Fear shot through me as I realized the essence of the sentence Vulgaris had passed on to me. They want to destroy me just because I won a title invented by someone. If only Vulgaris knew what we were talking about with Nyx, Maleus, and Tarnis. He would not have entrusted such a delicate task to the old mother; he would have destroyed me on his own.

Panic seized me. I couldn’t believe this was happening to me. I, an ordinary guy from the real world, stand in the face of an ancient dragon and await inevitable death. Images of Laverne pouncing on me, tearing me apart, and consuming me filled my thoughts, paralyzing me. Cold sweat streamed down his back. His heart was pounding so hard that it seemed like it was about to jump out of his chest.

Meanwhile, two soldiers standing behind me grabbed me with their clawed paws and pulled me with them into the house of the elderly Laverne.

The feeling of the unreality of the scene did not leave me for a moment. I was taking part in some kind of show. Death haunted my thoughts, instilling fear within me, as it does for countless others straddling two realms. I’m only seventeen, and I’m not ready to die. I wanted to live. I wanted to see what awaited me ahead. Images of a future that would now never come flashed through my head. It all seemed so unfair. All my dreams, hopes, plans - everything collapsed in an instant.

But, despite all these feelings, somewhere deep inside, there was a subtle hope. I couldn’t give up the thought that maybe by some miracle, everything would work out. I have already gone through so many trials and always found a way out. Maybe something incredible will happen at the last moment and save me. This hope, like a feeble light in the darkness, prevented me from losing my heart.

I remembered the wizard Nyx and his expectations. He had high hopes for me. And it’s not just the Knicks. The forest nymph Dionela is hoping for salvation. I still don’t know where she is. And this awareness gave me strength. I knew I had to survive, despite the hopelessness of the situation. Because if I give up now, all my sacrifices and efforts will be in vain. I must fight to the end, no matter what. Everything would have been different if the golden chains had not held me back.

“Hey, guys! They’re going to devour me, anyway. Maybe you’ll take off these jingling decorations from me already? I’m a friend of your warlord Trot,” I turned to the soldiers and shook the chains. The dragon’s servants exchanged eloquent glances. The one who held my right hand said,

“Lavernа loves spiced treats. Gold improves her appetite.”

“If you don’t free me from my shackles, I swear to you, on the heart of Laverna, that I will rip your stupid heads off!”

Stupid creatures, not paying attention to my threats, lead me as if I were just a defenseless victim. But I’m not going to accept this without complaint. A volcano of anger, a hurricane of hatred arises in my soul. I scream, threaten, swear, I try to bite one soldier, then another, but they do not pay the slightest attention to my threats. In their eyes, there is only indifference to my rage.

We left Vulgaris's house, and I felt fear seize me from head to toe the moment we approached Laverna’s house. From the frightened looks of the guards, I realized that the presence of the old dragoness terrified everyone who had ever had the good fortune (or misfortune) to be in her presence.

Laverna’s home looked like a dark tomb, abandoned and buried in dark shadows. Its walls are covered with moss and mold, and the air is saturated with the smell of rot and stagnation. In front of the entrance, there are statues of ugly creatures, reflecting its terrible grandeur. The door seems to lead straight to hell.

Our trio went inside, and at the first moment, I felt bad from her presence. Laverne is a terrifying sight that I can’t forget. She was big and fat, like a huge, toothless toad. Her skin was covered with disgusting warts, and her eyes shone with a yellow light, like two poisonous lamps.

She sat on her throne of bone, surrounded by darkness and ruins, and made growling sounds. She was asking for food. Her voice was thunder that pierced my ears and made my heart freeze with unbearable horror. I understand I am standing before the essence of evil, which knows neither mercy nor compassion. Laverne is a killer, and I stand before her as a victim, ready to become her food.

She looked at me with an unblinking gaze, as if she was assessing what I tasted like. Then, swallowing her saliva, she prepared to swallow me whole. She bent down and swallowed one soldier, whom I pushed out of my place. The second soldier panicked and wanted to escape. I tripped him and knocked the fugitive onto his back. He waved his arms and legs as if these movements could save him. Without hesitation, Laverna swallowed my second escort.

If there were no chains on my legs, I would have been able to run away and hide in one of the dark corners of the old dragon’s house. The sticky tongue grabbed me and followed the soldiers into the bottomless mouth of the toothless toad. Laverne swallowed me along with the golden chains, and I fell into her dark, viscous esophagus. Soon, my consciousness became foggy, and I lost my sense of time and space. I was sliding down into an endless abyss, and all this time, a muffled roar and heartbeat sounded in my ears.

In the dark void, where time folds into an endless thread, I am lost in the bottomless ocean of the unconscious. There are no clocks to measure the passing moments, and there is no daylight to distinguish morning from night. In this world of darkness, every moment stretches into eternity, and the endless whisper of the unknown obscures every breath. Consciousness floats across the vast expanses of an incomprehensible void, like flesh immersed in the darkness of a boundless ocean. In this state, I need nothing, I seek nothing; I desire nothing. I exist inside an endless cycle of nothingness and nowhere.

Something strange happens inside me. I feel my blood flowing through my veins. It’s hot like lava and hot like cayenne pepper. My blood, against my will, mixes with the blood of dragons, merging into one. Having spread throughout my body, the blood creates something unimaginable out of me. I feel like my body is changing, and transforming, and every muscle, every cell, is undergoing changes. Pain accompanies every moment of change in the old me, and I feel how something new, wild and primitive, is emerging inside my body and consciousness.

My heart seems to beat in unison with the dragon’s heart. The blood circulating through my veins is no longer human. The power and fury of a dragon fill it.

This transformation fills my consciousness with a power I never dreamed of. My body becomes stronger and more resilient, and my senses are heightened to the limit.

At first, I resisted these changes, trying to maintain my humanity, but it was no use. New feelings washed over me like a wave. I could no longer look at the world with the same love and kindness. Instead, a feeling of superiority, power, and authority arose in me. I felt like a being above the rest. A thirst for power and control was awakened in me.

Every moment I become more and more aware of my new essence and cannot believe that this is all happening to me. Thoughts of power and domination over other beings filled my mind. I used to love and protect everyone close to me, but now this love has given way to new feelings. I felt like someone who had to subjugate and control, who could change the world at will.

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These changes were frightening and fascinating at the same time. I realized I would never be the same person I was before. My heart beat in unison with the dragon’s, and I knew now I was something more than just a person. I became a new creature, combining the strength and fury of a dragon with the remnants of human nature. I must fight to the end, no matter what.

Opening my eyes, I felt how the world around me had changed. Everything was familiar and alien. My body was no longer the one I knew. It became stronger, more powerful, and filled with unbridled energy. I felt every muscle, every cell, and dragon blood was boiling inside me. I knew now I was no longer just a person.

Realizing my new state, I reflected on my situation and relationship with the dragons. Will I support them now that their blood flows on me? Or will my hatred for them become even stronger because of what they did to me? I remembered Vulgaris’s sentence and his cold, cruel voice. Can I forgive him for dooming me to death without asking my motives? And his mother Laverne, who, opening her toothless mouth, swallowed me, predetermining my transformation?

I couldn’t forgive Vulgaris. His sentence cut through the air, leaving a trail of bitterness and resentment. He wanted to destroy me just because I dared to accept the title of ‘Dragon Slayer’. This title was a threat to him, and he wanted to show his power. But now I was a unique creature, and his power no longer seemed so omnipotent to me.

Laverne… Can I consider her my mother? She gave me a new birth, but not of her own free will, but because of her old age and weakness. She swallowed me like any other living thing to maintain her existence. My rebirth occurred because of an inexplicable coincidence of circumstances. Perhaps Oceania intervened in this process. But the fact remains my human blood mixed with dragon blood, and I was reborn, and became a new creature.

I felt a strange mix of emotions. I was grateful for the new strength and opportunities, but, my hatred for dragons became even stronger. Furthermore, I couldn’t forget what they did to me, and how they treated their victims. We do not know how many people were injured. Judging by Laverne’s appetite, she has swallowed more than one person. I realized that my goal had not changed. Dragons still hold power over this country. This means that I am still ready to fight dragons. But now I have an advantage — their own strength, which I can use against them.

This new birth gives me not only strength but also new responsibilities. I must decide how to properly use my new abilities. Will I fight the dragons with even greater determination, or will I allow my new essence to consume me completely? I know one thing: I am no longer the same Arian as I was after the transfer. Shyness and fear are a thing of the past. Now I am a completely new creature, standing between the worlds of people and dragons, and the future of both sides depends on my choice.

Having opened my eyes, I continue to see the same thing as with my eyes closed — darkness. Egg. [https://i.imgur.com/kFbLRqX.jpeg]

Gradually, my old feelings returned to me. I can move my arm or leg, but I cannot yet straighten up to my full height. The realization comes to me that I am in a confined space. Around me is a smooth and hard oval-shaped shell. There is a feeling that I am inside a huge egg. The memory of how I ended up here is slowly returning: Laverne swallowed me. Instead of dissolving in her stomach, I found myself locked in the egg. The golden chains that restrained my magical abilities lay at my feet.

I’m starting to wonder what I’ll be when I come out of this egg. Will I still be human, or have I turned into a dragon? Perhaps I will turn out to be a creature combining traits of both species or some kind of monster born of magic and dragon blood.

Having felt myself, I was convinced that I did not yet have anything dragon-like — a tail, scales, paws. It’s unclear where my clothes went, I’m completely naked. Only the amulet given by the King of Rocktopuses still hangs around his neck. My thoughts are filled with questions — who will I become when I get out of this egg? I understand that this decision will have a huge impact on my future destiny. If I choose to take the form of a human, I may be able to retain my humanity and some of my former personality. However, if I take on the form of a dragon, my character, and abilities will change, submitting to the nature of this great creature.

Or maybe I’ll go for a mixed look that combines features of both races, allowing me to take advantage of both sides.

Every moment, my consciousness becomes clearer. My hands are on my chest, and I feel a thin shell separating me from the outside world. I feel my muscles tense and realize that the moment has broken out. I hit the wall of the egg and it cracks. With each new blow, I feel my new body more and more. It is strong, but still human. I am something new, an existence that has yet to realize its place in the world.

As I meditate on these thoughts, I feel the egg crack, taking the first steps towards my liberation. With every crack, I get closer to deciding who I will become in this new world.

However, it is unknown how my choice will affect my relationship with Vulgaris and his servants. If I choose the form of a dragon, perhaps Vulgaris will see me as a new ally or a new enemy. If I remain human, he will see me as a threat to his rule. And if I select a mixed image, my fate will remain a mystery to everyone.

When I break through the shell and climb out, I am greeted by the cold light of the cave. Vulgaris, his mother Laverne, and the dragon’s servants stand around the egg, observing the birth of a new creature. I feel their gaze on me — a mixture of curiosity, fear, and mistrust. Vulgaris looks at me with obvious interest, but I also see a danger in his eyes. He is not sure what kind of creature is in front of him, and how to relate to it. His mother produced the egg. So he is present at the birth of his younger brother? But first one, then another human hand, protrudes from the hole in the shell. And so, the astonished public witnesses the appearance of the one who condemned him to death and annihilated him.

The servants keep their distance, their faces expressing horror. I feel they are even more afraid of me than the dragons themselves. They are familiar with the image of their former masters. I understand I have become something that they cannot understand and predict.

Vulgaris comes closer and examines me. His eyes sparkle, and I feel him appreciating my strength and potential.

“Whoever you are now, remember that you are still in my domain,” he says, his voice full of warning and hidden menace. Well, attack is the best way to defend yourself.

I know that my new condition does not guarantee my safety. It makes me an even greater threat to the dragons, and they will watch my every move.

Realizing all this, I stand in front of Vulgaris and his servants, trying to understand my place in this new world. My blood boils with power, but also with hatred and the desire for revenge. I am something new, a being who must find my destiny and determine how to use my abilities in this deadly world.