[ Name: Yuki Igarashi ]
[ Age: 5 Years (Physical) ]
[ Lifespan: 30 Years ]
[ Species: Frost Dragon ]
[ Level: 2 ]
[ Strength: 9 ]
[ Agility: 6 ]
[ Defense: 7 ]
[ Mana: 11 ]
[ Skills: Shell Sense (F), Frost Breath (F) ]
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Yuki stared at the translucent screen floating in the air before his eyes. The faint glow from the text reflected in his icy-blue pupils.
"Level 2 already..." he murmured internally.
Consuming his eggshell must have granted him a chunk of experience points. That was the only explanation for such a sudden jump in level. His physical stats had also risen a little, barely.
But he could feel the difference in his bones and muscles already.
His gaze then fell on his mana stat. Only, 11 points. He had no real comparison to judge it against, but something told him it wasn't anything impressive.
Still, what caught his attention most were the skills.
Shell Sense (F): Essentially useless now that he was no longer trapped inside an egg.
Frost Breath (F): A racial ability inherited from the Frost Dragon lineage. A decent starting move, but probably weak in its current form.
He sighed inwardly.
"So this is what I have to work with? If a wild hen kicked me right now, I'd probably struggle to survive. What a joke of a dragon I am."
By dragon standards, his starting stats were almost pitiful. But he didn't let it bother him for long.
After all, this System wasn't just for show.
There were still two more functions he had yet to consider.
As Yuki focused on the status screen, two softly glowing icons appeared, pulsing with quiet power.
[ Dragon God Codex ]: A vast, evolving archive. Allows the host to extract and catalog the traits, species, bloodlines, and skills of dragons and other monsters.
[ Fusion Lab ]: A unique domain within the system. It allows stored genetic or metaphysical data to be combined. To create Hybrid evolutions, multi-trait skill trees, and new bloodlines can be synthesized here
The moment he looked at them, knowledge rushed into his mind. It felt natural, as if these functions were a part of his soul.
The Dragon God Codex was a magical archive, capable of absorbing skills, traits, and even bloodlines from other creatures. Once something was defeated or subdued, it could be stored and integrated into Yuki's System.
The Fusion Lab was even more mysterious. It allowed the combination and synthesis of absorbed powers, evolving them into hybrid forms. Dragons, beasts, spirits, demons, even lesser monsters could serve as materials. There seemed to be no limit to what could be created.
Yuki's heart pounded with excitement.
This was his real advantage. Stats could be improved with time, but these two functions were what made him dangerous. Still, there was a catch.
At his current level, he was weak. Too weak to challenge anything significant. If he wanted to test his powers, he would need to start with something small. A squirrel, a rabbit, maybe a harmless bug with some strange trait. Anything that would not bite back too hard.
But then came the bigger problem.
"Yukiiiii!"
That little girl. Again.
Before he could react, the girl scooped him up and pulled him close to her chest. She sat down on the wooden floor, cradling him like a favorite toy.
"You're so cold and soft. You're perfect for hugging in this hot weather!"
She smiled and nuzzled his head with delight.
Yuki squirmed, his tail twitching with frustration.
"Let me go, little girl. I have things to do. Skills to harvest. Power to gain."
Of course, to her, it only sounded like adorable squeaks and tiny dragon growls.
"Ehehehe.. Are you trying to talk again? You're so cute when you do that Yuki. I think you're hungry. Wait right here, I'll get something good for you!"
She hugged him even tighter and stood up, carrying him like a plush companion.
Yuki sighed internally.
"This is going to be more difficult than I imagined."
The little girl then went outside into the jungle, humming softly as she skipped along the overgrown path.
Yuki rested in her arms, assuming it was just another peaceful stroll. That was until she suddenly stopped.
"Puchi!"
A sharp sound rang out as a metal harpoon formed in her hands out of thin air. Without hesitation, she aimed and threw it forward.
It tore through the air with speed and precision.
"Squelch!"
A rabbit burst from the underbrush. Its eyes glowed red, and it moved with unnatural agility. Yet the harpoon struck true, piercing through its side and pinning it cleanly to a tree.
The creature gave one last twitch before going limp.
Yuki's eyes widened.
That was no ordinary rabbit. It pulsed with magic. A low-tier magical beast at the very least. Its movements were too sharp and too fast for any normal animal.
But she had taken it down in a single shot.
"There you go, Yuki." she said cheerfully. "I got food for you."
She turned and held up the rabbit's lifeless body with both hands, her small frame lifting it with shocking ease.
Yuki stared at her in disbelief.
"Monster."
He didn't say it out loud, but the word echoed clearly in his thoughts.
She had seemed like a pitiful little girl when he first met her. To be living alone in the jungle. Fragile. Harmless. Someone who needed protection.
Now, he wasn't so sure.
She had summoned a weapon out of nothing. She had struck down a magical creature without flinching. She didn't even hesitate.
Yuki could only watch her closely as she grinned and carried the rabbit like it weighed nothing.
The little girl had shimmering golden, wavy hair that danced lightly in the breeze. Her face was soft and youthful, with a small, cute nose. She looked no older than five or six. The tattered dress she wore was frayed at the edges, worn from time and travel. Her skin was smooth like a newborn's, and her limbs delicate, but the power that lingered around her was real. Palpable. It crackled faintly in the air, just beneath the surface.
She carried the rabbit's corpse back inside the hut and placed it gently on the wooden floor.
"Go on, Yuki. Eat as much as you like," she said, smiling brightly. "Don't be shy. I heard your stomach growling already."
Yuki blinked at her, stunned for a moment. Her cheerful tone and the frightening power she held made for a strange mix.
'You're letting me eat this whole thing?' he muttered to himself, then nodded slightly.
'Alright then. I won't waste your generosity, little girl. But don't blame me for eating all of it. I'm so hungry I could finish ten of these in one sitting...'
He shuffled toward the rabbit, his icy blue eyes gleaming with beastly hunger.