Ashen Dragon - Chapter 4

Chapter 4: Chapter 4 The Escaped Beast

“Huff, huff…”

The young Red Dragon hid in a hidden cave deep in the forest, the entrance concealed by dense, hanging branches.

Cassius wasn’t sure if he had eluded the Half-Elf paladin’s pursuit, so he kept fleeing into the depths of Bokara Forest.

He didn’t look back, nor did he stop.

He didn’t know how long he ran until he was nearly out of strength and found this relatively hidden cave, where he could somewhat relax.

When out adventuring, caution is key.

“I think I’ve shaken them off…”

Cassius panted, still uncertain.

The light screen unfolded slowly again, another three-dimensional trophy icon appearing.

Achievement obtained: [Fugitive Beast]

“The hunter is coming, escape, leave this place, and never return…”

Passive Trait acquired:

[Fugitive]

Agility +1

Stealth +2, Athletics +4

(Note: Surviving a near-death experience has taught you how to escape. This is not a disgrace, but merely a means of survival.)

Instantly, the Red Dragon felt a non-physical, breeze-like power crawl over his body, visibly and rapidly transforming him.

He gladly accepted this transformation.

He stayed in the cave for several hours until the power finally subsided.

“Is this a spell?”

“No, I don’t sense any elemental flow.”

“It’s more like a form of spiritual energy.”

The Red Dragon observed himself in a puddle:

His limbs and torso were still muscular, but were now transforming into a more streamlined and aesthetic form.

The exaggerated muscular bulge typical of Red Dragons was gone. Even his wing membranes had changed slightly, allowing him to better interact with the elements in the air for flight.

Compared to before, the Red Dragon was now more agile.

The achievement system, it seemed, was his unique feature, rewarding him for completing certain tasks. Passive abilities like Metallic Scales and Fugitive would still be powerful even in the late game.

But what puzzled Cassius was his template.

In his past life in “Elzegai,” player templates and monster templates were completely different entities.

Before reaching legendary status, player templates could gain experience (XP) through battles and quests to level up, leading to a late-game scenario where thousands of level 12+ Transcendent Warriors altered the course of battle.

The monster template, however, was native to this world, only able to grow stronger through self-discovery and aging.

But as long as the panel was still there, everything else could be managed.

The semi-transparent blue screen unfolded slowly.

Cassius noticed his prefix had changed.

[Wealthy Young Red Dragon]

Name: Cassius Claudius Norixius

Template: NPC (10 years, 1 day, and 4 hours until server opens)

Category: Large dragons, Lawful Neutral

AC: 20 (natural armor, Metallic Scales)

Attributes:

Strength—-21

Agility—-11

Constitution—-19

Intelligence—-12

Perception—-11

Charisma—-14

Skill Proficiencies: Stealth +6, Athletics +4, Perception +8, Hunting +2, Escape +4, Knowledge (future) +4

Damage Immunity: Flame

Senses: Blindsight 10, Dark Vision 60, Passive Perception 14

Languages: Draconic, Common

Abilities: Biting, clawing, tail attack, flight, flame breath attack

Traits: Metallic Scales, Fugitive

Combat Equipment: Magic Nullification Amulet, Dexterous Mage’s Action Ring, Staff of Scorching, Dead Speak Amulet, Lava Splasher, Blade Evasion Ring, Silent Footsteps Amulet, Owl Bear Perception Mask…

Challenge Level: 8 (3,600 XP)

Assessment: “Never underestimate even a young Red Dragon; it will become a lifelong nightmare. Especially one with more than ten magical items, one slip and you’ll fall into its grasp.”

The prefix can change?

Intriguing.

A tawny feather floated down onto the Red Dragon’s nose, prompting him to exhale a sulfurous breath, burning the feather black and blowing it away.

“The owner of this nest should be back by now.”

So thought Cassius.

Sure enough.

A furious roar soon came from the cave entrance.

“Roar! Roar!”

A fierce beast tore away the branches–a dull, ivory-colored beak, powerful limbs also covered in eagle feathers.

The massive creature stood a full eight feet tall, its robust body lined with dense, dark feathers, even larger than Cassius by a few measures.

This was an Owl Bear, a savage predator of the wild.

Possibly the creation of some ancient mad mage using bear and owl samples, Owl Bears were now spread throughout the continent. Cassius’s own panel displayed the Owl Bear’s details.

[Based on your own power, you can observe the following information]

[Adult Male Owl Bear]

Category: Large Beast, Always Neutral

AC: 15

Attributes:

Strength—-20

Agility—-12

Constitution—-19

Intelligence—-2

Perception—-12

Charisma—-10

Proficiency Skills: Listening +4, Perception +8, Hunting +4

Senses: Keen Smell 14, Passive Perception 16, Owl Beast Instinct 20

Language: None

Actions: Grapple, biting, ramming, clawing

Trait: Mastery in grappling

Challenge Level: 3 (700 XP)

Assessment: “Owl Bears are extremely savage predators, typically deemed fierce, aggressive, and bad-tempered. They tend to attack any moving creature without warning.”

Cassius looked at the beast before him, simply spreading his wings and using a magical item to preemptively cast Animal Language Skill, testing it:

“Submit to me, Owl Bear.”

But the feral beast responded with an angry roar, pounding the ground with its powerful claws.

It squeezed through the cave entrance, charging at the Red Dragon with full force.

With only 2 Intelligence, these beasts could only roughly gauge size and had no way of realizing the terrible power lurking within this young dragon’s body.

Moreover, the Red Dragon had yet to awaken its Aura of Majesty, making it appear even more “ordinary.”

“Just a beast, after all?”

Cassius shook his head, unafraid of the charging beast, casually opening his mouth.

[Searing Ray]

The fire elemental crystal in his internal staff glowed red, bursting with scorching magical energy, deploying this Second Tier Spell.

As the Red Dragon’s natural affinity for fire elements enhanced the spell’s power through his throat, it became even deadlier, despite his young age and undeveloped spellcasting ability.

“Bang, bang, bang!”

Three scorching Fire Rays shot out, hitting the Owl Bear directly.

With its abundant fur, the beast was especially vulnerable to fire, and as the Fire Rays struck, its fur instantly charred and caught fire, burning fiercely.

“Roar–”

The beast howled in pain, rolling on the ground.

But this did nothing to stop the raging flames, nor did it prevent the young dragon from pouncing to bite it forcefully.

Even Cassius’s internal “Heart of Magma” emitted searing magical aurora, causing additional flame damage.

Soon, the cave filled with the scent of scorched fur and the rich aroma of roasted meat.

“Not bad.”

“Just a bit tough.”

Cassius chewed the charred yet thick bear meat, and the panel opened before him again.

[Killed Adult Male Owl Bear, gained 700 XP]

[Level increased to 1]

[Due to racial traits, leveling up in your occupation will be more challenging, but you will gain even greater power]

Achievement obtained: [First Blood]

“Welcome to this colorful world.”

Player occupation panel obtained

Warrior, Mage, Magician, Martial Monk, and several other occupation badges appeared on the panel, leading to numerous sub-occupation branches.

Cassius was first stunned, then overjoyed.

He recalled that in the previous game, players had to complete the novice task of “killing a turkey” in the unknown space to unlock the player occupation panel.

Dragons yearn for power.

But seeking humanoid abilities is not a natural thing for them. They are proud and disdainful of non-draconic knowledge.

Overall, dragons detest learning the skills of “lower” species. Hence their legacy lacks enhancement methods, relying more on innate spells and an insatiable greed for treasure.

Players, on the other hand, could easily find ways to become stronger, but their base stats were imported from real-world data.

In the game’s early stages, player attributes were notoriously weak. There was even an unnamed barbarian player who created the “miracle” of starting with 8 Intelligence.

But Cassius could easily combine the terrifying talents of Dragonkin with the player occupations.