"Hey, human. Who are you?" The voice spoke, loud yet penetrating, as if it came from the deepest corners of the darkness.
Immediately, Ethan's alertness heightened. He turned his body, searching for the source of the voice. Cold sweat trickled down his forehead, and though he tried to maintain his composure, his heart pounded rapidly. The voice felt like a warning of an inevitable danger.
"Who are you? Show yourself, or I'll kill you!" Ethan shouted, his voice trembling slightly, betraying his fear despite his efforts to remain calm.
"Hah! Kill me?" The voice laughed, loud and mocking. "You, a lowly human, think you can kill me? Hahaha! Don't dream. I could obliterate an entire village with just one breath of my fire!"
Ethan froze at the words. "Breath of fire?" he thought quickly. "Is this the terrifying dragon? The dragon that brought me to this strange world?" With confusion and anger swirling in his mind, he shouted, "Are you that mad dragon? Why did you bring me to this world? What do you want?"
The figure remained unseen, but its voice was full of certainty and a slight bitterness. "Calm down, human. If I wanted to kill you, I would've done it already. But now I realize, I can't do that."
Ethan grew even more confused. Behind his fear, there was a nagging curiosity. "What do you mean?" he asked sharply.
Finally, the voice introduced itself. "I am Valdraxx, the great dragon feared by all races and tribes in Arkhana."
"Valdraxx?" Ethan muttered anxiously. "Arkhana? So that's your name and the name of this strange world?" He repeated the words in his mind, trying to grasp what was really happening.
Valdraxx replied proudly, "Correct. This world is called Arkhana. But luck hasn't favored me. After many battles to obtain an ancient artifact and crossing into your world, misfortune found me."
"Ancient artifact?" Ethan recalled when he was swallowed by Valdraxx. "Was it that round object inside your body when you swallowed me?" he asked, puzzled, trying to connect the dots between what had happened in this world and his presence here.
Valdraxx answered calmly, "Yes, human. That object is now inside you. And because of that, I'm able to be here with you, within one body."
Ethan was shocked, his face reflecting disbelief. "One body? What do you mean?" He felt something strange within him, but he had never imagined having to share a body with a massive, terrifying dragon like Valdraxx. "I refuse to share a body with a creature like you!" he shouted angrily.
Valdraxx, though rejected, remained calm and explained further. "I have no choice either, human. To achieve my goal, I was forced to use an ancient power called Spirit Transcendence. This power transformed me into a spirit and made your body a vessel for my soul."
Ethan froze, trying to comprehend what Valdraxx had just explained. Spirit Transcendence, an ancient power that erased all physical forms and transformed them into spirits? So now, they were trapped in one body? Ethan's mind spun with uncertainty.
"What is this? Am I just a vessel for you now?" Ethan asked, his anger laced with fear. "I won't let you take over my body!"
Valdraxx responded calmly, though there was a hint of desperation in his voice. "It's not that simple, human. We are now connected.
Your body is my vessel, and without it, I can't continue my mission. But I also can't fully take over your body. We are bound, and now we must live together."
Ethan felt a burning anger inside him. "This is unacceptable! I won't be your puppet, dragon!"
Yet, beneath his anger, Ethan knew the situation was far more complex than he had imagined. Valdraxx, a powerful and dangerous dragon, now shared his body.
And Ethan also knew that the dragon's power might be the only thing that could help him survive in this new, unfamiliar world, though with unforeseen consequences.
Ethan, who had felt triumphant after defeating the giant wolf, now felt a new tension rise within him. Valdraxx's voice, the mighty dragon now sharing his body, interrupted the eerie silence of the forest.
"Hey, human. You owe me your life," Valdraxx's voice echoed firmly in Ethan's mind. "You've been wondering, haven't you? Where did the pack of gray wolves go? And why did the wolf you fought suddenly act strangely?"
Ethan, still feeling the adrenaline from the previous fight, straightened up and looked around the forest. "So, that was your doing?" he asked sharply, a little angry for being saved without realizing it.
"If not me, then who else?" Valdraxx replied arrogantly. "Dragon Fear, that's the power I used to help you."
Ethan was silent for a moment, reflecting. He had heard stories about Dragon Fear an intimidating aura possessed by dragons, capable of making other creatures submit or flee in terror just by sensing its presence.
But experiencing its effects firsthand and realizing that he was nothing compared to Valdraxx made Ethan feel small.
With amazement and slight reluctance, Ethan acknowledged the reality that he was in a strange world where everything he knew no longer applied.
Every creature he encountered could kill him at any moment. Slowly, he realized that without Valdraxx's help, he probably wouldn't survive long.
"I need information about this world," Ethan finally said. His gaze changed, more serious and calm. "And I'll cooperate with you. From now on, call me Ethan. Ethan Reis."
Valdraxx smiled in his mind, though Ethan couldn't see it. There was a sense of satisfaction in Ethan's statement, as if the dragon knew this was the first step for Ethan to accept a greater power.
"Alright, Ethan," Valdraxx replied. "Let's start with the basics about life in Arkhana."
Ethan sat down under a large tree, trying to catch his breath after the fight, while Valdraxx began to explain the world that had now become his new home.
"Arkhana is no ordinary world. There are various races living here, from the strongest to the weakest. The dragon race is the most feared, not only because of our physical strength but also because of our dominance over magical elements.
Then there's the human race, like yourself. They might be the weakest in terms of physical and magical power, but they are cunning, often using intelligence and intrigue to survive."