Chapter 5: Little Rock Dragon
Chapter 5:
Little Rock Dragon
“HAAH, HAAH…” Myria’s breath was ragged, and she clutched her shoulder. The bloody flesh I glimpsed from between her fingers looked bad. I checked her status. Not only did it say Bleeding, she didn’t have much HP left. But she should have the MP to cast her recovery magic.
“White Magic, Rest.” A warm ball of light floated up and wrapped around my neck. The pain from Nutcracker immediately abated.
“R-raar?!”
Myria was clearly much worse off than I was. “Your neck…looked like it hurt a lot,” she choked out through teeth gritted in pain, smiling slightly. “Let’s go back to the village. I’m fine.”
Clearly, she wasn’t. Blood flowed from between her fingers. The forest contained all sorts of plants that could stop the bleeding—I could find them quickly, but I doubted I had any time at all.
I glanced behind me and saw the Little Rock Dragon.
“Raaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaar!”
I checked its status and realized something terrible. Its status condition was Fury, which I had been expecting—that wasn’t the surprise. But its level was much higher than the last time I faced it. Even if it wasn’t the same one, it was much stronger than the Little Rock Dragon I had seen before.
With a good battle strategy, I’d thought I could put the odds in my favor despite our difference in status, but that was before I saw those stats. It didn’t matter what kind of clever tactics I came up with; this dragon could trample me with pure power alone.
“Illusia!” I heard Myria calling my name and snapped back to reality. I leaned over so she could climb onto my back, and we took off for the town.
On the outskirts, we found five villagers on the ground. Two of them held broken bows, and the other two had farming tools. The fifth’s spear was planted in the ground and he was leaning on it, struggling to pull himself to his feet.
One of the five were already dead—the youngest of them, a child clutching a spade. I checked his status and confirmed it: his HP was 0/12. I regretted it immediately and looked away.
“Why?! How did this happen…” The villager finally managed to stand. A mahawolf was watching him with its third eye, licking its chops hungrily. It must have been the one Doz was riding. He’d just left it here on the way into town.
“Raaaaaar!”
I let out a Bellow from behind the mahawolf to draw its attention to me instead of the villagers. They noticed me, too. The man with the spear’s eyes widened, and he dropped his weapon from nerveless fingers. He crumpled to his knees beside his weapon.
“Y-you’ve g-gotta be kidding me! Wh-why is there a dragon here now?!” He grabbed at his head, letting out a howl that turned into sobs.
Myria was still on my back, but it seemed he hadn’t spotted her yet. I wasn’t entirely surprised by the reaction, but it did hurt.
I lunged at the mahawolf, knocking it upside the head with my tail, and mercilessly finished it off. I got that same message about how I couldn’t receive any more experience because I was at MAX level.
“Everyone, please calm down! This dragon has come to save our town!” Myria hopped off my back and gently rested a hand on the crying man’s shoulder. She then ran over to the child with the awful injuries.
“Annis! Are you all right? Hey!” Annis was the child with 0/12 HP. I’d learned his name when I checked his status. I bit my lip, feeling awful.
“Annis! Annis!”
“Raar!” I gave a little roar, indicating that we should move on. We needed to stop Doz. If the Little Rock Dragon got to the village and wreaked havoc, who knew how many people he would kill?
“Wait! Illusia, if I don’t go with you, it’ll cause even more panic.”
The thickly bearded villager with the spear had stopped crying. “I’ll go with the dragon, Myria. You take Annis and run! The village is too dangerous right now!”
“But—!”
“Hurry up and go! I’m trained for these kinds of situations!” The villager turned towards me. I could sense his suspicion—I doubted he could ever completely trust a dragon. “Your name is Illusia? We’re counting on you, Illusia.” Very hesitantly, he reached his hand out towards me. I raised my arm to show him my claws, then shook my head. Unfortunately, I wouldn’t be able to shake his hand.
He pulled back, looking slightly embarrassed. But that did seem to break the tension a bit.
“Raar.” I roared gently and bowed my head, leaning over.
“You mean I can get on your back?”
“Raar!”
The man climbed on and I took off toward the middle of town. I checked his status and saw his name was Gregory. His leg was injured and he was Bleeding, but he had enough HP to be up and walking around. Under his thick beard he looked to be in his early- to mid-twenties.
“I never expected to see a Dark Dragon side with humans,” he muttered softly. I guessed he meant I was a Dark-type Dragon. I did have Dark Resistance as a special skill.
“Raar.” I answered with a short roar.
I thought I heard Gregory laugh.
“Eek! A dragon!”
“Is that Gregory riding it?!”
Some villagers tending crops cried out as we cut across the field.
“Sorry, Illusia, but can you stop for a moment?” Gregory asked, and I obliged. “Hey! Did you see any monsters or Doz coming through here?”
“Monsters?! This village is under the gods’ protection, so only stupid, lost monsters would show up here, and even that doesn’t happen very often.”
“Did you see Doz? He might be leading them in here!”
“Yeah, I saw him!” the villager responded. “Just a little while ago. I called out to him, but he ran past me! He went towards the watchtower! Wh-what’s going on?”
“You guys should get out of here,” said Gregory. “Go seek shelter on the west side of town. It should still be safe there. Illusia, let’s go!”
“Raar!”
We didn’t have time to explain. Doz might be rampaging through town with his sword for all we knew. I looked for the tall watchtower and ran for it as fast as I could.
Part 2
THE WATCHTOWER STOOD in the center of the village. Buildings lined the road leading up to it, and I could see a public well. Unlike in the fields, here there were signs of trouble—screams and shouts, complete pandemonium. Several villagers lay bleeding in front of the watchtower. Doz stood in the midst of all this, that weird ball of earth at his feet—the Little Rock Dragon’s egg.
Doz’s sword was unsheathed. He’d apparently worked out how to remove it from the rusty scabbard. He must’ve cut down the humans who’d fallen.
Well, more likely he stabbed them. The blade was so dull I doubted it could cut much of anything.
“Put down your weapon! What in the blazes has gotten into you?!” Three villagers armed with bows gathered around Doz. He languidly shifted his grip on his sword, paused for a moment, and then suddenly sprang forward.
“Hee hee hee hee hee!”
“Don’t hesitate! Shoot him!” Three arrows were loosed. Doz batted them away with his blade and closed in on the villagers.
One arrow managed to pierce Doz’s shoulder, but that didn’t stop him. He didn’t even slow down. Maybe he couldn’t feel pain anymore.
He ran them down and walloped them with his sword. The action was so violent that this was the only way I could think to describe it. He knocked all three of them down before stabbing one in the back. The man let out a scream of agony as he died.
Doz had no skills, but his stats were far higher than any of the villagers’. They were powerless to stop him, even with weapons.
“Hya, hee hee hee!” He let out another crazed peal of laughter when he saw me, almost as if he’d been waiting for me.
“Raar!” I hunkered down to let Gregory climb off.
He started to say “I can take care of—” but stopped short. His leg was injured and he wasn’t at full power—he had to have known how outmatched he was. Doz’s stats were way beyond Gregory’s.
Doz must have leveled up during his time missing, and he was probably stronger than Gregory even before that. Gregory couldn’t take Doz one-on-one.
The village was in shambles. Some people were running, some watching from afar, others injured and trapped, still more carrying those injured to safety. Gregory pointed at me, explaining my presence to the people around us. That didn’t eradicate their fear, but it did lessen it a bit.
Doz had left the Little Rock Dragon’s egg at the foot of the watchtower. I thought I could get it without fighting him, but if I didn’t do something fast, the bodies would keep piling up. I had to stop Doz’s rampage.
“Hee hee, hya ha ha!” He brandished his sword high as I came closer, and I took the blow to my head. “Hee hee hee…haa?” His warped grin faded as his sword bounced off my scales. That rusty thing had no chance.
The recoil only surprised Doz for a moment before he came charging at me again.
“Gaa gah haa!” I hit him, hearing his joints creak as he fell backwards, head striking the watchtower.
HP: 9/68
Crap. I’d nearly knocked him unconscious, but he still hadn’t let go of his sword. His body was hanging on by a thread. He stood up jerkily, like a broken marionette forced up by the puppeteer pulling on its strings.
Doz’s mouth flapped, but no words came out. He staggered, his legs not working right. He lifted his sword a bit, but his upper body crumpled. The blade sank into the ground. He grabbed at an injured child and clung on to him, rolling across the ground.
“N-no! H-help me! Help!”
“Hya hya, hya ha hah!” How could he move like that when he was nearly dead? Were his pain receptors just broken? Doz pressed his blade to the child’s stomach, slowly sinking it into his flesh. The child’s screams echoed.
I started forward, but he tightened his grip on the bleeding boy’s side. His screams grew hoarse and thin.
“Hee hee, hee hee hee!”
Doz had a hostage now. And if this stalemate continued, the Little Rock Dragon would descend. I looked toward the egg, and Doz’s eyes flashed. He knew what I was trying to do, and he was forcing me to choose between going for Doz or stealing the egg. Either this child would die or the Little Rock Dragon would run roughshod through the village.
Doz abandoned his sword and yanked the child up to his feet, then grabbed the egg. He was now unarmed, but it still wasn’t safe to act—it would only take him a few seconds to strangle the boy with his arm hooked around his neck like that. He began climbing up the watchtower’s ladder one-handed. The child couldn’t scream anymore with the pressure on his neck, but his face was draining of color, tongue lolling horrifically.
The other villagers screamed at the sight.
“Raaaaaar!” I roared and ran for the tower, grabbing the bottom of the ladder and yanking it sharply. It was a simple ladder, made of rope with wooden planks as footholds. Easy to fall from.
A dangerous bet, but better than doing nothing.
Suddenly the child tumbled down. I let go of the ladder and caught him, and Doz took that opportunity to scramble to the top. That jerk had honestly planned to throw this kid off the tower!
The child was seriously wounded but still alive, with enough HP to make it through this. Doz didn’t have a hostage or an escape route. I was ending this now.
“Hee hee hee…hya hah hah hah!” His shrill laughter filled the air. He was looking towards the fields, and a moment later I knew why.
“Raaaaaaaaaaaaar!”
I was out of time. The Little Rock Dragon was here. Doz must have climbed the tower to show the dragon that he had its egg. Doz wasn’t in a clear state of mind, but his actions weren’t random, either. They had a very clear purpose.
But all wasn’t lost yet. I could still lead the Little Rock Dragon far away from the village as long as I could get my hands on that egg.
“Hya ha ha hah!” Doz lifted the egg up high with both hands, taunting the dragon. He staggered back a few steps. I thought he was resting his back on the fence of the watchtower, but then he turned and just dove right off.
Doz’s body plunged to the ground. He threw himself off on purpose! I quickly put the child down and started running, making eye contact with him as he fell. That deranged smile was still on his face, and not a single drop of fear. But now that I finally got a look at him from up close, it confirmed my suspicions. That smile wasn’t human.
I frantically reached out, but it was no use. Doz’s head and the Little Rock Dragon’s egg slammed into the ground right in front of me with a tremendous crash. Doz’s brains mixed with the contents of the egg, an embryo that hadn’t even been fully formed.
Once again, the dragon’s roars shook the surroundings. It was furious, all control gone.
Part 3
THE VILLAGERS, realizing what the Little Rock Dragon’s arrival meant, began to flee, but there were still so many left behind. Some had remained to fight off the dragon, and others stayed to care for the wounded or try to get their families to safety. If the Little Rock Dragon attacked here, there would be carnage. It had the Tremor skill, an attack with a huge range that split the earth and destabilized everything around it. A normal villager wouldn’t be able to withstand that.
I checked the Little Rock Dragon’s status again while I tried to figure out what to do.
Species: Little Rock Dragon
Status: Fury (Major)
Lv: 24/55
HP: 262/262
MP: 93/117
Attack: 183
Defense: 248
Magic: 107
Agility: 54
Rank: C
Special Skills:
Dragon Scale: Lv 4
Breath Boost: Lv 2
Automatic HP Recovery: Lv 2
Earth Type: Lv —
Resistance Skills:
Fire Resistance: Lv 5
Physical Resistance: Lv 3
Magic Resistance: Lv 4
Normal Skills:
Sand Breath: Lv 4
Bite: Lv 4
Stone Claws: Lv 4
Regenerate: Lv 3
Tremor: Lv 4
Stone Breath: Lv 6
Clay: Lv1
Dragon Tail: Lv 2
Title Skills:
Final Evolution: Lv —
Just as I thought—way more powerful than last time. Its stats were so outrageous it made the twinheads look cute in comparison. Its defense had increased, and its attack power was scary.
Its lowest stat was agility, but that wouldn’t help us much. It was slower than a mahawolf but much faster than the average villager could run.
Besides, it had that long-range attack to make up for the low agility. It wasn’t like I could just scamper up, punch it, and then run away. I had the villagers here to think about. Any extended fight would put them in unnecessary danger.
This was the worst situation possible. I should’ve killed Doz when I first saw him. I had another chance a few minutes ago, too. With a little more force, I could’ve knocked him off that ladder and stolen the egg back. Did I let my desire to be accepted by the villagers get in the way? Was that why I saved the child and let Doz go?
“Raaaaar!” I screamed, venting my frustration and confusion. The Little Rock Dragon glared at me. Then it spotted the remains of its egg.
“Raaaaaaaaaaaaaar!”
It lifted its leg high and stomped on the ground, not just once, but again and again and again. This was the skill I feared the most, the one I least wanted him to use in the village…Tremor. The earth split and sucked several unwitting villagers into the chasm, accompanied by shrieks and screams. Screams from people whose legs had gotten crushed and couldn’t move, begging for help. From people paralyzed with shock when they saw their friends die in front of them.
A child attempting to treat his grandfather’s injuries fled in tears. The elderly man reached out towards his grandchild and died with his arm outstretched.
I pushed off the ground, spread my wings, and flew towards the Little Rock Dragon, who was at least twice my size. It swung its tail towards me, and I beat my wings and dropped, evading the attack. I felt a draft from the tail as it passed by my right side. I sped up, slashing a huge line across its body with Paralyzing Venom Claws…or at least that was what I tried to do.
Instead, my claws bounced off the surface of its body. I was shocked but kept gliding to maneuver behind the dragon. I checked its HP. I barely did any damage at all, and Automatic HP Recovery would heal it easily.
My mind raced. What skills did I have? Roll and Dragon Punch weren’t strong enough.
Venom Fangs?
Nah, I doubted my teeth would penetrate its scales, and even if I managed to poison it, my venom was too weak to make a dent in its HP recovery skill.
I could use its size against it with Nutcracker, but the problem was picking it up and getting it into the air in the first place.
I had nothing. I had absolutely nothing to attack the Little Rock Dragon with.
I hovered behind it. I need to test my skills to see what might work, but what should I start with?
I froze up, and in that moment, the Little Rock Dragon lifted its foot and stomped on the ground. Once again, the earth split open. I felt the shockwave despite not touching the ground—it shoved me higher into the air. I quickly curled into a ball and managed to avoid careening into a building. Thank God I was so good at using Roll.
By the time I stretched myself back out, I saw a huge, rocky mass coming straight at me.
The Little Rock Dragon’s tail.
The stony whip hit me hard.
“Raaargh!”
My mind went completely blank the second I felt the impact. Blood spurted from my mouth. I watched it splatter.
That 183 attack score wasn’t just for show. Between that and its defense, it was the toughest thing I’d ever faced. I’d crossed many dangerous bridges before, but this was the first time I’d ever really had my feet held to the flames.
I bit my tongue with the tip of my fangs to stop myself from losing consciousness. I looked up and saw the dragon; it looked even bigger from this angle.
I was stuck, struggling to get to my feet, with an intense, sharp pain in my stomach. Wow, I’d taken a lot of damage. The adrenaline rush was wearing off, and now I felt my injuries all at once, all through my body. It lifted its tail again and swung it down, taking advantage of my incapacitation.
The pain distracted me, and I was too late to evade its tail.
But just as I thought I was done for, the Little Rock Dragon stopped. It tipped its head to the side and then looked away.
“Don’t run away! Help the Dark Dragon!”
“This is our village!”
“It might be useless, but shoot! Shoot as much as you can! He must have a vulnerable spot somewhere!”
Armed villagers charged towards the Little Rock Dragon, with Gregory in the lead.
Part 4
THE VILLAGERS LINED UP in a row with their bows at the ready, firing a volley that the Little Rock Dragon easily batted away. It turned towards the villagers and lifted its tail. Gregory sprang into action.
“Take this!” He swung his spear up with great force and stabbed at the dragon. It batted that attack away, too. Its eyes flashed with annoyance, attention now fully off me. I was sure that from its point of view, I was just another minor annoyance it could easily crush.
And that didn’t bother me at all. In fact, I liked it.
“Raaar!” I pushed through the pain and let out the most intimidating roar I could. I kicked the Little Rock Dragon and pushed off it with one foot. It took a beat to look up at me, so I used that split second to kick it in the head as hard as I could.
“Uraaaaaaah!”
Wow, that actually did something! The dragon thrashed its head violently from side to side. Compared to its giant, rocky body, its neck was surprisingly slender. Hm. Was its neck its weak spot? Maybe if I punched that heavy head hard enough I could snap it?
Title Skill “Klutz” Lv 1 has become Lv 2.
Title Skill “Itty-Bitty Hero” Lv 3 has become Lv 4.
Not bad, but this really wasn’t the time. Don’t interrupt me in the middle of a battle, Divine Voice. I spun in midair and got into position, then made a clean landing onto the Little Rock Dragon’s face, making eye contact as I did.
“Graah… Aaaaaaah!” The dragon groaned and then let out a loud scream as an arrow pierced its eye.
“Its eyes! Aim for its eyes! Illusia—the small dragon—and I will distract it while you shoot its eyes!”
“All right!”
“Got it!”
I could do this. I could figure out a way to make up for the vast difference in our stats.
I needed to check the Little Rock Dragon’s remaining HP and calculate how many attacks I needed to land. I had to distract it from the villagers at all costs.
Species: Little Rock Dragon
Status: Fury (Major)
Lv: 24/55
HP: 241/262
MP: 81/117
The numbers stunned me. Those two huge hits had only done 21 points of damage? Simple math told me I needed to land ten more hits and hope for ten more arrows to the eye. And if that wasn’t enough, it had Automatic HP Recovery.
There was no way we could deal enough damage to beat this dragon.
It began to gather energy in its foot, and I knew it was about to use Tremor again.
“Raaaaaaaar!” I roared out a warning to the archers, and they backed away from the dragon as a group. The monster slammed all four of its legs into the ground. The archers weren’t far enough away to avoid the worst of it, let alone Gregory on the front lines.
No way they’d survive this Tremor with their stats. I rushed to Gregory’s side, but it was too late. The earth was already starting to ripple outwards with the dragon at its epicenter. Gregory was sucked into the splitting earth, his upper body twisting as he was caught.
“Arrghhh!” Bones cracked as Gregory screamed in agony. His injuries were terrible. He’d die if this battle got drawn out any longer.
Even the villagers I’d managed to warn hadn’t made it out unscathed. The edge of the earthquake caught them, leaving them injured.
It was no use. We couldn’t win, no matter how hard I clawed my way to victory.
I planted my feet and reached out for Gregory, but the Little Rock Dragon used that opportunity to whip its tail at my back. It knocked me into a building, sending a splitting pain down my spine. I didn’t have much HP left.
My head felt fuzzy, and my vision blurred. My throat was burning and incredibly dry.
Was this it?
Wasn’t there any other way? Anything I could do?
Ru
n.
Wh-what?
R.
U.
N.
Ugh, it’s just the Divine Voice. This happened before…heh. Brings back memories. That was the first time I faced off against the Little Rock Dragon. My level and stats were way higher now, but I still didn’t stand a chance.
Well, at least I was able to do a little bit of damage this time, even if it wasn’t anything to brag about.
Special Skill “Divine Voice” Lv 3 has become Lv 4.
Now able to consume all MP and run Laplace to view results of simple simulations.
Huh? Divine Voice leveled up? At a time like this? What the heck for?
But.
No matter how much I tell you to run.
You surely.
won’t run away.
Huh? It sure was being way more direct than it ever had before. Could it speak more clearly now that it was leveled up?
It’s a shame. I expected more from you. But it seems this is goodbye.
You were special in so many ways.
I was looking forward to watching you.
But.
I had a feeling this would happen eventually.
What in the world? Don’t you dare tell me you only leveled up so you could talk trash!
It happened a little sooner than planned.
That’s all.
I was just testing you. Perhaps it was significant.
The words kept flowing into my head.
Shall I be blunt?
There is no other way to survive.
except for flight.
Don’t just decide that for me! And stop forcing your way into my head; it’s rude!
Then. Have a nice long sleep.
I never.
got tired.
of watching you.
Could this guy be any more patronizing?
I don’t think I’ve had.
this much fun.
in a long time.
Who are you?!
Special Skill “Divine Voice” Lv 4 is unable to provide that explanation.
With that final, stilted, condescendingly polite message sent through my brain, the Divine Voice fell silent.
The Little Rock Dragon stalked me through my blurred vision.
You’ve gotta be kidding me!
I couldn’t let things end here. I couldn’t let the Divine Voice be right. What the heck did it mean, it had fun? It was watching me like my life and death was a game!
I bit my own arm to snap myself back to reality, dragging my consciousness from the brink. The pain of my fangs lingered and blood flowed. I stood up on trembling legs.
Part 5
I HAD BASICALLY no HP left, and I was in such bad shape that I could barely move. Even if I were at full health, all I’d be able to do was run around and try to get a couple of lucky shots in at its head. And then I’d have to pray I didn’t misread the timing of its Tremor attack and eat a face full of tail.
My vision was foggy. My legs shook. I couldn’t fight in this state. There were so many villagers on the verge of death scattered around, and if I didn’t end this soon, all of them would die. One more attack from the dragon would wipe us all out.
Gregory especially was severely injured. He’d been too close to the Tremor epicenter.
I had no other choice. I had to evolve, even if I risked my stats plummeting when my levels reset.
I didn’t want to scare the villagers or risk the black lizard not recognizing me, but I had to do it. If I evolved into something with recovery magic, I might be able to actually move around again. I thought back to my choices.
Future:
Jormungand Rank C+
Little Arc Dragon Rank C
Artificial Dragon Rank C-
Rolling Dragon Rank C-
Dark Drago-human Rank —
The demi-human was off the table. I’d longed to be human, but in this battle a human form would be next to useless. Worst timing ever, but that dream was dead.
Rolling Dragon was on my list of candidates, but I couldn’t think of any way it would give me an advantage over the Little Rock Dragon. I already had speed. What I needed was ferocity. Power.
Couldn’t do Artificial Dragon, either. I knew it would be very convenient to have capable hands, but not much beyond that. I remembered the Artificial Dragon’s stats being pretty bad, too.
So that left me with the Little Arc Dragon or Jormungand. They were the only sensible options, with the highest ranks and best skills.
As a Little Arc Dragon, I could heal the villagers on the verge of death. They’d be able to run away, and then I could drag this fight out as long as I wanted. We would trash the place, but at least we’d avoid more death.
I remembered the Divine Voice saying that Little types had less potential to grow, but they became very strong, very quickly.
Now, let’s take a look at Jormungand.
Jormungand: Rank C+. Also known as the Poison Serpentine Dragon. Resembles a thick snake with scales covered in deadly poison. Its combat ability is low, but it is said that any foe it faces will die of poison. The poison it excretes can form an independent monster that the Jormungand can control. Any patch of ground touched by this monster turns barren.
If I evolved into Jormungand…there might be some hope of victory. I could stop the dragon. The beast might’ve resembled a rocky hillside, but it didn’t have Poison Resistance. On the other hand, the earth around the village would become barren, and people would die.
And unlike the Young Plague Dragon, I had a feeling once I went down this path, there would be no turning back.
I could never come back to the human village.
My only choice was Little Arc Dragon. It would let me heal Gregory, who currently looked like he was on the brink of death. Still, I couldn’t be sure, since there was no way to view the skills and stats of a form before I evolved.
I wanted to know more details. How could I defeat the Little Rock Dragon? How could I save the villagers? I thought I’d made my choice, but now I was getting cold feet.
Come on, Mr. Vague Explanation. Help me out here! Give me some proof that someone is actually looking out for me. My mind raced, and I felt more strength leave my body.
I got the same feeling when I used Baby’s Breath, a sense of deep fatigue.
Did my MP go down? Like, a lot?
Gained Title Skill “Laplace Interference Authority” Lv 1.
Huh?
Laplace…I vaguely remembered hearing the Divine Voice say something about that when I leveled up. A simulation…?
Probability of victory if Little Arc Dragon evolution chosen: 4%. Probability of successful rescue of all remaining survivors: <1%
That felt like getting punched in the head. All the resolve I’d mustered cracked to pieces inside of me.
Probability of victory if Jormungand evolution chosen: 98%. Probability of full destruction of village: 94%.
Hey, enough already! Stop messing around. Are you trying to break my heart? Did the Divine Voice talk to me just for this? Was it messing with me?
Probability of victory if Rolling Dragon evolution chosen: <1%. Probability of successful escape from battle: >99%.
“Raaaaaar!”
I said, stop!
I roared, and the screen inside my head disappeared. Hearing my scream, the Little Rock Dragon paused, changing direction and charging for me. It planned to take care of me once and for all.
I couldn’t trust the Divine Voice’s predictions; I had to choose the Little Arc Dragon. I couldn’t just run away from this. I’d evolve and save Gregory. His injuries were terrible, and he was bleeding so much, steadily losing strength. If I didn’t heal him soon, it would be too late.
He was the second human ever to call me by my name. I had to save him, no matter what.
Part 6
“RAAAAR!” I roared to pump myself up before taking off running at the Little Rock Dragon. My body felt heavy, and I was bleeding. My vision streaked, but I could still move.
If I evolved into the Little Arc Dragon, I could heal myself. That would not only put me in a better position with my HP but also improve my overall condition.
I couldn’t evolve yet, though. I had to pull Gregory out of the Tremor chasm. My body would change when I became the Little Arc Dragon, and I couldn’t be sure I’d even be able to physically save him anymore. I’d rescue Gregory, evolve, and use my recovery magic to heal him and the other villagers.
Then I’d draw the attention of the Little Rock Dragon and save everyone.
Many others besides Gregory were injured or stuck in the chasm, but he was the closest to death. I could alternate between Roll and my new recovery magic to buy a little time for the villagers to escape to safety. I might not be able to defeat the Little Rock Dragon, but I could at least save the others.
Probability of victory if Little Arc Dragon evolution chosen: 4%. Probability of successful rescue of all remaining survivors: <1%.
The Divine Voice’s screen popped back up in my mind.
Don’t think about it, don’t think about it. Just forget about it.
The Little Rock Dragon took a deep breath, its body puffing up like its insides were pushing their way out. It had an attack called Sand Breath, but I’d never seen it in action before.
I was the only one in its attack range, so I used Roll to race to the dragon’s feet. Now I was so close the breath attack wouldn’t touch me. A gust of sandy wind whipped up as I went. I uncurled my body.
“U-ugh…” Gregory groaned with pain from the chasm. I grabbed his arm and pulled him out, but I still had to evolve into the Little Arc Dragon if I wanted to heal him.
Probability of victory if Little Arc Dragon evolution chosen: 4%. Probability of successful rescue of all remaining survivors: <1%.
What if it was true? What if I managed to stop the Little Rock Dragon but couldn’t save the villagers? My doubts made me pause, but I shook off my hesitation and was just about to evolve when I felt a light touch on my foot. Gregory’s hand.
“Don’t…worry about me.” His voice was small and weak, but for some reason he still sounded firm and powerful. “I don’t know why a Dark Dragon like you is trying so hard to save our village. But I can tell just by looking at you that it’s not a passing whim or an impulse. I’m a good judge of character, and I think you’re a good person. Uh, dragon, I mean.”
Gregory looked into my eyes as he spoke. Like I wasn’t a monster. Like I was human.
“So from here on out, just rely on your instincts. What I’m asking you to do might take you away from your true goal here. Maybe it’s selfish and cruel. Please forgive me.”
He’s going to ask me a favor at a time like this? And what does he mean, it’ll make me stray from my goal?
“Please…don’t concern yourself with me. Just save the village.” His voice broke off like he had exhausted all his strength. But he still had a tiny bit of HP left. At first, I wasn’t sure what he meant.
Then it came to me.
He couldn’t possibly know everything, but I think he could tell that I was in the middle of a difficult decision from the look on my face and my actions.
There was only one way to defeat the Little Rock Dragon. I was ignoring it, whether consciously or not, because I wanted the villagers to accept me. Because I wanted to show off and be the hero who protected their town. I’d really let that Itty-Bitty Hero title skill go to my head.
But I couldn’t keep making excuses while people died in front of me.
Slowly, I put my claws to Gregory’s neck. When I cut off his head, I didn’t watch it fall. I couldn’t. The other villagers began to scream. I didn’t blame them. From where they stood, their one ally had suddenly turned on them.
Cannot gain experience points at MAX Lv.
Title Skill “Wrongdoer” Lv 4 has increased to Lv 5.
Title Skill “Calamity” Lv 1 has increased to Lv 3.
Title Skill “Dastardly King” Lv 1 has increased to Lv 2.
My title skills increased, and my evolution options must have opened up along with them. This was my only chance for victory. I’d tried so hard not to raise any of my evil title skills, but now…there had to be something less devastating than Jormungand that the Young Plague Dragon could evolve into.
“A-ahhh!”
“Wh-what?! I knew it! It is a monster! G-Gregory brought it here, so I thought we could trust it, b-but…a-a-ahhh!”
“The village is done for! Run away! Leave the injured and save yourselves! There’s no hope!”
The villagers had been watching me from afar, but after witnessing Gregory’s final moments, they scattered. Their last hope of saving the village was gone.
Strangely, it didn’t hurt. I had so many different emotions running through my head that I’d gone numb. I had finally crossed the line from human to monster, and all I felt was empty.
Part 7
THE VILLAGERS RAN. Those who were injured and couldn’t move reached out in vain to those who fled. Some of them cursed the ones who ran. Some just looked at them sadly, not saying a word.
I looked down at Gregory’s corpse. I still didn’t want to look at his head, though.
Don’t worry, Gregory. I promise I’ll protect the village.
“Raaaaaaaaaaaar!”
The Little Rock Dragon screamed, dragging its giant body around to face me.
Display evolution options?
The text popped up in my head.
The sudden return to formality unsettled me, maybe because I now knew it could talk nonsense if it really felt like it.
All right. Bring it on, you worthless Voice.
Future:
Plague Dragon Rank B-
Jormungand Rank C+
Dark Drago-human Rank —
Present:
Young Plague Dragon: Rank D+
Past:
Baby Dragon: Rank D-
Dragon Egg: Rank F
My options had decreased, but Plague Dragon had been added. I’d figured Little Arc Dragon would be gone, but I wasn’t expecting Rolling Dragon to disappear, too. Not that it mattered. Still, it had seemed weird that Plague Dragon wasn’t initially an option even though I was a young Plague Dragon.
I figured I just hadn’t met the requirements yet.
Plague Dragon: Rank B-. A wicked dragon that brings disaster wherever it goes. Spreads plague and has destroyed many human villages. Bathes in the blood of its enemies, sleeps on a mountain of corpses. One of the three great disastrous monsters. Blessed with high flying ability and attack power.
I’d never even seen a B-rank monster before. I hesitated but not for long. I didn’t have any reason to hold back.
The instant I made the decision, searing heat raced through my body. The intensity grew and grew until it felt like I was exploding. That was what transformation felt like when my flesh and bones were growing and strengthening.
“RAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARGH!”
I roared instinctively, and the sound that came out of my mouth was so fearsome I could hardly believe it was coming from me. It felt like it shook the entire earth.
Around me echoed the hopeless cries of the villagers.
I grew so big so quickly, the Little Rock Dragon in front of me suddenly seemed very small. My chances just went up.
Evolved from the Young Plague Dragon to the Plague Dragon.
Gained Special Skill “Wicked Dragon” Lv —.
Gained Special Skill “Psychic Sense” Lv 2.
Gained Special Skill “Automatic HP Recovery” Lv 3.
Finally, the skill I’d been coveting forever—Automatic HP Recovery! Psychic Sense sounded useful, too, although at the moment it was hard to be happy about anything.
Special Skill “Fly” Lv 2 has become Lv 5.
Special Skill “Dragon Scale Powder” Lv 1 has become Lv 3.
Special Skill “Dragon Scale” Lv 2 has become Lv 5.
Due to Title Skill “Dragon King’s Son” Lv —, all Resistance Skills less than Lv 5 have increased.
All my skills increased at once. I guess I really had been a baby dragon before this.
Normal Skill “Disease Breath” Lv 1 has become Lv 3.
Normal Skill “Venom Fangs” Lv 1 has become Lv 3.
Normal Skill “Paralyzing Venom Claws” Lv 1 has become Lv 3.
Normal Skill “Human Transformation” Lv 2 has become Lv 3.
And all the skills I’d made such a conscious effort to not level up suddenly mercilessly increased.
Normal Skill “Baby’s Breath” Lv 5 has evolved to “Scorching Breath” Lv 5.
Gained Normal Skill “Whirlwind Slash” Lv 1.
Gained Normal Skill “Neckbreaker” Lv 1.
Whirlwind Slash and Neckbreaker? Those sound pretty dangerous.
Title Skill “Wrongdoer” Lv 5 has become Lv 6.
Title Skill “Calamity” Lv 3 has become Lv 5.
Title Skill “Dastardly King” Lv 2 has become Lv 4.
Wow, I really am leveling up. And it’s seriously hitting home that there’s no going back from this.
Illusia
Species: Plague Dragon
Status: Normal
Lv: 1/75
HP: 22/142
MP: 42/131
Attack: 158
Defense: 124
Magic: 118
Agility: 98
Rank: B-
Special Skills:
Dragon Scale: Lv 5
Divine Voice: Lv 4
Grecian Language: Lv 3
Fly: Lv 5
Dragon Scale Powder: Lv 3
Dark Type: Lv —
Wicked Dragon: Lv —
Automatic HP Recovery: Lv 3
Psychic Sense: Lv 2
Resistance Skills:
Physical Resistance: Lv 4
Falling Resistance: Lv 5
Hunger Resistance: Lv 4
Poison Resistance: Lv 5
Loneliness Resistance: Lv 5
Magic Resistance: Lv 3
Dark Resistance: Lv 3
Light Resistance: Lv 2
Fear Resistance: Lv 2
Asphyxiation Resistance: Lv 3
Paralysis Resistance: Lv 2
Normal Skills:
Roll: Lv 6
View Status: Lv 5
Scorching Breath: Lv 5
Whistle: Lv 1
Dragon Punch: Lv 3
Disease Breath: Lv 3
Venom Fangs: Lv 3
Paralyzing Venom Claws: Lv 3
Dragon Tail: Lv 1
Bellow: Lv 1
Meteorite: Lv 1
Nutcracker: Lv 2
Human Transformation: Lv 3
Whirlwind Slash: Lv1
Neckbreaker: 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 4
Wrongdoer: Lv 6
Calamity: Lv 5
Chicken Runner: Lv 2
Mr. Chef: Lv 3
Dastardly King: Lv 4
Stalwart: Lv 2
Giant Killer: Lv 1
Ceramic Artisan: Lv 4
Clan Boss: Lv 1
Laplace Interference Authority: Lv 1
My overall stats had gone down since I was starting over at Lv 1, but my attack was up. I was still way faster than the Little Rock Dragon, and I now had more skills and options at my disposal. My scales even grew bigger. My resistance skills all increased, so I’d take less damage now.
I turned to glare at the Little Rock Dragon. Our bodies were roughly the same size now. It had taken a step backwards when it saw me suddenly transform, but now it stared back at me threateningly. Its will to fight was alive and well.
Part 8
“RAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAR!”
My roar echoed through the town.
“Gaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaar!”
The Little Rock Dragon let out a loud roar to match mine.
Our rematch began. The Dragon surged towards me, a cloud of dust in its wake. I flew upward to evade it, spreading my wings and soaring into the sky. Flying felt completely different from before, probably because my Fly skill level had skyrocketed. It required a lot more stamina that I expected; I wouldn’t be able to fly for very long at this rate. At least I didn’t need to use my breath attack as a rocket boost anymore.
I landed on a rooftop right behind the Little Rock Dragon, the structure creaking under my weight. I kicked off the shingles and jumped onto the dragon’s back, targeting its neck, the thinnest part of its body and hopefully the most vulnerable to attack. If I could dig my claws into it, I’d make a sizable dent in its HP.
I dug in with my new, more lethal talons, easily slicing open the stony flesh. Then I curled my body and spun, looping around the dragon before going back the way
I came. It swung its tail down right behind me, hitting the ground with such force that a cloud of dusty earth splashed up in its wake.
As long as I kept a close eye on its movements, I could easily evade its attacks.
I jumped back onto a roof, probably the same house. As long as I stayed in the air, Tremor couldn’t hurt me. That meant the Little Rock Dragon now had no way to attack. I could just sit here and use Automatic HP Recovery.
Plus, I had an attack that could penetrate the monster’s stony flesh. All I had to do was keep its attention off the injured villagers and whittle it down.
At this point, it was nothing but a pile of rocks to me. I pushed off the roof and flew back toward it. It let out a blast of Sand Breath, probably thinking I was going to try the same tactic again, but I cartwheeled to the side. Its neck stretched out as it tried to aim Sand Breath at me, and I used that opportunity to slash that vulnerable neck with my claws.
Its tail came for me again, faster than before, and this time it knew where I was headed.
I cartwheeled again and deviated unsteadily from my intended path, just managing to evade the strike and landing on a house on the other side of its hulking body.
“Graaaaaaaaaaaar!”
The dragon thrashed around, clearly annoyed by its awful neck wound. Energy collected around its feet, signaling that it was preparing for another Tremor. It must’ve known it was pointless if I was perched up on a roof—it was just venting its frustration.
But Tremor would still injure the villagers stuck in the chasm or immobilized from injuries, so as soon as its leg rose, I launched myself into the air. The roof crumbled beneath my feet, a portion of the house falling away.
Folding my arms and legs, I spun into Roll, body crashing into the dragon at an angle.
I caught its leg in midair before it could slam down. The act threw off my balance and made my legs feel weak, and I probably hadn’t done much actual damage, but I did prevent it from using that attack. I kicked off the dragon’s back, spreading my wings and landing on another roof.
Turning back to the dragon, I instinctively kicked up a gust of wind—my new skill, Whirlwind Slash. Blades of wind raced towards the dragon’s neck, aiming for the wound I’d already made and kicking up a huge cloud of dust in its wake.
I didn’t stop there—I let off more Whirlwind Slashes in rapid succession. One hit, two hits, three hits. One by one, blades of wind soared towards the dragon and slashed its neck.
I took to the sky and alighted on the watchtower, now damaged from all the Tremor attacks. The dragon craned back its neck to stare me down on my perch above it. It let out another roar and charged, apparently intent on destroying the watchtower.
After drawing the Little Rock Dragon closer, I jumped off the edge at the exact moment the dragon rammed itself into the tower. The structure trembled and began to collapse, but I was diving straight at my attacker. The dragon stretched out its neck to try to catch me with a breath attack as I flew downward.
I stretched out my wings and sped up, getting too close for it to attack me properly, and then jabbed my elbow into its neck without losing any momentum.
Now that I was closer, my path was clear. Its flesh hung tattered and torn open from my repeated claw attacks, but I could see the shape of the bones in its neck, the fragile parts. I knew instinctively how much force to use and where to use it. That had to be my new Neckbreaker skill.
I broke its neck with a loud snap. It staggered and then fell without a sound of protest.
Normal Skill “Neckbreaker” Lv 1 has become Lv 2.
Gained 384 Experience Points.
Title Skill “Walking Egg” Lv — activated: gained 384 Experience Points.
The massive number of EXP I gained flashed in my head.
Plague Dragon Lv 1 has become Lv 19.
Special Skill “Dragon Scale Powder” Lv 3 has become Lv 4.
Part 9
I’D DEFEATED the Little Rock Dragon, but I still had no idea why Doz had that egg, what that weird status condition was, why his skills were gone, or why he’d come back to the village in the first place.
But at least the village was safe. All I had to do now was leave.
I turned my gaze toward the survivors, making eye contact with a man with broken legs.
“Please don’t kill me! Please spare me!” He pleaded frantically with me, trying to drag himself to safety with his arms. His pants ripped as he crawled across the ground, and I could see the blood flowing from his wounds.
I shouldn’t be here. And not just right now. Ever. There was no reason to ever come back to this village.
“Th-that thing killed Gregory! It killed him!” someone screamed.
Something hit me in the back.
“Raaar!”
I felt the prickle of a magical attack, heat racing down my spine. I didn’t take much damage. Turning, I saw a small girl with orange hair holding a staff almost as tall as she was. And behind her was Myria, standing there stunned.
“Tch! I had a feeling my magic wouldn’t work. His scales are too tough. Myria, go get the baby from the rubble of the tower and run away!”
Myria froze for a few seconds and then grabbed the orange-haired girl’s arm.
“What are you doing, Myria? Let go of me! Have you been hypnotized or something?”
“Please wait, Marielle! That dragon is Illusia, the one I told you about! He’s gotten bigger, but I’m sure it’s him! There must be a misunderstanding. Please stop!”
“Look at Gregory’s head and tell me that was a misunderstanding! It was cut clean off! Rock Dragons don’t have sharp enough claws to do that, and Doz couldn’t either with his rusty sword! Who else except that Dark Dragon could’ve killed him?!”
The orange-haired girl, Marielle, had low HP, but her level was surprisingly high. Her attack power was unimpressive, but that was probably because she was primarily a healer. She was also a species I’d never seen before: Elfingle-human. She must’ve shown up to help get rid of the dragon and take care of the wounded.
Marielle shook off Myria’s grip and aimed her staff towards me again. Myria jumped between us and held her hands out towards me. “Illusi—”
“Raaaaaaaaaaaaaar!” I roared and swiped my claws at her. My pinky sliced right below her ear. Fwoosh. A lock of her hair floated through the air.
“A-ahhh! N-no!”
She collapsed weakly onto the ground.
I reached my other hand towards her, slowly aiming for her face.
“B-but why?!”
“Light Sphere!” Marielle screamed, a glowing ball searing through the air in an arc straight towards me. It hit me right in the palm of my hand.
“Graaar!” I pretended to be injured, staggering dramatically backwards. I narrowed my eyes at Marielle. Fear creased her face for a moment before her strength returned, and she glared back at me.
I dropped her gaze and pushed off the ground, spreading my wings and flying into the sky. Myria stared up with a hand pressed over her mouth. Marielle soberly followed my progress.
The other villagers looked up at me with hatred, and Marielle finally lowered her staff. I wasn’t sure if it was because I flew outside the range of her spells or if she just didn’t want to provoke me from afar.
I took one last look at the town, then lifted my head and turned away, flying as fast as my wings would carry me.
I knew exactly what Dragon Scale Powder Lv 4 would do to humans.
What I didn’t know was whether I’d be able to clear up the misunderstanding between Myria and me, but as long as I had a dangerous passive skill, I couldn’t come back to the village.
I had a feeling she would come looking for me in the forest. That was just how she was. That was why I threatened her. It was painful but necessary.
Resistance Skill “Loneliness Resistance” Lv 5 has become Lv 6.
I landed once I was outside the village borders. Flying was difficult now that I had such a large body to pilot through the air; I wondered if it would become easier if I leveled up my Fly skill more. But for now, flying long distances was impossible.
I probably should have run farther, but I doubted any of the villagers would come after me.
I began the long walk down the path that led to my cave. I wanted to run, but I felt too bulky for that now. My HP was regenerating, but the fatigue wouldn’t go away. Automatic HP Recovery couldn’t do that, just like it couldn’t erase my sadness or the hollow emptiness spreading inside me.
Could I get Automatic Fatigue Recovery or Mental Burden Resistance? Divine Voice would probably just tell me to suck it up and deal with it.
As I walked, I spotted a flower I’d never seen before—white with a red pattern, petals perfectly symmetrical, its colors pure and its shape elegant. The subtle red speckles didn’t take away from that effect; they only made it more exquisite. It was such a beautiful flower it stopped me in my tracks.
Its fragrance reminded me of spring. I reached out to pluck it, but my long claws made me clumsy. The flower was just too small for my new body, and its petals fell, crushed, to the forest floor. I was left with nothing but a bare stem sitting sadly in my palm.
I should’ve used Human Transformation before attempting to pick it. The flower was so beautiful, and regret welled inside me.
I might as well check what it was, though.
Illusia: Value D+.
I gasped. This was my namesake, Myria’s favorite flower. My heart ached at the thought of her. I didn’t have a choice, but I had still betrayed her and fled the village. Did I even deserve to bear such a name?
I’d just noticed it on a whim. I didn’t realize it would be the flower.
A beautiful red and white flower. It’s said that this flower only grows where monsters live; therefore, it is quite rare and a highly coveted gift.
Getting ahold of this flower was difficult; tracking it down showed strength.
It symbolizes bravery, heroism, and courage.
I stared at the crumbled flower in my hand and felt an incredible sadness grow inside me. I couldn’t help but imagine what was going through Myria’s mind when she picked this flower to be my name.
“Raaaaaaaaaaar!” I impulsively let out a roar. A group of birds perched in the trees took off at once, and in the distance, graywolves howled.
Delete it. Please delete it. I have no right to keep using the name Myria gave me.
Once a name has been chosen, it cannot be changed.
The message popped up in my head—this was the second time I’d seen it. Even though the Divine Voice gave me this warning before, this time it just felt like I was being taunted. A young woman put her hopes in me, and I crushed them. Now I had to live with it.
Part 10
MENTALLY AND PHYSICALLY exhausted, I ran back to the cave. My body felt heavy, and every movement hurt. My legs knocked into each other, and it felt like I would trip and fall at any moment. But I didn’t care. I just kept running. And as I ran, I worried. I knew I might have to leave this damn forest altogether.
Dragon Scale Powder had the power to spread sickness and disease. Would it be dangerous to live with the black lizard and the orangurangs? Would the black lizard’s poison resistance work against a plague?
I doubted the villagers could live comfortably knowing that a Plague Dragon lived in the forest. I’d gone into their town once before. They had to think I would come back.
All this combined to make me think I’d come to the end of my time here.
As I ran, I spotted a pack of graywolves up ahead.
“Grrrr…”
“Aroo! Aroo!”
They appeared to be in the middle of a hunt. Five of them had one giant squirrel surrounded. They clawed and bit it from all sides, knocking it to the ground. The giant squirrel grabbed its head and trembled, covered in blood.
“Grrrrr…grr?”
“Groo?”
The graywolves must’ve heard my footsteps. They looked up from their prey.
“Arr! Arr! Arr!”
They scattered like baby spiders spilling out of a broken egg sack, running in all directions. Not even the reckless graywolves would dare attack me now. They used to chase me all over when I was a Young Plague Dragon. They must’ve been able to glance at an enemy and automatically know when they were outclassed.
The giant squirrel looked puzzled and lifted its head, looking around.
“Squeak… S-squeak!”
The instant it saw me its face froze in fear. No need, I had no intention of bothering it. I ran right past without giving it a second look.
I wasn’t expecting that even monsters would be afraid of me. If the black lizard and the orangurangs ran away from me screaming, I thought my heart might break.
I’ve been running for a while. I should be getting close to the cliff by now.
“Kssh!” Suddenly, a familiar voice stopped me in my tracks. The black lizard was dragging its injured leg, walking towards me. It must have taken the long way around the chasm as it tried to follow me.
Did it recognize me with just one glance? It sniffed the air. Maybe it realized it was me from my smell?
I hesitated, my legs rooted to the spot.
The black lizard blinked at me. Then, as if it suddenly figured out what was happening, it ran straight towards me. It threw itself into my arms, but since I was so much bigger now it just felt like something got stuck on me.
“Kssh! Kssh! Kssh!” I sat down right in the middle of the forest, setting the black lizard on my tail and lifting it up to my face. I patted its head, being very careful of my claws.
“Kssh! Kssh!” The black lizard cooed happily.
I had a lot of worries weighing on my mind. The first was that I still didn’t know how Doz ended up in that state. I did have a guess, though, and if I was right, I couldn’t just leave it alone. I’d have to do something about it before I left the forest.
My second worry was Dragon Scale Powder Lv 4. That was a grave danger to everyone around me.
Worry number three was the village. I doubted the villagers could go on with their lives, knowing I was out here somewhere. I knew they might hire more fighters like that swordswoman to track me down and kill me, and that would put the black lizard and the orangurangs in danger.
My fourth worry was that I might not even fit into my cave anymore. Well, I could use Human Transformation to get inside, but at this size I would probably destroy the black lizard, the orangurangs, and all my pots all at once. I was so big that even all our jerky probably wouldn’t be enough to feed me.
At any rate, first I needed to apologize to the black lizard. It didn’t seem upset, but still. All I could do was gesture, so communicating remorse was difficult, and I didn’t want to be misunderstood and cause more problems.
But for now, I just wanted my friend to get some rest.
“Kssh!” The black lizard was welcoming me back home, I just knew it.
“Raar.” I roared back, saying “thank you.”