As the white magic ring appeared in the room and transported the three of them to a new world, a separate ring suddenly expelled Rhyde high into the sky. His body was suspended in mid-air at a terrifying height.
"Uwaaaah—! I'm dead! I'm dead for sure! There's no way I'll survive if I fall from here!"
A moment later, his body plummeted.
He crashed into the ground with tremendous force, sending cracks spreading out in every direction. The impact created a deep crater, and Rhyde lost consciousness for a brief moment.
When he opened his eyes, he slowly stood up and looked around.
Before him was a vast ravine filled with jagged black stones jutting out from every surface. Stalactite-like formations hung everywhere, and dozens of dragons flew across the sky above. They stared down at him… then began to dive toward him.
Seeing this, Rhyde froze.
"Red dragons…? Seriously!?"
He immediately sprinted away — but then noticed something strange. He was widening the distance between himself and the dragons with incredible speed. Rhyde suddenly stopped and looked back, confused.
"Wait… I'm this fast? Then what about my strength?"
He spotted a medium-sized black stone spike nearby. Wrapping both arms around it, he pulled with all his might—
and the stone tore cleanly out of the ground.
Eyes widening, he hurled the heavy stone toward a red dragon.
The projectile shot through the air like a cannonball and pierced straight through the dragon's body.
A painful roar shook the entire ravine as the giant creature crashed to the ground.
Thud! Boom!
Seeing the dragon fall lifeless, Rhyde allowed a tiny grin to form.
"So that's it… extraordinary speed and insane strength. Yeah… this is what I've been wanting."
Rhyde charged into the air like an arrow released from a bow, soaring high and grabbing the neck of another dragon mid-flight. With a powerful twist—
Crunch!
The dragon's neck rotated unnaturally before its massive body plummeted.
He used the falling corpse as a foothold, leaping again. His fist crashed into another dragon, sending it spiraling through the air while coughing blood. Screeches, wing flaps, and the metallic scent of blood filled the sky.
The surviving dragons, realizing the threat, scattered in fear.
Rhyde fell back to the ground—
BOOM!
A small quake spread beneath his feet.
He stared at his hands and the slain dragons.
"So this is my strength, huh… If I remember correctly, this must be the world of the game Kai, Dan, and I created. This should be the Dragon Ravine…"
Before he could finish speaking, a gigantic red claw slammed into him, throwing him violently into a dark stone wall.
CRASH!
A massive dragon appeared — far larger than the others.
The Red Dragon King.
It released a deafening roar.
Rhyde stood up, wincing, but then noticed something:
his injuries were rapidly healing.
"What…? My wounds are closing on their own? Speed, strength, regeneration… everything's maxed out?"
He laughed—
"Hahaha! Now this is exciting! So this is what power feels like. If I take down that dragon… will I get the title 'Dragon King Slayer'?"
He kicked the ground—
THUMM!
The earth shattered as he rocketed forward, slamming into the Red Dragon King's body and sending it crashing into jagged stone spikes. Blood sprayed everywhere.
The Dragon King retaliated with a sweeping strike, launching Rhyde across the ravine. He skidded through the ground, carving a long trail, but stopped himself using just the tip of his foot.
The Dragon King inhaled deeply—
and unleashed a torrent of blazing red flames.
Heat so intense it melted black stone into lava engulfed Rhyde completely.
But he did not move.
When the flames cleared, his body was charred—
yet within seconds, his skin regenerated.
"So that's how it is…" he whispered, a manic grin forming.
He leapt again with explosive force, soaring high above the Dragon King. His fist pierced straight through the dragon's neck.
Shlick!
Blood rained down as the colossal beast collapsed, shaking the entire ravine with its fall.
Rhyde landed and murmured,
"It's over… our fight."
He sighed.
"Guess I'll have to find Kai and Dan now. First stop: Sema. Hard to believe, but this is definitely another world… and one that looks just like the game we created."
He left the ravine, walking along the path until it faded into the distance.
One Week Later — In the City of Sema
Inside a luxurious room of a large hotel, a silver-haired elf woman dressed in green stood before a young girl. The girl had long golden hair with soft curls, sparkling golden eyes, and wore a pure white dress. She was petite and beautiful — the Elven Princess, Maylona.
The silver-haired elf spoke:
"Lady Maylona, the Red Dragon King appears to have been slain. I believe it was the work of a human. I found human footprints at the scene, though they were faint."
Maylona blinked in surprise.
"A human strong enough to defeat the Red Dragon King… I wonder what kind of person they are."