Chapter 133

Chapter 133

The meter-tall ruby egg I fell asleep next to has shattered. The top of it is cracked open and small red fragments of the shell-like material are all over the ground.

I can't believe my eyes.

A jet-black glimmering Baby Dragon is standing right in front of me eating my mana crystals like candy.

*Crunch*

I activate inspect and appraisal.

____________

[Lv. 1]

Active Items:

[NONE]

Active Skills:

Plunderer [Mythic Grade]

Combat Magic [Advanced Fire Summoning]

Buffs:

Guardian’s Alliance [0/1]

____________

The creature blinks at me with its crimson eyes and black pupils. Sharp white teeth bite down on another mana crystal as it flips its long pointed tail back and forth.

I just stare straight ahead in awe with my mouth wide open.

“It’s really a Baby Dragon....”

Everyone and their mother has heard stories about Dragons. They’re great mythical creatures that guard their treasures at any cost. The strongest, oldest, and most wise of all monsters.

How did I get my hands on a Dragon?Ñ00v€l--ß1n hosted the premiere release of this chapter.

I gulp as we stare at each other in silence. The only noises present are the light humming of mana in the air and occasional crunches as the little creature continues to snack on the pile of pink crystals.

Almost a full minute passes, then the creature whips its tail around from its backside to poke my right leg. The creature backs up slightly, and prods at my back jeans with a small sharp arrow-tipped tail.

On the fourth poke, my jean fabric rips and its tail touches the skin on my calf. I look down and quickly pull my leg backward while flinching. It didn’t hurt that much, but it was an unexpected pin prick. This monster may only be level 1, but that tail is still sharp...

The creature jumps backward to match my retreat, the abrupt movements startled it too. I look up with a smile putting my hands in the air, but what I see leaves me in awe once again...

There’s a rectangle of blue text floating over the Baby Dragon’s head. I read it carefully.

____________

Guardian’s Alliance [0/1]

Accept The [Demon/Dragon] Guardian’s Alliance:

[YES][NO]

____________

Baffled by the events unfolding in front of me I choose yes. There’s no reason not to be on the same team as a Dragon...

The blue text above the small creature disappears. It shows me a wide toothy smile, then chomps down on another mana crystal.

“Telepathy.”

I activate one of my newest skills from the labyrinth, my [Legendary Grade] Telepathy skill. The moment I do, a soft, wise voice enters my mind.

“Hello Master, nice to finally meet you. “

Shocked, I reply sending my voice directly into its mind.

“Master? I’m... your master? You... can just call me Jay, and I’ll call you Ember.”

The tiny creature waves its tail with excitement.

“Yes M- Yes Jay. If you say so.”

“...”

“So this is our Labyrinth’s top floor? I will protect it with my life.”

Ember grins while spinning around to take a look at all four white walls. Then walking over to my loot piles and lying down directly in the center of my mana crystal stash.

*Crunch*

“I’m grateful for the mana crystals. It is a great awakening gift.”

*Crunch*

I watch the little creature chomp down on half a dozen more crystals. It doesn’t bother me much to be honest, there’s an unlimited supply of mana around us. This Dragon can eat all the crystals it wants.

Ember speaks using the telepathic link again.

“You’re an unusual Demon Ma- I mean Jay. Most Demons don’t look like humans.”

*Crunch*

I reply.

“Most Demons? What do you mean by that exactly...?”

“Your core shows me that you’re a Greater Demon. I just haven’t seen any that look like humans as far back as I can remember.”

I stare straight ahead as my mana crystals disappear into Ember’s mouth one by one. It continues.

“What are the maximum MP allowances here? How much mana are we working with to start? These crystals are nice and all, but I’ll need to plunder some of the mana from our surroundings if I’m going to gain any serious levels.”

“Well-“

“Is this a new labyrinth? Or has my egg been dormant for a while? This seems to be an odd one, but a Labyrinth is a Labyrinth. It’s our duty to protect it after all. Right?”

My heart starts to beat out of my chest. Everything is starting to become very clear to me now, and I’m really not sure how to handle all this newfound information.

If my guess here is correct, Demons and Dragons create some kind of special contract to defend Labyrinths. A Demon fends off intruders while the Dragon absorbs mana from the growing labyrinth. The growing labyrinth attracts greedy hunters that inevitably try to challenge the top floor’s defenders. If the Demon and Dragon can successfully defend their territory, the fallen hunter’s MP is added to their stash and the domain grows in power.

The more power that is gained, the greater the Labyrinth grows. The bigger the labyrinth grows, the more hunters arrive to gain riches. It’s a never-ending cycle.

The only issue here is.... I’m not a demon, and this dragon has no labyrinth full of mana to absorb.

I have to think this through very carefully.

I gulp, then the two of us sit in silence for over a full minute. My mind races for plausible solutions to take full advantage of this situation.

Finally, an Idea comes to mind. I smirk and reply.

“Ember. There’s been a change of plans. We’ll be leaving this Labyrinth.”