Scarcely had Logan been able to wallow in the warmth of a new-felted future, of power, of evolution, of perhaps a spoonful of light tyranny, and his new imagined future, a soft ding had made him feel, as of a spoon in underbaked cake.
DING! Message: Host has acquired an SSS tier Special Female NPC Would you rather see her status panell? This will not be shown again.
Special Female NPC?
Logan did it because he was psychologically prompted to do it and looked in the corner of the cave.
The girl who used to be a foxkin was cowering there huddled like a dog that has been trapped in a thunder storm. Her ears of white fox dangled pathetically and her tail was self curled round her legs. The eyes were big red and spewed tears; but clouded like smoked glass.
Logan blinked.
This was SSS-tier?
He half closed his eyes, half hoping there would be some sort of halo effect or some other magic touch of the kind. Nothing.
Naturally she was cute, and much cute than his waifu characters in his home had cost him real money, but.
SSS?
He had to question himself whether the idea of rarity that had been conceived by the system was slightly liberal.
Still, a panel was a panel. And, had treasure in it, not wasting in this case of it, but of abilities as well, he was not going to pass it.
"Yeah, show me."
He felt his heart inadequately beating akin to the rush he felt when opening SSR card packs at 3 a.m. with greasy fingers and overly high expectations.
The panel was unfolding before the mind of his eyes:
[Name]: Aurealia Hathaway (Elven Age) 18 Years
[Rank]: SSS-tier
[Personality]: Shy, Soft, Submissive, Sweet heart.
[Race]: Beastkin Elf
[Combat Power] Frail (Was not able to beat a chicken)
[Condition]: Wasting Sickness -Very Weakened (prognosis: 2 days)
[Innate Traits]:
Supreme Water Affinity
Supreme Light Affinity
Alluring Grace (Active)
Silksoft Physique (Passive)
Enchanting Scent (Passive)
[Now Favorability]: -80 (Fearful)
[System Note]: Host is extraordinarily unreasonable in luck. Yes, both meanings.
[Caution]: Not favourable enough. The points and locked abilities are upgraded. It must be positive to [?]0 so that it will be available to open first stage of special ability.
"Ah—what the hell?"
The appalled Logan stared at the panel.
He would have pledged that it would bring him his first dragon power As a tutorial gift. Instead he had been shot by a dating sim mechanism.
Favorability?
He had to acquire affection points?
Even this was beginning to appear less of an erotic daydream, less of a power fantasy and more of that one galgame that he never defeated that the hidden path girl required twenty perfect choices and a mysterious object in Chapter 2.
And had he been reading this line,
The most he could hope to live with his new SSS-grade card, Auriela, was two days?
Two. Days.
What kind of opening was this?
Was there the Dragon Survival: Nightmare Speedrun Mode?
He moaned and smoked through his nostrils.
So let's recap:
He was half-killed black dragon, and had no scales, but banded together his body with vile.
He had three systems which were fused.
And a dying fox girl that was scared of him was his initial potential power source and would die before he could even say hi without growling.
Perfect.
Just perfect.
Logan tried to negotiate with the system, even in the form of a dragon in his mind.
"Okay, system, look—I can't move. I am basically a winged fried graphics card. What the hell should I prefer like this? Is it, I do not know, a beginners gift pack, or something? A little more unholy to human kind?
To his amazement, the system did react in a way like empathy:
DING! Host raises a valid point.
Gifting Newbie Temporary Body Restoration Card 30 minutes.
Note: This card utilizes energy of the Life Essence of the host.
In a state of weakened state or unconscious state, host will be taken place after half an hour.
Proceed with use?
Logan: "..."
This is why it was basically selling him his own organs.
Simply that he did not know how to use his Life Essence yet.
He breathed out—within himself, and sighing is like a dragon, likely little more than smoke and thunder.
It was a raw deal alright, but he could not afford to be choosy. His body was disintegrating minute by minute and the girl over in the corner? She resembled half way to the afterlife.
Counting on her to save him?
That was as likely as a Lee Sin main taking the trouble to hitch your jungle camp and not taking your blue.
He was still considering the danger when a voice, like a feather, light as a breath, came to his thoughts.
(so cold . . . so cold . . dragon is scary.
[(Hungry... ngh...)]
[(Mama...)]
The expressions were soft and tremulous, as the cry of a child in a pillow. They touched his consciousness as lightly as a piece of cotton and something in his chest - his dragon heart - ached.
The Occasionally Accurate Inner Monologue Eavesdrop Function seemed to be functioning sufficiently well.
Slowly, Logan scanned his head and looked at her, again.
She was still huddling and embracing her knees and trembling cold and frightened. Her breathing was shallow and hardly there and all her body was drawn in like a kitten in the rain.
It was cold and wet in the cave and his presence, his size, his dragon air, and his mere dragonness, were likely to be exacerbating the situation.
It is quite understandable how she reacted.
And yet...
And he looked long at her, and after a long sighing smoky breath he exhaled.
No more hesitation.
He had to save her. And himself.
The only way forward would be one.
So now it is time to roll the dice, and pray to crit.
He was a dragon now. What was the use of second guessing?
He gave the system a strong and definite mental nod in approval.
Card, System, release Temporary Body Restoration Card.
The voice of the system was heard again, impersonal and cold:
DING! Temporary Body Restoration Card had been turned on.
Then waste not thy life, Host, I beseech thee.
...