"In the dark ravines of the dark world lies a black dragon.
He was feared by many for his dark blue flames and black claws sharp enough to cut down demons, humans, and beast folks alike.
If you see him in the sky, run before he can chew you with his sharp fangs and burn you down if you strike back. If he stays in his cave, pray you won't disturb his slumber.
Yet rumors spread around the dark world about the dragon.
That he took in a mysterious child who acted neither human nor demon.
No one knows the truth about it. But all they know is this.
If you dare hurt the child...
Then pray that the dragon will burn you down before the child will catch you next."
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God... How long was I running?
As soon as I entered the ravine, I ended up being ambushed by tons of demons living there. Unlike that demon bird, they weren't as nice as them and all I could do was run and incapacitate them with my spells as much as possible. I don't know how much MP or mana or anything that powers my magic I have left. At the very least, the only option is to continue running away from this place as fast as possible. Then again, if that forest earlier was near the entrance of the Demon Territory, then I might unknowingly be running away from it. Thus, losing my chance to leave this hellhole forever!
...Ugh. This negative thinking wasn't helping me keep my spirits up. Having good mental health is enough to increase my survivability. Well, I don't know if that was true. But I know that I couldn't stay negative forever. I have to keep my mind occupied with something else then. No demons were coming towards me, so it should be a good time to stop and rest by the crevice of the ravine. It seemed big enough for me to go through it, so it should be a good shelter for today.
Still, this was a strange area. A purple sky, blood red moon, trees and bushes that have red leaves instead of green... It's creepy, it's dangerous, and...
It's very interesting. It's colorful. It seemed like it was a world I prefer to live in. If only I could live here forever...
...Wait, what am I thinking right now?! Why do I even want to live in this death world anyway?!
I sighed in frustration. At this point, searching was the only way to keep my mind off of things. I still haven't got any food or water with me, so that was a priority. There were no signs of trees or vegetation nearby, so fruits and vegetables were out of option. So I picked up some stones from inside the crevice and mark near the entrance along with placing others below to make sure I was able to recognize them once I get back. After that, it's time to hunt some animals living in this territory and find the nearest water source.
At least that was the idea. But as I started to search around the area, I couldn't find any animals that barely resembled ones I knew back in my world or anything demonic that my [Demon's Eye] detected. Heck, were there any normal animals in the Demon Territory at all?! If so, then how the hell did these demons survive this area at all? Were they trying to eat humans to survive or did they do so out of pure boredom? Or rather, was this area run on the mindset of "eaten or be eaten"?
Okay, the food's out of the table. I tried looking for a water source nearby. I believed the ravine wasn't very dry as anyone suspected. If you try digging deep enough, you might find flickers of water underground. At least in theory. The problem in executing it was not only I was lacking in tools to dig through the ground, but I have a feeling doing so might disturb demons I rather not deal with right now.
Dammit... This wasn't working. At this rate, I would starve to death very soon. With no food and water, I won't able to fight back with my full strength. I need a plan. A plan to turn things around in my fav-
RAAAAWWWRRR!!!
Drat... They're back already?! I quickly ran back to the crevice just before the source of those roars could find me. Once I'm inside, I held my breath for a while to hide my presence. I don't know if they could hear my breathing, but I rather not find out.
It took a few minutes to hide and once I heard their roars fade away, I let out a sigh to catch my breath. I'm exhausted and I couldn't move forward unless I want to drop dead. I decided to sleep for a night to preserve my energy. I might able to survive a day without food or water, but I'm worried about the side effects that would come from being exhausted along with starvation. All I could do was close my eyes and cover my ears to drown out the growls and hisses prowling nearby.
I just need to sleep. I wanted to escape from this inescapable death zone.
I wanted...to stay alive...
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I dreamed of the red moon, shining above me. I dreamed of a mist covering the whole forest all around me. I dreamed of the smell of lavender stinging through my nose. And I dreamed of a power sleeping within me as I basked into the darkness of this unforgiving world.
I didn't know why, but something about the moonlight felt warm and inviting to me. It helped me stay wide awake from this dreadful night and gave me a reason to prowl without a care in the world.
To me, darkness was my domain and despite what I really am, it didn't matter. The moment I stepped into this world filled with unknown horrors and uncertainties, I never go back.
This was my home and nothing would take it away from me. Anyone else says otherwise...
And I will show no mercy, whether they are demons or not.
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Damn... How long did I sleep? Lying on a bed of rocks wasn't a fun experience when it came to living in the outdoors, not to mention it dirtied my clothes a bit from the soil. But for some reason, I was able to sleep through it with no problem. Not only that, I felt like I wasn't hungry or thirsty anymore. That was odd. I thought I would have been weakened from a day of no food and water. But here we are.
Of course, I couldn't stay in the ravine any longer. I need to find a better shelter than this one and I'm sure this place won't be safe for long. It's not like I'll miss this crevice anyway.
As soon as I left, I didn't hesitate to run out before I could see any demons prowling nearby. Honestly, I don't know where to go from here, but it's anywhere but that death forest again.
I kept running and running through the ravine, not stopping to see what was behind me or taking a breather. I even tried not to look left and right while I was running despite how stupid it sounded. But eventually, I found myself on the other side of the ravine. I could still see the purple sky and red moon above me, but no flying demons above me. Though this was odd. I thought those demons would come after me after I made some noise with my footsteps or something. But I don't care at this point. I'm free, I'm safe, and I just want to leave this damn Demon...
Oh. I don't think I will let you off that easy, young man.
My heart and legs stopped as soon as I heard that booming voice. It came from the sky and it looked like a shadow suddenly enveloped me as it grew bigger once I noticed it. I had a bad feeling about this, so I quickly take a few steps back away from the shadow. As my fears confirmed, a large creature suddenly landed right in front of me, creating a small quake that seemed strong enough to almost topple my legs down. When I looked up, I feel like all the colors on my face has vanished as dropped my calm composure completely.
Right in front of me was a large lizard covered in pure black scales with a long neck like a giraffe, yellow eyes that seemed to pierce my heart with a single glare right at me, obsidian black claws, and large wings reminiscent of a bat. There was no mistaking it. It was neither a demon nor a monster.
It was a dragon. There was a freakin' dragon living in the Demon Territory. And I think it somehow talked to me with its deep baritone voice.
I'm surprised you have made it this far into the Demon Territory. Not one human managed to get through the ravine in one piece that easily under my watch. Normally, they would have died by the demons or anyone foolish to face me.
"F-Foolish is right," I muttered, trying not to break down the last sliver of sanity within me. "Like I ever been stupid enough to face you anyway. I'm only trying to leave this territory and make sure I won't die in the process. So why don't you just let me be so I can go my merry way?"
Ugh... Negotiations weren't my strongest suit, but if it's for saving my ass from being dragon food, then I just have to swallow my pride.
Or at least that's how it went in my head. The dragon, on the other hand, glared at me for a while and all of the sudden, it boomed a laugh that was almost enough to piss my pants.
How amusing. To think a mere fledgling doesn't want to face me, the mighty Shadow Dragon for a spar. You are different from the one I knew.
Different? Spar? Fledgling? What the hell was this dragon blabbering about? Does this dragon wants to fight out of obsession or something?! Regardless, facing them in a fight is like a death sentence. The moment I let them start, it's game over for me.
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"Look, if you're here thinking I raided your hoard of treasure or picking a fight, you're looking at the wrong person. I just want to get the hell out of this demon-infested country!"
Despite my insistence to leave, the dragon was still cackling at this. Did they not care about my well-being or the fact I never provoke them in any way?!
You wanted to leave this territory already and yet, you showed amazing potential as a magician. Just how long will your fear blind you of your own talents?
Huh? My own talents? How did he know all of that? I know I didn't see any dragons yesterday when I was escaping the forest. Was it only saying that only to distract me? There was no way...
Grrrrr...
My thoughts quickly broke as soon as I heard them growl quietly. It's as if it was sighing. Wait, do dragons even sigh?
Well, this is a bit of a problem. A man who has an amazing talent for magic yet was too consumed by fear and uncertainty to notice.
Before I could ask, the dragon suddenly crouched down and leaned their muzzle closer to me.
In that case, how about a test instead? To see if you can conquer your fears to unleash your true power as a magician?
True power? Test? Okay, now this dragon was talking nonsense! I seriously have no time to entertain him any lo-
BOOM!
Before I could even try to leave, a beam barely hit me before I sidestepped as soon as I saw it. And just as I could stand up, I heard the very explosion behind me from the blast that almost killed me. It didn't take long for me to realize who fired that beam at me.
"What the hell?! You almost killed me!" I screamed, not knowing this might not be the best reaction I would give to a black dragon.
Hmph... A beam that weak won't kill a fledgling like you. If you are truly weak, then you wouldn't have the reflexes and endurance to avoid it completely.
Reflexes and endurance?! Okay, this dragon was delusional! I have to get out of here now!
And if you think I will let you go that easily...
Just as I start running in the other direction, the dragon suddenly roared very loudly, and just as I noticed them, I watched them fire some kind of a purple energy ball to the sky. It then exploded and suddenly, a strange barrier started to expand the area all around us, not only blocking both the sky but also any paths that I would be able to escape through. Why that damn dragon! Were they really insisting on fighting me to the point of trapping me like a goldfish in a bowl?!
If you want to leave, then try to endure and avoid all of my attacks while landing a hit on my head, fledgling. If you managed to achieve all of those tasks, then you will pass the test and I will let you go.
Land a hit...on their head? While dodging all of their attacks? Was that dragon losing their mind right now?! There was no way I could do that alive! But even if I refused, the barrier won't let me go anyway. So I'm stuck at both options with the same outcome. Fight and die or run away and die. Was this how my life end? Dying by a dragon's fire breath?! Just how much will this world continue to screw me ov-
How about you stop it with your dreadful doomed thoughts, fledgling? It's getting repetitive and annoying the more you start thinking negative thoughts.
Huh? How did they...
I don't know why you kept thinking those unnecessary thoughts, but the fact that you started to think that everything is inevitably hopeless is a sign that you are completely consumed by your fears stemming from your past. The uncertainties of your future. And the hesitance due to your self-inflicted belief you know everything of what you expect in this world.
I became speechless at what the dragon said. Yet I couldn't understand it at all. Yet part of me was very angry. Angry that he was looking down on me. All because I was only being cautious of this dreadful world.
How long are you going to hide behind your emotionless facade to escape reality? How long do you keep insisting you know everything in the world you barely know? How long do you rely on the logic that doesn't exist in this world anymore?
Shut up. Just shut up! I don't want to hear this! You don't know everything about me!
In the end, you purposely blinded yourself from your potential due to your fears of uncertainty. A man who pretended to know everything just to know nothing at all. You are nothing but a two-faced coward.
...
A...coward? Me? A coward?! Is this dragon mocking me right now?! I won't stand for this insult! I can't let this go! I won't move on from it! I... I...!
I grinned and laughed at the last sentence they threw at me. I felt like I was losing my sanity and yet, it riled me up really well.
"A coward, huh? Real hilarious, dragon. You thought you know everything about me, right down to my attempts to even be a know-it-all," I said, not caring that I'm losing my cool at any second. "However..."
Without losing a beat, I mentally cast [Fire Ball] in my left hand and continued, "I don't need a hypocrite to call me a coward when you know nothing about me at all!"
Oh? The dragon then stood up and raised their head. Is that a challenge, fledgling? Do you really think you can win against the might of the Dark Dragon?!
I don't know what's wrong with me, but I only responded with a grin against the dragon's taunt. "As if I cared about who is stronger anymore. I'll show you. I'll show you that I am not a coward as you think!"
And with that, I finally did it. I accepted his challenge by tossing the fireball still in my hand to that bastard's face. Unfortunately, it was never that easy as they quickly blocked it with only a clawed hand. But it's not like I would give up that easily.
"[Fire Stream]!" I called out as I raised my right arm and aimed at it before I let the said attack released through my palm and to the dragon's face.
That's it! That's the fire I was hoping to see from you and your magic! But...
Just as I saw the flames about to reach my intended target, the dragon opened their mouth and my eyes widened to see they were charging up for a large breath attack. Dammit, I need to counteract it before...
[Dark Blaze]!
Too late! I quickly fired another [Fire Stream] in response. But not as an attack or a shield. Rather, I let the recoil push me away where the breath should have hit me and once the spell was done, I quickly run away just as I watched the ground burn from the purple fire breath.
I'm afraid that's merely child's play, fledgling. If you truly want to pass my test, then you need to show me more effort! Show me the fire blazing within your heart! Show me how you will conquer your fears of uncertainty!
I'm still annoyed at that fear bullshit he was spouting. He was trying to burn me down and now, he was trying to lecture me. How sad.
"You know. For a dragon, you're unusually chatty! And it's annoying me to death!" I quickly raised my arm to the dragon and shouted, "[Dark Binding]!"
As soon as I uttered another spell, I watched my shadow rise and turned into whips that extended from it and grabbed the dragon's arms and neck to pull them down to the ground. This was a [Darkness] spell available to me and it would be a good time for me to use it since it might fly away the moment I cast another [Fire Ball] spell. But I'm not gonna use the latter again. I'm not that predictable.
"I would like to entertain you and all, but why don't you act like any other lizard and stay the hell down! [Explosion]!"
Just like the name said, it creates a flame that quickly explodes on impact at close-range. To make this spell work, I had to use the spell from a few seconds ago to pull the dragon down so I can finish this fight once and for all. As I watched my spell exploded not too close to me, I thought it was over. But unfortunately, my limits on that last spell would end up undoing my victory right now.
Impressive. A [Dark Binding] spell to give you the range you need for [Explosion]. Too bad you can only summon 3 whips at a time in your current strength. Otherwise...
As the smoke cleared, I gasped to see my fears come true. Despite the spell being very close to my intended target, the dragon managed to avoid it by using their wings to block the [Explosion] completely.
Your plan will be all for naught if you don't read the fine print.
I really hate to say this, but they have a point. Even with my magic [Talents] were high level, it didn't mean I get the best skillset. Not only that, most of the spells I read yesterday through the system had some setbacks in exchange for power and usefulness in battle. So bind one of their wings and both legs, and they would block them with the remaining wing or their arms. Bind both wings and arms, they would have countered it with their fire breath or simply raised their head to avoid the blast. Whatever I did to incapacitate them would be only temporary and it seemed that this dragon would do everything to keep my objective away from me by any means necessary.
However, you did make the right choice. Now let's see if you can keep that momentum going! Show me what the wielder of the Anima can do!
Dammit! It didn't take long for me to start running away before the [Dark Binding] spell wears off. With that plan dead, I had to come up with another to end this fight quickly! And by the looks of the black energy gathering into their mouth, the dragon's next attack might not be pretty.
Let the whole world burn around me! [Inferno Breath]!
The dragon released the dark flames from their mouth while I continued to run away before it could get to my torn suit. According to them, if I have one damage from one of their attacks, it's all over. And since his attack managed to scorch most of the ground inside the barrier, there was nowhere for me to run. He didn't seem desperate, but he knew I was. I couldn't prolong this. It's time for me to end this right here, right now!
There was one option left. There was another [Talent] I had from the start. If I combine it with another...
No, it's too risky. The chances of me dying from it is t-
How long do you rely on logic that doesn't exist in this world anymore?
...
Those words they spewed out still stung me right through my heart. But in this case, they were right. I thought I keep my levelheaded facade just to get by in this world. I thought I would use my knowledge of those isekai light novels so I won't end up like those idiot heroes or ones who were only there as escapist fodder. But in the end, I'm just lying to myself. Lying so I have to escape the harsh cruelty of reality I've been enduring all my life. But I couldn't run anymore. No, I'm done running from myself.
That damn dragon wanted to see talent, right? Then I'm going to let him see mine!
First off, I need to cover my tracks. The flames scorching the earth were getting closer and I couldn't use any of my [Fire] spells since they were black rather than the normal red. If I had to compare normal flames, the black one would have exceeded the temperature that a blue flame would have. As expected from a skill called [Inferno Breath]. But were there any spells I could use to use as a smokescreen? Something that would have the same recoil as the [Fire Stream] or [Explosion]! Dammit! Just give me an answer already!
S...ll...M...r...
Huh?
I didn't know why, but the moment I mentally asked that question, something popped into my head. Strange calculations shaped like circles appeared and merged into one. I don't know why, but it seemed to be connected with my ring as its gem started to glow at the same time. This was all sudden, but...
I think I found my answer. All that was left was to disappear into the flames...