7 Unfinished Business

Derrick arrived at his destination. He was on the small hill and looked at the gigantic dragon-like creature.

''I've had to prove myself countless times to get here... I've done all the preparations I can''

In his mind, the map that was previously filled with pulsating red dots now had a sole red point. He had hunted the remaining 235 entities during these few months, tampering his body, abilities and fighting techniques. The scary part of his current appearance was that he looked more like a warrior than a necromancer. He had the appearance of a cold-blooded beast that was tracking its prey.

''System, show me my stats and my equipment''

[Derrick Tarlin, 16 years old (Body), 37 years old (Mind)]

[Class : Necromancer]

[Strength : 9.7]

[Agility : 8.0]

[Endurance : 10.3]

[Vitality : 6.7]

[Magic Power : 15]

[Traits : Enhanced Body, Enhanced Vision, Death's Valet, Gluttony]

[Skills : Superior Appraisal, Contract (1/2), Summoning (1/1), Master Craftsman]

He hadn't been as lucky as when he fought the Dark Furcifer Pardalis and only managed to polish his skills, namely Appraisal and Craftsman, raising them a level each. Gluttony apparently had its limits.

Nevertheless, the meat he ate from the defeated monsters allowed his growth to be exponential. He saved the remaining contract for the creature in front of him, anticipating its unfathomable strength.

[Giant Polyxenida Armor]

[Grade : Unique]

[Defensive Power : 10]

[Abilities : Exoskeleton (When the life of its user is threatened, the armor will strengthen itself by five times its basic stats. Will be destroyed afterwards)]

[Description : While killing this Polyxenida millipede, it desperately tried to protect its vulnerable areas, resulting in the evolution of its exoskeleton]

[Corrupted Olm Sword]

[Grade : Unique]

[Attack Power : 12]

[Abilities : Blindness (When striking its opponents, it will temporarily blind them), Oppression (Emits a strong murderous sensation, making weaker enemies cower in fear)]

[Description : This bloodthirsty creature died filled with grievances, impregnating its bones with killing intent and one of its skill]

''These are the hardest monsters I've fought so far, which reflects the quality of the equipment... They also left me some nasty scars''

While chuckling, he used Superior Appraisal on the opponent in front of him.

[Viper Varanus Komodoensis]

[Strength : 17]

[Agility : 14]

[Endurance : 13]

[Vitality : 12]

[Magic Power : 11]

[Trait : Cold Blood (Allows it to lower its temperature to survive in different climates), Vibration Sensor (Allows it to sense the proximity of opponents), Poisonous Tongue (Allows its tongue to ensnare its opponents, poisoning them to death)]

''Sure enough, Superior Appraisal is still not good enough to get a comprehensive report on my enemy's weaknesses if they are stronger than I. At least, it gave me something to work with''

Derrick sat on the ground and closed his eyes, visualizing his attack plan. He had learned to take his time to prevent any unnecessary injuries. This was his final battle and it could very well be his last if he slipped up. After a few hours, he opened his eyes, got up and rushed the dragon-like being.

''Io, go and distract him! I need a couple of seconds to find its fatal flaw!''

*BANG*

His shadow distorted and produced a loud noise, letting out a Nightmare Bat that zipped across the air like an arrow. Derrick wasn't the only one that had grown stronger during these last few months. He fed his companion every scrap he got his hands on, making it grow stronger, albeit at a slower pace.

*HISS*

Seeing the large commotion, the enraged Viper Varanus Komodoensis charged in the direction of Io and jumped to grab him. Its agility was incomparable to their previous opponents. Realizing he was in a bad spot, Io suddenly dove and narrowly avoided the shining claws.

The already angry monster got even more furious. It was being defied and had lost an opportunity to kill a weak invader. A vicious and suffocating gaze covered the entirety of the rocky plain, as if screaming that death was inevitable.

Io was trying his best to avoid the ruthless attacks, but he was losing ground every time. He would be quashed in a few seconds if nothing was done. Seeing the worsening situation, Derrick gathered all the information he could while filling the blanks in his plan. Suddenly, his eyes shone.

''COME BACK IO!''

He hurled his command and attracted the attention of the Komodoensis. Without delay, Io charged towards his master and hid in his shadow once again. Derrick had stopped running and was sticking out like a sore thumb. The murderous look he had avoided was now locked on him and indicated that this was it. It was time to put everything on the line.

''ARGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!''

He let out a war cry, which released adrenaline in his bloodstream, raising his senses to the maximum. He was at his peak. The blow-back would be severe, but he had no choice. He took out the sword from his back and charged forward. His muscles were pulsating like they wanted to infinitely expand.

After seeing the warrior-like demonstration, the monster let out a deafening roar and charged as well, its mouth open and purple tongue swirling. It had been made a fool and any intelligence it had was blinded by pure rage.

When the monster arrived in front of Derrick, it spun around and used its tail to try to swat him like a fly. The action surprised the necromancer, and he was forced to jump. He avoided the initial impact, but didn't see that the monster never stopped its motion and was now back in front of him. He was like a sitting duck. The monsters' jaw opened and snapped in his direction, ready to crush his very being.

''As expected of a strong bastard like you... My plan went out the window the moment I started fighting...''

While gritting his teeth, he managed to dodge the venomous tongue. Unfortunately, being eaten was now inevitable. His brain was analyzing millions of scenarios, searching for any that would allow him to survive. The foul and toxic smell started infiltrating his nostrils. He had no more time left.

However, just before disappearing behind the rows of sharp teeth, a slight smile could be seen on his face...