After Elijah vanished from view, Max decided to also leave the bar. Luckily, the Hunter had paid before suddenly disappearing into thin air.
Now, the young dragon was on his way back home. Hands tucked into his pockets, his head lowered, he walked through the dimly lit streets, thinking hard and trying to make sense of everything Elijah had told him.
’Demons... dragons... wars... hybrids... AHH, shit! I’ll get a huge headache soon because of all this.’ Max thought as his footsteps echoed faintly against the cobblestones. He tried to picture humans working together with dragons, but the image refused to make sense in his mind.
’This feels so surreal. Myths I always heard when I was a kid back on earth are exactly what’s happening here on this world. If I wasn’t a dragon myself, I wouldn’t have believed it. And to top it off, I actually fought with a demon today.’
’Crazy work right there. Speaking of demons, let me check my rewards for slaying that demon.’
Without hesitation, he opened his system, navigating to the last message he had received while still walking home.
{The system is shocked! Host has managed to defeat a greater fiend demon.}
{Quest Completed! Rewards will now be distributed}
{Rewards distributed!}
{+2000XP; +5 AGI; +5 STR; +5 free stat points; +1 new skill.}
’Yoo!’ Max exclaimed inwardly, halting abruptly in shock. ’All these from just one fight with a demon? Wow! That’s crazy mehn.’
"Status," Max muttered as he resumed walking.
{Race: Draconic Scion}
{HP: 100/100} {MP: 150/150}
{INT: 41} {Partners: 2}
{Congratulations! Host has leveled up ×3}
{+1 stat points to all stats}
’That’s nice.’ Max thought as he swiped the glowing screen from his face and quickened his pace. ’I feel so much stronger.’ He clenched and unclenched his fists, feeling raw strength coursing through his body like a steady tide of fire. His veins buzzed with energy, and even the night air felt lighter against his skin.
"Let me see my new skill."
{Skill name: Draconic Suppression Aura}
{Type: Passive | Area Control}
{Description: Host’s aura will exude a natural dominance field.
Enemies within range will feel sluggish, afraid, or even unable to use full power, especially if they’re demonic or hybrid.}
{Cooldown: 20 minutes}
"Fascinating, I guess... This is just like my dragon roar but with a much wider range compared to it. Sluggish... sounds nice, especially if I’m faced against faster enemies. Enemies that move almost like the speed of light.
Even if they slow down a tad, that’s enough for me to strike back. I’d actually be able to do something against them." Max mumbled, already finding use for the new ability.
’My fight with that demon was way too difficult. I was pushed to the brink of death again. And to think that it was just above the lowest tier of demons and I still ended up in that condition. I hate to even imagine the others, especially the upper echelon guys.
Wait! Those were the same ones Elijah mentioned. When they stepped onto the battlefield, everything changed. Is that how strong they are? Crap! If those are the types of enemies I’ll be facing, then I need to grow stronger soon.’ Max thought, his fists clenching tightly at his sides.
"But first thing’s first, I need to find a place for Mia to stay. She’ll be discharged soon." He muttered to himself, his voice barely above a whisper as the night stretched endlessly ahead.
It’s been three days since Max battled the demon in the alleyway, and during those days, he never once took out the card or even considered going to the Hunter Association.
He had tucked it somewhere safe at home, deciding not to dwell on it for now. Instead, he spent his time visiting Mia every single day, making sure she was alright, and also working on finding proper living arrangements for her. Thankfully, after a bit of searching and talking, he finally found one that was suitable.
Today, Mia was officially discharged, and the two of them hailed a taxi together.
"22 Avenue," Max said calmly to the driver, leaning back as the cab rolled forward through the bustling streets.
"Damian, you still haven’t told me who this generous friend of yours is," Mia said, raising a brow. She glanced at him, noting how he remained in his Draconic form, a casual smile resting on his face as though everything was already under control.
"You’ll see soon enough. Just be patient," Max replied, his tone teasing.
Mia clicked her tongue in annoyance, clearly hating the suspense, and turned her gaze back to the passing scenery as the taxi continued moving.
After a short while, the cab came to a halt in front of a medium-sized bungalow. It wasn’t extravagant, but it had a warm and homely feel. In front of the small gate stood a beautiful woman dressed in a simple shirt and shorts, her radiant smile welcoming them even before they stepped out.
"Welcome back, Damian," Camila greeted warmly, tilting her head as her gaze shifted to the girl stepping out of the cab.
"And I suppose this must be the friend you mentioned."
"Yeah." Max nodded, moving slightly to the side so Mia could stand beside him. "Mia, meet Camila—the one you’ll be staying with. Camila, this is Mia."
"Nice to meet you, and thank you so much for letting me stay in your home," Mia said sincerely, reaching her hand forward for a polite shake.
But instead of taking it, Camila swatted the hand away with a grin.
"Come on now, why are you being so formal?" she said playfully, pulling Mia into a sudden, tight hug. "Damn, Damian! Your friend’s quite the cutie."
Max scratched the back of his head and chuckled nervously, watching the two women interact. Soon, the trio headed inside, the atmosphere light but tinged with something unspoken.
"Is Lizzy around?" Max asked as he and Camila helped Mia unpack in the guestroom.
"Nope. She went out with her friend," Camila answered casually.
"Oh," Max muttered, almost absentmindedly.
"You still haven’t told me how you two met," Camila said suddenly, her sharp eyes flicking between Mia and Damian.
"Oh, right." Max chuckled again, this time more awkwardly. He went on to narrate honestly—explaining how Mia had originally mistaken him for a male escort, the chaos that followed, and their wild adventure that eventually led to the battle at her home.
"So the two of you ended up doing something together?" Camila asked, clicking her tongue in thinly veiled disappointment.
Max only nodded slowly, his thoughts already drifting elsewhere, completely oblivious to the metaphorical daggers Camila’s eyes were drilling into Mia’s back.
’What’s her deal? Why does it feel like she’s glaring at me?’ Mia thought uneasily. Her eyes shifted to Camila before widening slightly. ’Wait... how does Damian even know her? Did they...?’ The possibility of the two having slept together flashed in her mind, making her frown.
’Nah... no way. Not possible... right?’