Ethan sat down on a piece of rubble and watched the sun move closer to the horizon.
“This is all kinds of messed up, isn’t it?” Ethan thought as he went over the events of the last few months. “The System arrived, brought death and devastation to our society, and here we are. The Celestial Heart acts on the whims of some alien overlord. People betray each other’s trust for personal gain. I get turned into a fucking monster, and yet, here I am, feeling excited about the future. I should be panicked. I should curse the heavens for what was done to me. And yet, here I am, curious about how far this body can take me.”
Ethan smiled softly as he closed his eyes, enjoying the evening sun on his face.
“I was always passive,” Ethan recalled his life before the System. “I only acted when those I cared about were in danger. My only significant act was to take my father's anger to spare my mother and sister. Despite that, they took me for granted and treated me like I was less than them, and I bought it. I tried harder and did more, and once I moved away and began my own life, I fell apart. I was reduced to routines and going through the motions.”
Ethan raised his hand and inspected the claws and traces of scales on his fingers and knuckles.
“Now,” Ethan grinned, showing his sharp fangs as he talked out loud. “I have the power to make my life my own. To do what I desire, what is best for me, damned be anyone else. But how far am I willing to go? Chances are I could survive even if the Planet and the others fail to fight the Invaders. Perhaps I could thrive either way, but I don’t want that. That would mean I relinquish the last traces of my humanity. No, I will fight. This is my planet, and I’ll be damned if I let anyone threaten it.”
His voice turned to a growl as he finished talking. He rose and rolled his shoulders as his tail snapped behind him, sending rocks and rubble flying. He strode forward and rushed down the mountain.
“If I want to fight off the Invaders,” Ethan mused as the air rushed past him. “I’ll need to be stronger. I’ll need allies and resources.”
As he ran, he leapt, transformed back into his dragon form, and glided down as his wings manifested and spread wide. A rumbling Roar escaped his throat, and Ethan watched with glee as birds took flight from the canopy below him.
***
Laila set foot on the forest floor and looked around just as a loud roar broke the silence. Her head snapped around, but she sighed as a shadow passed over her.
“Damn, dragon!” she lamented. “Don’t scare off all the monsters!”
Her pulse raced, but Laila took a breath and calmed down quickly.
“I’ve always been hotheaded, but this is crazy,” she grimaced. She shook her head and set off.
She ran through the forest, choosing to go in a different direction than Ethan. She gripped the sword he’d gifted her tight as she ran.
“There must have been some mind-affecting shit during that meeting,” her eyes flitted around as she ran, frustration running through her mind. “Why did I turn my back on Ethan so quickly? He’d shown nothing but kindness and a desire to elevate people. But then they showed up, and they appeared so much better that I didn’t even question it!”
She spotted a small wolf between the trees and dashed forward. Her recent increase in Qi showed its worth as she channelled an unprecedented amount through her body. Within seconds, she arrived by the wolf’s side and thrust her shortsword forward through the beast’s neck. It died with a gurgle.
[You have slain Dire Wolf Cub - lvl 3.]
“Tch,” Laila shook her head. “Just a cub. No matter, let’s find something stronger.”
She moved through the forest, running far faster than any human could before the integration. Her eyes took in every little detail of the forest, and she diverted her path as she saw signs of something passing.
***
Laila panted and clutched her side as blood trickled between her fingers. Despite the injury, she was grinning.
Standing before her was a giant bear. It sported several deep cuts and was panting as bad as her, but Laila saw the fear in its eyes.
“Let’s finish this, Teddy!” she smiled as she dashed forward. The bear reacted quickly and swiped a massive claw toward her, but she dove beneath it and swung her sword upward. It cut deep into its armpit, and Laila turned on her heel to deliver another strike at the back of the bear’s neck.
It groaned once, then collapsed, shaking the forest with its impact. Laila fell to her knee and breathed deeply as she took in the notifications from the System.
[You have slain Forest Bear - lvl 13.]
[Level up!]
[You have reached level 20. Stat points awarded.]
“Yes,” she cheered through gritted teeth and allocated her points. “Finally.”
She’d been running through the forest for two weeks and had levelled up from level ten. The area around the mountain was almost clear of monsters, so she’d been forced to venture far and wide.
You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.
She took a few minutes to recover and bind her wound before she rose and began the journey back.
A few days later, a flash of light drew her attention. In the distance, a pillar of light had appeared, reaching for the skies. A few seconds later, another pillar appeared; this one a deep red. Then a blue one, then a black one.
Laila’s eyes widened, and she picked up her pace.
“This can’t be good,” she groaned as she ran.
***
Laila panted heavily when she reached the summit of the mountain. She saw Ethan sitting on the edge, staring toward the city in the distance.
“Holy crap!” Laila’s eyes widened. “He’s grown big!”
He had grown significantly, standing over five meters tall at the shoulders. The spikes along his spine had lengthened, and his horns had grown and twisted. Several new horns had grown along his crown, as well.
Laila felt his gaze as he looked at her and froze momentarily.
“Welcome back, Laila,” his deep voice vibrated the air. “I see you’ve had a successful hunt. Well done. You will need the strength.”
“What do you mean?” she asked once she found her voice. “Are you talking about the pillars of light?”
“Mhm,” he hummed and nodded. “Invaders have arrived.”
“Really?” Laila took a step back and clenched her fist. “How do you know?”
“I’ve been watching them,” he said calmly. “They’re a varied bunch. Undead and demons are predominant, but there are also a few human-looking ones.”
“Uhm,” Laila glanced around the peak. “Why are you just sitting here then? Why aren’t you fighting?”
“Because,” Ethan rumbled. “I wish to know their capabilities first. They’re strong but seem to act under some restrictions. Interestingly, most of the Invaders seem hostile toward the Celestial Heart. Four groups are attacking the city.”
“What?” Laila rushed toward the edge and tried to look at the city. “Then we should help them!”
“Why?” Ethan frowned. “They joined forces with an alien faction and brainwashed and mind-controlled you and other humans. Why should we act in their defence?”
“Because they’re our fellow humans?” Laila couldn’t believe what she was hearing. “Have you forsaken your humanity entirely?”
She stepped back as Ethan’s massive head twisted to face her, and he growled. Laila felt the rumble in her bones.
“You should watch your mouth,” he growled. “My instincts are screaming at me to rush into battle and bathe in the blood of the Invaders, but rushing in would be a mistake! Let them fight and weaken themselves against each other. Make no mistake, the loss of one city is insignificant. It is the defeat of the Invaders that counts.”
“You’re justifying letting them die!” Laila found her courage and shouted. “You claim to retain your humanity, but here you are, letting humans die! You say defeating the planet is all that counts, but what if no more humans are left? What would that say about your humanity? You would have let them all die! You can save them! You can do something! You’re far stronger than anything else, so why are you afraid?”
“Because I’ve almost lost myself to the bloodlust already!” Ethan roared, and Laila was sent sprawling. “You don’t understand, Laila. I’m afraid that if I begin fighting to defend the humans, I will lose control and turn on them once I’ve beaten the Invaders. Isn’t it better to let them try and fight on their own than to risk me killing them once they think they’ve won?”
“I-I,” Laila hesitated, trying desperately to calm her beating heart. “I don’t know, Ethan. But I don’t think doing nothing is the right answer.”
“Urgh,” Ethan groaned and slumped. “Right. You’re right. Fine. You should try to break through now, Laila. I refuse to be the only one of us fighting.”
With that, Ethan spread his wings wide and leapt. He soared through the sky as trails of purple Qi surrounded his wings.
“Holy fuck!” Laila blinked and slumped on the floor. “That was terrifying.”
***
Alissa groaned as a red Qi projectile struck her golden barrier. Around her, she saw her fellow defenders stumble and fall under the overwhelming power of the demons. Her barrier cracked but held until the onslaught faded, and she allowed herself a sharp breath as she looked back at the group behind her.
“What the fuck are they doing?” she grumbled as she deflected a strike from a demon and riposted. “Use the damned weapon already!”
As the demon before her fell to the ground, her heart skipped a beat as a deafening roar broke through the square. She glanced around and spotted a smile on the artillery master.
Alissa didn’t have a chance to question him as a huge shape barrelled through the air and slammed into the army of demons.
Purple Qi emanated from the creature as it clawed and bit the demons savagely.
“Is that?” Alissa’s eyes widened. “The dragon!”
They’d spotted it a while ago but didn’t approach out of fear. Dragons were incredibly strong creatures, given an unfair advantage since birth.
“It’s fighting with us!?” Alissa couldn’t believe her eyes. “It’s avoiding our people. Why?”
The fight was over before it began, and the surviving demons fled chaotically. Her people took potshots and took down several fleeing demons, but most of them got away. Alissa saw the dragon chase for a while before it looked back.
A chill ran down Alissa’s spine as she met the dragon’s eyes, but it looked away and was about to fly away when she heard a voice behind her.
“Now!” A concentrated ball of light shot from behind Alissa and struck the dragon on the back, sending it flying in a spray of blood.
“No!” Alissa shouted and turned to the artillerists. “Stop! It’s on our side, you morons!”
“Shut it, Ali,” the leader of that group sneered. “This is the will of God! Again!”
Another ball shot at the dragon, but there was no sound of contact.
Alissa turned around, and her breath froze in her chest. She saw the purple eyes glaring at them, but the purple scales had been replaced by a layer of pitch black that absorbed all light.
Purple Qi flowed from its maw as it took a breath. It raised its head, opened its mouth, and a beam of purple energy flashed through the air above Alissa’s head.
When it faded, she heard the dragon snort, and it flew away without being targeted again.
Alissa turned around and witnessed devastation. A line had been burned into the ground, eating up everything in it’s path. The artillery cannon, the people manning it, and the leader had disappeared.
Alissa gulped.