My hunt started slow, even as I slowly shadowed the monsters from a great length of distance. I could still smell them even a mile away, track them and their whereabouts down to their very repugnant bodies. Though, that last part might be mine. I smell like I hadn't taken a shower in over a year, and the longer I go without dipping into some water, the more disgusted I was of myself. I was caked in old dried blood and other organic matter. It was a wonder I hadn't gaged on my own stench. The last thing I wanted was to scare away potential monsters with my own smell, lest it became a naturally occurring skill.

Shudders.

A skunk-based dragon. That would just be utterly embarrassing.

Besides which, the monsters I've been hunting, have, in turn, been hunting other monsters. I decided to call these guys chupacabras, because... well, I can. Also, I got sick and tired of calling them monsters. Unless I named them Monsters. Boring. I'll stick with chupacabras.

After that little internal battle of naming stuff, I got to see more of this world than I wanted to as I continued to follow after the chupacabras. The undead being one of them, a variety of other eldritch horrors in their tunnels, tentacled lizards and spiders the sizes of small houses. There were as many types of man-eating monsters in here as there were stars in the sky. Many of which, of course, could swallow me whole. It was quite easy to stay away from them.

And as for the chupacabras? Well, they were pretty much outmatched from the beginning. Except for the undead, most of the other monsters had managed to scare them away. And the best part? I get to enjoy a show from a great distance, thanks to my amazing eyesight. Seriously, dragon vision was amazing. It was like having the zoom function built in my eyes, which left me with plenty of decision to make should a bigger predator attempt to follow me from a distance.

And, if I wanted to get strong enough to survive in this pit I called hell, the perfect opponent would be the undead. They were slow, clumsy, and weak. They were the perfect practice dummies I could flex my muscles on. For this, I had to go deeper into the larger tunnels the undead came from.

Even when the chupacabras killed most of them, and if my gut instinct told me anything, the farther I went in, the more likely I would find something I could snap my jaws around. And I was right. The number of undead here allowed me to play with them to my heart's content.

When I found my first undead, it was a large seven-foot monster, wearing ancient and broken armor from a bygone era. The fact that the bones were still held together was just as much a surprise as it was when its sword bounced off my head. Thank you invulnerability!

I reacted instantly and bowled the undead over. Its weight was nothing to mine, having lost much of its flesh long ago. And then, my jaws snapped around the cervical vertebra and crushed it instantly. The instant it stopped moving, its rusted iron sword clattering to the ground loud enough to wake the dead.

I stopped, as I stared at the prone undead in surprise. That wasn't what I expected. Sure, I knew it was weak, yet I just didn't expect it to fall so easily. It was no wonder why I didn't get an update upon my kill.

A scratching sound alerted me to another presence. My head snapped up to find four more of those zombies turning around the corner. Their empty, cold gazes held nothing but death as they stumbled toward me.

I inhaled, and I drew up the energies within my body. I had no idea what it was, but if it was anything like magic, well... it was probably magic. And there was a lot of it, of which I somehow naturally produced. It felt... I didn't know, but I could sense the magic within me. If there was a possibility of somehow shaping it, and converting it to something other than fire, the chances of my survival would be greater.

The tiny point of light grew inside my chest, ballooning up slowly. Aside from the impossible act of breathing fire, I can only come to the conclusion that the cause was magic bullshittery.

Then, I roared. My flames was a scorching beam the size of my mouth... snout? The three of the four undead was instantly ignited. The force of my fire blew them away toward the fourth, setting it on fire instantly. I kept up my skill for the next three seconds, and then another second until I was left gasping for breath. Four seconds seemed to be my limit.

The corpses burnt merrily, even as the flames ate away at the decayed bones.

No update, yet.

Once I caught my breath, I went in deeper. My mana wasn't particularly large, but I could recover it quickly enough, thanks to my awesome vitality. Or was that intelligence? My ignorance was going to cost me someday. Just not now. But I digress, I needed to hunt. And so, I went on a hunt.

The more undead I found, and the more I killed, I was left reeling with the possibilities of never gaining another level. It was a stupid, irrational thought to have. I knew this, obviously, because going after the weakest challenges wasn't going to gain me any level either. It was frustrating, and it was making me reckless, once I realized I had killed the hundredth undead with nothing to show for it.

A ping sounded, like a tiny bell. A notification sounded out inside my head, which I quickly popped it back into view.

> Increased Attribute! 

> Strength +1

> Increased Attribute! 

> Endurance +1

I gnashed my teeth in frustration and happiness. So much effort, so many kills, and only two of my attributes increased by only one point each. And while I was happy that I managed to gain something, it was daunting to suddenly realize that this would take more time and patience that I might not have. And I had a feeling it would only get more difficult the more my gains increases.

If the roaming predators that make their home here were as dangerous as I knew them to be, I didn't have the luxury of time. So far, luck was on my side. But how long would that last, before it runs out?

I sighed, even as a small horde of undead came upon me with broken spears and dulled swords.

This was never about being violent. It was about learning to defend myself against the bigger monsters that hide in the dark. Or, so I tell myself. Would the wheel of time turn, age after age, as I continued to sink tooth and claw into the flesh of my supposed enemies, real or imagined? The very possibility of falling into a trap that was this system and numbers, as it finally chips away the honest man hidden beneath the scaled skin, only to reveal a more brutal and cruel virtue of my very nature?

Everything's changed. I had changed. And I had only gotten progressively worse. The nature of the beast, I suppose.

And yet...

Yet...

The possibility of increasing my attributes even by a single point set off a spark inside my chest like a firestorm. Perhaps it was the dragon inside, as it drove me toward my own self-destruction. Or, perhaps it was only mine own humanity, more monstrous than any beast in their honest cruelty, as it wanted something... more.

All these philosophical thoughts running through my head had no answers to provide me with. So, I did what I did best in my newly acquired life: Hunt.

--

> Fire Breath Lvl.2 Acquired!

I coughed out the last bits of my flames, as I crushed the skull underneath my heel. Whatever magic powering it dispersed, leaving behind just another flaming skeleton. Just, without a head. On a more positive note, I was apparently immune to my own fire. Which was good, but did that mean I was immune to all types of fire? Or, just my own? That didn't make sense.

Another question I needed an answer to, as I slinked away.

It would take some time to return back home, and on the way, I might have to hunt for a meal. The purging of the undead had left me quite exhausted, even despite the rests in between the long hours of the battles. Which made me think, just why was it the undead, only humans? What about all the beasts that inhabit this place? Surely there should be some sort of undead monster roaming about, no? Even just the one?

Suddenly, I had the urge to get away from this place real fast. The idea of there being only human undead didn't make any sense, especially when there were no real live humans around, to begin with. Though, plenty of monsters of all sorts for me to find. Which made me think, was it by design? And didn't that send a chill down my spine?

Gambling on my life was a foolish thing to do, and there was no chance I was willing to investigate further into the tunnels where the undead came from. I needed strength, and I was woefully insufficient in dealing with even the weakest monsters without feeling fatigued.

I left quickly.

This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.

My home would take several hours of travel, and the smell of my prey was far closer. And, I was hungry. While it had only been a day since my inception, I wasn't willing to eat more of the dragon flesh... just yet. I needed something fresher, metier.

It was my fault, I supposed. My stomach had been constantly grumbling for the past several hours, of which I ignored it in favor of many more battles with the undead. The thought of chewing on the bones lasted only about as long as the neurons fired inside my brain, right before I cast it away into nonexistence.

So, it was only acceptable that I hunt down my meal, though I had to make sure there weren't any other predators around. I did not like the idea of getting eaten. Thank you.

When I found them, they were fighting another group of monsters bigger, and far stronger than themselves. I had to wonder if they're just that stupid. How the chupacabras had managed to survive within these hellish halls for so long boggled my mind, but their meat was fresh and fulfilling. That was all I needed, as I waited for the stupid monsters to run away the second more than a few members of their species died.

It felt odd, watching them. And the more I watched the chupacabras, the more the thought of their very nature seemed so alien to the rest of the ecosystem of this little slice of the world I called home. They weren't intelligent, but they weren't particularly foolish, either. They recognized the danger, when it occurred, and retreated when feasible. Their numbers didn't seem to have been reduced from the various conflicts that occurred so constantly. And in fact, more join in on the hunt whenever the other herds of chupacabras come into contact with one another.

Of course, the aftermath was usually a bloody affair.

Once they get to relative safety, they start to fight amongst themselves with the remaining living ones. Usually, only a death or two would occur from this little song and dance. The strongest become the alpha. And the alpha then takes control of the rest of the pack, start rutting with the females, then they continue on their little jaunts. Rinse, and repeat.

Their existence is one with brutality and violence. They were little more than animals, guided by instincts and ferocity. They were also perfect for a meal. I felt like a hunter-gatherer, following after a herd of particularly violent animals. This was so cool!

I followed them, as I always have. This time, however, I was closer. Much closer. One of their fights had gone off to a rocky start, and already half a dozen of their numbers had expired. The creature they had been battling was a tribe of centaurs, their crazed blood-red eyes aglow with battle-lust and murder.

They looked human enough, surprisingly enough. They even looked like they would have retained some form of intelligence, at a closer look. I would have even tried to establish some sort of talks with the half-horse, half-men people. Well, I couldn't exactly speak. But, that was an issue I would have figured out at a much later date. Point was, I would have tried to establish some form of exchange with them, even if I had to play Charades at all.

Of course, it was at that moment, when I witnessed one of the half-men quite literally rip a three hundred pound monster in half with sheer, brutish strength of his arms...

I noped the fuck out of there quite quickly. 

That didn't mean I gave up on my plan. I still needed the nutrients that my body badly needed, seeing as I was a growing boy. There was little chance of me willing to walk away even if an encounter with the centaurs was slightly above the fifty percent. I just hoped... they didn't come to investigate.

In the time the chupacabras started retreating, I slowly gathered my magic. It was slightly more difficult, seeing as I was clinging to a cliff face dozens of meters above. My attempt at better controlling my flames and magic within me took countless attempts and just as many failures. I was proud to say, as I slowly learned to form my flames, I was getting a better handle of it.

The magic coalesced, as I slowly shaped the power and the direction in a more tightly focused beam. My current success now was better than my previous, clumsy attempts. I needed it to be condensed, like a tiny focused jet with the intense concentrated power of a Formula One racing car.

My magic crescendoed, even as I choked it back down, and the black belching smoke poured through the gaps of my teeth like steam. It damned hurt. To continue holding back so much of the magic that so threatened to escape me, I felt like I was turning into a self-made grenade. Still, it was enough, and I was ready, even as I watched the last of the stragglers escaping.

It was the last, limping one, that I was more interested in. A part of its flesh thighs was missing, and its left leg was clearly broken. It looked no less ferocious as it clung to its survival.

I dived, just as the last one arrived below me.

The chupacabra must have sensed me, and it turned its head toward me in surprise. It was far too late.

Just as I collided into its face, my claws dug deep into the flesh of its skull, as I imitated a face-hugger straight from a horror movie scene. The added weight and the momentum allowed me to knock it to the ground. Its broken leg gave out instantly.

All that concentrated magic I've been holding back, I instantly unleashed my fire breath skill at point blank distance. Right at its face. In the mouth.

The flames engulfed the monster quickly, even as it gave off a pained, strangled scream. It wouldn't have been easy for me to kill this thing if I used only my physical strength. My flames, however, were a potent weapon unto itself. And pouring fire down the throat of a monster, no matter how strong, should kill them quickly, and efficiently. Even if I had to smell the acrid odor of burnt flesh.

If I were my normal self, I would have thrown up right then and there. But I didn't. I only reveled in my kill, even as my jaws clamped onto its flesh.

> Skill Unlocked! 

> Mana Control Lvl.1 Acquired! 

> You have taken your first step into the Enlightenment of Sorcery. By learning to shape and manipulate the mana within yourself, your control over magic becomes effortless.

> Fire Breath Lvl.3 Acquired!

I grinned happily.

Something bowled me over, and the howling in my ears hurt. The claws scraped against my sides, and the force of its strikes sent me skidding across the ground. It was only thanks to my invulnerability skill that the damage wasn't any worse.

I looked up to find two of the chupacabras, looking upon me with those hungry gazes. The fire from the burning carcass cast a hideous shadow of the pair of monsters.

One of them sniffed its fallen companion, right before it lifted the ankle by its jaws and ripped out a chunk of its burning flesh. Apparently, these things were dumb enough to lick fire, I thought, as I watched the stupid thing spit out the meat in a panic. Then its black empty sockets turned to mine, and I knew what came next.

Was I out of my mind? I must be fucking insane if I decided to take on two of these things, injured as they were. It had only been a day since I took on one of them, and it had taken me hours to ending its existence. Two? And completely aware of me? No way. I didn't stand a chance.

So why was my chest swelling with fire and magic, the second they appeared? I should run for the holes, to stay in the darkness as I recovered. But, I didn't. I was too enticed by the challenge of it all, to contend against the strongest opponents that I could find. It hooked into my soul as my claw hooked into the flesh.

My blood boiled and popped and soared as my mind turned red with battle-lust. My heart compounded by the heat of my flames and the fires of my nature, and I sent the monsters my greetings. My cry rumbled like thunder across the darkened caverns and shadows, reverberating my challenge to all that may witness my battle.

The monsters were no less disappointing when they responded in kind.

I grinned. Just as I readied myself, they pounced.

The larger one charged toward me, while the smaller, weaker one went another way. I can only guess that one was trying to flank me. Stupid as they were, they were like wolves. That had some sort of tactics to get their meal in this infested hell.

I braced for impact, just as the first one smashed into me. The two of our bodies collided, and I hoped my invulnerability skill could keep up to the assault. Its claws and teeth sank into my flesh, even as we tumbled from one end to another. My scales broke and splintered, drawing blood.

I was far from helpless. Mine own claws quickly dug into the eyes. At least, where the eyes should be. All I found were empty holes. But, it was enough, even as its jaws tried to clamor for my neck. I forced its head away from mine, its jaws powerful enough to crunch rocks.

My flames pierced out like a sharp lance, shattering its fangs and pouring into the mouth. Its struggles became frantic, harder to contain, as its claws shattered my ribs and scraped the bones. Well, I think I may have chewed more than I could handle.

A blow like a hammer flung me away from the monster. I tucked my wings and broke my fall, just in time to evade the second monster's sharp claws. I was bleeding furiously, and the pain was unbearable. If it weren't for my draconic endurance, I would probably have gone into shock.

I gathered my mana once more, for one more fire breath. To my horror, I was used up. My magic was gone. My well's been dried up. Empty. An entire day of battling zombies and practicing my magic, and then fighting monsters clearly above my level, had left me quite exhausted.

The fact that I could still stand was a miracle.

When the monster skidded to a stop and rushed toward me once more, I knew there was no chance to win this fight. Not in a straight fight, at least. A quick glance to the other one told me enough to know it wasn't getting up soon. Most of its face was burnt, and likely dying.

Even as the monster constantly tried to strike me down, I kept a generous distance from it. Evading and dodging its blundering strikes with good timing left me satisfied. It wouldn't reach me unless I wanted it to. But I was weakening. I was losing whatever lifeblood I had left, and this left me desperate. It was only thanks to my willpower that I was still on my feet.

When the notification sound alerted me, I quickly checked my status. 

> Baby Dragon

> Level 4! 

> Level 3 > 4 

> Strength - 16 - 18 

> Endurance - 20 - 23

> Intelligence - 17 - 19

> Willpower - 29 - 32

> Vitality - 19 - 21

> Mana Control Lvl.2 Acquired!

I felt some of my mana return, restored upon a level up. It was just enough for one more fire breath skill. This was good. Real good.

For the moment, I was happy. Content. I was in danger of dying, quite horribly, might I add. But I wanted to be here. There was no other place I wanted to be than right where I was. A grunting, chuffing little growls escaped me. That was my laughter. This was too much. I loved it, every single second of it, even as my injuries worsened.

Round Two, Arsehole. Come get some.