The Wrong Summon: Flaw Repair Guide

After a few more minutes of walking, the team came to a sudden stop.

A deafening cry split the air.

From the sand, a massive metal-coated python reared its head, fangs bared, its scales glinting beneath the harsh sunlight. Twin crimson eyes locked directly onto Jacob, pinning him in place with a cold, lethal intent to kill.

"The core's on top of its head!" Elaina shouted, snapping Jacob out of his trance.

Rowan moved instantly. His blade shimmered as he lunged, closing the distance almost instantly. The serpent's tail whipped out, a blur of silver crashing through the air, but Rowan vaulted onto it, sprinting across the serpent's shifting scales as if they were solid ground.

The python thrashed violently, coils tearing through the sand with enough force to level trees. Emma shoved Jacob and Elaina back hard.

"Move!" she barked, snapping her crossbow into position as her sharp eyes tracked the serpent's movements.

An arrow flashed, but it wasn't aimed at the serpent. It struck the sand, kicking up a cloud of dust just as the tail carved through the space where Jacob and Elaina had been standing a heartbeat earlier.

Jacob coughed, pulling Elaina with him. "This thing's fast!" His F-rank stamina strained just to keep him upright. The heat radiating from the serpent's scales baked the air around them, the metallic tang sharp in his lungs.

Rowan pressed on, somehow maintaining his footing atop the beast despite the chaotic thrashing. His sword continuously stabbed downward, hammering the shimmering blue core until he finally cracked it. A bone-rattling screech tore from the serpent's throat.

SCREEEEEE

The serpent writhed with furious desperation, its entire body convulsing. Rowan was thrown off its back, landing hard in the sand, but he rolled quickly to his feet. His blade burned with a red glow now, mana reinforcing the steel.

The serpent's scales, once shining and solid, had dulled, weakened by the damaged core. Rowan's next strikes tore through them with ease, each slash peeling back layers of armor as green blood sprayed across the dunes.

While Rowan held the beast's attention, Emma steadied her shot.

Her breathing slowed. Her crossbow glowed faintly as her arrow multiplied mid-flight, splitting into dozens of mana-imbued bolts.

The serpent screeched again, green blood bursting in violent arcs as the barrage of arrows slammed into its flanks. Rowan sprinted beneath the beast, driving his glowing blade deep into its vulnerable underbelly.

A sudden roar of flame engulfed the serpent, ignited by the force of Rowan's strike. The fire spread rapidly, scales melting, flesh burning away as the monster convulsed, its movements growing sluggish, erratic.

With a final crash, the serpent collapsed into the sand.

Rowan casually pulled his blade free, the red flames dying out as the steel returned to its normal, cold gleam.

The fire quickly went out due to the sandstream and Rowan kept walking, calmly picking up the cracked core.

"Got it!" He turned to the group, a cheeky smirk on his face.

Jacob woke up from his shock. "HOLY SHIT! That was so badass!" He praised, his eyes glistening with admiration.

"There's more where that came from. Good job keeping the kids safe and doing the arrow blast that saved my ass." He gave Emma a fistbump.

"No problem." Emma slouched, gripping her knees as she huffed, completely drained from using up her mana and barely returning the fistbump. 

"Oh yeah, multiplying arrows, sword fires, what were those?!" Jacob was brimming with questions.

"Skills. My one is called Raging Sword. It only works on, well, the sword and manipulates fire. Emma's one is called Mass Produce and it only works on weapons but it depletes pretty much all her mana. Hence the exhaustion." Rowan answers while Emma was still catching her breath. Elaina passes her a mana pill which she quickly consumes.

"Much better now!" She stood upright, her voice loud and proud.

"Sigh, I'll miss the quiet." Elaina mumbled, shaking her head.

"So Jacob, this was your first dungeon. How are you feeling?" Emma questions.

"Anxious, mesmerized, and excited, all at the same time." He answers.

"You'll get rid of the anxiety soon enough." She pats his shoulder.

"Hope so." 

…

They retraced their path to the entrance. Once everyone was out, the portal closed up, vanishingly completely now that the dungeon was cleared.