The river was his—won in blood—yet victory tasted like ash.
His scales were strong, his body scarred, but inside he was empty.
No new skills. No next step. No way forward.
He floated, silent, in waters he had already conquered. For the first time since clawing his way out of weakness, he wondered if he had reached his limit.
That was when the System spoke.
—
[Host state: unstable]
[Branch unlocked: Task System]
A new branch?
[Task System: activated]
[Reason: stagnation detected. Path correction required.]
More words lit up, cold and merciless.
[Mechanics]
• Host may draw ONE task per life cycle.
• Next draw only upon revival after death.
• No redraws.
• Failure ⇒ penalty.
His fins went still. Penalty?
[Penalty severity: extreme]
[Examples: Skill erasure (e.g., Blood Scales removed). Stat inversion. Permanent level lock.]
His blood ran colder than the river. A single task per life—failure meant ruin.
[Draw task?]
He hesitated, scales tingling with dread. But what choice did he have? Without motion—without growth—he would rot as a forgotten king of mud and minnows.
"…Draw."
—
An iron wheel turned in the dark of his mind—runic teeth grinding, a lottery of knives. It spun and screamed until his nerves frayed.
Then it stopped.
[Legendary Task: unlocked]
"…Legendary?" His gills twitched.
[Legendary Task: Assigned]
Form a bond with a Human Tamer.
Travel to the Second Highest Mountain: Emerald Peak → Emerald Lake.
Bonus) Slay the Emerald Dragon (Tier One). Defense: unparalleled.
His mind went blank.
"…You want me, a koi, to bond with a Tamer, climb a mountain, and kill a dragon harder than steel?"
[Affirmative.]
His fins stiffened. "What tier was the White Dragon I 'killed' by accident? And the Dark Fire Dragon Ian sacrificed everything to defeat?"
[White Dragon: Tier Two]
[Dark Fire Dragon: Tier Two]
Ice slid through him.
Two dragons that had nearly ended him—both Tier Two. This task demanded a Tier One: above White, above Dark Fire.
"…You're kidding," he muttered. "I almost died a thousand times against Tier Two. Now Tier One?"
[Task difficulty: Legendary]
[Reward: Survival-grade evolution — guaranteed upon success.]
His heart hammered. Survival-grade evolution—a leap beyond skills, a change of kind. If he reached it, he would finally stop being dead weight. Finally stop dragging others down.
Not revenge. Power.
Power so no Tamer who chose him would ever bear his weight.
Never again a burden.
"…Fine," he whispered. His voice was only bubbles, but the decision burned like iron. "I'll do it."
[Legendary Task: accepted]
Chains of light seared across his mind. The mission etched in like a curse.
[Warning: Failure penalty — extreme. Do not fail.]
He floated in the crimson shimmer of Blood Scales. The task was absurd, hopeless. Yet it was the only path left.
Bond with a human. Reach Emerald Peak. Slay a Tier One dragon.
If this was what it took to keep moving, then so be it. He would take the impossible and turn it into proof.
Because the one thing he refused to be—more than weak, more than forgotten—
Was a burden.
Bond.
Climb.
Kill.