In the darkness of the night, demonic shadows crawled through the pitch-black alleyways.

But it was no demon.

My group and I had just returned from a grueling mission. We had just hunted down some bandits who were residing in a place not far from the city. We are deployed because some of the Hunter groups that were previously assigned to deal with them never returned home.

"Hey, uncle. What are we eating tonight?"

I felt a hand touch my back, it was my nephew. Being the backbone of the family in an age where one small mistake could kill you, was neither too easy nor too hard to do. They were all children who had already turned 15, the minimum age required to enlist as a Hunter.

Today was their first day on their first mission, a grueling day to be sure.

Of course, as a good uncle, there's nothing wrong with treating them good, right?

"What to eat? I think I still have a few cans of red beans in the cupboard."

A can of red bean, what a luxury… if only I could find more of them.

But without realizing it, that was the keyword of the purge.

"Wow, canned red beans! Isn't that expensive stuff?"

"Did someone say beans!?"

"Wow, we're going to eat red beans tonight!"

"Finally! My favorite food!"

Suddenly, the fatigue that was on their shoulders just lifted. I don't know if it's a good thing to let them fuss here. We had just entered the city, so indirectly we were still in the danger zone. The area near the city wall is the least suitable place to hold a party or anything that smells of commotion.

"Shut up everyone! We're still on the outskirts of the city. Lower your voice and conserve what energy you have left. We won't know when the monsters will appear, don't lower your guard and vigilance!"

"Yes, sir!"

"Pardon us, sir!"

"We didn't let you down, sir!"

"U-uh... sorry, uncle."

Unlike her other relatives, I turned my head in the direction the languid voice came from. She was the shyest of the lot, which made it necessary for extra attention to be paid to her. I don't think it's wrong to be strict with them, but still…

"It's fine, I'm glad if you all understand."

Understand.

Wait...

Have I ever had this happen before?

...

Damn it.

...

Silent, I couldn't hear any sound from the surroundings. Everything feels so fake, it's just an illusion of my memory. It's a silent night, a night where I realize that I'm just a weak loser.

"Ah... why?"

An extremely dazzling light came from behind. It was a sign of the start of the heinous massacre that night. Do I have to fight it? It's the same incident, isn't it? It replayed in my mind, forcing me to admit that.

"What am I, weak?"

In a sinner, weakness is a form of the stupidity of a lazy person. I don't know what else to do, should I fight the illusory monster that was the main perpetrator of the tragedy? Isn't that tantamount to trying to beat the wind?

It's so annoying, as well as stupid.

I waited for the annihilation beam shot that should now come, slamming into me and my family and turning them into dust. Leaving me miserable, and crying over their death.

But…

Several minutes had passed, and the trigger should have been pressed but yet nothing happened.

"What the hell?"

"What are you doing, son?"

A familiar voice, accompanied by a soothing air of distress.

"Mr. Cief?"

I opened my eyes, everything had stopped moving as if time had stopped. Their cheerful and excited faces were frozen there, it was a warming sight. The feeling of falseness disappeared, leaving my body in the void once again. This is better than a replayed memory, complete silence is sometimes the best.

"Don't kill yourself, at least until I win. "He whispered in my ear, I can't even see him now. But maybe I should stop being surprised by his abilities.

Finally, a flash of light hit me, blinding my vision completely.

This was exactly like that incident... but, just a sickening falsehood.

"I hate dragons."

No one can blame me for that.

****

Is it a comet? Is it a spaceship? Or maybe it was just a mere meteor?

More or less, it was a seed sown by the overseer. It traveled freely, navigating through a sea of countless stars. The seed traveled so fast, darting from one galaxy to another. Absorbing the energy that the universe provided, the seed split the cosmos without a hitch.

The seed was made of yellow crystals covered with deep red crystals on some of its sides. It avoided stars, planets, meteors, comets, and other celestial bodies. It moved and changed its direction on its own as if it had its own consciousness. Searching around for the ideal place for it to grow and develop into an embodiment of the sower.

After sailing through the cosmos for millions of years, the seed finally found the ideal place. A large planet that was rich in the energy content that the seed needed to grow and develop properly. It was also a suitable and safe place for it to carry out its duty to make the sower satisfied with its efforts.

Traveling at a speed faster than sound, the crystal chunk emitted a dazzling glow. It reflected the light from the orange star at the center of the solar system where the planet was located. The blue planet with thin yellow rings is accompanied by three moons in yellow, white, and red. For an exoplanet, the size of the planet is spectacular. It's so big that it's estimated that it's almost half the size of our sun.

After some time, the seed finally almost reached the planet's atmosphere. Upon hitting the atmospheric layer, the seed simply disintegrated as if it had hit a thin, invisible barrier. However, only the outer layer of the seed was destroyed. Its true interior continued on its way, ignoring the frictional heat of the air in the atmosphere.

The center was an extremely dense and sturdy red crystal cube. It could withstand the heat and friction without being eroded in the slightest. It made a shiny, metal-like rock mountain as its resting place. Due to its large size and density, it easily burrowed into the mountain. It caused a powerful explosion that shook the ground and its surroundings. The booming sound it produced also spread across the entire planet, declaring its existence to all living beings in existence.

The seed had been planted, now all it had to do was grow and flourish. To realize the purpose of its existence and manifest it.

That is the seed of destruction.

****

In this fantastic fantasy world.

It was a safe and peaceful day as usual in the kingdom of Luminaries. A large kingdom on the most dangerous continent on the planet Galvatea, Werberom. It was the second largest continent after the Titanid continent, a funnel-shaped like continent located right in the center of the equator. Werberom itself was located not far from Titanid, it was right next to the continental funnel separated by a strait. Shaped like a diamond, Werberom is divided into two parts thanks to a colossal chasm that almost splits it in half. The Kingdom of the Luminaries is located in the western part of the Werberom continent, directly facing each other with the Titanid continent.

In the town of Treti, where all visitors from outside the continent come to rest after their trip. Every day thousands of ships come and go, delivering merchandise and passengers alike. This town was the only entrance to the continent of Werberom. Due to the dangers of ocean waves and extreme weather, there is no safer route than through the Tewom Strait. The ships used to cross the strait were also designed and modified to withstand the threat of sea monsters. This is all coupled with a well-trained and experienced crew to minimize the danger.

Right in the center of the city, a celebration was being held with great fanfare. It was a celebration held every 5 years, it was a celebration to celebrate the appearance of the white moon. The local people regard the appearance of the white moon as a sign of prosperity and peace. Because it has a city wall that is shaped like a fan with a coastal area that widens then narrows to the mainland. The city center is the most perfect place because it will not interfere with the harbor area.

Amongst the hustle and bustle of the party, two people were chatting with each other in a dark alley. They were very conspicuous when compared to the surrounding residents. One wore a silky white robe with a blue hood covered with gold ornaments on the edges. The other was slightly taller than the previous one, wearing a plain white silk robe without any ornaments. The two of them chatted peacefully and amicably, they continued to make small talk until one of them tried to bring up the main topic.

"So... did you see 'it' last night? "He said, his heavy, husky tone whispered softly but could still be heard clearly.

"Saw it? Come on, that thing crossed the sky of this city man! It was above your head, shining so brightly that it made the dark night turned into bright daylight! Oh, don't forget the sound. "The other was annoyed, his smooth voice echoing in the alley. He tried to keep his voice as low as possible so as not to attract attention.

"Good, you and I are the only ones that remember it."

"Are you the one who does this?"

"Yes, but…"

"But?"

"...."

After a short period of silence, the man continued his speech.

"If that thing is the one who breaks the barrier, then the theory I'm thinking of is correct."

"Theory? What are you talking about, Flerdrest?"

The man called Flerdrest took off his veil and looked up at the white moon. The glorious moonlight that calmed the heart and mind showered the revelers with its presence. It was also his favorite time, no one could hate the white moon even if it was a demon. His wrinkled cheeks instantly radiated a beautiful rainbow light as the moonlight hit his face.

He looked at the kid who had fallen under his charm, he tapped him gently on the forehead to wake him up.

"That meteor, it's a bad omen. It's not the first time this planet has had visitors through the medium of space. But every time it happens, things don't go smoothly." He explained seriously while taking a deep breath. Flerdrest was someone who looked as if he had lived a very long time and dealt with so much nonsense.

"No matter how clueless humans are with mana. An energy blast of that magnitude should be felt by all living beings living in this world."

"Guest? You mean that guy came here on a meteor?"

"That's right, right when the meteor broke through the magical barrier of this world. It can be confirmed if the meteorite was a living being or something like a starship."

He looked like a middle-aged man with his hair completely whitened. He was slightly taller than the average human living on this planet, at around 205 cm. Despite looking old, he exuded an aura of great power and authority. He has a neatly groomed beard that grows lushly on his chin, and he matches his appearance with his distinctive all-white attire. Often he would appear with just a white robe and two wooden staffs that were as white and smooth as ivory. His appearance told everyone that he was a 'sage', which was his profession. But the most striking thing was not his clothes or profession, it was the crystal scales on his cheeks.

The scales gave off an eye-catching rainbow glow whenever he walked around without wearing a hood. People would inevitably stop to gaze at that beauty with respect. Although he was used to it, being seen by many people was not something he liked.

Being a researcher of magical things as well as strange phenomena happening around her. He had always established his life goal as a researcher as well as a spell master at the same time.

To live in a world where the existence of energy called mana exists. All creatures living in it are forced to adapt to its existence since ancient times. Mana is a form of entropy that directly seeks to defy its nature as a form of energy itself. It exists in all the molecular particles that exist on this planet, packaged in a very fine form like sand. Each grain of sand can be transformed into other energy through a very complex and reactive process.

It is a mystery how the cells in their bodies can cope with such highly toxic energy. Add to that the fact that this energy can do amazing things, such as making a piece of rock into a puppet creature that can move and communicate with each other.

Flerdrest spent his entire life trying to unearth the secrets of this strange world. He spent hundreds of thousands of years trying to figure out how mana came into existence. But with all his experience, there was only one thing that always haunted his mind.

"Guests from outside? Like me for example?" Asked the boy with curiosity as well as worry.

Dressed in almost the same clothes, the boy had a delicate and beautiful face with a warm expression. He had shiny dark blue hair like lapis-lazuli that was polished to perfection. His diamond-like eyes looked at the old man in front of him curiously.

"No, you are different from them. Your type of people is called a transmigrator , they come to this world through portals. Until now I still haven't been able to learn about the inter-dimensional gate that abandoned all of you until now. Also, compared to the guests who came on a starship or something. You guys are much easier to handle."

The world they lived in was a very strict prison with very complicated rules. Flerdrest had an idea about how this world organized itself by creating consciousness itself. The planet had a core that was the center of consciousness, it created something called a 'system' to restrain everything within it. Biasedly, that sounds very scary. A planet that has a 'consciousness' of its existence creates a restraint to create the desired harmony. But in reality, the planet is just trying to control what it created.

With the creation of the system, a better order of life can be realized with the help of mana energy. Although it is classified as a fairly dangerous energy, with the system in place. It can be reversed and utilized in a good way. The system will restrain a living being or object and give them information and what abilities they have, how much mana they can hold, their life force, age, and many other things.

Literally, a system is a program that neatly runs the life and laws of the world.

"Okay... so, what are we going to do with the meteorite?"

"More or less, I'll investigate it myself. You'd better pack up now if you want to come along, we don't have much time, Nozu."

"Understood."

With a nod of agreement, the two of them immediately exited the alley and walked in the same direction. They moved through the crowd with snake-like agility.

Despite their flashy appearance, they made their way through the crowd without attracting any attention.

Despite their strange and conspicuous appearance, the citizens had already seen enough nonsense to care enough about their existence.

In a world where 'mana', an energy that was one of the basic supports of life was deadly. It was a highly refined energy that was supposedly produced by a planetary output. Not all planets could produce a form of energy like mana, only a few of them met the necessary conditions to be able to do so. The main requirement is that the planet must be in a zone that has a high density of cosmic energy radiation.

These energies have no clear purpose in the present, as they are after all just leftover junk from the time of creation often known as the big bang. Like garbage, they can gather in one place and cause random chain reactions. They can basically suffocate and destroy anything nearby, that is if they gather into a concentrated mass.

Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

Some celestial bodies can absorb and store a form of cosmic energy. They act as sponges that absorb the junk from gathering together. But usually, celestial bodies cannot process that energy. That causes them to simply disintegrate when the amount of energy absorbed becomes too high. Therefore, only solar systems with one or two celestial bodies that can absorb and process cosmic energy can survive in such a rich environment. One example of this form of energy processing is by converting it into more subtle and stable energy, mana.

Cosmic energies are so hot and sticky, they are constantly colliding with everything around them. It's not unusual for seemingly small concentrations of energy to suddenly cause small-scale cosmic storms that grow unstoppable. To counteract this, some planets and stars will capture some of the energy for their purposes. Stars that can absorb this energy will usually get a dark blue color and a relatively small size. Planets that can use this energy will usually have a very large size.

"The appearance of a portal or dimensional crack is a very rare event. Although it is quite dangerous and very risky to cause the collapse of the space around it. I'd rather it happen everywhere than the arrival of someone coming through the path of the cosmos."

"Uh, but why, isn't the collapse of space dangerous, if I'm not mistaken it could trigger the appearance of a black hole, right?"

"A black hole is not the right name for the phenomenon. It's just a hole that results from a strange event like the appearance of a gate that connects two places directly. The hole will usually suck in all the material around it to seal itself. If the crack or portal was stable, the collapse would not have happened. As far as I have investigated, the possibility of the portal collapsing is very small."

"But still, aren't most of the creatures that come through the portal very strong? You know that they all usually come with a mountain of power bestowed by entities that consider themselves gods. For example, I was kidnapped from my world and forced to go along with whatever game they were playing. Don't forget about the blessings and underhanded power I got." He explained proudly while puffing out his chest.

"No, it's precise because of that that dealing with you became easy. If you think about it, trying to fight something that is not bound to the system of this world is a nightmare. We will never know the potential or power they hold. Not to mention the fact that they can come to this world by piercing through that magical protective layer, do you know how difficult it is to pierce through that?" He explained at length and indirectly crushed his interlocutor's pride.

Because Nozu was trying to focus all his attention on absorbing as much information as possible from Flerdrest's explanation. He did not have extensive knowledge of the topic at hand, so he tried to focus on listening. Sometimes the words Flerdrest says can be something that will stay in his mind all night. The lack of filter in the choice of words makes Nozu confused by the special terms and figures of speech used by Flerdrest. But when Flerdrest spoke seriously and used simple words, that's when he knew that what was being discussed was a bad omen.

"How bad are they?" He asked worriedly.

"Worse than you can imagine."

He was what was called a transmigrator, someone who came from another world. Just like the average transmigrator who came from another world, Nozu was just an ordinary human living an ordinary life on earth in the 20th century. Until one day he was sucked in by a mysterious crack while going to work. He was forcibly sent to this world after meeting an entity claiming to be a god. Given abundant power and blessings by them, it still doesn't support the fact that he is just an ordinary human who lacks qualified survival and fighting knowledge. The only good thing he has is his friendly looks, this can make him accepted in society easily if he can blend in well.

That was if he managed to find civilization after he arrived.

After striking a deal, he was sent to this world and stranded in a wilderness far from civilization. Despite being given great strength, he still struggled to survive the first night he arrived in this world. But fortunately for him, he met Flerdrest who at the time looked battered. At first, he was unsure of how to convince a 4-meter-tall Dragonoid human to accept his help. But his doubts were simply broken by his conscience.

At that moment, he didn't realize that he had just formed a friendship with one of the most powerful people on the planet.

"Something that is not bound by the laws of the world or the universe they live in. That is the most terrifying opponent I've probably ever faced..." muttered Flerdrest who was frozen in place. There was an ominous nostalgic haze in his white eyes that even the white moonlight could not dispel.

"That sounds terrifying, is that also the reason you got so battered that night? You once said that night you had just been crushed by a terrifying monster from another dimension."

"Well, let's just say that-"

A strong wind came hitting his face fiercely. Instantly an unusual feeling arose in his head. The instinct in his head told him to leave that place at once.

Spontaneously, Flerdrest turned his gaze to the place where the meteor had landed.

Mount Silky, was a mountain covered with a unique type of tree that had silver leaves that were often used as medicinal ingredients. The tree thrived in the soil that had abundant heavy metal content as well as high mana levels. The distance between the mountain and the city is a 3-hour walk. Not to mention the shimmering light that the mountain reflects under full moonlight, making it even more striking and easy to see from a distance.

But the main attraction of the mountain is the large crater with a giant glowing red cube in the center. The fact that he can see it, means the illusion magic he put around that thing is already broken.

"That's strange, maybe the time is out?"

Instantly, a loud popping sound was heard from the direction of the silver mountain.

Out of curiosity, Flerdrest immediately hurried to go to the origin of the sound. But as he tried to continue his steps, Flerdrest felt something tugging at his cloak. He looked back only to find that the boy had fallen into a trembling silence. A look of horror and panic was plastered on his face, something that was in stark contrast to his usual flat yet warm face.

"Nozu! What happened?!!!" He snapped loudly, hurriedly catching the boy's body that suddenly collapsed.

"Cold..."

There was no warmth he could feel as he touched the boy's pale forehead. His heart was still beating, but all the warmth had simply left his body. Instantly, he realized something he feared had happened too soon. He cursed himself for being too rash and casual in handling this matter. The arrival of extraterrestrials was never a pleasant moment.

Not long after, a thin energy blast hit him hard in the face. He managed to keep his balance quickly and immediately rushed away from that place. Then instantly, his eyes began to widen as he saw a sight that he found extremely sickening. What had previously been a crowd of happy innocents was now reduced to a disgusting pool of black mud.

"What... is happening? That energy... feels so familiar." He stammered, his whole body shaking violently. He tried to control the mana inside his body that was raging for no reason.

'I-that... can't be.'

He had one answer to that question, but he hoped he was wrong. He carefully placed the boy's body on his shoulders. Then, his body slowly began to be covered with holy multicolored light. His body began to lift off the ground and a blinding light burst out from his body. In an instant, Flerdrest and Nozu simply disappeared.

****

The cold wind was blowing hard on the slopes of Silky Mountain. But there he was, setting up a small camp for himself and the boy he already considered his own son. It had been three days since the incident, and if he could be honest. He was grateful that there had been no explosions since then. Now he was just taking care of the boy until he fully recovered, speaking of indebtedness.

"Hey, Flerdrest. Aren't you... scared?" the boy asked from his tent, the frightened tone telling him everything he was going through.

"Hmmm... not really, Nozu. If there's anything I should be afraid of, it's the fact that the meteorite is only a few minutes away from this camp. "He replied quietly, though a little worried for Nozu's safety. Flerdrest continued to carry out this extremely risky plan for the safety of the people of this country.

"Are you feeling better? Can you stand on your own now? I'll get some berries for you later."

Even so, he could not forget the fact that he had dragged a sick child along with him. Normally such a thing would not bother his mind, but different things would apply if it was his own family. But that was his life, being a sage who devoted himself to protecting the country. That meant he had to sacrifice in every way possible in order to fulfill his duty, as the guardian of the light.

His relationship with Nozu began simply. He met him in the wilderness after being badly beaten. After a brief exchange of pleasantries, he was healed and they became friends. A harmonious relationship was established with just that chance meeting.

Flerdrest has experienced a lot in his lifetime. He has met many people and has been involved in many troubles. Judging a person by one look was no longer a difficult thing for him. Despite the wisdom on his face, he often solved problems through violence. No one would have thought that a middle-aged man in a white robe with a stick would beat an entire pack of bandits to death.

Only with a stick.

Thus, his encounter with Nozu was a blessing. With his powerful healing powers, he found a submissive child who followed him around like a chick.

"Ah! There's no need to bother. I can do it myself, now that I can move my body properly." He said in a hurry so that Flerdrest would not leave without him.

"Alright...?"

Taking a sip from the cup of coffee in his hand, Flerdrest watched as the boy staggered towards him. Although decades had passed, his face had not aged a bit. This was not the first time he had encountered an ageless transmigrant. Some races in this world also had the same aspect, him for example. He had lived for hundreds of thousands of years, yet still had a good physique. Ignoring his wrinkled face, his current physical form would make any man envious.

'Maybe I can rejuvenate this face of mine with some magic? Heh, probably not.'

Magic in this world is closely related to how the system works. By using mana, creatures who master certain knowledge can engineer a phenomenon with certain conditions. If it only uses mana and requires divination, then it will be called magic. Whereas if it requires mana or one's life force, then it will usually be called skill. The most distinguishing thing between the two is the requirements and who can use them.

Magic can almost be used by everyone with just a few conditions, while skills can usually only be used by someone who already has talent or ability in that field.

Fireball magic, for example, is an intermediate-level magic that can be cast easily by a Spell Caster. This magic only requires mana and reactors that come from the chant itself. The chant usually uses an ancient language of unknown origin, but it is believed that the language allows one to ask the system for permission. For example, a Spell Caster uses his wand to focus and condense a certain amount of mana to shoot a fireball. At that stage, the caster has to recite a proper chant that can be identified by the system. Once identified, the system would execute the appropriate command from the chant. That will ignite the mana balls into powerful fireballs ready for firing, either directly or through pausing.

By knowing what they were casting, a Spell Caster could customize their magic with little to no problem. Although some magic required the medium of the caster's blood or body as a requirement, they still had the same working system as magic in general.

It sounds very easy to do, but people know how difficult it is to become a Spell Caster. The main requirement to be able to use magic is one, which is mana control. For ordinary people, trying to control mana is like trying to control the flow of blood. It is impossible and impossible to do in one try, it will be even more difficult if the controlled mana is already outside the controller's body. Mana exists, it can be felt and touched. They are bound and can be controlled to some extent depending on the talent and ability of the controller.

That's why not many people think that to become a Spell Caster. They must be born with talent and enough resources to hone it.

Now moving on to the basic concept of 'skill'. Skills are arguably the basic natural abilities that exist in all living things. One can hone or learn new skills with effort, and hard work that takes a very long time. Some can be born with talents that give birth to new skills that are qualified. If it can be explained simply, skills are abilities that are executed directly without system intervention.

Although there was little to conclude, Flerdrest was satisfied with his knowledge of how the system worked. Because after all, everything he had dug up about it was more than enough for him. With just that knowledge, he could defeat any Spell Caster and martial arts expert who was good at using skills. As silly as it sounded, it was a tradition for him that when he met a transmigrators, he would challenge them to a duel.

They were strong, he had to admit that. However, no matter how much blessing and power those who claimed to be gods gave them. They would still be bound by the world system that would curb any form of abnormality. As long as that was the case, defeating them was a fun game for him.

Nozu was a simple example of that transmigrator. He was endowed with a youthful body and a very strong physique. He also possessed a very strong healing skill, strong enough to heal dying people who were on the verge of death. He was a much-needed person for his troublemaking self.

"Yup, we shouldn't linger here."

Feeling content with his rest, Flerdrest picked up some empty straw baskets. Since they were shaped like waist bags, he could carry them comfortably.

"Hey, Nozu! I'm going to go look for berries, do you want to come along?"

"Ah, yes! Please wait a moment!"

Hearing that cute voice sometimes filled his head with questions. He had been with him for decades. But until now he had never known the kid's gender. The first time he met him, the boy looked like a boy who lacked many masculine aspects. But anyway, even if he knew the boy's true gender. The relationship between the two of them would not change at all, it would always be the father and child relationship.

But still, he was so curious that it once kept him up all night.

'Do I have to ask? Come to think of it, he wears that robe I gave to him all the time. When was the last time I saw him without the robe on? Maybe next time, at least after we settle this matter.'

Also, he could not afford to be careless while in this forest. The reason why he was so brave to set up camp so close to the meteorite. It was because he was the only one who could handle and deal with the waves of energy that it continuously emitted. Although it seemed dangerous at first, the energy emission was static. It was very stable and had some high mana-restoring benefits to the living beings living within it. In contrast to what it had just done 3 days ago, where the energy blast annihilated everything that was affected by it.

As pushy and ridiculous as it may seem, Flerdrest had no alternative. He was a dragon, a mythological creature that had always been portrayed as a mighty being who was arrogant and greedy for power. While some of those portrayals fit him, he never thought of himself as a cruel creature or anything like that. Being the most feared creatures for their power, dragons do have a higher tolerance for mana when compared to other races. This makes them superior in terms of magic, strength, and natural mana control. But, not all dragons like himself have the ability to shapeshift. Some choose to stay in their original form until the end of their lives.

In this world, every dragon has a power that symbolizes their kind. Their types are very diverse and widespread everywhere. However, finding a dragon is not easy. Because of their reputation as legendary creatures, there are sometimes some humans or other creatures who try to hunt them down or capture them. Therefore, over time some dragons began to try to hide in their own ways. Some hid in caves, lakes, or places untouched by humans while maintaining their original form. Others chose to morph into Dragonoid forms that were easier to blend in among humans peacefully. Some have a more predominantly humanoid appearance with only a few remaining dragon features, Flerdrest being an example.

He has a body that is not much different from an average human. The only thing that sets him apart is the multiple layers of scales on his body that show his true identity as a dragon.

"Hey, Nozu. Can you get me, my white staff? If I'm not mistaken it's inside your tent."

"Staff?... Ah, t-wait a minute!", he shouted hurriedly. His face turned pale as Flerdrest asked for the staff.

'Hmmm? Did he accidentally break it? Well, even if it was broken it wouldn't matter. It's just a normal staff after all.' He thought suspiciously of the boy's behavior.

Feeling bad, he went to his tent to pick it up himself. When he arrived, Nozu immediately came out of the tent noisily and panting. His red face was wet with sweat. He held out the staff to Flerdrest while looking down, trying to avoid eye contact with him.

"Thank... you?", he said hesitantly. She didn't know why it was such a hassle just to get his wand.

"You're welcome...", he replied while turning his face to the side. Fear and worry were displayed on his face, no matter how well he hid it.

"Hey-"

"Hey, Flerdrest! Do you think it's a good idea to get so close to that meteorite? I mean, did you tell me that thing is the one that wiped out the entire city?!!" He asked suddenly, though it was obvious that he was hiding something. Flerdrest decided to ignore him and thought of the right way to explain his plan.

"It's simple, we're going to fight that thing."

Simple.

"Eh?!!! Why all of a sudden, what makes you so confident that you can defeat it? Weren't you the one who said it was impossible to defeat it?"

No answer came out of Flerdrest's mouth, the expression on his face instantly becoming stiff and cold. Then stood up and looked sharply at the bewildered Nozu.

"Sometimes you forget who you're talking to. I am Flerdrest, the guardian of light! There will be no enemy that can escape my light of judgment. Never!!!" He shouted in a gallant knightly pose. Holding his white staff with both hands, the blue gemstone on the head of the staff shone brightly.

Although it seemed like showing off and exaggerating, it proved to be an effective way to break the awkward atmosphere. Because after he did that, they both burst out laughing at each other's foolishness.

"Anyway, I've put up a barrier thicker than the plot armor of the main character of the book in fiction. The plan is very simple, I will wait for that thing to hatch and fight it while you will recover me from afar."

"From afar? You mean from outside the barrier?"

"Of course, you with that unreasonable support ability of yours should be able to penetrate this barrier. It's only meant to prevent anything from coming out from inside it and vice versa."

"Alright... are you sure this is safe?"

"Don't worry, if things get worse. We can still escape easily. Here, take this." Said casually, he then tossed a black pearl the size of a baseball toward him.

"That should be enough to get us both to our base on the moon."

Without further ado, the two of them finally departed from the camp. They had established an excellent relationship of trust if it was about each other's fighting ability. For Flerdrest, convincing Nozu not to get too close to him when he was fighting was the main key to winning the fight.

After much experimentation, the most effective way to maximize the function and potential of Nozu's healing ability was to hide it from the enemy. As easy as that is to say, trying to keep Nozu out of the fight is extremely difficult.

Some of the enemies he had fought sometimes had very strong magic and mana detection senses or abilities. That allowed them to track the healer's position and decide to tackle them first. Coupled with a stubborn support like Nozu, he sometimes had to make deals to convince him to stay out of the fight. His staff, for example, left it in the tent after agreeing with him that he could go investigate the meteorite on his own. He had recovered quite well by then, but it would still be too rash to take him on. He didn't bother to ask him why he needed his cane. The staff did not have any attributes on it, it was only used as decoration and a walking aid. It was strange considering his profession as a Spell Caster not to have a wand.

Unfortunately, Flerdrest was someone who preferred to fight with his bare hands.

"Alright, let's go!"

It's something that muscle-brained assholes like him would do.

With that, they walked straight toward the location where the meteorite had landed. Taking only about 10 minutes, they finally arrived at their destination without any problems. Throughout their journey, not a single living creature could be found. That wasn't strange considering what the meteorite had done to the local fauna. Only vegetation was completely unaffected by the energy blast.

Flerdrest watched the meteorite chunk from the rim of the crater, a distance he felt was safe for the two of them. He could feel the rush of energy enveloping his body. It was an unusual sensation for him, but one he would quickly get used to.

The meteorite was a large red cube. For now, she couldn't see what kind of creature was hiding inside. There was some sort of barrier that prevented her from seeing through the cube.

"Whatever it is, its size is equivalent to my true form." He muttered under his breath, his hand tightly gripping the staff in his hand. Anxiety and fear began to rise in his heart, was it right for him to do this?

Deciding to fight against an extraterrestrial was very unwise. He could have asked his friends out there for help to deal with this intruder. But deep down, something forbade him from doing that. Everything about what he was about to do, raised a very clear red flag.

Also, all his efforts to hide this meteorite would be meaningless if he did so.

"While you gather berries for lunch, I'll go to research the meteorite. Make sure not to get close or try to touch the red veins around the crater. Who knows how long it will take for our friend to come out of his shell."

"O-okay."

But with determination and courage, he should be able to overcome the impact of what he was about to do. At the very least, he could still do something good for his world. Also, if his plan did not go smoothly. Flerdrest still kept a myriad of ultimate weapons under his cloak. He gripped the head of the staff tightly, even though he had been holding it back. He couldn't ignore the fragrant smell and sticky sensation whenever he held it. But on the bright side, the odor could calm his mind.

'Did he apply perfume or something?'

Turning his gaze to Nozu, he observed how the boy picked the berries carefully. Remembering the question stuck in his head, he finally decided to find out the answer himself. In order not to look strange and suspicious, Flerdrest only occasionally stared and assessed Nozu's unwary physical form from a distance. This time he was able to make that observation easily because it went unnoticed. The robe that had always covered Nozu was caught on a tree branch, exposing his curves to Flerdrest.

The process only took a short time, even after he realized one important point about the kid. Nozu had a fairly androgynous face, a Hoarse yet slightly feminine voice and a relatively tall but not too thin body. He remembered exactly that female humans usually had wider hips and narrow shoulders. His body shape met all of those criteria and if anyone had asked him, why did he know that now?

'Ooooh, it turns out Nozu is a girl! Does that explain his aggressive attitude towards other females?' He thought after recalling her behavior during his adventures with her.

"Wait, she's a human after all. But her behavior was too similar to those dragonesses, coincidence?"

If he remembers it well, female dragons are very territorial creatures. They don't get along with each other and often fight over males. Once he was involved in a fierce fight between female dragons who were trying to kidnap him, it could be said that it was not a pleasant experience. For some reason, female dragons have always had better physical strength than male dragons. Not to mention their larger body size made them look intimidating to male dragons like him. Just thinking about it gave him goosebumps, he wouldn't be able to sleep well around them.

"Well, not that it matters... does it?"