I was alone somewhere in an unfamiliar land.

The forest around me was nothing like the one I had known before. My best guess, I was teleported here after the magic that holding the cave collapsed.

“God damn it, where the hell am I,” I said, frustrated.

I had been walking for what felt like hours. The only thing I had with me was the broken sword—the very weapon that had been lodged in the dragon’s chest. Strangely, it had changed. When I first found it lying beside me, it had shrunk from its massive, unwieldy size to that of a regular sword.

With no direction in mind, I kept moving forward, hoping to find signs of people—or at least some clue about where I had ended up.

The sun above me signalled it was already afternoon.

“I need to get back to the manor… but how?” I muttered under my breath.

I walked aimlessly through the unfamiliar forest, my frustration growing with every step. My patience thinned by the minute, the endless stretch of trees offering no sign of a path or direction.

Finally, I came to a halt, exhaling sharply. Irritated beyond reason, I clenched my fist and struck the nearest tree trunk.

KRAKOOM!

A thunderous crack split the air as the tree toppled over, crashing against the ground. Branches snapped, leaves scattered, and the vibrations rippled through the earth beneath my feet.

I stood frozen.

“Did I just…?” The words caught in my throat.

The trunk where my fist had landed was obliterated into splinters, leaving only jagged remains.

Slowly, I raised my hand, staring at it in disbelief. Not a single scratch. No pain. Nothing. It was as if I had merely brushed against the wood, yet the destruction was undeniable.

Then, memories resurfaced—the dragon’s final words. It had cursed the sword, pouring all its essence into it. And the moment afterward… the surge of energy, the strange vigor flowing through my veins…

A sinking realization settled over me.

“There’s no way… This can’t be,” I murmured.

However, I cannot deny it, the evidence was right before my eyes. The dragon’s essence—the power of its very existence—now coursed through my vein.

A surge of excitement coursed through my body. Though still a bit shaky, my mind raced with thoughts—just how strong had I become? What could I achieve with this newfound power?

Without hesitation, I muttered to myself, “I need to test this.”

My eyes fell on the fallen tree—the same one I had struck with my fist. It was a massive pine, thick and sturdy.

“Here goes nothing,” I said, placing my hands underneath its trunk, preparing to lift.

The moment I applied force, my breath hitched. Not only did I manage to lift it high above my waist, but it felt as light as a twig.

“WAHAHA!” A wild laugh escaped me, pure amazement filling my chest.

Gripping it with one hand like a spear, I pulled my arm back and hurled it skyward. The tree shot through the air, soaring higher and higher until it shrank into a mere speck… then disappeared entirely from view.

“WOHOOOO!” I shouted, the thrill coursing through my veins. But then—

“Oh crap… I hope that doesn’t land on someone’s head,” I muttered, gritting my teeth.

Shaking off the thought, I turned my attention to something else to throw.

Long story short, my “experiment” soon led to the destruction of several other trees—each larger than the last—before I moved on to lifting a massive boulder straight from the ground and smashing it into pieces.

After a while, I paused, curiosity creeping in.

“What else?” I murmured.

Strength was a given—dragons were enormous creatures, after all. But what about senses? Did I gain heightened perception beyond that of a normal human?

Closing my eyes, I focused on my hearing.

At first, everything seemed normal. But as I concentrated, the range of my hearing expanded. I could pick up the faint rustle of small animals moving through the underbrush, the distant creak of a falling branch.

Then—a deafening sound rang out.

“GAAHHH!” I winced, clutching my ears. The sheer intensity sent sharp pain through my skull, like needles piercing my eardrums.

Slowly, the overwhelming noise faded, and my hearing returned to normal.

I exhaled, realization settling in. “I need to control it properly…”

It wouldn’t be something I could master instantly. I needed practice. A lot of it.

As I settled down, my mind drifted, wondering what other abilities a dragon might possess.

"Dragons have wings. They can fly."

A thought struck me. Could I fly as well?

There were no wings sprouting from my back, but after everything that had happened, the idea of having a mythical creature's essence coursing through my veins wasn’t as far-fetched as it once seemed. If I had gained inhuman strength and heightened senses, then maybe—just maybe—I could fly, even without physical wings.

With newfound determination, I decided to put it to the test.

"Let’s do this."

I scanned my surroundings and picked the tallest tree I could find, thinking to use it as a platform to jump from. The climb was easy—effortless, even. With my enhanced strength, I reached the top in no time.

This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.

Standing on a sturdy branch, I took a moment to take in the view. From up here, I could see far beyond the endless stretch of trees. In the distance, there appeared to be a clearing.

"A human settlement, maybe?" I muttered. If it was, then I could just fly straight to it.

I took a deep breath.

"Alright."

I readied myself, bent my knees slightly, and launched myself forward, spreading my arms wide.

A grin spread across my face as the wind rushed past me, the exhilarating sensation of weightlessness coursing through my body.

This is it!

For a brief, fleeting second—I was soaring.

Then reality struck.

No wings mean no flight.

I plummeted.

"ARGHHHH!" I screamed at the top of my lungs as the ground rushed up to meet me.

Branches snapped and cracked as I crashed through them, breaking one after another before finally hitting the earth.

"UFFF!"

The impact sent my body bouncing slightly before I rolled to the side, ending up flat on my back.

I lay there in shock. But miraculously—I was alive.

Even more surprising, it didn’t hurt at all.

I had felt the impact, the sensation of my face hitting the ground, but that was it. No pain. No injuries.

Slowly, I sat up, glancing at the spot where I had landed. A visible crater had formed—not too deep, but enough to show that something heavy had crashed into it. Broken branches and scattered rocks surrounded me.

A weak, breathless chuckle escaped my lips.

"Ha… ha…"

Part of me felt disappointed that I couldn’t fly.

The other part was just relieved to know that I could survive falling from such a height.

Then, out of nowhere—grrraaaawl.

My stomach let out a deep, unsettling growl.

I instantly clamped my mouth shut, nearly gagging at the sensation that followed.

"Am I really that hungry?" I muttered, feeling the hunger intensify with each passing second.

"Well… dragons are massive creatures. It makes sense that they’d have a huge appetite."

A sudden thought struck me.

"Wait—did I inherit a dragon’s appetite too?"

I wasn’t sure if that was a good thing. If a dragon needed to consume massive amounts of food to sustain itself, then… how much would I need to eat now?

More than hunger, I realized I was incredibly thirsty. My throat felt dry, parched.

I needed water.

"There has to be a river nearby," I murmured, shutting my eyes as I focused once again, this time directing my enhanced senses toward the sound of flowing water.

Tuning out the rustling leaves and distant animal movements, I strained to listen—searching, waiting…

There.

A familiar, rhythmic sound emerged—the gentle rush of flowing water.

"I hear it!" I said, excitement flaring in my chest.

"It must be a river… or something close."

Without wasting another moment, I turned in the direction of the sound and set off, hoping to find my way to the water source before this unbearable thirst consumed me.

Finally, I arrived.

Just as I had hoped, a river stretched before me.

"At last, water!" I breathed, rushing forward without hesitation.

Stepping knee-deep into the river, I scooped up handfuls of water and drank greedily. The cool liquid slid down my throat, quenching my unbearable thirst. The relief was beyond words—almost euphoric.

Now, food.

My gaze flickered toward the water. Several fish swam near the riverbank, their sleek bodies gliding through the current.

"Perfect," I thought. If I could catch a few, that would be enough to hold me over.

But just as I was about to make my move, something else caught my attention.

A low, heavy growl.

I turned my head slowly.

Not far from me, standing at the edge of the riverbank, was a massive black bear.

Its dark eyes were locked onto me, unblinking.

Its breath came in heavy, guttural huffs as it growled again, deep and menacing.

Whether I had disturbed its fishing spot or if it had already marked me as its prey—I wasn’t sure. But one thing was certain.

It wasn’t happy.

Normally, any rational person would run.

But I wasn’t just anyone anymore, was I?

A slow smile crept onto my lips as a thought took shape.

How would I fare against a bear?

So far, I had demonstrated inhuman strength. I had survived a fall from an insane height without a scratch.

What could a bear’s claws and teeth possibly do to me?

There was only one way to find out.

I spread my arms wide, standing my ground.

"Come on!" I taunted, grinning. "Come and get me—I won’t run!"

The bear let out a thunderous roar.

It rose onto its hind legs, towering over me at a monstrous five meters.

My pulse quickened, a flicker of intimidation creeping into my chest—but excitement far outweighed it.

"That’s more like it," I muttered, my grin widening.

The bear slammed its front paws down and lunged.

I felt the ground tremble beneath its charge.

Closer.

Faster.

The bear lifted its front legs and pounced—its full weight crashing against me.

Nothing.

I didn’t even budge.

Undeterred, it opened its massive jaws, razor-sharp fangs glistening—and clamped down on my neck.

…And yet, I felt nothing.

Not a single scratch.

Not even the faintest pressure of its bite.

"My turn," I said eagerly.

Without hesitation, I wrapped my arms as wide as I could around the bear’s massive body.

Sensing its efforts were futile, the bear thrashed, claws raking against me, teeth snapping desperately—but it was all for nothing.

I wouldn’t let it go.

Tightening my grip, I held firm.

The bear’s struggles grew frantic, but I barely felt a thing.

Then, with a deliberate effort, I shifted my stance—adjusting my hold so I wouldn't hurt the poor creature.

With a steady breath, I lifted.

The bear left the ground, its enormous weight seemingly meaningless against my strength. It wasn’t a clean lift, just enough to hoist it slightly—enough for my next move.

And so, I threw it.

I was certain I had applied just the right amount of force.

…Or so I thought.

To my surprise, the bear soared several meters into the air before crashing down onto its belly at the riverbank.

A stunned silence followed.

The bear, sprawled awkwardly, lifted its head.

Its expression?

Pure confusion.

I almost felt bad for it.

Almost.

Then, shaking off its shock, the bear roared—loud and commanding, as if trying to assert dominance.

It still wasn’t backing down.

Fine.

I took a deep breath and let out a roar of my own.

Except—what came out wasn’t human.

It was thunderous.

A deep, guttural beast’s roar that rumbled through the forest.

Even I was caught off guard.

Eyes wide, I instinctively clamped my mouth shut, covering it with my hand.

What the hell was even that?

The bear, on the other hand?

Absolutely terrified.

Its body trembled; eyes filled with unmistakable fear.

And then—without hesitation—it turned, sprinting on all fours, vanishing into the depths of the forest.

Then—

I laughed.

Hard.

I felt bad for the poor thing—it had become an unwilling subject for my experiment.

"Alright then," I said, rolling up my sleeves as I prepared to catch some fish, returning to my main agenda.

As expected, my heightened senses made the task far too easy.

I could see everything—beyond the shimmering water’s surface, every movement, every ripple.

With swift reflexes, I plunged my hands into the water, snatching fish one after another and tossing them onto the riverbank. Effortless.

As I continued "fishing," I couldn’t shake the feeling of being watched.

I can sense it, lingering in the shadows—was the same black bear from before.

It wasn’t approaching, nor did it seem aggressive.

It was just… watching.

Me? Or my catch?

Hard to tell.

Turning back to the pile of fish I had gathered; a new problem entered my mind.

"How do I cook this?"

That’s when it hit me.

Dragons breathe fire.

…Right?

Excitement sparked through me.

I had to try.

I grabbed one of the fish and swiftly gutted it using the broken sword that I had tucked away between my belt.

Raising it to eye level, I took a deep breath and blew.

…Nothing.

I frowned. “Maybe I’m doing it wrong?”

This time, I focused—really focused.

I imagined the flames, the heat building in my chest.

Slowly, I exhaled.

At first, it was just warm air.

Then—hotter.

And hotter.

I stopped, inspecting the fish.

The area I had blown on was charred black.

I grinned. Progress.

Even though I was thrilled, I couldn't help but feel a tiny bit disappointed.

No fire—just extreme heat.

Still, with some practice, I could probably control it better. No more burnt food.

Taking my time, I adjusted my technique, and soon enough, I managed to cook the fish just right.

As I ate, I noticed something else—heat didn’t bother me.

Even scorching hot food, even the lingering heat from my breath—it all felt… natural.

By the time I finished my meal, the sun had already dipped below the horizon.

Darkness crept in.

And yet—

I could still see everything.

I blinked, my vision adjusting seamlessly to the night.

Another ability unlocked.

I could see in the dark.

With this new ability, I easily found shelter—a small rocky cave near the river, just big enough for me to stand in.

I settled in, lying back against the cool stone.

Even as my body relaxed, my mind raced with thoughts of my newfound powers.

So much to test.

So much to discover.

And yet—

Before I knew it—

I was drifting into slumber.