Leveling from 2 to 3 takes 200 experience.
At the rate he'd been grinding Rock Worms—3 EXP each—he'd probably have to slaughter his way through the entire cave floor.
"When am I gonna learn 'Sand Tomb,' huh…?"
Complaints aside, the problem still had to be solved.
After a good rest, Caesar left his personal Pokémon Center.
His goal was clear: find a 'quality EXP package'—something that gave big experience but wasn't strong enough to one-shot him.
Ideally something like a Chansey.
The process demanded patience—and even more luck.
The ecosystem at the bottom of the dragon den was far more complex than he'd imagined; all kinds of bizarre draconic subspecies and monsters formed a brutal food chain.
He saw a five-metre-long, mantis-shaped beast with scythe-like forelegs cleave an unlucky fellow Earth Dragon in half with a single strike.
Yo, an Axe-Mantis?
The panel read: [EXP: 280].
Can't mess with that—bye.
He also spotted a pack of dog-like monsters that moved like shadows; they cooperated flawlessly and brought down a lone 'Giant Monitor Dragon' far stronger than the Crocodile-shaped Sub-dragon.
Panel showed 65 EXP each, but they hunted in packs.
Two fists can't beat four hands—especially when you don't even have fists yet.
Gible carefully skirted every nasty he couldn't handle and pushed into areas he'd never explored.
The zone was damper, the walls coated with glowing moss and fungi; the air reeked of rot.
While squeezing through a narrow stone crevice, a rhythmic crunching caught his ear.
Caesar flattened himself even lower, showing only his eyes as he peeked from behind a rock.
Not far off, a big creature was gnawing Ore off the wall.
It was an enormous centipede, nearly five metres long, armored in glossy black chitin; every segment bore a pair of razor legs that screeched across the stone.
A panel automatically appeared before Caesar.
[Iron-armored Centipede]
[EXP: 50]
Fifty points!
Caesar's breath froze for an instant.
That was way higher than anything he'd met so far.
One of these equaled the haul from a dozen Rock Worms!
Great reward meant great risk.
Its defense looked insane; that shiny black plating might as well have been tank armor. His Tackle would tickle at best.
And it was venomous.
Any other Young Dragon would have turned tail.
But Caesar wasn't just any Young Dragon.
He was a player.
To a player, there's no unkillable boss—only noobs who haven't found the strat.
"Elite mob, huh? Huge HP and armor, right?"
He didn't rush; instead he found a better hiding spot and hunkered down.
First priority wasn't fighting—it was observation.
Just like back when he'd study a new boss's guide video over and over before a raid.
No guide now? He'd write one himself.
For days Caesar watched like a pro hunter, studying the Iron-armored Centipede's every move.
It stayed in a fixed area around the Ore vein, coming out on schedule to feed.
It was slow in a straight line and turned like a truck—several seconds to swivel its massive body.
Weakness one: terrible mobility.
He flicked pebbles that clanged off its plates without a scratch.
But when a stone struck a joint between segments, the centipede twitched and hissed in irritation.
Weakness two: gaps between plates were soft spots.
Finally he focused on its head: two long antennae served as main sensors, hyper-sensitive to air currents and vibration.
It had no eyes, which meant… "Sand Attack to the face—counters all fancy tricks!"
A complete "boss strat" took shape in his mind.
Plan set, he still needed a weapon.
Tackle alone wouldn't cut past those joints—too slow and too risky.
He scouted for something sharp and hard.
Soon he found an obsidian shard with an edge like a razor; a swipe across the wall left a deep gouge.
"You're it!"
He carried the 'Divine Artifact' back to his safehouse.
With another stone he chipped the other end until it fit his claws.
After a feast from his stash, he was at peak condition.
Everything was ready.
"Time to grind!"
He sneaked back to the centipede's zone.
The huge arthropod lay still, digesting the Ore it had eaten.
Checking the wind, he crept in from downwind.
His steps were lighter than a cat's; his stubby paws made no sound.
The distance shrank.
Ten metres.
Five.
Three.
Now!
Caesar exploded from cover—not at the centipede, but to its side. He kicked hard!
"Sand Attack!"
A blast of grit and gravel shot out like buckshot, smothering the centipede's head.
With a piercing shriek the Iron-armored Centipede thrashed in agony!
Although it had no eyes, those two primary sensory antennae and the countless fine nerves on its head were suddenly plastered with a faceful of grit!
That felt even worse than being blinded by a direct poke!
The gigantic centipede thrashed wildly, its long body whipping against the ground and punching shallow craters into the rock.
It sank into total chaos and frenzy.
And that was exactly what Kapu-Lias Caesar wanted.
While the creature flailed, the joints between each segment of its heavy armor gaped wider than ever before.
Chance!
Caesar's body shot forward like a cannonball, using Tackle!
But instead of ramming with his head, he clenched the obsidian shard he'd prepared in his right fore-claw mid-charge.
'Eat my stone spike, dammit!'
Caesar's body flashed past the Iron-armored Centipede's bulk.
Thud!
A muted sound of metal sinking into flesh.
Propelled by terrifying force, the obsidian shard stabbed deep into the seam of one segment!
A jet of dark-green, reeking fluid burst out.
'Screee—!!!'
The Iron-armored Centipede's shriek turned shriller; pain drove it into greater madness. With a violent jerk it sent Caesar flying.
Caesar twisted in mid-air, hit the ground hard, and rolled several times before the momentum bled away.
He felt every bone about to fall apart, a burning ache where the blow had landed.
He ignored it, scrambling up to stare at his handiwork.
The joint he had stabbed could no longer flex properly, dark-green fluid still oozing.
Effective!
This weak-point assault worked brilliantly!
Rock Worm—so logical!
Caesar parted his dragons kiss in a delighted grin.
Next came the most patience-testing phase: whittling down its HP.
Still thrashing, the Iron-armored Centipede tried to locate its attacker, but with its senses ruined it slammed randomly into the walls like a headless fly.
Caesar circled, waiting for another opening.
He wouldn't strike unless it was at one of those armor seams.
'Aim for the vitals!'
Thud!
Another successful ambush!
This time Gible pierced a different joint.
The centipede's movements turned clumsier and slower.
Caesar's breathing grew heavier; every charge and dodge drained stamina fast.
It became a pure contest of will.
Whoever broke first would lose.
Enraged beyond reason, the centipede gave up searching and began indiscriminately rolling and crashing, trying to crush the wily Young Dragon.
Several times Caesar barely dodged; heavy armor smashed where he'd stood, shards flying.
One graze would rip his small frame open.
Exhilarating!
So damn exhilarating!
Far from afraid, Caesar felt a thrill he'd never known.
This was real combat—life-and-death pioneering!
His Dragon heart pounded faster!
Fight, dammit!
After another Sand Attack to the head forced the centipede to pause, Caesar seized the perfect moment.
He poured every ounce of strength into a final charge, obsidian shard aimed at the huge joint near the centipede's head.
'Die already!'
Crack—!
This time it wasn't a muted thud but the sound of something tearing apart.
Caesar felt as if he'd hit a wall; the impact blurred his sight and the shard flew from his grip.
The Iron-armored Centipede's massive body went rigid.
Several segments near its head had been ripped open—armor and flesh—by Caesar's desperate strike!
Dark-green fluid gushed like a fountain.
Its huge frame twitched a few times, then crashed down and lay still.
HP zero.
Caesar panted heavily, covered in stinking green slime, as if hauled out of a vat of dye.
Overwhelming exhaustion swept through him; he could barely stand.
Yet an indescribable joy burst from his heart.
He did it!
A bit underhanded, but a win's a win!
Right then the sweetest notification chimed inside Little Earth Dragon's mind.
Ding!
A translucent panel appeared.
[EXP: 78/200]
The pale-blue bar shot forward a big chunk.
A full fifty points!
'Awooo~!'
Unable to contain himself, Caesar raised his head and loosed a jubilant, proud dragon roar.
Young, but full of power.
This victory brought not only rich experience and a huge stockpile of food, but absolute confidence in his 'crafty tactics.'
What bloodline superiority, what talent crushing—
Before smart tactics and information gaps they're all minnows!
Dragging his tired yet excited body, Caesar walked to the centipede corpse, opened his jaws wide, and tore off a big chunk of tender meat from the wound.
This time no reckless fool dared interrupt.
He would refill his stamina here, then haul the huge EXP package bit by bit back to his home.
Munching the tasty centipede flesh, Caesar gazed toward the deeper, darker parts of the cave.
The small monsters that once scared him now looked like walking treasure chests tagged with different EXP values.
Gible parted his dragons kiss in an innocent smile.
Who's next, heh?