The wyvern's roar shook the entire garden.
My ears rang. Althea scrambled up beside me, her eyes wide with panic, but her grip on my arm didn't loosen. The beast stood taller than any horse I'd ever seen, with leathery wings stretched wide, gleaming black scales, and eyes that burned like coals. Smoke curled from its nostrils as it took a step forward, the ground cracking beneath its claws.
"Kaledon!" Althea shouted, pulling me back.
I stumbled, mind racing. What the hell was a wyvern doing here? This was supposed to be a political visit, not a damn boss battle.
[System Alert: Threat Level - High]
[Wyvern - Class B Monster Detected]
[Escape Recommended]
Thanks for the tip, System.
A group of knights rushed in from the manor, steel clashing and magic lighting up the air as they tried to intercept the creature. My father was among them, sword drawn, his eyes locked on the beast with a fury I hadn't seen before.
"Take the children inside!" he roared.
Althea and I were already halfway to the archway when another burst of fire shot from the wyvern's mouth. It hit the side wall, sending chunks of stone flying. We ducked behind a bush, hearts pounding.
I peeked through the leaves.
The knights weren't doing great. One got swatted aside like a ragdoll. Another tried to cast a barrier but got caught in the tail's whip instead. Blood. Screams. This was real. This wasn't a game.
But I had a system.
[Stat Page - Open]
Name: Kaledon Portugal
Level: 1
EXP: 10 / 100
HP: 110 / 110
MP: 55 / 55
Strength: 5
Agility: 4
Mana: 7
Luck: 4
Skill: Magic Manipulation (Novice)
I had no real attack spells. No equipment. Nothing but basic manipulation and beginner-level mana control.
And a ton of desperation.
"We can't just sit here!" Althea hissed, clearly thinking the same thing. "My mom's out there—"
"You got any magic?"
"Some," she said. "Mostly light-based. Distraction stuff. You?"
"Not much." I looked at the system window and focused hard. "System, store—show me options."
[Opening Magical Store...]
[Displaying available purchases - Budget: 0 gold coins]
Damn.
"No gold," I muttered.
The wyvern let out another roar. I saw my father leap at its head, slashing upward. The beast recoiled—barely. They needed more.
"Wait... what's that?" Althea pointed at a glowing spot on the wyvern's chest.
It was faint, but yeah—there was a pulsing red core embedded just under the scale.
A weak spot?
"If we can hit that," I said.
"We'd have to get close."
"Stupid close."
We shared a look. The kind that says: this is a really dumb idea. Let's do it anyway.
I reached into the mana inside me. Focused on the air around a rock nearby. Magic Manipulation was all I had, but maybe I could push it harder.
[Skill Usage - Mana Strain Detected]
[Warning: Efficiency Drop]
Screw it. I forced more energy into the rock. It wobbled, floated, then zipped through the air like a bullet. It hit the wyvern's snout. Didn't do damage—but it got its attention.
It turned toward us.
Althea took the chance. She held out her hands, light flaring between them. A flashbang-style spell went off, a blinding burst of white.
The wyvern shrieked and flailed. Its chest was exposed.
"NOW!"
I grabbed another rock, fueled it with everything I had, and launched it. Just as the wyvern turned—
The rock hit the red spot.
The core cracked.
The beast screamed, wings flailing wildly as it stumbled back. My father didn't waste the chance. He leapt, sword raised, and drove the blade straight into the cracked core.
Explosion.
The wyvern thrashed once more—and fell.
Silence.
Smoke drifted. The knights gathered. My father yanked his sword free and turned to us.
"Kaledon! Althea! Are you two alright?!"
We both nodded, still crouched, shaking but alive.
The system dinged.
[EXP Gained: 120]
[Level Up!]
[Stat Points +5]
Oh yeah.
Level 2, baby.
As we walked back into the manor, bruised and exhausted, I couldn't help but grin.
"Next time," Althea said, "let's not play hero."
"No promises."
We both laughed.
But even as the tension faded, I couldn't shake the feeling that this was just the beginning.
Because no one sends a wyvern to a noble's garden by accident.
To be continued...