At this moment, high in the sky.
The once arrogant red dragon was now battered and torn, groaning in pain. Her body was riddled with deep wounds, seared by golden radiance that gnawed at the flesh.
Her wing membranes were like shredded rags; each beat whistled through gaping holes, a pitiful sight.
Yet, she saw only a troublesome opponent, never believing she could be truly defeated. After all, she was a red dragon—she still bore Tiamat's power, her searing flames, and unspent tricks.
「Boom!」
She landed heavily on a mountaintop, shaking cliffs and scattering stones.
For the first time, her tone wavered:
"Half-elf, you are powerful."
"Unlike mortals, your strength far surpasses theirs. Thus, you are worthy of the regard of a noble true dragon."
"Become my vassal, and together we shall rule the great wastes of Anzeta!"
But the half-elf paladin gave no answer. She slowly raised her silver sword, eyes unwavering. Her scorched silver armor still faintly glimmered.
She declared:
"To hunt sworn foes, to banish petty evils—these are but steps toward challenging greater evil."
"And a sworn foe… is shown no mercy."
Rhea leapt lightly, her silver sword glowing with twilight's dim radiance. Not dazzling, not overwhelming, but embodying steadfast defiance: even as darkness falls, I shall shine.
Thus was born the name Blade of Twilight.
「Spirit of Vengeance!」
At her cry, countless phantoms surged around her—
Children burned in fire, mothers crushed in ruins, men who faced dragonfire, warriors torn apart by claws—all became the embodiment of her burning will to avenge.
Rhea began to fly, phantom black wings sprouting from her back, like an angel born for vengeance.
Now she soared higher than the peaks.
「Roar——」
Aklaesia roared, her pride as a red dragon forbidding any lesser creature to look down upon her.
She unleashed all her blood's power—pure, savage, physical might, the red dragon's favored combat style—
She lunged, unstoppable!
「Boom!」
The impending clash of powers shook the mountain, sending tremors through all of Anzeta's wilds.
Even Cassius, fleeing, turned back in fear to glimpse the dreadful sight.
「Sacred Cleave!」
Rhea poured her strength into a downward slash, heedless of the dragon's gaping maw.
Her silver blade, cloaked in twilight's glow—
「Swish——」
Sliced through the dragon's armor-like scales like butter, tearing vessels and flesh aflame with heat.
The phantom spirits swarmed the wound, each strike deepening the gash.
Aklaesia howled, raising her head, which only worsened the tear as burning blood gushed forth.
Soon, she could no longer scream—her throat was cut clean.
It all happened too fast.
Too fast for her claws, tail, or Tiamat's power.
The sword severed her life.
The massive red dragon flailed, then crashed down the mountainside.
「Boom!」
Her colossal body rolled, ending her greedy, sinful existence.
Her soul—whether taken by Tiamat or shattered by vengeful spirits—was gone.
One thing was certain: the red dragon was dead.
…
Meanwhile, at the foot of Yunting's southern slope.
Cassius gasped:
"A vengeance angel with wings… that's nearly the highest tier of black knights. Terrifying."
"Time to run."
He marveled. Semi-legendary power was rare—even in version 4.0, among tens of millions of players, only a few hundred reached that level.
Fewer still stepped onto the legendary path.
This only steeled his resolve. Activating the Ring of the Nimble Mage, he cast:
「Grease the Feet!」
He bolted like red lightning toward the forest.
Flying? He dared not.
If sensed by that semi-legendary paladin, even one slash from afar would mean death.
He fled with all his might, disappearing into the woods.
Meanwhile, Rhea stood atop the peak, drenched in dragon's blood, gazing south—toward the fleeing wyrmling.
Her amber eyes betrayed doubt.
Through her sight of evil, she saw not the black aura of a wicked red dragon, but no color at all—neutral.
"A neutral red dragon? Impossible…"
She pondered briefly, then raised her sword and cast:
「Hold Monster!」
But a barrier flared around Cassius, blocking the spell before shattering.
[Anti-Magic Ward]
He panicked: it only worked once.
"Run!"
He flapped desperately, vanishing into the forest's cover.
Rhea looked over the endless Bokara woods, furrowed her brow, then relaxed.
Yes, perhaps she had created a fearsome enemy.
Or perhaps a chance for change.
Or perhaps nothing at all.
Still, should he commit great evil, she was confident she could strike him down as today.
Such was the creed of a Vengeance Paladin:
"No mercy for villains."
"And sometimes, grace for common foes."
She removed her helm, revealing a cold, beautiful face, whispering softly to herself.
"Haah… haah…"
The young red dragon hid inside a rocky cavern deep within the mountain forest, its entrance concealed by hanging branches.
Kaesius wasn't sure if he had shaken off the half-elf paladin's pursuit, so he kept running deeper into the Bocca forest—never looking back, never stopping.
He didn't know how much time had passed, but only when exhaustion nearly overcame him did he find this secluded cave, finally feeling a bit of relief.
Out in the wild, caution is the key to survival.
Panting, he muttered:
"Maybe I lost her…"
As his uncertain words faded, a translucent screen appeared again, displaying a glowing trophy.
[Achievement Unlocked: "The Escaping Beast"]
> "The hunter is coming. Run, leave this place, and never return."
[New Passive Trait: "Fugitive"]
+2 Dexterity
+2 Stealth
+4 Athletics
(Note: Long years of fleeing have taught you the art of survival. This is not shame, but merely a means to live.)
Instantly, Kaesius felt a breeze-like, intangible force sweep across his body, reshaping it before his eyes. He gladly accepted the change.
Hours passed before the power subsided.
"This isn't magic… I don't feel elemental flow. More like… psionics."
He peered into a puddle's reflection:
His limbs and torso remained muscular, but sleeker, streamlined—less swollen than a typical red dragon's build. Even his wings shifted slightly, letting him ride the air currents more efficiently.
Compared to before, he was lighter, faster.
So, this achievement system was his unique trait — completing special events rewarded him with new powers. Abilities like "Metallic Scales" and "Fugitive" were far from weak, even late-game.
But what puzzled him most was his Template.
In his past life's game Eilzegai, player templates and monster templates were entirely separate. Players leveled up through quests and combat; monsters grew stronger only through age and self-training.
Yet his panel remained… and that was enough.
The translucent screen unfurled again:
[Wealthy Young Red Dragon]
Name: Kaesius Cloudu Norixius
Template: NPC (Server opens in 10 years, 1 day, 4 hours)
Type: Large Dragon, Lawful Neutral
AC: 20 (natural armor + metallic scales)
Stats:
STR 21
DEX 12
CON 19
INT 12
WIS 11
CHA 14
Skills: Stealth +6, Athletics +4, Perception +8, Hunting +2, Escape +4, Knowledge (Future) +4
Damage Immunity: Fire
Senses: Blindsight 10 ft, Darkvision 60 ft, Passive Perception 14
Languages: Draconic, Common
Actions: Bite, Claws, Tail, Flight, Fire Breath
Traits: Metallic Scales, Fugitive
Equipment: Amulet of Spell Nullification, Ring of Nimble Mage, Staff of the Scorcher, Amulet of the Dead's Speech, Magma Spitter, Ring of Blade Resistance, Amulet of Silent Steps, Mask of Owlbear Perception
Challenge Rating: 8 (3,600 XP)
> Evaluation: Never underestimate even a young red dragon—or you'll face your worst nightmare. Especially one laden with magical gear.
Kaesius smirked:
"So the prefix can change… interesting."
Just then, a brown feather drifted onto his snout. He exhaled sulfurous heat, charring it to ash.
"The nest's owner should be back soon…"
Sure enough, an angry roar shook the cave entrance.
A massive beast tore through the branches: an ivory beak, feathered limbs, and a hulking eight-foot body covered in dark plumage—larger even than Kaesius himself.
An Owlbear — savage predator of the wild.
[Based on your strength, you can view the following information:]
[Adult Male Owlbear]
Type: Large Beast, Always Neutral
AC: 15
Stats: STR 20, DEX 12, CON 19, INT 2, WIS 12, CHA 10
Skills: Listen +4, Perception +8, Hunting +4
Senses: Keen Smell 14 ft, Passive Perception 16, Owl Instinct 20 ft
Actions: Grapple, Bite, Slam, Claw
Trait: Grapple Mastery
CR: 3 (700 XP)
> Evaluation: Owlbears are ferocious, aggressive predators, attacking anything that moves without warning.
Kaesius spread his wings, casting Speak with Animals via his magical gear:
"Submit to me, owlbear."
The beast roared and lunged.
Kaesius shook his head:
"As I thought… just a beast."
He opened his maw, unleashing Scorching Ray through the fiery crystal embedded in his staff.
Three blazing beams struck, igniting the owlbear's thick fur. Flames spread as the young dragon lunged, tearing into its flesh with teeth and claws. Even his inner "Heart of Magma" flared, dealing extra fire damage.
The cave filled with smoke and the smell of seared meat.
Kaesius chewed with satisfaction:
"Not bad… though a bit tough."
[Defeated Adult Owlbear: +700 XP]
[Level Up: 1]
[Achievement Unlocked: First Blood]
> "Welcome to this vibrant world."
A Player Class Panel appeared before him: Warrior, Mage, Sorcerer, Monk… and countless sub-classes.
He froze, then laughed in delight.
He remembered — in the game, players had to slay a turkey during the tutorial to unlock this panel.
But he was no mere player. He was a dragon. And dragons crave power.
Kaesius froze for a moment, then was overwhelmed with joy.
It was only then that he remembered, in his previous life within the game, players had to complete the beginner's quest in the unknown space — "Kill a Turkey" — before they could unlock the player class panel.
Dragons crave power.
Yet, seeking the skills of humanoid beings was never natural to them. They are proud, and they disdain the knowledge of non-dragons.
Generally speaking, dragons hate learning the abilities of so-called "lesser" species. Thus, their inheritance lacks proper means of progression, relying instead on innate spellcasting and an endless greed for treasure.
Players, however, could easily find ways to grow stronger, though their basic panels were imported from real-world data.
In the early stages of the game, player attributes were notoriously poor—so much so that one barbarian player, who preferred to remain anonymous, once created a so-called "miracle" by starting with only 8 Intelligence.
But Kaesius could effortlessly combine the terrifying natural talents of dragonkind with the classes of players.