Chapter 19: The black dragon's trial (1)

The dragon fixed its intense gaze on Akun and spoke, "Your aura clearly resembles that of a monster ant, yet you possess human form. How did you achieve this, and why did you attempt to consume my soul? From my memories, only demons have such abilities."

Akun felt a tremendous pressure from the dark dragon, making it hard for him to breathe. He stammered, "I-I..." fear evident in his voice as he trembled before the imposing creature.

Inwardly, Akun was panicking. He had never encountered a presence like this before, and he felt an overwhelming sense of danger. He thought, "My previous evolutions were never like this. This dragon's aura is intense, and it's affecting all my senses."

Feeling desperate, Akun called out to the system for help, hoping it could provide some answers or assistance. But to his surprise, the system responded with an error message:

[The system encountered an error], [Rebooting...].

"An error! At a time like this?" Akun couldn't rely on the system for help, but he knew he had to handle this situation on his own.

Akun then thought to himself, "I can't reveal the system's existence. That would be like telling a potential final boss about my trump card. And that look in his eyes, it's like he's ready to take my life if I don't answer soon. But I refuse to back down now. I've been weak and belittled for so long, but coming to this world changed me. I won't let fear rule me anymore. Even if this is where I meet my end, I'll face it with my head held high."

With trembling legs and a deep breath, Akun managed to stand tall despite the immense pressure from the black dragon. Meeting the dragon's intense gaze, he spoke with a determined tone, "That is a secret I won't tell, but hear this, no matter how impossible it seems for me to survive our encounter, I won't die until I have gotten my revenge!"

As Akun spoke with determination, the black dragon found himself reminded of his own past, a time when he possessed a similar willpower. Akun's words made the dragon smile, and he gazed intently at the young man before him. After a moment, the dragon's smile widened, and he chuckled.

"Ah, the good old days," the dragon exclaimed, his laughter echoing through the dark room. "How I miss them."

Akun was taken aback by the sudden change in the dragon's demeanor. The immense pressure that had been weighing on him moments ago had vanished, leaving him feeling relieved yet puzzled. He couldn't understand why the dragon's mood had shifted so drastically.

The black dragon's eyes sparkled with a mixture of nostalgia and amusement. "You remind me of myself when I was young," he said, his voice filled with a hint of fondness. "So full of determination and resolve. It's been a long time since I've encountered someone like you."

The dragon's laughter finally subsided, and he spoke again, his voice tinged with curiosity. "I'm sure you'll inherit my power properly. After all, you aren't from this world, are you?"

Akun tried to deny the dragon's claim, but before he could speak, the dragon interjected firmly. "Don't lie to me," he said, his voice unwavering. "I can sense the truth within you. You."

Feeling exposed, Akun swallowed hard and nodded silently. The dragon's piercing gaze seemed to look right through him.

The dragon continued, "I will grant you my power, but not without a trial. You must prove yourself worthy of wielding it."

Before Akun could respond, the dragon extended one of his massive claws and pressed it against Akun's forehead. Suddenly, dark mana surged into Akun's body, causing him to cry out in pain. The energy was overwhelming, and he felt as though he was being consumed by darkness.

The pain intensified, and Akun's vision began to blur. He fought to stay conscious, but the darkness seemed to engulf him completely. As he reached his limit, everything went black, and he lost consciousness.

Akun suddenly found himself in his old classroom on Earth, his body reverted to how he used to look with his puffy brown hair, green eyes, and glasses. As he woke up, he quickly stood from his seat and exclaimed, "I won't go down without a fight!"

However, before he could say anything more, a piece of chalk came flying towards him, hitting him square on the forehead with a thud. It left a small bump as it fell to the ground. The chalk had been thrown by his teacher, Miss Kazuya. She gave him a stern look and said, "Mister Kagayama, I can tolerate you sleeping in my class, but if you disrupt it, you're going to have to step outside."

The other students in the classroom burst into laughter, teasing and mocking Akun. Some of his classmates chimed in, making fun of what he had said. One of them, Tomo, said, "Oh, look at him, the fighter! Maybe he's dreaming of being a knight in shining armor!"

Another classmate, Mika, laughed and said, "Yeah, fighting off dragons and monsters in his sleep!"

And then there was Ken, who added, "He's definitely lost in his own fantasy world!"

The laughter continued, and Akun felt the embarrassment burning in his cheeks. He couldn't believe he had blurted out his thoughts like that. It was as if he had been transported back to his old life, surrounded by classmates who didn't take him seriously.

Amidst the laughter, Akun tried to collect himself. He knew he had to get back to the black dragon.

Akun, still standing in the classroom, decided to ignore the laughter around him and focused on his objective. He spoke confidently, "I don't have time for this, open status window."

However, instead of the status window he was expecting, nothing happened. His classmates fell silent for a moment, and then erupted into even louder laughter. They couldn't believe that Akun was taking his fantasy so seriously.

Mina, one of the students who had mocked him earlier, chimed in again, "Oh, look at him, pretending to have special powers! This is getting better by the minute!"

Another classmate, Hiro, added, "You really think you're some kind of hero? Hilarious!"

The laughter grew, and Akun's frustration only intensified. He knew he had to find a way back to the trial with the black dragon and prove himself. But as much as he wanted to escape this illusion, he couldn't seem to break free.

As his classmates continued to mock him, doubt started to creep into Akun's mind. He began to question everything that had happened since the moment the goddess had summoned them. "Was it all just a dream?" His heart sank, and with a sense of shame, he slowly sat back down in his seat.

Miss Kazuya, the teacher, gave him a disapproving look and said, "Mister Kagayama, if you can't pay attention in my class, then at least have the courtesy not to disrupt it."

Akun nodded silently, feeling a mix of embarrassment and confusion. He couldn't believe that he had fallen for such an elaborate dream. It had all felt so real—the encounter with the orc queen, the black dragon, the battles, and his evolution. But now, with the absence of his status window and the taunts of his classmates, he couldn't deny that it seemed like nothing more than a fantasy. meanwhile unknown to Akun.

[System Reboot Complete]

[New System Function Unlocked: Evolution Paths]