They had to go through forests and open plains to get to Riverhold. Aldric had given them travel packs with food, water, and other basic needs.
Glacielle had no trouble carrying hers, but Lucian had a difficult time with the weight. As they walked, Glacielle said, "We should make your physical training harder."
"Your stamina isn't enough for long trips."
Lucian said, "I've only been alive for two days."
"Give me some time to get ready to be a warrior."
"Two days is enough time to start getting in shape."
"You know you're a tough trainer, right?"
"I just want you to make it through our adventures, Master."
Lucian sighed and thought. "Last night's fucking blowjob was so great that my legs decided to give up right now..."
"I should be more excited for today just because I graduated! Fuck me!"
They had been on the road for about four hours when Glacielle suddenly stopped and called for her frost fans with her hand.
"Huh...? What is it?" Lucian asked, and he was instantly alert.
"Dragons," she said, pointing up. "Three of them, and it's coming up quickly."
Lucian looked up, feeling a wave of nausea wash over him. Three huge shapes were coming down from the clouds, their scales shining in the afternoon sun.
These drakes were smaller than the Crimson Drake they had fought the day before, but three at once was a big problem.
"Battle formation," Glacielle said calmly, and her bikini armor appeared to take the place of her summer dress. "I will fight the leading drake."
"You help out and keep an eye out for attacks from the side."
"Understood!" Lucian pulled out his sword and felt the familiar rush of adrenaline.
The dragons hit the ground with such force that it shook the ground and made a semi-circle around them. The presence of their green scales and the accelerated growth of plants wherever they walked identified them as Forest Drakes.
[Forest Drake x3 Detected!]
[Level: 25 each]
[Threat Assessment: High]
[Warning: Multiple boss-tier enemies. Extreme caution advised.]
Glacielle inquired, "Master, is it time to synchronize?"
"Not yet... Let's see if you can deal with them without it." Lucian expressed optimism that Glacielle could likely handle three of them on her own. "I want to keep it for emergencies."
Glacielle nodded and jumped at the nearest drake. Her fans cut through the air, leaving behind frost that turned into deadly ice projectiles.
The drake roared and snapped at her with huge jaws, but she was too quick. She danced around its attacks with ease.
The other two drakes looked at Lucian.
"Oh shit," he said, raising his sword.
The first drake lunged, and Lucian barely got out of the way. He could feel the wind as it passed by and the heat of its breath.
Without synchronization, he was just a guy with a sword up against a monster that could eat him in one bite.
But he had picked up a few tricks.
"Come on, you big lizard!" he yelled, getting the drake to attack again.
When it lunged again, he dove forward instead of backward. He slid under its belly and slashed up with his sword.
The blade cut into the softer scales, making blood flow. The drake screamed and stood up, which gave Lucian time to get away.
The second drake tried to get around him by breathing out a cloud of poisonous spores. Lucian held his breath and ran, hiding behind a fallen log.
The spores killed the plants they came into contact with, causing green plants to turn brown and die. "Shit! I'm fucked at this point without that sync!"
"Glacielle, I could use some help here!" he yelled.
"On its way!" she said, stabbing her target drake over and over again with her fans while riding on its back. Ice was covering the creature's body, making it move more slowly.
Lucian clenched his teeth. He had to get stronger and learn to fight without relying on synchronization.
The system made a helpful sound.
[Suggestion: Use Equipment Gacha Tickets for combat advantage?]
Lucian's eyes got bigger. The system really reminds him that he got three equipment tickets from the village quest. He could use them now.
"Yes, and hurry! Use all three tickets at once!" he yelled while dodging another attack from the drake.
Three balls of light appeared in his hands and broke right away, showing what was inside.
[Congratulations! You got: Frost Ring (Rare): Gives you basic ice magic powers. Reinforced Leather Armor (Uncommon): Increases defense. Minor Strength Potion x5 (Common): Temporarily boosts physical power]
The things appeared on his body. The ring slipped onto his finger, and right away he felt a cold power flowing through him.
The leather armor was over his clothes, which gave him real protection. He put the potions in his inventory.
"Drink potion!" he yelled, and one appeared in his hand. He drank it all in one go.
[10 minutes of +10 Strength]
His muscles were filled with power. Lucian smiled and pointed the ring at the drake that was closest to him.
"Ice Bolt!"
A spike of ice shot out of the ring and hit the drake in the eye. The creature screamed in pain and anger, but Lucian was already on his way.
He felt almost as fast as he had when he was synchronized, thanks to his new strength.
He fought the injured drake directly, using sword moves he had learned from Glacielle's memories of fighting.
Cut, block, dodge, and hit.
The drake was strong, but it was also easy to guess what it would do.
At the same time, Glacielle had beaten her opponent. The Forest Drake lay frozen, its last roar forever trapped in ice.
She looked at the other two. "Master, great improvement!" she yelled, throwing a lot of ice spears at the drake Lucian was fighting.
They worked together to beat it. Lucian's sword went through the gap in its throat scales, and Glacielle's fans went through its skull from above.
The creature fell over with one last shudder.
The last drake tried to run away when it saw its friends fall. And Glacielle didn't let that happen easily.
"Frozen Prison!" she yelled, throwing both fans to the ground.
Ice shot up from the ground, making a cage around the drake that was running away. The creature screamed and thrashed, but the ice stayed strong.
Lucian moved slowly and carefully. "Should we kill it or get information from it?"
"Dragons can't talk like humans," Glacielle said. "But we can look for signs that it has been tampered with or controlled."
"Well yeah... of course I know that, and maybe your plan was the reasonable one here." Lucian giggled while rubbing the back of his head.
She got closer to the trapped drake and looked at it closely. She squinted her eyes.
"Look at this, Master."
Lucian came over to her and looked at what she was pointing at. There was a mark on the drake's neck that was hard to see because of the scales.
It looked like a mark, with a faint purple light around it.
"What the hell is that...?"
"That's a control seal," Glacielle said in a serious tone. "Someone has made this creature a slave and is telling it to attack."
"Can you take it away? Not without killing the drake."
Glacielle shook her head. "I'm afraid I can't..."
"The seal is linked to its life force."