The dragon was lying on top of the tall tower, the stone roof under him glowing from the heat. Thick clouds of smoke drifted around him, making it impossible to see the sky.
The dragon wasn’t moving. His longs black tail coiled around his body. Two scaly lids were closed, covering his eyes. A faint white light was glowing from his black, armoured body.
His mind was away, focusing on opening his mystery boxes
A bronze light flashed, and old-looking scrolls, pouches of gold and red marbles filled with fire materialised on the ground before the dragon.
Ding!
//
Opening: 4 X Bronze Mystery Box
Rewards: 200 gold coins; Material: Lesser Fire Cores X 5; 3 x Scroll Of XP (1000XP)
//
The dragon’s eyes under the lids briefly shined as he read about the gold, his heart beating faster than before. However, soon he calmed down as the rational portion of his mind suppressed his emotions, ‘As expected from the cheapest box. There is nothing that really stands out.’
Filled with expectations, he continued and opened silver chests.
Ding!
//
Opening: 3 X Silver Mystery Box
Rewards: 400 gold coins; Magical Item: [Firewood Ring]; 3 X [Firetreant-Sap Potion]; Material: 1 X Fire Core
//
An even brighter silver light, looking like a moonlight, flashed before the dragon, even more items materialising on the ground before him. There were a much larger glass ball filled with fire, bottles with liquid looking like liquid flames and a small wooden ring covered in flames. Lastly, there was a big pouch filled with gold.
The dragon finally opened his eyes, the bright golden light radiating out as he locked his gaze with a couple of items before him.
Vesuvius immediately used his analysis on the items before him, his hearts beating even faster while he waited for the results.
Ding!
//Analyze result:
Name: Firetreant-Sap Potion
Category: Body Enchanting Drug
Grade: B
Item level: 35
Effects: +20 VIT on first use; Adds a fire property to one selected ability on a first use
//
The dragon felt like looking at sweat nectar as he read through its properties, ‘Well, free stats are always good, and the second property is even better.’
With his expectation rising through the roof, he immediately analysed the small ring lying before him.
Ding!
//Analyze result:
Name: Firewood Ring
Category: Magical Accessory
Grade: C
Item level: 35
Effects: +5% increased fire damage from all sources; +5% increased fire resistance; +20 to VIT stats
//
His eye dangerously glinted as he read through its effects, his experienced mind immediately recognising the ring’s strength. Five per cent modifiers were not much for a regular player, but for him, they were more than insane, ‘My breath is already super destructive. The five per cent on top of it will bring massive additional damage.’
The dragon’s mind trembled as he opened the last two golden boxes.
Immediately super bright golden light flashed before him, looking like miniature suns. A loud ding resounded in his mind, alerting him of a rare loot. A book with a cover made of flames and a long wooden staff with fiery marble on its tip materialised, lying on the tower’s roof.
Ding!
//
Opening: 2 X Golden Mystery Box
Rewards: Ability Book: [Inner Fire (Life)]; Magical Weapon: [Staff from Mother Firetree]
//
His eyes almost bulged out when he found out that get gained an ability book, which was one of the rarest loots, primarily found in the platinum and above mystery boxes. He felt like his heart would jump out into his throat, only calming down as he read the second useless reward.
Impatiently, his clawed hand moved, one of his claws outstretched forwards, pointing at the fiery book. The massive hand was trembling, the crystal claw covered in glowing runes closing closer and closer towards the book lying on the floor.
The claws gently touched the book, poking it with its tip.
Ding!
//
Do you wish to learn the new ability [Inner Fire (Life)]: yes/no
[Inner Fire (Life)]:
Description: A rare technique to ignite your life energy to ignite your internal flames, temporarily boosting all of your physical attributes, consumes life energy at use.
+15% All physical stats except for vitality when active; Consumes life energy (consumption grows with time)
//
‘Of course!’ Vesuvius already knew about the effects of the ability from his previous life, even though he personally came into contact with its version that was burning mana instead of life energy.
The book flared up in even brighter flames that formed a stream that flew towards the dragon, armoured head, bypassing the helmet, armour and scales as if they weren’t even present.
A stream of knowledge immediately flooded Vesuviuse’s mind.
Ding!
//
You have learned a new ability [Inner Fire (Life) (LV 1)]
//
Vesuvius didn’t stop; a magical circle appeared in his mind. An ethereal blue hand manifested in the air before the dragon. Its blue fingers made of light grabbed the bottle with a fiery liquid and carefully lifted it up.
The dragon opened his mouth, a bright yellow light leaking out, with acid and magma drooling out, hissing as it rained upon the tower’s roof.
The hand nimbly threw the bottle, letting it fly straight into the waiting gaping mouth. The mouth closed behind it, and Vesuvius shallow the whole bottle.
A hot feeling immediately erupted from his stomach, spreading through his whole body. It kept burning hotter and hotter, the burning sensation spreading through the dragon’s entire body. His black volcanic armour heated up, glowing in red light.
It soon subsided, leaving the dragon slightly energised, the heat vanishing as if it never even existed.
Ding!
//
Please choose an ability to be imbued with fire properties.
//
Vesuvius immediately started to think in override, reading through all of his abilities. Few of them were already greyed out, such as his breath or armour, as they already had fire properties.
‘Using it on my eyes would be useless. Some fire gaze would likely be weak and useless. Bite and claw, maybe? No, that would be a waste. I can already accomplish such effects with my magic.’
He kept thinking, reading his abilities over and over, ‘Voice? What would that even do? Would I be able to ignite stuff with just my voice? Nah, even if it worked that way, it would likely be subpar compared to my other offensive powers’
As he read, he kept crossing out more and more of his abilities, feeling that the effects would be either detrimental or subpar, ‘I guess I can cross my fly as I see no way that adding a fire to it would make it any stronger. At best, it would end up as a weak boost or some flashy effects like burning wings, not really anything that I can’t already do with magic or my other abilities.’
Finally, his eyes fell on his three scaling abilities, ‘Vitality, which can be crossed as fire and vitality together, sound like a bad idea. Likely burning it even more or something like that. As for the draconic magic… I would rather keep its versatility to cast magic of any elements. In the future, I can likely learn a school of magic focused just on fire. So that leaves me with my draconic might.’
Finally, Vesuvius stopped, his eyes shining as he felt that he finally found something that could work, ‘This can have some potential, fire and might naturally go together. It can also create some interesting effects.’
Making up his mind Vesuvius chose draconic might.
‘Ohh, a great dragon god, please give me something good, something that will allow me to crash everyone defying the perfection of dragons’ he already stopped feeling silly about the preying, as he knew that the dragon god was powerfully beyond his imagination.
Ding!
//
The dragon god accepts you preyer but wants something in exchange!
Do you accept?
Effects of accepting: Gains a unique mandatory quest; Ability change: [Draconic Fire of Might (LV 6)]
Effects of declining: Ability change: [Fiery Draconic Might (LV 6)]
//
‘As expected, the dragon is a dragon too, so they are also greedy.’
Vesuvius stopped, his mind lingering over whether he should accept it or not, ‘What is that quest? What can the dragon god want in exchange? My soul?… No, that feels unlikely.’
Soon he came to his decision as he accepted the god’s offer, ‘Nah, it is its ability improved by the dragon god, then it must be powerful. I can’t survive in this cutthroat world without grabbing more power.’
Ding!
//
Your ability [Draconic Might (LV 6)] changed to [Draconic Fire of Might (LV 6)]
Description: The indomitable fires of a dragon and their unrivalled strength interlock together by the forceful intervention of the dragon god, boosting each other’s strength.
+2.1 STR scaling; STR stat also applies to the strength and intensity of flames and flames-derived elements summoned by a dragon at a quarter of effectivity; All physical damage will also cause a fire damage
//
‘This is a jackpot! No, this is more than just a jackpot. This is absolutely op!’