I did not pay attention, but when I walked a little earlier, I crushed something.
I thought it was the floor, but it was actually... an eggshell. A huge eggshell. My eggshell?
“Kyle, are you still here?” Amelia asked.
“Yeah. I think about the situation. Give me a minute.”
Now that I think about it... From the beginning, I don’t talk with Amelia using my mouth... I talk to her through my thoughts... or my mind... or something like that. It''s complicated to explain and it goes beyond the human conception.
Should I explain to Amelia that we now share the same body?
I think so. Anyway, she will be aware of it at some point.
I just hope she''ll be fine with it... Well, I don’t really believe it. No sane person would be fine with the fact of suddenly becoming a dragon and having to share their body with someone else…
Myself, I seem to be calm, but I am completely panicked and feel overwhelmed by the situation.
Well... How to explain?
“Amelia, I know it''s going to be hard to accept but... We... We share the same body. You must have noticed that we were a two-headed dragon? I control the main body and you the left head...”, I told her with difficulty.
...
“I see...” She finally answered.
That''s all? No screaming? No crying?
“I understood! We must have died at the same time and reincarnated as a dragon!” She continued.
“Huh? On what basis do you say that?”.
“It''s obviously because I have read a lot of novels with a reincarnation theme! The main character dies and finds himself in another world with a new body. Have you ever read any web novels? It’s very popular.” She answered.
“Hm... not really...”
Normally, I would have said that she is completely crazy. But the situation in which I find myself is even crazier.
“So? What do we do now? We are not going to stay in this cave forever, aren’t we?” Amelia asked.
I can’t understand how she was able to adapt to the situation so easily. Is she in denial or does she really believe that she is the heroine of a novel?
I was hoping to learn a little more about what happens to us before leaving the cave. I don’t know what''s waiting for us outside...
<table>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td width="604">
System initialization in progress…
</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
A screen suddenly appears before my eyes, then disappears almost immediately.
I did not imagine it, did I?
<table>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td width="604">
System initialized.
</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<table>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td width="604">
Active Skill acquired: Appraisal <level: 1/10>
Active Skill acquired: Fire breath <level: 1/10>Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.
Active Skill acquired: Bite <level: 1/10>
Passive Skill acquired: Dragon''s might
Title acquired: “Baby dragon”
1 attribute point available.
</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
Another screen appears, filled with information about acquired skills.
I really don’t understand... Where do these messages come from? What are these skills?
“Amelia, do you see that screen too?”, I said
“I see it! It''s like in a video game!”
“A video game?”
“Don’t tell me you''ve never played a video game of your life!” She said.
If only I had time to play video games... I worked hard all my childhood and adolescence to be able to take over the family business. Once I became the General Manager, my workload only increased.
If I had known that it would end up killing me... I would have done like all teenagers of my age and play video games...
I guess it''s too late for regrets...
“Status!” Amelia suddenly said.
“Status? What do you mean... Oh!”
<table>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td colspan="3" width="604">
STATUS
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="201">
Name: No name
Race: two-headed dragon
</td>
<td rowspan="2" width="201">
Path: none
Evolution: baby dragon
Rank: F
</td>
<td rowspan="2" width="201">
State: normal
1 attribute point available.
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="201">
Level 1/10 – XP (0/40)
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="201">
HP : 55/55 (0.5/s)
</td>
<td width="201">
SPEED :225
</td>
<td width="201">
PHY MOD : 0%
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="201">
MP : 50/50 (0.5/s)
</td>
<td width="201">
PHY RES : 0.05%
</td>
<td width="201">
MAG MOD : 0%
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="201">
END : 55/55 (0.5/s)
</td>
<td width="201">
MAG RES : 0.05%
</td>
<td width="201">
ALIGNMENT : neutral
</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<u>NOTE</u> XP: Experience Points. HP: Health Points. MP: Mana Points. END: Endurance Points. SPEED: Movement Speed. PHY RES:Physical Resistance – decrease the physical damage taken by X%. MAG RES: Magical Resistance – decrease the magical damage taken by X%. PHY MOD: Physical modifier – increase the physical damage dealt by X%. MAG MOD: Magical modifier – increase the magical damage dealt by X%. ALIGNMENT: neutral, evil or good.
A new screen appears. With a note explaining the various parameters displayed.
I have never played a video game, so it’s not easy for me to understand these parameters.
“I told you, it''s exactly like a video game! Let me try something else.” Said Amelia.
“Map!”
...
Nothing happens.
“Hmm... Mini-map! Landmark! Compass!”
...
Still nothing.
“No map? Too bad... Let''s try this: Stats! ... Nothing... Attributes!” She continued.
<table>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td colspan="2" width="604">
ATTRIBUTES
1 point available.
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="302">
VIT – Vitality
</td>
<td width="302">
5
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="302">
STR – Strength
</td>
<td width="302">
5
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="302">
INT – Intelligence
</td>
<td width="302">
5
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="302">
CON – Constitution
</td>
<td width="302">
5
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="302">
HST – Haste
</td>
<td width="302">
5
</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
“It works! Well done Amelia” I said.
I thought at first that the presence of Amelia would complicate my life, but without her I will never have discovered how this system works.
While Amelia keeps trying to trigger the appearance of a new screen with her list of words, I will take this opportunity to summarize our situation.
Let''s start with the facts: we were dead but somehow resurrected in the body of a dragon...
Second fact: we are no longer on Earth.
I don’t know what this world looks like, and although I''m not a fantasy expert, I can speculate that if there are dragons here, there may be other kinds of monsters.
Are there humans here? I guess so...
But in this case will it be possible to communicate with them?
Oh, it''s true that I''m a dragon now, even if I meet humans, they will either run away in fear or attack on sight... At least that''s what I would do as a human if I saw a dragon approaching.
“... Techniques! ... Magics! … Skills!”
<table>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td width="604">
SKILLS
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="604">
<u>Active skills</u>
[Appraisal <level 1/10>], [Fire breath <level 1/10>], [Bite <level 1/10>]
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="604">
<u>Passive skills</u>
[Dragon’s might]
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="604">
<u>Title skills</u>
“Baby dragon”
</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
A new screen finally appears.
“Huff... I think I have tried everything! In short, three words work: status, attributes and skills.” Amelia said.