A full year had passed. The days bled into one another—frost into thaw, sun into storm—and before I knew it, sixteen winters had come and gone. Hiccup and I were no longer the fragile boys clinging to hope. We were something else now. Something bigger.
We stood taller. Spoke firmer. Fought harder.
And the world had noticed.
Our names were no longer whispered among just the village children or muttered skeptically by elders over mugs of mead. No—our names sailed across the sea, carried on wind and story alike.
Some came to challenge me.
Big men. Older. Hardened by war and arrogance.
They didn't leave with much pride.
Some didn't leave with their weapons.
One didn't leave with all his teeth.
And Hiccup…
They mocked him at first.
Soft-spoken, wide-eyed Hiccup. My brother, my twin, my heart.
They laughed—until they saw him raise his hand, whisper something barely audible…
…and a monstrous Nadder lowered its head at his feet.
He earned their awe.
They called him "Hiccup the Dragon Talker."
They called me "Erik the Untamed."
I thought it was just a fancy name, at first. But it stuck. I carried it like a second skin—wild and unbreakable.
Life continued. Routine but relentless.
My mornings were for training.
Afternoons for testing weapons, fighting beasts in the wild.
Nights for learning—runes, tactics, history, anything Gothi would teach me in her cryptic, silent way.
And yet…
A strange emptiness festered in the cracks of my victories.
Status Sheet – Erik Haddock
Age: 16
Race: Human
Titles: Protector, Relentless, Tactician, Dragon-Sighted, Ironblood Trainee, Beastwalker, Lone Fang, Woundforged, Forest Reaper, Beast Slayer
Stats:
Strength – 21 | Defense – 23 | Dexterity – 20 | Stamina – 22 | Intelligence – 25 | Magic – 6
Passive Skills: Pain Resistance (Lv. 35), Tactical Analysis (Lv. 31), Environmental Combat (Lv. 36), Crafting (Lv. 27), Identify (Lv. 45), Genius (Lv. 1), Accelerated Thinking (Lv. 1), Weapon Genius (Lv. 1), Versatile Arsenal (Lv. 29), Rune Crafting (Lv. 6)
Active Skills: Battle Trance (Lv. 26), Thrust (Lv. 48), Slash (Lv. 45)
That Magic stat… 6. Pathetic.
Despite all my effort, all the blood I spilled and pages I studied—it barely moved.
But worse, so much worse, was the Versatile Arsenal skill.
The curse disguised as a blessing.
Sure, I could pick up anything and use it decently. A sword, an axe, a glaive, a bow—but every inch of progress in that skill took ten times the effort. It was like trying to chisel stone with a feather.
It felt like a cosmic joke.
I sat in the forest alone, staring at a chipped dagger in my palm. The breeze rustled the leaves. Distant birds called to each other across the canopy, but all I could hear was the thudding of my own heart—slow, frustrated, dull.
"This… this isn't enough," I muttered.
Then I remembered.
The tickets.
My eyes widened.
"Wait. I didn't use my birthday tickets."
Every year, I get ten and with all of the quests and achievements how much do i have. A strange, almost whimsical gift from the system—one that always held promise, hope. I had forgotten to spend them this year, but not anymore.
I shot to my feet and sprinted through the trees, past moss-covered stones and roots that threatened to trip me. I reached my secret base—carved from earth and time itself. A hidden place, known only to me, lined with runic wards and a stone circle where the system always answered.
My hand trembled as I called it forth.
System – Gacha Available.
Tickets: 250
Points: 100,500
I couldn't help it. I grinned.
"Alright, let's see what fate has for me."
Click – [Ten-Time Draw]
+1 Item: Ten Dragon Scales
+1 Item: Ten Leather Pelts
+1 Item: Sharp Iron Knife
+1 Item: Sturdy Iron Shield
+1 Item: Skill Upgrade Card
+1 Item: Sharp Small Iron Sword
+1 Item: Ten Leather Pelts
+1 Item: Sharp Iron Knife
+1 Item: Skill Upgrade Card
+1 Item: Sharp Small Iron Sword
"Okay… not bad."
I went again.
Same exact draw.
My smile faltered.
"No way."
Again.
Same.
"Okay—what the hell?!"
I clicked again. And again. And again. My breaths became ragged. My palms sweaty.
The loot was the same every time.
I was being mocked.
"System, are you broken? Or are you just screwing with me?"
System – The host should be happy. Skill Upgrade Cards are a rare drop.
"Then why do I have a hundred of them?! I want something new! Something alive!"
Click. Click. Click. Each pull chipped away at my patience.
"AGAIN!"
My voice echoed through the trees, half a scream, half a sob.
"AGAIN!!"
I collapsed to my knees, gripping my head.
The forest was quiet again.
I wasn't.
"I worked. I bled. I trained. And all I get is... iron? Pelts? I deserve more than this."
I looked back at the draw menu.
Remaining Tickets: 10
The last ten.
My fingers hovered.
"Don't. Just stop, Erik. It's not worth it. It's not worth the heartbreak."
But my other hand trembled, twitching toward the button.
"It's because they're the last ten…"
A breath caught in my throat.
"…that I have to try one more time."
Click – [Final Ten-Time Draw]
Trash.
More trash.
Leather.
Pelts.
Iron.
My heart sank.
Until—
[Unique Skill Acquired: Fire Dragon Slaying Magic]
I froze.
Time stopped.
I reread it once.
Twice.
Three times.
My hands shook.
"System…" I whispered, my voice hoarse. "Is this… what I think it is?"
System – This magic originates from a lost plane. When mastered, it grants transformation into a Fire Dragon form and enables creation of derivative skills.
I didn't breathe.
"Transformation…?"
The silence confirmed it.
"…I can become a dragon?"
My mouth slowly curled into a disbelieving grin. Then I laughed. Loud. Wild. Feral.
"YES! FINALLY! SOMETHING WORTH IT!"
I danced in circles in that clearing, screaming into the sky. I didn't care who heard. Let the gods hear it. Let the whole damn world know—
I was finally getting somewhere.
That night, I returned home under the moonlight. The dragons were already sleeping, curling protectively around the edges of the village. Lanterns dimmed. The hearths glowed orange through cabin windows.
I opened our door.
Warm light. The smell of stew. A blanket over the table.
And food. Hot, fresh, waiting for me.
I blinked, heart swelling.
I hadn't known I needed this—but gods, I did.
I let out a small, broken laugh. Not wild like before. Just quiet. Grateful.
Sixteen. Strong. Blessed with magic from another world.
And now... dinner waiting for me.
I sat down, grinning like a fool.
And for the first time in a long time, I felt like I was exactly where I was meant to be.