!WARNING!
!HOST IS DECEASED!
!AFFLICTED IS NOW STAGE: 0!
!WARNING!
!AFFLICTED STAGE: 0 HAS ALTERED [Bad Genetics]!
!AFFLICTED STAGE: 0 IS REVIVING HOST!
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I jolt awake with a deep gasp of air. My body felt like it was on fire from the inside! Every muscle, organ and bone burned hot.
Where am i?!
I could see that I was in a giant dark room on a giant bed. Two big dragons slumbered on either side of me. To my left next to me is a sleeping hatchling.
Reaching for my sword all I feel are scales.
The burning began to quickly fade away and memories came back.
Bandits.
Dying.
Meeting World again.
Dragons.
Falling asleep.
"D-did I die in my sleep?" I whispered to myself.
The system messages are still there in his vision.
Afflicted? What the hell is that?!
I will open my stats.
_—_
NAME: Kyn Kere (Jack N Rosemary)
LEVEL: 0
TITLES:
None
ABILITIES:
[Double Trouble] You don't deserve this. Be thankful I can't take it away.
ACTIVE EFFECTS:
[!AFFLICTED! Stage: 0] A parting gift for a failed gift.
[Bad Genetics] Your body has the disadvantage of being physically weak in many ways. Being weak might not be the only thing physically wrong with you.
PASSIVES:
[Injury Unhinderance] physical pain no longer gets in your way.
[Tough as Nails] physical damage cannot confuse, daze, flinch or knock you out. You're not afraid of pain either.
[Danger Sense]
SKILLS:
None
–__–
What in the hell is afflicted?! What has World done to me?!
Most of my stuff had been removed too. But at least I still had the useful ones.
[Double Trouble] is his gift given to him by World. Not even World could remove it as it is a part of his soul and World doesn't kill its gifts.
Of course World wouldn't be satisfied with just removing him from their reality.
"System, what is reality?" I whisper. Hoping for some kind of explanation.
!ERROR!
!UNKNOWN ACTIVE EFFECT!
It had been given to me by World. Of course the system wouldn't have a damn clue.
And [Bad Genetics]? Of course he would lose the genetic lottery. Did World have anything to do with this too or was it just my bad luck?
Taking in a deep breath i then sighed in annoyance.
Wait.
*Inhale*
*Exhale*
I can breathe normally now?
I can breathe again!
I didn't feel like I was at the edge of death anymore and I can stand up now!
Standing on all four legs felt wrong and right at the same time. My brain doesn't like it but my dragon body felt comfortable.
I might be feeling better now but my body is still being affected by [Bad Genetics]. Thin, frail and weak. Even as I stood my weak stick legs shook from their use.
I hope exercising will fix this…
I then noticed something.
I felt hungry.
Very hungry.
Looking to the door I could see that it is open a bit. For the second time in my life a take my first steps.
Stumbling several times and falling over I slowly made my way to the door.
I hope they dont mind me raiding their food.
Parents. That's what they were. But were they his parents?
No came first and them maybe followed. Technically yes.
I never thought id ever be in a situation of thought like this. Shaking my head i decide to question it later. Food first.
Making it to the door i sat on my butt and grabbed the door with my claws to open it. It wasn't as awkward as I had expected it to be. I thought i was going to have to use my face, get it through the opening between the dorr and the doorway, and push it open.
Opening it with my claws, the door let out a low creak in the room. I freeze and look over to the dragons to see if they hadn't been woken by the noise.
My heart nearly jumps out of my chest when I see one of them had their head raised, looking at me.
The dragon suddenly stands up and slowly approaches.
The first thought was to run, make a break for it to escape the deadly predator. His second thought was why wasn't [Danger Sense] ringing its bells at him.
And then the last thought was recalling that he was their hatchling. It wouldn't attack him, would it?
But what if it did?
Pushing the door more open he went through. He moved as fast as he could down the hall, which isn't fast at all. It was more like he was walking fast and stumbling on himself.
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The dragon followed him out, its eyes stayed on him. Behind him it moved slowly as it didn't need to do much to keep up.
No, it wasn't going to attack. It is curious. Curious about him.
I could see it in its eyes when I glance back.
It is kind of disturbing, it showed human-like emotions on its face.
Curiosity, joy and a bit of fear? Worry?
What kind of dragon had emotions? The one he saw years ago did not have any.
This dragon is the yellow one. It let out small quiet growls as if it was talking to itself.
It had its own language too. The growls sounded too specific and varied in its lengths and pitches.
It sounds like it is talking to itself but maybe it was talking to me?
The hallway ends with a big room. On the left is a kitchen and the right a living room. Both looked eerily human except looked altered to fit a dragon. Chairs were instead cushions on the floor among other things.
My claws met glossy hard tiles as i enter the kitchen.
*ssshhh*
My world goes white and my eyes burn.
Staying still so i didn't fall over my vision eventually returned slowly.
A light had turned on, removing the darkness.
Looking back i saw that the dragon following me is yellow with blue eyes. It has a claw lifted and next to a weird panel on the wall with what looked like a rune on it.
Magic lights?
Aren't those expensive?
Actually this whole place looked expensive. None of it looked run down or cheaply made. Is this a nobles house? Why were these dragons here? Why aren't they destroying the building like dragons usually do?
*Grumble*
Food. Right.
I knew what a refrigerator was. Ive raided a nobles house before. But this refrigerator looked way better made than what I'd seen. Metal with a fancy texture on it with a silver color. And it is pretty big too.
Like with the door i put my claws on it and tried to open it. It doesn't budge. Was it locked? No, it's because I'm weak.
A yelp escaped me when claws gently grab me and I am lifted up. Being set on the table the yellow dragon lets me go, growls non-words at me and then opens the fridge.
I didn't like this. I'm a grown ass man, I don't need to be taken care of! I'm 28! I'm a legendary bandit! Bloody Jack! I've kil-!
A plate of raw meat is placed in front of me and I sink my teeth into it.
The dragon closes the fridge and watches me eat.
Raw meat. I had once been squeamish at the idea of eating it. But that had been a long time ago. I had been forced to eat it several times before for survival, and intimidation once, but it's gotten me sick most of the time.
This time it tasted pretty good and my teeth made it easier to eat. I've never had cold meat before, usually it would be fresh.
My body ached from the movements he had made but that is progress.
Eating my fill I flop down next to the plate of half eaten meat. I feel like my body is all out of stamina for today.
Why am I suddenly so tired?
I guess this time would be fine to not fight it. I wasn't struggling to live anymore.
I let my eyes closer and i slipped into unconsciousness.
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-
Coming back to the land of the conscious, I opened my eyes and stared into a much bigger pair of green eyes with a white muzzle up close.
Startled, my body reacted out of reflex. My paw shot forwards and bapped the big dragon's face. My legs tangle when I jump back and I fall over.
The dragon moved its face back from my attack that didnt even affect it. But it did look very surprised. This dragon has white scales, green eyes and wavy horns.
A very human-like laugh came from behind me. When I look back, I see the yellow dragon sitting there, it has short thin horns. Next to that dragon is the other white dragon with green eyes. This one has antler-like horns.
I'm in the living room now. Had I been moved while I slept? I am on a cushion and next to me is another with the other hatchling. Untangling myself, I sit down.
Sunlight shone in from a window. How long have I been asleep?
The big white dragon is still looking at me. Or more like looking at my eyes. Why is it looking at my eyes? I stare back into its eyes.
Green irises and black half slited/half rounded pupils.
The dragon says a series of growls, sounds like a question but not directed to me. The dragons behind me give growling replies.
"Grr. Rrr ruh, rrrrf."
"Rrg. Ruh. Grr."
Growls like that.
This reminds me of why I don't deal with foreigners. Not being able to understand what someone is saying always gave me a headache.
Eye contact is broken when the dragon looks to the other two behind me. It talks more and then moves an odd black square cube with runes on it. It had been in front of the other hatchling but is slid in front of me now.
The dragon taps it with a claw and the runes light up.
_—_
NAME: Kyn Kere (Jack N Rosemary)
LEVEL: 0
TITLES:
None
ABILITIES:
[Double Trouble] You don't deserve this. Be thankful I can't take it away.
ACTIVE EFFECTS:
[!AFFLICTED! Stage: 0] A parting gift for a failed gift.
[Bad Genetics] Your body has the disadvantage of being physically weak in many ways. Being weak might not be the only thing physically wrong with you.
PASSIVES:
[Injury Unhinderance] physical pain no longer gets in your way.
[Tough as Nails] physical damage cannot confuse, daze, flinch or knock you out. You're not afraid of pain either.
[Danger Sense]
SKILLS:
None
–__–
My system stats appear before me and above the cube.
Is the dragon looking at my stuff?
Closing my menu the one above the cube stays as the dragon reads it. A confused look appears on its face as it reads my two separate names and the confusion grew at everything under it.
Concern. Confusion. Curiosity?
Its eyes look over it again and again and would glance at me. Like it is looking at something it had never seen before.
It then looks to the two other dragons behind me and says dragon words. It then slides my menu closer to them and turns it around so they could read it too.
I had never heard of a baby being born with passives, skills or anything before. All that stuff is learned through life. From the way they were looking, it's not normal for baby dragons either.
Worry builds up in me. They could see the [!AFFLICTED!] Effect and World's comments.
Wait.
I look at the words in it. Most of it is in a different language I can't read but [!AFFLICTED!] and [Double Trouble] are in english. More than likely because those two were made by World. Could they read english? I assume the other language is theirs.
It didnt look like they could read it as they were looking at it pretty hard with frowns. The dragon with wavy horns is looking at me with an expression.
More curiosity but this time like I'm some sort of puzzle.
I didn't like it so standing up I make my way to the edge of the table to jump down. But before I can make it to the edge a yellow scaled tail scoops me up and puts me back on the cushion.
Normally I would be spitting insults and threats of death but these were big dragons so I stayed quiet.
The dragon that activated the cube deactivates it and gets up. With a few growls it then leaves out the front door.
When the door closes with a click the two other dragon look at me. They talk to each other and the white one gets up and goes to another room in the house. When it comes back it has paper cards in its mouth.
Sitting down again but on the other side of the table in front of the other hatchling.
What is it doing?
The dragon sets the cards on the table and passes half of it between me and the yellow dragon. I look down at them and see several cards with random pictures of objects and furniture.
I turn to the yellow dragon as it picks up a card with a claw and points at it. A short growl leaves its mouth, sounding like a statement. On the card is a glass cup. It gives the short growls at me again and looking expectantly at me.
Oh you have to be kidding me…
The dragon is trying to teach me to understand dragon growls. This would be useful to learn but i didn't like how it is trying to teach me.
Its fine, Jack. Just put up with it for now. Its not like you can just leave and return to being a bandit. You're a dragon now and nobody would want to start another bandit crew with you. Or could i? I can still speak english since this dragon mouth i have can handle it fine so maybe i could convince people.
But that would have to be later. Right now I needed to learn the basics of my dragon body first.
So for now I would have to play along and learn what I can.
I try to copy the dragon's growl but it came out wrong. Yellow does the growl again and I try again.
I glance at the other hatchling and see the white dragon is trying to do the same as Yellow. But the hatchling keeps trying to play and bite the card.
"Grghf."
Yellow looks pleased and lifts up another card. This one has a picture of an apple.
"Rrg. Rrg.
"Rrrrghh."
Yellow shakes its head and repeats.
I've never tried learning another language before. It feels very weird to see something you know but have to call it something different.
After a few more cards Yellow places them in a neat square formation on the table with a few others mixed it.
Yellow then gives a short growl, one of the ones it was teaching me.
It quickly clicked what the dragon wanted.
I point at a card with a picture of a loaf of bread and return the same short growl. Yellow nods in approval before giving another one of the taught growls.
I look over at the hatchling. The white dragon has managed to get it to sit still and is actively trying to teach it to say hay. Already moved on from 4 other cards.
A deep hum like noise comes from Yellow who re-catches my attention. Like a mother trying to get their child to focus. It sounded peaceful and patient.
With my attention back on Yellow it lets out another short word.