Crushing flags and claiming the Villainess-Chapter 209 - 208- The main boss

Austin was inside the dungeon.

Standing inside the resting area. There were still two minutes left before he would be forced to take the battlefield.

He could see it....the dragon was waiting for him.

[Name: Tharog]

[Rank: B+]

An adult earth dragon waited for him to step out and fight it.

Measuring nearly 50 feet from snout to tail, its body is layered in rugged, stone-like scales that shimmer with the dull sheen of iron ore.

Its limbs are thick and muscular, built for raw strength rather than speed, ending in massive claws capable of tearing through boulders.

Austin is at least B-rank right now. However, the single degree of difference was quite huge. And this difference would only continue to grow wider as he progresses further.

The weapons he has right now are: WhisperWing, Raijin, God's Wrath, and his Shard.

God's Wrath was the newest weapon to his collection, something he bought in exchange for four thousand experience points.

He was left with something over two thousand points, which were enough to buy the next dungeon.

That's why, he couldn't buy any potions during the battle. He has to tread carefully and defeat this foe with whatever he has in possession.

"It's about to begin…" Austin glanced at the timer.

Ten seconds left.

He kissed the ring on his finger. "Wish me luck, Val," he whispered.

[4...3...2...1—]

[BZZZZZ!]

The siren blared, and in a flash of wind, Austin vanished from the cage.

High above the ground, the Earth Dragon's slit pupils narrowed as it jerked its head back—just as a bolt of lightning cracked down where it had been.

CRACKLE!

Austin grits his teeth midair and hurls a Wisp straight for the dragon's eye.

SWISH!

The boomerang spun with deadly speed—but the dragon dipped its head, dodging at the last second.

"Tch, it's reading my moves…"

Austin dropped back to the ground, skidding to a halt a few meters from the beast.

The Earth Dragon fixed its pale yellow gaze on him, pupils thinning to razor slits. Then it inhaled deeply—too deeply.

GRRRRR…

Austin's gut twisted. Wrong spot. I shouldn't be here—

GRAAAAAAAA!

A deafening roar exploded to his left—followed by a storm of wind and flying rock.

Massive shards—long, jagged, and sharp enough to impale—came tearing toward him.

He ran. Full speed. Each breath burned in his lungs as he zigzagged through the onslaught.

But the wind—damn the wind—it kept throwing him off. His steps were shaky, forced, barely holding course.

WHOOSH—CRACK! WHOOSH—CRASH!

The stones kept raining down. One grazed his shoulder, another smashed beside his foot.

Then—shunk!

"Khuk!"

A sharp cry tore from his throat. One of the shards—thin, long, merciless—pierced straight through his thigh.

He stumbled.

Blood soaked through his pants as he dropped to one knee, eyes wide with pain.

He looked at his wound, and at the same time, the rain of stones stopped.

Austin's breath hitched, 'Damn it…' He shouldn't have taken his eyes off the enemy.

THUMP. THUMP.

The ground trembled.

He looked up.

The Earth Dragon was charging—fast. Head low, jaws wide, aiming to swallow him whole.

Austin's instincts screamed.

"Barrier!"

THWANK!

A greenish wall of light flared to life right in front of him—just in time.

BOOM!

The dragon slammed into it. The impact shook the air, but the barrier held.

Austin's lungs loosened a bit. Thank God this barrier is actually Absolute.

But the beast wasn't stopping.

THWANG! THWANG!

It rammed again and again, each hit louder than thunder—but still, the barrier didn't break.

The source of this c𝓸ntent is frёeweɓηovel.coɱ.

Austin clenched his teeth. He gripped the shard lodged in his thigh, blood trickling down, and raised his left hand toward the sky.

A second barrier shimmered into existence—this one above the dragon.

The beast felt it—its head jerked up, eyes wide—but it was too late. That massive body couldn't outpace a human's arm.

DROP.

Austin slashed his arm down.

The upper barrier crashed.

BOOM!

It slammed onto the dragon's back, pinning the monster to the ground with a rumbling quake.

Dust shot up.

The earth quaked beneath them.

And for a moment—just a moment—Austin had the upper hand.

Austin yanked the stone spike from his thigh with a grunt and popped two vials—his throat burning as the potion slid down.

Hissss...

Rapid Regeneration kicked in, knitting muscle and skin back together. The pain dulled. But his head was spinning. Sweat dripped down his brow.

No time to rest.

He extended his hand—and a glowing barrier formed beneath the dragon. The one before him vanished.

His breath came hard and fast.

"Let's crush this thing."

But then—

[Warning!]

[Absolute Barrier has failed. Subject exceeds maximum weight capacity!]

CRACK—SHHHK!

The green shield shattered into sparkling fragments, vanishing like dust in the wind.

Austin's eyes widened. What?!

The dragon stirred, its massive head shaking off the daze.

It stood.

Austin didn't freeze.

He summoned his twin hammers—crackling with divine energy. They thudded into his palms, burning with God's Wrath.

With a roar, he launched himself forward.

The dragon's eyes snapped at him.

Just for a moment—man and beast locked eyes.

Then—

TWAAAAANG!

He clashed the heads of the hammers mid-air. The resulting shockwave was monstrous, a scream of sound that tore through the space between them.

The dragon reeled, claws scraping against stone, head recoiling in agony.

"GRRRRUUEGH!"

It was wounded—physically, spiritually. First the crushing weight of the barriers, now the holy assault of the hammers.

THUMP. THUMP.

It staggered, eyes clenched shut, disoriented.

Austin didn't wait.

He shifted, body blurring forward—but slower now. The potion hadn't restored everything. His leg throbbed with every step.

The dragon sensed the approach, eyes flying open.

It reared up, massive front paws rising—

"ARGHOOOOOOO!"

A guttural bellow ripped from its chest—thunder and fury in a single cry.

The human and the dragon were face to face.

Austin had his axe raised above his head, thunder crackling around him.

Fire swirled before the parted mouth of the beast, its eyes filled with flames as it prepared for the final exchange.

It's now or never.

°°°°°°°°°°°

A/N:- This battle won't be dragged on. I just wanted you all to know that he can go toe to toe with nearly A-rank now. Thanks for reading.