4. The Dangerous Forest

The lone mountain stuck out like a sore thumb among the stretch of trees. The mountain was near, but it's just that I would need to cross a distance of 1 km to arrive at its base. I had drifted far while I was flying in the sky. I should be able to fly back, but the bird that just left could come back, or another beast could hunt me while I am in the air.

I still don't know how to fly. But at the same time, going by land is also dangerous. I could meet another strong predator. I can try to run away, but if it is faster than me, I am dead. What should I do now?

While I was contemplating, hugging the tree, which looked hilarious, I felt a warm sensation on my scales and the wind caressing them. I felt it pushing me upwards. I almost forgot about the wind that helped me. It should be able to lift me into the air like before. I have the wind as my friend, so I should be able to fly safely.

"Gra grr Gree gr ger garw grr gara."

"Can you help me get back to the cave?" I asked. (Translation.) The wind brushed my scales with increased force. Seems like a yes?

"Yes?" I asked. The wind increased in force. "Okay, I will believe you," I said.

I stopped hugging the trunk and moved to a thick branch. I stood on the branch and looked down. I am standing at a height that, if I were to fall, I would break most of the bones in my body. I feel fear rising, the thought of abandoning this idea filled my mind. I shook my head to chase the fear and got ready to jump.

'You can do this! You are a Dragon! You are a frightening existence to all the mortals! How can you have fear?! You were born to dominate the sky!'

I hyped myself and opened my Draconic wings like Batman in Gotham! 'I am vengeance! I am night! I am' (Batman catchphrase) I jumped from the branch and flapped my wings to stay in the air. I stayed in the air for a few moments before I started plummeting toward the ground. I kept flapping the wings to somehow escape my impending death.

"WIND!!!" I screamed with my bestial tongue, "GRAAAAW." The wind gathered around me like a tornado, changing the direction of my fall from vertical to horizontal and applying force behind my open wings, saving me from my death. The wind tornado slowly lifted me above trees and to the open sky.

The wind tornado vanished after I took to the sky, but I could still feel the wind snuggling against my scales. It was lightly pushing me to keep me airborne.

"Hmph! I was nearly scared to death," I complained. The wind kept snuggling against my scales, not responding to my anger. I don't know if it is ignoring me or if it only has limited sentience.

I try to flap my wings, trying to fly. The wind helps as it pushes me up. I keep flapping my wings to get used to the flight. The feeling of uplift with each flap of my wings can't be experienced by just gliding. I need to learn to fly on my own; I can't keep relying on the wind. I can't be a flightless Dragon.

As I train my wings, I keep a vigilant eye on my surroundings. The sky around me is clear, and there is no predator in sight in the sky. But I still stay alert; I can't have myself attacked in the air, and the creatures here can use elemental attacks.

On the contrary, the land is filled with creatures. I could see a rabbit with a horn munching on grass without knowing a brown snake eyeing it from the branch, a wolf pack moving as they track the trails of their prey.

And the still lake that was occupied by that overpowered alligator. The boss of the lake had returned to the bottom. 'I will be back after I learn how to use Dragon Breath.' I vow to myself to only leave this mountain after I am strong enough to level a quarter of it. I shall return defeated today but I shall also return stronger tomorrow.

With my flight unobstructed, I managed to arrive above the mountain, and I could see the entrance of my cave. I circled around the mountain, lowering my altitude slowly. With the same circling motion, I entered the cave, drifting with the wind until I face-planted on the cave wall. The landing was earth-breaking. I was not hurt by the fall as I had already lowered my altitude greatly, but I could still feel pain here and there. The pain shall not falter this majesty's will.

I quickly checked my surroundings for life. I only sighed in relief after I was sure that I was alone in the cave. The dark cave was the only safe place I have. The sun was nearing the horizon, and the rocks were getting a bit cooler. The night was coming, and I am going to sleep. But before I go to sleep, I need to check the System.

***

"System," I called.

The golden panel appeared before my eyes with a single golden word.

[Yes.]

'Show me all your functions,' I am getting excited.

[ Okay ]

[>Welcome to the 'Exchange System'<]< strong>

[}Status{]

[}Exchange shop{]

[}Inventory{]

[ Note: Think of the name to check further details ]

'Okay! Now let's check the status first. Open status,' I thought about opening the status bar.

[}Status{]

[Name: N/A]

[Ex points: N/A]

[Rank: 0]

[Age: 1]

[Race: Black hatchling]

[Gender: Male]

[Bloodline: ???????]

[}Skills{]

[Dead bite] [Stupid charge] [Rattled brain]

[Note: The System will only record skills, not help Host use them. Please practice the skills to familiarize with them.]

I am rank zero! I am the weakest of all creatures in the forest! Even the alligator I met for the first time is stronger than me by two levels. And my race is 'Black hatchling.' Did you give me that name because I am black!

This page feels like it was made urgently!

What a letdown! The page has seven lines and it won't even help me use skills. And what's with the skill names?! Stupid charge? Rattled brain? What do they do, rattle my brain?!

What a letdown of a system you are!

I, at least, hope other pages have some surprises. Let me check the 'Exchange shop' since you are an 'Exchange system.'

Shop

[>Exchange Shop<]< strong>

[Ex points: N/A]

[}Items{]

[Basic Mana Theory]

[Basic Mana Control]

[Fire Magic Theory]

[Water Magic theory]

[Earth Magic Theory]

[Wind Magic Theory]

[Lightning Magic Theory]

[Wood Magic Theory]

[Basic Mana Circuits]

[Intermediate Mana Theory]

[Intermediate Fire Magic Theory]

[Intermediate Water Magic theory]

[Intermediate Earth Magic Theory]

[Intermediate Wind Magic Theory]

[Intermediate Lightning Magic Theory]

[Intermediate Wood Magic Theory]

[Intermediate Mana Circuits]

[Advance Mana Theory]

[Advance Fire Magic Theory]

[Advance Water Magic theory]

[Advance Earth Magic Theory]

[Advance Wind Magic Theory]

[Advance Lightning Magic Theory]

[Advance Wood Magic Theory]

[Advance Mana Circuit]

[Basic Dragon Tongue]

[Intermediate Dragon Tongue]

[Advance Dragon Tongue]

[Dragon Speech]

[Dragon Breath]

[Dragon Fear]

[Gluttony]

[Analysis]

[Berserk]

[Transformation]

[Atomic Synthesis]

[Atomic Deconstruction]

[Regeneration]

[Camouflage]

[. . .]

Damn! You got all your guns in the shop! You even got 'Gluttony' and 'Analysis,' the protagonist's OP skills. There is also full knowledge about Mana, then I can confirm that I am in a world of Magic and Swords.

As long as I am not in some Xianxia novel.

Because if you kill one guy, you will need to fight his whole sect in a death match. All those bitches will come saying, 'You killed my junior brother, you need to answer my sword.' This will follow until you destroy their sect and defeat their sect master.

It's like a never-ending loop of pain in the ass.

Seems, I am okay for now. I will just grow strong enough to rule this whole forest and go to sleep. That way, no one will cause me trouble.

Now let's check the skill and price.

Check skill 'Gluttony'

 I am focusing on the skill 'Gluttony' because you all know how overpowered it is. It's the quickest way to get stronger. I can kill and eat to get stronger. After doing it for another 10 years, I will be overpowered.

"Gragragragragra." {He is laughing evilly}

[{Gluttony}]

[ 100000 Ex points]

[ Note: This ability transfers the skills 'Devoured' possessed to the user ]

[ Alert!: The skill uses the memories of the 'Devoured' to let the Host learn the skill. Advised against Host using it frequently as it might cause an Identity crisis! ]

What the hell? Cause an Identity crisis? This skill is not like I expected it to be. Uses memories to transfer skills? Does it transplant memories of the target to me so I can learn the skill immediately?

If it does.

No wonder it causes an identity crisis.

Let me forget about "Gluttony." I will buy it after I grow old when I have more memories and a stronger mind because when I am older and have more memory, I don't need to worry about the addition of the target's memories.

And I don't have points to buy it anyway.

So let's check the skill 'Analysis.' It will help me identify the valuable stuff to exchange for exchange points.

[{Analysis}]

[ 95000 Ex points ]

[ Note: The skill will impart knowledge to the user and helps him identify and analyze the user's targets ]

This skill seems to be the one I know. It helps me analyze stuff that I see, but the part where it would impart knowledge, I don't quite get it.

Will I have a whole encyclopedia shoved into my brain?

[ Yes ]

'Noted,' I knew it.

Let me check the other skills.

***

The sky darkened. Two moons lit the sky. Stars blinked like fireflies.

The night had fallen, and I have checked most of the items in the shop. The shop has a clear differentiation in the items.

The things in the knowledge category were cheaper than skills. They range from 1000 Ex points to 10000 Ex points. This is only for the basic knowledge, and the costliest knowledge is only about 100000 Ex points. The knowledge doesn't have any drawbacks, and it will be injected into my head directly.

The skills are the costliest items in the shop as they directly help me get stronger. They cost from 100000 Ex points to 1000000 Ex points. Even though the skills are rare, they all come with a catch, like the Identity crisis for the 'Gluttony.' Even though overpowered, without a strong mind, one might lose himself. The system seems to want me to get stronger on my own without relying on it.

It can be seen from the way it functions. It won't help me use skills; I need to learn them, and the price for the [ Skills ] in [ Shop ] is astronomically high for me now. I will have to rely on my own for now.

Since I have finished checking the Shop, I just need to check how the inventory works. I am now feeling the advantage of reading all the system novels.

Open inventory

[}Inventory{]

[Note: This space can store both the items purchased by the Host and the items the host wants to exchange for points.]

Like I thought, it is just a storage space, but to my surprise, three slots in the inventory are already occupied.

Is it the gift from the System?

A smile creeps on my lips, showing my sharp teeth.

[ Yes ]

[ The SoulBound thought that the Host was too weak to his liking, so he gifted these items to help Host grow ]

'Who is this 'SoulBound'? Is he the creator of the System?' I asked.

I waited for the system to answer my question, but it went silent, only showing the panel for [Inventory]. Seems like this guy won't answer me regarding this 'SoulBound.' Well, not that I care but thank you for the gifts.

Show them, system.

The system responded.

[{????}]

[ Type: Manual ]

[ Grade: Void ]

[ Note: It is an unnamed cultivation method created by the 'SoulBound' while stargazing ]

—

[{Token}]

[ Type: Expandable ]

[ Note: Allows the host to exchange one item in the Exchange shop ]

—

[{Letter}]

[ Note: A letter from the 'SoulBound' to the host ]

[ System advises Host to read the letter first ]

—

These items are neat.

A cultivation manual of the void grade, which I think should be a high grade.

Then there is a token which can be exchanged for an item from the [Shop]. There is also a letter from the Creator of the System. The System wants me to open it too. 'System open the letter'

[Hello, I am SoulBownd.

I know that you have many questions regarding your new 'experiences,' but I cannot answer them right now. But if, If you really want to learn about your reincarnation, you can come find me.

They always say, 'An adventure is not about the destination but the journey.'

I hope the system is of help to you in this adventure,

Yours truly, SoulBownd ]

[ Authorization received ]