by Necoco
“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 wan
ted 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 panicke
d 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.