"Human Dragon!" Elijah shouted as he leapt from the roof he was on, landing in the narrow alleyway without so much as a scratch.
He didn’t linger for even a heartbeat before dashing toward Max, who had just crashed into the ground.
In the span of a second, Elijah was upon him, twisting his body so that he could kneel by Max’s side. There, lying sprawled on the cold, cracked floor, was the dragon—huffing and panting, pain etched deep across his features.
Though still conscious, Max’s battered body trembled as his ragged, labored breath escaped his lips. His vision swam as he locked eyes with the man in front of him.
Recognition dawned. It didn’t take long before Max realized who it was—the same man who had approached him a few days back, the same one who had guided him with cryptic advice. And now, here he was again.
Yellow eyes bore into him, glowing faintly in the darkness—eyes filled with concern, but also carrying a weight of worry.
Long black hair, tied back neatly into a ponytail with a simple band, framed a sharp and intimidating face. His attire was equally striking: black pants, a tight-fitting shirt that clung to his build, and a blade strapped securely to his waist.
But what caught Max’s attention most was the insignia displayed on his chest which was an emblem of a broken fang.
"Are you okay?" Elijah asked, his tone calm but edged with urgency as he crouched beside Max.
"I... I’m fine," Max muttered between shallow breaths, still lying flat. His body had begun healing, but at a painfully slow rate.
"Here." Without waiting for protest, Elijah uncorked a small bottle filled with a shimmering red liquid and pressed it to Max’s lips, forcing him to drink.
{System has detected healing potion}
{HP will now refill, wounds will heal at an accelerated rate}
Almost instantly, the potion surged through him like fire in his veins. His body responded, knitting torn flesh and sealing ruptured wounds at a rapid pace.
His swollen, bloodied eyes shimmered faintly before clearing, returning to normal. Slowly but surely, the dragon’s body was restored to prime condition—though exhaustion still weighed heavily on his frame.
Pushing himself upright, Max sat and stared at the stranger before him.
"Thank you," he said simply.
"Tch." Elijah scoffed, straightening to his full height, his eyes never leaving Max.
"Why are you helping me though?" Max asked, suspicion coloring his words as he rose as well.
"I don’t think I’m entitled to explain myself, now am I?" Elijah countered, his brow raising ever so slightly.
"Hmm." Max mumbled, gaze flickering down to his body—once again whole.
"I refuse to believe you went undercover in a slum town, conveniently knew how to kill that demon vessel, helped me with Mia’s hospital bill, knew about my evolution, and now appear here again to save me. No... that’s too many coincidences strung together. I think I deserve an explanation."
Elijah said nothing. Instead, he exhaled deeply, his head tilting in mild exasperation.
"It’s true... dragons are always so stubborn and over-obstinate."
’Huh? He knows what I am?’ Max’s chest tightened as unease crept into him. ’This man... he’s no ordinary human. There’s something else hiding beneath his surface.’
"Before I answer your question," Elijah said at last, his piercing gaze scanning Max from head to toe, "I want you to answer mine. Earlier, when you were fighting the demon... you said something about your previous life. What did you mean?"
Max froze. His thoughts spun wildly.
’Yikes! He heard that too? Shit! How the hell am I supposed to explain that? What should I even say?’
"Speak the truth." Pix’s voice rang sharply in his mind. "Trust me—you can trust him. Tell him the truth."
’Huh? Wait! Pix, who the hell are you really? I thought you were just some system guide, but the way you’re talking... it’s like you know far more than you’re letting on. So tell me, who the fuck are you?’ Max demanded internally.
"I’ve already told you who I am," Pix replied curtly. "I’m your system guide. I exist to keep you on the right path. Nothing more."
"Will you answer?" Elijah’s voice cut in, firm and steady. "Or should I leave?"
Max clenched his jaw, sighing deeply. Against his better judgment, he felt his resolve waver. And in that moment, he decided that he would trust Pix’s words.
"I...I will tell you," Max said at last, his tone steady but his eyes flickering slightly. "I’m not of this world.
I can’t go into much detail for now, but all I can tell you is that I got murdered in my world and the next thing I know, I found myself here with these strange powers which I slowly began uncovering on my own."
"I see." Elijah nodded slowly, his expression calm but his gaze sharp, as though he was trying to peer directly into Max’s soul.
Max deliberately chose not to mention Pix or the system. He knew no one would believe him if he said that after waking up in this strange new world, a glowing blue screen had suddenly appeared, telling him what he was and what his purpose would be.
That same system had not only declared him to be a dragon vessel destined to conquer women, it had also given him strange quests as time went on.
Some quests pushed him to test his limits, others forced him into danger, and some seemed to have rewards that were far too suspicious to be coincidences.
Oh, and let’s not forget the cherry on top. He had also received an annoying system guide that liked to act mysterious and obviously hid a lot from him.
"Annoying? Really? That’s what you think about me? Wow! And to think I was being a helpful little creature." Pix’s sarcastic voice suddenly echoed in Max’s mind, snapping him out of his thoughts.
’Yeah! Helpful indeed,’ Max shot back internally.
Meanwhile, Elijah’s thoughts were racing. ’Something doesn’t add up. If he isn’t originally from this world, then why did he get chosen to become a dragon? There are literally millions, if not billions of people on this planet, and somehow he’s the one who got chosen? Heck!
There are even cult groups who literally call themselves dragon worshippers. Why didn’t one of them get chosen instead? Why him? Could it be that the master was right? Is he truly a special person, or is this nothing more than a cruel twist of fate?’
His eyes narrowed slightly, the weight of suspicion still heavy as he kept glaring at Max, questions swirling in his mind like a storm.
"So...I have answered your question," Max finally said, his voice firm as he locked eyes with Elijah. "How about I get my own answers? Who the hell are you? And why have you been stalking me for so many days?"
"Firstly, I’m not a stalker," Elijah snapped back instantly, his voice sharp with irritation. "Don’t make me sound like some creep lurking in the shadows."
"My bad," Max muttered under his breath, though his smirk hinted he wasn’t entirely sorry.
"Better," Elijah replied, easing his glare just slightly. "Now for a short introduction, I’m Elijah. And I’m a Hunter."
"Hunter?" Max repeated with a raised eyebrow, genuine confusion written across his face. "You mean like people that go into forests to hunt animals?"
"The fuck do you mean?" Elijah growled angrily, his voice booming with insult. "We aren’t the kind of people who go after weak, innocent animals just to put food on the table."
"Then what are you exactly?" Max asked, curiosity sharpening his tone.
"We are Hunters," Elijah declared with pride swelling in his chest. "We hunt dangerous, city-destroying beasts, rogue hybrids, and, lastly, we occasionally hunt demons."
"Hunt d...demons?" Max stuttered, his voice trembling with a mixture of shock and awe as he stared at the man in front of him. The very word felt heavy, and for the first time, he realized just how different and dangerous this new world truly was.