Alliance

Liam's heart was thundering in his chest as he and Aaron delved deeper into the abandoned city, their eyes scanning the murky darkness for any sign of life. The only sound that punctuated the thick silence was the soft rustling of their footsteps on the concrete. Liam had been eager to find a challenge, a chance to test his enhanced abilities. But he knew the dangers of exploring the unknown, and he was a bit grateful and also annoyed for Aaron's company.

As they slinked through the ruins of the old city, Liam couldn't help but wonder how Aaron had managed to acquire such an item when the store and inventory feature was still unavailable. He fixed him with a curious gaze, and Aaron glanced back at him. A flicker of shame crossed Aaron's facial features, and he hesitated before answering.

"I'm a hacker," Aaron said finally. "I'm not proud of it, but it seems that my knack for hacking got translated here. I have the skill set to mess with the system to a certain extent and was able to temporarily unlock the store and use the free fifty coins in my inventory to buy it."

Liam knew that hacking was illegal but still a good-paying job back on Earth. What he couldn't believe was managing to do it in this new world. Because of it, he felt a sense of awe at Aaron's hacking abilities. He must be a hell of a good hacker to adapt those skills here. He appreciated the contribution Aaron had made, despite his own lack of courage in the face of danger. Liam thanked him for the item in his head, knowing that it could make a huge difference in their survival.

'Out of all things he could do, why did he choose to use his talent in hacking?' Liam surmised.

"My father is a CIA Agent. He taught me a few things here and there when I was a kid. And..." As Aaron was about to reveal more about his IT background and his father, a sudden cracking sound echoed through the silence. Liam spun around, his muscles tense, and saw that Aaron had fallen from a tree branch and tumbled into the uncharted water below.

Without hesitation, Liam flung himself into the water and swam towards him, dragging him back towards the temporary safety of one of the abandoned buildings.

But as the two of them waded into the murky darkness, Liam realized that the building was not what it seemed. He heard the hiss of snakes, and a flicker of movement caught his eye. Several pairs of glowing eyes were fixed on him and Aaron, and their tongues flickered hungrily. Liam felt a cold sweat break out on his skin as he realized that they were surrounded by Underdeveloped Swamp Serpents.

He cast a glance at Aaron, who was frozen in panic on the ground, and knew that they were in deep trouble. His feet tightened inside his new boots as the serpents slithered closer to them, their mouths open in anticipation of an easy meal. Liam knew that he had to act fast.

With a shout of defiance, Liam sprang forward, his Ash Phoenix flame flashing through the darkness. He deflected the serpents' venomous bites with expert fighting skills, but he knew that he was slowly losing Health Points. His mind raced as he tried to devise a plan, standing between Aaron and the serpents. But he could see that Aaron was paralyzed with fear, leaving Liam to face the creatures alone.

With horror dawning on him, Liam realized that he had no choice but to abandon Aaron. There was no way that he could save them both. His heart ached with guilt as he gave a glance at Aaron.

Liam stood surrounded by Underdeveloped Swamp Serpents. He knew that his own survival depended on abandoning his new companion, and yet the guilt he felt ate away at him like acid. His mind raced, trying to find a way out of the situation, when something unexpected happened.

An arrow whistled through the air and struck one of the serpents in the head, causing it to fall to the ground with a thud. The other serpents hissed and turned their heads towards the arrow's source, revealing a red-skinned humanoid man and woman. The man held a sword in his hand, while the woman brandished a spear. They moved with a grace and fluidity that Liam had never seen before from a human, pouncing on the serpents without hesitation.

Aaron watched in awe as they fought, their movements coordinated and deadly. When the serpents turned their attention back to Aaron, he felt that he was in trouble. He thought that his time had come, and he would end up as monster food.

But then Liam's Ash Phoenix Flame flared to life, and he plunged it into the nearest serpent. The creature writhed and thrashed, but Liam didn't falter. He dispatched two more serpents in quick succession, even managing to sever one's head with a single kick. He felt a sense of elation when he saw the red-skinned humanoid pair nod in approval, having witnessed his deadly prowess.

As they all took a moment to catch their breath, another red-skinned humanoid woman emerged from behind a nearby wall, revealing herself with a bow and arrows in hand. "Woo! That was amazing! I'm Colleen, we're Draconians. Who are you guys? I don't think I've seen this race before." She introduced herself and her companion as part of the Draconian race, beings who looked humanoid but had the physical features of a beast.

Liam recalled seeing them at the foot of the mountain earlier, but had never interacted with them. He was fascinated by their unique appearance and the regal demeanor with which they carried themselves. Although the Draconians were new players like himself, they seemed miles ahead in terms of skill and confidence.

"Thank you for saving us!" Aaron quickly replied, standing from the ground.

Liam narrowed his eye, looking at Aaron like a Parent who wants to nag on his child. "Y'all don't need to know that! Aaron, let's just go!" Liam commanded with a sharp look on his face.

"What an ungrateful player! You would die there without our help!" Kaiser, the draconian who has a two-handed sword commented, rolling his eyes in annoyance.

Alexandria, on the other hand, was observing Liam intensely. 'Kaiser is right. They are definitely on the losing end when we arrived. But in that split second, that guy... he killed more monsters than all three of us combined,' she thought.

The duo made their way through the treacherous Yellow Zone, trying to get away from the Draconians but there's only one way out. Liam was wary of them and gave them a cold shoulder. They were constantly on high alert, aware of the dangers that lurked around every corner. Liam, the legendary hero from Earth, led the way with a calm and collected demeanor - but even his skill and experience couldn't prepare them for the horrors they were about to face.

As they fought through wave after wave of monstrous creatures - serpents with razor-sharp fangs, towering giants with fists the size of boulders - they began to realize that they were vastly outnumbered and outmatched. They were too deep in the Yellow Zone and hostile monsters were everywhere. It was after one particularly brutal battle that Liam's Ash Phoenix Flame caught the attention of the fierce warrior woman named Alexandria, who was wielding a deadly spear with incredible precision and skill.

"Colleen, is that... an Eternal Black Flame? Who is that guy?" Alexandria whispered.

Colleen and Kaiser quickly gave Liam's blazing feet a glance and shrugged their shoulders.

Alexandria eyed Liam warily, bristling at the distrust in his expression. She weighed up her options before mustering up a diplomatic suggestion, "Why don't we join forces since we already started it? It will increase our survivability against our common enemies."

But Liam's expression had hardened even more, 'That's true in our perspective. But not for them, they don't need us, they are an army by themselves.'

He exchanged a meaningful glance with his companion, Aaron, as if seeking assurance that this wasn't a trap.

Liam knew he couldn't let his young companion come to harm, but he also couldn't deny that he needed all the help he could get in this dangerous world. Finally, after what felt like an eternity of silence, Liam spoke, "Alright, I guess you're right. We will join you on one condition."

Liam knew the Draconians had a skilled Player who could heal them, since they were all uninjured. He asked Alexandria and her two companions, Kaiser and Colleen, to heal him and Aaron just once to get it over with.

The three Draconians huddled together and discussed Liam's proposal. They knew there was a risk in trusting outsiders, but they also recognized the strategic value of having Liam and Aaron on their side. In the end, they agreed to Liam's terms - and he and Aaron were healed of their injuries by Colleen's healing skill.

As the group navigated through the abandoned city, they made swift work of any monsters that got in their way. Their weapons glinted menacingly in the dim light, and Liam couldn't help but admire their coordination and efficiency.

Despite the danger that lurked around every corner, their banter was light-hearted and jovial, as if they were engaging in a casual stroll through the park rather than a high-stakes mission.

It was then that Aaron posed an innocent question: "Hey guys, since you're called Draconians, can you turn into dragons?"

His companions couldn't help but laugh at the suggestion. "Sorry kid, but that's not quite how it works," Alexandria chimed in.

She went on to explain the origins of their race, tracing back to a planet that they had once shared with real dragons. The Draconians were not some sort of dragon-morphing shapeshifters, but rather, dragon slayers. They would engage in fierce battles with the creatures, using their superior prowess to hunt them down.

However, their fate took an unexpected turn when their ancestors were abducted along with some of the dragons by an unknown force, and brought to the tower.

At first, they found themselves at odds with the dragons, continuing their ancestral feud. But as they began to explore the depths of the tower and interact with other players, alliances were formed and bonds were forged.

The dragons became like family, and the Draconians were no longer just slayers, but also skilled players in their own right.

Unfortunately, this harmony was short-lived. The dragons were gifted with the ability to manipulate mana, making them incredibly powerful and difficult to manage. Their strength posed a great threat to the other players in the tower, and so the Association of the Wardens made the decision to trap them in a different dimension, where they could no longer cause chaos.

'Mana... the system hasn't said anything about it yet,' Liam contemplated after paying attention to the lengthy story.

As they continued their hunt for monsters, Liam couldn't help but feel awestruck by the magnitude of the world they found themselves in. The mysteries and secrets that hid around every corner sparked a sense of adventure within him that he had never felt before.

He realized that they may not be able to turn into a dragon, but he was a part of something much larger and more profound: a community that spanned across time and space, unified by a common goal, to climb the tower!