7 - Out of Cave

That was a good long sleep.

I stretched my limbs like a lazy cat, fluttered my wings, stretched my limbs, and shook my head to the tail. I didn't know how long I was in the virtual space, but it felt refreshing to wake up. Concentrating really hard was really hard. It took my whole focus to keep the energy from collapsing on them, even though that was the point.

But I, the mighty Dragon, had achieved what I intended.

You have no idea how many times I messed up at the start, nearly destabilizing my core. I nearly went kaboom several times too. But I have pushed my star core into the initial Outflow stage where it would absorb the Qi around by itself, even though it is very slow for now. The more Qi it absorb, the bigger my core grow, and stronger my powers will be.

~GRRRRRR~

Hmm, heheh. It seems I am hungry. I haven't eaten anything except for that bastard Boar. Now that I have digested him, and am stronger than before, I need to go hunting for more food. I really wish I had a fridge, I could store my food in it and wouldn't need to go out to hunt frequently. ~Sigh~ I already miss express delivery.

It's okay Lijen, don't cry, you are a big boy now. We can find some ice mage to make us a fridge. I hope I don't need to travel to far to kidnap her, and she should be a princess, otherwise, it won't be worth it and it will spoil my image as a mighty Dragon.

"Now let's go hunt! Wind, give me a lift!!"

"Gra Gaa Gr Grar! Grar, garr ga g gaar!!"

I extended my wings to their full capacity. I felt my mighty Dragonic strength. I could feel the changes in my body already. I am stronger than I was yesterday when I went to sleep. I feel like I could split mountains. It is good that I could get stronger while resting my body, but what's the point if I don't get a peaceful sleep. It is my goal to sleep for eternity and craft my dream world in my dream.

I felt the wind gather under my wings as it pushed me to the heavens. I rocketed out of the hollowed mountain like a cannon. I expanded my wings and flapped them a few more times to keep myself in the air with the wind's assistance. 

I saw the clear blue sky ending in the horizon and the ever-expanding green of the forest that is my home now. I looked down to see my house. It looked weird. The plants have grown around it and there's a cloud of Qi at the top. Yes, I can sense Qi now. The mountain looked like those from the eastern painting. So mysterious, and fitting of my Dragon self. At least now my house is not fully barren like before. But how did the mountain change in a day? Don't tell me the plants in this continent can grow at heightened speed. Need to be careful of those plant-type monsters, I am non-vegetarian.

I glided across the sky, feeling more free than I ever did. It was the feeling of unbounded joy. Bending the skies to my will. I flapped my wings, increasing my speed, doing a barrel roll, diving down, and soaring. I did everything that came to my mind.

*~Grrrr~*

My stomach reminded me that I was still hungry. I need to hunt. So, I started hunting, using my Dragonic eyes to scan the forest floor for any meatloafs. And the forest was more deserted than I thought. I can't seem to find anything; it's like all the beasts I saw had run away. I, the mighty dragon, can't go hungry; it's a disgrace to my dragonic heritage to go hungry. I shan't go hungry.

I, Lijen, will find my prey. 

I kept searching for any meat I could find; these cannon fodders won't escape my sight. I kept flying for a few more distances before I even got the trail of any beast. I saw the small footprints of birds. These seem to be flightless birds as I could see many footprints coming from one side and leaving the other way.

Chicken soup, here I come!

I flew excitedly, following the track of my prey from the air. I used the sun as my cover. Those hundreds of hours watching Discovery channel never disappointed. I am now an apex predator who knows how to hunt. If I were human, I would have been stumped on even hunting a rabbit. And I found my prey, they were chickens? I think? After all, these chickens were big, as in my size. There were at least a hundred of them. They were plump and juicy, making my mouth water. I wonder how they would feel cooked; those authors always made sure to say that the Qi-infused chicken tasted best, I sure hope so. The boar was delicious; I hope these guys surpass that taste.

Bon appétit!

I tucked my wings and dived. With the height I am in, I should reach some impressive velocity. I am about to copy the apex predator of the sky, the peregrine falcon. I could feel the wind assist as my speed kept climbing. I saw the distance between me and my prey reduce to an instance; I didn't care for the other chickens as I have already locked my eyes on one of the plumiest chickens. It took me less than 2 seconds from my dive, and my claws extended to strike the chicken.

~Boom~

A light shock exploded as my hand turned the chicken's head to mist, and I flapped my wings to ascend to the sky. The wind assisted, but the unaccounted factor of a tree greeted my face.

!BAM!

Why am I seeing stats in the morning? And why am I surrounded by upside-down chickens looking at me menacingly?

[ You better get up before they try taking a bite ]

Huh? I made a dumb sound at the golden words appearing in my vision. What is this magic? Am I dreaming? Don't tell me that my Dragonic self died?

[ Sorry to inform, but you will be meeting your dead grandma ]

Why? Is she visiting?

[ Do a roll, Lijen ]

Okay, I did a roll as the magic words asked. Will I get a reward? Before I could get an answer, I heard a sound of wood breaking and a sudden thump of a mass falling. I lifted my groggy head to look at where I was before. I saw an angry chicken looking at me like I ate his food.

"Gra."

What? I asked annoyed.

~ChiKaw~

Huh? You are just a chicken! What do you mean I killed your chick?!!

Oh, now I am annoyed. How dare you, a chicken, have a girlfriend when this mighty dragon-nim doesn't have one? Do you have a death wish? Are you flaunting your wealth?

~Cock Caw~

You calling me ugly? You stupid chicken! You are ugly! Your wife's ugly! Your children are ugly! Your grandchildren are ugly! Your whole generation is ugly!

~CawCaw~

Why should I mind my words you flightless bird?! I am a dragon, Bow down to your grandfather! And kneel down; this mighty dragon might just forgive you.

I snorted; this stupid chicken thinks he is the shit. I am a Dragon, you bastard! Your feathery hand won't even scratch my pristine scale.

~BOOM~

The chicken, having enough with the stupid dragon calling him ugly after killing one of his wives, was infuriated. The chicken was actually the rooster of the pack with hundreds of chickens as his wives. The rooster was also a rank two beast. If Lijen knew that the rooster had a hundred wives, he would have coughed blood in pure rage. He was a loner who had never touched a woman in all his lives.

[ You have successfully enraged your opponent and dug your grave ]

[ Generating Quest! ]

[ Scanning opponent! ]

[ Rank 2: ThunderClaw Rooster ]

[ The opponent is within the host's ability to defeat ]

[ Quest: Subdue the Rooster and Make your own chicken farm ]

[ Reward: Endless Chicks ]

I couldn't help but tilt my head in confusion at the golden words. Is it giving me a quest? Is it my golden finger? Did I finally get a golden finger after I reincarnated? Finally! This Dragon will ascend to the heavens.

[ You stupid Dragon! Roll! ]

Before I could react, I felt the wind push me to the side. *BOOM* I was thrown even further, with the shockwave. I rolled around and stood to my feet and looked back. The rooster was standing where I stood or sat. The rooster was covered in electricity and striking a martial art pose.

The fuck!

[ Scattered-brained idiot ]

Huh? With that, as if I had drawn the final straw, the wind smacked me in the face. Ouch, it hurt!

[ Are you awake? ]

System?

[ You're awake, idiot. Now do a barrel roll. ]

Why? Okay

I did as I was asked. I tucked my wings and pushed with my back legs, using the front leg as a pivot. I rolled forward and was again thrown off by another shockwave. I shook my head and looked up to see a cute chicken looking at me confused and curious.

Hi

[ Talk later, do work ]

Okay

I pulled myself together and looked up, meeting the Martial rooster's eyes. The fucker was giving me side eyes. Ah, he can only give me side eyes as he has eyes on the side.

Hehehe

The rooster feeling felt Lijen dissing it. In its long life as a chicken, it never felt this infuriated. It had lived for long, growing to a powerful Rank 2 rooster in its tribe. He had taken hundreds of wives and had many children. Many roosters envied its position, but they could only grind their teeth. How can they even think of fighting against him? He was the strongest Thunderclaw rooster in the whole Great Demon Forest. And this puny lizard dared to call him ugly. He shan't forgive this transgression!

While the Thunderclaw rooster was having a monologue, Lijen got distracted by the chicken next to him. The intelligence of the beasts was connected with their cultivation level. A Rank 0 beast would have no intelligence while a Rank 4 beast could communicate fluently. Lijen was still Rank 0. Lijen looked at the cute chicken interestingly. Its smooth violet feather with slight white streaks. Its big round eyes looking at him with curiosity. The beautiful red comb waved with its head. Lijen lifted his hand and petted the chicken.

You are a cute chicken, aren't you?

He kept petting the chicken, clearly forgetting that he was in the middle of a combat. He couldn't feel much of the softness of chicken, but he gently petted the chicken as not to smash it. He was an animal lover, as in the verity of meat they provide.

The Rooster just ended his epic monologue, turned only to watch the black lizard courting his wife. He was understandably pissed. That wife was especially dumb as she was just a Rank O, Thunderclaw chicken. 

*~CAW!!!~*

The rooster crowed in anger, thunder echoed in the backdrop. Lightning bounced of his feathers as he charged his next attack. The thunder distracted Lijen enough to remind him of the Rooster. He gently pushed the chicken behind him to protect it. The chick looked at him curiously, its round eyes gleaming with a question. Lijen smiled and turned to the Rooster.

You filthy beast! I shall protect these chickens from you!

The rooster was beyond amazed at the audacity of the lizard. It even felt its anger rise past its limit. The Thunderclaw rooster flapped its wings, thundering with its each move.

[ It was you who attacked ]

*****

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