A medium-sized group of Nightcrawlers lumbered around in a particular section of the cavern, their sharp eyes searching the walls and small crevices around them for prey.
Caves like this usually had a fully-functional ecosystem, with plants growing in certain areas even in the darkness, and small insects feasting on the flora. Rodents and small lizards fed on these insects, and the Nightcrawlers fed on the former.
It was the circle of life.
Nature had set up this system, and while it was cruel… it remained effective.
As the apex Predators of the cave, Nightcrawlers had no one to hunt them, which meant—despite the low fertility that all Dragons shared—their numbers would naturally increase over time. If left unchecked, a Dragon Tide would arise from their overflowing numbers.
This was one of the reasons why the Dragon Hunter Academy chose this specific place as a hunting ground every five years. In any case, the dozen or so Dragons hunted for their meal, some successfully catching the lizards and rodents while others kept searching.
However, they were soon interrupted by a sound.
—Footsteps.
Nightcrawlers didn't have an exceptional sense of hearing, but even they could pick up the sound from a relatively far distance. This was because whoever was approaching did not bother hiding their footsteps.
As the sound got louder, the startled Dragons were able to notice more puzzling details.
The footsteps belonged to fellow Nightcrawlers—about seven of them.
But… amidst them was a certain kind.
It belonged to a human!
Why was a human walking amongst Nightcrawlers, and so blatantly for that matter? These stupefied Dragons did not understand and were naturally bewildered by this development, staring at each other in sheer confusion.
Out of both curiosity and the desire to protect their hunting ground, they remained in place as they watched with silent expectations, waiting for the group to appear.
That was their mistake.
"Attack."
At the sound of the human's voice, six normal-sized and one large-sized Nightcrawler charged forward, swiftly pouncing on the shocked Dragons. The ambush was unexpected, considering the non-violent nature Nightcrawlers had to their fellow kin.
This was why they never cannibalized and would rather leave their habitat once food ran out.
Nightcrawlers attacking Nightcrawlers was an impossible phenomenon.
Yet… that was the current scene.
Amidst this confusion, a sharp-gleaming spear charged forth and stabbed one Dragon straight in the heart, killing it instantly. This caused the group to look in the direction that the spear came from, but before they could act, they were pressed by the attacking Dragons.
"GRRRRRRR!!!" The group still felt reluctant to attack, instead choosing to growl, while taking a few steps back as they felt intimidated.
Unfortunately for them, their attackers wouldn't listen.
"Fall back."
The voice of the human echoed after some time, causing the assaulting parties to cease their advance and slowly retreat. This puzzled the Nightcrawlers even more, seeing as their fellow kin were instantly snapped out of their aggressive state by the voice of a human.
Still, relief washed through them since they had been saved.
This feeling only lasted for a moment.
"Looks like I can use my Dragons to control the direction of the prey, which should aid me in controlling a lot of factors in battle." The human finally emerged from the darkness, revealing his pitch-black hair and glowing blue eyes.
He had a well-built, muscular body, wearing blackish brown armor that covered his most vital parts. A gutting knife was strapped around his waist, and he casually walked to the spear he had thrown earlier, removing it from the carcass of the fallen Nightcrawler, causing oily blood to spurt out in the process.
The remaining Nightcrawlers—numbered ten—were packed together in a corner like sardines thanks to the relentless advance of the tamed Dragons. This was an intentional choice by Draco to place all of them in a single position.
The Dragon he killed with the spear was one who had nearly escaped the tight net he had set up for them, and by eliminating it, the others were more incentivized to slowly retreat—their backs against the wall.
"My strength and aiming has improved considerably, and this is only Level 2."
He could not begin to comprehend how powerful he would become if he kept advancing in strength with every Level Up.
'I killed one Dragon, yet I have not gotten a Level Up sign, even though that was what happened last time. It seems with each Level Up, I have to kill more Dragons to reach the next precipice.'
This was not a strange thought to have, since Draco had Luke's memories, so he had a vague idea of how games operated. Thankfully, he still had ten more Dragons to go, which meant he would be able to advance a few times at the very least.
"[Let There Be Light]."
Once Draco uttered those words, a bright white light enveloped the room, causing the Nightcrawlers to shriek in agony, stunned by the intense radiation that burned their eyes.
Draco had already mentally commanded his own Dragons to shut off their vision, and he was personally unaffected by the light, so the only ones suffering were his prey. After inflicting blinding pain on them, he tightly grabbed his spear and launched it at the closest Dragon to him.
[You Have Leveled Up!]
'I see… the previous number multiplied by two?'
To test out this thought, Draco killed four more Dragons, and sure enough… he Leveled Up once again.
'Which means I need to kill eight next.'
There were only four left, though, which meant they wouldn't be sufficient to let him reach Level 5.
'Instead…' He stretched out his hands and gave a command.
"Submit."
This was his first time taming more than one Dragon at a time, and he could certainly feel some pressure within himself—in his Soul specifically—but it was very faint and offered no pain at all. Within a few seconds, the pressure subsided and the energy he released linked him to all four surviving Dragons.
[Taming Successful]
"Come." He commanded, and they obediently walked towards him, entirely rid of their fear, apprehension, and instinctive lethality.
They had completely become his.
********
[Several Hours Later]
"It's about time."
Draco stood up after finishing his meal; jerky that the Academy distributed to the examinees who challenged the Cave Of Trials. It was not tasty, neither was it easy to eat, but it was certainly filling.
That was all he required to keep going.
'Based on my estimations, I've spent over a day in this place already.'
Most of his fellow examinees had long advanced further into the cave, which was why he was relatively comfortable using his abilities without much regard for any spectator. Not only were his senses heightened enough for him to notice anyone in the cave before they noticed him, but he also had his Dragons to keep watch with their enhanced vision.
Unlike Dragons, humans couldn't see well in the dark, so they would spot any stalker in no time.
'Besides, our spears shine brighter based on the number of Dragons are nearby, quantifying the danger ahead. I currently have eleven Dragons with me, a number that should ward most entrants away, since challenging that many at once is practically suicide.'
Draco grabbed his spear by the side and opened his Status Window with a single thought.
[STATUS WINDOW]
- Name: Draco (Lvl: 4)
- Race: Human
- Class: Dragon Tamer (Legendary)
- Integrity: 4
- Physique: 4
- Aptitude: 4 (100% Essence)
- S Points: 0
- Quest Completion Rate: 25%
[Current Quest Information]
Primary Quest: Complete the Cave of Trials (Ongoing)
Secondary Quest: Kill every Dragon you encounter (Failed)
Hidden Quest: Defeat the Champion of this Dragon Nest (Not Started)
[Synchronization Rate: 5%]
'Good… this looks good.' He slowly nodded. 'I'm finally ready for the Hidden Quest.'
At Level 4, he felt nearly three times stronger than he was when he first entered the Cave of Trials. Aside from that, he had eleven Nightcrawlers, including a large-sized one.
He also possessed a [Breath], a good weapon, and exceptional instincts as a hunter.
'Champions of a Nest are usually a Rank above the Dragons in that habitat… so I'm looking at a Rank 2 Dragon.' Draco had never seen a Rank 2 Dragon before, but he knew their comparative strength compared to Rank 1
He was ready for this.
[Would You Like To Commence The Hidden Quest?]
"Yes!"
The instant he said this, the System buzzed before him, and a sudden sensation pulsated through his mind. He suddenly felt like he understood the layout of the cavern, including a hidden location that none other than one entity would reside in.
—The Nest Champion.
'Okay…' A bead of sweat fell down his brows as he gulped down leftover saliva and forced a smile on his trembling face.
'Let's go!'