"Raiden, what the helllllllllll?!"
Ouch.
I suddenly appeared face-first on the ground in some unknown place, probably with a mouthful of dirt.
What the hell was wrong with that fairy?! Was this revenge for accidentally burning her shoulder? Ugh. Petty much?
According to her, I'm not supposed to use any active skills. Which is great, considering every single skill I have is probably active. How am I supposed to survive out here?
Cherubim, I need your help. Do I have any passive skills?
[Understood. Assessing potential list of passive skills.]
I let Cherubim do his thing while I took a good look around. The building I landed in looked like a warzone. Cracked stone, caved-in ceilings, and the charming scent of centuries-old mildew. Nice.
This had to be a city once—at least, that's what it looked like from the ruined architecture around me. Raiden probably knew what happened here, and of course, conveniently forgot to tell me.
I leapt off the broken floor and made my way toward a half-standing medieval-style mansion nearby. The outer walls were crumbling, but one wing of the place still looked stable.
Inside, even in its decayed state, the mansion screamed royalty. Expensive tapestries, gold-plated chandeliers (still hanging on somehow), and candle holders that looked like they could pay off my entire student debt—if I had any.
As I peeked out a nearby window, I realized something terrifying.
Wait… is this place floating?!
Yup. I was in a floating ruin. Great. Cool. Casual.
I started yelling into the empty halls.
"Hello!!!"
No response.
"Hellooooo? Anyone home?"
Still nothing. Only the echo of my own awkward voice bouncing off marble pillars.
I kept exploring until I reached a ridiculously spacious living room. I swear, my entire house could fit in here twice. And the furniture? Ancient. Literal antiques. Like, "goes for millions at an auction" kind of ancient.
Where even was I?
Then—ROAAAAAAR!!!
My blood froze.
That did not sound like a friendly neighborhood dog.
I ran outside and there it was.
A dragon.
A legit, honest-to-god dragon.
It was massive, covered in emerald green scales, and breathing fire like it just finished watching a Fast & Furious marathon.
"A dragon?!" I shouted, eyes sparkling like a nerd seeing a real lightsaber for the first time.
Then it noticed me.
Crap.
The dragon flew closer, breathing fire near the house and cutting off my retreat. I turned and bolted toward a bridge I spotted earlier. The fire behind me lit up the world like a barbecue from hell.
I was just about to scream "Skill: Teleport!" when I remembered:
No active skills.
Thanks for nothing, Raiden.
Cherubim? Still no answer. Probably still sorting through my Skill Hoarder problem.
The bridge was my only choice. Too bad I'm scared of heights. As I ran across it, I looked down and nearly screamed again—below was a raging river of death water.
I was trapped. Behind me: fire-breathing dragon. Below me: violent rapids. In front of me: …oh look, the dragon landed.
Perfect.
Cherubim?!
Still nothing.
I had to stall.
"Could you maybe burn the part of my body that doesn't hurt?" I yelled.
To my surprise, the dragon replied, "And why would I do that? Watching humans squirm is—hold on. You're not human. You're a Summon."
Wait. It talks?!
"I'm not a Summon!" I lied badly. "I'm just… blind!"
"Don't insult my intelligence," the dragon growled. "I know what a Summon looks like. You either have obsidian horns or opaque eyes. I fought one thirty years ago. Tough little beast. Nearly killed me."
Oh good. Just what I needed to hear.
"So, do you feel like destroying anything?"
"Dude, everything here was already wrecked before I got here!"
I hoped he'd monologue more—and he did.
"I fought many Summons. Strong, fearless, and chaotic. My battles with them gave meaning to my life. But then they vanished. And now here you are. What a delightful surprise."
He just kept talking.
[Notice: Assessment complete. You can now view the list of passive skills in your status menu.]
Finally! I opened it fast enough to give myself whiplash.
[Passive Skills Available:• Creation• Dark Magic: Summoning (Passive)• Extra Skill: Sympathetic Magic]
Huh?
Cheru, what are these?
[Answer: The majority of your skills are active. These passive skills are highly recommended for your survival.]
Wait—summoning is passive now?
[Answer: Summoning can be both active and passive depending on conditions. These are optimal for your current limitations.]
Okay. I'll trust you, Cheru.
Meanwhile, Bruno the dragon was still rambling. Now he was talking about his teenage years. I think he just mentioned having a mohawk. What was I listening to?
I squinted at him and activated Theia's status view.
[Name: BrunoRace: DragonLevel: Maxed (Dragonling)Attribute: FireSkill: Fire Blast BreathNotes: Mimics human voice after consuming humans. Highly intelligent. Edible parts: all. Meat value: legendary.]
W-Wait. Did that say edible?!
My stomach growled.
No. Focus. Survive first. Eat later.
I activated my shield ability. It was technically passive, so it didn't break the rules. A faint shimmer of energy wrapped around me.
That got Bruno's attention.
"What's this? A Summon using a shield?" he scoffed. "That's absurd. Summons don't defend—they annihilate. Where's your bloodlust, child? Show me the monster you truly are."
Okay rude.
"I like shields. They're cozy," I muttered.
Bruno laughed like a supervillain who just tripped over his own cape. "You're an embarrassment to your kind. I'll make this quick."
He didn't step on the bridge though. Maybe the floating island laws of physics scared even dragons.
Fine. Let's play this game.
For now.