Chapter 36: Steel, Scales, and Salamanders
The road from Dwargon was quiet, the cobbled path winding through jagged cliffs and misty hills. A light breeze swept down from the peaks, carrying the scent of pine and forge smoke. Rimuru, still happily bouncing in slime form, led the group with infectious energy.
"This is gonna be great! We've got our team, we've got supplies, and we've got the open road!"
Drake, arms folded and walking beside him, smirked. "You forgot 'we're fresh out of jail again.' That makes three times now."
Kaijin chuckled from behind. "If I'd known helping you two meant weekly imprisonment, I might've demanded hazard pay."
"You'll get paid in warm meals and questionable architecture," Drake muttered.
The rest of Kaijin's brothers—Garm and Myrd—rode behind in a sturdy dwarven wagon. They had agreed, after the king's ruling, to travel with Rimuru and Drake to the budding nation of Tempest.
"Y'know," Garm said, chewing on a piece of jerky, "building a village from scratch sounds like a lot more fun than polishing spears for nobles."
Myrd adjusted his tools and nodded. "And fewer rules."
"And more monsters," Kaijin added.
Drake tilted his head. "Is that a complaint or a selling point?"
Rimuru cut in, grinning. "Definitely a feature."
As the sun reached its peak, they reached a fork in the road near a cracked stone sign. It pointed one way to the Forest of Jura… and the other to something scratched in red: Scarlet Maw – Dungeon Ahead.
Kaijin raised an eyebrow. "Scarlet Maw? Sounds ominous."
Rimuru's core pulsed with curiosity. "It's not on the main map. Might be new."
Drake stopped walking. "Dungeon crawl? Finally. I was starting to miss violence."
Garm blinked. "You miss violence?"
Drake turned, smiling darkly. "Like an old friend."
Rimuru hopped forward. "Let's check it out! Could be treasure, rare monsters, traps that kill us horribly—"
"You said that last one with too much excitement."
They arrived at the dungeon entrance an hour later. Jagged red rocks formed a cave mouth that glowed faintly with heat. Sulfur scented the air. Occasional bursts of steam hissed from cracks in the ground.
Rimuru bounced to the edge and peeked in. "Smells like fire lizard."
Drake grinned. "Perfect. Everyone, gather around."
He reached into his jacket and pulled out a black stone with six glowing dots.
[SYSTEM: Summoning Full Team – Stand Clear.]
In a flash of light, all six of Drake's Pokémon materialized in a wide arc:
Staraptor let out a piercing cry as wings spread wide.
Pidgeot hovered with a graceful swirl of wind.
Infernape clenched his fiery fists, grinning.
Gardevoir floated silently, a soft pink shimmer surrounding her.
Garchomp cracked his neck, tail twitching.
Greninja landed in a crouch, already scouting the shadows.
The dwarves nearly fell over.
"T-they all look like final bosses!" Myrd yelped.
Rimuru beamed. "This is why I hang out with him."
Drake rolled his shoulders. "Alright, everyone. Formation: Blitz Pattern. Staraptor and Pidgeot scout the air vents. Greninja—flank and snipe. Infernape up front with me. Garchomp center. Gardevoir, perimeter shield."
The Pokémon snapped into action with the precision of a military unit.
Kaijin whistled. "You're not just a monster, you're a general."
Drake smiled. "Old habits die hard."
They entered the dungeon, torches flaring to life as they crossed the threshold. The walls pulsed with warmth. After ten minutes of winding corridors, the first threat appeared: a cluster of red-scaled lizardmen with obsidian armor and ember-tipped weapons.
"Engage," Drake said calmly.
Greninja vanished in a blur.
In a flash of motion and shadows, one lizardman dropped, then another. Silent takedowns—precise, deadly.
Staraptor and Pidgeot swooped down from above, disarming enemies with razor wind. Infernape burst through the middle like a meteor, fists blazing.
Drake watched with satisfaction. "That's my team."
Rimuru stood back, mouth open. "They're like a dance troupe! A very violent dance troupe!"
A screech echoed from deeper in the cave.
Kaijin readied his axe. "More coming. Bigger."
Drake's eyes gleamed. "Good. I was hoping this place had a boss."
The next chamber of the Scarlet Maw was vast and circular, its ceiling lost in rising columns of heat and glowing veins of magma. Pools of lava bubbled at the edges, and a narrow stone path snaked through the middle. Jagged rocks jutted out like broken teeth.
Kaijin took a step forward, then stopped. "Trap."
Drake scanned the room. "Agreed. Flank formation, slow advance. Rimuru, can your senses pick up mana disturbances?"
Rimuru pulsed. "On it. There's… something under the surface. Not moving yet."
Drake turned to his team. "Greninja, scout across using water clones. Infernape, hold center. Pidgeot and Staraptor, altitude tracking. Gardevoir, stay behind Rimuru. Garchomp, guard the dwarves."
They moved with purpose. Greninja leapt across the stone path, splitting into clones with practiced ease. As one clone landed on a suspicious tile, the floor cracked—and a geyser of lava erupted.
"There it is!" Rimuru called.
From beneath the surface rose a monstrous, serpentine creature. Its hide was ruby-red, its body layered in heat-forged scales. Two curved horns protruded from its head, and fire hissed from its fanged mouth.
"A Salamander King," Kaijin breathed. "Those are supposed to be extinct!"
Drake's eyes narrowed. "Guess this one didn't get the memo."
The beast roared, shaking the chamber.
[SYSTEM: BOSS ENGAGED – SALAMANDER KING – CLASS: A]
Drake clenched his fists. "Let's dance.
Infernape charged in, dodging a swipe from the salamander's tail and launching a Flamethrower directly at its face.
"Bad idea!" Rimuru shouted.
The flames did nothing. The creature seemed to absorb them.
"Of course it eats fire," Drake muttered. "Plan B. Staraptor, Pidgeot—wind pressure barrage!"
The birds wheeled overhead, conjuring slicing gusts. The attacks staggered the beast slightly, disrupting its stance. Greninja reappeared with a burst of Water Shuriken that actually hissed on contact.
"Water works!" Rimuru shouted. "Hydrate the hell out of him!"
Drake pointed. "Gardevoir, barrier containment. Garchomp, draw aggro! Let's keep him busy."
The dwarves, meanwhile, hung back.
"We're support," Myrd muttered. "Find anything that explodes."
Kaijin grinned. "I've got a few grenades."
"Of course you do."
The Salamander King reared up, inhaling deeply. Lava around the edges of the room glowed brighter.
Drake cursed. "He's going to erupt!"
[SYSTEM WARNING: ERUPTION ATTACK CHARGING – 10 SECONDS]
Drake snapped. "Rimuru! Dampen the air! Gardevoir, expand the barrier to max! Greninja—go for the eyes!"
Gardevoir's glow intensified, forming a shimmering dome around the group. Rimuru expanded his body and began to generate intense moisture, cooling the air rapidly. Greninja surged forward, launching a high-velocity Water Pulse into the creature's left eye.
BOOM.
The chamber shook as the Salamander released a cataclysmic blast of lava upward. The dome held—barely.
"Everyone still breathing?" Drake asked.
Rimuru melted partially into the ground. "Half-melted counts, right?"
Staraptor landed, wings smoldering. "Hmph. This thing's a brute."
Drake nodded. "Time to end this."
"Garchomp! Earthsplitter formation!"
The dragon lunged forward, driving its claws into the stone floor. A tremor raced outward, splitting the platform beneath the Salamander's front legs. The beast stumbled.
"Greninja—aim for the underbelly. Infernape, double back. Feint right."
While the Salamander roared, distracted by Garchomp, Greninja darted in. A powered-up Aqua Blade strike carved across its exposed underbelly. Steam hissed.
"NOW!" Drake shouted. "Team Ultimate!"
The Pokémon converged.
Garchomp slammed a seismic tremor.
Pidgeot and Staraptor unleashed Razor Winds.
Infernape launched a powered-up Thunder Punch from a hidden gem he found.
Gardevoir channeled a Psyshock through Greninja's Water Shuriken.
A cacophony of sound and light.
The Salamander screeched, staggered, then collapsed.
[SYSTEM: BOSS DEFEATED. LOOT ACQUIRED: CORE OF THE BLAZING WARDEN – MATERIAL RANK: S]
Everyone stood panting.
Kaijin blinked. "That… was a lot."
Drake exhaled, slick with sweat. "I call dibs on the core."
"You mean the core I was looking at first?" Rimuru teased.
Drake raised a brow. "You were too busy being a puddle."
Rimuru huffed. "Technicality."
They laughed.
That night, they camped by a stream not far from the dungeon.
Rimuru floated lazily in the air. "That boss was tough."
"Not as tough as you trying to flirt with the elf named Sylri," Drake said.
"She was enchanted by me!"
"She was enchanted by your free tab."
Kaijin chuckled, poking at the fire. "I have to admit, you two are something else."
Myrd nodded. "Building Tempest with you… it might actually be fun."
Drake smiled quietly, looking into the flames. "It will be."