crashout
I watched in silence as the great tiger feasted, its massive form casting long shadows in the fading light. I had tracked him for weeks—months, even. Titan, the King of Tigers. My final opponent on this floor.
He was alone, as I'd expected. No pride, no pack. Just a solitary ruler wandering his dying domain. That seemed to be the way of apex predators: powerful, proud, and inevitably alone. I had long since gained enough strength to defeat him, but chose instead to challenge the other candidates for king—one by one—pushing my limits, refining my skills. They all fell with time. Now only Titan remained.
I opened my status window and reviewed my arsenal.
Fire Dragon Slayer Magic – Lv. 43
Ancient magic taught by dragons to slay their own kind.
Flame ManipulationFire ImmunityDragon ScalesFlame BreathFire Dragon's RoarFlame EaterDragon Presence??????
My brow furrowed. That final skill had remained hidden ever since I defeated Fenrir, the Wolf King. A mystery I hadn't unraveled—possibly a dormant evolution… or maybe a curse. I sometimes suspected it was the infamous Motion Sickness Curse, the bane of all true dragon slayers. A cruel joke, if true.
I sighed and glanced at another ability.
Super Regeneration – Lv. 35
Regenerates at superhuman speeds. Higher levels enable cellular restoration. At max, even annihilation can be reversed.
This had changed everything. No longer did I need to rest between battles. I could recover mid-fight, heal through agony, and rise from injuries that would leave others broken. When I first earned it, it was only good for sealing cuts. Now, I could regrow entire limbs. I'd learned that the hard way—overconfidence had cost me an arm. It grew back before the fight was over.
With my [Relentless] title and [Stamina Regeneration], I could fight for years if I had to.
I turned my gaze back to Titan. The giant beast had finished drinking from the stream and returned to its half-eaten prey. I waited. Patience was key.
Then—an opening. Whoosh.
I dashed and struck.
Boom!
I struck first, a devastating punch to his ribs. The impact shook the trees and sent Titan tumbling across the clearing. He twisted in mid-air, landing gracefully on all fours with a snarl of pain. His golden eyes locked onto me, full of fury and challenge.
He lunged.
His paw came fast, claws glinting, but I was faster. I wove past it and delivered another blow to his exposed flank.
Boom.
ROAR!!!
He screamed in agony, leaping back. This time, he was cautious—his instincts told him I was different.
I activated Dragon Presence.
Titan hesitated.
His body stiffened. His eyes flickered. Fear—not much, but enough. That hesitation sealed his fate.
I launched forward.
In a flash, I was beneath him, driving a brutal uppercut into his chin. His massive frame lifted off the ground, thrown into the sky like a ragdoll.
While he was airborne, I began channeling fire into my fist. Compressing, condensing. The energy pulsed and whined under the strain. My arm trembled with the raw power coiling within it.
Titan's body plummeted.
And I struck.
CRACK!
The world seemed to split. A shockwave tore through the valley, echoing for miles. Forests shook. Birds fled. Stone cracked.
Titan was hurled through trees and boulders, his path marked by destruction. The terrain could not contain the impact—rocks shattered, trees splintered, and a massive crater spread beneath my feet like a blooming flower of ruin.
I scanned the area for anything unusual, and seeing nothing, I turned toward the direction he'd been thrown and sprinted after him.
A Thousand Years Later
….
Gulp. Gulp.
As I drank from the river, I found myself thinking.
The forest had grown quiet. Too quiet. No challengers, no rivals—nothing. For the past decade, not a single beast had dared to confront me. It was unsettling. In the old days, they came every other day, snarling for dominance. Now, they were gone. Silent. Hiding.
Finishing my drink, I raised my head and returned to my kill to resume my meal.
Then—pain.
Excruciating, bone-cracking pain exploded through my body and launched me into the air. Something had struck me. Hard. The blow carried a shockwave. Midair, I twisted and landed on my hind legs, skidding back.
My eyes snapped to the source. A monkey?
No... not quite. It had fur only on its head and some on its face. My rage flared. This thing—this tiny, fragile-looking creature—had hurt me. Caught me off guard.
Unacceptable.
Fury overtook reason, and I lunged without hesitation, without thought. I raised my paw high and brought it down in a savage swipe.
Missed.
The creature dodged, too fast. Before I could recover, it struck again—another blow, another shockwave.
I roared in pain, stumbling back on instinct.
This creature is dangerous.
Stronger than me. Faster than me. I needed to think. To plan.
Think. Think!
Whoosh.
Suddenly, I felt it—an immense, crushing aura. My focus snapped back to the creature. Behind it, I saw something impossible: the phantom image of a dragon, massive and looming.
I shuddered. My instincts screamed at me.
Before I could react, it was there—in front of me—and then—
BOOM.
I flew again, smashing through trees and stone.
Crash.
I slammed into a boulder, the impact shaking my bones.
Crack.
Branches snapped. The creature stepped forward, stopping just meters away. Its expression? Boredom.
I snarled. Fuck.
My body was broken, but not my will. I forced myself to stand.
Its eyes widened, almost surprised—then twisted into something wild. Its aura shifted. No longer just powerful… It was beastly.
I grinned.
This creature was like me—a monster craving battle. No dodging, no parrying. Just raw, brutal violence.
We charged.
Both struck.
Even with its speed, it didn't dodge. It wanted this. A blood-soaked dance of destruction.
Swipe. Boom. Whoosh.
We clashed again and again. I noticed it healed after every wound—but I didn't care. This was the greatest fight of my life.
This would be the battle that carved my name into the annals of beasts.
Crashout
Hah… hah… breath… breath…
I stood over the massive corpse of Titan, the King of Tigers, my chest heaving. "One more down," I muttered. "Three to go." I glanced at the body one last time and smiled. Titan had been a true warrior—worthy of respect. Then, without another word, I turned and began the long walk back to base.
Thirty minutes later, as I trudged along the worn path, my mind drifted. It's really been a thousand years, I thought. Though for everyone outside this realm, it's only been one. I sighed. Time moved strangely here, and with it, memories faded. Faces, voices, even names blurred. I might've forgotten everything if not for Moon. She always asked about the outside world. Her questions forced me to remember what I otherwise might've lost.
When I reached the base, I paused, scanning the clearing. Empty.
"Where's Moon?" I mumbled. She usually sensed me before I even arrived. Always came running. "Moon!" I shouted. Nothing.
"Maybe she's just busy…" I said to no one, trying to calm myself. I decided to wait, but the unease had already begun to gnaw at me. To distract myself, I headed down to the river. I stripped and stepped into the cold water, letting it wash away the battle's blood and dirt. As I cleaned myself, I caught my reflection in the water. My eyes… the light in them had dimmed. I shook my head. "No… just a little longer. Then I'll get my happy ending." My hands clenched into fists. "I will defeat Balerion. No matter what."
After washing up, I got dressed and returned to the cave. Still no sign of her. My frown deepened. "Where is she…?" I sighed again. She had to be busy. That was all. I walked inside and began to cook using my skill: God's Hand (Lv. 31): The food you make will make even the gods crave.
Ever since unlocking it, I'd stopped buying junk food from the system and started cooking everything from scratch. When I told Moon, she cried for hours. I only got her to stop after cooking for her. She said it was okay… but that pizza and burgers were better. I nearly popped a vein. Still, I smiled at the memory.
While stirring the pot, I opened my status window: Strength: 75. Defense: 76. Dexterity: 74. Stamina: 79. Intelligence: 36. Magic: 76.
"System, why isn't my intelligence increasing?"
Host, just because you're strong doesn't mean you're smart.
"Are you calling me stupid?"
No, Host. I'm saying your intelligence is not high.
"You son of a—who do you think you are?"
Cursing me is cursing yourself. I am your system, connected to your very being.
"You damn—"
Ten minutes passed in a storm of swearing and frustration. Eventually, I sighed and glanced at my skills again.
"System, why is my divine skill still locked?"
Host, as I've stated, you are not strong enough to use it.
"Tch. Then tell me how strong I need to be!"
You must max out all stats—except intelligence.
"...You bastard."
Just answering your question.
"Whatever."
Host, your food is burning.
"What?" I turned, eyes wide. "F*ck—my chicken soup!"
Ten more minutes later, I slumped down again, sighing for what felt like the hundredth time. Still... no Moon.
"Where the hell is that brat?" I muttered. I stood up, walked out of the cave, and scanned the area again. Nothing. "Tch."
I left the base and began to search.
Three days passed.
Hah… hah…
I hadn't stopped moving. No sleep. No rest. Not a trace. "Damn it, where are you, Moon?" I had scoured all of Level 4 and half of Level 5. That's when I reached a cliff and saw it—a scorched field, miles away.
I jumped without hesitation.
When I landed, the air reeked of burnt blood. I searched the charred earth until something caught my eye. A tail. "This… Moon's tail." My pulse spiked. Panic gripped me. I followed the faint trail, chest tight, breaths shallow.
Please… be okay.
An hour later, I reached a cave. The scent of dried blood filled my nose. I rushed inside—and froze.
There she was. Moon. Covered in blood. Still. Too still.
I dropped to my knees and pulled her into my arms. "Moon!" I shook her gently, voice cracking.
Her eyes opened—barely. "Erik… everything hurts," she whimpered, tears forming.
"Don't cry. I'll make the pain go away." I bit down the panic. "System, give me a potion!"
Host, no potion will wor—
"Just give it to me!"
...Very well.
I grabbed the vial and poured it gently between her lips.
"Please work," I whispered, tears threatening to fall.
"It still hurts…" she sobbed.
"System! Find a way to heal her!"
Host, her core is gone... and so is her essence. There is no cure.
"Just find a way, dammit! Please!"
She hiccupped, barely conscious. "It was… Balerion… the King of Dragons. He said he needed my core and essence… for his offspring's evolution…"
She whimpered, voice fading. "Please… make it stop…"
"Don't cry, Moon. I'll get you all the junk food when we go home, okay?"
"Really?"
"Yes."
She gave the faintest smile. "Pinky promise?"
"Okay." We linked fingers. But as soon as we did, her smile faded. Her eyes dulled.
"Moon?" I shook her. "Moon, what's wrong?"
"I don't… feel good…"
Her eyes slipped shut. Her body stilled. And then… she began to dissolve, her body turning to particles of light.
"No… no, please don't leave me…" My voice cracked, breaking. "AGHHHH!"
I roared, my scream echoing through the cave and far beyond. Why? Why me again? Can I never catch a break? Why does this keep happening?
Her final words echoed endlessly in my head.
"Balerion came and attacked me…"
Over and over.
"Balerion… Balerion… Balerion…"
I clenched my fists, trembling with fury.
"I'll kill you… I'LL KILL YOUUU!!!"
System: Host, please calm your emotions. Emotion Control has been automatically activated. Emotion Control… failed. Error. Error. [Berserk] has been triggered. Error. Error. ???? has been revealed [Dragon Seed] — Awakening… [Dragon Seed] — Blooming… [Dragon Seed] → [Dragon Transformation] initialized. Transformation in progress…
"AGHHH!"
My body convulsed violently—bones breaking and reshaping, muscles tearing and rebuilding. My skin hardened, darkened, morphing into jagged, gleaming scales. My face stretched into a snout. Spikes erupted from my spine. Wings tore from my back in a spray of blood and bone. I grew—massive, monstrous. Power flooded my veins.
And then… it was complete.
Due to transformation you have gained a 25+ point boost in all stats.
I opened my eyes. The world seemed smaller now. Insignificant.
I raised my head and let loose a roar that shook the heavens.
"BALERION!"
(Note: Dragon form looks like Igneel from Fairy Tail but with golden brown skin. His size is ¾ of a Bewilderbeast.)