Chapter 2: The Dragon’s Arrival

Chapter 2: The Dragon’s Arrival

Dreki pressed his forehead against the cool glass of the window, staring out at the empty streets below. The once-bustling city was silent now, its inhabitants vanished in a sudden flash of light. Only the remnants of chaos remained—abandoned cars sat at odd angles, their doors hanging open as if their drivers had fled mid-journey. Plastic bags and scraps of paper fluttered through the eerie blue glow that now bathed the world.

The sky above was no longer familiar. The jagged cracks of light had spread, webbing across the heavens like fractured glass. The fissures pulsed faintly, spilling mist and streaks of energy that swirled in unnatural patterns. Where the cracks widened, they revealed brief glimpses of something beyond—a vast, swirling void of deep blues and purples, dotted with distant lights that didn’t look like stars.

Dreki tore his gaze away, his chest tightening. He couldn’t look at it for too long. It felt wrong, like staring into something his mind wasn’t meant to comprehend.

Below, the tendrils of mana-infused growth had overtaken the streets. Glowing vines twisted and coiled around streetlights, their bioluminescent tips flickering like fireflies. Trees that had once stood dormant now grew taller and wilder, their bark shimmering faintly with a metallic sheen. Leaves the size of umbrellas glowed faintly, their edges rippling as if reacting to an unseen wind.

The hum that had filled the air earlier was still there, deeper now, resonating like a heartbeat. The world itself seemed alive, breathing in time with the pulsating light of the cracks above.

Dreki stood frozen in the silence of his apartment, staring out at the glowing tendrils snaking through the streets below. The notifications in his vision hovered like a cruel reminder of what had just happened.

SYSTEM ERROR:

"User classification failed. Unclassified mana signature detected."

"transfer aborted."

Everyone was gone—vanished into beams of light that carried them to some unknown tutorial world, leaving behind nothing but empty cars, discarded bags, and a chilling stillness. For the first time in his life, Dreki was truly alone.

His gaze shifted to the framed photo on his bookshelf, the one of him and his friends from their last meetup. Ryan’s wide grin, Jess’s goofy smirk, Malik’s calm, knowing look—they were all out there somewhere, experiencing whatever the tutorial world had in store. And Dreki? He’d been left behind, alone in a city that didn’t feel like his anymore.

He couldn’t stay here. The oppressive quiet of his apartment made his skin crawl. Grabbing his backpack, he stuffed it with anything he could think of—his flashlight, a water bottle, a granola bar, his phone charger. He hesitated before throwing in the photo of his friends. It wasn’t practical, but it felt like something he needed to keep.

With one last glance at the notifications in his vision, he stepped out into the hallway. The door clicked shut behind him, the sound echoing unnaturally in the empty building.

The streets were unrecognizable.

As Dreki stepped out of his apartment complex, the first thing he noticed was the silence. The usual noise of the city—cars honking, distant chatter, the hum of engines—was gone. In its place was an eerie, humming vibration that seemed to emanate from the ground itself.

The sky above was cracked, jagged fissures of light stretching across the heavens and spilling strange blue mist into the air. The cracks pulsed faintly, and every so often, a tendril of energy would arc from one to another, like lightning on a stormy night.

The city streets were a maze of glowing vines that twisted up lampposts and snaked around abandoned cars. The tendrils pulsed with a faint bioluminescence, their colors shifting between shades of blue and green. Trees that had once been ordinary were now massive, their bark shimmering faintly as though laced with metal, their leaves glowing softly in the dim light.

“Hello?” Dreki called out, his voice weak and uncertain. He cleared his throat and tried again, louder this time. “Is anyone here?”

The sound echoed off the empty buildings, but no one answered.

He moved cautiously down the sidewalk, stepping over vines that writhed faintly as if reacting to his presence. A discarded handbag lay near the curb, its contents spilled out—a wallet, a set of keys, a phone. Everything felt so surreal, like he’d stepped into a dream that was just a little too vivid.

As Dreki wandered deeper into the city, the hum in the air grew louder, resonating in his chest a chilling reminder of his isolation. The stillness was unnerving. Every shadow felt alive, every flicker of light from the glowing vines made his heart race. He turned a corner and stopped in his tracks.

A car had been split cleanly in two, as though sliced by an impossibly sharp blade. The edges of the cut glowed faintly, as if the metal was still cooling from the strike. Dreki’s stomach churned as he took a step closer, his eyes scanning the surrounding area. Whatever had done this was still out there.

The faint vibration in the air shifted, deepening into something heavier. It wasn’t just a hum anymore—it was a rhythm, a slow, pounding pulse that sent tremors through the ground beneath his feet. The hair on the back of his neck stood on end.

And then he felt it. The weight of a gaze.

Dreki’s head snapped up, his eyes darting to the fractured sky. Through the mist and glowing fissures, a massive silhouette began to emerge. At first, it was just an outline, faint and distorted, but as it moved closer, its form became clear.

The dragon.

It was impossibly large, its wings spanning the width of buildings as it descended. Its obsidian scales shimmered with faint blue light, reflecting the glow of the mana tendrils below. Spines jutted from its back, crackling with arcs of energy that danced like miniature lightning storms. Its tail lashed behind it, carving deep furrows into the ground as it passed over the city.

Dreki stumbled back, his chest tightening as the creature’s massive head turned. Its golden eyes blazed like molten metal, scanning the streets with an eerie precision. For a moment, he thought it might pass him by, but then its movements slowed.

The dragon’s gaze locked onto him.

It wasn’t just looking at him—it felt him. The heat in his chest from earlier flared, as if the very essence of his being had caught the dragon’s attention. Its nostrils flared, and a low growl rumbled from its throat, reverberating through the ground like distant thunder.

Dreki took a shaky step back. “No... no, no, no.”

The dragon’s wings spread wide, its body tensing as it prepared to move. Dreki turned and ran, his legs trembling beneath him. The sound of its roar split the air, a deafening cry that rattled the windows of nearby buildings and sent shivers down his spine.

The ground shook as Dreki sprinted down the street, dodging glowing vines and abandoned cars. The dragon’s massive form loomed overhead, its shadow swallowing entire blocks as it pursued him. Every beat of its wings sent gusts of wind tearing through the streets, knocking debris into the air.

He glanced over his shoulder, his breath hitching. The dragon was closing the distance, its golden eyes locked onto him like a predator zeroing in on its prey.

“What do you want from me?” he shouted, his voice barely audible over the sound of its wings.

The answer came not in words, but in another notification that flashed in his vision:

SYSTEM ALERT:

The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.

"Unclassified mana signature detected. Stabilization required."

Dreki stumbled, the words sending a jolt of fear through his chest. Whatever the System had done to him, it had made him a target. And now, the dragon—the thing meant to stabilize this transformed world—had marked him as its goal.

Dreki’s legs burned as he sprinted down the empty street, his lungs straining with every breath. The dragon’s roars echoed through the city, each one sending shockwaves that rattled windows and toppled debris. The heat radiating from the creature was unbearable, like standing too close to an open furnace.

Every glance over his shoulder only fed his panic. The dragon’s golden eyes burned like molten fire, locked onto him with a terrifying intensity. Its massive wings stirred up gusts of wind that threatened to knock him off his feet, and its claws gouged deep furrows into the pavement as it pursued him.

He turned down an alley, hoping to lose it in the maze of narrow streets, but the dragon’s head twisted sharply, tracking him with uncanny precision. It wasn’t just following him—it was fixated. Every move he made, every corner he turned, it adjusted effortlessly, its massive form shifting with surprising grace.

Another notification appeared in his vision, flashing urgently:

SYSTEM ALERT:

"Unclassified mana signature detected. Stabilization attempt initiated."

“What does that even mean?” Dreki shouted, his voice cracking. He wasn’t sure if he was asking the System or himself.

The air around Dreki felt heavier with every step, charged with a crackling energy that made his skin crawl. The dragon’s movements grew more erratic, its massive form flickering like a poorly rendered projection. Its scales shimmered with uneven light, and arcs of energy leapt from its body, striking the buildings around it.

The dragon roared again, but this time there was a note of pain beneath the rage. It faltered mid-flight, its wings beating unevenly as its body spasmed. The cracks in the sky above pulsed brighter, as if reacting to the creature’s instability.

Dreki skidded to a halt, his chest heaving. He turned to look back, his heart pounding as he watched the dragon writhe in midair. Its core—a brilliant, glowing mass of energy at the center of its chest—flared with blinding light, sending out waves of heat that warped the air.

The System chimed again, the clinical detachment of its messages stark against the chaos:

SYSTEM ALERT:

"World Integration Dragon unstable. Stabilization failure imminent."

The dragon’s head snapped toward Dreki, its golden eyes narrowing. It lunged, closing the distance in a single powerful leap. Dreki threw himself to the ground, the heat of its massive claws searing the air above him.

The heat in Dreki’s chest flared again, more intense than ever. It felt like a second heartbeat, pulsing in time with the dragon’s core. He clutched his chest, gasping as the sensation grew stronger, almost overwhelming. The dragon hesitated, its massive form looming over him, its head tilting slightly as if studying him.

“What... what is this?” Dreki whispered, his voice trembling. The heat in his chest pulsed again, and this time, the dragon responded. Its core flickered, the energy within it crackling wildly as if reacting to Dreki’s presence.

The air between them seemed to vibrate, a resonance that sent ripples through the ground. Dreki’s vision blurred, the notifications in his HUD flickering like static. He felt something ancient, something primal, brushing against his mind—a faint, distant echo of the dragon’s thoughts.

And then it roared, the sound filled not with rage but desperation. The resonance between them grew stronger, the dragon’s body flickering violently as its core began to destabilize.

The dragon reared back, its wings spreading wide as its core pulsed erratically. The cracks in the sky above widened, spilling more mist and light into the city. Streams of energy arced from the dragon’s body, striking nearby buildings and leaving molten craters in their wake.

Dreki scrambled backward, his heart racing. “this can’t be happening!”

The dragon’s body began to collapse in on itself, the light from its core intensifying to an almost blinding degree. With one final, earth-shattering roar, the creature’s core exploded, unleashing a shockwave of energy that tore through the city.

The force of the blast threw Dreki off his feet, slamming him into a nearby wall. The air was filled with deafening noise—crumbling buildings, shattering glass, the crackling of residual energy. For a moment, everything was chaos.

The world was a blur of pain and chaos.

Dreki lay sprawled on the cracked pavement, his body broken and battered. His ears rang, drowning out the faint crackling of energy that still lingered in the air. Every breath came ragged and shallow, his chest heaving against the oppressive weight of his injuries. Blood trickled from a deep gash on his forehead, staining his vision red as it seeped into his left eye. His arms felt heavy, useless—one was bent at an unnatural angle, the bone clearly broken beneath his skin.

The jagged remnants of the dragon’s explosion littered the ground around him. Shards of obsidian scales, still faintly glowing, pierced the ground like splinters from a shattered star. One had embedded itself in his side, sending fiery bolts of pain through his ribs with every shallow breath. He tried to move, but his body refused to obey. His legs felt distant, numb, as if they belonged to someone else.

The air was thick with the acrid stench of burned ozone and scorched earth. Dust and ash floated through the eerie blue light that still spilled from the cracks in the sky. The world around him was silent, save for the faint hum of energy that seemed to pulse in time with his own heartbeat.

“I... I can’t,” he whispered, his voice barely audible. His lips were cracked, his throat dry. Every word felt like dragging stones across sandpaper.

Dreki’s head lolled to the side, his vision swimming. The notifications in his HUD flickered weakly, as if even the System itself was struggling to process what had happened.

SYSTEM ALERT:

"World Integration Dragon defeated by user: Dreki."

The words barely registered. His body screamed in protest, every nerve alight with agony. Blood pooled beneath him, warm and sticky against the cold pavement. He was dying. He could feel it in the way his vision narrowed, the edges blurring into darkness.

And then, the System spoke again.

A new notification appeared, glowing brighter than any before:

SYSTEM ALERT:

"Dragon Sovereign Class awarded."

"Level 50 achieved. Initiating physical recalibration."

The pain in Dreki’s chest surged, sharp and overwhelming. He cried out, his voice raw and hoarse, as a searing heat exploded from within him. His body convulsed, his back arching against the ground as if an unseen force was pulling him upward.

The shards of obsidian embedded in his body began to glow, their light spreading like molten lava across his skin. The heat wasn’t just in his chest anymore—it radiated through every limb, every muscle, igniting his nerves like fire racing through dry grass. His broken arm snapped back into place with a sickening crack, the bone knitting itself together in a flash of unbearable pain.

His breathing hitched as the wound in his side began to close, the jagged edges of flesh pulling together with an almost unnatural speed. The gash on his forehead sealed itself shut, leaving only a faint line of fresh, unscarred skin.

And then came the strength.

His muscles tensed, every fiber stretching and expanding as if being remade from the inside out. His arms thickened, the sinew beneath his skin coiling like steel cables. His chest broadened, his ribs shifting to accommodate the growing mass of his frame. His legs, once weak and trembling, swelled with new power, the faint numbness replaced by a surging vitality that made his heart pound.

Dreki groaned, his voice deeper now, reverberating through the empty streets. His hands clenched into fists, his fingers digging into the pavement and leaving faint impressions in the stone. The ground beneath him seemed to pulse in time with the cracks in the sky, the energy of the System flowing into him like a rushing tide.

SYSTEM ALERT:

"Physical recalibration complete. Essence absorption successful."

The heat began to fade, replaced by a cool, thrumming sensation that coursed through Dreki’s veins. Slowly, he pushed himself onto his hands and knees, his movements shaky and unfamiliar. His vision was sharper now, the faint blue glow of the world around him clearer than before. Every detail—the jagged edges of the obsidian shards, the faint ripples in the pavement, the distant cracks in the sky—was vivid, almost painfully so.

As he struggled to his feet, he realized something was wrong. Or rather, something had changed.

His legs felt... longer. Thicker. He stumbled, his balance thrown off as his center of gravity shifted. His arms swung awkwardly at his sides, the increased mass making them heavier than he was used to. He glanced down and froze.

His body wasn’t just healed—it was different. His torso, once lean and unremarkable, was now broad and powerfully built, his muscles carved with a precision that didn’t feel human. His hands were larger, his fingers thicker, his nails sharper than before. Even his height had changed—he loomed over the broken streetlights now, his perspective shifted in a way that made the world around him feel... smaller.

“What... what is this?” he muttered, his voice a low growl that startled even him.

He stumbled forward, his legs wobbling beneath him as he adjusted to the unfamiliar weight of his new body. The ground seemed farther away, the air somehow thinner. Every movement felt powerful, deliberate, as if his very existence now carried an undeniable force.

Dreki clenched his fists, his arms flexing instinctively. The strength in his limbs was staggering. He could feel it coursing through him, a primal, untamed energy that threatened to overwhelm his senses. The faint thrumming in his chest—the connection to the dragon’s core—was still there, but quieter now, more controlled.

He took another step, his footfall cracking the pavement beneath him. The sound echoed through the empty streets, a reminder of just how much he had changed.

As the notifications faded from his vision, Dreki stood amidst the ruins of the city, his breathing slow and measured. The System’s words still echoed in his mind, their meaning sinking in with a chilling clarity:

“Dragon Sovereign Class awarded.”

“Level 50 achieved.”

He glanced at his hands again, the faint glow of the mana-infused light reflecting off his skin. He was no longer the same man who had stumbled out of his apartment hours ago. The System had remade him, reshaped him into something more.

For the first time in his life, Dreki didn’t feel weak. He didn’t feel invisible. He felt powerful.

But that power came with a weight he couldn’t ignore. The city around him was still in ruins. The dragon’s destruction had left a scar on the world, and somehow, the System had marked him as the one responsible.

Dreki looked up at the cracked sky, his hands curling into fists. The energy within him surged, a primal force that made his chest swell with adrenaline.

“I don’t know what this is,” he muttered, his voice steady now, “but I’m not going to waste it.”