Chapter 116: Feel the difference

[Name: Memory Recall]

[Rank: ??]

[Description: You can revisit the memories of your battles and learn from your mistakes. Additionally, this skill allows the host to observe and assess opponents, enabling the host to learn their movements and train against artificially created holograms for better preparation.]

[Host, you have fought the draconic beast for long enough to create a memory.]

[Does the host want to initiate the recall?]

Kai was currently standing inside the ruins. The wide expanse of forest stretching before him. However, he didn’t come here for his usual hunting missions. No, he was here to assess something.

"Go ahead." He muttered, holding a plain steel sword in his hand.

[Expanding the Memory in 3...2...1..]

Suddenly, a massive blue projection appeared before him which soon took the original black and brown shade of the dragon he had fought just four days ago.

The fifty-meter-long dragon was a monstrous sight, its hulking body covered in black-brown scales that resembled scorched iron.

Two massive horns curved backward from its skull, while jagged spines ran along its thick neck and down its powerful tail.

Its enormous wings cast a shadow over the ground as it spread them wide, stirring fierce gusts of wind with a single flap.

Red eyes burned beneath its heavy brow, cold and predatory, while rows of razor-sharp teeth gleamed between its parted jaws.

Every step shook the earth beneath its claws, and the deep, rumbling growl that escaped its throat.

"Grrr..."

"Analyze it," Kai commanded, gripping his sword with both hands as he faced the creature.

The monster was identical to the one he had fought before, yet there was something far more dangerous about it.

No, perhaps that wasn’t quite right. Back then, he had been in that peculiar mental state where even a creature of this magnitude had seemed like little more than a minor inconvenience. He had barely given the dragon the consideration it deserved.

But things were different now. His mind was clear, and he could finally appreciate the sheer terror that stood before him.

[Str: 124 → 91

Spd: 120 → 86

End: 154 → 102

Int: 111 → 72

MP: 218 → 108]

Kai’s expression grew serious.

This was far beyond what he had imagined.

The system had clearly stated that any stat exceeding the 90-point threshold could be considered S-rank.

Judging by its original attributes, the dragon had probably been an SS-rank creature, which explained why Kai, despite being the strongest person present at the time, had needed nearly three minutes to bring it down.

And now, a replica of that very monster stood before him, possessing attributes that placed it at the pinnacle of the current ranking system.

There was no doubt about it. The beast before him was an S-rank calamity.

"KREEEAAAKH!"

The monster slammed its claws into the ground before unleashing a deafening roar. A violent shockwave tore through the air, threatening to send Kai tumbling backward, but he gritted his teeth and dug his heels into the ground, refusing to surrender an inch.

Before he could recover, the dragon lunged.

Its enormous body surged forward with startling speed, its jaws opening wide enough to swallow him whole.

Kai immediately recognized its intention. The beast was using the powerful gust generated by its roar to disrupt his balance and obscure its approach, turning a simple charge into a lethal ambush.

"Like hell!"

Kai activated his breathing technique and leaped against the remaining pressure, using the force to propel himself backward and create some distance.

In the same fluid motion, he hurled his sword with all his strength, sending it spinning straight toward the creature’s eye.

CLANG!

The blade struck its target with a sharp metallic clang, but the result was far from what Kai had hoped for.

The dragon’s eye was just as resilient as the rest of its body, and the sword failed to inflict even the slightest damage.

"Tch... Just how did I even defeat this thing?"

Kai clicked his tongue, his gaze fixed on the unharmed monster.

He could activate Berserk and overwhelm the creature through sheer force. With his attributes tripling under the skill’s effects, he would have a much better chance of bringing it down.

However, that wasn’t the purpose of this exercise. He wasn’t here to defeat something that had already been killed. He wanted to assess the difference between himself and the monster at its reduced strength, and relying on Berserk would defeat the entire purpose.

"GRRRR!"

The dragon suddenly leaped into the air and spread its enormous wings.

A violent current swept across the battlefield, whipping up dust and debris as the creature climbed higher. The turbulent air made it difficult for Kai to keep his eyes on the dragon, forcing him to move before he could become an easy target.

He broke into a sprint.

Even so, the wind currents continued to tear through his surroundings, leaving several cuts across his body.

The wounds were shallow, but the fact that the dragon could inflict damage simply by flying overhead was absurd.

It wasn’t even attacking him directly, yet the force generated by its movements was enough to turn the surrounding air into a weapon.

’System, invest ten points into Endurance.’

Kai issued the command without slowing down, pushing his body to its limits as he searched for a way to escape the dragon’s reach.

[Command Accepted!]

[Level: 7]

[Str: 58

Spd: 62

End: 38 → 48

Int: 45

MP: 67]

[Attribute Points: 20 → 10]

[Experience Points: 300 → 350/3500]

Kai barely spared the notification a glance. He had no idea why his experience points had increased, but he could investigate that later. Right now, he had a much bigger problem to deal with.

’This isn’t going to work.’

As he continued running, his breathing grew heavier, and his stamina began to drain. No matter how much ground he covered, the dragon’s shadow remained fixed over him, following his every movement with an almost insulting ease.

He was wasting his strength while allowing the monster to dictate the pace of the battle.

He had been playing into its hands.

Kai abruptly came to a skidding halt, his boots scraping against the ground as he turned to face the creature.

A burning bow materialized in his grasp, its fiery outline illuminating his tense expression.

[Name: Fiery Birch]

[Rank: SS]

The dragon hovered above him, gazing down with the cold indifference of a predator looking at an insignificant pest. Its wings beat steadily, stirring the air around its enormous frame, while its eyes remained fixed on the tiny figure standing beneath it.

Kai gritted his teeth and raised the bow.

He drew the string, focusing his mind as he attempted to establish a connection with the weapon.

Unlike Void Sword and Frozen Tooth, which had responded to him almost instinctively, Fiery Birch remained stubbornly unresponsive.

There was no immediate resonance, no familiar sensation of the weapon acknowledging its wielder.

But that didn’t matter.

If the bow wouldn’t cooperate, he would simply force the attack through his own mana.

The moment he channelled his energy into the weapon, he felt the drain hit him like a sudden weight being ripped from his body.

[MP: 67 → 32]

More than half his mana vanished in an instant, but the result was worth the expenditure. An arrow of blazing orange flame took shape along the bowstring, its scorching heat radiating outward and distorting the air around it.

The flames twisted around the shaft, growing brighter and more intense as Kai drew the string to its limit.

Whatever this arrow struck, it promised to leave destruction in its wake.

*STING*

Kai released the arrow which turned into a flaming serpent mid air, charging straight at the dragon—

*Thunk*

Only for it to be extinguished upon hitting the impenetrable scales of the beast.

"..."

The sight alone made Kai take a decision.

"...enough for today. I would like to abort."

°°°

A/N:- Difference between B and S-rank. Thanks for reading.