Once Murky set foot in the village once more, he brushed off any mention of the binding the system had spoken of, his sole focus fixated on seizing the opportunity to learn the Draugr War Art.
However, this time, a sense of unease washed over him as he surveyed the chaos surrounding him.
Something felt off, as if there was a deeper layer to the events unfolding before his eyes, and his instincts validated his suspicions.
Suddenly, a notification sounded, breaking the tense atmosphere.
Ding!
[ The player StupidLove has triggered a mission, ]
The system message was announced.
The subsequent message clarified the purpose of missions in ensuring the player StupidLove's survival in the real world, while also determining his progress in this virtual nightmare realm.
Another notification chimed, unveiling an unexpected development.
Ding!
[ The player StupidLove has become a Draugr warrior of the Draugrskins tribe. Congratulations! However, in the real world, the player lacks the mutated gene required for this status. In this world, the player forcefully unlocked the Draugr warrior gene through unconventional means. ]
The system emphasized that without the inherent favor of the main character halo bestowed upon this tribe, the player StupidLove would never gain acceptance from the world and would be unable to advance to subsequent stages, such as the first stage dragon warrior or the second stage dragon warrior.
So he wouldn't gain a mutated gene in the real world too.
[ To obtain the tribal halo or gain acceptance from the world, the player must complete missions for the tribe, ]
The system message continued.
Which is a good news, Murky felt like he might have a chance to obtain Mutated genes.
Another notification followed, assigning Murky a new role within the tribe.
Ding!
[ The player StupidLove is now a poultry farmer of the Draugrskins tribe. Henceforth, he must protect, nurture, and care for poultry beasts for sustenance. ]
The mission details were promptly revealed, urging Murky to save as many poultry beasts as possible and prevent their loss. The notifications kept coming, underscoring the consequences of failure.
Ding!
[ First mission: The player must save as many poultry beasts as possible and prevent their loss. Number of poultry beasts lost: 10/200. Number of poultry beasts saved: 0/200. ]
Ding!
[ If the player loses 50 poultry beasts, the privilege to learn high-class Draugr War Art will be revoked. ]
Ding!
[ If the player loses 100 poultry beasts, the awakened dragon gene will be forfeited, resulting in the inability to learn the original Draugr War Art and reverting back into a normal human. ]
Ding!
[ If the player loses 150 poultry beasts, the awakened gene status will be lost, forever condemning the player to a life of servitude. ]
Ding!
[ If the player loses 200 poultry beasts, they will be expelled from the tribe, cast away into the unknown. ]
Murky's words got caught in his throat as he grumbled, "What is all this about?"
However, his mind raced as he absorbed the gravity of the consequences at stake. The weight of losing not only his position but also his chance to learn the coveted Draugr War Art pressed heavily upon him.
"Doesn't matter," he muttered.
The echoes of discrimination he faced in the real world seemed to persist in this new realm as well.
Would he endure the same fate here?
And what if he failed to tame Snow White earlier?
What would become of him then?
"No wonder I was rejected and ignored in the real world. That world despised me too, as if my soul had no connection to the body I occupied. But why was I sent here?"
Murky's voice trailed off as he pondered, his hopes of belonging in this cinematic universe fading.
Shaking his head, Murky found solace in the knowledge that there was a way to gain acceptance in this world.
"If it weren't for this village's mission, I would have been abandoned in this 'Taming Hundred thousands of dragons' world as well, forsaken by the world itself."
Suddenly, the system's voice echoed in his ears once more.
"Ding! Two poultry dragons have been killed! 12 out of 200."
Though he heard the news, Murky remained composed, his focus fixed on the imminent dangers unfolding before him.
The scene resembled something out of Jurassic Park, except these creatures were winged dinosaurs capable of unleashing various devastating attacks from their mouths.
Murky watched in horror as a Draugr warrior was turned to stone halfway through his body by a dragon's breath attack.
Another warrior had his arm dissolved by the acidic breath of a dragon. And there was one individual, much like Murky before, who clearly hadn't awakened the dragon blood within him earlier, helplessly flung into the air by a dragon's explosive blast.
In frustration, Murky bit his fingers.
"Damn it!"
However, he chose to concentrate on the tasks at hand.
Drawing from his knowledge of film, he quickly sprang into action.
The first creature he laid eyes on was a boar, its massive body cowering near the side of a hut.
Its hindquarters trembled with fear. Murky furrowed his brow and seized it, struggling to drag the boar along.
The boar, its jaws adorned with tusk-like fangs, stared back at him with terror.
"Ogeeeekk! Ogeeeekkk!!!"
It wriggled and squealed, making it challenging for Murky to handle. But with determination, he finally managed to pull it towards a random hut and forcefully pushed it inside.
Bang!
Murky slammed the door shut without concerning himself with who might be inside. His sole focus was to ensure the boar was safely secured within the hut.
"This is going to be a long night," murmured Murky, his hand smeared with dirt as he vigorously attempted to clean it.
He was well aware that there were still a hundred more creatures to save, and what made it even more challenging was that some of them were larger than the poultry dragon boar he had encountered earlier.
Dragon cows, dragon goats, dragon horses, dragon bulls, and other domesticated draconic animals loomed ahead, presenting an arduous task.
After much effort, Murky could only tally up a meager count of 16 creatures saved out of the 200.
Exhaustion settled upon him, and he realized that the task was far more demanding than he had anticipated.
Ding!
[ Two poultry dragons were killed! 23 out of 200. ]
Resonated the voice of the system in his ears once again.
"Not enough."
A sense of hopelessness washed over Murky.
"I'm too slow."
Suddenly, he noticed his own disheveled appearance in a nearby reflection from a big dragon scale.
Suddenly, a flicker of memory sparked in his mind, but he couldn't be certain.
Murky looked sideways, he noticed a shabby hut. Curiosity compelled him to investigate further.
He cautiously opened the door, and a gasp escaped his lips as he beheld three children huddled in the corner.
Two girls and one boy, approximately nine to ten years old, appeared before him, their bodies covered in grime and tattered clothes. Murky furrowed his brow in concern.
"Why are you three here?"
Aware of the underground tunnels where women, children, and newly awakened Draugr warriors sought refuge, Murky couldn't fathom why these three youngsters had ventured into such perilous territory.
Weren't they courting Death itself?
They must have known that the full moon brought forth the onslaught of dragons, and with their fragile bodies, even a single step from a dragon could turn them into nothing more than a grotesque pulp.
"So why are there her"
"We-" one of the girls began to speak, but her words were cut off.
Murky's gaze swept over the surroundings, his senses heightened.
The scent of wine filled the air, and he already had a hunch about what had transpired.
"I already know what happened. How powerful was he?"
Murky inquired, his knowledge informing him that only older Draugr warriors held children in such high regard, or those who were truly wicked to their core.
They are both rare, so there's only one option, the newly awakened Draugr warriors last year or the second last year.
Confirming his suspicions, the oldest girl among the three stuttered, "Stage-" but faltered once more, her voice trembling, "three."