"Damn," Slime#47 muttered grimly as he glanced at the shining half-meter-long white dragon, with white scales all over the body, in front of him.
'A western type…' he mused, glancing at the white four-legged dragon with white wings on its back. 'It feels cute instead of majestic...'
"A slime has arrived to battle me," the dragon said in a childish voice.
He narrowed his white eyes at Young Slime.
'Is he a kid?' Slime#47 wondered.
He asked, curious, "How old are you?… You sound like a kid?"
The dragon's eyes widened. "Kid? Who are you calling a kid?!"
He erupted with a massive crimson aura. "Dragon Might!"
The surroundings churned with heat, foam rising.
The water in the atmosphere instantly dried up. Grass and tree leaves caught fire, smoke rising high.
"What the heck…" Slime#47 muttered. His eyes twitched as sweat broke out under the insane pressure. His legs trembled, making it difficult for him to stand.
"Okay, okay… you're not a kid, but a majestic dragon," Slime#47 said with an awkward smile, raising his shaking hands.
"Hmm," the dragon puffed, reducing its pressure.
Young Slime wiped his sweat and patted himself. He had almost knelt down under the high pressure.
"Is that the might of a dragon?" he muttered under his breath. 'Some kind of heaviness suddenly pressed on me,' he mused, realizing the unique power of dragons.
He read how dragons make everyone tremble with mere presence, and now he'd experienced it in person.
"Just so you know… my Dragon Might can make many demons and creatures kneel," the dragon said, raising his eyes and chin up, glancing at the sky pridefully.
"A slime like you resisting my pressure—you are good," he grinned, impressed by Slime#47.
'Even standing under his presence is impressive?…' Young Slime's eyes twitched.
He muttered, "Appraisal."
[ Ding! Opening status! ]
[ —Status—
—Name: ??? {Manifested Replica}
—Race: Elemental Great Spirit Dragon ★ {Rare+}
—Class: Elemental Battlemage {Rare+}
—Titles: Genius, Darling Son of Dragon God, Invincible at Same Level, Unstoppable
—Level: 103
—Tier: 3 ]
'It's the same level as mine… and what the heck is "Darling Son of Dragon God"?' His brows rose as he scanned the titles.
'A cultivation theme title,' He grinned, 'And it's manifested replica...I definitely cannot fight him at his actual level, so...his copy at my level is formed.'
"Just how am I supposed to hold on against this guy for a few rounds?" he muttered, his eyes widening.
"Are you ready?" the dragon asked, glancing at Young Slime with big white eyes.
Taking a deep breath, Young Slime asked, "You'll use your full power…?"
He then felt embarrassed by the silly question. 'Of course, he would use his full power.'
"Uh…" the dragon fell into thought. "Since you are a slime, and Remora is my favorite buddy, I'll reduce my power."
'Thanks, Demon King Remora,' Slime#47 applauded the strongest slime internally.
"Let's begin," the dragon commanded, lowering his head.
Slime#47 took a deep breath. He cast, "Demonic Cloak."
"Dragon Might." The dragon started off with basic dragon power.
The crimson aura around the white dragon flared high into the sky.
The atmosphere turned red-hot with fumes. The still-remaining fire from before increased.
"Puff." The dragon took a deep breath, inhaling a lot of air, and the flames from the surroundings were wiped out.
The next moment, the hotness in the atmosphere decreased as well, and the fumes vanished.
Except for the pressure on Young Slime, everything seemed normal.
'What incredible control,' Slime#47 thought, as he broke into sweat and his body trembled. 'I need to acquire something to resist this kind of pressure from high-level creatures.'
He hated the heaviness and the instinctive feeling of kneeling down that was born in his body.
"Dragon Claw!" the dragon muttered, raising his right claw.
Whoosh!
Then he flashed in front of Young Slime, his white claw glowing a golden color.
'Too fast,' Slime#47 mused, as he prepared himself for the blow, covering his head with his hands. "Double Elemental Shield. Mana Shield. Demonic Surge!"
Three barriers—two multicolored and one blue—stacked around him instantly. He flared with dark demonic force.
Crack!
The three barriers shattered instantly as the golden claw landed on his chest.
The Demonic Cloak dispersed from the huge power of the claw.
Boom!
He smashed into more than ten trees—Thud! Thud!—then slammed into the ground after flying a few hundred meters.
He coughed slime blood.
"What a powerful attack," he muttered, glancing at his chest.
He touched the perfect claw mark on his chest, where the dragon's claw had torn open his training uniform.
"You have one and a half more minutes," the dragon announced, appearing in front of him.
Young Slime had to withstand the white dragon for two minutes in total to clear this Trial of Combat.
'Half a minute has passed,' he thought. 'But how can I face him for one and a half minutes more?' He clicked his tongue.
"Ancient Combat Style—Demonic Cloak!"
He wasted no time using the stored power.
The scroll mark in his soul dimension unfurled. The closed eye in the center opened as the Demonic Cloak mark in Slot#1 disappeared.
Young Slime felt a surge of energy as a heavy cloak—made of dense demonic force—manifested on his back, its defensive power boosted.
He pulled its edge to cover himself.
"Let's see its power," the dragon grinned, activating his skill. "Dragon Claw!"
Slash!
His right claw—glowing a golden color—struck Young Slime's chest.
Bang!
Yet again, Slime#47 was flung into the air.
'He's too fast,' he thought, balancing himself in midair and landing safely on the ground. Thud!
He glanced at the cloak. "It was perfectly fine."
"Its power has decreased a little, but I should be able to withstand it for a few more attacks," he estimated.
"Not bad," the dragon grunted. "You have withstood my Dragon Claw."
He glanced at his glowing golden claw.
"It's the power of Ancient combat style, after all," Young Slime said, patting his dark cloak.
"Indeed, the power of combat style," the dragon nodded, acknowledging.
"So how strong is Remora?" Young Slime asked, wanting to get some information while spending the time.
'This trial is based on time, not battle,' he thought.
The actual condition was to withstand the dragon for two minutes.
"Remora…" the dragon asked, narrowing his eyes. "Why do you want to know about his power?"
"What?" Young Slime exclaimed as chill swept through his body.