In the dim light that filtered into a second cave's entrance, a strange creature was standing there in a small cave beside the spring, snarling.
It had no hair and looked like a mix between a wolverine and a Canadian honey badger. Its long, scaly limbs seemed unusually large, and its black, scaly skin shimmered in the faint light.
The creature had wings that resembled those of a scaly peregrine hawk. But what stood out the most were its cat-and catfish-like features, especially its big, blue eyes that glared with anger and menace and its row or teeth that looked like that of orcas.
Murky furrowed his brow, unable to communicate with this draconic called snow white creature.
Surprisingly, this failure didn't make him angry; instead, a smug and superior smile appeared on his face.
"Aren't you tired of your own awful existence?" he teased.
Being careful not to seem threatening, Murky cautiously positioned his arms below his waist, signaling that he meant no harm to the dragon-like creature.
He continued with his questions.
"Don't you ever get tired of being reborn, only to instinctively defend yourself against everything you come across? Whenever you're born, nearby dragons make a great effort to hunt you down and eat you.
"I understand the frustration of feeling completely helpless. You're trapped in this endless cycle that you can't change. That's how the world sees you."
Suddenly, using his left hand, Murky reached out towards the creature in front of him.
In response, the creature showed its teeth, like a snarling cat, and let out a loud hiss that echoed in the air.
"SHAAAAAARRHHHAAAAA!!"
Unfazed, Murky continued, still extending his hand towards the creature's forehead.
In a desperate act of self-defense, the creature bit into Murky's left arm. The sound of the bite echoed through the cave with a loud clack.
Almost making Murky spit blood.
After a while, the creature's jaws still latched onto Murky's arm, despite its seemingly small size.
In that moment, a sickening crack filled the air, accompanied by a pained grunt.
"Urgh!"
Agonizing pain surged through Murky's from his fingertips to his heart and body as the creature's bite broke his bone.
Blood flowed from the wounds caused by the creature, yet Murky fought to stifle his groans, keeping his cries of anguish confined to his mind so as not to startle the beast.
Despite the numbing pain coursing through him, Murky timidly placed his right hand on the creature's forehead, trying to calm it. But the creature remained consumed by anger.
"We're the same, trapped in our sad sad sad lives, both longing to be free from the pathetic state," Murky whispered softly, gently caressing the creature's head with his fingers with a menacing villainous smile.
Suddenly, he applied pressure, pressing firmly on a spot in the middle of the creature's forehead, smudging blood in the process.
However, instead of easing up, the creature tightened its grip on Murky's arms, its sharp teeth sinking deeper into his flesh.
"Argh!"
Murky bit his lip hard, drawing blood as pain shot through his body.
Despite the excruciating ordeal, he steadfastly endured, keeping his gaze fixed on the creature.
"It didn't work?"
Taking inspiration from a character in a movie, Murky attempted the secret that the protagonist's mother, who belonged to a tribe that revered dragons, had taught her son, the main character.
The problem was that this particular dragon came from a different lineage than the one the main character had chosen.
Still, Murky couldn't help but think that it should have worked.
After all, the creature in front of him, which had been snow white but was now completely black, seemed like an upgraded version.
Why didn't it work?
"Damn it."
Murky cursed in his head, causing his veins to bulge, his voice strained as he tried to calm the creature. He continued to stroke it, contemplating other approaches.
"Should I try something else?"
The truth was, there were no definitive instructions on how to tame this dragon; everything was just speculation.
Now that the initial method had failed, Murky had no choice but to explore other possibilities.
In an instant, a sickening snap reverberated through the air, and Murky's bones fractured, causing his hands to lose control almost immediately.
Clack!
The pain was unbearable, draining him of all energy. It felt as if he had been shot, a sensation that mirrored reality.
The feeling was contrary to action movies where heroes could keep going despite limb injuries or being shot in the limb, the truth was that being shot in either of those limbs would be enough to exhaust and overwhelm anyone with agony.
"Shit! Shit! Shit!"
As Murky's left hand snapped for the second time, his body weakened, and he almost collapsed from the overwhelming pain.
Surprisingly, he noticed the creature's eyelids drooped, and soon, it fell heavily to the ground.
Murky hadn't anticipated this outcome and thought the first method didn't work, but he's mentally prepared himself for anything like this to happen.
Seizing the opportunity, he approached a nearby spring, placing his left hand on it and drinking from its clear waters. Conscious of conserving his energy, he refrained from speaking, keeping silent.
Immersing himself in the water, Murky focused his mind on his desire.
To his luck, the spring needed to become as transparent as glass in order for him to find what he sought.
Soon, it didn't take long for him to spot it, suspended upside down in the water, appearing as if it were air.
Murky stood before it, fixated on its presence.
Without even touching it, he observed its pristine state, free from dirt or green moss. Satisfied, he brought his mouth to the inverted air pocket and drank from it.
After a short while, Murky emerged from the water, wiping the sweat from his forehead and eyes to improve his vision.
Wosssh!
Water splashes, and he turned his head towards the creature and noticed it still twitching.
"So, the first method did have an effect after all. Haha!" he thought, still couldn't believe that the first method worked, although it had a delay and it snapped his left arm, it's fine.
A mischievous giggle escaping Murky's lips. However, he quickly shook his head.
"Not done yet!"
He muttered in his head, unlike before, his mouth now appeared full and swollen, as if he had swallowed air and didn't want to open it.
Slowly and soaked, Murky approached the twitching creature, paying no mind to its hot breath.
He pressed his lips against the creature's mouth and blew air into it.
Soon enough, the creature stirred, its eyes opening wide.
It locked eyes with Murky, a look of surprise and recognition crossing its face. Driven by instinct, the creature lashed out, delivering a powerful kick to Murky's chest, sending him flying backward.
"Bam! SHARAAAAAAH!!"
The creature snarled again, its scales bristling and sharpening. Its claws extended like jagged hooks, digging into the rocky ground.
Meanwhile, Murky could see his vision fades from the impact.
"Pathetic."
He mumbled before the darkness filled his world thoroughly while the snow white dragon creature, now fully awake and filled with hostility, continued to stare at him.
As the creature writhed in agony, it suddenly stopped, sensing a strange sensation coursing through its body.
"Kaboom!"
A tremendous transformation came over it, causing the creature to momentarily forget about the unconscious Murky before it.
It stood on its sharp toes, bewildered, initially turning around to figure out its position, then chasing its own tail.
Finally, it collapsed to the ground, emitting a muffled sound of pain.
In a desperate attempt to ease its suffering, the creature tried to rise and smash its head against the rocky cave surface. But finding no relief, it resorted to repeatedly striking its head against the ground.
Suddenly, a radiant dark light emerged from the creature's back.
Rows of fins similar to those of a stegosaurus dinosaur appeared, glowing in shades of blue, pink, and mostly white.
"ARRRRRNGGGHH!"
The creature let out a scream of anguish, feeling utterly helpless in its unknown predicament.
…
Meanwhile, in another part of the world within the realm of "Taming Hundred thousand of Dragons," people from different domes were engaged in a fierce battle against dragons, unbeknownst to others.
On a spiky stone island by the ocean, clashes of swords, fire, and bright lights echoed, turning night into day.
Off to the side, three individuals huddled together, their faces filled with misery.
One of them wore a horrified expression, while the others seemed more composed.
"What is happening?"
The terrified person stared in horror as a massive man in spiky armor was brutally dissolved by a huge green dragon, surrounded by a green mist.
"Don't be too scared, Fang. Remember, you are a Smilodon," the man spoke to Fang Smilodon, trying to calm his fear.
Despite seeming to be around the same age, the way he talked to Fang suggested familiarity and a belief that Fang would listen to him.
Fang Smilodon continued to watch as the River Vikings fiercely battled the dragons, even when engulfed in flames.
Nearby, a River Viking successfully killed a dragon by slashing its neck.
Fang then turned to the man who had spoken, calling him "father."
"Father, why doesn't this match what you taught me? You said we would transform into animals and survive as animals. But these River Vikings, how does that fit with survival? And why are we being attacked as soon as we arrive here?"
Fang Smilodon was on the brink of accusing his father of deception when he noticed the surprise on his father's face.
This realization made Fang furious.
He had devoted himself to extensive training, studying and creating miniature ecosystems to understand every creature in them.
How to survive, how to thrive, how to communicate with other animals.
He strongly believed that transforming into an animal would ensure his survival.
After all, his father, grandfather, schools, and everyone he knew had assured him that the infected dream would be a straightforward survival like in the past.
Transforming into an animal or insect and simply surviving, without complications.
But the present circumstances were entirely different from what he had anticipated or what they had told him.
What were these fire-breathing, liquid-spewing, venomous reptiles?
Was he still in the real world?
Why did they resemble the creatures found outside the dome?
Why were they thrown into the war against these beasts as soon as they entered?
What the hell is going on?
Soon, another person, around the same age and in their teenage years, stepped forward, positioning himself between the others.
Holding a sword, he spoke with a sense of experience and calmness surpassing the two of them.
"Let's stay calm. We're together because of my ability. Compared to most, we still have an advantage. The best thing we can do is assess the situation and decide our next move. I didn't expect this new era of survival either."
He explained, projecting wisdom in their tone.
Then, he turned to the first one, named Raze.
"What do you think we should do, Raze?"
The teen asked, implying that he believed Raze had already come up with a plan.
Deep in thought, Raze placed his hands on his chin, observing intently as a particular River Viking tore a dragon apart.
As Raze carefully observed, they began explaining their observations and thoughts to the others.
"These individuals don't seem like players. If they were, they wouldn't be this huge. There's a secret behind this, but it's not important right now.
"The game seems to want us to eliminate as many of them as possible, but we can't achieve that at the moment. The best thing we can do is transform into our sabertoothed cat form, which would give us a chance to kill as many dragons as we can.
"However, there's a problem with that plan too. Based on their armors and the way they fight, these giant humans seem to enjoy fighting monsters and dragons. If we transform, we might become targets not only for the dragons but also for these big humans.
"So, I suggest we leave this area and find a secluded spot where we can transform into sabertoothed cats without being seen by them. Once we've done that, we can assess the situation and decide what to do next based on the outcome of killing a dragon."
The person who had asked nodded in agreement, his gaze fixed on the ongoing battle, unable to join in.
"Plus, the other players."
Suddenly, a system screen appeared, making their hair stand on end, signaling a significant development or event.