Alexia
After leaving the humans at the Retreat and checking out my clearing which has changed quite a bit, I make my way back over to the dragons who I end up finding playing cards again in Ethan’s little home within his cave. But before I can say anything, I realize what I just thought and pause right at the entrance to the room they’re in with a blank look on my face.
Wait a second, did I just think of them as humans instead of people or friends?
I stare at the two dragons for several seconds before frowning.
Is… is my species changing my mentality?
Both of the dragons glance at me for a second before Ethan waves and the two of them return to their game without saying anything.
The fact that I simply called them humans in my mind is not normal, but maybe it’s just because I’m not human anymore? That the exact species I am doesn’t matter, just that it’s not human?
I continue standing in place for a while before eventually sighing, deciding that now isn’t the time to think about this.
Especially when I’m likely overthinking things. After all, I haven’t noticed any changes to my mentality ever since becoming a quantum reaper in the first place, so why would something wait till now to happen? Unless it’s something that only happens after reaching Tier 3.
Even that isn’t likely though, since I’ve never heard of a species having their mind affected by ascending.
Then again, Astrid isn’t a human, so I didn’t refer to her that way. And that’s all that really matters since I don’t know anyone down there other than her well enough to care about them much. Other than Aidan, but I think he also changed his species.
I don’t remember what he changed it to though, or even how he changed it, since he didn’t change his species until after the Tutorial ended. Not until after I left for Dimensional Block #109, actually.
With one more sigh, I continue walking through the room up to the dragons before asking, “Don’t you get tired of losing to him, Vargas?”
The dragon in question simply answers, “Who said I’m losing?”
I examine their game and quickly find Vargas to be losing pretty badly.
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“Uh huh,” I utter while nodding my head. “Whatever you say.”
He opens his mouth to speak, only for Ethan to interject, “He always loses. But he always comes back for more.” He glances up from the game at Vargas who is now glaring at him. “It’s kinda his thing.”
I can’t help but snort in amusement and cover my mouth to hide my smile.
Vargas just huffs out a small amount of fire and tosses his remaining cards while standing up, saying, “Well, since you’re here, let’s move out.”
That has me almost snorting again, but this time I hold myself back.
He’s running away from the game and using our hunt of the Cataclysm Class monster as an excuse.
“Sore loser,” Ethan mutters with a single brow raised. But Vargas just ignores him while walking towards me.
Ethan gets up as well after Vargas passes me, showing no indication of saying anything further.
I lightly shake my head at their antics, finding the two dragons to be even closer than I thought they were. Then I follow after Vargas with Ethan walking next to me until we exit the building.
We walk for a while until we reach the edge of the island, not teleporting or flying in the process.
Then we all realize something.
“So, do either of you know where the Cataclysm Class monster is?” I ask after a brief period of silence with the three of us all standing at the edge of the island.
Both of the dragons shake their heads without a word.
“I see…” I mutter, following which the three of us continue staring off of the island at the clouds below.
None of us say anything for a bit before I say, “I’ll be right back.”
The other two nod as I begin teleporting back to the Retreat.
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After an awkward interaction with Alara, her meeting having ended apparently not long after I left, I return with intel on the Cataclysm Class monsters. Mainly that it is currently located on the other side of the Dimensional Block from us, according to intel Alara has gotten from Varsac delegates.
So we all begin moving out towards the Varsac Kingdom. The last place the Cataclysm Class monster was seen by someone with connection to the Varsac Kingdom.
Along the way, we don’t run into much trouble. Mostly because the monsters all run away on sight except a few Tier 3 monsters we surprisingly find flying through the air beneath the islands. But we just kill those and move on, using them as EXP fodder.
After splitting up to deal with them, of course. Since none of us want to have to share our EXP with each other.
Eventually we do manage to find the Cataclysm Class monster. Although it takes us nearly a week of going around from island to island, slaughtering monsters, leveling up, and searching for us to find it.
The three of us move up to land on a floating arctic island that is located a couple islands above and to the South of the massive, red, serpentine dragon. A dragon that is even larger than before, spanning over a hundred meters in length with red horns angling backwards from its head and a red lightning occasionally sparking within its mouth.
“Well, we found it,” I state the obvious, making the two dragons next to me nod their heads.
We watch the dragon for a little bit, neither of the dragons looking very pleased at the sight of it. With Vargus being a lot more… noticeably pissed off… than Ethan.
Guess he doesn’t like the dragon thing.
The dragon is currently just flying through the air despite not having any wings for a while until I say, “No use waiting any longer.” My eyes narrow. “Let’s identify it.”