I thought that was the end of it, but the dragon suddenly let out a roar and lunged at the snake.
What's going on?
Is it going berserk now?
I quickly changed my position because I had been standing too close to the snake, right in front of the dragon. If I didn't move, I'd be caught in the crossfire.
Suddenly, the dragon's aura surged so fiercely that I froze in place from sheer terror.
It still looked like it was in pain—even though it charged in so aggressively, its attacks were wildly inaccurate, clearly just trying to break the snake's stance through sheer chaos.
The snake dodged easily, retreated far back, then let out a shriek and increased the intensity of its soul attack.
It hurts!
The pain that had just slightly faded suddenly surged back, making my vision spin.
Damn that dragon—why'd it have to provoke the snake and drag me into this?!
<
Damn it.
And it wasn't over yet.
The dragon staggered to its feet. It wasn't ready to give up. It wanted to attack again—and this time, it wasn't just blindly charging in.
A white mist began to rise around it, and some of the scales on its body began to glow.
Huh? Is this some kind of special state?
I didn't know for sure, but I decided it was best to stay far away. I slowly crept away, trying to minimize my presence, but I didn't get far before a deafening roar from the dragon startled me.
If you're going to attack, just do it! Why the roar?!
Even though I was in bad shape, I squinted to watch the fight ahead. Surely, the dragon was about to unleash something massive.
This is...
I widened all eight of my eyes.
The dragon charged, and as it neared the snake, its body glowed even brighter until the light enveloped everything around it.
Huh...?
Why does this effect feel familiar...?
Boom!
A thunderous explosion shook the entire cave. Cracks appeared on the ground and walls, spreading rapidly.
Nai wa!
Another explosion?!
I thought it would be some high-level skill, but it turned out to be a giant explosion using its own body?! Was the dragon trying to suicide bomb?!
I stopped rambling and immediately activated [Adamantine Body], but the explosion this time was too massive—I suffered severe damage.
<
The moment it leveled up, the skill was shattered. Nearly half of my body was gone—even my bones had vanished.
The surrounding space was distorted again, and my vision started to blur.
I could feel my blood pouring out. Death was once again close, and this time, I had no way to avoid it.
Damn it!
Why did I forget that I didn't have any healing skills?!
If I'd known it would come to this, I would've risked everything to escape earlier.
Is this really the end? I haven't even seen this world properly since I reincarnated...
Just as I felt my life slipping away, a strange comfort swept over me—and somehow, my bleeding stopped. But my body was still in a terrible state—only half of my front remained.
I didn't have the energy to keep watching those two fight. All I could do was try to crawl away from here. If I got lucky and found a weak monster to quickly finish off, maybe I could level up and recover.
No...
Even though my HP had stabilized, it was still critically low. Moving now would only worsen my injuries.
I needed a skill to heal myself, right now.
<
Ohhh, just in time.
<
It felt like being reborn. At the very least, the pain had subsided a bit, and I could think more clearly now.
Thanks to the effects of several skills, my HP had started recovering slightly. But the real problem was that while those skills could stop my HP from dropping to zero, they couldn't fix my mutilated body.
Damn it.
I had eight legs, but now only three were left, making movement incredibly difficult. Still, I was grateful I hadn't died outright.
<
Things weren't looking good yet, but they were a bit better. I glanced back to see how the battle was progressing.
After that reckless explosion, the dragon was almost entirely spent, lying on the ground and barely breathing—just like me.
The snake wasn't doing much better. It had taken the brunt of the attack, and its silver skin had shattered. Half its right head was gone—it was a gruesome sight.
It too was lying on the ground, wheezing.
It looked like they had both reached their limits. Now it was just a matter of who could stand up first.
This might be my best chance to scavenge... if only my body weren't so wrecked.
All I could do was pray for some way to heal.
Not long after, the snake was the first to rise.
The dragon tried to stand as well, forming a defensive stance. Compared to their majestic appearances before, they now looked utterly pathetic.
Suddenly, a strange sound echoed in my head.
Was that... growling?
From the dragon?
Was it trying to talk to me?
Huhhhh?
Was it asking for my help?!
Haaa...
I couldn't even take care of myself. How was I supposed to help it? Even if I were whole, I wouldn't be able to do anything. In terms of size, strength, and skills, I was totally outmatched.
Besides, I had already been caught up in their fight multiple times.
Right.
I had every reason not to help it.
I wasn't a bad person.
Just as I thought that, a surge of energy suddenly flowed into me.
Wha... what is this?!
Did it hear my thoughts and get mad?! Is it trying to kill me?!
Aaaaaah! I'm sorry!
Am I really going to die now?
I haven't even experienced fantasy life yet...
Oh, my beloved donuts... I'll never see you again.
If there's one regret I have—it's not being able to taste you one last time.
Alright.
I've written my will.
Come, I'm not afraid of death anymore.
I closed my eyes, waiting for the end—but instead, something changed. My body didn't vanish like I thought it would.
I slowly opened my eyes... and found myself completely healed.
Nai wa!
Did the dragon just heal me?!
It felt so good to have my whole body back.
But... does this mean I have to help it now?
I looked at the giant snake. Even though it was injured and not as terrifying as before, it was still far too monstrous for me.
I hesitated.
If I left the dragon now, wouldn't that make me the bad guy?
While I was still hesitating, the snake lunged at the dragon again. This time, there were no flashy skills—just pure, primal brawling.
It was now a matter of whose teeth were sharper.
The snake used its length to wrap around the dragon and began to attack, while the dragon retaliated by growing sharp spikes from its body, stabbing the snake and making it shriek in pain.
The two thrashed around in a brutal struggle.
Oh no... is this that "legendary bed wrestling" I heard about?
I think I watched this kind of scene in my past life.
No, no!
Why am I thinking about that now?!
The important thing is that the dragon was still hanging in there, so maybe it didn't need my help after all?
But then, as if to slap me in the face, the snake bit the dragon right in the neck,
making it let out a blood-curdling scream.
Was... was that a hickey?
If it hurts that much, I definitely don't want one.
No, no!
I'm getting distracted again!
What should I do?
Even if I help, I'll only buy time. Unless the dragon has some hidden move to finish the snake, we're both dead.
Can I just run away?
No, I can't.
The snake could probably catch up to me in minutes. I'm also pretty sure it has tracking skills, and since I'm still lacking in speed, escaping won't be easy.
And judging from its actions in battle, that snake is a true killer—it's already attacked me twice. Once it's done with the dragon, I'll be next.
Being hunted by something like that? I don't want to imagine it.
Wait... what if I ran back to 'Mother'?
Maybe she could protect me.
No, no.
I disobeyed her and ran away, so if I returned now, she might just eat me herself.
So... my only hope is the dragon?
Should I bet on it?
Bet that it still has one last trick up its sleeve...
Aaaaaaah.
I guess I don't really have a choice, do I?
But to fight that snake, I need to improve my speed.
Hold on, dragon buddy—let me check the shop for a useful skill.
Let's see... I need something that lets me escape or move quickly, easy to control, and not too expensive.
After browsing for a bit, I found what I was looking for.
<<500 Skill Points have been used to acquire skill [Flash Lv1]>>
Alright, but I don't think level one will cut it. I gritted my teeth and spent even more points to upgrade it.
<
Yes.
<
<
Yes.
<
This should be good enough, right...?
Dragon buddy, I've invested a lot in this.
Don't let me down.