"Hoo, hoo."
The young Red Dragon hid in a stone cave deep within the mountain forest, its entrance obscured by dense, drooping branches.
Ke Xiu Si wasn't sure if he had escaped the Half-elf Paladin's pursuit, so he could only keep fleeing deeper into the Boca Mountain Forest.
Without looking back, without stopping.
He didn't know how long it had been until he was almost out of strength and came to this more secluded cave before he could finally feel a little at ease.
When you're out and about, caution is key.
"I should have shaken him off, right?"
Ke Xiu Si was panting, his tone still uncertain.
The light curtain slowly unfolded again, and another three-dimensional trophy image appeared.
Achievement Unlocked: 【Fugitive Beast】
"The hunter is coming, run, leave this place, never come back."
Passive Trait Acquired:
【Fugitive】
Agility +2
Stealth +2, Athletics +4
(Note: Long-term practice has made you proficient in how to escape. This is not a disgrace, but merely a means of survival.)
Suddenly, the Red Dragon felt an intangible, breeze-like force attach itself to his body and pass over him, visibly and rapidly transforming him.
And he naturally accepted this change with joy.
It was several hours in the cave before that power finally subsided.
"Is this magic?"
"No, I didn't feel the flow of elements."
"It's more like psionics."
The Red Dragon observed himself in a puddle:
His limbs and torso were still muscular, but they were changing in a more aesthetically pleasing, streamlined direction.
Gone was the exaggerated "muscle-bound" look of the original Red Dragon; even his wing membranes underwent slight changes, allowing him to better adhere to the elements in the air for flight.
Compared to before, the current Red Dragon was much lighter.
The Achievement System, it seems this is his unique feature, allowing him to gain rewards by completing specific events. Passive abilities like Metal Scales and Fugitive are not weak even in the late game.
But what puzzled Ke Xiu Si was his template.
In his previous life's "Azergai," player templates and monster templates were completely different things.
Before Legendary, player templates could gain experience (XP) through combat and quests to level up, which led to situations in the late game where tens of thousands of transcendent warriors above level 12 were mass-produced, changing the tide of battle.
Monster templates, on the other hand, were native to this world and could only increase their strength through self-exploration and age.
But as long as the panel was still there, everything was fine.
The translucent blue light curtain slowly unfolded.
Ke Xiu Si found that his prefix had changed.
【Wealthy Young Red Dragon】
Name: Ke Xiu Si. Ke Lao De Wu. Nuo Li Ke Xiu Si
Template: NPC (10 years, 1 day, 4 hours until server launch)
Category: Large Dragon, Lawful Neutral
AC: 20 (Natural Armor, Metal Scales)
Attributes:
Strength — 21
Agility — 12
Constitution — 19
Intelligence — 12
Wisdom — 11
Charisma — 14
Skill Proficiencies: Stealth +6, Athletics +4, Perception +8, Hunting +2, Fugitive +4, Knowledge (Future) +4
Damage Immunities: Fire
Senses: Blindsight 10 ft., Darkvision 60 ft., Passive Perception 14 ft.
Languages: dragon language, general language
Actions: Bite, Claw, Tail Attack, Flight, Breath Weapon (Fire)
Traits: Metal Scales, Fugitive
Combat Equipment: magic nullification amulet, nimble mage action ring, blazing staff, dead man talking amulet, lava spatter, blade immunity ring, silent step amulet, Owl Bear Perception Mask.
Challenge Rating: 8 (3,600 XP)
Description: "Even when facing a young Red Dragon, never underestimate it, or it will become the nightmare of your life. Moreover, this is a wealthy young dragon with more than ten magical items; if you are not careful, you will fall under his control."
So the prefix can change?
How interesting.
A tawny feather drifted onto the Red Dragon's snout, and he couldn't help but exhale a puff of sulfurous hot air, scorching and blowing the feather away.
"The owner of the nest should be returning soon."
Ke Xiu Si thought.
Sure enough.
Soon, an angry roar came from the cave entrance.
"Roar! Roar!"
A fierce giant beast suddenly pushed aside the branches—a dull, ivory-colored eagle beak, robust limbs also covered in eagle feathers.
Its sturdy body, eight feet tall, was covered in thick, dark feathers, and its sheer size was even several times larger than Ke Xiu Si's.
This was an Owl Bear, a brutal predator of the wilderness.
Perhaps a sample created by some ancient mad mage based on a bear and an owl, it is now spread across the continent, and the Owl Bear's panel appeared before Ke Xiu Si.
【Based on your own strength, 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
Wisdom — 12
Charisma — 10
Proficiencies: Listen +4, Perception +8, Hunting +4
Senses: Keen Smell 14 ft., Passive Perception 16 ft., Owl Bear Intuition 20 ft.
Languages: None
Actions: Grapple, Bite, Slam, Claw Attack
Traits: Grapple Mastery
Challenge Rating: 3 (700 XP)
Description: "Owl Bears are extremely brutal predators, generally considered fierce, aggressive, and very ill-tempered. They tend to attack any creature that moves without warning."
Ke Xiu Si looked at the beast before him, merely spreading his wings and using a magical item to cast Dead Man Talking in advance, testing it:
"Submit to me, Owl Bear."
However, this enraged beast roared, furiously pounding the ground with its claws.
It squeezed through the cave entrance and charged fiercely at the Red Dragon.
Its mere 2 Intelligence points meant these beasts would only roughly estimate size, never realizing the terrifying power contained within this young dragon's body.
Moreover, the Red Dragon had not yet awakened his aura of might, making him appear even more "ordinary."
"Is it really just a beast?"
Ke Xiu Si shook his head, completely unafraid of the charging beast, and merely opened his mouth casually.
【Scorching Ray】
The fire elemental crystal in the staff within him glowed red, unleashing scorching magical energy to cast this second-level spell.
And as the vessel, even though the Red Dragon was young and hadn't mastered spellcasting, his innate affinity for fire elements gave the spell even greater power as it was transmitted through his throat.
"Bang, bang, bang!"
Three blazing rays of fire shot out, all striking the Owl Bear.
For such a furry beast, the effect of fire elements was even more pronounced; the moment the Scorching Ray touched the Owl Bear, its fur was largely scorched, then burst into flames.
"Ow—"
The giant beast let out a painful wail, rolling on the ground repeatedly.
But this could not stop the fiercely burning flames, nor could it stop the young dragon that immediately pounced and bit firmly into its body.
Even the "Lava Heart" within Ke Xiu Si's belly emitted a scorching magical aura, dealing additional fire damage.
Soon, the smell of burnt fur and a rich aroma of roasted meat filled the cave.
"Not bad."
"Just a bit tough."
Ke Xiu Si chewed heartily on the somewhat charred, thick bear meat, and the panel unfolded before him again.
【Killed Adult Male Owl Bear, gained 700 XP】
【Level up to Level 1】
【Due to racial characteristics, your class level progression will be more difficult, but you will also gain more powerful strength】
Achievement Unlocked: 【First Blood】
"Welcome to this colorful world."
Player Class Panel Acquired
Several class emblems—Warrior, Mage, Warlock, Monk, etc.—appeared on the panel, and beneath these major class categories, numerous intricate sub-classes branched out.
Ke Xiu Si was first stunned, then overjoyed.
Only then did he recall that in the game of his previous life, players would only unlock the player class panel after completing the beginner quest "Kill a Turkey" in an unknown space.
Dragons crave power.
But seeking the skills of humanoid creatures is not a natural progression for them. They are proud and disdainful of non-dragon knowledge.
In general, dragons dislike learning the abilities of "inferior" species, so their heritage lacks avenues for improvement, relying more on natural magical aptitude and an endless greed for treasure.
While players could easily find ways to grow stronger, their base stats were imported from real-world data.
In the early stages of the game, player attributes were arguably abysmal; there was even a "miracle" created by an unnamed Barbarian player who started with 8 Intelligence.
But Ke Xiu Si could easily combine the terrifying talents of dragons with player classes.