The voices grew closer.
Each step echoed through the cave like a countdown.
He stayed still, pressing his small body against the cold stone, barely daring to breathe. The shadows wrapped around him, thick and deep, broken only by the faint red glow pulsing through the cave walls.
Three… maybe four of them.
He didn't know how he knew. He just did.
Boots scraped against rock near the entrance. A torch flared to life, its orange light cutting into the darkness.
"Smells like blood," one of them muttered.
"Something definitely hatched here."
"Spread out. Don't let it escape."
His claws tightened.
Escape? With this body?
He glanced at his limbs again. Small. Weak. Barely steady. Even after feeding, he was nothing compared to armed humans.
Running wasn't an option.
The system flickered quietly.
> [Analyzing threat…]
[Enemies detected: Human Hunters (Lv. ??)]
[Evaluation: Overwhelming.]
Overwhelming.
His jaw clenched.
So I die here?
No.
Something inside him rejected that answer instantly.
He shifted his weight slightly—and his tail brushed against a loose stone.
Click.
The sound was tiny.
But in the silence of the cave, it might as well have been a scream.
"—There!"
Light snapped toward him.
The torchlight revealed his form fully—crimson scales, slit pupils reflecting gold, smoke faintly curling from his mouth.
For half a second, no one spoke.
Then—
"It's a dragon!"
"A hatchling—!"
"Kill it!"
Steel flashed.
A blade whistled through the air.
His body moved before thought.
He lunged sideways, claws scraping sparks from the stone as the sword slammed into where he'd been a heartbeat earlier. Pain flared along his flank—hot and sharp—but he didn't stop.
> [HP decreased: -4]
The warning blinked.
He snarled, the sound tearing out of him, raw and violent. Heat surged into his chest, instinct screaming louder than fear.
Burn them.
The thought felt natural.
He opened his mouth.
Nothing happened.
No fire. No flame.
Only smoke—and pain.
> [Skill unavailable.]
[Condition not met.]
Damn it!
A boot slammed into his side, sending his small body crashing into the cave wall. Stone bit into his scales. His vision swam.
"Fast little bastard."
"Finish it!"
A spear thrust toward his head.
At that moment, something shifted.
The pressure in his chest snapped.
> [Condition met.]
[Skill Unlocked: 🔥 Dragon Breath (Lesser)]
The message appeared just as instinct took over.
He roared.
Fire exploded from his mouth.
Not a stream—more like a violent burst. Crude. Unstable. But real.
The spear vanished in flames.
So did the man holding it.
His scream cut off instantly.
The cave filled with heat and smoke. Shadows danced wildly as one hunter stumbled back, armor glowing red-hot.
"What the hell—?!"
"Retreat!"
Too late.
The dragon lunged.
His claws tore into exposed flesh, ripping through leather and skin alike. Blood sprayed hot across his scales. His teeth sank into a throat, crushing it with terrifying ease.
The body went limp.
Silence fell.
Two hunters lay dead—one burned, one broken.
The last man backed away, face pale, sword shaking in his hands.
"M-monster…"
The dragon stared at him.
For a brief moment, something human flickered inside him.
Then it vanished.
He exhaled.
A smaller flame slipped free—controlled this time.
The hunter didn't even have time to scream.
> [Enemies defeated.]
[Experience gained.]
[Level increased.]
The blue screen expanded.
---
Player: Unassigned
Race: Dragon (Lesser Wyrmling)
Level: 2
HP: 21 / 35
MP: 8 / 25
Skills:
• Dragon Breath (Lesser)
• Night Vision (Passive)
---
He stood there, chest heaving, surrounded by corpses.
The smell of blood and burned flesh filled the cave.
I killed them.
The realization didn't shake him.
It grounded him.
This world didn't care that he'd once been human. It didn't care that he'd just been born.
It only cared about strength.
The system chimed once more.
> [New Notice:]
Consuming intelligent species increases growth efficiency.
His gaze dropped to the bodies.
Hunger stirred again—quiet, patient.
He turned toward the cave entrance, eyes glowing faintly in the dark.
This was just the beginning.
If humans hunted dragons—
Then he would hunt back.
And next time, he wouldn't barely survive.
He would dominate.