I am Joel Robbins, and I was the husband of a 5000-year-old cultivator.
I live in a world filled with magic, dragons, and demons.
Surviving in this world is the hardest thing to accomplish, especially when you have a child.
My wife died giving birth to my daughter, Lilian, so my goal is to find a safer place where my daughter can grow up without the fear of monsters and demons.
My goal is to find Paradise.
"Huhhu, huhhu….." The sound of heavy breathing came.
Cold night, black eyes stared conspicuously towards the large, black-tailed devil ranking dragon that towered above him.
It had large wings that spread wildly with large, razor-sharp teeth, and it had long nails that could rip a man open. The beast was at least 16 feet and 900 pounds.
He drew his sword toward the dragon; the ferocious beast opened its man-devouring mouth and released its horrid black flame.
Just by a fraction of a second, he managed to dodge the flame, but he was quickly stunned by the tail the dragon swung right at him.
The big black tail collides with him, which causes him to lose his balance and fly back by a few miles.
He cuts through the air for a moment more than he is used to before he quickly regains his balance and brings himself back to the ground, staggering a little.
His obsidian eyes narrow at the winged reptile, something sheens in his eyes as he notices a weak spot, which is the dragon's cracked scales located at the left lower abdomen.
With immediate effect, he lunges towards the dragon with full force, the ground shattering underneath, leaving a wake of sand and stone.
The beast's eyes bubble with fury as it opens its mouth once again, ready to spit out its black flame.
The ground began to rumble as the beast let out its black flame. And it consumed anything in its way. Joel tried to dodge, but the dragon wrapped its leg around Joel's leg, immobilising him.
He used his sword to block the blast, but the pressure kept pushing him back. His hand started to shake as he was unable to hold the blast for long.
"Damn! I... I can't hold it any more." Sweat started to break on his head as the blast hit him hard.
Joel hit a huge boulder, leaving a huge crack on the boulder. He fell to the ground. And blood ran down his head.
Smoke came out from the dragon's mouth as he stared menacingly at the falling Joel.
Joel was lying lifelessly on the ground. The dust started to settle. And the beast turned around as it prepared to fly away. Joel's finger moved as a sign that he was still alive.
His body shook as he tried to get up. And eventually he got on his feet. His legs trembled as he called the attention of the beast.
"I am not done yet, you fucking bastard. Let's have some real fun."
The beast charged forward with annoyance. As it prepared a finishing blast. To end Joel. It flew high up beyond the eyesight to obtain distance.
At a point in the sky, it began to be shot down like a racing bullet. It opened its wide mouth as its blast continued to stew.
It was almost close enough to finish the job. Joel stared up at the beast.
Huh
Joel exhaled gently.
The air suddenly chills; nothing but silence is left. Black flame tips on the mouth of the dragon, but it remains frozen. The scattered sand and stones all remain frozen, whether in midair or on the ground.
Instantly time freezes, leaving the dragon defenceless.
Joel, without a thought, struck the frozen beast. Taking one merciless strike from the man, the dragon collapses, blood splattering everywhere around it.
It was for a split second. Time flowed, and then time stopped, and time continued once more.
The man's cold eyes stared at the dragon earnestly until he was sure the dragon was forever dead.
A blue transparent board appeared in front of Joel.
[Mission completed]
[Status: Secondary Raider]
[Points: 30 points for completing the level and defeating the black-tailed dragon.]
[System updating...
Levelling up status 20%]
He stood silent for a moment before he called out, "Lilian, you can come out now."
There are movements behind a boulder.
A little girl comes out running towards the man. "Don't do that again, Joel; you could have gotten killed!"
"Hey, it's Dad to you, little lady." The middle-aged man made a face at the little girl. "Let's camp here for the night; it's getting late." Joel says, scratching his beard.
She scoffed at him and said, "Whatever."
[Pause!]
"Kale! Kale! Kaaaaaale!" a loud female voice called out.
The young man groaned, pulling off his wired headset and tossing it onto the sleek keyboard resting on his custom-built desk. His monitor displayed the paused screen of 'Finding Paradise.' A game he had been deeply immersed in for the past couple of hours.
"Great. Just great," he muttered under his breath, rolling his eyes as he pushed back his chair and stood up. Stretching his arms above his head, he let out a sigh. His knuckles, marked with faint red spots from hours of gripping the controller, cracked loudly. He winced slightly at the sound but shrugged it off.
"What does she want now?" Kale muttered again, glancing around the room. It wasn't anything fancy, but it was his. The space doubled as a gaming sanctuary and a bedroom. Posters of iconic games adorned the walls, and neon strips cast a soft glow across the room. His bed was shoved into the corner, unmade and draped with a crumpled blanket, a stark contrast to the meticulously organised shelves of gaming collectibles beside it.
Another shout came from downstairs, louder this time. "Kale! Don't make me come up there!"
With a heavy sigh, he trudged to the door, muttering, "I'm coming, I'm coming." He swung it open and was immediately greeted by the sound of hurried footsteps climbing the stairs.
Standing there was Malia, his ex-wife, with their seven-year-old daughter, Stacy, in tow. Malia's eyes were sharp as ever, her expression a mixture of impatience and mild irritation. Her hair was pulled into a tight bun, and she wore a no-nonsense blazer and jeans combo that screamed, I'm too busy for this.
"Kale, it's the weekend," she said bluntly, tilting her head toward Stacy, who was hiding behind her leg. "Your turn, remember?"
Kale froze for a moment, his gaze flicking between Malia and Stacy. "Yeah… I remember," he said, though the words felt more like an excuse than a confirmation. He ran a hand through his messy hair, still trying to shift his brain out of gaming mode and into dad mode.
Malia raised an eyebrow, clearly unimpressed. "You're lucky I have somewhere to be. Otherwise, I'd give you a lecture about time management."
Stacy peeked out from behind her mother, clutching a stuffed bunny tightly to her chest. Her big brown eyes darted nervously toward Kale. "Hi, Daddy," she said softly.
Kale felt his heart pinch a little. Despite everything—despite the messy divorce, the constant bickering, and the fact that he'd just been interrupted mid-game—he couldn't help but smile at her. "Hey, kiddo," he said, crouching down to her level. "Ready for some fun?"
Malia didn't wait for his answer. "I'll be back Sunday night. Don't forget she has her school project to finish. It's in her bag. And try getting a job; poverty doesn't look good on you. Stop being a dick and get an actual job." She turned on her heel and headed back down the stairs, her heels clicking sharply against the wood.
Kale straightened up, watching her go. "Always a pleasure, Malia," he muttered under his breath before turning his attention back to Stacy. "Okay, kiddo. Let's get you settled in."