Chapter 2: The Girl and the Dragon
Chapter 2:
The Girl and the Dragon
PART 1
“KYAAAAOOOOH!”
The graywolf howled as I sent it flying through the air with a Dragon Punch. It slammed against a tree and slumped to the ground.
This creature was, as its name suggested, a gray wolf. It was nearly twice my size, and a formidable opponent.
The sun had almost set, so I decided this would be my last conquest for the day.
Gained 24 Experience Points.
Title Skill “Walking Egg” Lv — activated: gained 24 Experience Points.
Since defeating that big group of darkwyrms, I was able to attack other monsters much more aggressively, but my level wasn’t really going up that much. Possibly it was due to only choosing battles I was sure I could win; I was always sure to check a monster’s stats before engaging. This got me a Title Skill called Safety First: Lv 1. I was pretty sure Divine Voice was trying to call me a wuss.
My Loneliness Resistance and View Status had also gone up. It made sense, since all I’d been doing was going around checking out statuses, and I was alone all the damn time. The Loneliness Resistance didn’t really seem good for much, though, since I still felt pretty lonely.
Feel free to talk to me more, Divine Voice.
Three days had passed, but I was still only at level 15. I needed five more additional levels before I could evolve again, at level 20.
I’d spent a lot of time searching out and defeating lower-level graywolves. I could take out up to about a Lv 6 with no problems. The one I just defeated was a Lv 6 graywolf who had strayed from his pack.
Maybe I should explore more? The only way to level up was to get more experience, after all. I wouldn’t get very far if I kept hunting with Safety First.
New experiences and tougher battles had to be the key to growth. That was true back in Japan, so I was sure things couldn’t be all that different here.
But what exactly was my goal? I was surviving just fine, but occasionally the Divine Voice would pop into my head and start pressuring me with the same line, over and over. Grow stronger. I knew I shouldn’t put blind faith in it to the point of endangering myself, but it was definitely egging me on. Even though I wasn’t an egg anymore.
I used Baby’s Breath to roast the graywolf. It was a bit gamey, but still exponentially better than giant caterpillars. I just wished I had some salt and pepper.
“Κάνω εγείρουν μου-όπως το όνομα. Και είναι σε θέση να εργαστεί σταθερά!”
I was tearing into my dinner when I suddenly heard voices. I didn’t recognize the language, but the voices were definitely human.
“Εγώ, τρομακτικό.”
“Και επειδή αναγνωρίζω μόνο το χέρι της μαγείας, Διαβάστε σωστά.”
I strained to hear as I ate. There were three distinct voices, two men—one young and one old—and a young girl. The younger man sounded casual, while the old man’s voice carried a hint of sterness. The girl sounded frightened.
Whoa, there are other people here?
All the Loneliness Resistance in the world couldn’t make up for spending so long only interacting with monsters. I couldn’t express how much I’d been craving human contact.
Their words were strange to me, but I could make it work. Half of communication was nonverbal, right? I wolfed down the rest of my dinner, eager to finish and find the humans. I swallowed my last mouthful, tossed the bones aside, and rushed off in the direction of the voices. I caught glimpses of a large, intimidatingly built man through the trees. The other two must be nearby.
“Raaar!”
I tried to call out to them, but the only thing that came out of my mouth was a dragon’s roar. Oh, dammit. I tried to wave my hands reassuringly. I was probably going to level up “Just an Idiot” any time now.
The man looked over at me and froze. Then he grinned. The two other humans stepped into view, both of them focused on me as well. A big tough guy, an old man, and a girl, just as their voices had suggested. Their clothes were strange—armor and robes, like they’d just stepped out of a fantasy story.
Well, I probably shouldn’t be surprised considering the monsters and everything, but was this whole world like that? Eh, I could deal with that later. First I had to win their hearts with my charming growls.
The big guy, who had to be the leader, was looking at me with such a pleased grin on his face. And he continued grinning the whole time as he drew his sword and brandished it at me.
He wasn’t anywhere near me, and at first I thought the white streaks bursting out of his sword were some kind of optical illusion. But they slashed through the trees and streaked toward me, their wake rustling the grass. I didn’t have time to dodge. Both of my arms were up, leaving my abdomen completely vulnerable. The white slashes hit me in the gut, leaving angry red marks behind.
“Raaar!”
Oww, that really hurt! Way worse than the graywolf! I belatedly checked the guy’s stats.
Doz Doglemaad
Species: Earth-human
Status: Normal
Lv: 14/45
HP: 38/42
MP: 11/15
Attack: 40+12
Defense: 28+6
Magic: 17
Agility: 22
Equipment:
Weapon: Longsword: D+
Armor: Golden Copper
Armor: D
Special Skills:
Grecian Language: Lv 6
Swordsman: Lv 2
Resistance Skills:
Soul Contamination Resistance: Lv 3
Normal Skills:
Shockwave: Lv 2
Flame Slash: Lv 1
Intimidation: Lv 3
Title Skills:
Novice Warrior: Lv 4
Okay, so…that just now must have been his Shockwave skill. His name was Doz and his species was “Earth-human.” So…just a human who lives on Earth? And he thought I was his enemy. I needed to prove to him that I wasn’t a threat.
I flapped my arms and made my best friendly face. “Raa, raar raar!”
Doz smiled again before unleashing a second Shockwave.
Well okay, buddy. He was determined to fight. I should probably run. My level was higher, but I couldn’t take on all of them at once.
Shockwave was fast. I guarded myself with my arms. It was better than taking it in the stomach, but it still stung. A few more of those blows and I wouldn’t even be able to use my hands.
“Αποφάσεις αγοράς υπεραστικών έχει απομείνει για μένα! φως μαγεία ‘ακτίνα’!”
The old man lifted his staff toward me. They weren’t stopping. I was just another enemy to them.
Light spewed forth from the tip of his staff, illuminating our surroundings. It was so bright I had to squint. Intense heat flared up over my skin.
What the heck… Was that magic?!
I’d had a passing thought that he looked like a magician with the robes and the staff, but I wasn’t expecting actual spells.
“Graaawr!”
I roared, writhing in pain.
Gained Resistance Skill “Magic Resistance” Lv 1.
Flight wasn’t an option. I didn’t even have time to think before the onslaught began again. If only I’d been a little quicker on my feet… I was a dragon—it was ridiculous to try to approach a human. My loneliness had clouded my judgment.
I wasn’t a person anymore. I was a monster. Consider that lesson very painfully learned.
My body felt heavy and numb. I checked my stats. My condition had changed from Normal to Paralyzed.
That’s it. They’re gonna kill me.
Two sets of footsteps approached cautiously, while a third scampered along out of time.
“Δεν είναι εχθρότητα προς αυτό το δράκο!”
It was the girl. I stretched my aching neck up to find her standing between me and her companions. I couldn’t understand her, but tears glistened in her eyes. It sounded like she was pleading.
The old man scratched his head awkwardly. Doz looked from the girl, to the old man, and then to me. He clicked his tongue in aggravation, then sheathed his sword.
Wait…did she just save me?
The girl turned, came closer to me, and petted my head. “Ανάκτηση μαγεία ‘υπόλοιπο.’” She said something, and suddenly I was bathed in a gentle light. The numbness and pain that had seized my body began to ease. She peered at my face and smiled, relieved.
“καλός?” she said.
I didn’t know this world’s language, but I thought I understood what she was trying to say. She was worried about me. She wanted to know if I was all right. I’d been so lonely that those words touched me, sending tears streaming down my face.
“Gwaah…” I cried, trying to tell her “thank you.” I thought she must have understood me, because she patted my head again.
Her hand was so soft. The first touch I felt in this new life of mine was warm and comforting.
Doz yelled something at the girl and she snapped back. He frowned in irritation and began to say something else, but the old man stopped him. Doz clicked his tongue again, before he and the old man turned and headed back into the forest.
The girl stayed. Maybe she was worried my paralysis hadn’t completely worn off yet. But those two guys were her friends. Shouldn’t she go with them?
PART 2
Myria Milleania
Species: Earth-human
Status: Normal
Lv: 6/70
HP: 18/20
MP: 4/20
Attack: 12+5
Defense: 14+2
Magic: 25
Agility: 17
Equipment:
Weapon: Withered Staff: F+
Armor: Village Girl Dress: F-
Special Skills:
Grecian Language: Lv 5
Mage: Lv 2
Resistance Skills:
Normal Skills:
Rest: Lv 2
Fireball: Lv 1
Title Skills:
Novice White Mage: Lv 2
The girl who saved me was named Myria. She was probably in her early twenties, but her face, short stature, and messy hair made her look much younger.
She pulled my head onto her lap and stroked my cheeks. I wanted to make sure she didn’t get scared and run away, so I stretched out my arms and legs to show how harmless I was and let myself rest. To be honest, the numbness had mostly passed, but I held still and even put on a decent tremble. I was afraid that if Myria decided I was well enough, she would leave. I wanted to stay like this for just a bit longer.
I knew it was selfish of me. But I was so lonely.
Myria peered down at me and asked again if I was all right. Then she said something that could have been “I’m sorry.” I didn’t understand the words, of course, but I could make a pretty good guess based on her expression and her voice.
Gained Special Skill: “Grecian Language” Lv 1.
Oh? Maybe I’ll be able to understand her more after a while, then.
Gained Title Skill: “Liar” Lv 1.
Wow, laying it on pretty thick, aren’t you? You’ve got a terrible personality, Divine Voice. Who the heck do you think you are?
Still, was it just me or was I getting way too many Title Skills way too easily?
Doz and Myria didn’t have many Title Skills at all, and they had lived much longer than I had. So where were all the Skills coming from? They were all pretty insulting too. Most likely it had something to do with Divine Voice, but I had no way of knowing.
Myria’s max level was incredibly high. Doz’s max level was 45, but hers was 70. I didn’t know how humans could evolve, so their potential must have a limit. I bet one day Myria’s going to be way stronger than that jerk swordsman.
I relaxed against her as I pondered. Suddenly I heard screams in the distance. I immediately recognized the voices of Doz and the old man.
Myria froze, looking in the direction of the noise. Gently, she helped me to stand and lean against a tree trunk. Doz’s and Myria’s stats were very different. Myria had the potential to one day outstrip him, but as of right now he was far more powerful. So if someone like Doz was screaming, no way should Myria charge in blindly.
I was hanging on by a thread, so I wouldn’t be much help either. I wondered if the Rest skill she’d used on me was some kind of recovery magic. Her MP was low; I doubted she could cast it again. She used the last of her power to heal me.
If Myria ran off to help Doz and the old guy, she’d be defenseless. Her fighting ability was low and she was too drained to use her recovery magic. And she must know that.
“R-raar…” I said.
“τα λέμε,” she replied with a sad smile. Then she waved her little hand at me, her expression tense, and ran off towards the voices.
“Raaar!”
I wanted to stop her, but when I tried to move I just fell over. I guess I was still a little paralyzed. I’d assumed that the absence of pain meant I was fully recovered, but apparently not.
“Raa! Raaaaaar!” I yelled after Myria. She slowed and turned back to me, her eyes narrowed with concern. But she just dipped her head and started running again.
Wait! I wished I could yell. There’s nothing you can do now!
“GRAAAAAAAAOOOO!”
A noise echoed from deep in the forest, so loud that it shook the ground beneath me. It came from the same direction as Doz and the others’ shouts. Although far louder and much more menacing, it reminded me of the noises that I made when I tried to speak.
I knew instinctively that the source of that voice was on an entirely different level from the darkwyrms and graywolves. I couldn’t let Myria go off and face it by herself. When I tried to lift my legs, the numbness was still there. None of my limbs moved how I wanted them to. And despite the recovery magic Myria had cast on me, my HP was still half depleted. That added to paralysis meant I’d just end up as monster chow if I went after her.
Nevertheless, I had to do something. I stood up on my trembling legs, the pins and needles gradually wearing off with each uneasy step I took.
I could do this. I would have my mobility back by the time I got there.
I took my time, working my way slowly towards the source of the disturbance. Now that the paralysis was pretty much gone, I took another look at my status.
Species: Baby Dragon
Status: Paralyzed (Slight)
Lv: 20/25
HP: 38/72
MP: 59/68
Attack: 61
Defense: 46
Magic: 58
Agility: 42
Rank: D-
Special Skills:
Dragon Scale: Lv 1
Divine Voice: Lv 2
Grecian Language: Lv 1
Resistance Skills:
Physical Resistance: Lv 2
Fall Resistance: Lv 3
Hunger Resistance: Lv 2
Poison Resistance: Lv 2
Loneliness Resistance: Lv 3
Magic Resistance: Lv 1
Normal Skills:
Roll: Lv 2
View Status: Lv 2
Baby’s Breath: Lv 2
Whistle: Lv 1
Lovebite: Lv 1
Dragon Punch: Lv 2
Title Skills:
Dragon King’s Son: Lv —
Walking Egg: Lv —
Klutz: Lv 3
Just an Idiot: Lv 1
Infighter: Lv 3
Pest Killer: Lv 1
Safety First: Lv 1
Liar: Lv 1
Yep, half my HP was gone, and surely my enemy’s stats would be far stronger than mine. But maybe if Myria, her friends, and I worked together, maybe we could scare it off?
PART 3
BUT BY THE TIME I got there, the fight was over…
“Raaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaar!”
The dragon let out a triumphant roar. It was gigantic. Much bigger than the humans or little old me, probably over five meters tall, with a long neck. Its body was rough and covered in lumpy, hardened spots that reminded me of rocks.
The dragon was the sort of monster that would send me running if I saw it from afar. Just the sound of its footsteps told me it was way out of my league. The three humans, including Myria, were on the ground by its giant feet. They were all bleeding.
I forced my focus off Myria and back to the rocky dragon. I had to check its status. Then maybe I could figure out a way to deal with it.
Species: Little Rock Dragon
Status: Paralyzed (Slight)
Lv: 14/55
HP: 197/212
MP: 45/87
Attack: 168
Defense: 224
Magic: 82
Agility: 46
Rank: C
Special Skills:
Dragon Scale: Lv 3
Breath Boost: Lv 1
Automatic HP Recovery: Lv 1
Earth Type: Lv —
Resistance Skills:
Fire Resistance: Lv 5
Physical Resistance: Lv 3
Magic Resistance: Lv 2
Normal Skills:
Sand Breath: Lv 4
Bite: Lv 3
Stone Claws: Lv 3
Regenerate: Lv 2
Tremor: Lv 4
Stone Breath: Lv 6
Dragon Tail: Lv 2
Title Skills:
Final Evolution: Lv –
Before, I hadn’t been able to get a clear look at an enemy’s stats from a distance. Maybe it was because my View Status skill had been too low. But now I could see the dragon’s stats clearly.
It was five times bigger than me, and its stats were triple mine.
Just making eye contact sent a wave of fear washing over me. I was trembling. I couldn’t believe I actually thought the four of us could beat this thing.
Blood streaked the dragon’s rugged body, but I doubted it was its own. I didn’t see any injuries. Its defense was probably too high for attacks to hit at all.
So this was a Little Rock Dragon, huh? I couldn’t even imagine what a fully grown Rock Dragon must look like.
“Raaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaar!”
Its roar was incredibly deep and low, with enough resonance to make the entire forest tremble. Silence hung heavily, threaded with a panicked tension. Even the insects must have all fled when they heard those fierce roars. I wished I could do the same.
Ru
n.
You must.
Run. Run. It’s.
no.
use.
The Divine Voice flickered in and out of my mind. My brain felt like it was vibrating. It was nauseating.
There was nothing I could do. I had absolutely no skills that could defeat this thing. The best attack I had was Dragon Punch, but it wouldn’t work against this dragon’s stats. I didn’t even have to try it to know that.
A cruel hopelessness opened up inside me. The numbers didn’t lie. There was no way I could win. In my estimation, I’d have to land thirty Dragon Punches with perfect accuracy right on the dragon’s head to even have a chance to defeat it. That was how different our stats were. And that was assuming that each punch was full power and that the dragon didn’t use its Regeneration skill. Most likely I couldn’t even reach its head, it was so much bigger than me. And I didn’t have the MP necessary to use thirty Dragon Punches, anyway. The chances of me winning were flat-out zero.
To make matters worse, my only allies were currently passed out cold. I’d checked their statuses so I knew they weren’t dead, but all of their conditions showed Unconscious and Bleeding. Myria, who had protected me and smiled at me so kindly, was bleeding out on the ground with her eyes closed.
But the Little Rock Dragon was slow. Maybe I could charge in, land a single punch, and then drag the three humans away. I could save them.
That was my only hope. It was the signature move I’d developed when I was still an egg; my one and only tactic that combined my speed with my attack power and helped me kill my first darkwyrm.
I charged in, kicking off the ground. I still had the Roll ability. I pulled in my arms and legs to form a little ball as I spun, channeling my old egg form.
Seeing me approach, the Little Rock Dragon raised its craggy tail in readiness to thwart my attack. The rough, jagged whip swung in preparing to crush me with mass alone. I zigzagged from right to left, magnificently evading its tail. The earth split behind me, making an awful sound, but I ignored it. I had to.
Right now, all my focus had to be on the Little Rock Dragon’s movements. It lifted its massive front leg, intending to crush me. I dodged out of the way. The tail swished towards me. I dodged it. Again and again, I just kept dodging it. I focused all of my energy into evasion as I searched for a weak spot.
The Little Rock Dragon thrust its long neck towards me, opening its mouth wide.
Here comes the Bite attack!
I’d seen it on its Status Screen; I knew it’d try to use it eventually. I was waiting for this moment when it stretched its neck out close to me.
I jumped up as high as I could, evading the attack by a paper-thin margin.
Gained Title Skill “King of Evasion” Lv 1.
Now!
I tackled its stony face with all my strength. It threw me off, the force of it almost knocking me out of Roll. I somehow managed to keep moving, scrambling away from its head.
Please, it has to work. C’mon and chase me! Come after me!
The malice wafting off it was overwhelming.
Suddenly the ground began to rumble. Or at least, that’s what it felt like to me. The landscape trembled and shook, kicking dust up into the air. A tree right in front of me broke off at the roots and fell towards me. It hit me hard, breaking my Roll skill and slamming me to the ground.
What was that? My head swam but I forced myself to think through it. It had to be the dragon’s Tremor skill. The Little Rock Dragon had used its gigantic body to stomp on the earth to make it shake.
If I was in this state, there was no way the other three were safe. They were much closer to the dragon than I was. My only comfort was that since Tremor seemed to have such a wide area of effect, its power might’ve been dispersed enough to not do too much damage.
The Little Rock Dragon began its slow walk to where I lay crumpled on the ground.
Come on, come on!
I tried to get up. God, my body felt heavy. The dragon’s guard was down; this was my chance. I’d lie still for now and pretend I couldn’t move.
The Little Rock Dragon came up beside me, big mouth open, right in my face. Then I sprang up and blasted a Dragon Punch with all my might, hitting it right in the teeth.
Its fangs scraped my fist and I felt the skin break, but I landed the punch nonetheless. The inside of its mouth was vulnerable, one of the few places it didn’t have that rocky hide.
“Raaaaaaaaaar!”
I retreated as the Little Rock Dragon let out a fearsome roar, its neck swinging around wildly in pain.
I did that.
That must have hurt, but it definitely wasn’t a victory. I couldn’t hope for a victory. My attack hadn’t knocked much HP off at all.
I ran for the nearest human—the old man. I checked his status. His HP was at 0. Not great, but I needed to check the others, too. I found Doz next. The Little Rock Dragon’s claws had gotten him; his armor was ripped apart across the chest, wounds oozing blood. His legs were pinned by a branch that must have fallen during the Tremor attack.
I tried to shift the branch, but it was too heavy for me to lift by myself.
Tssss…
A hiss like steam behind made me turn around. Smoke billowed from the Little Rock Dragon’s mouth. I instinctively knew that it was using its Regeneration skill, already undoing the little damage that I’d risked my life to inflict.
This was ridiculous. The dragon was way too strong.
I used Roll to speed towards Myria, who was still unconscious some distance away. I had some trouble finding her. The Tremor attack had left the ground uneven, and she’d slid partially into a depression in the dirt. As gently as I could, I took her neck in my jaws and pulled her out. She was slightly bigger than me, but I managed to sling her over my back.
Then I ran as fast as I could. I ran and I ran, the forest flashing by around me. I heard a crushing sound from behind that did not bode well for the other two humans. But I didn’t turn around.
PART 4
I RAN THROUGH THE FOREST with Myria on my back. The Little Rock Dragon didn’t follow us, but the graywolves must have been drawn in by the scent of her blood. They had us in their sights. A group of at least three. I could win if I took them head-on, but I wasn’t sure I could protect Myria at the same time.
The graywolves weren’t showing themselves, but I could hear them faintly. They seemed to be biding their time. I hoped they were considering withdrawing at the sight of my Stats, but it was also possible they were waiting for reinforcements, or trailing me in separate groups. Graywolves were very skilled at sniffing out others of their kind to form hunting packs. According to Divine Voice, it was a common strategy.
Well, if they weren’t going to attack until later, that was a problem for later. I’d just proceed like they planned to leave us alone. I didn’t really have a choice; I couldn’t take them all on my own, and Myria’s HP was dwindling by the minute.
At first I thought it was just my imagination, brought on by worry and my anxious, constant checking of her status. But I was right—her HP was draining constantly. It had to be a status condition. Bleeding. And at this rate, she wouldn’t last five more minutes.
I thought I’d grown strong hunting those low-rank monsters, but in the grand scheme of things, I was weak. Worthless. After all those days of loneliness, I’d finally started to make a friend. But I couldn’t even protect her.
“Raaaa!”
A Baby Dragon’s roar. Maybe it wasn’t the sort of sound to strike fear in the hearts of all the local monsters like the Little Rock Dragon’s roar. Maybe it would just call my enemies closer, seeking easy prey. But I couldn’t help myself. I had to roar. It was the only way to ease all the terrible, pent-up feelings that were swirling inside of me.
I wanted to be stronger. I wanted to be able to crush that ugly Rock Dragon like it was a lowly wyrm.
The more I ran, the more of Myria’s warm blood I felt running down my body, her life draining away with it.
“Raaaaaa!”
I roared again, a reckless call for help. But the only response I received was the fierce cries of monsters stronger than me, and the echo of my own pathetic little voice.
Gained Title Skill “Protective Spirit” Lv 1.
Wow, Divine Voice, how thoughtful! Not like I can actually do anything with that!
Hold on. Title Skills must have some kind of effect. Walking Egg kept giving me experience points. It was called a Skill, so it must have an ability attached. So maybe I could do something with it.
Hey, Divine Voice! Are you listening to me?!
Special Skill “Divine Voice” Lv 2 is unable to provide that explanation.
Come on, don’t mess around! Someone’s life is on the line!
Special Skill “Divine Voice” Lv 2 is unable to provide that explanation.
You’ve gotta be kidding me! You’re the one who kept forcing those messages into my head saying “Get stronger” and “Run”! Listen, I don’t know who you are, but I’ve got a feeling you’re not as neutral as you pretend to be. You’ve been watching and ridiculing me this whole time! So suck it up and answer me! There’s no time left!
Special Skill “Divine Voice” Lv 2 is unable to provide that explanation.
The same answer over and over again. That feeling of throwing a ball against a wall returned, repetitive and futile, every word mysterious and inscrutable.
The Divine Voice was useless, so what should I do? How could I save Myria? I racked my brain, poring over every detail of this system controlling me.
I had an idea.
When I pushed hard to understand what the humans were saying, I gained a special skill called Grecian Language. I had that skill now, but I hadn’t made any progress with it beyond that. I couldn’t use the language.
I’d been thinking about the system all wrong. Every time a new skill appeared, I wasn’t gaining a new ability I could use. Instead, the skills reflected things I could already do. The world wasn’t bound to the numbers; my Status Screen or whatever it was didn’t create reality or make things happen. It just read the state of the world and put it in a numerical form. I was sure there were still elements I didn’t understand; this was only a theory, after all. But it made a whole lot more sense than the alternative.
In other words, skills didn’t just miraculously appear out of nowhere. Instead, skills were expressions of physical feats and capabilities. So if I practiced and worked at it, I should be able to use recovery magic. I could even do it now, however crude and low-level.
I lowered Myria off my back and lay her gently on the ground. I thought back to when she used magic on me—the light, the warmth, the sensation. According to her Status Screen, her recovery magic was called Rest.
I focused on the word “Rest” in my mind, trying to visualize the effects of the spell, and shouted it in my head.
Rest, Rest.
It’s not working. Nothing’s happening.
Rest! Rest! Rest! Rest!
Something was happening…
Rest! Rest! Rest! Rest! Rest! Rest!
A sudden, intense fatigue swept through my brain.
Fatigue? Just from thinking about something? If my MP was draining, did that mean the magic was working?
Rest! Rest! Rest! Rest! Rest! Rest!
Rest! Rest! Rest! Rest! Rest! Rest!
Rest! Rest! Rest! Rest! Rest! Rest!
Rest! Rest! Rest! Rest! Rest! Rest!
After repeating it dozens of times, a light appeared, healing Myria’s wounds just the slightest bit. I did it!
I kept repeating Rest for as long as my stamina held out. I started panting, and I could feel my limit approaching. Checking my status, I saw that my MP had dropped to 0. I checked Myria’s. Her HP was just a little higher than it had been.
That’s it? I used up all my MP and that’s all it did? Well, at least the negative status effect Bleeding disappeared. She should survive now.
Title Skill “Protective Spirit” Lv 1 has become Lv 3.
I don’t care about title skills, just give me the Rest ability!
My spell only had about a fifth of the power that Myria’s did, but at least she wouldn’t bleed to death now. Still, Myria’s low HP made me nervous. I needed to take her somewhere safe. My only choice was to leave the forest and search for the humans’ village.
When Myria and the others had found me, their HP and MP were fine, and they hadn’t seemed tired. That must mean their village was nearby. I searched for signs of where they’d come from as best I could and ran as fast as my legs could move in that direction.
PART 5
TWO GRAYWOLVES were following me. They’d finally shown themselves, clearly choosing a fight over retreat. They must have spent a while observing me and decided they stood a good chance. They closed in and then retreated, over and over, staying just out of range.
One was Lv 7, the other Lv 8. I could take the two of them with no problems, even with Myria on my back. If any others came to join in on the fun, though…
I knew it. Those two were just decoys. The pack had purposefully sent the two smallest wolves to draw my attention. They would wait for me to take the bait, and as soon as I slowed my pace to attack, the three hiding nearby would charge. The graywolves’ standard tactic.
Normally, I could take on five of them easily. I was totally confident that I could destroy an entire pack of graywolves.
But I had Myria on my back. My only choice was to run.
Argh! Stop following me, you stupid stalker wolves!
I sped up, hoping to shake them, but they were stubborn.
I didn’t have much stamina left. Not after a high-level dragon handed me my ass and I taught myself recovery magic by brute force, using it until my MP was completely drained.
I sighed—normally, losing them would be easy. But I pushed that thought out of my mind—I wasn’t going to accomplish anything by whining about it.
“Gaaaaaaar!”
“Grrrrrrr!”
“Gaarooooo!”
“Arooooo!”
“Garoooo!”
The wolves began to howl. They must have realized I wasn’t taking the bait, or maybe they’d noticed my injured state. They gave up on their ambush and sprinted towards me all together, their leader in front. There were five of them, just as I’d suspected.
The vanguards were Lv 7 and Lv 8. Fine. I could defeat them with little to no damage.
The two flanking the head wolf were Lv 10 and Lv 11. In peak condition, I could take them down easily. Even now, they probably couldn’t beat me, but they’d wear me down enough that other monsters could take advantage and pick me off.
The final wolf was the real problem. It was Lv 15. I’d never seen such a high-level graywolf before. Even if my stats were at full power, I would have made a tactical retreat before fighting it. Near the point of collapse, I knew I was in trouble. This was not a fight I wanted to have.
Just leave me alone!
I ran as fast as I could, but they were closing in. The head wolf could really move. Its agility was on par with mine, and it had a title skill called Forest Hunter. It was probably a big shot in the wolf world.
Fortunately, there was quite a gap between it and the smaller wolves. It was a risk, but if I could get the head wolf alone, I thought I might be able to take it on while still protecting Myria. If I just picked off the little ones, the leader would fly into a rage, but if I got rid of the leader, the others would run away. If I couldn’t outrun them, that would have to be my strategy.
I wanted to give myself an edge with my Breath attack, but I didn’t have any MP. It would have to be hand-to-hand combat.
I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t worried about protecting Myria. I couldn’t outrun the wolves, so putting off a fight now would only delay the inevitable. I needed to attack.
The Little Rock Dragon had let me off comparatively easily, but I was pretty confident in saying I hadn’t yet been in a situation this dire.
I sped up, trying to build up some distance between the leader of the pack and the other wolves. I needed it alone to have half a chance. I held out hope that I could still lose them, but no luck. Fine. I expected that.
Slowing abruptly, I leapt up onto a nearby tree branch, digging in my claws to redirect my momentum. There was the pack leader, temporarily bewildered by my sudden leap into the trees. I used that split-second of confusion to my advantage, jumping from the branch and right onto the wolf’s head.
“Gaaaaooo!”
I bit into the back of its vulnerable neck with as much force as I could muster.
The other wolves ran up. I snarled and pushed the leader away, maneuvering myself into a turn without losing momentum. And then I started running again.
Everything went according to plan, save for one little detail.
“Grrrrrrrr!”
The head wolf wasn’t dead.
If I’d stuck around to finish the job, I would’ve been wide open for the little wolves’ counterattack. I missed my shot. My exhaustion must have weakened my attack.
God, I hadn’t even knocked it unconscious. It was awake and spitting with rage, springing to its feet and glaring at me with crimson eyes. The little wolves circled their leader worriedly, but it just knocked them away and came at me even faster than before.
Its claws tore at the ground as it completely ignored its draining stamina and charged me, faster and faster. It still had more than a fourth of its HP left, and the status condition Fury.
I sprinted to put distance between us, but it kept up easily.
What should I do? Should I attack again?
Up until now, I’d had the advantage of pretending to run away. If I turned to fight, there was no guarantee that I could get the first strike. Plus, the wolf was in Fury mode, making its movements erratic and unpredictable.
Even one hit would be bad, for me and for Myria. Neither of us had HP to spare. If only I had enough MP for Baby’s Breath… But there was no sense in bellyaching.
I was worse off than I was when the fight started, but I still had to do something. One more attack. Come on. One more, and I was sure I could kill it.
I shot a quick glance behind me at the head wolf. Then I returned my focus forward, trying to map out the lay of the land and running the simulation. Judging by the terrain, the position of the trees… Yeah, I could do it again. The same trick. I could defeat the wolf.
I leapt into a tree, using my hind legs to maneuver in the air. But Myria’s weight on my back messed with my center of gravity and I lost my balance, pitching backwards. Not good, not good!
“Gaaaaaaao!”
The wolf came at me with an angled claw attack, digging into my chest and tearing all the way down towards my belly.
I almost dropped Myria, but I shook my hips and hitched her back into position. Another attack came, punishment for taking my attention off the enemy.
The wolf brandished its other claw.
“Grrrrrr!”
I thrust my shoulder forward to take the brunt, but the gash was deep.
The second-fastest wolf caught up to us, flanking me from behind. It charged, attacking from my blind spot. Luckily, it missed Myria. But it didn’t miss my stomach, which took severe damage.
I couldn’t waste any more time. And now it was impossible for me to fight with Myria on my back.
I threw her off onto the ground. The impact would be rough on her in the state she was in, but I needed the freedom of movement.
Now that I was lighter, I evaded the attacks that came at me from the front, punching the pack leader in the nose as hard as I could. He slammed to the ground, skidding over the forest floor and collapsing. I checked to make sure his HP was zero. Yep. Down for good.
Gained 60 Experience Points.
Title Skill “Walking Egg” Lv — activated: gained 60 Experience Points.
“Baby Dragon” Lv 20 has become Lv 22.
Haah, haah… That was rough. Why couldn’t my HP fully recover after I leveled up, like a video game? This world sucked.
I wanted to give Divine Voice the finger, but I couldn’t lift my arm.
“Gaaaaaao!”
One of the smaller wolves pounced on me from behind and bit into my shoulder. I shook it off and kicked it away, picking Myria up and putting her on my back again. Then I took off running.
They should have gotten scared and fled after I defeated their leader. But either they could sense how weak I was, or they were underestimating me after getting a good bite in. Whatever the case, they still followed.
The world faded in and out. My head hurt, my wounds throbbed, and my HP was so low. The bite on my shoulder stung. My legs grew heavier and heavier.
“Grrrrr!”
The closest wolf swiped its claws towards my back. I twisted to protect Myria from the blow, taking it myself. I couldn’t endure this for long. For a split second, it felt like I was on the edge of unconsciousness. And my enemies weren’t kind enough to overlook the opening I’d just given them.
From behind me came the sound of rending flesh.
Was I dead?
Strangely, there was no pain. Maybe that’s what death felt like. But I could still move. And what was that I felt on my back? I shook my head, trying to think straight. And then I realized what had happened. It wasn’t my flesh that split open. It was Myria’s.
Her HP was even lower, and she had the negative status effect Bleeding again. I’d worked so hard to save her life, and now it was in danger again.
My mind went completely blank. I howled. The remaining four wolves must have sensed my rage, because they cowered and backed away.
Status Condition: Fury.
PART 6
AWARENESS SLOWLY CAME back to me. My body felt heavy and I hurt all over. I looked down at myself and my many, many wounds.
I didn’t want to do anything about them. I just wanted to lie on this cool forest floor and sleep, even if it meant I slept forever.
No…I couldn’t lose to the pain. I have to figure out what’s going on…that’s my only hope.
What happened to me? And Myria…where was Myria?
I lifted my head and saw a graywolf. And that was when I knew I had lost. I’d hoped that when I got up, the wolves would be gone and Myria would be safe. But that hope was in vain.
So you won? Fine, do whatever you want. I can’t even stand. Just hurry up and kill me.
“ ”
I don’t know what sound the wolf made in response; I doubted I was even fully conscious. But it didn’t kill me. It just rushed into the forest and disappeared, like a scared little puppy with its tail between its legs.
Huh?
There was something strange in my mouth—I’d felt it since I woke up. Was I holding something with my teeth? With a huge effort, I opened my jaws, and the thing that was in my mouth fell onto the ground. It was a graywolf, covered in blood, its neck broken. I’d crushed it.
Gained 44 Experience Points.
Title Skill “Walking Egg” Lv — activated: gained 44 Experience Points.
Baby Dragon Lv 22 has become Lv 23.
Ooh…I’m getting close to evolving.
With considerable effort, I managed to lift my head and look around. The bodies of two graywolves lay beside me.
They’re dead… Was I the one who killed them?
It had to be, considering how fast I leveled up. I must have lost it and run completely wild. It sounded nuts, but that was the only explanation.
But what about Myria? Where was she?
Myria? Myria? Ah…
I spotted her lying on the ground and ran to her. She was alive. She was still alive! She was bleeding and her HP was low, but she was still alive. I had to hurry.
I put her on my back and dragged my beat-up body to its feet. I ran.
At last, I made my way out of the forest and across a stretch of land covered in mounds of dirt in neat rows. Crops…? That must mean the human village was nearby. I made it in time.
I didn’t have time to go around. Guiltily, I ran right through the field, trampling the crops in my way. I thought they might be vegetables, but my vision was hazy so I couldn’t be sure. Hopefully I would be forgiven.
With every step I took toward the first row of houses, I felt the strangest illusion that I was getting lighter with every step. And finally, I made it. I staggered into the village. It was late enough that no one was on the street. Myria wouldn’t last much longer; she needed treatment immediately. She’d die if I spent too much time searching for someone.
“Raaaaaaaaar!”
I stood right in the middle of the village and let out a loud roar.
“Somebody save Myria! Wake up and get out here!”
“Raaaaaaaaaaaaaar!”
“Hurry up or Myria will die!”
“Raaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaar!”
Somebody, anybody! Please, someone listen to me!
I roared over and over again, frantic. Finally, a door creaked open behind me.
Thank goodness! Myria is saved.
I was on the verge of death myself. I had to hope that delivering Myria home would gain their trust or, at the very least, they’d leave me alone and let me rest. Heck, if they liked me enough I could finally leave forest life behind and live right here in the village. I already had Grecian Language Lv 1. If someone could teach me, I was sure eventually I’d be able to communicate with ease.
I could go out hunting with the humans. I was strong, I could help out in the fields and they’d realize how useful I was to have around. And could repay them for trampling their crops.
The door opened slowly, cautiously, and a man peered at me through the crack. As soon as we made eye contact, he moved.
“Τέρας!”
A sear of pain ripped through my shoulder. What the heck? I looked down towards the source of the pain. An arrow protruded from deep within my flesh.
The man emerged from the house, expression fierce, bow at the ready. Idiotically, it took me a moment to realize the truth—he shot me. His jaw was clenched and his legs trembled.
Th-that’s right…how could I have forgotten? I’m a dragon.
How else would a villager react to a dragon carrying a blood-covered human into town in the middle of the night? Of course they’d attack.
The man and I stared at each other. Then, weakly, he put down his bow and slumped to his knees. Hopelessness tinged his eyes as he sat face to face with a monster. He must have seen what little effect the arrow had, and figured he was a goner.
I checked his status. Much like Myria, he had very few skills. I was sure he knew better than anyone that he couldn’t beat a monster.
I set Myria down on the ground, and then hurried out of the village.
I’m sure someone will help her now. This is for the best. I have no choice.
I couldn’t think about that right now. I had to tend to my own wounds.
Title Skill “Protective Spirit” Lv 3 has become Lv 4.
Gained Title Skill “Itty-bitty Hero” Lv 1.