Chapter Text
20XX GAMINDUSTRI
The world of Gamindustri, home to nations ruled by 4 CPUs, has suddenly fallen into a period of Darkness. Planeptune, Lastation, Lowee, Leanbox… their nations are now without their Console Patrol Units, for they’re held captive in the Gamindustri Graveyard by an evil organization known as ASIC. They seek to enact the revival of the Deity of Sin, Arfoire. With the CPUs out of the way, it's up to the CPU Candidates to make their move before it's too late! While one story of hardship unfolds, someone is about to begin theirs. The story of this newcomer starts with a small encounter in a grassy field.
PC CONTINENT - Verdant Pasture
Hyperdimension Neptunia ReBirth 2-08 Breeze Time
In a grassy field near the Midwest region of the PC Continent, a small group of adventurers was running through the area to complete a guild quest. The group consisted of three individuals with one thing in common: taking pride in a job as a guild member rather than being stuck at a crummy 9-5 job for a corporation. On top of this, the process of going to the PC Continent’s guild was more streamlined than filling out a job application, so this became their primary source of income. While admirable with their urge to hunt monsters or do whatever their guild quest called for, these folks were… not the strongest and had a history of failing some quests. The first quest of today called for hunting an invasive Flame Fenrir. The species wasn’t native to the PC Continent, somehow, it ended up from Underverse Depths in Leanbox to Verdant Pasture.
The working theory is that someone raised this Fenrir as an exotic pet, but released it into the wild after realizing how unsuitable said creature was for a pet. Regardless, it needed to be taken down, which led this group to accept the quest. It took this trio a while to look around the area to find this hellish mutt, but once spotted, they armed themselves with their respective weapons. One had a sword, the second had knuckle dusters, and their third party member readied their tome of spells.
Cautious Mage: “Let’s be careful now…” The mage whispered to her comrades. “It might be a Fenrir at the end of the day, but-”
Before she could finish speaking, the group’s brawler talked over the poor magician.
Prideful Brawler: “Pah! There you go worrying over some oversized puppy. So what if the fur color is different?” He huffed. “A Fenrir is a Fenrir, those things aren’t even that threatening.”
The brawler disregarded the mage’s concerns, thinking about the numerous Fenrirs the trio had fought. To him, since these monstrous beasts were something the group could handle, this one was no different. However, it would be true if they could consistently take down Fenrirs. Looking at the Swordswoman, the brawler gestured toward the fiery hound.
Prideful Brawler: “Come on, we’re gonna rush 'em and take it down in less than 5 minutes. If we take this one out in time, we might be able to squeeze 4 more Guild Quests before the evening.”
Rash Swordswoman: “Right! Let’s do this!” Before their mage could object, the two ran towards the invasive beast without a second thought.
While the group’s battle began, in a den only a few minutes away from Verdant Pasture…
PC CONTINENT - A den near Verdant Pasture
Soft mumbles and snoring came from a den. The area was home to a resident who decided to make this spot their humble abode. It was spacious and big enough just for them with easy access to water from local bodies and plenty of monsters nearby to fight, for exercise, or slaying them for a meal. The clouds made few rays of sunlight reach this sleepy individual. But after they drifted away, the rays could be felt more clearly. On top of this, our resident’s internal clock began to go off, making them wake up to the morning sun on their face.
???: “Auuuh… It’s that time…” He sleepily grumbled. Slowly sitting up and walking towards the mouth of their den.
Emerging from the den was a male of an average build. He had dark skin, short black hair, a red shirt, white sweatpants, a white jacket, black sunglasses, and black boots. On top of this, there was something very noticeable about this male. He wasn’t any ordinary human, rather, he happened to be a human-dragon hybrid. Protruding from his body were two small white horns, two blue dragon wings, and a blue arrow-tipped tail.
Dragon-Hybrid: “Well, that was a nice rest. I can tell today will be a good morning too.” He said, talking to himself, pausing as he took a second to listen to the ambiance and think about what he’d do today. “Maybe I can find something cool to fight… Getting the scales dirty didn’t hurt any ol’ dragon. At least not one as glorious as myself.”
Smiling to himself and striding down a dirt path, the dragon hybrid traveled to a large open area. Sitting on the grass and looking across the landscape, the dragon hybrid blissfully sighs. He couldn’t help but love this area he called home. It was quiet, had what he needed, and felt like a paradise. While his days were pretty uneventful aside from the occasional monsters he encountered, most were Dogoos, Plants, or Fenrirs.
Dragon-Hybrid: “I’m not exactly hungry right now, but I could go for something…”
He kept a mental tab about what monsters tasted good, especially upon roasting them. While he could just eat them raw after slaying, certain monster meals were more favorable than others. The list from least to favorite went from Dogoos → Plants → and the meat from any beasts.
Dragon-Hybrid: “Yeah… today will be another day for Fenrir meat.”
Licking his lips and imagining the satisfying taste of how he’d prepare some Fenrir, the dragon hybrid walks around for his first meal.
Dragon-Hybrid : “Fenrir! Fenrir!” He called out, thinking the monsters could comprehend what he was saying. While wandering around, he figured the monsters were asleep or engaged in their own hunts.
Dragon-Hybrid: “Hmh… by the time I’m active, someone would be awake or something. I guess I should’ve woken up sooner.” He shrugged.
Still unfazed and determined to find a Fenrir to eat, he continued his search and walked around some more. However, as he approached Verdant Pasture, there was a distant…
BOOM!
Dragon-Hybrid: “Huh?”
He heard an unusual explosion going off. The foreign sound only came when people were trying to complete a quest. The Dragon hybrid glanced towards his left, knowing that people were likely fighting a monster. With this assumption being confirmed via prior knowledge, he had an idea in mind.
Dragon-Hybrid: “What if I help them… and they repay me by providing me a meal?”
The logic sounded simple and was very pleasing. With his mind set on investigating the noise, the dragon hybrid began running to the ongoing battle. The swordswoman, brawler, and mage trio struggled against this Flame Fenrir. For some reason, the brawler expected the flames from this creature to be light damage at best; however, after being set on fire and left with burns and charred armor, he realized that this “puppy” was tougher than expected.
Prideful Brawler: “Damn!” He snapped, still feeling the lingering burns even after the group’s mage used some healing magic.
Their slashes, strikes, and even magic didn’t phase this creature. Instead, it fueled the beast’s anger. It became painfully obvious that they were fighting a very steep battle.
Rash Swordswoman: “What was that about a ‘fur color change’?” She quipped, poking at the Brawler’s prior words suggesting that this wouldn’t be a challenge.
Of course, this angered the Brawler’s pride…
Prideful Brawler: “Sh-Shut up! Easy for you to say that stuff when you weren’t getting caught in torch breath over there!”
Cautious Mage: “Guys… please don’t start this now…” The mage meekly butts in.
She didn’t want to suggest running away and coming back another time since there’d be no guarantee they could find this Flame Fenrir again. The last thing they all wanted was for someone else to snatch up their reward after accepting the same quest.
The Fenrir snarled and glared at the trio with bared fangs. Before being rudely attacked, it was in the middle of enjoying a small prey. It assumed the trio was there to intrude on its territory and take its catch.
Flame Fenrir: “GRRR!”
The mage trembled and instinctively backed up from hearing that growl; both the swordswoman and brawler were shaken up, but not for the same reason as their ally. The Flame Fenrir had its breath weapon cooking, flames forming at its mouth as it began heating up.
Rash Swordswoman: “It’s gonna spit fire at us again! Move!”
Dragging the brawler along with her, the two ran away to avoid being burned alive. As distance gradually formed, the Flame Fenrir inhaled deeply, on the verge of unleashing a devastating fire breath. Just as it was about to spit it out…
FWOOSH!
Someone rushed by the swordswoman and brawler, they felt a gust of wind pass by them, thinking the mage threw out a wind to interrupt the attack. The whimper of the Fenrir could be heard as its Fire breath was withheld momentarily.
Prideful Brawler: “Thanks for buying us time!” He called out to the mage as they reached where she stood. But to his surprise, the mage didn’t know what he meant.
Cautious Mage: “I-I didn’t do anything….”
Rash Swordswoman: “...What do you mean? I thought you attacked the Fenrir to save us, it sounded like you hit it pretty hard.”
Cautious Mage: “N-No… that wasn’t me who did that.”
This caused both the swordswoman and Brawler to look at each other before turning around and seeing a lone third party with their right fist hammered down against the Flame Fenrir’s snout.
Dragon-Hybrid : “BOOYAH!” The dragon hybrid roared in excitement . “I finally found a Fenrir! Its color is different, but I don’t mind. They all taste the same regardless!”
The Flame Fenrir quickly ignored the party that started this fight and turned its aggression to the new attacker who entered the fray. With a very infuriated snarl, the beast tried to slash at the dragon hybrid with its right claw. In a close call, the newcomer barely avoided the attack and landed roughly 9 feet away from the Flame Fenrir. The trio watched and were completely bemused by this sudden guest.
Neptunia Re;Birth 2 OST - Solid Park
Prideful Brawler: “Who is that!?”
Rash Swordswoman: “The guy who decided to intrude in our fight!”
Cautious Mage: “A... dragon man?”
Turning his attention away from the Fenrir for a second to face the spectators, he gave them a small wave and wanted to talk.
Dragon-Hybrid: “Hey, you don’t mind if I help you out, right? I kinda was looking for a Fenrir to eat and-”
Completely unknown to this hybrid, the Flame Fenrir readied its breath weapon again. This time it would torch the dragon with all it had. The group noticed and cut off the dragon before he could finish talking.
Prideful Brawler: “MOVE YOU IDIOT! YOU’RE GONNA GET INCINERATED!”
Dragon-Hybrid: “Eh?”
Turning around, the dragon hybrid saw a fire breath coming towards him. From the adventurer’s perspective, they saw what happened next as the end of this stranger. With a loud growl, he was consumed by the monstrous flames. The fire breath burned the ground where the dragon hybrid stood. They didn’t hear a cry, so the trio assumed he was burned on the spot before he could react.
Rash Swordswoman: “Well… so much for that guy. Now that we have time, how about we start planning for-”
But then, to their surprise…
Dragon-Hybrid : “I’ve never met a Fenrir that could do that before!” The dragon hybrid laughed, coming out of the interaction unfazed.
The adventurers: “HE’S ALIVE!?!?” The three shouted in awe at the same time.
Dragon-Hybrid: “Oh please! That was nothing!”
Without further delay, the hybrid spread his azure wings out wide before lunging towards the Flame Fenrir to strike it with a right hook.
CRACK!
When his fist connected, the Flame Fenrir’s jaw was hit hard by the devastating right hook and left staggering. With only two hits landed so far, this individual managed to do more than the group could do in 15 minutes.
Once again, the beast attempted another slash, but the dragon hybrid was faster unlike the three behind him. Resulting in another miss from the Fenrir, he weaved around the claw attack.
Dragon-Hybrid : “THIS is how you claw someone,” he said before running past Fenrir’s left forward leg.
As he flew by, a strange energy surrounded his left wrist. The energy took the shape of a claw. With a diagonal sweep towards the limb, the Fenrir stumbled and was cut deep by the dragon hybrid’s energy slash. Unfortunately for the Fenrir, the wound caused him to be too slow to react in time for the next attack this hybrid would go for. Doing it again but from the right wrist, the dragon hybrid started to slash at each of Fenrir's legs. The hellish invader let out pained howls from each slash.
While the first slash felt like normal damage, the second slash’s impact was multiplied by the initial hit, the third sweep compounded on top of the second, and the fourth stacked on top of the third. This bizarre effect made it hard for the Flame Fenrir to stand; everything led it closer and closer to its end. Running around to the front of the beast one final time, the dragon hybrid jumped and backflipped in the air while positioning himself above the heavily wounded Fenrir.
Dragon-Hybrid : “ Heat Crash!”
Calling out the name of a technique, the hybrid shot down towards the Fenrir foot first with flames surrounding both legs. Aiming for the skull and barreling down at high speed, his feet connect with the Fenrir’s skull. CRUNCH! While the creature resisted the fire damage, the force from his foot dive was greatly amplified by the claw attacks that landed beforehand. One final wail came from this Flame Fenrir, before finally meeting its demise.
- END OF COMBAT ENCOUNTER! [ Neptunia Victory theme ] -
The adventurers who originally came to hunt this Flame Fenrir were left speechless, one of them left very humbled. They didn’t know what to think about being shown up by one half-human half-dragon, but at the very least, they were not dead.
Cautious Mage: “Excuse me sir!” She called to the dragon hybrid.
Her words caught his attention, making him remember the nearby spectators.
Dragon-Hybrid : “Oh, yeah? What’s up?” The dragon was very casual about the situation and display of strength, treating everything like a typical occurrence.
Rash Swordswoman: “Who are you? And how did you manage to survive that fire?” The Swordswoman spoke up, demanding to know the identity of this stranger.
Dragon-Hybrid: “Ah! About that…”
The dragon hybrid was about to introduce himself by stating his name, but an idea flew into his head. Moving away slightly from the Flame Fenrir’s body and being a bit forward, he rolled his wrists, clapped, pulled into a twirl, and struck a pose while dramatically pointing at the small audience.
Draco : “My name is Draco!” He proudly beamed. “I’m the dragon hybrid of these parts, AKA, Mount Sinai!”
While in Draco’s mind, he felt very cool with his impromptu performance. He hoped the group would be satisfied with his introduction. The mage was very pleased, giving claps and smiling. Since his crewmate decided to give some applause, so did the brawler. Eventually, the swordswoman provided some small claps too. Although they seemed to accept the small show… the location of this “Mount Sinai” didn’t ring any bells.
Prideful Brawler: “Okay, Draco, you answered the ‘who’ part, but not the ‘how’.”
Draco : “Oh, I thought that was obvious. I’m a dragon hybrid.” He restated.
Prideful Brawler: “I don’t get the correlation here. You know it's not every day you see some dragon-human half-breed walking about. Explain yourself.”
Draco : “Well, it’s kinda simple for me to understand.” Draco paused before elaborating. “I’m a dragon hybrid who uses fire. Therefore, I’m highly resistant to the element. That Fenrir's temperatures couldn’t even damage me, so I absorbed the flames. Make sense?”
The three took a moment to process Draco’s physiology, getting a solid grasp after a few seconds. However, one of them decided to go back to the comment about being from a Mountain named Sinai.
Rash Swordswoman: “I understand that part, but what is ‘Mount Sinai’?” She asks.
Cautious Mage: “Oh, about that, I don’t recall any mountains named ‘Sinai’ around the area…”
To address that part, Draco gave an answer that wasn’t what they expected.
Draco: “Oh, I made that name up myself! I sleep in a cave not too far from here, it’s near a nice and pretty area near a lake. And since I claimed the area and called it home, I decided to give it a name, which is why I called it ‘Mount Sinai’.”
Cautious Mage: “S-Sleep in a cave!?”
This bit of information confused the bunch more than it helped to understand Draco. It was hard to believe that someone would live in a cave instead of the comfort of a home. The concept seemed like it’d make life very hard for them to get behind, knowing how many habits would have to change.
Prideful Brawler: “So… you aren’t from any of these cities, but you’re from a cave in who knows where. Have you at least seen civilization?”
Draco: “Yeah, I have, but I rarely visit the cities. The times I’ve been down there only happen when people pay me back after I assist with defeating a monster. Kinda like how I did here.”
Rash Swordswoman: “Right… pay you back…”
Truth be told, this quest only gave them 6000 total credits. When split amongst the three, that left each person with 2000 each. In the grand scheme of things, this was at best only good for a quick meal. Trying to pull a fast one over Draco, the Brawler started to lie.
Prideful Brawler: “Unfortunately, Draco, we can’t give you anything. That Fenrir was why we even came out here in the first place. Credits aren’t any use to you since you don’t live in the city, so the most we can do is say thanks and-”
Draco: “Nono, you can still pay me back. I’ll make a deal with you.”
There was a time like this in the past when someone tried to cheat Draco; that was when he still was new to the concept of finances. After letting this happen twice and meeting kind adventurers, he never allowed someone to weasel their way out of repaying him.
Draco: “You can either give me this Fenrir and I’ll go take it to make a meal out of it, or you’ll take me to the nearest city and treat me to lunch after we redeem this guild quest you’re doing.”
A very disappointed Brawler groaned and knew that if he let Draco take the Fenrir for himself, his teammates wouldn’t be happy since that’d leave them without any money and be an effective waste of time on their part.
Cautious Mage: “That sounds pretty fair to me.” The mage agreed. “Are you two okay with getting lunch?”
Rash Swordswoman: “Sure! Treating someone to lunch isn’t too daunting, plus I think we know who’s gonna pay for Draco’s meal… don’t we?” The swordswoman glared at the Brawler, not giving them a chance to think weasel his way out of this.
Prideful Brawler: “Me and my…” In hindsight, the move was stupid since Draco plainly stated that he had assisted groups before, so their trio wouldn’t have been any different. “Okay! Fine! Lunch it is! Bring that Flame Fenrir with us so we can redeem this quest.”
Draco : “Thank you!” Draco smiled, eager to sink his teeth into something delicious.
PC CONTINENT - G-Force City
Hyperdimension Neptunia Re;birth 1 OST-Track 23- $100
After an uneventful walk from Verdant Pasture to G-Force City, one of the three cities in the PC Continent’s nation. The group carried the Flame Fenrir’s body to the guild and returned the completed quest. Draco, the Mage, and the Swordswoman were given 2000 credits each. Of course, the Brawler had to give up his share of the 6000 credits to Draco after trying to pull a stunt on him. Leaving the guild, the group took Draco to a local burger joint that had decent food for its price. The place was none other than “Gust Burger”.
Still sulking over his actions, the Brawler took at an empty booth while turning to Draco.
Prideful Brawler: “Go follow those two and get in line. Tell the cashiers what you want and come meet me back here.”
Draco : “Don’t worry, I know how this works,” he says. “I’ve eaten here a few times since its cheap, food doesn’t beat anything I could make on my own though. But that’s because its missing my special ingredient.”
Cautious Mage: “What’s it missing?”
Draco: “My magic touch! In other words… it just tastes better because I made it.”
The swordswoman gave a small nod to that, food tasted better if you managed to cook it right and do it yourself.
After a few minutes of waiting, the three of them returned to the booth with their respective items. They each had a simple meal combo. While Draco and the mage had a nugget and fries meal, the swordswoman opted for the burger variant. Right as everyone was seated, Draco was the first person to immediately start deviouring his food. The hunger of a dragon hybrid was something that wasn’t easily satiated.
Draco : “Mhmn! Nhot bhad for a rehawrd!” Draco said while scarfing down his food.
Cautious Mage: “Oh my…”
Rash Swordswoman: “Y-Yeesh… are you gonna slow down to take a breath?”
Draco: “Mhmn! Ohne sehc!”
Leaving roughly half the pack of fries left with 3 chicken nuggets remaining, Draco drank water before looking at the others.
Draco: “Okay what were you saying?”
The brawler laughed at Draco’s lack of restraint when it came to eating. At least it was genuine and kept things real. However, this left Draco confused and wondering what he was laughing at.
Draco: “What’s so funny?”
Prideful Brawler: “Little dragon, nobody is gonna take your meal from you. You eat like an animal.”
Draco: “...I’m half-dragon so, yeah, I guess I am eating like an animal.”
Prideful Brawler: “...”
Cautious Mage: “At least we know he won't waste food, good that he’s enjoying every bit of the meal.”
Draco: “I never waste food. Lemme tell you, I make sure to savor every bit of monster meat I get. Some parts are more favorable than others, but I still make sure that it all goes down when I’m hungry.”
Thinking this could be an interesting topic since monster meat is more of a luxury item for the group, the swordswoman prods for details.
Rash Swordswoman: “What ‘monster meat’ do you eat exactly?”
Draco: “Oh, I just slay some local animals. I mentioned eating Fenrirs, which happen to be my current favorite. But, I do also sometimes opt for Dogoo jelly or turn a Tulip monster into something crunchy. If I’m feeling really special, I might combine the Tulip leaves with Fenrir meat to make a ‘Fenrir wrap’ as I call it.”
Cautious Mage: “W-Why would you eat a Dogoo? They’re so… cute, tiny, and squishy.”
Prideful Brawler: “Sometimes when you gotta get a meal, you eat what you can. Does that sum it up?”
Draco: “Yeah, pretty much. I’m not that picky plus I got used to the taste of Dogoos. Depending on the species it can either be sour or just… tasteless.”
The three adventurers talked about monsters they encountered and theorized what each edible monster could taste like. However, it went completely unnoticed by Draco as he started to drown out their conversation. Eavesdropping on a conversation behind them, a more interesting discussion caught his attention.
Lax Cowboy: “You hear about what’s going on in the mainland?”
Dignified Fighter: “No. Does it matter?”
Lax Cowboy: “Oh don’t be like that. Of course, it matters.”
Dignified Fighter: “The PC Continent doesn't get involved too much in affairs from the other nations. But regardless, what happened?”
Lax Cowboy: “The CPUs are having more ASIC problems again. That organization is proving to be something, isn’t it?”
Dignified Fighter: “Mmph. I’ll say it again, it’s not our business. We’ve got our politics and problems here; no need for extraordinary measures. Galavanting around isn’t my style anyway.”
Lax Cowboy: “Aren’t you the adventurous one.”
Hearing this made Draco curious about the mainland. So turning to the group and interrupting whatever the changed topic was, Draco interjected.
Draco: “Do any of you know what's going on in the mainland?”
This was a strange question to hear out of a guy who likely wouldn’t be concerned with matters going on outside of “Mount Sinai” considering how little contact he had with civilizations outside of a few guild members.
Rash Swordswoman: “May I ask why you want to know about that stuff?”
Draco : “I… heard about it from the table behind us.” He answered.
Prideful Brawler: “Eavesdropping, got it.” The Brawler slouched in his seat slightly as he explained some details. “The mainland is a mess, apparently there's this organization called ‘ASIC’ going around promoting piracy and stealing Shares from the nations over there. Take my advice and don’t burden yourself with worrying about it.
Draco: “Um, have any of you guys tried investigating at least?”
Cautious Mage: “N-No, we can’t afford to do that.”
Draco: “What do you mean you can’t afford to?”
The group didn’t want to admit it to the dragon hybrid, but they were effectively living quest-to-quest. Due to their inconsistency in completing high-paying quests, they could sometimes put food on the table and pay rent.
Rash Swordswoman: “We… have our problems to handle here,” The swordswoman replied, putting their situation lightly. “Plus, it’s expensive for us to afford a ferry to head over to the closest nation. A trip to Lastation is about 27,576 Credits, which is a lot for us considering that’s per person. Plus, we’d have to start our lives over again.”
Draco: “...I see.”
Draco didn’t grasp the whole picture regarding the trio’s predicament, but he wouldn’t bother them about it. Eating the rest of his combo meal at a tame rate, Draco thought about the brawler’s explanation. Shares? ASIC? Piracy? Those were all new concepts to him. Whatever this ‘ASIC’ was doing sounded bad. He couldn’t explain why, but perhaps his decision to eavesdrop on the booth behind him was an opportunity. Secretly, Draco did want some more action in his life. To see more of the world and expand his horizons? This could be the chance to do just that. A smile formed on Draco’s face as he visualized the fun he could have, just thinking about said adventures and battles made his dragon blood pump.
Prideful Brawler: “Dragon boy,” The Brawler said, being the first to notice. “What are you smiling for?”
Draco: “Oh! It’s nothing! Just thinking about something cool. Where exactly is ‘Lastation’ by the way?”
Cautious Mage: “Um… you’d have to travel west to get there. That's the closest nation to the PC Continent. Are you… planning on going there?”
Draco : “Naaaah…” Draco said, trying to lie about his intentions. However, the group didn’t buy his fib for one second since Draco was bad at lying.
Rash Swordswoman: “You might be wearing sunglasses but I can tell that your gaze is averted. Draco, what are you thinking about?”
Draco: “...Gonna head somewhere and-”
Rash Swordswoman: “You’re planning on going to the mainland aren’t you?”
Draco: “...”
Cautious Mage: “You don’t have any money, how exactly are you going to get there?”
Draco: “I can just fly.”
The two ladies had mixed feelings about Draco’s proposal to get himself to Lastation. The Brawler however was very against that method.
Prideful Brawler: “You know flying across a body of water is very different than doing it on land. The sea can be very unforgiving at times.”
Despite this warning and attempt to sway him, Draco wasn’t concerned and took no notice.
Draco: “Pah! I’m a dragon and I can handle anything. Flying there won't take too long, I just gotta go west from here, and I’ll be there in no time.”
Cautious Mage: “B-But Draco, the weather-”
Draco: “Don’t worry, I’m tough and can handle a few drops of rain.”
Prideful Brawler: “Suit yourself then.” He snorted, knowing this would end badly for Draco if he wasn’t careful. “If you want to become Gamindustri’s first dragon hybrid driftwood, be our guest. I ain’t wasting time on caring if you don’t.”
Cautious Mage: “Eh!?”
Draco : “Just watch! I’ll be in Lastation in no time. I’m really fast too, shouldn’t take no more than…” Draco ran some imaginary numbers in his head. He didn’t know the real distance between Lastation and the PC Continent, so he threw out something that sounded legit. “Just about 30-45 minutes!”
This time to distance was unrealistic for anyone, even for a dragon hybrid. At this point, it seemed like Draco had made up his mind about this transatlantic journey.
Rash Swordswoman: “Oh boy there’s no stopping you isn’t there…” She sighed while pinching the bridge of her nose. “Whatever, go on and fly across. I hope you make it safe.”
Draco : “Mhmn! And safe travels I will have!” He said as he rose from his seat, starting to sprint for the exit of Gust Burger. Draco didn’t bother throwing away his trash, leaving it for the others to handle. “See-ya lot! I’m going to Lastation!”
Without waiting to hear what else the trio had to say, Draco ran out the doors and into the G-Force city’s streets. The group heard the wind picking up as Draco flapped his wings. Using the road as a runway, he bolted down the line and picked up speed. Once he was at the end, Draco shot into the sky, listening to the Mage’s directions and heading West for Lastation. With a distant and pumped-up roar, Draco called out.
Draco: “HERE I COME LASTATION!”
His booming voice and the sudden noise frightened passing citizens, some of whom recorded and took pictures of Draco before he was out of sight. The mediocre adventurers now looked at each other, wondering if Draco would even make the trip or if he’d come back to the PC Continent.
Prideful Brawler: “What a weirdo.”
Cautious Mage: “You think he’ll be fine?”
Rash Swordswoman: “...Probably. In all honesty, if he decided to stay a bit longer, I would’ve asked him to aid us and our guild quests. Might’ve been better for us since we need that help.”
Prideful Brawler: “We don’t need him. We’re enough to handle things, besides he’d only lower our rewards.” Although the Flame Fenrir left its mark on the group, someone tried to pretend like nothing happened.
Cautious Mage & Rash Swordswoman: “...”
Gamindustri: P-Sea
19-Splash Mountain (Open Season Score)
Soaring through the skies over the ocean and feeling the wind rushing against his face, Draco felt very pleased with himself. Despite the resistance from the other three, he was having the time of his life. It was infrequent for him to get a chance to stretch his wings. A nice and long journey from the PC Continent to the mainland of Gamindustri was perfect for him. Imaginations of all the fun awaited Draco polluted his mind. If things weren’t what he expected, then he would turn around and return to the comfort of Mount Sinai.
Unfortunately for the dragon hybrid, nature wasn’t on his side. Before he realized it, the weather changed. At one moment, the ocean was calm with clear skies. But as he reached a cloudier section, raindrops started tapping against him. The rain didn’t bother Draco at first because the rain was nothing more than a drizzle. Soon, it became more noticeable and heavier. Draco found himself in a storm with two options: either keep going or turn around and try again in the morning.
Draco : “Just my luck! Right when I’m probably halfway there!” He snapped, grumbling as he became damp and cold from the weather.
He looked around for any land, but there was nothing nearby to use as a temporary shelter until the storm let up. Draco’s gut wouldn’t let him turn around, it told him to keep going since Lastation wasn’t too far away. Despite everything, the sea was still manageable, and the waves weren't too high. Lightning struck around, but it never got near Draco.
Draco: “Heh, like I said,” Draco chuckles. “I’m a dragon, I can handle anything. Even the stormiest of all weathers. Just a bunch of raindrops and-”
RUMBLE!
After he felt confident in his navigation abilities and luck, a thunderbolt zapped the dragon hybrid out of the air.
Draco: “BAAAAH!” He cried in agony, plunging into the water.
The voltage took the strength out of his wings, rendering the appendages briefly unusable. The aggressive waves tossed and jerked him around like a ragdoll. He flipped, was tossed out of the water, went left, right, and seemingly went in every direction possible. His muffled draconic pleas were drowned by seawater and the storm. The sea showed him some mercy as the water reached a moment of calm, allowing the dragon hybrid to surface for air.
Draco: “PLEH!” He spat out water and coughed to clear his throat. “Okay, lightning struck once, but as some of those cityfolk say, ‘Lightning never strikes twice’.”
Draco started swimming in a breaststroke, something he learned from observing the occasional visitors at a lake near Mount Sinai. It took him some practice, but he learned how to swim. Unknown to him, a pod of dolphin monsters lurked around these waters. The species of dolphin, the Cyber Dolphin. They could manage the toughest waters without problem. Draco hears some water splashing but doesn't take any notice of it. Then, he heard it again, and again, and again. It sounded like multiple creatures were swimming towards him.
Draco: “What the—” Right when Draco took a second to pause and look around himself…
THWACK!
Draco: “—AAUGH!”
Draco was smacked back down into the water again. One of the Cyber Dolphins jumped out of the water and slammed its tail against the back of Draco’s head before he could turn around to see it coming. A consensus among sailors for Cyber Dolphins says that if you ever go overboard with these creatures around, the odds of you coming out alive are unlikely.
Draco: “Blurb! Bluuufb!” Draco frantically glanced around the waters, spotting two aggressive Cyber Dolphins staring right at him. The aquatic creatures weren't ordinary dolphins, far from it. They had wings, horns, and armor on their torsos. To make matters worse for himself, the waves started to pick back up in aggressiveness. The brief moment of calm ended at the worst possible time.
Coming at him like a torpedo, the Cyber Dolphin on the left accelerated towards Draco to jab its horn into his torso. Reacting quickly as his draconic survival instincts took control, Draco narrowly avoided the first Dolphin’s rush. The second one circled the dragon hybrid in an attempt to horizontally slap its tail against his right side.
With an intense focus and sheer determination to survive, Draco ducked under the sweep and had time to perform a counterattack. Channeling his draconic inheritance, a claw created from draconic energy formed around his right hand. With a mighty slash, Draco cleaves a deep gash in the lower body of the second dolphin, the creature winces with agony. This triumphant moment gave Draco some pride and confidence in himself.
Draco [In his thoughts]: “That’ll show him! No matter the battlefield or weather, don’t mess with me!”
This gloating resulted in him being distracted long enough for a third aquatic creature to bite his tail. The sudden jolt of pain injected all the senses back into him.
Draco: “BLRRRAAAH!” Draco let out a drowned scream, causing him to inhale some of the seawater as he felt himself get flung downward.
Fortunately, the dragon hybrid finally felt his wings again. Using his appendages, Draco stabilized himself while properly assessing how many dolphins were after him. A total of five circled from above, the clock was ticking, and Draco needed to resurface for air soon. The Cyber Dolphins, from their experience when attacking humans, knew they could only be underwater for so long before drowning.
Draco [In his thoughts]: “Just what are these weird cheap imitations of dragons!? They aren’t reptiles, yet they have wings and horns!?” Panicking from the pressure, Draco’s mind raced with ideas and their respective outcomes. “If I can get out of the water again, I’ll be—”
RATTLE-RATTLE-RATTLE!
Quickly taking his eyes off the dolphins for a moment, a new creature entered the picture. A massive grey skeletal fish began surfacing from the depths. By all means, the fish shouldn’t be “alive”, yet somehow it very much was. Regardless, Draco had an idea as a door opened itself.
Draco [In his thoughts]: “Whatever that thing is… I’m using it!”
Swimming as fast as he could, Draco shot downward towards the undead fish. The Dolphins assumed their newfound prey was trying to get away, so the pod charged at him like torpedoes. When Draco got within close distance of the third party, he flipped around and firmly planted his feet against its large cranium while keeping his eyes on the surface. The dolphins would surely devour him if he couldn’t escape the Cyber Dolphins. If he failed right now, the mainland and everything beyond the P-Sea would never be his to experience.
Putting every ounce of strength into this Hail Mary, Draco propelled himself towards the top while spinning wildly. The waters shook from Draco’s intense rotation, and everything nearby shook violently as he became a living human-dragon drill. All five of the Cyber Dolphins found it nearly impossible to swim. By sheer luck, one of the five barely avoided getting pummeled by Draco as he zipped by. For the rest of the attackers, they were struck hard and fell victim to the underwater currents Draco created. Each of the dolphins scattered in random directions, unwilling to continue the chase.
Finally, right as he reached his limit, a wave of relief and triumph washed over Draco as he spat out the inhaled water. Once he was free, Draco didn’t look back or stop flying. He was a bit dizzy, but at the very least alive and victorious.
Draco: “BOOYAH!” He roared. “IT’S JUST LIKE I TOLD THEM BACK AT THE BURGER JOINT.”
The Cyber Dolphins were no longer of his concern; all that he had to do was keep moving west, and Draco would arrive at Lastation. The waves were still on the rough side, but meant nothing to an airborne dragon.
Draco: “I’m a dragon hybrid, and I can handle anything.” He boasts to himself. “No matter if I’m out in the open sea, walking on land, soaring in the sky, or even submerged underwater… DRAGONS ARE NUMBER 1!”
While Draco was being consumed by the pride of a dragon hybrid after his victory, a new gargantuan creature decided to arise from the sea for air. Coming out of the water gracefully, a Saint Whale made its presence known with its bell-like cry. Draco turned his head to look at the behemoth of a creature. Still atop the peak of his pride, Draco assumed it had the same intention as the earlier aquatic creature he faced.
Draco: “Listen up tubby!” He called to the Saint Whale. “I’m not on the diet today, how about you buzz off!”
Without thinking about it for more than a second, Draco hurled a stray fireball at its left fin. The attack left no marks, but the Saint Whale was very annoyed by the sudden attack. If Draco hadn’t thrown out his attack, things might’ve gone differently.
Saint Whale: “ GROOOOAAAAN… ”
Immediately after hearing that cry, Draco saw the mistake he had made.
Draco: “Uh oh…”
It was too late for an escape attempt, the Saint Whale’s retaliation was already in motion, Draco couldn’t evade in time and was met with a resounding-
SLAP!
The impact from the whale’s fin meeting Draco’s body knocked him out and hurled him far away. At first, Draco traveled in a straight line at breakneck speeds, skipped across the water like a throwing stone, before finally being tossed around by the ocean’s currents. Draco found himself helpless and at the mercy of the storm, with all that unfolded. The destination of Draco’s arrival on the mainland remained unknown…
