From Player To Npc

Chapter 79: The Dragon

The Earth Dragon was quite large but wasn't still Adult size. Standing on its feet was a little less than 3 meters in height and 5 meters in width. If was an Adult would be three to four times that size.

Ameanum, while keeping his arm and kept a calm face but not one to seem cocky, he responded to the Dragon's question.

*I am here to ask for your help, Master Dragon. There are events of great dangers in the Mortal Realm, and we need as much help as possible. I know you want your privacy, but a single tooth of yours would be all that we need.*[Ameanum]

The Dragon chuckled a bit as some dust fell from his body like he was filled with it. It seemed somewhat impressed of the one in front of him being able to speak his language, as he was ready to eat him alive.

*Oh.... how interesting. Not only you intrude at my place, but you also want a tooth of mine? Why would I care for your pitiful Realm? It has nothing to do with me.*[Earth Dragon]

Ameanum was in deep thought for a bit as he understood the point of the Dragon. He didn't want to fight it as his chances weren't the best with his current equipment, especially since they were at the Dragon's Lair, where he most likely have prepared ways of helping fighting others.

*I know that I ask too much, but people of power have disturbed the balance, and even the New Gods cannot do anything about them. If they continue acting like that, not only the Mortal Realm will be in danger, but the Tower's locked creatures may get fully unleashed, bringing in trouble to all the Realms. The kind of trouble that will come here too may be too much for anyone to handle.* [Ameanum]

Ameanum could feel the stare of the Dragon scanning him and trying to read him, but he was keeping his calm face. Even if this time, he had more to lose as he was almost sure he wasn't able to respawn, he was facing everything with his usual behavior no matter what.

"Hmmm... I see. You seem like of the few brave ones I have heard about to fight for justice, or maybe some of the stupid ones."[Earth Dragon]

The Dragon seemed to decide to continue their talk in the common language of the game. Ameanum wasn't surprised that he knew to speak it as it was one of the first things their creators made sure they could do to understand their orders.

"I will help you, possible stupid little man. But you need to prove yourself first worthy of my help."[Earth Dragon]

Ameanum was a little nervous about that possible test of a Dragon, but he didn't let it be shown on his face.

The Dragon raised his wings like he was stretching them after being still for a long time, and more dust was falling from them also.

He flapped his wings a few times with enough force to release waves of air around him that were going outwards but weren't too strong to push Ameanum back.

As he finished his 'stretching,' he walked closer to Ameanum and lowered his face to be in front of him.

He sniffed Ameanum a bit and then opened his mouth.

An Enchantment Circle started appearing at the middle of his mouth, hovering in the air and drawing more and more lines as the final Enchantment Circle was as big as its mouth.

The Enchantment Circle seemed to be made of 13 Enchantment Shapes, making it almost a peek Master Enchantment, which was quite impressive for even a Dragon.

Ameanum had no idea what this Enchantment was for as it was more than we ever have encountered or have researched. 

But even if he didn't know what this is about, he didn't blink even for a second.

As the Enchantment Circle was finished and started to lighten up a little as it was empowered by more mana, it starts getting rotated clockwise. 

The rotation speed was getting faster and faster as soon enough; you couldn't see any of the shapes, and it seemed just a flat circle.

The circle being completed took a little less than two seconds, and it to rotate that fast another three seconds.

Then a horizontal whirlwind started being produced and was blasted at Ameanum, but he kept his ground.

The whirlwind force became more powerful with each passing second, but he gave everything he had to stay in place.

After three seconds, he enabled his EAGLE EYES to locate where it may be weaker for him to stand, and after three more, he had to enable his Breaking-Limit state.

He used his ACCELERATION skill to use his speed against the wind's force and even his MARTIAL ART skill to move his body or 'punch' some of the pressure away.

Half a minute have passed, and he was at his limit as his SP consumption was over than even what his Breaking-Limit could handle, and he was losing it at a fast rate.

He even brought his sword out to try to do some AIR SLASHES, which weren't as powerful as Annoue's could be, since he wasn't using any Mana but powerful enough since his STR was more than hers and his technique was better.

Close to forty seconds since the whirlwind started, and he was pushed to the nearby wall and had the possibility of getting crushed if he couldn't do anything to fight it.

At this point, he felt his blade moving by itself and was getting some vibes of anger from it through their bond.

Its swings were more powerful, cutting the whirlwind, giving some time for Ameanum to move forward and relax slightly and prepare.

His burden got lighter a bit, but he couldn't move too close to the Dragon. The best he could do was keep a two-meter distance; after that, the force was too strong.

But the Dragon started slowly moving closer to Ameanum, making him going back again and bringing him at the wall once more.

Shingi used every Weapon Skill he had to fight the pressure of the whirlwind, but it seemed he was at a point that nothing worked as his sword was still a Base Rank one, so it couldn't use all of them at full power.

He could feel the consciousness of the sword getting tired, and after four minutes of actual fighting, it seemed to have turned to normal again.

At that point, he was slammed by the whirlwind's force on the wall and was unable to move.

He felt each of his bones breaking by his armor and the pressure of the wind. But he wasn't letting any screams of his leaving his mouth.

Five minutes since the whirlwind started, his body seemed to have every bone of his being broken at the fifth minute. His armor was in multiple pieces, and some have pierced his skin, while blood was covering him and the wall he got slammed on.

He could barely see the System's UI, and he was focusing on one thing only; his HP bar.

At the sixth minute, his bar had been empty.

But instead of everything turning black, there was just a bright light, and when it disappeared, he was back at normal.

He was standing where he was when the test began, and the Dragon was in front of him with his mouth closed.

It seemed the Enchantment put him in some Illusion; a pretty realistic one.

He hadn't lost a single of his HP or SP, but he could feel that his sword's consciousness was tired. It may all be an Illusion on his mind, but the mental task was real, and it seemed to have affected Sinhunter too.

The Dragon laughed a bit loudly as the cave started being shake, even if it wasn't supposed to since it wasn't that loud.

"You definitely are a brave one, little one. Or crazier than I thought you could be. Well, you have passed my test. Here is your reward."[Earth Dragon]

The Dragon made a Large Earth MANA HAND of his and broke with hi one of his teeth and brought it to Ameanum.

It was large enough for Ameanum to be barely able to keep it with one arm.

Ameanum bowed towards the Dragon to show respect towards him. Even if it was a monster, he wasn't belittled in Ameanum's eyes or considered just someone to be used. He was the same as any NPC he had interacted with in the past during his Quests.

He brought out the crystal that brought him here, seeing that there were cracks on each of its circle of it. It didn't seem to be usable anymore.

"Oh. An interesting trinket you got there. So that's how you got here? No wonder I hadn't felt your arrival at my maze." [Earth Dragon]

"Yes, this was created by an important fellow of our Realm, but it seems no to be usable anymore. I am sorry to ask for another favor from you but do you have a way for me to get back to where I came from?"[Ameanum]

The Dragon stayed silent for a couple of minutes as he carefully thought about what to do.

"I can restore your trinket for a single-use to get you back. But you have to pay the price for it." [Earth Dragon]

Ameanum nodded in agreement without asking what the price was.

The Dragon chuckled once more as the cave gave one more shake.

The Dragon slightly opened his mouth as brownish smoke came out of it and started surrounding Ameanum.

He breathed some of it and felt some getting through his skin as he felt it piercing his skin.

He felt burns all over his body after a bit, like a design was burned on it.

It didn't last long as the pain and burning feeling was gone, and everything seemed to be back to normal.

Ameanum was surprised that no System notification appeared when it finished.

"In time, it will come when the price is going to be completely considered paid. For now, go back to your Realm."[Earth Dragon]

Some of this smoke had also surrounded the crystal and seemed to have fixed it.

He brought out a Mana Gem that he had borrowed from Varan to use the crystal once more.

The portal opened that led to the green area, then another that led to the black one, and finally to the purple one. After he went through the one in the purple one, he was back to the place he left.

Varan's lab in the cave.