A Dragon Heart is the wellspring of mana. It's as open to the world as the world is open to it. That's why, among all the species, dragons in particular are obsessive, greedy, lustful, and compassionate.

A dragon is oath-bound to the world. It has to return what has been bestowed upon it. Consequently Dragons are rare and much sought after.

"Wait, so dragons aren't evil harbingers of calamity and destruction?" I expressed doubt at Amara's explanation.

After discovering the cottage, we had all but confirmed our position; all that remained was to make haste and leave the accursed woodland behind.

"They can be." She replied with a mystifying smile, only further contributing to my already growing confusion. "Dragons are as human as any other humanoid creature. They feel, they desire, and they hate. Depending on the upbringing and disposition, anyone can turn out any way."

It went contrary to the age-old adage that 'Monsters are evil and must be eradicated.'. While hard, I tried to set aside my bias and considered the monsters from a purely objective view.

Were monsters truly evil? Did they deserve the hate they received? Was our war merely an egregious mishap?

No!

I realized. While our judgment might've grown stiff over the years, the monsters deserved to be annihilated.

"Why does it feel like there's some disconnect between you and me?" I said. "As if we are talking about two entirely different worlds."

While Amara suffered from the loss of memory, her knowledge of the general things remained intact. She knew about dragons and what they represented, but her outlook differed from mine by a wide margin. I couldn't help but grow curious.

I wondered if she had come from some other world. Although the thought felt ridiculous, I couldn't help but wonder if a world like ours existed somewhere among the cosmic river.

"That does seem to be the case, now doesn't it?" She offered a wide smile. "That said, I think most of that could be contributed to differences in monsters themselves."

"What do you mean by that?"

"Monsters of this world, they are..." Amara paused, pensive. "Infected." She continued. "It's like their essence is corrupted, destroying any semblance of sanity and reasoning."

While I would've liked to engage in further discussion, Amara and I both caught the sound of metal clashing. We exchanged a look and burst forth with startling speed.

Despite possessing less than half her agility, Amara was sensible enough to let me keep pace with her. And yet I found the experience exhilarating, nonetheless.

I was faster than I had ever been in my life. Heck, I was faster than anything I had seen Finn move with.

Wind cut across my face, ruffling the locks of my hair and making me feel refreshed. In the distance we could hear booms and clangs, followed by growls and the smell of burning wood.

We closed in on the distance and could finally make out what was happening.

Some ways from us, in the clearing stood a number of men and women, wearing impressive armor and holding polished weapons. Just from the way they looked and behaved, I could tell they didn't belong to the guild.

There was a distinct pattern to their movements, as if they had practiced it a thousand times. It lacked the roughness found in a normal guild team but also displayed a textbook-imposed rigidness.

They faced a group of dire wolves, each about 5 feet in height and bearing ferocious claws. Their fangs were large and protruding down their maw, promising terror to anyone caught among them.

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"Hold your position," a tall, rugged man shouted the order, "defense formation!"

The rest followed in a quick and efficient manner, demonstrating the level of effort they had put in to follow a command issued wholeheartedly. Their swords glowed a subtle white, and while their shields were held in defensive posture.

Vaelin guards!

As the insignia they bore on their banners and shields became visible, I was finally able to confirm their origin. I had once met an officer from the Vaelin capital city who bore the exact same regalia.

The only question was: why would the guards or knights or acolytes or whatever they were be here? It didn't make any sense to me at all.

"Should we engage?" Amara's voice broke me out of my monologue, and I couldn't help raising a brow. It came as a surprise that she would not only consider my opinion but follow my discretion. Though I wouldn't consider it unpleasant by any means.

"Let's wait for a moment." The monsters the group was engaged with were sturdy and powerful. Even from this distance I could smell the mana roiling off their hides. It was intense.

Huh?

I hadn't realized I could now smell mana. A quick glance at my Soul Record let me know compatibility rested at 75%.

"How strong do you think they are?" I asked Amara.

"Monsters or the humans?" She questioned.

I shrugged. "Both."

"Hmm." Amara put on a thoughtful expression and then spoke. "Monsters are all in D-Ranks, while the humans fall slightly behind. Only their leader is at D-Rank, though he's more powerful than any of the individual monsters."

The leader in question was a stalwart warrior with a robust physique and graying sideburns.

By now the battle had started, and humans seemed more focused on defense. The leader, on the other hand, would stave off any fatal strike to his followers while also exploiting any chance presented.

"Who do you think will win?" I queried.

Amara offered a grin that showed her sharp white fangs and answered, "Monsters, no doubt about that."

Monsters. Or rather the dire wolves in question.

I mirrored her grin and looked to the side, where perched atop a branch was a 7-foot-tall muscle monster waiting in patience. It wasn't a wolf, though; it was a saber-toothed tiger.

"I think we should help them." Or they would die, and I wouldn't like that. I had put so much effort into getting back to civilization after all.

"You help them while I deal with the cat." Amara proposed.

"Don't you want my help? That guy looks to be a C-Rank monster."

Every rank had a tangible divide, and it wasn't just an exaggeration. Up until this point, we had only faced E-rank monsters. To suddenly fight a C-Rank one seemed to be stretching oneself too far.

"I will be fine." She assured me, then paused as her gaze locked onto mine. I hadn't realized it before, but she was tall, matching my height. "Take this." She unstrapped her sword and handed it to me.

"What about you?" I asked.

Amara seemed hesitant at first before she spoke. "Listen, about what happened earlier; I realized something. I can't tell you what it is, but I want you to know that I'm with you. Now and forever. We are friends, alright?"

Her words caught me off guard; the spiel was entirely unexpected. Though I was joyful, all I could reply with was a subtle nod.

"I will go finish my task then." She turned to leave and then paused, turning back. "Oh, and I will be fine. I just use that sword because it's fancy and all. Though I would've take the cat a bit more seriously."

I provided another small nod, and she sprinted toward the monster. My gaze moved to the sword in my hand, and I held it upright. I could see my own reflection in shiny blade and found a smile stretched on my lips.

Alright, I have my own task to finish!

Exhaling deeply, I tried to calm my beating heart, but found it thumping to the tone of excitement. A primal desire to spill blood roused within my heart, and a grin overtook my features.

I held my sword ready and bounded with the full extent of speed my agility at 62 could afford. As I burst free from the bushes, my arrival didn't go unnoticed by the monsters and men alike.

They watched as I descended amidst them, with my blade already swinging in a wild arc.

Did I know anything about using a sword? Nope. Was my amateur act going to deter me from fighting to my heart's content? Definitely not.

Without any grace or technique, without any planning, I swung my blade in the path of monsters. Not because I was a hero of justice or savior of humanity, but simply because my heart desired so.

A crimson glow coated the tip of the blade, extending its reach far beyond what the blade should be capable of. The extension cut through the monster's leg, drawing a fountain of blood and a howl of pain from the wolf.

Normally my actions would've been met with swift retaliation. The monsters would've regulated their response and identified me as a prime target for elimination. Everyone would've been confused, and I alone would've had to face the approaching doom.

Normally, that is.

"Good job!"

A longsword swiped from under the monster and lopped its head off. Just as quickly I backed away before the monster blood would drench me head to toe.

[SYSTEM NOTIFICATION]

You have leveled up!

You're now level 6!

You have 10 unallocated stat points.