Tonight, I am going to reenter the forest for a secret hunt. Unlike before, this time I am much more prepared and far more cautious.
Deceiving the patrol, I successfully cross the outer forest boundaries.
Breathing deeply, the dense oxygen fills my lungs, excitement surging through me as I silently crawl through the thick underbrush in search of prey.
The nocturnal forest was alive in ways the academy grounds could never match. Distant calls echoed through the massive trees; the air carried the mingled scent of predators and prey a complex web of survival that demanded constant vigilance.
"First, herbs," I whispered, scanning the undergrowth for the valuable plants Ghostface had mentioned.
Carefully, after ensuring no other creature was nearby, I picked up the faint glow of Lunar Myrrh buds beneath a fallen log.
"These jade-folded leaves absorb lunar essence. I'm unsure of their physiological effects on flame creatures… but maybe they'll be useful later."
I approached carefully, snipping and sealing them in waxed leaf packets.
While engaged in collecting herbs
Whoop... whoops...
From the darkness, a dragonfly shimmered into view, perching on a moss-covered branch. Its iridescent wings caught the faint moonlight.
Reacting instantly, I closed my eyes every sense on alert. I knew that meeting its gaze could trigger danger.
The dragonfly seized the opportunity, wings flapping as it darted toward me.
I didn't move an inch. Its full body tackled into my chest and abdomen, the impact knocking the air out of me.
Saliva spilled from my mouth.
"Damn…" I hissed. "Thanks to my dragon organs and Ragnarok's internal support—if I were an ordinary dinosaur, I'd be dead from internal bleeding."
But taking the hit wasn't for nothing. My throat cartilage had already begun to brim with flame.
As the dragonfly tried to retreat, I unleashed a precise stream of purple fire.
It flared midair, the condensed flame catching its wings mid-takeoff, incinerating it before it could escape.
Extending my claw, I pierced its burning corpse and dug out its energy core.
"First core," I muttered, feeling the glowing orb pulse with life in my hand.
Buzzzz...
Hearing the death of its ally, another dragonfly burst from the shadows and slammed into my back.
The sudden strike shocked me, but instinct took over. Rolling across the ground, I exhaled not flame but a thick black smoke, blending into the night.
The second dragonfly, confused by the sudden darkness, hesitated midflight. Its compound eyes flickered, trying to refocus.
Then, through the haze, a purple scaled reptile me leapt from branch to branch, light glinting off my scales.
I landed atop the dragonfly, razor claws flashing. One clean strike and its head was severed.
"Two down," I counted, scanning the area for any other movement.
Cautiously, I retreated into the bushes, wasting no motion as I consumed both cores immediately.
"How long will it take to digest these two?" I asked aloud.
Ragnarok sneered within me.
"Mere cores of a few-decade-old insect? This grandpa's flame will melt them in minutes."
I felt his fiery threads spread within, wrapping the cores and melting them down. Violent energy surged through my veins; the pressure bulged the muscles in my neck.
"Four-star whirling," I muttered, exhaling condensed flares through my nostrils.
Just as I began to rest, my ears twitched another buzz above.
"Damn, another one," I groaned. "No two! Probably drawn by the scent of their kin's death."
They coordinated perfectly one high, one low, circling for a flanking strike.
Grinning, I flexed my claws.
"Thanks for the meal."
The air thickened with smoke again as I feigned focus on the high flyer. Then I launched upward, leaping through the branches.
The lower dragonfly, confused, followed the wrong movement. Too late it met me head-on midair.
"Watch this my beautiful girlfriend taught me this trick," I smirked, tail muscles coiling.
Every nerve, tendon, and ligament fired in unison. My tail whipped around, cracking through the dragonfly's skull and smashing it into the ground.
Falling through the smoke, I unleashed another burst of crimson-purple flame, reducing the second one to ash before I landed.
But I'd overdone it. My excessive flame set nearby branches ablaze, purple smoke licking through the leaves.
"I have to leave now. This could attract something strong."
And, as if summoned by fate, three more dragonflies appeared, hovering above me.
"Three at once... troublesome."
The bloodbath began. Their coordinated attacks were terrifying. Whenever I focused on one, the other two struck from behind.
For nearly an hour, I was their plaything a volleyball of pain my bones cracking under each hit.
Ragnarok's voice boomed.
"Dragon boy! I told you to be careful! Mix my essence with yours unleash your flame properly!"
He extended his fiery thread, linking with my heart. Our flames fused deep crimson intertwining with purple.
"Now, boy!"
I obeyed, jaw wide open.
The resulting eruption of mixed flame was cataclysmic so intense that anything it touched vanished to dust.
The three dragonflies disintegrated instantly, their bodies leaving only crystal cores scattered across the ground.
"Impressive," I gasped, trembling. "But... I'm exhausted. My throat's swollen I can barely breathe. Damn, old flame…"
Ragnarok sneered again.
"Feed me those crystals! I used too much essence saving your hide."
I grimaced, tossing the cores into my mouth. I'd hoped to keep them for myself, but debts must be paid.
As the cores melted, violent energy churned in my gut, shaking my insides only barely contained by Ragnarok's flame threads.
That greedy old parasite siphoned away half the energy before allowing me to absorb the rest.
Still, it was enough.
"Thank me, dragon boy," Ragnarok declared proudly. "You've achieved Five-Star Evolution. And with it, your first milestone your first dragon ability has awakened."
"Dragon Glare."
My pupils flared with purple fire as the new power manifested.
Nearby creatures froze in terror, trembling as if they'd seen a nightmare made flesh.
"Old flame is this my awakened ability? Incredible! I feel like any creature that meets my eyes freezes, no matter its size."
Ragnarok hummed.
"Dragon Glare is indeed a formidable skill one all dragons awaken at their first milestone. It forces those beneath you to witness their greatest fear, freezing them for several seconds.
"But this doesn't define your dragon type it's a common power. Tell me do you notice anything else?"
"Anything else?" I frowned, glancing around and then something strange happened.
My heart skipped a beat. My pupils contracted sharply, vision sharpening until I could see the cellular structure of a tree's bark.
Further still I saw the blurred shapes of proteins, twisting within the cells.
I gasped. What kind of dragon could see such microscopic detail?
Then my vision shifted again. I began to see energy threads faint glowing lines tracing through the air.
On the corpses of the dragonflies, I saw lingering energy trails, showing their previous flight paths.
"If I'm not wrong... these threads reveal past movement patterns!"
I tried to focus further but agony slammed through me. My head throbbed violently, and I collapsed.
Ragnarok roared within.
"Stop, you fool! You're going to kill us both!"
Coming back to my senses, I panted. "What happened?"
"You froze," Ragnarok growled. "You started absorbing energy essence too fast. If I hadn't sacrificed some of my flame, you'd have devoured your own cells!"
I thought deeply.
"Old flame... I think I've awakened another ability. I don't know what it is, but I can see microscopic structures and even energy trails of movement."
Ragnarok went silent. Then, softly:
"Dragon boy... I think I know what kind of dragon you are."
Excitement and dread tangled in my chest. "What kind?"
He sighed.
"I can't say yet not until your second milestone confirms it. For now, don't use that power again. It's too dangerous."
His presence faded into slumber.
I exhaled, scanning the direction where I'd seen the glowing trails. They led to a dense patch of forest different from the rest.
"Their hidden spot... their den," I muttered.
Then I froze.
Through the foliage, I saw countless dragonflies small and large hovering. At the center lay a massive, twenty-foot-long one, asleep.
"Good... it's night. My purple scales will help me stay unseen."
I peered again and gulped. The boss dragonfly was enormous its wings metallic, its scales glimmering like armor. Even with full strength, I doubted I could do more than scratch it.
Every instinct screamed: Run, Rider.
I turned to leave
Creak.
A twig snapped beneath my foot.
The boss's massive eyes shot open, instantly locking onto me.
In a heartbeat, ten dragonflies rose into the air at its command.
"Damn it, just my luck."
I exhaled black smoke, flooding the area. Flames mixed with haze, creating chaos.
Screeches echoed as several dragonflies burned, trapped within the fume.
But the boss was enraged. Its colossal wings beat, scattering the smoke in a violent gust.
Ashes fell and I was nowhere in sight.
The dragonfly scanned for me, but I was already in motion, leaping from the shadows. My tail whipped forward, smashing one of its legs clean off.
But it wasn't enough.
The boss roared, wings flapping furiously. The resulting air current hurled me through the air like a rag doll. I slammed into a tree, ribs cracking on impact.
Pain seared through my body. Blood dripped from my lips.
"Damn you, insect! I'm a dragon not some little lizard for you to toss around!"
"Dragon Glare!" I roared, forcing my power through my blazing pupils.
Purple light surged. The boss faltered midair, its body freezing momentarily under my terrifying presence.
"Now!"
I unleashed a concentrated stream of flame, burning through its wings and armor. The paralysis faded, but it was too late the boss crashed, screeching, one wing shredded.
It lunged, jaws snapping, but I dodged and slashed across its joints, ichor spilling.
The battle was brutal its raw strength against my agility and fire.
"Dragon Glare!" I invoked again, desperate and exhausted. "Ragnarok help me!"
Our flames merged once more. The beam that followed melted the dragonfly's head clean off.
Its twitching body fell still. I pierced through its chest and pulled out the largest core I'd ever seen pulsing with raw energy.
But before I could even savor victory
The ground trembled.
"An earthquake?" I gasped.
From the depths of the earth, a colossal Deinosuchus emerged an ancient, scaly crocodile over 100 meters long, its body marked by scars from centuries of survival.
Its car-sized jaws clamped down on the dragonfly's corpse, crushing it effortlessly.
Before I could react, its tail lashed out striking me like a hammer. I flew, ribs shattering, crashing through trees.
Trembling, I stared up at it in horror.
The ancient beast regarded me lazily, utterly unconcerned with my existence. Gathering several dragonfly corpses including the boss it turned away with regal indifference, vanishing into the forest depths.
"Damn you, lizard…" I coughed, collapsing to the ground. "One day... I'll make you regret snatching prey from the mouth of a dragon."
Darkness crept in, swallowing my vision the bitter taste of defeat heavy even in the face of my five-star evolution.