Chương 128: Reborn as the Dragon — Chapter 128 - I Want to Duel the Dragon

Petrov was puzzled. He followed his friend's gaze, and his pupils blew wide. A Black Dragon spread its wings, gliding toward them through the blazing midday sun. What a creature. Ferocious armored scales. Powerful limbs. A frame so massive it blotted out the sky. Crimson-gold eyes like a king surveying his domain. Those claws could tear through the hardest steel like wet paper. Petrov's breath caught. His face went red. This. Wasn't this the creature he'd been hunting for? The one he'd been searching for all along?

It's him. It's him.

"HSS—" Another Russian player stared slack-jawed as Petrov grabbed his overalls and tore them clean off.

"Oh! Good God, Petrov, what are you doing?"

"Don't worry, friend. I'm going to have a bout with that dragon!"

"Oh! Petrov, I understand that, but there's no need to strip down like this." Petrov turned. His eyes were burning.

"Friend. Remember this. A true hero needs no armor and no weapons. He needs only one thing, the underwear that declares who he is." As he spoke, Petrov bent over and thrust his considerable rear end skyward. On the white briefs, right across the seat, the name PETROV had been painted in vivid red. It bounced up and down with the movement.

"Do not worry about me."

"I will return victorious!" Petrov's voice dropped to a low rumble. His powerful thighs drove him forward at a dead sprint, chest hair streaming behind him like a battle standard. He ran all the way to the walls of the Third Fortress, clambered up, and waved both arms at the approaching Black Dragon.

"Hey! Big guy! Over here!"

"I am Petrov! I challenge you to a duel — warrior to warrior!"

"Do you understand me?!" Su Nian, gliding overhead, stared down at the howling figure on the wall with a completely blank expression. Is that... a gorilla in heat? And he wants to duel me? But then he remembered, this bizarre human was a player. Su Nian had been one himself in his previous life. He understood the psychology well enough. Among players, two conditions ran rampant: "megalophilia" and "megalophobia." It was almost always the former.

Megalophilia: an irrational reverence for enormous creatures, combined with an overwhelming urge to challenge them. To conquer them. The Russian down there had it bad. If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. These Russian players are kind of adorable, actually. Unfortunately, we have no quarrel, but my baby needs system points. And for this world, you are the most dangerous virus that exists. Su Nian lifted his ferocious dragon head.

His wings spread to their full span. He drew a breath and released it as a roar that shook the earth.

"ROOAARRR—" The signal to attack. From the moment he'd entered this world, he was this world's dragon. The players came from a parallel Earth, similar in many ways, yes. But it wasn't the real Earth. And that made all the difference. Since you want a duel, we'll start with you. I hope you come away from this with a healthy respect for legendary creatures. With that thought settled, Su Nian folded his wings and dropped, a gale roaring around him, hurtling toward the figure on the wall.

"Yes! Yes, exactly! That's what I'm talking about!"

"Come on, dragon! Show me the gap between us!" Petrov spread his arms wide, fists raised, bellowing from his bearded mouth with pure delight. This felt exactly like the first time he'd taken a fresh newbie character and walked up to a starter-village boss back home. He remembered it perfectly. He'd spent an entire afternoon working that boss through the terrain, kiting it back and forth, grinding it down inch by inch until its health finally hit the floor. He'd done it. Bridged a twenty-level gap.

Killing something that should have been unkillable. The thrill of conquering a powerful enemy, a massive beast, he'd never stopped chasing that feeling since. Let me beat you, dragon. Petrov's eyes locked on. He'd already targeted one of the dragon's claws. His plan: grab the claw. Use it as a pivot. Leverage the beast's own mass and send it crashing down. Then leap onto its back. That's when I strike. Closer. Closer. Petrov braced himself. Even back home, he was a famous wrestler. Far and wide. BOOM.

The earth lurched. The dragon's massive body hit the wall and shattered it. And with it, shattered Petrov's dream. He was already dead. The dragon's claws hadn't just demolished the wall, they'd scooped him into it, turning him into something that was equal parts man and masonry.

"Courage beyond your means." Su Nian shook his head, flicked the mess off his claw, and gave the player the most accurate epitaph he could think of. A ragged chorus of rolling "Urrah!" rose from below. Russian players surged toward the wall, swords and shields raised. These were combat-obsessed people, barely any of them had rolled mages. Warriors and priests, almost to a man. Bare-chested, every one of them, muscles on full display. Su Nian had a strange feeling.

For a moment, he could've sworn he was looking at ancient Rome.

"We are dragon-slayers!"

"Dragon, kneel before us!"" Urrah!" Su Nian listened to what they were shouting. He couldn't help but twitch the corner of his mouth. Yes, they could respawn. But provoking a boss nearly twenty levels above them, was that really wise? And not just any boss. A legendary creature. That said, honestly? Compared to the players from Sakura Island, these Russians were chunni as hell, but at least they had a certain charm about them. So Su Nian decided to give them a clean death. Armor Removal plus Dragon Breath.

A proper burial, fast and total. Quick. Ruthless.... (skipping the carnage) Half an hour later, Su Nian banked away with enough system points to be satisfied. Every section of the Third Fortress that the Russian players had held was now scorched earth. He'd even paid a visit to Russian Newbie Village No. 3, a thousand miles out, and given it a thorough burning. He hadn't destroyed the village itself, though. One more destroyed village and he'd land on the World Boss list.

So he'd settled for hammering their respawn timers as hard as he could. Maybe that would teach them some caution going forward. Maybe.

"Lokia. I think I've found the meaning of my life." Petrov sat on a large rock. He tore off a chunk of rye bread and chewed. Then he grabbed his flask and took a long pull of vodka. The burn hit him hard. His eyes watered.

"Oh, my friend." Lokia muttered, staring at the ruins around them with quiet despair.

"I think you've just had too much to drink. The meaning of your life is to survive and conquer this world." The houses were basically gone. The Black Dragon had leveled nearly everything. The only structure left completely intact was the public toilet. Where are we sleeping tonight? Petrov seemed to notice his friend's mood. He slung an arm around Lokia's shoulders and turned them both to face the afternoon sun.

"Houses can be rebuilt."

"But we are in another world."

"If we let this journey pass us by, there won't be a second one." Lokia felt something shift in the air. His instincts kicked in.

"... Petrov. What are you planning?"

"Fighting the Black Dragon face to face showed me how small I am." Petrov's voice was steady. Almost reverent.

"I'm done sitting in the newbie village."

"I want to hunt the great beasts."

"A warrior climbs to the summit." Petrov spread his arms wide and turned his face toward the sun. ➤ Next: The Ritual Begins