The Achievement Junkie

Chapter 326 The Youthful Phoro

’Your majesty, I’m sorry to leave so soon but we really must be going. We’ve got to hurry and get through the next few floors and leave this space.’

’Then I’ll wish you the best, Jack. Phoro, I’m sure you’re smart enough to act appropriately when needed, you always have been,’ Phara sighed. ’Farewell, my son.’

’Goodbye, Mother, Father.’ Showing them one last bow, Phoro then turned to Jack. ’After you.’

The party began their trek southbound, eventually leaving the Minokawa’s territory. Once outside of their territory, everyone heard a huge sigh of relief from behind them.

’Fiiinally! I don’t have to listen to my father and his rants about duty and responsibility.’ Using his telepathic ability, Phoro spoke loudly and shared his thoughts with the entire party.

Jack broke into laughter and looked back at the Minokawa. ’Wait, you’re not some duty-driven son of the Sovereign? What was up with that act back there?’

’That? I can’t just say no to my parents in front of the elders. He may not look it, but my father is way more overbearing than my mother,’ replied Phoro, smiling with his eyes. ’So, what are we really up to? You seem a bit young to be fighting dragons.’

’Well, we’re still going to fight dragons in time,’ answered Jack, reequipping his cloak. ’Also, I really am planning to become a god alongside Bowzer, and I have been charged with the mission to kill the world’s strongest dragon. That part wasn’t a lie.’

’WHAT?! You can’t be serious!’

’Calm down, I think we’ll get along better than you’d expect. I have a special way of doing things,’ Jack laughed. ’Would you believe me if I told you that less than a week ago I was lv. 34?’

’That’s impossible! No one can level up that quickly.’

’But me and Bowzer did. And you will too in the future, Phoro. I think we’ll become great friends in the future.’

’Does that mean I can level up without doing anything?’ Phoro asked, praying to get a yes in response.

Scratching his head, Jack replied, ’You’ll still have to try, but I’ll make it go faster. However, some particular situations might get dicey if you don’t do what I say. Got it?’

’Got it! So long as I can relax most of the time, then I’ll be happy.’

’We’ll see about that,’ chuckled Jack. ’At least I can say you’ll relax more with me than you would with your father and you’ll still out level him in the end.’

’That’s good enough for me! I look forward to our time together!’

’Mind if I ride on your back for a while? I imagine you would barely notice a difference and I’m sure it would be a fun ride,’ asked Jack.

’Oh, you want to have some fun? You’ve chosen the right Minokawa for the job! Hop on.’ Phoro leaned forward and spread his wings wide, making it easy for Jack to climb onto his back. ’Hang on tight, because I’m about to give you the ride of your life.’

Without further warning, Phoro took off with blinding speed. Jack felt his skin stretching against the wind in his face, matching the feeling the Rydel’s roc had given him. ’I hope this isn’t your top speed. I’ve met a roc that can go faster than this.’

’Rocs may be bigger than me, but they can’t keep up with me!" laughed Phoro.

Suddenly, it was as if Phoro skipped a gear or two. Jack brutally fought the wind to lower his chest against Phoro’s back. Even with his new increase in level, he couldn’t take the wind pressure any longer. Curled up like he was, Jack struggled to hang on securely.

Then, at the drop of a dime, Phoro came to a stop, jumbling up Jack’s internal organs and bringing him a sense of nausea.

’How was the loop de loop?’ Phoro proudly asked.

’I... I didn’t know we did one...’ Both in awe and in pain, Jack fell from Phoro’s back and sighed. ’I will say... that was something else...’

’Amazing, right? Never underestimate a Minokawa’s speed!’

’Just give me a minute to recover. Then we’ll head back to the party. I don’t mind the loop de loops or tricks, but let’s not travel quite so fast till I’m a bit stronger, okay?’

’Got it, but weren’t you guys coming this way for that?’ Pointing with his beak, Phoro showed Jack the familiar circle found on all levels of the dungeon.

’We’re already... Yeah, we still need to go back to the party. I have to help the others find companions before we leave.’

’Okay, then I’ll help too. I want out of this place as soon as possible,’ replied Phoro. ’Most beasts hate being in this limited space. It may seem like a sky, but it’s not endless at all. For people like me, we feel restricted in here, even if the elders are glad that no dragons can push us around in here.’

’Well...’ Jack chuckled. ’There aren’t any dragons per se, but other floors might have some dragon-related species. If you saw the boss on the eleventh floor, then you’d probably mistake him for a dragon of sorts.’

’What’s a boss?’ asked Phoro nonchalantly.

’A boss of a dungeon is the biggest and strongest monster there is. And this limited space we’re in now is a single floor of this dungeon, created using illusion and wind magic. To clear the dungeon and leave you have to defeat the boss, usually.’

’Wait! There’s a dragon in here, and it’s that strong?! What will we do?’ panicked, Phoro began to pace and rummage through his feathers with his beak.

Jack sighed. ’Calm down, okay? I wouldn’t be going there if I didn’t know what I was doing. Besides, the boss just has a dragon bloodline. He’s not a pure dragon.’

’Fine... But I’m not sacrificing myself for your sake.’

’Who asked you too? Just chill in the back with everyone else when that happens and let me handle it,’ Jack stated to the pouty Minokawa. ’I’m feeling a bit better now, so let’s head back. And not so fast this time, okay?’

’Right, right.’ Phoro shrugged his wings and let Jack slowly climb onto his back. ’Then I’ll just go half-speed like I did at the beginning. Or is that still too much for you?’

’Real funny, but that’s fine.’

Barreling through the air, Phoro and Jack were soon reunited with the party, but the party had taken a detour. Both Argyle and Vixus were leading the others to a vast nest filled with colossal slumbering beasts.

Phoro nodded as he landed beside the other party members. ’Oh, they found some condors. I guess they wouldn’t be terrible companions.’

"Not terrible companions?" Vixus glared at the youthful Phoro. "Those are Golden Condors, whose bloodline can rival yours, no?"

’No, they can’t,’ Phoro replied. ’They can rival us in strength, but our intellect is much greater. Why else can I talk to all of you with thoughts alone.’

"Either way, we’re getting a couple of them. Are you going to help or get in the way?" questioned Argyle.

’What do you mean?’

"If your bloodline is so respected, can’t you convince two of them to join us? They’ll be able to leave this dungeon for good."

’Okay, then I’ll go ask them.’ Once Jack hopped back to the ground, Phoro took off with a smile.

Phoro woke up a couple of slumbering condors, who were angry until they recognized the Minokawa before them. They started to chat and converse since Phoro was taking his sweet time to persuade them.

’Jack,’ Argyle mentally messaged the hero, ’There’s one more favor I’d like to ask.’

’Another one? I’m already letting you take a beast from each floor, what else could you want?’

’Not long ago, I got a message from Hurmot. You remember him from the Celestial Crane, right? Quallace contacted him a while back and he eventually figured out that we’re in the storehouse. He wants to know if he can join us.’

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