It feels like such an impossibility to imagine Lord having defeated this creature. Even if it is just an illusion created by their system. Perhaps he is one of those who can switch a killer instinct on and off. I’d like to think I’m the same, but I can’t even control my expression.

After the dragon had recoiled, I felt the air change. It is faced with mortality- survival. Through its inhuman eyes, you can tell. It's the same expression of a deer, or rabbit when it realizes it's about to die. I feel an odd sense of accomplishment to instill such a reaction. We are hunter and prey.

I don’t know if another counter is going to work on him. One claw, two wings, a tail, two legs, and fiery breath are what he has at his disposal. I have… a blade. I need to figure something else out.

There wasn’t any more time to dawdle. I thought I was moving freely, but this monster is proving his legendary status. He was capable of adapting to an opponent. The first movements were just testing waters.

It sounded like cannon fire watching him pounce towards me, his hind legs carving out sizable stone craters from the sheer force. I could only do my best to dive towards his injured leg, everywhere else was in a danger zone. A dozen tiny cuts were made on my forearms with bright red dots welling up in the wake.

I looked rapidly for an opening as I recovered from the maneuver, as lucky as I was. Only a moment had passed, I swung to the nearest point which was on the injured arm. While my blade cuts through unrealistically without resistance, it wasn’t deep enough.

That was the only attack I could fit in before the beast began to roll away. I followed the roll instinctively, I couldn’t afford there to be any space for him to show his speed. While he was swift, his roll wasn’t. He made a full rotation before I leapt onto his back as he was finishing it.

Ribs. It should have ribs. I stabbed straight into his side, down to the hilt. He reacted violently, unfolding his wings haphazardly, knocking me off balance to hang onto the little bit of my weapon protruding from his flesh. His head shot up, letting his pain be heard in an ear splitting screech. This position was best for me. I tried to pull myself up, the weight pulled my blade downwards to open a cascade of his blood around me.

His wings rushed to the ground, pushing me off of him with my blade in hand. I fell onto my back, the wind forces not allowing a recovering position. It felt like fire in my throat as it knocked all the air from my lungs. I gasped for a sliver of a breath, barely keeping any through a cough.

The beast was making an escape. It cared more for survival, and a wound that deep would need a safe place to recover at. It’s better to lick your wounds in defeat than to die outright.

But. I wasn’t done.

It had already lifted off into the air, making way to the dark sky. I needed to reach it. The only way I knew of was with a bow that was too far or magic, which I only knew the most basic of the basics of. Call to the spirits of the land and hope you spoke well enough.

I pushed myself up with a torn up elbow, my fist blue and red from clenching onto the katana. I didn’t know what to ask, or even if they would allow me to speak to them, but I had to try. If I were the dragon, I would make it my life’s goal to hunt me down after this.

“I beseech the great spirits of this land.”

Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.

The issue with asking for magic, is the backlash if they deny your request. A no-name mage would get scorched for asking what I am.

“Grant my blade the reach of the skies to fell an oppressor.”

I would rather take my chances. A player believed in me, the spirits should too.

I shakily stood, the trauma from falling so roughly was readily apparent. All was quiet now, except for my still sharp breaths. At least I hadn’t pissed off a great spirit, I’d know already.

I grabbed my hilt with both hands and raised it over my head, readying a swing.

“Carry my strike to split the sky. I will give you my all.” I beckoned once more.

They answered to the offering.

I felt the ground beneath my bare feet hum with a resonant vibration. My eyes were dead focused on the beast disappearing into the clouds of ash, but I could see in my periphery the green glow of wind magic swirling around me. My heavy shoulder felt light once more and with all the force I could muster I made my last swing, arcing like a crescent moon. The tip of my blade ended up stuck into the rocks in front of me, remaining as I fell backwards to watch the magic work.

It was a crescent shaped energy, trailing bright green like an aurora of the northern lands. It traveled faster than the winds of the fiercest storms, whistling like a single-note songbird. The clouds parted from it to shine golden rays down to illuminate the barren basalt delta. My vision began to go into a haze, but the last thing I saw was the silhouette of the monster split in clean halves.

That was the last I saw. I’m sorry I didn’t act heroically, or face off directly. I’ve always heard tales of long battles with these beasts, the hero barely valiantly clinging onto victory. I came unprepared and got it over with in the cheapest way possible. Lord will probably laugh if he hears about this.

I’m no good at hiding how I feel, but I’m pretty sure I’m smiling just thinking about it.

.

.

.

“Assessment complete.” I heard the monotone lady speak through ringing ears.

I willed my eyes open to the white nothingness. This again. I had forgotten.

My pain was gone and I could see my body again. I didn’t have my robe, but at least my scratches weren’t there. As if it never happened.

“I thought there were more? What happened?”

“No further testing is needed to determine classes.”

“Guess I did good then.”

“You performed well.” She answered, but I couldn’t figure any other intent within her words. Whoever this woman is that talks to me is an enigma.

A chime sounded and a list was displayed.

[Unique Class]

Void wielder - Awarded to those who are not living. Reduce all to nothing.

Slayer - Awarded to those who choose to continue fighting after a battle is complete. Make your foes grovel under your heel.

[Expert Class]

Dream Sorcerer - Create magic with your imagination, curse your foes with the impossible.

Spellsword - Create a harmony of magic and steel to conquer.

Spirit Shepherd - Create pacts with spirits to obtain their power at a cost.

Dragon Knight - Call forth the spirit of dragons slain to use their might.

[Standard Class]

Monk

Knight

Ninja

Ranger

[Expand List]

“There are a lot of options… What is a unique class? Expert? Standard?”

“A unique class is granted once. An expert class is assigned based on skill displayed in tests. Standard classes are defined by the movements and armament choices of the player.”

Alright then. I should probably choose a unique class. Let's see…

Void wielder, slayer?? Reduce all to nothing?? Grovel under my heel? What the hell, these are so overboard! There's no way I could be like that. I'm not some lunatic and those classes look like I'd need to practice an evil laugh!

What about expert classes, screw being unique. These all mostly seem… complicated and require a lot of effort. No way am I messing with spirits or killing any dragons. Spellsword seems nice enough, use magic and a sword. Spell - sword. That's simple enough.

“I choose spell sword.”

“Are you certain?”

“Yeah.” I nodded in a worked up huff.

“Class: Spellsword confirmed. Are you ready for stat learning?”

I've heard enough of stats from Lord. There are six: Vitality, Dexterity, Strength, Mana, Arcane and luck. The first half relate to your body and the latter are spiritual. Luck is just luck.

“No thanks. A friend already taught me.” I declined.

“Are you certain?”

“Yeah yeah. I'm getting tired of being in this nothing. Please, Miss, just take me back.”

“All tutorials skipped confirmed. Teleporting to city of Fluss.”

“No no no! Wait, that's not back! Larkspur, go to Larkspur!”

…

Before me was a grand plaza of masonry. It was filled to the brim with players. There were magical fireworks shooting off into the sky as if my arrival was expected.

I was dead inside.

“Here's the god-gamer Erin! The second player to ever kill the tutorial dragon!” One spirited man would shout louder than all the other chatter.

I focused onto him and a name appeared above his head, ‘Michelob Plus Ultra’

I'll put that on a certain list… right after a certain fishy lord for convincing me into this.

I didn't even have to kill the damn thing.