The Beast of Escape

The Beast of Escape "Huff, huff."

The Young Red Dragon hid in a rocky cave somewhere deep in the mountain forest, its entrance concealed by dense, drooping branches.

Keosius was unsure whether he had escaped the Half-elf Paladin's pursuit, so he could only keep fleeing deeper into Boka Mountain Forest.

Without looking back, without stopping.

He did not know how long he had run. Only when he was nearly out of strength and reached this relatively concealed cave did he finally feel somewhat at ease.

When traveling outside, caution was paramount.

"I should've shaken him off, right?"

Keosius panted, his tone still uncertain.

A light screen slowly unfolded once more, displaying another three-dimensional trophy image.

Achievement Obtained: Beast of Escape

"The hunter is coming. Run. Leave this place, and never return."

Passive Trait Obtained: Fugitive

Dexterity +2, Stealth +2, Athletics +4
(Note: Long years of training have made you proficient at fleeing. This is not shameful, but merely a means of survival.)

At once, the Red Dragon felt an intangible, breeze-like force sweep over his body, visibly and swiftly remaking it.

Naturally, he gladly accepted this transformation.

Only after several hours in the cave did that force finally subside.

"Was that a spell?"

"No, I didn't sense the flow of elements."

"It was more like psionic power."

The Red Dragon examined himself in a pool of water:

His limbs and torso remained densely muscled, yet they had begun changing into a more aesthetically pleasing, streamlined form.

He no longer had the exaggerated appearance of the original Red Dragon, as though every muscle on his body were swollen. Even his wing membranes had changed slightly, allowing him to better cling to the elements in the air while flying.

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

So this achievement system was his unique advantage. He could earn rewards by completing certain events. Passive abilities such as Metal Scales and Fugitive would still be considered fairly strong even in the later stages of the game.

But what puzzled Keosius was his template.

In "Elzegai" from his previous life, player templates and monster templates were two entirely different things.

Before reaching legendary rank, those with player templates could gain experience points through combat and quests, allowing themselves to level up. In the later stages of the game, tens of thousands of extraordinary warriors above level 12 had once been mass-produced, changing the course of battle.

Monster templates, on the other hand, belonged to creatures native to this world. They could only grow stronger through their own exploration and the passage of time.

But as long as the panel remained, everything would be manageable.

A translucent blue light screen slowly unfolded.

Keosius discovered that his prefix had changed.

Wealthy Young Red Dragon

Name: Keosius Claudeu Norikesius

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

Category: Large Dragon, Lawful Neutral
AC: 20 (Natural Armor, Metal Scales)

Attributes:
Strength—21
Dexterity—12
Constitution—19
Intelligence—12
Wisdom—11
Charisma—14

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

Damage Immunity: Fire

Senses: Blindsight 10 ft., Darkvision 60 ft., Passive Perception 14 ft.

Languages: Draconic, Common Tongue

Actions: Bite, Claw, Tail Slap, Flight, Breath Attack (Fire)

Traits: Metal Scales, Fugitive

Combat Equipment: Magic Immunity Amulet, Nimble Mage Action Ring, Blazing Staff, Speak with Dead Amulet, Lava Splatter, Blade Immunity Ring, Silent Steps Amulet, Owlbear Awareness Mask

Challenge Rating: 8 (3,600 XP)

Evaluation: "Even when facing a Young Red Dragon, never underestimate it, or it will become the nightmare of your life. Much less a Wealthy Young Red Dragon possessing more than ten magic items. One careless mistake, and you will fall under its control."

So prefixes could change? How interesting.

A tawny feather drifted onto the Red Dragon's snout. He could not help breathing out a sulfur-scented gust of hot air, scorching the feather black and blowing it away.

The owner of this nest should be coming back soon.

Keosius thought so.

Sure enough.

Before long, an angry roar came from the cave entrance.

"Roar! Roar!"

A ferocious beast violently threw aside the branches—its ivory-colored beak was utterly lusterless, and its sturdy limbs were likewise covered in eagle feathers.

Its robust body, standing a full eight feet tall, was covered in thick dark plumage. In sheer size, it was even several times larger than Keosius.

This was an Owlbear, a savage predator of the wilderness.

Perhaps it had originally been created by some mad ancient mage using bears and owls as templates. Now, they had spread across every corner of the continent. The panel for the Owlbear before Keosius also appeared before his eyes.

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

Adult Male Owlbear

Category: Large Beast, Always Neutral
AC: 15

Attributes:
Strength—20
Dexterity—12
Constitution—19
Intelligence—2
Wisdom—12
Charisma—10

Proficiencies: Listening +4, Perception +8, Hunting +4

Senses: Keen Smell 14 ft., Passive Perception 16 ft., Owlbear Intuition 20 ft.

Languages: None

Actions: Grapple, Bite, Slam, Claw

Trait: Grapple Mastery

Challenge Rating: 3 (700 XP)

Evaluation: "Owlbears are exceptionally savage predators, generally considered fierce, highly aggressive, and extremely bad-tempered. They tend to attack any creature that moves without warning."

Keosius looked at the beast before him. He merely spread his Wings and used a magic item to cast Speak with Animals in advance, probing, "Submit to me, Owlbear."

But the frenzied beast roared furiously and hammered the ground with both claws.

It squeezed through the cave entrance and charged at the Red Dragon with all its strength.

Its mere 2 points of Intelligence meant that the beast could only roughly judge size. It would never realize how terrifying the power contained within this Young Dragon's body was.

Moreover, the Red Dragon had yet to awaken his aura, making him seem even more "ordinary."

"So it's just a beast after all?"

Keosius shook his head. Completely unafraid of the charging beast, he simply opened his mouth casually.

Scorching Ray

The fire elemental crystal within the staff in his body gleamed red, erupting with scorching magical energy as it cast this second-circle spell.

Although the Red Dragon serving as its vessel was still young and had yet to master spellcasting, his innate Elemental Affinity for fire made the spell far more powerful as it passed through his throat.

"Bang! Bang! Bang!"

Three searing Fire Rays burst forth, all striking the Owlbear.

For a beast with such thick fur, fire was especially effective. The instant the Fire Rays touched the Owlbear, large patches of its fur were scorched black before bursting into flames.

"Graaah—"

The massive beast let out a pained howl and rolled wildly across the ground.

But that did nothing to stop the raging flames, nor could it stop the Young Dragon that immediately pounced and savagely bit into its body.

Even the Lava Heart in Keosius's belly radiated a scorching magical glow, dealing additional fire damage.

Before long, the cave was filled with the smell of singed fur and the rich aroma of roasted meat.

"Not bad."

"Just a little too dry."

Keosius chewed large mouthfuls of thick, slightly charred bear meat as the panel unfolded before him again.

[Adult Male Owlbear killed. Obtained 700 XP.]
[Level increased to 1.]
[Due to racial traits, increasing your Class Level will be more difficult, but you will also gain greater power.]

Achievement Obtained: First Blood

"Welcome to this colorful world."

Player Class Panel Obtained

Several class emblems—Fighter, Mage, Sorcerer, Monk, and more—appeared on the panel. Beneath these major classes lay densely packed subclass branches.

Keosius froze for a moment, then was overwhelmed with joy.

Only then did he remember that in the game from his previous life, players had to complete the beginner quest "Kill a Turkey" in Unknown Space before unlocking the Player Class Panel.

Dragons craved power.

But seeking the skills of humanoid creatures was not something that came naturally to them. They were proud and disdainful of the knowledge of non-dragons.

In general, dragons disliked learning the abilities of "inferior" species. Their inheritance therefore lacked paths for advancement, consisting more of innate spells and endless greed for treasure.

Players, meanwhile, could easily find ways to grow stronger, but their base panels were imported from real-world data.

In the early stages of the game, player attributes could be described as unbearable to look at. There had even been an unnamed Barbarian player who created the "miracle" of starting with 8 Intelligence.

But Keosius could effortlessly combine the terrifying talents of dragonkind with player classes.