounding, lungs burning.

He dove into the core again—and released the explosion point blank.

The detonation consumed him in fire and heat.

Everything went white.

When it faded, he was on the floor, barely conscious.

The dungeon groaned.

The hydra screeched as fire poured from its mouth, its body collapsing in spasms. Then, slowly… it stopped.

The heads fell limp.

Its vines unraveled.

The dungeon dimmed.

[Boss Defeated: Verdant Horror – Dungeon Guardian]EXP Gained: +350EP Gained: +180New Ability Acquired: Vinesense (Minor)Rare Material Dropped: Core Shard of Verdant Flame (x1)[Level Up: 2 → 3][EP: 185 / 200]

Kai couldn't feel his limbs.

He could barely see.

But he knew it was dead.

The Sylphen moved toward him cautiously.

The warrior stood over his battered form, boneblade ready—but she didn't strike.

Instead, she crouched and gently placed a glowing crystal against his wound.

Healing magic.

His wounds began to close. Heat returned to his limbs. He gasped as air rushed back into his lungs.

"I… lived," he rasped.

The warrior spoke in her language. The words were alien, but the tone was clear.

Respect.

Hours passed.

The Sylphen gathered their loot from the dungeon, placing glowing orbs and runes into pouches. The druids chanted something over the dungeon core, which had now stabilized and turned into a gentle, glowing seed. They didn't try to claim it, though. Not fully.

Instead, they placed it in the center of the chamber and surrounded it with protective vines.

The warrior turned to Kai and pointed.

She touched her chest and said a single word.

"Ilisha."

Kai blinked.

Then pointed at himself.

"…Kai."

Ilisha smiled faintly.

She didn't speak again, but one of the druids walked over, holding a stone tablet. He offered it carefully.

Kai touched it.

Magic surged through his mind.

[Basic Sylvaspeak Language Module Acquired – 6% fluency]Progress will improve with exposureWarning: Limited understanding of advanced phrases

The Sylphen were giving him a way to communicate.

Not fully. Not perfectly. But enough.

Before they left, Ilisha turned back once.

She pointed to her chest again. Then to Kai's. Then upward—toward the ceiling. The sky.

And she spoke one word clearly:

"Stormroot."

Then she and her people disappeared into the jungle.

Kai collapsed again in the dungeon chamber, surrounded by the scent of victory and scorched vines.

His entire body ached.

But he'd won.

He'd fought alongside intelligent natives.

He'd defeated a dungeon boss.

And his EP was nearly maxed out again.

[EP: 185 / 200]Next Evolution Available Soon…

A quiet grin spread across Kai's bruised face.

"Ilisha, huh? Stormroot tribe?"

His claws dug into the floor as he slowly sat up.

"Alright, Sylphen. You've seen what I can do. But I'm not done yet."

He turned toward the dungeon core—now dormant, but peaceful.

And whispered:

"Let's see how far this evolution can take me."

More Chapters