Chapter 1: The Swordswoman Meltia
Chapter 1:
The Swordswoman Meltia
Part 1
THE BLACK LIZARD AND I returned to my cave. We ate some of my hoarded jerky before falling asleep. Well, to be more precise, I pretended to fall asleep, patiently waiting until I was sure the black lizard had passed out.
Unexpectedly, it rolled from its corner all the way over to me. I wanted to get up but not at the cost of waking my friend. I stayed put.
The lizard nuzzled against me, and I took care to keep my claws sheathed as I gently patted its head. It twitched slightly and made a noise of contentment.
“Kssh, kssh.”
I kept it up for about five minutes, until the black lizard’s breathing grew deep and even. Perfect. I doubted it would wake for a while. I stood up slowly, making as little noise as possible.
I wasn’t doing anything bad; I just wanted to try out my new Human Transformation skill and didn’t want to startle the black lizard by suddenly turning into a human. It might’ve freaked out and attacked me. I was just acting out of an abundance of caution. That’s all.
“Kssh…”
The black lizard stretched out one of its front legs in my direction. It was sleeping deeply, so the action was probably involuntary, but it still gave me pause. Even made my heart ache a little. I wondered if the black lizard could get used to village life.
Probably not. Even if the humans left the lizard alone, they’d still probably be too afraid of it.
Well, as long as I had the black lizard, I wouldn’t be going to the village anyway. So it wasn’t worth worrying about.
Human Transformation was just a silly skill, after all. There might come a time when I needed to use it quickly, and it wouldn’t be a bad idea to perform some quick research to make sure I was comfortable using it. I was being smart, that’s all. I needed to go into situations with as many tactics at my disposal as possible. This world was survival of the fittest, and it was absolutely essential to understand everything I was capable of.
Not to say that thoughts of visiting the village, or raising my language skill, or seeing Myria again didn’t factor in, but right now my number one motivation was to check out my new ability.
I still felt a bit guilty as I left the cave and made my way to the lake, the only place I could check my reflection.
But seriously, though…what should I do?
Why did I have to get the Human Transformation skill now, of all times? When I was finally starting to not even care? Was this always the plan? Some kind of monkey’s paw scenario?!
Hey, Divine Voice. You really have an incredibly nasty personality.
Well, I still wanted it. I just wished…I just wished I could have gotten it a little bit sooner. Although, did Divine Voice actually have any control over what skills I get? Ugh, what if I didn’t have it at all? What if it was just wishful thinking on my part? Nothing more than a mirage? I figured I’d better check again, just in case.
Species: Young Plague Dragon
Status: Normal
Lv: 37/40
HP: 161/161
MP: 157/157
Attack: 141
Defense: 120
Magic: 140
Agility: 129
Rank: D+
Special Skills:
Dragon Scale: Lv 2
Divine Voice: Lv 3
Grecian Language: Lv 1
Fly: Lv 2
Dragon Scale Powder: Lv 1
Dark Type: Lv —
Resistance Skills:
Physical Resistance: Lv 3
Falling Resistance: Lv 4
Hunger Resistance: Lv 3
Poison Resistance: Lv 5
Loneliness Resistance: Lv 4
Magic Resistance: Lv 2
Dark Resistance: Lv 2
Light Resistance: Lv 1
Fear Resistance: Lv 1
Asphyxiation Resistance: Lv 2
Paralysis Resistance: Lv1
Normal Skills:
Roll: Lv 6
View Status: Lv 5
Baby’s Breath: Lv 5
Whistle: Lv 1
Dragon Punch: Lv 2
Disease Breath: Lv 1
Venom Fangs: Lv 1
Paralyzing Venom Claws: Lv 1
Dragon Tail: Lv 1
Bellow: Lv 1
Meteorite: Lv 1
Nutcracker: Lv 2
Human Transformation: Lv 1
Title Skills:
Dragon King’s Son: Lv —
Walking Egg: Lv —
Klutz: Lv 4
Just an Idiot: Lv 1
Infighter: Lv 4
Pest Killer: Lv 3
Safety First: Lv 1
Liar: Lv 2
King of Evasion: Lv 1
Protective Spirit: Lv 5
Itty-bitty Hero: Lv 2
Wrongdoer: Lv 3
Calamity: Lv1
Chicken Runner: Lv 2
Mr. Chef: Lv 3
Dastardly King: Lv 1
Stalwart: Lv 1
Giant Killer: Lv 1
Ceramic Artisan: Lv 4
There it was. I really did have it.
I had to face the question. Let’s say I did become a human. Then what?
I didn’t want to say goodbye to the black lizard, but I couldn’t honestly claim that, if I became human, I’d still be happy living in a cave. Maybe I could take the black lizard with me to the village. But things would probably end badly if I brought a monster into town! Maybe I could alternate? Live in the village for three days, then come back and live in the cave?
I-I’ll just check the details of the skill before I get ahead of myself.
Normal Skill “Human Transformation.” Allows the user to transform into a human. While the skill is in use, HP, attack, and defense are reduced by half. Continuously drains MP during use.
Wh-whoa, that’s rough. If it drains MP the entire time, I probably can’t even stay in the village for long. I’ll only be able to drop by for a little while.
But even that would make a huge difference. I could defeat monsters in human form and rescue people. Then once I gained their trust, I’d confess that I was actually a dragon. Oh, that would be awesome! Imagine not being attacked on sight! Honestly, just being able to talk normally would be enough to make me cry with happiness.
If I chose an evolution with incredibly high MP, it was possible that I could spend half my life as a human. Wow, I’m actually starting to get excited about this.
I hope I’m good-looking. Wait. What if I transform into a girl? My previous life was still so vague, I couldn’t even be sure I used to be a guy. What if I was actually an incredibly beautiful woman? I’d just end up stealing looks at my reflection in the river every time I passed by.
I turned to the lake. There it was, my bumpy dark hide, my sharp claws, my vicious fangs, the wings growing from my back. I was so frightening that sometimes I got the shivers just looking at my own reflection.
A full moon hung in the sky, casting me in a silvery glow.
Was I really going to turn into a human? Could I? Should I?
What if turning back into a dragon proved too difficult? The black lizard was so important to me now, but what if my perspective changed once I became human? What if I started seeing it as just another monster?
I pushed away my doubts. Not because I thought they weren’t problems worth considering, but because I was afraid to fall too deeply into dark thoughts. Agonizing over it wouldn’t help. I just had to do it and see what happened.
“Human Transformation.”
The instant I said the words, my body was racked with pressure, bowing in as if I was growing smaller. My skin began to lighten, unbelievably intense pain roaring through me. It felt like burning-hot plates of metal were being pressed against me.
Ow, ow, ow! Hang on, that hurts! It REALLY hurts! I’m gonna die!
But no one was listening.
“Raaaaaaaar!”
I stood at the lake in the pitch-black night, screaming. I fell facedown and threw up everything in my stomach.
Ughh, did I do something wrong?
I chanced a look at the surface of the water and saw a creepy human figure covered in reddish-black scales. The fangs and claws were mostly the same, just a little smaller. The scales covered my eyes, too, impairing my vision. My mouth was ridiculously large for a human face.
Hang on a second, that thing looks even more grotesque than the Young Plague Dragon! How many times do you have to lift me up only to crush me back down, Divine Voice? How long until you’re satisfied? I spent all that time worrying for nothing!
How the heck did other Young Plague Dragons even use this skill for evil, huh? How in the world was I supposed to fool anyone with this monstrous appearance? Even someone with terrible eyesight a hundred meters away would think a demon was coming for them.
So, what? Did I just really suck at it? I figured the only disadvantage of Human Transformation was that it lowered your attack and defense by half.
I’d better check on that.
Species: Young Plague Dragon
Status: Human Form Lv 1
Lv: 37/40
HP: 80/161
MP: 142/157
Attack: 70 (141)
Defense: 60 (120)
Wow, my MP really is draining fast. It’s going at, like, 1 MP per second!
So I could literally only last about two and a half minutes? Even if I somehow managed to look like a real human, I’d have enough time to say hello and then I’d have to run away! They’d think, “What a weirdo,” and it’d be over. Ugh, I felt awful, like my dragon body had just been forced into a human shape. I think my organs are all in the wrong spots.
I canceled the skill and collapsed on the shore, exhausted. I was never, ever going to use that skill again.
Part 2
The Swordswoman
LADY MELTIA, are you really sure you want to accept a C-rank job? No one else can come with us this time, so it’s only Yuno going with you today!” Yuno voiced her complaint in her usual drawl when I returned with the job request.
Yuno was a Canis-human, a dog-human hybrid. They were discriminated against in some societies, but as far as I was concerned, they were just normal humans with dog ears and tails. We had different views, but that was to be expected.
“Yes,” I allowed. “But when it’s just the two of us, I can always count on you to dash off and leave me whenever things get tough.”
“Hmmm…? I’m not sure if Yuno is actually that fast…oh! Does that mean you don’t trust Yuno? That you wouldn’t care if Yuno died?!”
Heh… She was really starting to pick up on this double-act thing. The other day she called me hardheaded, so I started to pout, and she totally played along with it. Being able to pick up on your partner’s moods was crucial for adventuring pairs. You just can’t have a good partnership without trust.
Hang on a second…is Yuno crying?
She was right; it was a bit dangerous for us to accept a C-rank job, but this one was out of the ordinary. Just reading through it, it didn’t seem likely we would face any monsters higher than C-rank, which was less dangerous than a typical job of that rank. There was something else that piqued my interest as well.
Find a Missing Person
–Rank C–
Location: Noah’s Forest
According to village rumor, a man who was presumed dead has been spotted in the forest. I want to know whether this is true. Meet me in the village on the forest’s edge to discuss details. Ask for the village elder, but please be discrete. Do not tell any of the other villagers about this request.
I knew of Noah’s Forest and of the nearby village. The inhabitants viewed the forest as sacred, and few of them dared venture very deep. Or so I’d heard.
There was a shrine in the outskirts, just before village superstition kicked in and people refused to go any farther. In the last several years, even the superstition had relaxed somewhat, and now adventurers occasionally entered the forest without permission. But in my opinion, there was no profit in going out of your way to hunt in a place where you’d piss off an entire town.
Rumor was that in place of humans, all sorts of strange monsters and plants sprang up there, though I’d never heard anything specific. Most people believed it was probably like any other forest; unlikely to throw anything at you more powerful than D-rank monsters.
Supposedly, a couple of B-rank Rock Dragons made their home there, but they were slow and fairly even-tempered. Quite easy to avoid. Most exploration didn’t even require combat, and a lot of job requests were easy ones. The same stuff you’d get in any other forest.
They probably didn’t even bother posting high-rank jobs, since the forest was so out of the way. Or maybe there were stronger monsters in that forest than other adventurers let on.
Most likely the former. If there’d been a direct sighting of some fearsome beast, the posting wouldn’t be so vague. It would declare a monster hunt, not a ghost sighting.
And if I was right, that just made this an even sweeter deal. I’d always been interested in Noah’s Forest—I wanted to see it at least once, but I didn’t want to end up on the village’s bad side. This job appeared to be posted by a village elder, so I’d have their blessing to explore. It was basically a free pass. I could even do a little bit of hunting and gathering while I was in there.
“Don’t worry, Yuno. I doubt it’ll be as dangerous as you’re expecting.” I held up the posting, and she snatched it from my hands, clutching the edges of the paper and scanning the words.
“What is this? Ghost hunting?! There’s no way we should do this!”
“Hicks and religious people just tend to believe stories like this—there’s nothing to it, I’m sure,” I said. “The client just wants us to clear up the rumors. They’re probably thinking that if adventurers from the Royal Capital refute the sighting, the rumors will stop. I’m guessing they set it at rank C to discourage any amateurs from showing up. Less likely to be believed.”
This was just a theory on my part designed to convince Yuno, but I had a hunch I wasn’t too far off. It would explain a whole lot of things that didn’t add up.
“B-but what if there’s a necromancer or something!”
“Not possible. If there were monsters that strong out there, they wouldn’t be messing around asking for a ghost hunter. The village wouldn’t even be standing. You don’t need to worry about that.”
“What? Would Yuno even get out of that alive?”
Apparently Yuno was not enthusiastic. The complete opposite of myself; shady requests like this got my blood pumping.
“Sorry for pressuring you to come, but this is easy money. I’m looking out for you.”
I had no intention of pairing up with some stranger on this job, so if Yuno wasn’t coming with me I’d have to back out. I shouldn’t have accepted it without asking her. It just seemed so perfect—a free pass to Noah’s Forest and some quick cash on the side.
“D-do you really get that much money from a C-rank job? Yuno’s never taken one before…”
“Hm, really? I’m pretty sure we’re talking around 30,000G minimum.” The instant I said the number, Yuno’s eyes lit up. Heh. This round goes to me.
Part 3
The Swordswoman
A FEW DAYS LATER, Yuno and I arrived at the village near Noah’s Forest. I asked the first person I saw for the elder and was promptly led to an odd house on the outskirts. It had a pointed roof with a weather vane at the top. Not to be rude, but it looked like a witch’s house.
Flower beds lined the low fence, but the effect was sad rather than cheerful. Three crosses stabbed the earth, side by side. Graves? We’d already passed the cemetery on our way here.
“Um, um, Meltia? I thought you told me there wouldn’t be any necromancers?” Yuno’s tail drooped, and she hid behind my back, clutching at me.
I rang the bell, and the door opened on its own. So…do we just go in?
Two young girls sat across from each other at a table in front of the fireplace. One had brown bobbed hair, and the other bright orange braids and a harsh look in her eyes.
“Seems I have a visitor. Leave us, Myria,” the girl with the braids said with maturity that was at odds with her appearance. The girl she called Myria bowed her head and excused herself to another room.
“Um, um…we were told that the oldest person in the village was the client…” Yuno said hesitantly.
The orange-haired girl nodded. “Yes, that’s me.”
The girl told us her name was Marielle, and her half-elven ancestry meant she had a much longer life span than most humans. Elves tended to be clannish, and I’d never heard of one having a child with a human before, but I supposed anything was possible. I ignored Yuno’s overreaction and pressed Marielle for more information about her request.
She told me that three villagers had gone into Noah’s Forest to hunt a Rock Dragon. One died, and one was still missing. Recently, two people came forward and claimed they’d seen Doz, the missing man, near the edge of the forest. Marielle ordered them to keep quiet about it so as not to cause a stir, but it was too late and the rumor spread throughout the town. It wasn’t the rumor itself that was problematic; Myria, the other girl from earlier, felt responsible since she was the only survivor of the ordeal. Ever since she first heard the rumors, she’d been stealing off deep into the forest to look for Doz.
Marielle had posted the commission to discover if there was any truth to those rumors and to get Myria to stop looking. She wanted me to tell the other villagers I was an adventurer who was merely curious about the local flora. That was the best way for me to gain access to Noah’s Forest without arousing suspicion.
If I told them I got permission from the village elder, that would create its own set of problems. Best just not to call any attention to my presence. I doubted any of them would give me trouble, although I would have preferred to have Marielle’s blessing publicly. It would make me feel less like an unwanted guest.
After talking to Marielle, we took a stroll around town to gather information before embarking into the forest.
I tracked down the two people who claimed they had seen Doz. They both agreed that he was dragging one leg, ghostly pale, and clearly not in his right mind.
Next, I visited a few street vendors and the local tavern. I did check the town cemetery to make sure none of the graves were disturbed, just in case. Didn’t seem like a necromancer was involved in this one.
I quickly learned that Marielle was right. Only the older villagers appeared to have a problem with adventurers exploring the forest. Most everyone else treated my arrival like it was the biggest event their humdrum country town had seen in a while, which it probably was—and all welcoming for the most part. I was probably just overthinking it before. Any ill will would be garden-variety backwards thinking.
If there really was a huge dragon involved, the commission should be a B-rank or higher, but I was leaning toward thinking that actually had nothing to do with this case. The ghost and the dragon just didn’t seem to line up. I headed to the library to research the town’s history and traditions, but Yuno’s short attention span soon had her stacking up the books and playing with them. We got kicked out in less than an hour. Couldn’t be helped.
With my curiosity still unsated, it was time to head into Noah’s Forest.
Part 4
The Swordswoman
QUICKLY, I realized that this place was far more dangerous than the rumors let on. Smooth sailing at first—we ran into a few wolves, some walking mushrooms, other easy stuff we could take care of in no time—but after circling around a cliff deeper in the forest, we were immediately attacked by a giant spider. We managed to lure it into a pincer formation, but it might’ve been a close one if Yuno hadn’t been with me.
We walked for a long time. When it began to get dark, Yuno found one of those glowing mushrooms that grew in the forest to use as a source of light. We hadn’t found a single clue as to Doz’s whereabouts. Maybe it was just a dumb rumor after all.
“Yuno really doesn’t think he’s gonna be this deep in the forest…” Yuno mused.
“This isn’t for the commission. I’m here purely out of curiosity. The monsters are getting stronger, though, so we should probably turn back,” I admitted.
Yuno glared at me. “Yuno had a feeling that’s what was going on!”
But just as we started to turn around, I saw something odd in the distance. It was a cave, which wasn’t out of the ordinary in and of itself. But there were two statues standing at the entrance of the cave. One was shaped like a dragon, the other a human.
A shrine stood at the boundary between the forest and the village, but this wasn’t like that. I hadn’t heard one word about the villagers here worshiping dragons.
“Let’s check that place out first, and then we can leave,” I said.
Yuno sniffed the air. “Hm? That’s meat, isn’t it?” I followed her gaze and saw a bunch of meat skewered on a bare tree. I was so focused on the statues I didn’t notice it before. Was this a tree that grew meat on its branches?
“U-um,” she continued, “Yuno remembers hearing about a bird monster that does that with their food?”
“Really? Would a bird strip all the leaves off the branches? The meat even looks like it’s been cut into bite-sized pieces.”
“Hm…”
“I just can’t imagine humans living this far out in the forest,” I said thoughtfully.
What if the missing man lived here? The villagers said he wasn’t in his right mind, after all…
“There’s something weird about this commission, okay?!” Yuno said. “Let’s cancel it! Cancel it! Yuno told you from the beginning it was a bad idea to take on a C-rank commission by ourselves!”
“Let’s just watch for a bit. This place is too suspicious to ignore.” I headed toward the cave, Yuno following begrudgingly after me.
Up close, I realized just how well-made the statues were. They were incredibly detailed. Did some famous artisan make them? I had no idea how old they were, but they looked like they were in good shape. Had they been enchanted to protect them from damage? I wouldn’t be surprised if someone told me they were ten years old, or even a hundred. The only thing I was certain of was that these statues were heavy with significance.
“What’s wrong? What are you staring at?”
“…There’s not a scratch on these statues. Whatever they’re made of, it contains very strong magic.”
Yuno put down the glowing mushroom along with her hammer. She patted the statue with both hands, making curious noises. She picked up a tree branch and began tapping one of the statues with it. The branch broke into pieces and went flying, yet there was still not a dent in the statue’s clay.
“Hm!” She lifted her hammer, grasping it with both hands.
“You’ll probably just break your weapon,” I warned. Yuno made a disappointed face and shifted the hammer to one hand, scooping the glowing mushroom back up.
“So, um…are we going?”
“I think there’s a good chance this place is connected to the job. Just be prepared to run at my signal, okay?”
“Okaaay…”
Since Yuno was the one holding the light source, she went into the cave first. The space wasn’t large. A few steps in and I felt something furry and organic at my feet. Monster! I raised my sword into the air with a metallic shing!
When nothing happened, I looked down. It was just a rug made of an animal’s pelt. “Damn. That startled me.” But what in the world was a rug doing out here in the forest? I squinted down at it. It wasn’t high quality—it hadn’t been preserved very well at all, and it was pretty beat up.
If the cave’s ambient temperature was a little hotter, it would surely attract bugs. This would definitely not hold up for years like the statues outside. That narrowed things down; whoever placed this rug here did so recently.
Was it someone from the village? Nah, doubtful anyone there was capable of making it out this far all by themselves. A group, perhaps? But multiple missing people would attract attention.
Was this a forest shrine that bandits had commandeered as their hideout or something? What in the world was this place? Nothing I’d gathered about the area gave me any clues. The best plan would probably just be to ask Marielle. She had to know something.
Part 5
The Swordswoman
I CONTINUED MY SEARCH of the cave. The interior walls were bricked, and clay pots lined the back wall. I thought about checking their contents, but this wasn’t really the time to poke around. The cave’s occupant could return at any moment.
I glanced at Yuno. “Let’s go back. I don’t like this place. We shouldn’t stick around for too long.”
“Yuno is so relieved to hear that, Meltia! Honestly, it’s uncomfortable just being in here… Call it animal instinct, but Yuno thinks she smells poison…”
The instant the words left Yuno’s mouth, I heard a growl from the cave entrance. It sounded like a dragon’s roar. I quickly clapped my hand over her mouth to shut her up. We both knew what would happen if a dragon found us in this cramped little cave. I waited for a few more seconds and then let Yuno go.
“We can’t risk it. We’ve got to wait until the dragon gets farther away.”
“O-okay…”
A sudden rustling noise rose from the back of the cave. Yuno swiftly directed the glowing mushroom’s light.
“Kssh…”
And then we saw it—a big black lizard flicking its tongue out at us, hissing.
“Wh-what is that thing?!”
“Keep back!”
This was a D-rank monster known as the Venom Princess Lacerta. It wasn’t just incredibly dangerous due to its strong venom—which was certainly enough—it was also highly intelligent. In a stroke of luck, the Venom Princess Lacerta ran straight past us and out of the cave.
The fight itself wouldn’t be difficult with the two of us, but if we made one wrong move and killed it too quickly, it could die without curing our poison first. Without a doubt, this was the most dangerous D-rank monster in existence.
“Seriously…what is going on here?” I literally could not get out of here soon enough. But the dragon might still be outside. I figured we should give it a few more minutes.
“Lady Meltia, there are spices or something in this pot. A kind Yuno’s never seen before.”
“Spices? Why would there be spices…?” I peeked inside the pot Yuno indicated and found a large quantity of red powder inside. The scent of it immediately cleared my sinuses and I was suddenly starving. I remembered smelling this scent once before, when I was working as a bodyguard for a merchant. “Don’t tell me this is Red Gold!”
“What? Wait, you mean piperis?”
Piperis was a type of plant-based spice, and it sold for such a high price that merchants called the dried powder “Red Gold.” Rumor had it that some nobles had made their fortunes raising piperis plants. Merchants loved the stuff because the value could fluctuate so much depending on the country of origin and the environment where it grew. It was so valuable, in fact, that certain regions even offered loans to kick-start the piperis trade. The business could get so cutthroat, I’d heard of people ending up dead over it.
“I’m going to take some home! Just enough to fill a little bag…”
“Stop that! Piperis is big-time trouble!”
I was starting to see the full picture now. This had to be a shrine that villagers made long ago. It had to be. I wasn’t sure why they’d built it so far out in the forest, but I knew sometimes very devout worshipers chose to build devotional monuments in dangerous places to demonstrate the depth of their faith. This must be something like that. Or maybe when the shrine was built, there weren’t so many monsters.
More recently, though, bandits must have moved in. They probably attack traveling merchants and steal the Red Gold, then hide out here until things blew over and they could travel again.
Whatever the case, we needed to get out of here without tipping them off and then warn other adventurers off. If there was that much Red Gold here, then the traveling merchants must be hiring a lot of protection. So not only would the bandits have to be strong enough to defeat the bodyguards, they’d also need to be confident enough to put their hideout in the middle of a forest overrun with monsters.
Yuno and I couldn’t take them on alone. Fortunately, they were all gone at the moment, but if they came back…well, that didn’t bear thinking about. I glanced involuntarily toward the entrance, just in time to see a huge black tail flick past. The dragon was waiting for us.
I silently looked over at Yuno. Her face was tense as she stared back at me. “U-um, that t-tail…”
“Yep. It’s still small, but it’s a Plague Dragon. Doesn’t look like we’re gonna be able to get out of this one without a fight.”
“Eek! A Plague Dragon is a really bad kind of dragon, isn’t it?! Why is it in this forest?! Yuno doesn’t wanna fight it!”
“Calm down, Yuno. One of that size is probably less than a D-rank. Or should be.” I frantically racked my brain for every shred of information I knew about Plague Dragons. There wasn’t a lot of trustworthy intel… That was how rarely people survived an encounter with one. There were certainly anecdotes about them, though, and I so wanted to believe they had all been exaggerations.
The stories said any human who saw one would fall ill and die a painful death. Plague Dragons were unusually cruel and enjoyed taking human form to torture victims, but I didn’t see how that information was helpful right now. And if it was true, well, there was nothing I could do about it.
I’d rather be in the dark than utterly without hope, after all.
“It’s going to get tired of waiting eventually and show itself. When that happens, I want you to run in there and get the first attack. Find a way to force it into a slip-up, and then I’ll land the finishing blow.”
“O-okay!!” Yuno tossed aside the glowing mushroom and gripped her hammer with both hands. She snuck toward the cave entrance while I followed a few steps behind her with my sword at the ready and my senses sharp.
Yuno brandished her hammer, a scowl on her face and brows twitching. She had good instincts; she must sense the enemy approaching. Sure enough, the monster outside finally showed itself. Its skin was reddish-black and tough. Humanoid, but with no eyes, nose, or ears. Its mouth was wide, splitting across its cheeks, a row of sharp fangs peeking out from inside.
The monster raised its sinister, sharp claws and smiled. I was sure this was the dragon we saw before.
I thought back to my Plague Dragons knowledge. The rumors that said they assumed human form to torture their victims. So it was true, then? That meant the dragon viewed us as easy prey. And it was planning on torturing and killing us now.
We couldn’t win. It was impossible. The dragon would toy with us and then come in for the kill. Part of me considered putting my sword to my own throat and doing the job myself. How many years had it been since I’d felt this way in the face of a monster?
Before I could seriously consider suicide, I caught a glimpse of Yuno’s anxious face. Her life was in my hands. That realization helped me pull myself back together.
“Don’t hesitate, Yuno!” I called to her. She tightened her grip on her hammer.
“O-okaaay!” She raised her weapon in an arc and hit the monster with a blow to the stomach.
“Arghh!” The dragon flew backward but somehow managed to land on its feet. I stepped forward, my blade gleaming in the moonlight. This would use up most of my remaining MP, but at least we wouldn’t die.
“Lucent Luna!” The moonlight infused my blade, forming balls of light that shot out towards the monster, exploding into tiny points of fire.
The monster lost its balance and flew into the air before hitting the ground hard on its stomach.
“R-raar…”
No way it was coming back from that attack unscathed. Still, I couldn’t let my guard down. Yuno swung her hammer, intending to land the finishing blow, but I gave her a hand signal to stop her. The Plague Dragon should show its true form soon. It might be trying to appear weak to make us lower our guard, opening ourselves up for attack.
Once it returned to its dragon form, its scales would harden and its movement would improve. This was our chance to run away before it could counterattack. I glanced at Yuno. We made eye contact, and I nodded. Then we both took off, sprinting back toward the village.
Halfway there, I chanced a look behind us, but I couldn’t see the dragon chasing us.
Part 6
I LEFT THE LAKE and walked along the dark road home. My legs felt as heavy as my hopes had been high. Argh, my entire body still hurt. I had no idea using Human Transformation would be so painful. Was this a sign warning me to stay a dragon for the rest of my life? Now I feel like this was all just designed to traumatize me.
From now on, if I got a weird skill, I was going to make sure to look into it more before I used it. There was a skill to decapitate yourself, after all, and I wouldn’t be surprised if my entire body just split apart if I tried it.
Maybe I just wasn’t cut out for being human. Or maybe I needed to raise my skill level? How many times did I have to torture myself with the transformation before I leveled up? This was like some real military-level training nonsense.
My cave came into view, and I saw a faint light bloom from near the entrance. What was that? A floating Light Shroom? Light Shrooms had a natural glow, and I used them as light bulbs in my cave. I dimmed them at night by putting a graywolf pelt over them.
Obviously a Light Shroom wasn’t just levitating by itself. I squinted to try to see inside, and made out the figures of two women examining the entrance to my cave. The shorter girl was holding the Light Shroom like a flashlight. In her other hand she held a ridiculously large hammer. Wait a second…she has animal ears growing out of her head! Is she half animal? Although I’m not sure why I feel surprised—I’m a dragon, after all.
The other girl was wearing thick armor. She looked very slender, but moved about in it just fine. So…a dog girl and a swordswoman. Finally, some humans had shown up at my humble abode. This was my chance to prove what a cultured, peaceful, and friendly dragon I was. I just had to wait for the perfect time to make my appearance.
I ducked behind a tree to watch. They were examining the statues outside of my cave so intently. Ooh, they’re surprised! They’re definitely impressed with my incredible workmanship! I feel so happy and overwhelmed!
They both looked so shocked, speechless with their mouths hanging open. Heh heh, I took apart and remade those statues so many times, so they’re perfect. Same for the pots, but I was proudest of the statues.
I watched, grinning wider. The dog-eared girl put her hammer and the Light Shroom down and began feeling the surface of one the statues.
Well, I couldn’t blame her. Touch it as much as you want! But as soon as I silently gave her permission, I watched in horror as she picked up a tree branch and began smacking it against the statue.
Hey, what do you think you’re doing?! I didn’t say you could do that!
Obviously, the tree branch broke first, but I still didn’t love watching this happen. If they hurt that statue, I would legitimately cry. Why would they do something so horrible?
After that, the girl picked up the Light Shroom and aimed it in front of her as the two of them hesitantly entered my cave. My rug and my pots were inside, along with all the spices, salt, and jerky I’d gone to all that trouble to gather. I was so curious to see their reaction that I left my hiding spot behind the tree and snuck closer to the cave.
Oh no, the black lizard’s still sleeping inside!
“Raaar!” I roared into the cave, before hiding again. I hoped it would be enough to wake the black lizard and get it to safety.
“Kssh!”
“Τι είναι αυτό!”
“Μαύρη Σαύρα!” Three separate screams rent the air.
The black lizard raced out of the cave and jumped towards me. “Kshh! Kssh!”
I patted its head to calm it down as it shrieked, then shifted my attention back towards the cave. The two girls were near the back looking at my pots and talking. I considered strolling in and saying “Actually, those are mine,” after which they would exclaim, “Ooh, what a clever, human-like dragon you are!” But I decided against it.
Yeah, not in a million years.
They’d just think I was some random monster who wandered into the cave by accident. I kept my eye on my two guests as I racked my brain, coming up with different scenarios and then dismissing them.
“Kssh?” The black lizard gave me a curious look as I agonized over the decision. The second I turned my attention to it, Dog-Ears looked in my direction. I quickly ducked out of the way and pressed myself against the outer wall of the cave. That was a close one. She almost saw me. But what should I do?
I put so much effort into the interior of my cave to make life more comfortable, but I also did it to prove to any passing human that I was more than just a monster. I couldn’t lose this opportunity. I had to do something. I had to use Human Transformation again. It was the only way.
I couldn’t deny that I looked pretty horrible, but it did give me a human-ish form. Anything was better than looking like a dragon. And maybe it wouldn’t be so bad now that I’d had some practice?
“Raar.”
“Kssh?”
I made a little noise and patted the black lizard’s head. I wanted to reassure it so it wouldn’t freak out so bad when it saw me transform.
“Ksh, kssh!” It let out a cry, perhaps sensing something was going to happen.
Don’t worry. Even if I succeed in turning myself into a human this time, I won’t leave you, Black Lizard, I thought as I patted its head once more.
Or maybe I was saying that more to convince myself. I took a deep breath and focused all my energy into visualizing a human form. I can do this. I know I can do this. I must not have been trying hard enough last time.
Normal Skill “Human Transformation” Lv 1 has become Lv 2.
Seeing those words pop up in my head was encouraging, at least. Heat spread throughout my entire body, followed by intense pressure. Perhaps it was because I was getting used to it, or my body was adapting, but the pain wasn’t as bad this time.
I can do this! This is going to work!
I couldn’t see myself, but I was sure I looked much more human than before.
“Kssh!” It sounded almost like the black lizard was trying to stop me. I turned slightly but then fixed my gaze forward as I entered the cave.
The two women were much closer to the cave entrance than before, but now, their faces were heavy with fear and panic. If I had to describe it, I’d say it looked like they’d just seen a terrible, frightening monster…
Hm? Was there a monster behind me?
“Μην αφαιρείτε την απόλυτη!”
“Είναι φυσικό!”
They both screamed, and the dog-eared girl jumped at me, swinging that stupidly large hammer and whacking it right into my torso. I was in human form, which meant my attack and defense powers were halved. Normally an attack like that wouldn’t even make a dent, but in this state it could be a fatal wound.
“Arghh!” I took the full force of the hit and flew backwards into the air, but managed to land on my feet. The swordswoman, who stood behind the dog-girl, pointed her sword at the exit of the cave.
“Φως του φεγγαριού!” She screamed something, and moonlight bounced off her sword, manifesting countless balls of light that spun out and attacked me. I took about five hits and flew backwards again, this time landing on my stomach.
“R-raar…” Now that I was weakened, the dog-girl raised her hammer to finish me off, but for some reason the swordswoman stopped her. They ran away instead.
“Ksh, ksshhh!” The black lizard had been watching the fight from outside the cave, but now it looked back and forth between me and the two fleeing girls. It tried to give chase, but I grabbed its tail and managed to stop it.
My body assumed its usual shape as the girls disappeared from view. I was a dragon again, cowering on the ground.
“Raar…”
“Kssh.”
The black lizard’s tongue lapped against my cheek comfortingly. Even though I had all but betrayed it, turning into a human like that.
“Ksshh!”
It let out another cry, this time looking towards the statues at the cave entrance. One was a dragon, and the other a human, but the lizard was focused only on the human statue. I wondered if it knew what I had planned. It hadn’t seemed surprised when I transformed, and now it seemed like it was trying to console me. I was starting to think the black lizard was a lot more intelligent than I had previously believed.