5 Scarlet Dragon

Now when I say huge, I mean really huge.

The dragon was so large, probably around the size of an entire parking lot. Its body was covered in red scales and it had two pairs of large wings.

Curiously, I slowly approached it until I stepped on a stick.

Snap!

"GAAAAAAAAAAAAAAOO!!!!!" It uttered a violent ear-piercing roar that echoed through the sky. Then it flipped around, our eyes met. It had a crimson diamond-shaped slit as an eye with a black sclera.

"A… monkey?" It spoke with a deep male voice. It can talk? Why doesn't that surprise me actually?

"I've never seen a monkey like you before." It said. Never seen a monkey like me before? Am I the only monkey that looks like this? Well now that I think about it this is a fantasy world so maybe regular monkeys don't exist.

"Can you talk?" It said. Should I respond? I guess I should.

"H-hello." Is what I said, but only gibberish came out. Yeah, I don't think I can communicate with this guy.

"Greetings." It responded. Wait, it can understand me?

"You can understand me?"

"Of course, I speak monkey after all."

I don't know whether to feel offended or not. But anyway.

"Whew, I was starting to think no one would be able to understand what I am saying."

"Is that so?"

"Yeah."

"Interesting…"

"What's interesting?"

"The way you walk, it's almost as if your human."

"Well actually. I am a human, reincarnated in the body of a monkey."

"That would make sense since I can gaze into your soul. A monkey inhabited by a human soul and consciousness. That is interesting."

"Yeah…"

The dragon would lift its neck and look down at me.

"Forgive me, I should introduce myself. My name is Pharaoh, the Scarlet Dragon Emperor."

"Scarlet Dragon… Emperor?"

Pharaoh chuckled, "I wouldn't expect you to know who I am since you probably came from another world. I, Pharaoh, am one of the Dragon Emperors."

One of the dragon emperors? I'm so confused.

"So… how does that explain how you fell from the sky?"

"Ahh… that would be too much for your mind to comprehend. Let's just say I lost a battle."

"A battle? Against who?"

"Against my rival. Oceana, the Cerulean Dragon Empress."

"Empress? You lost to a woman?"

"You… you could say that."

"That's kinda embarrassing isn't it?"

"Gender doesn't matter. The only thing that matters is our strength."

"I see…"

Pharaoh tried to lift himself up but dropped flat onto the ground, lightly shaking the ground on impact.

"Whoa, are you alright?"

"It seems my life force is fading away. Looks like Oceana won again. That last attack did hurt pretty badly. I can't live with this. She's beaten me more than I could beat her."

Blood was gushing out from his chest and I could see his exposed heart. The light in his eyes was slowly fading away.

This isn't good. I just met this guy. There needs to be something I could do to help. But what can I do?

"Umm… is there a way to save you?"

"Sadly no… I will just fade and go through the path of reincarnation again in another thousand years."

"Hmm…"

Ding!

Huh?

[Note: A creature's life force is stored inside their core.]

A creature's life force is stored inside the core? How is that gonna help me?

Wait a minute.

"Umm, Scarlet Dragon Emperor."

"You may call me Pharaoh."

"Yes Pharaoh, I believe there is no need for reincarnation."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, you see… I can absorb a creature's core."

Pharaoh stayed silent for a while. Then he chuckled.

"Hehehehe, so… you want to absorb the core of the Scarlet Dragon Emperor, Pharaoh?"

"Yeah, I mean, it's ok if yo-"

Suddenly, Pharaoh erupted in laughter. Huh? Was something I said funny?

"Interesting, you are interesting indeed. Very well, I will let you absorb the core of the Scarlet Dragon Emperor."

"Huh? You will?"

"Indeed."

"Oh…"

Well, that was easier than expected. I mean, he just accepted it just like that.

"You aren't going to like, decline, or anything?"

"No, of course not. If anything, I want to see how well you can handle my power."

"So you're willing to-"

"Indeed. But before I do that, may I know your name?"

"Uhh, it's Yamato."

"Yamato, I will etch that name into my memory. Now then, shall we proceed?"

"Uhh sure. Let's begin."

Pharaoh nodded and opened the wound in his chest.

"My core is near my heart. It will be easier for you if you absorb my core from my heart directly."

"Oh, that's how it works?"

Alright then.

I approached Pharaoh's heart and I could hear it beating.

Doki… doki… doki…

I placed my hand on his heart. Now, what do I do?

[Notice: Please pour your Mp into the target's heart. Then you will be able to reach and extract their core.]

I would do what was said. I would pour my Mp into Pharaoh's heart. My Mp began to decrease rapidly. A minute passed and this was my Mp.

[Mp: 1,402/2,178]

I had my eyes closed and kept on pouring my Mp. Then there was light. A brilliant red light. Is this the core?

"I have released all the protections on my core in order for you to reach it. If I had left all my protections on, your body would've started disintegrated by now."

What the hell? Why is it that I'm always getting warned after I do something? Whatever, at least I'm not dead.

Forms of strings would wrap around the light. Here I go.

I clutched my hands and pulled.

"Ack… almost… there…" Pharaoh said as his heart began beating rapidly.

Doki-doki-doki~

Shine!

I could see the core! It was glowing a bright red color. Just need to keep pulling it!

A few seconds later, I fell onto the ground.

"Fu, fu, did I do it?"

I got up and in front of me was a small orb of red energy.

"I-I did it. I did it Pharaoh, I did… it."

Pharaoh didn't speak, nor move. His heart, it stopped beating.

"Pharaoh? Scarlet Dragon Emperor?"

[Note: Once one's core is removed, they will cease to live.]

So… he's dead because I removed his core? Shit. It does make sense though since the core is where one's life force is.

"So then, how do I absorb this again?"

[Through the process of ingestion.]

Oh… I have to eat this? I kinda forgot about that.

But can I really down this whole thing? It's like… the size of a baseball.

"Well, I guess there's no other way," I said as I stuffed the core into my mouth.

For a minute, I began choking because of the size.

"W-water!"

I'd force water into my throat to push the core inside. C'mon! C'mon!

Eventually, I swallowed it.

"Ow… never gonna do that again."

Ring!

[Core absorbed: Scarlet Dragon Emperor Core(Lvl1)]

[Moniker Updated: Yamato Pharaoh]

Hmm? Does having my name change do anything or is it just vanity? Well, not like it's important, I want to see what the core does.

[Scarlet Dragon Emperor Core(Lvl1): All Attributes +100; Heart of the Red Emperor(Passive Skill), Scarlet Dragon Emperor's Legacy(Passive Skill), Wrath of the Scarlet Dragon(Passive Skill), Dragon Tongue(Passive Skill); ???(Active Skill); ???(Skill), ???(Skill), ???(Skill)]

Whoa, that is a lot of Passive skills. What does each one do?

[Heart of the Red Emperor: ???]

[Scarlet Dragon Emperor's Legacy: Level up rate 2x; ???]

[Wrath of the Scarlet Dragon: ???]

[Dragon Tongue: Allows you to fluently speak the ancient language of the dragons]

Huh? Are you kidding me? Question marks?!

[Heart of the Red Emperor requires you to be level 150.]

[Scarlet Dragon Emperor's Legacy requires you to be level 500.]

[Wrath of the Scarlet Dragon requires-???]

Damn, so I need to become level 150 and 500 to know the rest?! Damn it. But wait, what does the third one require? Is it a secret? Well, that's not very informative. Damn it. And the active skill? Same thing? What about the skills?

[???(Active Skill) requires you to be level 69.]

[???(Skill) requires you to be level 110.]

[???(Skill) requires you to be level 90.]

[???(Skill) requires you to be level 60.]

Oh… well at least that's a bit better.

Ding!

[Soul Rank Ascension is available.]

Oh yeah, I almost forgot about that. Let's do it.

[Soul Rank Ascended!]

[Soul Rank: Cruel]

[Task Completed!]

[Rewards Received: Level +5, Stat Points +50]

[Next Soul Rank Ascension will be available at Level 30]

Alright! That is what I've been waiting for. Let me check my stats.

"Status."

———————

[Info]

[Moniker: Yamato]

[Race: Monkey]

[Class: Vacant]

Soul Rank: Cruel

Core(s): Scarlet Dragon Emperor Core (Lvl1)

Title(s): Vacant

[Stats]

Level: 22

Hp: 4,601/4,601

Mp: 11,714/11,714

Strength: 43(+100)

Agility: 42(+100)

Defense: 43(+100)

Perception: 41(+100)

Intelligence: 41(+100)

Stat Points: 65

[Skills: Absolute Water Manipulation, Fire Resistance, ???, ???, ???]

[Passive skill(s): Heart of the Red Emperor, Scarlet Dragon Emperor's Legacy, Wrath of the Scarlet Dragon, Dragon Tongue]

[Active skill(s): ???]

———————

65 stat points huh? Guess I can split it evenly. 13 for each.

I notice that I can level up the core. How do I do that?

[By slaying monsters.]

Oh, that was actually a bit obvious.

Alright then, it looks like I'm going to have to start farming. And I know exactly where to go.

Back to the forest!

With this new 2x level up rate, I'll be able to reach level 30, then become human!

[Notice: You do not actually become fully human.]

"…Huh?"

[You only become humanoid.]

…

So I'll be half monkey and half human? Will I at least look more human than monkey? I don't want to look like a goddamn furry hippie.

…

This stupid thing, wish it would answer. I already miss the old system.

Ignoring all that, it's time I get to grinding.

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