Starting out as a Dragon Slave-Chapter 88: Harvest

Hunter Guild, 9:45 AM

Isaac left the counter quickly, under Lucas’s curious gaze. As he crossed the hall, he felt dozens of eyes on him—young hunters hoping to be chosen to benefit from his protection. Isaac had never felt such weight on his shoulders, yet somehow, that weight sharpened his focus.

— "First dungeon: ’Goblins of Clairval’, E-rank!" announced Lucas clearly. "Emma and Nathan’s team, you’re up with Isaac Nohr!"

Isaac nodded calmly to the young hunters who stood up quickly, nearly panicking at the idea of departing so soon.

Emma, nervous, attempted a smile.

— "Thanks for coming with us, Isaac. We promise not to get in your way."

Isaac shook his head gently, reassuring her.

— "Don’t worry. Just follow my instructions. You’ll be fine."

As they stepped through the portal, the cool air of the magical forest greeted them, thick with humidity and tension. Isaac immediately sensed the presence of goblins—about fifteen of the small, twitchy creatures hidden behind bushes and trees.

— "Stay close and in formation behind me," he ordered firmly. "If one of them gets through, repel it immediately!"

Isaac drew his katana, feeling a surge of energy rush through his body. His draconic hand briefly appeared, bluish scales glowing along his skin as he leapt forward.

The goblins, caught off guard by his blinding speed, didn’t have time to react. In seconds, several fell, cut down by Isaac’s blade slicing in deadly arcs with surgical precision.

Suddenly, the boss emerged from the back of the clearing—a large goblin warrior clad in rusted armor and wielding a massive, corroded axe. It charged at Isaac with a screech.

Isaac smiled coldly, briefly closing his eyes.

— "Come on."

He dodged the wide swing effortlessly, gliding to the side like a ghost. In the same motion, he thrust his katana straight into the boss’s throat, withdrawing it in a spray of greenish blood.

The goblin warrior crashed to the ground, dead before it hit the dirt.

[Ding: Goblin Warrior defeated! +2 Strength, +2 Agility, +1 Endurance]

Emma and Nathan stared at Isaac in stunned silence, both awed and terrified.

— "Is... it over?" Nathan asked, trembling.

Isaac calmly sheathed his blade.

— "Yes. First dungeon done. Let’s go, we’ve still got a long day ahead."

Second Dungeon: Shadow Wolves of Verrières, 11:20 AM

This time, Isaac entered with another inexperienced group: Louis, Théo, and Marie. As soon as they stepped in, a pack of black wolves emerged from the surrounding shadows, growling, ready to strike.

— "Tight formation behind me, now!" Isaac ordered.

As the wolves charged, Isaac summoned his mana wings—now glowing with a strange bluish energy, reinforced by his recent absorptions. His enhanced speed launched him into the center of the pack, striking with supernatural ease. Each blow was precise and lethal. Even wolves known for their quickness couldn’t keep up.

Then came the boss—an enormous alpha shadow wolf, twice the size of the others, glowing with dark mana, eyes burning red.

Isaac stared it down coldly.

The alpha lunged, jaws wide open. But Isaac vanished instantly from its view, using the third technique of the Lightning Kata: Narukami. He reappeared behind the beast, slicing clean through its neck in one swift, unflinching strike.

The monster collapsed in a heap, dark ichor spurting from its fatal wound.

[Ding: Shadow Wolf Alpha defeated! +4 Agility, +3 Dexterity, +2 Strength]

Marie whispered in awe:

— "How... how can you be that fast...?"

Isaac gave them a brief smile, staying modest:

— "Train, learn to control your mana, and you’ll be surprised at what you’re capable of one day."

Third Dungeon: Crypts of Corbeville, 12:30 PM

For the final dungeon of the morning, Isaac accompanied a very young team led by Tom, Aline, and Pierre. The crypt was dark, freezing cold, and filled with animated skeletons rising from all sides.

— "Keep calm!" Isaac said as he moved forward through the crypt with measured steps.

The skeletons were quickly shattered by Isaac, his katana smashing ancient bones with mechanical efficiency. Each defeated enemy fueled his system, strengthening his stats.

Eventually, they reached the boss: a towering skeletal warrior wielding a massive enchanted stone sword. It charged with a scream, swinging violently at Isaac.

Isaac calmly raised his blade, effortlessly blocking the monstrous strike, then responded with blinding speed. His katana sliced through the warrior’s arms in a shower of shattered bone. Then, in a decisive motion, he drove the blade deep into the monster’s skull.

The skeletal warrior collapsed, completely destroyed.

[Ding: Skeletal Warrior defeated! +3 Strength, +2 Endurance, +4 Agility]

Pierre stood stunned, staring at Isaac.

— "They told us this monster was impossible to defeat without a full team..."

Isaac sheathed his weapon, exhaling softly, aware of how quickly his power had grown.

— "Impossible doesn’t exist. Always remember that. Everything depends on work, willpower, and training."

Back at the guild, Lucas stared at Isaac, wide-eyed.

— "Three dungeons, three teams protected, in one morning... that’s phenomenal, Isaac!"

Isaac gave a modest smile, catching his breath.

— "Let’s just say it was a productive morning."

— "Actually, I might have something interesting for you this afternoon."

Isaac placed a hand on the counter, intrigued.

— "I’m listening."

— "We’ve got a C-rank dungeon open near Rambouillet. A team is already being assembled, but they need backup. They just confirmed Yvan as their team leader."

Isaac raised an eyebrow, surprised. He knew of Yvan by reputation: one of the few A-rank hunters in the guild, known for his efficiency and his extremely reserved nature.

— "Yvan? He rarely takes on missions like this."

Lucas nodded slowly.

— "Yeah. But with everything going on, even he feels the need to act more actively. He asked for someone reliable to complete the team, and honestly, Isaac, you’re exactly who he’s looking for."

Isaac nodded thoughtfully.

— "Alright. Tell him I’m in."

Lucas gave a satisfied smile.

— "I’ll let him know right away. The team meets on-site around 2:30 PM. You should have just enough time to get there."

Isaac nodded, quickly collecting the address before leaving the guild.

Isaac arrived swiftly at the portal, located at the edge of a dense forest. A group of hunters was already waiting near the dungeon entrance, calmly discussing. Among them, a tall man with short black hair stepped forward to greet him. His dark eyes were serious and focused.

— "Isaac Mordred, I presume?" he asked simply, extending a firm hand. "I’m Yvan. Thanks for responding so quickly."

Isaac shook the hand, instantly sensing the quiet strength of the man before him.

— "Pleasure to meet you, Yvan. I should be the one thanking you. Not many A-ranks still take on high-risk missions like this."

Yvan gave a subtle, almost invisible smile.

— "Times are changing. We have to act before we lose more hunters."

He turned toward the rest of the team, calmly introducing each member: novelbuddy.cσ๓

— "Let me introduce the team. This is Charlotte, C-rank elemental mage, fire specialization. Victor, heavy warrior, also C-rank. Sophie, healer, D-rank. And finally, Léon, stealth scout, C-rank."

Each member greeted Isaac with a respectful nod or polite smile.

Charlotte, a woman in her thirties with fiery red hair, smiled warmly.

— "Glad to have you with us, Isaac. You’ve been the talk of the guild lately."

Isaac smiled modestly.

— "Thank you. Let’s hope I live up to the reputation."

Yvan raised a hand calmly.

— "Let’s move out. Stay alert—we don’t know what we’ll find inside."

The group stepped through the magic portal in a blinding blue flash, each feeling that familiar sensation of falling through space.

When they landed on the other side, they were stunned.

They found themselves in a vast, snow-covered plain, blanketed in thick, untouched snow stretching endlessly in all directions. The gray sky hung low and heavy, and a thick, almost supernatural mist floated at ground level.

Charlotte shivered slightly, rubbing her arms.

— "I wasn’t expecting a winter landscape..."

Yvan surveyed the horizon, his dark eyes scanning carefully.

— "Stay sharp. Unusual environments mean unusual creatures."

Isaac, eyes narrowed, let his enhanced perception sweep over the area. He could feel the heavy, freezing magic saturating the air. Something strong was waiting for them out there—he was certain of it.

Victor slowly rolled his massive shoulders, his heavy armor creaking.

— "Well, might as well move. No point waiting around for them to strike first."

Yvan nodded firmly, giving the order to advance.

— "Tight formation. Victor up front, Léon watch the flanks. Charlotte and Sophie, center. Isaac, stay with me at the rear—be ready to intervene if needed."

-"Understood," Isaac replied simply, tugging slightly on his gloves, the retractable scales beneath his skin already ready to react.

The team advanced cautiously through the thick snow, each step crunching softly under their boots. Visibility was low, but in the distance they could make out enormous rock formations emerging from the mist—phantom-like shapes that seemed to wait patiently for their arrival.

Isaac instinctively felt his muscles tense, his senses sharpen. A subtle vibration, almost imperceptible, suddenly rippled through the fog.

He murmured calmly to Yvan, walking beside him:

— "We’re not alone."

Yvan slowly nodded—he had felt the same diffuse presence.

— "Get ready," he ordered firmly to the team.

Isaac slowly drew his katana. Around him, the other hunters followed suit, weapons and spells at the ready, bracing for the imminent clash.

The mist, almost sentient, seemed to close in around them.

The atmosphere suddenly grew heavy—thick with danger.

They were no longer safe. Something was closing in—fast.

Isaac, his gaze razor-sharp, his body humming with the new energy accumulated throughout the morning, whispered to himself:

— "Let’s see what this dungeon really has in store for us..."