The Mad WarDragon of Greed.

Chapter 4: One-Way Encounter.

Stravos stared into the cup of water he held, his eyes fixed on the reflection staring back at him. Looking at his reflection, he finally understood Gus, and for a moment, he simply stood there in silence.

His appearance had indeed changed, looking much younger than before. His long red hair ran down his shoulders, while his golden eyes stared back at him with the same sharpness he remembered.

“Damnation,” Stravos muttered as he drank the water. He lowered the cup and stood up, still finding it strange to see such a young face looking back at him.

He was now wearing leather armour, with an iron sword strapped to his side, both of which had been provided by Gus. Stravos pulled the sword halfway from its sheath and inspected the blade before pushing it back.

It was nothing impressive, but it would have to do. He had survived worse situations with far less.

“All right, let's end this,” Stravos said as he adjusted the armour before heading deeper into the canyon. He was already deep inside the canyon, following the path toward where the monster had been sighted.

The farther he went, the quieter it became, with only the occasional sound of loose stones rolling down the rocky walls disturbing the silence. His legs were beginning to feel heavier, reminding him that his body had not fully recovered from everything it had endured.

The long run from the settlement had taken more out of him than he wanted to admit, and the injuries from his previous battle had not simply vanished because he had awakened alive. The pain from his battle with Amon was still buried in his body, and Stravos knew better than to waste what little strength he had regained.

If there was any resemblance of his past that still functioned, that would be currency. He had been offered ten gold coins to eradicate the monster, and although it wasn't much, it was a sufficient start.

Ten gold coins were still ten gold coins, and Stravos couldn't help but smile faintly at the thought. Once upon a time, he had possessed enough wealth to make kingdoms tremble, and now he was preparing to risk his life for ten gold coins.

How far he had fallen, he thought, though the amusement in his expression suggested he wasn't entirely offended by it. Gold was gold, after all, and he had no intention of turning down an opportunity to acquire more.

A low rumble suddenly rolled through the canyon. Stravos stopped walking as the sound travelled beneath his feet.

The ground beneath his boots trembled, sending several small stones tumbling down the rocky walls. His hand immediately moved toward the sword at his side as his eyes swept across the canyon.

Then the ground exploded.

A massive centipede burst through the earth, throwing dirt and chunks of stone into the air as it charged directly toward him. Stravos's eyes widened as he took in the creature's enormous body.

Its segmented form stretched across the canyon, covered in thick chitin that seemed capable of turning aside ordinary weapons. Countless legs tore through the dirt as it rushed forward, while its chitinous maw opened wide enough to swallow an elephant whole.

“So this is the monster?” Stravos muttered as he tightened his grip on the sword. He barely had time to finish speaking before the centipede lunged.

Stravos sidestepped effortlessly, feeling the creature's enormous body rush past him with enough force to send dust swirling around his boots. He immediately drew his sword and thrust the blade toward its exposed side.

The blade struck with a sharp metallic clang, but instead of piercing the creature's armour, it was violently deflected. The force travelled through Stravos's arm and forced his wrist backward.

Stravos stared at the blade for a moment before looking back at the centipede. “Seriously?” he muttered, his expression twisting with disbelief.

The centipede twisted around with surprising speed and charged again. Stravos barely managed to move before its jaws snapped shut where his head had been a heartbeat earlier.

The impact cracked the ground beneath it, and Stravos felt his stomach tighten. He jumped backward and steadied himself, his breathing already becoming heavier than he liked.

His body was tired, far more than he wanted to admit. Stravos clicked his tongue and tightened his grip on the sword as the centipede turned toward him again.

“I don't have time for this,” he muttered as the creature came rushing toward him. He planted his feet and prepared to meet it.

This time, Stravos met it head-on.

He rushed forward and swung his sword toward the creature's head, but the centipede raised its body and the blade struck its chitin with another loud clang. The impact nearly tore the sword from Stravos's hand.

He gritted his teeth and twisted away as one of its legs swept toward him. The limb scraped across his leather armour and sent him stumbling several steps, leaving a fresh tear across the material.

Stravos looked down at the damaged armour before looking back at the centipede. “This thing is annoying,” he muttered, his irritation beginning to show.

The creature screeched and charged again. Stravos moved at the last moment, ducking beneath its body and driving his sword into the softer flesh between two sections of its armour.

The centipede screamed, and Stravos's eyes sharpened when he felt the blade sink in. “Got you,” he muttered, but his satisfaction lasted only a moment.

The creature violently twisted its body before Stravos could pull the sword free. The sword was ripped from his hands, and the force threw him backward.

Stravos struck the ground hard and rolled across the dirt before stopping on one knee. Pain shot through his side, and he instinctively pressed a hand against it.

His fingers came away with a small smear of blood. Stravos stared at it for a moment before slowly looking toward the centipede.

His body really was not what it used to be.

The centipede turned toward him, its many legs scraping against the earth as it prepared to charge again. Stravos slowly stood and looked at the sword lying several metres away.

There was no point pretending otherwise.

The sword was nearly useless against it. He could retrieve it and continue fighting, but something told him that would only waste more of his strength.

Stravos's gaze travelled toward the cliffs surrounding the canyon. He couldn't shake the feeling that there might be eyes somewhere beyond those rocky walls.

He had only just awakened in this unfamiliar world, and he didn't know who lived here or what had become of the races he once knew. More importantly, he didn't know who might recognize what he was.

Stravos had already made one mistake in his previous life.

He had trusted the wrong people, and he had paid for it with his life. He wasn't going to make another mistake simply because he was impatient.

The centipede charged.

Stravos raised his empty hand as his fingers slowly tightened. Golden scales spread across his skin, and his nails lengthened into sharp claws.

The transformation stopped before reaching his arm, leaving only a small portion of his true nature exposed. Stravos looked at his hand for a moment before glancing toward the surrounding cliffs again.

Even this was enough.

He had no intention of using his full demi-dragon form. Not here, and certainly not when he had no idea whether someone was watching.

The centipede opened its maw as it rushed toward him. Stravos sighed and lowered his stance.

“Fine, come here,” he said, his golden eyes narrowing as he prepared himself. The creature lunged.

Stravos stepped forward instead of retreating.

The creature's jaws snapped toward him, but he twisted aside at the last moment and drove his claw into the softer flesh beneath its mouth. The centipede screamed, and its enormous body immediately began thrashing violently.

Stravos was thrown aside, but he rolled with the impact and pushed himself back up. He breathed heavily as he watched the creature, feeling the exhaustion from his journey and previous battle creeping into his limbs.

“At least the claws still work,” Stravos muttered as he wiped some dirt from his face. The corner of his mouth lifted slightly before the centipede came again.

This time, Stravos waited.

He didn't attack immediately, instead watching the creature's movements and studying the rhythm of its legs. He waited for the brief opening between its attacks before finally moving.

His body slipped beneath the creature's strike, and his claws tore into the exposed flesh before he jumped away again. The centipede screamed and twisted toward him.

Stravos continued.

He attacked, retreated, and attacked again, never allowing the creature to pin him down. He made his movements rougher than they needed to be, occasionally stumbling and allowing the centipede to force him backward.

If someone was watching, he wanted them to believe he was struggling. There was no reason to show his true strength to strangers.

The battle dragged on.

Stravos's breathing became heavier, and sweat ran down his face as the centipede's movements gradually became slower. His muscles ached, and every movement reminded him that he was still recovering from the battle that had killed him.

Finally, the creature lunged one last time.

Stravos waited until the very last moment before moving. He twisted beneath the attack and drove his claw into the side of its neck.

The centipede froze.

Stravos remained beneath its massive body for a moment, his chest rising and falling heavily. Then the creature collapsed behind him with a tremendous crash.

Dust filled the canyon, and Stravos coughed as he waved some of it away. He stood there for several seconds, catching his breath while staring at the dead monster.

His claws slowly returned to normal, and the golden scales disappeared beneath his skin. Stravos glanced toward the cliffs once more, but there was still no sign of anyone watching.

He walked over and picked up the iron sword, looking at the battered blade before sliding it back into its sheath. The weapon was already beginning to show the punishment it had taken.

“Ten gold coins,” Stravos muttered as he looked at the dead centipede. He shook his head slightly, but a faint smile remained on his face.

It wasn't much.

But Stravos had just learned something far more valuable than the reward.

His strength was gone.

His wealth was gone.

His old world was gone.

Yet the one thing they had failed to take from him was the experience he had accumulated over two hundred years. He had spent those years fighting, surviving, scheming, and learning exactly when to reveal his strength and when to hide it.

That was his advantage.

Stravos looked down at the dead centipede, his golden eyes narrowing as a quiet realization settled over him. If a creature like this was considered a dangerous monster in this era, then perhaps his weakened state wasn't as hopeless as he had first thought.

He had no idea what awaited him in Eldora, and he still didn't know how much of the old world remained. But if he could survive with only a fraction of his former strength, then rebuilding everything might not be as impossible as it seemed.

Stravos turned toward the path leading back to the others, his hand resting lightly on the sword at his side. He had lost almost everything, but he had finally discovered something the people who betrayed him could never take away.

They had killed Stravos once.

They had not killed the man who knew how to survive.