Unique Skill: Fire Dragon Slaying Magic has leveled up.
Unique Skill: Fire Dragon Slaying Magic has reached Lv. 10.
You have unlocked derivative skills.
Skill Acquired: Flame Breather
Skill Acquired: Flame Eater
Skill Acquired: Dragon Scales
Warning: You have been afflicted with a curse.
Curse Acquired: Motion Sickness
You have obtained a Dragon Seed.
Due to your Unique Skill: Fire Dragon Slaying Magic reaching Lv. 10, your body will now undergo a forced metamorphosis.
Accept evolution?
Yes / No
20 seconds remaining…
15 seconds…
3… 2… 1…
Commencing metamorphosis.
Three Hours Later
I awoke slowly, my senses dulled but adjusting fast. Everything felt… different.
I was floating. Weightless.
It took a few moments before I realized I wasn't dreaming. I looked around. The remains of a battlefield surrounded me—scorched earth, broken trees, claw marks gouged deep into the rock. A few feet away lay a giant wolf's corpse, its thick fur singed and matted with blood.
And then—
Metamorphosis: 99%
Metamorphosis: 100%
Metamorphosis Complete.
A pulse of energy rippled through my body.
My limbs felt stronger. My senses sharper. I raised my hand and could almost see the heat in the air.
"...What is this?" I whispered, staring at my own reflection in a pool of bloodied water. My eyes burned a faint red, and crimson scales traced patterns along my shoulders.
Host, your Unique Skill: Fire Dragon Slaying Magic has evolved your body. Your stats have increased, and your physical form has adapted to better utilize dragonic energy.
I brought up my status screen.
My jaw dropped. "No way… Hell yes!"
All my base stats had surpassed 30. Strength, Agility, Endurance, Magic—everything. For the first time, I felt real power coursing through me.
But the celebration didn't last long.
Do not be too excited yet, Host.
I blinked. "Huh? Why not?"
Your current stats, while impressive for your level, are nowhere near enough to defeat the creature you need to defeat to leave this realm.
"…System," I muttered, my voice low. "What are the stats of that beast?"
All of its stats are maxed—100. Every 10-point threshold creates a bottleneck that is increasingly hard to break. That beast was born with stats over 70 and has grown beyond anything natural.
I froze. "Maxed out…? Are you saying that was one of the strongest beings in existence?"
Correct. You barely survived against a creature on the bottom end of the apex predator spectrum.
My heart pounded. Sweat gathered at my brow despite the cool air. The realization hit like a dagger: I was still weak.
"…How long would it take for me to max out all my stats?"
If you were to remain in Berk, living a normal life while training, you could push past 30 in roughly ten years.
I clenched my jaw. "Ten years just to reach what I have now? That's too slow."
Then, if you choose to fight your way through this realm with no rest, based on your current growth rate, it would take you approximately 4,000 years.
My legs nearly gave out. "Four… thousand…?"
Affirmative.
I sank to my knees, stunned. "How am I supposed to last that long? How do I escape this realm…? Why… why me?"
My voice trembled. The isolation. The looming threat of death. The sheer weight of time. It all crashed down on me.
But before despair could fully consume me—
Worry not, Host. Time here flows much faster than outside.
I glanced up. "How much faster?"
Time dilation factor: 10,000:1. One thousand years in this realm equals a single year in the real world.
I exhaled. My heart steadied. That meant—even after thousands of years, only a few would pass outside.
"…But it would still take four years out there. Four whole years before I see Merida again."
Correct.
"That's too long!" I shouted, fire building in my chest. "I promised her I'd come back!"
Host, your current growth rate is not absolute. If you challenge yourself constantly, defeat powerful enemies, and complete quests, you may rise far quicker than projections suggest.
I took a deep breath.
The despair hadn't left—but it had something new to compete with now: resolve.
"…Then I'll do it. I'll get stronger. No matter how long it takes."
I pushed myself to my feet and began walking, searching for shelter.
"System, tell me more about this place."
This dimension is the size of a continent, divided into five distinct levels. The deeper you descend, the fewer the enemies—but each one is significantly stronger.
Enemy stat progression by tier:
Normal Beasts: 20–30
Advanced Beasts: 30–40
Elite Beasts: 40–50
Leaders/Overlords: 50–100
The ruler of your current level is Fenrier, the Wolf King. All of his base stats have reached the 50-point bottleneck.
"…What?! That's only the first level?!"
Yes. Additionally, each level contains a dozen or more elite beasts strong enough to challenge the local ruler. These are rivals and potential successors. Fewer enemies exist the deeper you go, but each is exponentially stronger.
I grit my teeth.
"That wolf I barely killed… was only normal tier."
Correct.
Known Beast Kings:
Fenrier – King of Wolves
Titan – King of Tigers
Pride – King of Lions
Pyra – Queen of Phoenixes
Balerion – King of Dragons
I eventually found a small cave sheltered beneath overhanging stone. It would serve as a temporary base. I gathered some dry wood, used Flame Breather to light a fire, and warmed a packet of food from my inventory.
Sitting near the fire, I mulled over everything.
This realm wasn't just a prison. It was a crucible—a place meant to break me or forge me into something greater.
I scribbled in the dirt with a stick:
Plan for Survival & Growth
Step One: Level up Fire Dragon Slaying Magic.
Step Two: Engage in combat daily. Fight relentlessly.
Step Three: Complete system quests and seek hidden achievements.
Satisfied, I nodded to myself.
The stars above were brighter here—strange constellations forming unknown patterns. I stared up at them, letting my breathing slow.
No one would save me. No miracle would come.
But I would survive.
I would grow.
And I would return—stronger than any monster, any beast, or any god that stood in my way.
Note: what up guys I have some chapter and want to listen to them so im uploading. my upload schedule is not fixed. when i upload i like to upload a bunch. il probably upload a few chapters every other day or so. thank you.