The Eyes of the Dragon turned golden again as cracks started appearing in the sky. The earth started shooting out molten lava, and Malik could feel his skin tone changing to red as his HP reduced with each passing second.
Malik activated the King of Nuturers' active skill, boosting all his stats by 40%. The passive skill also activated, enhancing his SE, which he used to boost his body's defense, allowing him to last 15 seconds.
Just as his HP wavered at 1%, the Dragon Gaze skill duration finally ended, and Malik dropped to his knees with a haggard body.
"Haha. As expected for someone that made the Main God System summon me down here, you're truly interesting..." The Legendary Dragon laughed out loud as he surveyed Malik, who was panting hard on the floor. Those fifteen seconds were like hell for him. He could swear, for his entire life, he hadn't felt such pain before.
Even now, he's still feeling pain and wants nothing more than to die instantly. He knew fully well that the Dragon could kill him without letting him go through such pain.
But Dragons are a lofty race. They're feral creatures that don't follow rules. Although the Legendary Dragon seemed to find Malik interesting, to him, Malik was no more than a toy.
Malik gritted his teeth as he forced himself up. Although his HP was just at 1%, he still had his SE and skills. He wouldn't let the Dragon go unhurt just because he's a Legendary Tier creature. It would be a black spot on his biography.
"You bastard Dragon... You're no different from the Main God System..." Malik cried out loudly as his aura exploded and he permanently sacrificed 200 HP to create his own art.
The Legendary Dragon's eyes flickered with light when he noticed the change in the atmosphere. He thought Malik would succumb to his feet and beg to be spared. Never in his life did he think the human would act so tyrannically... "Truly interesting..."
"Black Lightning Art —) Second Form"
"Spear of Samsara!" Malik chanted loudly as a large purple spear formed in his right hand. The spear crackled with purple lightning as Malik infused 90% of his SE into it before directing it toward the Dragon, who calmly stood there, watching the human perform his miracle.
"No matter the attack, it won't even scratch me a bit, and even if it does, it won't penetrate through my scales..." A dark smirk formed on the Dragon's face as he watched the spear rush toward him—a spear ten times larger than Malik but just like a needle in the eyes of the Dragon, who could swat it away with just a gust of wind from his wings—when suddenly the spear pricked through one of his forelimbs and burst out of the other side.
- 40,000 - 30,000 - 30,000 -
Damages upon damages appeared above his head as the HP of the Dragon finally settled at 88%.
"What? The attack not only penetrated my scales but also took over 10% of my health points? What kind of attack is that? Is there a skill in the Lower Realm that could give birth to such an attack? Just who is this human?"
"Human... Who are you?" the Dragon asked Malik directly, and a frown appeared on his face. The Legendary Dragon was now staring at him directly—and it was only because Malik had managed to create an impression. If not, the Dragon wouldn't even look at him until he died.
"I don't need to answer you... So now fucking get over with this," Malik replied tyrannically. Where the bravery surged from, he couldn't tell.
But instead of the Dragon being annoyed, it was elated as its eyes flickered with brightness.
"According to the Main God System rules, you're supposed to defeat me to pass through this trial. But according to my rules, you've passed this trial—and I owe you a reward."
"What reward do you want, boy?" asked the Legendary Dragon, and Malik's eyes flickered with light.
"The rules of the Main God System... they can be overruled?"
"Haha... You're highly intelligent, boy... You're fit to learn the Dragon Gaze."
"Of course, the rules can be overruled—that's if you're powerful enough. And considering the Main God System rules the Lower Realms, I won't be able to bend it much... So I'll just show you once. It's left for you to grasp it." The Legendary Dragon replied as Malik's eyes widened.
His brain quickly spun through every event as he went high on alert. "How can I learn the Dragon Gaze in one look? A skill that's innate to Dragons and took years of practice for even powerful cultivators?"
"Second Floor... Skill Book." Malik quickly pulled out a skill book from his inventory, flipping through the pages while the Dragon spread his wings and averted his gaze to the sky.
"Watch me closely, boy..."
> [You've learned the Mimicry skill]
[Mimicry —) Grade A]
Description —) Allows user to mimic a skill he just witnessed.
Effect —) Can mimic up to 2 skills at once, which will last for 2 days, after which the user will forget them completely. The mastery level of the skill depends on the user's comprehension.
Note —) Due to user's high-level intelligence, skills have been stacked up to 3 and can be further enhanced with SE.
"Activate the Mimicry skill." Malik gritted his teeth as he watched the Dragon's eyes turn golden. Although this would allow him to learn the skill in a short time, he couldn't just let the Dragon have his way. He had his own ego.
The Dragon knew fully well that Malik couldn't comprehend the skill in just one viewing—and still decided to do so... What does that mean? Isn't that toying with me?
"Vile beast..." Malik gritted his teeth as he watched closely. Stars tore the sky... the earth... the air... Everything rippled as a rift was created amidst it. He was standing behind the Dragon, so the attack didn't reach him—if it had, he wouldn't have survived.
> [Skill too high... Mimicry skill failed to comprehend]
"That's it, human... I wish you luck..." the Legendary Dragon said as he entered the rift, which closed instantly.
Malik gritted his teeth as he watched the rift close. The Dragon had really toyed with him. Although he wasn't killed, the defame was worse than death. He raised his fist to punch his gut when he heard the system notification:
> [Primordial Chaos Physique has been triggered]
[The Grade A Skill —) Eyes of Insight has successfully evolved into a Grade S skill]
Eyes of Dragon —) Grade S
Description —) Eyes that see through illusions, see through humans, hidden phenomena, and disguised entities below the Legendary Realm. (Passive)
Effect —) When Activated, causes fear to grip enemies, suppressing their overall prowess by 50% for 1 minute.
Cooldown —) 20 minutes. (Active)
[You've cleared the fifth floor of the Beginning Tower and have received an SS Rank Evaluation]
[You can now choose your talents]
Malik didn't have time to react before he was taken to a realm filled with black balls with the letter "SS" all over them. They were numerous, and Malik was smiling sheepishly when he heard the system notification again:
> [You have just 2 minutes to pick your talents]
"Stingy... The Main God System is so, so stingy."