In a familiar cave, a black lizard lay asleep on the ground. Its scales shone brighter than diamonds, resembling a slumbering dragon.
Suddenly, it opened its eyes—eyes that held the pain of all it had endured.
"Alas, so I am in hell," Daniel muttered as he surveyed his surroundings.
"Wait... this place is familiar," he said, rushing toward a small puddle. As he looked into the water, he saw a familiar reflection.
"Yay! I'm alive!" Daniel began jumping up and down like an excited child. He now fully grasped the joy of being alive.
After spending minutes like this, he finally calmed down and assessed his situation.
Who had rescued him?
How did he get here?
Let's say the Alpha Wolf had thrown him out of the village—he knew that even in the best-case scenario, his survival chances were barely one percent.
Even if he had survived, he should have been in the forest, not in the cave where he hatched.
As he paced back and forth in the cave, thinking through the situation, all signs pointed to Drax.
Only Drax had been close enough to rescue him.
His strength was mysterious, and Daniel hadn't even been able to scratch him in battle.
Thinking about this, Daniel felt even more certain.
"Drax!" Daniel called out.
"What? Why are you calling me?" Drax appeared with a frown, clearly irritated at being disturbed.
"Were you the one who saved me?" Daniel asked, looking Drax directly in the eye.
"Why—and how—would I want to save you?" Drax snorted, black lines appearing on Daniel's lizard face as he twitched in anger.
"It was a protective measure the Master placed on you. But that was the first—and last—one. From now on, you're on your own," Drax said.
After hearing this, Daniel sighed.
There was one thing that never changed, no matter what world you lived in—
The strong prey on the weak.
On Earth, those with power, influence, and wealth oppressed the poor. In his own country, it wasn't just about qualifications when looking for a job. Even though skills and results mattered, they were never the main factor.
Everything revolved around connections.
If you knew no one, only luck could help you land a job—especially if there was only one available position.
Daniel thought about his life since arriving in this world.
Everything had been about being suppressed. Beaten down.
He had even been roasted over a fire by a child—about to be eaten.
This world was cruel. Savage. Merciless.
"Alas... it seems I made a mistake. My past-life problems are still haunting me," Daniel sighed.
Then, he suddenly remembered something.
In his past life, all he ever thought about was women. He now wanted to form a harem, to make up for his regrets.
But now?
If someone became the strongest, wouldn't the women come chasing after him?
Even if he were ugly, as long as he was powerful, there would still be women who wanted him.
But looking at this world, he realized something even more important—
Even if he built a harem of beauties, without strength, he wouldn't be able to keep them.
He would be killed off, and his women would be taken away—absorbed into another man's harem. There is a sky after another sky, the limit of cultivation is boundless.
"How could I forget such a simple thing?" Daniel facepalmed, sighing at how he had overlooked something so obvious.
"I guess my goal has changed."
Daniel's lizard face hardened with determination.
"Now, I want to be the strongest person in the entire cosmos and acheon"
Before, he thought of becoming strong.
Now, he wants to be the strongest in the entire cosmos—
The number one in the whole world—
The one who instills fear and terror, just by the mention of his name.
Drax, watching Daniel, saw something shift in his expression.
For the first time, he saw true resolve.
Determination.
Drax nodded to himself.
It seemed like Daniel had finally woken up to the reality of this world.
"You better check your status before doing anything else," Drax advised.
Daniel didn't understand why Drax said this, but he followed his words anyway.
[Your resistance to pain has increased by 5%]
[You have leveled up! All stats increased by two.]
[You have leveled up! All stats increased by two.]
[You have leveled up! All stats increased by two.]
[You have leveled up! All stats increased by two.]
[You have leveled up! All stats increased by two.]
Host: Daniel
Race: Dragon
Level: 9
EXP: 1000/1000
Bloodline: Devouring Dragon Bloodline (Currently locked; can only be awakened when Host reaches Level 10)
HP: 150/150
MP: 200/200
STR: 33
AGI: 33
INT: 38
DEX: 33
STA: 33
DEF: 32
Skills: Bite, Claw, Tail Sweep
Inventory: Nil
Stat Points: Nil
When Daniel saw his level, his jaw dropped in shock as he stared at his stats.
"How the hell did I reach Level 9 and end up just one step away from Level 10?!" Daniel cried out in disbelief.
"Do you think getting roasted did nothing to you?" Drax chuckled.
"That young girl was a cultivator at the Origin Warrior Realm, close to the Origin King Realm. You, at the mere Body Refining Realm, actually thought you could survive the ordinary flames of such a cultivator?"
Drax smirked, shaking his head.
"Your Devouring Dragon Bloodline increased your resistance to the flames and also circulated energy as it refined your body. Normally, you wouldn't have reached this level so quickly, but the girl used her natal flame to roast you. That gave you the perfect opportunity to level up instantly."
When Daniel heard this, he was stunned.
He never thought he would receive such a blessing through suffering—especially by being roasted alive.
Thinking back to how he had almost died, how close he had come to death, he sighed.
This was the second time he had felt that way.
Suddenly, he felt something tugging at him.
But when he looked around, he saw nothing.
He shook his head. Maybe he was just imagining things.
Ding!
[Before the Host can reach Level 10, you must complete a mission.]
Mission: Kill two Level 10 Beasts.
Reward: Level up to Level 10.
When Daniel read the system notification, he didn't flinch.
Instead, his blood boiled with excitement.
It was finally time for revenge against those beasts.
A/N: Continue to support this author with Golden Tickets, Power Stones, and Gifts—your support is my greatest motivation!