"A dragon is still a dragon, no matter how small."
I then gazed at the lifeless rats sprawled on the floor in a pool of putrid blood. Turning my head away, I muttered in a somber tone.
"It''s nothing personal; we were all trying to survive."
As I stood lost in my thoughts, painful cries erupted from the opposite side of the cave, where the rats ran off.
The ground suddenly started trembling. An unsettling noise approached me at high speeds. Immediately I abandoned the tunnel and fled far from it.
From a distance, I caught a glimpse of a huge centipede, its body a mix of black and crimson. Raising its head above the tunnel''s entrance, it emitted an unsettling crunching noise as its hundreds of legs squirmed.
Blood dripped from its mouth as it chewed on the red-eyed rats in a vile manner.
As I viewed this, my scales itched; a great irritation was festering. My expression contorting in disgust.
Before it could notice me, I retracted my gaze and fled the scene. Leaving the tunnel and the centipede farther behind.
I soon found myself in a forest filled with mist and lush vegetation, as well as the terrifying call of those black birds that assaulted me.
Taking a page from the rat''s book, I dug a small hole and sunk into it; at least I would be relatively safe inside this hole.
Then I turned my attention to the black panel once more; my stats were subpar, and this place is filled with dangerous monsters who can end me in less than a second. So which stat should I invest these points into?
After pondering for a while, I decided to put my points into intelligence. Since that was the only advantage I had over the monsters in this world. I hesitated for a few seconds before allocating my stats.
Intelligence: 15
Zzzz
[System Notification] For a newborn monster, your intelligence is deemed unnatural.
You have gained the skill [Accelerated cognition] lv 0.
I immediately felt a minute shift in my ability to process and connect information."
To raise my level fast, I need to either hunt a lot of weaker monsters or find a way to kill a strong monster."
I searched for clues in my memory since waking up in this world, and then I felt a stroke of brilliance.
"Yes, that could work, but I need more levels to execute it properly." After that I rested a while before I would begin my next hunt.
Hours later I emerged from the tunnel and scouted the area with my amber eyes. My gaze landed on a moving body.
A swift shadow moved in my direction, its green eyes exuding primal hunger.
I bolted towards the nearest tree and leaped onto it, climbing above the trunk swiftly. Turning my head to the floor, I glanced at my pursuer.
A black snake about 5 feet long glared at me with its green eyes. Opening its maw, it hissed angrily at me.
I smiled nervously at the creature, then climbed even higher, ensuring it never reached me. "Phew, everything in this place is trying to eat me."
I spoke warily.
Slam!
The snake began ramming into the trunk of the tree with its tail, causing the branch I grasped to tremble. I stared at the creature, then smiled, an idea bubbling in my mind.
"This thing is certainly stronger than me, yet I feel like the only way is to fight it."
On the heels of that, I loosened my grip and fell gracelessly, landing on the tail of the black snake.
It hissed furiously at me and quickly wrapped its body around my torso. Crunch! The snake began to constrict my body; I could hear my ribs creaking from the strain.
My lungs burned up as I exhaled forcefully. Whistle. In a swift motion, I clawed out the eyes of the snake.
Before it moved its body to constrict me, I had raised my arms; this allowed me to strike at the right moment.
Loosening its grip, the snake fell to the floor, squirming in agony. In its agony, its tail whipped my shoulder, causing me to yelp in pain.
Before it could regain its balance, I rushed at it, grasping its neck. Blood splattered as I headbutted it again and again and again, with each blow cracks formed in its skull until... Crack!!! Its skull caved in, and its lifeless body fell to the floor limp and bloodied.
Panting wildly, I stared at its corpse and muttered, "Good riddance."
Roar!!!
The roar of the world''s engine rang in my mind; I immediately called up the panel using a mental command.
[System Notification] [Accelerated Cognition] Lv 0 -> Lv 1
[Dragon Claw] Lv 1 -> Lv 2
Your Level Has Risen: Lv 3 -> Lv 5
You have gained experience from killing a [Juvenile shadow serpent].
Quickly I attempted to flee before the masters of the forest could find me.
However.
Thud!!
A black creature fell from the sky with a thud, feathers tainted with darkness adorned with vermilion eyes that burned with madness.
Stealthily I crouched inside a bush. Its bloodshot eyes swept through the area rapidly. Sitting completely still and holding my breath, I felt it, an indescribable fear coursing through me.
It soon settled its gaze on the bloodied corpse lying limp on the ground, then tilted its neck slightly. With a fluid motion, it leaped into the air with a boom, raising up dust with a powerful gust.
I sat frozen, staring blankly for a good while before bolting away in a panic. "This place is... way too dangerous."
My whole body trembled as I ran frantically. "That creature, the same kind that almost chopped me in half. I have no business fighting it."
I thought with a shaky voice as I ran. After running for a while, I ensured that no one was chasing me and then calmed down.
I dug a new hole and then squeezed in; it was a small hole to prevent bigger creatures from entering into it.
Smiling warily, I clutched my ribs; they were still in agony. "I can''t believe I was foolish enough to fight something stronger than me."
The memory of fighting the shadow snake flashed through my mind. "I felt a strange emotion; something isn''t right."
"This wasn''t even the first time; even with those rats, I have been acting in a strange way."
As I pondered this, my body became stiff and cold. It was as though a monstrous being was lying dormant beneath the skin and was opening its eyes bit by bit.
I have a feeling that if I don''t find out who I was,? I''ll be replaced and turned into a new person.
I lowered my head and whispered."I am scared of facing monsters that can kill me in a single blow, but I am even more scared of losing myself. That would be worse than dying."The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.
Sighing deeply, I muttered. "I have to try even if I might fail."
"Next time I''ll be hunting that thing."
A young man with short black hair sat on a desk; he scrolled through his phone reading something.
It was a novel. The same young man stood in a building talking and laughing with a group of people.
In a house he sat and watched an elderly man and woman, as well as another young man; they sat at a dining table conversing over dinner.
The young man again was in a tall building; he attended to people''s calls and problems, and dark circles formed beneath his eyes.
Throughout the sequence, his face was obscured, and his voice dimmed.
Whistle!!
I woke up once again inside a dark tunnel. Another dream, huh?
Dreams like these occur occasionally; a normal life, something I desperately wanted to remember.
It''s been a while since I woke up in this world. I have hunted several creatures throughout these days, increasing my stats a little.
Leveling up hasn''t been easy; it gets harder the higher I go. That''s likely what Solomon meant.
Red-eyed rats that lurked in narrow tunnels, white-spotted crows who hid underneath bushy trees, and shadow serpents that patrolled the ground—I have hunted them all in preparation for this day.
From the corner of my eye, I have been observing those abominations that hovered over the white fog.
Waiting for the right moment. That moment draws near!
Once again I glanced at my stats, something that gave me the strength to hunt.
The black panel hovered as the golden symbols shimmered inside the lightless cave. Name: ???
Evolution pathway: Unknown.
Trait: None.
Species: Dragon hatchling.
Age: 3 weeks old.
Rank: (Basic) Level: 10
Titles:???
Achievement points: 0
[Stats]
Strength: 15
Intelligence: 27
Agility: 26
Mana: 14
Overall assessment: D-
[Skills]
Dash [lv 7]
Amber eyes [lv 8]
Dragon claw [lv 6]
Air Leap [lv 4]
During these three weeks I had developed a new skill, a step below true flight. Air leap was a skill that aided my in-platforming on air, like a certain video game I dreamt of.
It was key to achieving my goal. After taking one last look at my stats, I sighed deeply, and then I crawled through the tunnel I had created.
Over the last week, I had dug a tunnel leading from the dark stream to a hole I made several meters away. In another part of my plan.
I approached the stream, waiting patiently for a particular monster to arrive.
Moments later, a catlike monster with fur as dark as night and covered in ivory tattoos approached the stream.
Immediately I directed my gaze above the grey fog towards a black bird that wasn''t in a group; simultaneously, I tossed a rock towards the monstrous cat with all my might.
My skin suddenly turned cold as both monsters locked onto me.
"A dragon is still a dragon, no matter how small."
I then gazed at the lifeless rats sprawled on the floor in a pool of putrid blood. Turning my head away, I muttered in a somber tone.
"It''s nothing personal; we were all trying to survive."
As I stood lost in my thoughts, painful cries erupted from the opposite side of the cave, where the rats ran off.
The ground suddenly started trembling. An unsettling noise approached me at high speeds. Immediately I abandoned the tunnel and fled far from it.
From a distance, I caught a glimpse of a huge centipede, its body a mix of black and crimson. Raising its head above the tunnel''s entrance, it emitted an unsettling crunching noise as its hundreds of legs squirmed.
Blood dripped from its mouth as it chewed on the red-eyed rats in a vile manner.
As I viewed this, my scales itched; a great irritation was festering. My expression contorting in disgust.
Before it could notice me, I retracted my gaze and fled the scene. Leaving the tunnel and the centipede farther behind.
I soon found myself in a forest filled with mist and lush vegetation, as well as the terrifying call of those black birds that assaulted me.
Taking a page from the rat''s book, I dug a small hole and sunk into it; at least I would be relatively safe inside this hole.
Then I turned my attention to the black panel once more; my stats were subpar, and this place is filled with dangerous monsters who can end me in less than a second. So which stat should I invest these points into?
After pondering for a while, I decided to put my points into intelligence. Since that was the only advantage I had over the monsters in this world. I hesitated for a few seconds before allocating my stats.
Intelligence: 15
Zzzz
[System Notification] For a newborn monster, your intelligence is deemed unnatural.
You have gained the skill [Accelerated cognition] lv 0.
I immediately felt a minute shift in my ability to process and connect information."
To raise my level fast, I need to either hunt a lot of weaker monsters or find a way to kill a strong monster."
I searched for clues in my memory since waking up in this world, and then I felt a stroke of brilliance.
"Yes, that could work, but I need more levels to execute it properly." After that I rested a while before I would begin my next hunt.
Hours later I emerged from the tunnel and scouted the area with my amber eyes. My gaze landed on a moving body.
A swift shadow moved in my direction, its green eyes exuding primal hunger.
I bolted towards the nearest tree and leaped onto it, climbing above the trunk swiftly. Turning my head to the floor, I glanced at my pursuer.
A black snake about 5 feet long glared at me with its green eyes. Opening its maw, it hissed angrily at me.
I smiled nervously at the creature, then climbed even higher, ensuring it never reached me. "Phew, everything in this place is trying to eat me."
I spoke warily.
Slam!
The snake began ramming into the trunk of the tree with its tail, causing the branch I grasped to tremble. I stared at the creature, then smiled, an idea bubbling in my mind.
"This thing is certainly stronger than me, yet I feel like the only way is to fight it."
On the heels of that, I loosened my grip and fell gracelessly, landing on the tail of the black snake.
It hissed furiously at me and quickly wrapped its body around my torso. Crunch! The snake began to constrict my body; I could hear my ribs creaking from the strain.
My lungs burned up as I exhaled forcefully. Whistle. In a swift motion, I clawed out the eyes of the snake.
Before it moved its body to constrict me, I had raised my arms; this allowed me to strike at the right moment.
Loosening its grip, the snake fell to the floor, squirming in agony. In its agony, its tail whipped my shoulder, causing me to yelp in pain.
Before it could regain its balance, I rushed at it, grasping its neck. Blood splattered as I headbutted it again and again and again, with each blow cracks formed in its skull until... Crack!!! Its skull caved in, and its lifeless body fell to the floor limp and bloodied.
Panting wildly, I stared at its corpse and muttered, "Good riddance."
Roar!!!
The roar of the world''s engine rang in my mind; I immediately called up the panel using a mental command.
[System Notification] [Accelerated Cognition] Lv 0 -> Lv 1
[Dragon Claw] Lv 1 -> Lv 2
Your Level Has Risen: Lv 3 -> Lv 5
You have gained experience from killing a [Juvenile shadow serpent].
Quickly I attempted to flee before the masters of the forest could find me.
However.
Thud!!
A black creature fell from the sky with a thud, feathers tainted with darkness adorned with vermilion eyes that burned with madness.
Stealthily I crouched inside a bush. Its bloodshot eyes swept through the area rapidly. Sitting completely still and holding my breath, I felt it, an indescribable fear coursing through me.
It soon settled its gaze on the bloodied corpse lying limp on the ground, then tilted its neck slightly. With a fluid motion, it leaped into the air with a boom, raising up dust with a powerful gust.
I sat frozen, staring blankly for a good while before bolting away in a panic. "This place is... way too dangerous."
My whole body trembled as I ran frantically. "That creature, the same kind that almost chopped me in half. I have no business fighting it."
I thought with a shaky voice as I ran. After running for a while, I ensured that no one was chasing me and then calmed down.
I dug a new hole and then squeezed in; it was a small hole to prevent bigger creatures from entering into it.
Smiling warily, I clutched my ribs; they were still in agony. "I can''t believe I was foolish enough to fight something stronger than me."
The memory of fighting the shadow snake flashed through my mind. "I felt a strange emotion; something isn''t right."
"This wasn''t even the first time; even with those rats, I have been acting in a strange way."
As I pondered this, my body became stiff and cold. It was as though a monstrous being was lying dormant beneath the skin and was opening its eyes bit by bit.
I have a feeling that if I don''t find out who I was,? I''ll be replaced and turned into a new person.
I lowered my head and whispered."I am scared of facing monsters that can kill me in a single blow, but I am even more scared of losing myself. That would be worse than dying."
Sighing deeply, I muttered. "I have to try even if I might fail."
"Next time I''ll be hunting that thing."
A young man with short black hair sat on a desk; he scrolled through his phone reading something.
It was a novel. The same young man stood in a building talking and laughing with a group of people.
In a house he sat and watched an elderly man and woman, as well as another young man; they sat at a dining table conversing over dinner.
The young man again was in a tall building; he attended to people''s calls and problems, and dark circles formed beneath his eyes.
Throughout the sequence, his face was obscured, and his voice dimmed.
Whistle!!
I woke up once again inside a dark tunnel. Another dream, huh?
Dreams like these occur occasionally; a normal life, something I desperately wanted to remember.
It''s been a while since I woke up in this world. I have hunted several creatures throughout these days, increasing my stats a little.
Leveling up hasn''t been easy; it gets harder the higher I go. That''s likely what Solomon meant.
Red-eyed rats that lurked in narrow tunnels, white-spotted crows who hid underneath bushy trees, and shadow serpents that patrolled the ground—I have hunted them all in preparation for this day.
From the corner of my eye, I have been observing those abominations that hovered over the white fog.
Waiting for the right moment. That moment draws near!
Once again I glanced at my stats, something that gave me the strength to hunt.
The black panel hovered as the golden symbols shimmered inside the lightless cave. Name: ???
Evolution pathway: Unknown.
Trait: None.
Species: Dragon hatchling.
Age: 3 weeks old.
Rank: (Basic) Level: 10
Titles:???
Achievement points: 0
[Stats]
Strength: 15
Intelligence: 27
Agility: 26
Mana: 14
Overall assessment: D-
[Skills]
Dash [lv 7]
Amber eyes [lv 8]
Dragon claw [lv 6]
Air Leap [lv 4]
During these three weeks I had developed a new skill, a step below true flight. Air leap was a skill that aided my in-platforming on air, like a certain video game I dreamt of.
It was key to achieving my goal. After taking one last look at my stats, I sighed deeply, and then I crawled through the tunnel I had created.
Over the last week, I had dug a tunnel leading from the dark stream to a hole I made several meters away. In another part of my plan.
I approached the stream, waiting patiently for a particular monster to arrive.
Moments later, a catlike monster with fur as dark as night and covered in ivory tattoos approached the stream.
Immediately I directed my gaze above the grey fog towards a black bird that wasn''t in a group; simultaneously, I tossed a rock towards the monstrous cat with all my might.
My skin suddenly turned cold as both monsters locked onto me.