I Received System to Become Dragonborn

Chapter 445: At The Exit

"Uhm... Who is that?" Billy asked. Though he was just asking, his hand was already resting on his sword, ready to draw it at any moment.

"I'm not entirely sure. But... It seems he is the original inhabitant of this structure," Adrius replied.

"You said this place was empty, didn't you?"

"Like I said, what you said is indeed happening, and these strange occurrences are certainly because of it."

"What should we do now?" Adrien asked.

Adrius was silent for a moment. His forehead creased into a frown. "If he intended to attack us, he would have done it already."

"You're right. That thing has seen us," Billy commented.

"So why is he just standing there? Staring at us?" asked Erend.

"I'm not sure. I'll try to ask him." Adrius began to step slowly towards the figure. The torchlight from his hands appeared calm. Somehow, despite the circumstances, he did not seem afraid.

"What should we do, Captain?" Billy asked, looking at Adrien.

"What else? We just have to kill it if it turns out to be dangerous," Adrien replied, then drew his sword because he thought what he said was very likely to happen.

After hearing that instruction, Erend and Billy immediately drew their swords as well.

Adrius approached the figure. He appeared to be male, his face corrupted by centuries since his death, displaying a disturbing sight. But Adrius did not take it too seriously as he was accustomed to facing sights like this.

"Who are you?" Adrius asked. His Magic spread, trying to sense if there were any other creatures like him around him.

He sensed a lot of presences.

Adrius gulped. Previously, no one had ever said that the inhabitants of this ancient structure rose again as undead, so he was never worried. He didn't know exactly when these inhabitants rose, but it was clear it wasn't for long.

"Grrrhhh..." the undead replied with a low growl that sounded like a hiss. He seemed to want to say something, but the absence of a tongue, or maybe the lack of Magical energy, made him unable to.

But at least he got something. These undeads did not intend to attack them. From what he sensed, they had no bad intentions. They were just confused after being dead for centuries, suddenly rising again.

"We just want to pass. We don't mean to do any harm. Please, let us pass." Adrius bowed low as if asking for permission.

When he looked up, he saw a surprising sight. The undead in front of him nodded slowly.

Adrius returned his nod, then walked back to the three of them.

"It's safe. They won't attack us," Adrius said.

"Are you sure?" Adrien asked, his eyebrows furrowed sharply.

"Yeah." Adrius nodded confidently. "I spoke to them. Don't worry and trust me."

They didn't sheathe their swords when they followed Adrius' directions. In every dark corridor they passed, they saw many undead wearing ancient clothing. The symbols on their armor were gold-colored and still clear despite their age.

"Hey, is there some kind of powerful artifact we can take here?" Billy suddenly suggested.

"It's not wise to think about stealing something in the midst of the gaze of all the inhabitants of this place," Adrius said to him.

"But they don't seem to mind," Billy replied.

Adrien turned to him and said, "You better not mess around, Brook. We're lucky enough to pass through safely without getting any trouble from them."

Billy looked disappointed. But he also thought that what his captain said is right. "Yes, sir," he said.

They spent about five hours in the corridor before finally finding a large room. They decided to rest there.

"So we won't encounter any enemies here?" Erend asked.

"Well, not until the end part of this passage," Adrius replied.

"What's waiting for us there?"

"There is a big snake that we'll definitely have to fight because it's waiting right in front of the exit door."

"How big?" Adrien asked.

"About fifty meters."

Seeing Adrius answer that question calmly made them wonder.

"That snake doesn't seem dangerous," Billy said.

"Oh, it is dangerous to people with strength levels below mine," Adrius grinned.

"So you're saying you're strong enough to fight that snake?"

Adrius nodded.

"But you realize that everything has changed, right? Something might have happened to that snake that made it much stronger, or it may have a lot of friends now."

"Yes. But I'm with you." Adrius looked at them as if he had confidence in their strength so he didn't need to worry about all the possibilities that might happen.

Saeldir, Erend, Adrien, and Billy exchanged glances. They didn't all share the same feeling as Adrius. In the end, they still took an unknown risk to confront that snake.

"Do you think it's enough?" Saeldir asked.

"Yes." Adrius nodded confidently again.

"Then I guess we just have to trust you."

---

After the long journey in the darkness, they finally arrived at the end of the underground passage. They didn't know how long it had actually been, but if Adrius said it was three days, they decided to believe him.

There were many chambers they hadn't explored yet, and Erend was filled with a curiosity he couldn't explain. His instinct told him that he would find something if he kept exploring more.

But he didn't say anything about it. It can wait for later.

"We'll meet the snake shortly. I'll face it first. Usually, I'm enough alone, but if something happens, you come to help," Adrius said.

The four of them nodded and unsheathed their swords. Several minutes later, they finally saw the giant snake blocking the exit.

A giant snake lay in the middle of the tunnel, waiting. It coiled around itself in a menacing posture. Its scales glistened in the dim light filtering through the narrow opening, casting an eerie glow upon its massive form. Each scale seemed as large as a shield, shimmering with iridescent hues of green and gold.

The snake's eyes gleamed like fiery green orbs, fixated on any movement within its vicinity with unwavering intensity. Its tongue flickered in and out, tasting the air for any hint of prey.

The mere sight of this colossal snake sent shivers down the spines of the adventurers, its presence exuding an aura of primal power. As they cautiously approached the exit, the snake's immense size became even more apparent. Its body coiled and uncoiled with sinuous grace, ready to strike at a moment's notice.

The sound of its hissing filled the air, echoing off the damp walls of the passage and sending a chill down their bodies.

Despite its daunting presence, the adventurers knew they had to pass this formidable guardian if they were to reach the surface. Adrius nodded to the four of them. Then he dashed toward the snake and dropped his torch. Erend and the others watched with curiosity about what that vagabond Archmage was capable of doing.

Adrius approached without any intention of launching a sneak attack. He walked calmly, without expression. It didn't take long for the giant snake to realize his presence. The giant snake lunged forward with lightning speed, but Adrius stood his ground, his eyes blazing with determination. With a flick of his wrist, he summoned the forces of nature to aid him in this battle.

Adrius began by conjuring a whirlwind of swirling air around him, creating a barrier that deflected the snake's initial strike. As the serpent recoiled, Adrius seized the opportunity to launch his counterattack. He unleashed a torrent of flames that engulfed the serpent's massive form, casting flickering shadows against the walls of the cavern as they consumed everything in their path.

"Whoa!" Billy was shocked. He didn't expect to see fire this large. The temperature in the tunnel suddenly increased, and the hot light drove away the darkness. Among them, only Erend didn't squint because he was already accustomed to fire.

Despite the torrent, the snake was undeterred. It retaliated with a vicious barrage of strikes, its razor-sharp fangs gleaming in the dim light. Adrius, however, remained calm and focused, weaving through the onslaught with agile grace.

Even though he was a mage, his agility was surprising, impressing all four of them, especially Saeldir, who felt that he would have a little difficulty fighting Adrius.

As Adrius confronted the giant serpent, he quickly realized that this would be no ordinary battle. The serpent moved with a fluidity and cunning that he had not anticipated, catching him off guard with its unpredictable maneuvers.

Just as they had predicted, something had changed. But Adrius didn't worry too much.

He continued to harness the elemental forces at his command, shifting seamlessly between blasts of fire, bolts of lightning, and gusts of wind. Each attack was met with a ferocious counterattack from the serpent.

With a huge surge of power, Adrius unleashed a devastating storm of ice, freezing the serpent's movements in place. With the creature immobilized, Adrius seized the opportunity to deliver the finishing blow.

He shot a firebolt that struck the serpent, shattering its icy prison and sending shards of ice flying in all directions.

~~~