The Do-Over System:My Beloved is the Villain! - Chapter 91

Chapter 91: 03/09- Drakarid
As Aeliana, Kael, and Garrik stepped into the dungeon, a damp chill clung to the air. The stone walls were lined with moss, and the scent of stagnant water mixed with something more metallic—blood. Their torches barely illuminated the vast underground chamber ahead, their flickering flames casting long, eerie shadows.

Garrik, gripping his sword, let out a low whistle. “Well, this isn’t ominous at all.”

Kael’s sharp gaze swept across the dimly lit cavern. “Stay alert. We don’t know what we’re dealing with yet.”

Aeliana tightened her grip on her staff. She had prepared spells beforehand, but her magic was finite, and she needed to use it wisely. The quest board had simply listed “an armored beast” in this dungeon. No specifics.

They moved cautiously, stepping over cracked stone and the occasional scattered bones. The silence was suffocating, broken only by the distant sound of dripping water. Then, a low, guttural growl echoed from deeper within the chamber.

A massive figure stirred in the darkness. The ground trembled slightly under its weight as it stepped forward, revealing itself in the dim torchlight.

It was a Drakarid, an ancient reptilian beast with a body covered in jagged obsidian-like scales, each plate as tough as enchanted steel. Its eyes glowed with an eerie green luminescence, and its maw, lined with serrated teeth, dripped with thick, acrid saliva that sizzled as it touched the stone floor. The beast’s four powerful limbs were tipped with hooked claws, each capable of cleaving through armor.

“Great,” Kael muttered, gripping his sword tighter. “A Drakarid. Because we love fighting creatures with unbreakable hides.”

Garrik took a step back, his usually cocky demeanor momentarily replaced with a flicker of unease. “That thing’s got an armored shell thick enough to shrug off direct strikes. We’re going to have to be smart about this.”

The Drakarid let out a deafening roar, the force of it sending a gust of foul breath toward them. It reared up slightly, its muscles tensing before it lunged.

Kael barely managed to deflect its clawed swipe, his sword sparking against the beast’s hardened scales. “That thing’s hide is tougher than I thought!” he gritted out.

Aeliana immediately started chanting, her staff glowing with an arcane sigil. “If blades can’t pierce its hide, we need to find a weak spot—eyes, underbelly, joints! Keep it distracted!”

Garrik took that as his cue, darting to the side and slashing at its hind leg. His blade barely left a scratch. “That’s distracted all right. Now what?”

The Drakarid turned sharply, tail whipping around. Aeliana barely dodged, the force of the impact sending cracks through the stone where she had stood. She steadied herself, eyes scanning for any weakness.

Then she spotted it—just beneath its chin, where the obsidian scales were thinner, revealing a softer, pulsing glow beneath the surface.

“There! Under its neck!” she shouted.

Kael didn’t hesitate. He lunged forward, slashing upward. His blade connected, drawing dark crimson blood, and the Drakarid let out a pained shriek. But before he could follow up, the beast twisted and slammed him against the wall with a powerful claw.

Kael crumpled, groaning as he tried to push himself up.

Aeliana gritted her teeth and extended her hand, chanting a spell. “Ignis Tempesta!” A swirling vortex of fire erupted from her palm, striking the exposed wound. The Drakarid howled, recoiling as the flames seared into its vulnerable flesh.

Garrik seized the moment. “I’m going in!” He vaulted onto the creature’s back, using its jagged scales as footholds. With all his strength, he drove his sword into the softened wound, piercing through muscle and bone.

The Drakarid let out one final, earth-shaking screech before collapsing. Its massive form hit the ground with a thunderous crash, dust and debris rising into the air.

Panting, Garrik pulled his sword free and leapt off the beast’s corpse. “Well, that was fun.”

Kael pushed himself to his feet with a wince. “Fun isn’t the word I’d use.”

Aeliana exhaled, relieved. The dungeon had been far more dangerous than anticipated, but they had survived. She looked at the others, determination in her eyes.

“That was just the first challenge,” she said. “We still have to get out of here.”

Garrik wiped the sweat off his brow, eyeing the defeated Drakarid with a contemplative look. His mind churned with ideas as he observed the creature’s remains, the jagged obsidian-like scales, and the way the beast had reacted to their attacks. There had to be a way to make things easier for them moving forward.

Then, it hit him.

“You know,” he began, sheathing his sword and stepping toward the beast’s corpse, “that thing’s hide was nearly impenetrable… but we did get through it in the end.”

Kael scoffed, still nursing his ribs from where the Drakarid had slammed him into the wall. “Yeah, barely. If it had been a little faster, we’d be the ones sprawled out on the ground instead.”

Garrik grinned, undeterred. “Exactly. But what if we used its own armor to our advantage?”

Aeliana tilted her head, intrigued. “You mean… harvest its scales?”

“Bingo.” Garrik crouched beside the beast’s corpse, running a gloved hand over its thick, gleaming hide. “This stuff is tough—tougher than most enchanted armor I’ve seen. If we can salvage enough of it, we might be able to forge some protective gear. It could make a huge difference in future battles.”

Kael frowned. “Sounds great in theory, but how are we supposed to rip the scales off something that resisted our weapons?”

Garrik smirked. “That’s the fun part. We don’t have to cut them off. We just need to find the weak spots—the same way we managed to take this thing down.”

Aeliana considered it for a moment before nodding. “That’s actually a solid plan. If we use magic to weaken the connections between the scales, we should be able to pry them off without needing to force our way through.”

Kael sighed, rubbing his temples. “I swear, one of these days, I’m going to learn to stop questioning you two.”

With their plan in mind, they got to work. Aeliana focused her magic on the creature’s body, using a combination of heat and force to weaken the points where the scales connected. Slowly but surely, the once-impenetrable armor began to loosen.

Garrik, wielding a dagger, carefully wedged the blade beneath a few of the loosened scales and began prying them off. They came away with some effort, revealing the thick hide beneath. “See? Not so impossible after all.”

Kael shook his head but relented, stepping in to assist. The three of them worked methodically, stripping the Drakarid of its toughest scales, along with some of its claws and fangs, which could be used for crafting weapons or alchemical components.

After what felt like an hour of careful harvesting, they finally had a decent stockpile. Garrik dusted off his hands, grinning. “Not bad. This should be enough to craft some reinforced armor and maybe even a few weapons.”

Aeliana stretched, feeling exhaustion creep into her muscles. “That’s great, but we’re still in the middle of a dungeon. Let’s not celebrate too soon.”

Kael nodded. “She’s right. We need to keep moving. Who knows what else is lurking in here?”

As if on cue, a distant growl echoed through the cavern. The trio immediately went on high alert, their hands moving to their weapons.

“Fantastic,” Garrik muttered. “More company.”

Aeliana steadied herself, peering into the darkness ahead. “We need to be smart about this. We don’t know how many enemies are waiting for us.”

Kael’s grip on his sword tightened. “Then let’s stick to the plan. Move carefully, stay alert, and don’t engage unless absolutely necessary.”

They pressed forward, navigating through the labyrinthine tunnels of the dungeon. The eerie silence was occasionally broken by the sound of water dripping from stalactites and the faint echoes of unseen creatures in the distance.

Eventually, they reached a large, open chamber filled with strange crystalline formations that pulsed with an unnatural light. The air was thick with magic, making Aeliana’s skin tingle.

Garrik raised a brow. “Okay, I’m no expert, but I definitely don’t trust glowing crystals in a dungeon.”

Aeliana frowned. “They’re radiating magic… but I can’t tell what kind. It’s not hostile, but it’s powerful.”

Kael stepped closer, inspecting the formations. “Could be an ancient energy source… or a trap.”

Before they could decide what to do, a low rumble shook the ground beneath their feet. The crystals flared, casting an eerie glow across the chamber.

Then, from the shadows, a new threat emerged.

A towering, serpentine creature slithered forward, its body covered in sleek, glistening scales that reflected the light of the crystals. Its eyes, deep and intelligent, locked onto them with unsettling intensity.

Aeliana took a cautious step back, her heart pounding. “That’s not a normal dungeon creature.”

Garrik tightened his grip on his sword. “Guess we’re about to find out what it is.”

Kael sighed heavily. “We just had to take an adventure today, didn’t we?”

Aeliana smirked despite the danger. “What, getting bored already?”

The serpent let out a bone-chilling hiss, coiling itself in preparation to strike. The battle was far from over.