The clearing exploded into motion.
The hunters scattered the moment John spoke.
Roderic didn't hesitate.
"Spread out! Don't cluster!"
Years of experience kicked in instantly. The group broke formation and moved in practiced directions, creating distance between one another.
That alone showed their level of skill.
They were not amateurs.
But against a dragon—
Skill only delayed the inevitable.
---
John moved.
Not with the slow, lumbering motion the hunters expected.
But with terrifying speed.
His massive body shifted forward in a blur of black scales and crushing muscle.
**BOOM**
The ground shattered where his claw struck.
One of the chain specialists barely rolled away in time as a crater opened where he had stood.
John blinked.
"…Fast."
The hunter scrambled backward, face pale.
"I—I'm still alive."
"Barely," John replied calmly.
---
Behind the dragon—
"Lightning Lance!"
A mage thrust his staff forward.
A spear of condensed lightning shot toward John's neck.
