After Kai finally got over the shock of finding an actual dragon bleeding out in front of him, his body snapped back into motion.
Panic could wait.
Questions could wait.
The dragon could not.
Kai dropped to his knees beside her and emptied his first aid kit onto the cave floor. Gauze, wraps, antiseptic, tape, small tools—everything he had was laid out in front of him in a messy but usable line.
The dragon lay sprawled across the damp stone floor, her limbs stretched out awkwardly. Her breathing was shallow, and every few seconds, a faint whimper escaped her throat.
Kai forced himself to focus.
“Okay,” he whispered. “Small wounds first.”
He started with the easier injuries. Several cuts along her legs and side were still bleeding, but not as badly as the others. Kai cleaned them as carefully as he could, then wrapped them with flexible bandages.
The dragon twitched a few times, but she did not wake up.
That was probably for the best.
The last wound was the worst one.
Her right wing was badly damaged. Blood soaked the thin membrane near the base, and from the way the wing bent at an unnatural angle, Kai was almost certain the bones connecting it to her body were broken.
He swallowed hard.
“I really hope dragon bones work at least a little like bird bones.”
He had no idea if that was true.
But it was the best comparison he had.
Kai measured the injured wing as carefully as possible, then rushed out of the cave. He searched the nearby ground until he found a sturdy branch that was about the right size. After checking its length, he snapped it over his knee, trimming it down until it could support the broken section of the wing.
Then he hurried back inside.
He poured rubbing alcohol over the branch to clean it, wincing at the waste but knowing infection would be worse. Once it was ready, he placed it along the injured wing and tied it in place with more flexible wrapping.
Tight enough to hold.
Loose enough, he hoped, not to cause more pain.
The bandage also helped slow the bleeding, which was one small mercy in a situation full of problems.
Kai leaned back and let out a shaky breath.
“Okay. That’s… that’s better.”
The dragon was still unconscious, but her breathing seemed steadier now.
Only then did Kai realize he had been thinking of the dragon as “it” the entire time.
He frowned.
That felt wrong.
This was a living creature. A majestic, mythical, probably very dangerous living creature, but still. Referring to her like an object made Kai feel weirdly guilty.
Since she was unconscious and he needed to check for any other injuries anyway, Kai carefully examined her as respectfully as he could.
After a moment, he nodded to himself.
“She,” he muttered. “You’re a she.”
Somehow, that made the whole thing feel even stranger.
Kai looked down at the dragon lying in front of him.
A real dragon.
A female dragon.
An injured female dragon that he had apparently just rescued from a giant green blood-slurping monster.
His day was getting worse and more interesting at the exact same time.
Once he was sure she was stable, the adrenaline finally wore off.
Pain slammed into him all at once.
His legs cramped so badly that he nearly collapsed. His lungs still burned from running, his arms were scratched up, and his whole body felt like it had been personally bullied by the forest.
Kai dropped onto the cave floor with a groan.
“Ow. Ow. Okay. Bad. Very bad.”
He sat there for a while, breathing through the pain.
Then he remembered the quest.
With the last of his energy, he opened the system menu.
Two messages appeared.
Quest Complete!
Congratulations!
Reward: Training Weapon Mk. 4
Mission Bonus!
As a reward for not only finding the source of the noise, but also saving the injured dragon responsible for it, you have received a bonus reward.
Bonus Reward:
Inventory Gained!
Kai stared at the windows.
Then, slowly, a smile spread across his face.
“So quests can have hidden objectives.”
That was useful.
Very useful.
The system had not told him he needed to save the dragon. The quest only said to find the source of the noise. But because he went beyond the bare minimum, he got an extra reward.
Which meant future quests might work the same way.
Kai filed that information away as important.
Then his body gave up.
He fell backward onto the cave floor, exhausted, sore, and smiling like an idiot.
“Worth it,” he mumbled.
Then he passed out.
When Kai woke up again, the dragon was awake.
That was the first thing he noticed.
The second thing he noticed was that she was staring directly at him.
Kai went very still.
The dragon’s orange-gold eyes watched him carefully, bright and intelligent. She did not growl. She did not lunge. She did not bite his face off, which Kai considered an excellent start.
Instead, she sniffed the air, then looked around the cave as if trying to figure out where she was.
Kai slowly pushed himself upright.
“Hey,” he said softly. “Easy. You’re safe.”
The dragon’s gaze snapped back to him.
Kai held up both hands.
“I’m not going to hurt you.”
She watched him for a long moment.
Then she lowered her head slightly.
Kai took that as permission to move.
Maybe.
Carefully, he inched closer, studying her reactions with every step. If she showed any sign of aggression, he was fully prepared to back off. He did not want to abandon her, but he also did not want to become breakfast.
Luckily, she seemed willing to tolerate him.
For now.
Kai let out a quiet breath of relief.
“Good. That’s good.”
Then the dragon tried to stretch her injured wing.
Kai’s heart nearly stopped.
“Stop!”
The dragon froze.
Kai pointed at the splinted wing, panic sharpening his voice.
“No, no, no. Do not move that. Your wing is badly hurt. If you mess with it, you could make the break worse.”
Halfway through speaking, Kai realized something.
He was talking to a dragon.
A dragon who probably had no idea what he was saying.
Kai closed his eyes.
“Right. Of course. Why would you understand English?”
The dragon tilted her head.
Kai opened one eye.
She had stopped moving.
Not only that, but she was now watching him with even more interest than before.
Kai stared.
“Wait…”
The dragon blinked.
Kai leaned forward slightly.
“Do you understand me?”
The dragon gave a low hiss.
Kai grimaced.
“Okay, I don’t understand you. But if you understand me, blink once. Or tap your tail. Or do something obvious.”
For a second, nothing happened.
Then the dragon slowly blinked her large golden-orange eyes once.
Kai’s mouth fell open.
“No way.”
The dragon blinked again.
Kai pointed at her.
“You understand me.”
She gave another low hiss, softer this time.
Kai’s heart started pounding for an entirely different reason.
This was not just a dragon.
This was a dragon that could understand him.
Before he could ask anything else, a notification chimed.
Two windows appeared in front of him.
Kai flinched, but managed not to pass out this time.
Progress.
He checked the first window.
Insight Gained!
Skill Information Unlocked!
Would you like to read it?
Y/N
Kai immediately pressed yes.
Class Skill #1
Aura of Trust
Host passively releases a calming aura that makes nearby monsters more likely to view the host as non-threatening.
The effect is strongest on monsters that are already curious, injured, frightened, or open to forming a bond.
If a monster chooses to trust the host, this skill makes it easier to deepen that trust and establish a stronger companion bond over time.
Hostility, fear, or strong aggression can weaken or completely override the effect.
Kai read the description.
Then read it again.
“So that’s why the wolf didn’t immediately eat me.”
He thought back to the huge black wolf circling him, sniffing him, and not attacking.
At the time, Kai had been too terrified to notice anything strange. But now that he had this skill description in front of him, the wolf’s behavior made a lot more sense.
It had not been hunting him.
It had been curious.
Kai looked at the dragon.
“And you…”
The dragon stared back.
“You probably didn’t panic because of this skill too.”
That was good.
Very good.
Still, he noticed parts of the skill description were vague. It did not explain what his class actually was, or what kind of bond he could form, or how strong the effect could become.
“Annoying,” Kai muttered. “But better than nothing.”
The second window appeared beside the first.
Passive Skill Acquired!
Communication Lv. 1
Monsters that are not actively hostile toward the host can understand the host’s words.
The effect is strongest on monsters that are calm, curious, friendly, or already willing to listen.
Hostile monsters may resist or ignore the effect.
As the skill level increases, communication may become clearer and more advanced.
Kai stared at it.
His brain went blank.
Then a huge grin spread across his face.
“I can talk to animals.”
The dragon tilted her head again.
Kai slowly raised both hands to his face.
“I can talk to animals.”
His voice cracked slightly.
“Holy shit.”
For most people, magic attacks or legendary weapons probably would have been more exciting. Fireballs. Sword skills. Super strength. Something flashy.
But for Kai?
This was better.
This was the one thing he had always wanted.
He sat there in stunned silence, smiling like an idiot while his entire world rearranged itself around one impossible fact.
Animals could understand him now.
Monsters could understand him.
Dragons could understand him.
Kai let out a breathless laugh.
“This is the best broken system ever.”
While Kai was busy having the happiest mental breakdown of his life, the dragon began moving toward him.
Slowly.
Carefully.
Her injured wing stayed tucked against her side, just like he told her.
Kai noticed and softened his voice.
“Good girl. Yeah, don’t move that wing.”
The dragon paused at the praise.
Her eyes narrowed slightly, not in anger, but in curiosity.
Then she came a little closer.
Kai stayed still.
The dragon lowered her head and sniffed him.
Her nose brushed against his sleeve.
Kai smiled.
“You’re safe,” he whispered. “I’ll help you.”
The dragon watched him for a long moment.
Then, very gently, she rested her head near his knee.
Kai froze.
His grin faded into something quieter.
Something softer.
He slowly reached out, stopping just before touching her.
“Can I?”
The dragon blinked once.
Kai carefully placed his hand on her head.
Her scales were warm.
Smooth.
Real.
Kai swallowed.
He had died.
He had lost his world.
He had been thrown into a forest with no answers, no safety, and a system that apparently believed in emotional damage as a teaching method.
But sitting there in that cave, with a wounded dragon resting beside him, Kai felt something he had not expected to feel so soon.
Purpose.
Not destiny.
Not some grand mission.
Just a simple, clear purpose.
Help her heal.
Keep her safe.
Figure out the rest later.