The creature staring at me from behind the bars with pure hatred was a mythological creature known to almost everyone in the world, even if only glimpsed briefly... It was a Dragon. This dragon had glossy blackish-yellow scales covering its entire body, its large wings pressed tightly against its torso, standing about eight meters tall. Yet now it was lowering its head to be level with mine, not in submission to me... it growled lowly, its furrowed face revealing sharp teeth and crimson eyes glaring sharply at me.
Clearly, it clearly wanted to tear me to shreds.
'Why is there a dragon here?' I stumbled backward in shock.
"Oy kid! Why are you standing there, huh?! Get over here quickly!" Someone called out to me from the side, his voice diverting the dragon's gaze toward him, which immediately made the man freeze and fall silent.
"Hosh!" The dragon exhaled a breath, then looked at me for a moment with a less intense stare, its anger seeming to have subsided; I no longer felt its murderous intent. It then retreated to the dark side of the prison confining it; briefly, I saw its red eyes change to a clear, calm sea-blue color before it finally disappeared, swallowed by the darkness.
Right now, countless questions swirled in my mind; why is there a dragon here? Who imprisoned it? Why—
"Kid, hurry up over here!"
My daze was shattered by the frightened man.
Grabbing my hat quickly, I immediately ran over in haste. I dropped my hands to my knees when I reached the man, finally able to release the breath I'd been holding, then panted heavily. It felt incredibly relieving to be free from that strong murderous intent; the dragon was probably Rank A or above, but not quite reaching S.
"You new here?" asked the man who called me. He had short brown hair reaching his forehead, his irises a dark brown. He wore a casual long-sleeved white shirt, with a leather cross-body bag adorned with small, sharp teeth draped over his shoulder. His tanned face looked to be in his thirties, given his mustache and forehead wrinkles.
"Yes..." I answered his question, still greedily gulping air.
"No wonder..." He sighed. "What were you looking for that made you approach the dragon's prison? Maybe I can help you, young man."
After wiping the sweat from my forehead, I stood upright. "Help me?" My voice was somewhat heavy from still catching my breath.
"Yeah, you're truly pitiful. I've seen you wandering around this market several times. What are you looking for? Be quick, I need to leave soon."
'Hmm... Can I trust him?' I was a bit hesitant because of his rough appearance.
"What's wrong?" He put his hands on his hips as I looked at him. "Relax, I really only intend to help. I've already gotten what I needed here and will be leaving soon."
Alright, what's the harm? I've been here too long anyway, not to mention the hour-and-a-half journey home.
Sighing, I answered, "Rune of Shadow, stages 1 and 2. That's what I'm looking for..."
"Oh, that. Follow me, I know who has them." He turned with a gesture to follow. I trailed behind him, not far away. "How old are you, kid?"
"Twenty-three," I lied so I wouldn't be seen as a kid.
"You're lying, right? From your face alone, I can tell you're probably a kid still going through puberty," he replied with a light smile.
What? A kid going through puberty?!
He chuckled as if remembering something. "Hehe, you know? I was in your position once, getting stared at by that dragon with murderous intent. And my reaction was the same as yours. The difference was, I was alone because it was midnight; the dragon and I just stared at each other, I thought it would kill me... But after the dragon took a closer look at my face, it calmed down and hid back in the darkness."
His story about the dragon reminded me of that moment again. What stood out most in my mind wasn't the dragon's terrifying glare, but the change when it became calm after the strong threat it gave me. Judging by its sudden change, it seemed the dragon wasn't feral; it had the awareness to express anger and then calm down.
'Why is it like that? Was it someone's fault?' And something else felt off: the dragon's very presence here. Dragons shouldn't be here; they have their own place at Mount Neverland, formed in the ocean due to tectonic plate collisions. If a dragon is being held here, it means someone strong enough to capture it exists; they must be Rank S. And that also means the person who imprisoned it has been outside the walls and seen Neverland? Or not? Maybe the dragon just got lost?
'This place definitely has a Rank S Hunter.' That was the correct conclusion for all this. 'And maybe, the reason the dragon got angry when I was in front of its cage—it's because it thought I was the one who imprisoned it.'
"We're here."
I snapped out of my reverie; overthinking made me follow him automatically, and without realizing it, we had arrived at the place he wanted to show me.
"Nick, come out. Someone wants to buy something," said the man who guided me.
I observed this shop; it looked simple with its old wooden structure, and it was right next to the cave wall, making it secluded and less noticeable compared to other shops. Yet here, many magical tools were displayed, from swords, cloaks, staffs, to runes hanging or placed on tables like the ones in front of me.
As I was looking around, suddenly a tall man emerged from behind a green curtain. He wore a faded red shirt, his hair and beard the same reddish-black color. He was probably around the same age as the man who guided me.
"Jake? What's up? Want to buy something again?" Nick asked the man who guided me, who turned out to be named Jake.
"No, I've had enough with this mana-counter Rune... I'm just escorting someone," he touched my shoulder like we were familiar.
"Haha Jake, did you bring a kid to this place?" Nick laughed when he saw me.
'Do I really look like a kid in their eyes?!'
"Alright, what are you looking for, young man?" Nick asked after Jake explained how he found me.
"I want Rune of Shadow, stages 1 and 2," I answered.
"Just that?" He furrowed his brow.
"Yeah, just that."
He then went behind the curtain and rummaged for something, returning with the two Runes I'd been searching for! He placed the two Runes on the table. What distinguished a Rune's stage was its size and the intensity of light radiating from within; the higher the stage, the brighter.
"Finally, these are selling," he nodded to himself. "I've kept them for two years because no one was interested in Rune of Shadow."
He was right; most Hunters weren't interested in Rune of Shadow, not because the attribute was weak, but because the Shadow attribute was very difficult for those accustomed to Elemental attributes, which were relatively easier to master and were basically their innate magic. But for me, it was different; I knew how to use it and, most importantly, I knew the proper way to consume Runes to gain Attributes.
"I'll take them both. How much?"
"Let me think," he touched his chin, pondering, then decided, "180 Crown for both. Just take them; they're not selling anyway."
I took out 180 Crown from my wallet and handed it over. Then, I took both Runes and put them in my pocket.
Jake, leaning against the wall, had been watching curiously. "What do you need those for? Aren't they hard to master?"
"Yeah, I just want to try them out."
"You're just wasting money." As he leaned, he accidentally knocked a sword to the ground. "Sorry Nick, that was an accident."
Seeing the sword made me think; 'Why don't I buy a sword as well?' After all, my magic currently can't be controlled properly; I need an alternative for fighting.
"I also want to buy a sword," I said decisively, looking at Nick.
Nick nodded, then took out three swords and placed them in front of me. "Take your pick," he encouraged.
My hand touched each of the cold sword blades. I didn't really know how a sword could be considered good? But one sword caught my interest; I picked it up and examined every side. The sword I held now was different from ordinary swords; its blade wasn't curved, it was straight to the tip, and the metal was a dull gray with mana crystal decorations running from the base to the sharp tip. The guard separating the blade and hilt was shaped like a cross.
"By the way, the sword you're holding has mana crystals in the blade that you can channel mana into," Nick mentioned.
'Really?' I stared at it for a moment, then back at the sword. Then, I channeled my Mana into the sword; a blue light from my mana began to travel from the base upward, following the crystal path until it reached the tip.
Just as I was marveling, suddenly the sword glowed intensely, making my hand hot.
--Crash!
I reflexively threw it to the ground.
Nick bent down and picked up the sword, examining it carefully. "Is there something wrong with this sword—?"
"No. No, it was my fault for putting in too much mana. I'll buy it." Yes, that was truly my fault; my mana once again came out with huge output even though I didn't intend it. There was nothing wrong with the sword; in fact, it was excellent. I could reinforce it with mana, and I could also use it to practice controlling my mana.
"Seriously?"
"Yeah, I'll buy it. How much?" I was straightforward because it seemed like it was getting dark above.
"150 Crown, I'll give you a discount," Nick said with a smile.
"Really?" I couldn't help grinning. Reaching into my pocket, I immediately took out 150 Crown and handed it to Nick.
Nick placed the sword in its sheath, then wrapped it in cloth before handing it to me.
"Thank you, come again sometime. By the way, what's your name?" Nick asked. Behind him, Jake raised an eyebrow, seemingly also curious about my name.
"Adrian," I answered shortly with a smile.
"Alright, you've got what you wanted. I'll be going," Jake stepped out. "Later, Nick."
"Thanks for telling me about this place," I said to Jake as he walked away; he ignored me and kept walking. Before I left too, I gave Nick a smile, then left him as he tidied his merchandise. Jake and I were going different ways, so we parted.
...
After a two-and-a-half-hour journey home, I finally arrived in front of my house. But I wasn't just carrying the equipment I bought; I also brought a container filled with various flavored donuts for Alicia and Aunt Maya.
--Click!
I closed the door and walked inside. The sword I brought was tucked into my pants, hidden by my black coat, but this forced me to stand straight so it wouldn't be noticed. Taking a few steps, I heard the TV playing in the living room. Then, as I reached the living room, I saw Aunt Maya and Alicia watching a comedy show on TV. Alicia, looking tired, rested her head on her aunt's shoulder, and Aunt Maya, with her slightly wrinkled hands, hugged her while patting her shoulder.
They both smiled.
Then Aunt Maya saw me arrive and gave a smile. Even though she was 40 years old, her face still looked young, like she was in her thirties.
"Alicia, your brother's home. Why don't you ask him where he's been?" Aunt Maya said with a playful tone.
I walked closer before Alicia could turn around and placed the container with the donuts I bought. "For you."
"Where have you been until 7 PM?" Alicia asked with a slightly sharp look, but she opened the donut container and took one.
"I was helping Professor Nolan at his lab. I just finished, and I'm sorry for coming home late and not answering your call. I swear! There was no signal there earlier!" I raised both hands.
"Alright, you must be tired. Go take a shower; you smell like dirt. Does your work at the lab involve dirt? After that, eat; I saved food for you on the kitchen shelf," said Aunt Maya.
"Hehe, something like that," I answered her question. "Okay, I'll shower first." I quickly grabbed a donut, then went up to my room to put away the sword and runes I bought, then hurried to shower—Aunt Maya was right, I smelled like dirt!
I finished showering, eating, and joined them watching TV. And now it was late at night; I was in my room, sitting in the chair facing the window showing the full moon.
I rummaged for the Rune of Shadow I bought to consume it right now. Then I took the Rune of Shadow stage one, the smallest crystal among the three, preparing to swallow it whole as per the rules I wrote in my novel.
'Stupid, why did I write it like that?' Slowly, I swallowed the Rune crystal; thankfully, the Rune crystal wasn't too big—still swallowable.
I could feel the cold Rune passing down my throat and sliding into my digestive stomach.
I grabbed a drink and gulped it down.
That was it; that's all there was to consuming Attribute-enhancing Runes. However, it didn't mean I'd immediately gain the Shadow attribute. No. Eating the stage one Rune was like planting a seed that would grow if I consumed the next stage, but to consume the next stage, I had to wait for the entire seed/Rune to be absorbed into my body (about 1-2 weeks), so the next Rune would only strengthen the existing seed. This is what made most people fail because they didn't know or were too hasty to consume them all. That wouldn't work. Especially for an attribute as complex as Shadow. Well, if it were just an Elemental Rune, it would be easy—even if only a few days apart, because Elemental attributes are relatively easy to visualize and are commonly seen as basic phenomena.
But Shadow? It's abstract. Shadow exists in the middle ground between "Existence" and "Non-existence." It can be seen but not touched physically, yet it exists because of physical objects.
But I could use it. Just wait.
Actually, there was an advantage to me being Rank D, because at that rank, I could still consume Runes. Unlike Rank S individuals who were already awakened with abundant mana, they could no longer consume Runes because they already had strong innate Attributes; why would they consume Attribute-enhancing Runes? And if they forced themselves to eat a Rune—the Rune would lose its benefits because it would be erased by the mana within them, being treated as a virus.
Then I took the Rune of Shadow stage two, just to look at it.
'Four Runes left.' Consuming Runes also didn't mean my Shadow attribute would get stronger with each stage increase. No. Runes were just Attribute-enhancing crystals that had to be consumed five times to gain the Attribute. Its strength still depended on how much mana I had; the stage increase only strengthened the seed, and once I reached five Runes, it would officially become my attribute. However, if I stopped consuming them mid-stage, it would disappear and I'd have to start over from the beginning.
'Huh, I can't let that happen. I have to be careful with money.' Luckily, tomorrow I'll be going to a Dungeon with my party; Azrael has already booked a Dungeon in Defier City.
I opened my phone again, looking at Sierra's last message, which started by asking how I was and ended with a reminder to sleep soon so I wouldn't be sleepy tomorrow. Normally, if a stranger suddenly showed concern for me, I'd assume they had hidden intentions. I swore by that. But after moving to this world, that habit of mine loosened. Well, after all, this was Sierra; Adrian and she had a history together. How could Sierra have hidden intentions? At most, her hidden intention was to be my girlfri—!
--Clap!
'Don't get too confident.' After that slap, I put away my phone and my Rune. Tonight, I'll spend practicing how to control my mana.
Besides, I couldn't sleep anyway.
How could I sleep knowing that one day I would die? However, more than my own death, I was more afraid of losing my new family, my new friends here...