Beasts fled throughout the forest.
The tremors alerted every living creature across the entire territory touched by the roots of the enormous trees. Birds ceased their flight and those on the ground froze, only to turn their gazes toward the cave to the south. Each new rumble seemed to synchronize with the beating of their hearts, and when everything fell silent, they too became still. The sight of the cavern's roof launching skyward paralyzed them.
There was no longer time to escape, let alone a chance. Staying still and silent was the only way they had to try and stay alive, relying on the luck that they would not be chosen.
Slowly, the serpentine and colossal body rose, exuding majesty, emerging from a place Noah would have sworn was too small to hold it.. In silence, all waited. Out of fear? Not only that. It was subservience born of instinct. Bowing to a superior being to stay alive—nothing more than balance. With a heavy scorn, crimson red eyes, as if dyed in blood, observed everything around them. Its scales were so dark they seemed to refuse the sun's touch, for the red stripes that ran along them were the only brilliant parts that stood out.
Throughout the forest, except for the Demonic Lion King, nothing else moved.
Even without feeling his heartbeat or needing to breathe, Noah was unaffected. He thought it was just another of this strange body's abilities and quickly put the thought aside. It didn't seem important. Not when even the wind seemed to have abandoned them, and he found himself facing something that could kill him with its mere presence. Fleeing was impossible, and his mind couldn't achieve any great clarity. But, when the beast moved, he was certain.
It... it's looking at me...?!
What should he do? Where could he run? Or rather, was it even possible? Could he even do it? No, his mind told him. He could try, but his legs wouldn't so much as tremble, let alone carry him. Running was out of the question.
Ignoring him, the creature turned, leaving Noah confused. Wasn't it going to kill him, then? Was he too insignificant to be considered a target?
No...
Although they were turned in his direction, there was something strange about those eyes.
It's as if... it couldn't see me...?
The beast suddenly launched itself out of the cave, revealing that the visible part had been nothing more than a small piece of its body.
The pressure generated threw Noah down the hill, and when he got up, feeling less pain than expected, he found himself under the long shadow. He looked up in a hurry, believing he was about to be crushed. However, the creature was gliding majestically through the air without the need for any support.
It really was a dragon..!
[A half-dragon, actually.]
...Did that happen because of you? It seemed like it couldn't see me, why?
As he watched the creature's tail recede, its end finally revealed, Noah noticed the system's strange delay in answering. Did it not have the answer? Or did it need to look it up? Was that even how the interface worked? He didn't know, but it seemed too strange to be merely something programmed, like a simple machine. However, he would need more time to be sure of anything.
[No.]
There was no explanation.
Noah returned to the top of the hill, thoughtful, yet nothing was said. What was the reason for the delay? Another stupid rule, perhaps? But how could he find out? He didn't have time to waste standing there.
He turned, only to be met by a wave of pressure and rising heat, the sight of a gash torn through the forest and beyond, shredding everything in its path. The strike itself had been too fast for his eyes to follow.
Is there really a way to get out of this place alive...?
The scorched ground sizzled, and the heat reached him even from a distance. The half-dragon circled the Demonic Lion King far away, giving the rest of the beasts a chance to try and survive. Some of them hadn't made it, so the others would have to fight even harder to win.
[Yes, there's a tunnel nearby that leads directly to an isolated location in the forest.]
Nearby...? He looked back, already anticipating what was coming. Let me guess, the tunnel is inside the cave?
[...]
Of course...
The progress of the fight between the beasts seemed slow to him, yet the winner was already decided in his mind.
How long will this fight last? Would I be able to get through the tunnel before the dragon comes back?
[It won't be coming back.]
The certainty in its words surprised him.
...Can you really predict the future?
[I don't need to. Not in this case.]
Then?
[In theory, these creatures should be, in a way, evenly matched at present. However, there are factors that prevent that from being the case.]
[The half-dragon has a considerable disadvantage in this confrontation.]
Each new sentence left Noah even more confused and, on some level, suspicious. After all, why would a disadvantaged creature initiate an unnecessary fight? Why would it leave the cave because of a simple, small rock for no apparent reason? Something felt wrong; he just couldn't tell what. The system's lack of clarification regarding the information only made him believe this idea more.
As he entered the cave, he understood how such a large creature could have emerged from such a small place. The hole in the ceiling illuminated the debris along the path and, most importantly, the enormous hole in the center of it all.
...You don't have a ladder, do you?
There was no response.
Of course not... Circling the edge of the descent, where the light couldn't reach the bottom, Noah tried to see how deep the hole was. This is impossible, there's no way for me to get down—!
The cave trembled along with its surroundings, causing him to fall. Another large-scale attack? He just hoped he wouldn't end up like the landscape a little further away.
[...Apparently, there is.]
Haha, very funny.
As he held on with his hands, clinging to the edge to keep from falling, Noah noticed that the inside of the hole was softer than it should be. It couldn't possibly be stone, like the rocky environment of the cave. Maybe... He reconsidered. Skin? It seemed possible, despite his doubt as to whether or not dragons also needed to shed their skin. And even if they did, what were the chances that those monstrous scales would be so delicate on the inside? The image of the creature in his mind made him doubt the possibility.
What would my chances of survival be if I slid down this place?
[I'd say about... 1%?]
Is it really that high?
[...It would be higher than if you tried to escape through the forest, I guarantee it.]
[All you need to do is use something to slow your fall.]
Slowing down... easy to say— A new tremor struck the surroundings, causing the edge to give way. Damn it...!
For the first few moments, Noah cursed himself for wasting time instead of getting up and moving away from the hole. There was no going back now.
Slowing down...
Looking around, he searched for something he could use. Nothing. That's what he found, and after some time, it was also all he could see. With no more access to light, darkness enveloped him.
This is taking too long to end... Just how big is this tunnel, anyway?
[I estimate it's about 5 kilometers deep and 500 meters wide.]
So, if I don't find a way to slow my fall, I'll really be dead. And even if I manage it, should I say goodbye to my legs? Can I survive in this world without being able to walk?
[Some exceptional people can, whether through status or power.]
[But...]
How would I get out of the tunnel if I can't walk, right...?
Turning himself around, Noah sighed. He could already feel the pain spreading throughout his body, even though he hadn't yet made a move. He closed his eyes, though he wouldn't be able to see even if they were open. He clenched his teeth hard and, without hesitation, plunged his arms into the soft layer that protected him from the possible rocks on the other side.
His arms broke.
The scream of pain echoed through the tunnel, but he choked it back. He couldn't draw any attention to this place, he knew that. Whatever the reason for the half-dragon's strange behavior, it might still decide to abandon the fight and return immediately upon realizing its home had been invaded—that is, if it was conscious enough to be able to decide such a thing. However, Noah wasn't sure that was true.
Damn it—! Is this shit working?! Fuck! How much further?!!
[Yes, yes, it's working!]
Really?!
Shrouded in darkness, Noah could no longer tell if the blackness he saw was natural or if it came from his consciousness fading away. The pain no longer reached him, and time seemed to stretch on.
[Ah, no... that was just a mistake... There's still a kilometer left.]
With no strength to waste, he didn't even complain about the joke. He fought to stay awake, but was he truly in first place? He didn't know. Perhaps everything, just like the system, was merely a product of his mind, so there was no way to confirm it either. Proof of this was that the end never came, and when it did, he was no longer there to feel his body spinning and crashing against a pile of hard objects ahead, stopping against the wall.
[Noah!]
[Are you okay, Noah?]
If he had still been awake, he would have heard the concern in the faceless voice. The affection that would soon disappear when he opened his eyes.
[...You did it, Noah...]
How much time had passed? He didn't know. Was he still alive? Something told him he was. The pain? No, the crimson eyes.
You said it wouldn't come back, System?!
He froze at the blink of the motionless monstrosity.
— You have finally awoken, human... — said the voice, weak, yet carrying an oppressive weight. Noah felt his bones crumble just from hearing it. — So, be grateful, and make a deal with me.
A deal...?!
His mouth wouldn't move, no matter how he tried. And as for gratitude, why would that be necessary? For it not having killed him while he was unconscious? Noah wanted to ask.
— Who do you think kept you alive... when you were so weak and had done something so ridiculous?
Kept me alive...? The dragon saved me?
— Yes... — the direct answer made him question the possibility that the creature was reading his mind. If it were true, he would have to be even more careful. — Now, approach and accept the deal.
Suddenly, Noah felt his body move, independent of his will. In his mind, many questions arose with each step, among them, can I run? That was the one that weighed most heavily. After all, he knew that even those dying eyes could kill him, if they only wished it. And if the half-dragon hadn't done so yet, there must be a reason. Perhaps he could still survive.
He knelt before the fearsome creature, which made his own insignificance even more apparent. Even his thoughts ceased before the blood-red eyes that bore into him. It seemed not to be fully awake yet, for it was only when his knees touched the hard ground that Noah noticed the strong smell in the air and the sticky liquid he had been walking on. Was that...
Blood...? It's... dying?
— You notice only now...? You are lamentably slow for one of your kind...
Is that... a compliment?
—...Touch me with your palm, human.
That... I don't know if you've noticed, but...
His arms remained useless.
— Then use your forehead... Do it, quickly...!
A-All right...!
As he tried to push himself up, Noah noticed his legs weren't working either. Yet, he had just been walking; could that have been merely a product of the beast's powers? Its impatience faded as its eyes closed, yet, if he was truly in its debt, he had to continue. What would this imply? There was no time to think. As long as he didn't die, he would accept anything.
Leaning forward, he felt the cold, scaly touch, harder than anything he had ever known. But something warm met his forehead, dripping down the beast's scales with a strange viscosity. It was the same liquid that was spread everywhere. Something entered his mind, and in some way, Noah felt himself marked.
— Take good care of him...
The creature's last words plunged him into a macabre silence. With his face smeared with blood and his legs submerged in the same, he fell when he could no longer keep his balance.
There is an egg... He managed to understand part of the information that was passed to him. But what was "do the same for her" supposed to mean...? Is there another creature in this place?
The possibility made him shudder.