Seraph Of Arda.
Chapter: 1
Omake:
What If Kai was sent to a different world?
(The WHAT?)
My eyes flickered open.
A brief moment of blissful confusion before the painful reality of my situation became clear within my mind once more. A familiar anger surging through my body as my hands clenched.
That was broken by the brief groan left me.
Immediately my body was engulfed in an intense heat that made me feel as if I were on fire. Every muscle aching with pain, seemingly protesting against the simplest movement.
I pushed through the pain that sent waves of discomfort through my every limb.
A sigh escaped me and a humourless smile lit across my face.
I was alive.
The circumstances of what had just transpired in the maddening void appearing in my mind.
I took a breath. Then my eyes flickered open once more, scanning around me properly.
Wait.
I lifted my hand, blinking as golden coins slipped through my fingers. The metallic clinking echoed strangely in the vast space around me, bouncing off unseen walls in the darkness above.
I was alive. And apparently lying in someone's piggy bank?
It was only a few moments as I sat there blinking in disbelief until a flurry of motivations snapped me out of my daze.
A soft chime echoed in my mind, and familiar translucent text appeared in my vision.
Skill Gained
[Appraisal] (Passive)
[Allows the user to gain insightful information about their targets, as well as discern their power level and rank.]
I blinked at the system interface, then at the quest that followed to learn the system.
A tutorial.
Which led to me running through the basic functions.
Status.
{Name: Kai}
{Power level: 440}
{STR: 20
{DEX: 20
{VIT: 20
{MAG: 20
{CHA: 20
Kai…
The name was okay I supposed.
It didn’t sound very angelic in my humble opinion but then again… what did I know? I had just been spit out of the void after being killed by my own family. I was the definition of clueless.
{SKILL LIST}
{Download} (Passive)
[Allows the user to download a character from fiction or non-fiction and select one of their skills. Can only download one character per time. Time spent downloading characters will take time depending on their power level.]
[Appraisal] (Passive)
[Allows the user to gain insightful information about their targets, as well as discern their power level and rank.]
[Mana Manipulation] (LVL: 1/20) {Novice}
[Mana Manipulation is a mystical power that grants its wielder the ability to harness and control the fundamental essence of magic known as mana. With Mana Manipulation wielding the essence of mana as their own. They can reshape the fabric of reality through their command of mystical energies, channelling the raw power of the universe to create, destroy, heal, protect and kill.]
[Passive effect: Reduces mana cost by 10%]
[Light Manipulation] (LVL: 1/20) {Novice}
[Light Manipulation is an extraordinary power that grants its wielder control over the very essence of light itself. Those who possess this ability can shape, manipulate, and bend light to their will, harnessing its radiant energy for a myriad of purposes.]
[Passive effect: Reduces light manipulation cost by 10%]
[Holy Power Manipulation] (LVL: 1/20) {Novice}
[Holy Power Manipulation is a sacred and divine ability that allows its wielder to channel and control the forces of pure righteousness and divine energy. Those blessed with this power possess a deep connection to the divine, enabling them to shape and direct holy energies for various purposes.
With Holy Power Manipulation, the user can generate and radiate a powerful aura of pure light and divine energy. This radiant aura can inspire courage and hope in allies, while striking fear and weakness into the hearts of darkness and evil. The intensity of this holy aura can be adjusted, ranging from a gentle glow to a blinding brilliance that sears the eyes of malevolent entities.]
[Passive effect: Reduces holy power cost by 10%]
[Mokuton] (LVL: 1/20) {Novice}
[Wood Release (Mokuton) is a nature transformation kekkei genkai, a combination of Earth and Water Release. It was famously used by Hashirama Senju, At its simplest, Wood Release allows the user to create wood, essentially converting their chakra into a source of life. At its greatest, mighty trees of various sizes and shapes can be created.
The Wood Release was also equally famous for its power to manipulate, suppress, and/or absorb a target's Energy]
[Passive effects: Enhanced chakra, Natural Affinity towards Earth and Water]
So I had magic…
Wonderful.
And that download skill… seriously. It actually worked then u had a definite guarantee to power. Though, the drawback of it taking time would stop me from going overboard. Lest I be forced to wait hundreds or even thousands of years.
I moved slowly, realising I was half lying down on some sort of altar that was in the middle of this treasure horde, as I stepped off, gold coins cascading off my body like a waterfall.
My arms had been dangling off the sides of the low cut altar.
As coins moved around me, the sound seemed loud in the silence, each clink making me wince. For some reason I felt that whatever this place was, making noise probably wasn't the wisest course of action.
The next subject of interest was my apparent clothing, a comfortable high-quality material feeling soft against my skin. I took this time to look at my clothing.
I was dressed in midnight black robes with detailed gold threading depicting some sort of symbols.
Which didn’t end there, with ornate bracers and arm guards made of polished steel with gold inlay covering me.
My eyes looked down.
My feet were bare.
Why was I dressed up like this?
"Right," I muttered under my breath, my voice barely above a whisper. "I'm an Angel, who can’t fall, dressed up like some sort of prince and stuck in a mountain of gold, with no idea where I am. Great."
I mean, really. It was a great start.
As I crouched down, picking up a shiny gold coin. The irony wasn't lost on me. Here I was, surrounded by enough wealth to buy kingdoms and all I wanted was to be anywhere else.
My family would be in Bikini’s swimming around if they were in my place.
I stood carefully, trying to minimize the shifting of coins beneath my feet. Each step sent small avalanches of gold tumbling down the slopes of treasure, the sounds echoing ominously in the vast chamber.
My eyes travelled up high, realising the space the sea of gold lay was enormous, I could barely make out the walls in the distance and the ceiling was lost in darkness above.
Moving forward, I found myself weaving between piles of treasure that towered over my head. Suits of armor that looked like they belonged to kings, weapons that hummed with barely contained power, jewels the size of my fist that seemed to glow with their own inner light.
It was beautiful in a way, but also deeply unsettling.
Was I stuck inside some sort of vault? This type of wealth wasn’t the type that would be thrown around so easily. I doubted they would be rather happy if they found me.
Then again, I did have magic.
If it wasn’t for the fact I was slightly unnerved, I’d probably be trying that out right about now. Where were the people? If this was some sort of treasury, surely there should be guards, servants, someone maintaining it?
I paused beside a particularly ornate golden chalice, studying my reflection in its polished surface.
“…”
So this is what I looked like?
I looked like some sort of mythical creature.
Was this a part of my allure perk or just the system deciding to cut me some sort of slack?
With blonde hair, hazelish eyes and a lean build I had to admit I looked pretty good. I had to reach my hands up to my face to make sure I wasn’t actually looking at my reflection.
It was certainly a strange start to my second life.
I couldn’t deny the excitement at everything.
I had a second chance and I sure as shit wasn’t going to waste it.
I decided to continue moving. The treasure seemed to go on forever, but eventually I found myself at what looked like the edge of the hoard.
Stone walls emerged from behind the gold, carved with patterns that were incredibly detailed. I followed the wall until I found an opening, a doorway that led deeper into whatever this place was.
It was most certainly underground.
The passage was wide enough for several people to walk side by side, with more of those detailed carvings covering every surface. Whoever built this place had taken their time with it.
Walking around was almost surreal.
Being in the void for so long and suddenly feeling all the feelings that came with the presence of reality felt amazing. I could breath, feel and look around.
Most of all was the desire in my chest. I couldn’t lose this. I saw the picture clearly now. I needed power to stay alive. It was the only thing that mattered. I had learnt my lesson.
My hands trailed over one of the walls. The stonework was impressive, further suggesting this was a special place. Which was why it was weird that no one was around.
After what felt like an hour of walking through corridors and chambers, I found myself in what was clearly an armory.
Weapons lined the walls in organized rows, axes, swords, spears, crossbows. Everything had that same quality craftsmanship I'd seen in the stonework.
The metal gleamed despite the layer of dust that covered it all.
Yeah…
So this place had weapons.
I approached one of the weapon racks and selected a sword that seemed well-balanced. I didn’t know how to use a weapon, but I’m sure my download skill could help with that.
I decided to use my appraisal skill for the first time.
[Name: Dwarven Longsword]
[Description: A masterwork blade forged by the Dwarven smiths of the Lonely Mountain. Exceptionally well-crafted with superior balance and edge retention. Minor enchantment for durability.]
Dwarves?
I knew the concept. So I was in some sort of fantasy world? Maybe a medieval age. Along with being in a dwarf treasury? That explained the craftsmanship, at least.
I looked around at the armor displays, hoping to find something that might fit.
Most of it was clearly made for shorter, broader frames than mine. I tried on a few pieces but they were either too wide in the shoulders or too short in the arms.
With a sigh, I settled for keeping just the sword. I spent some time exploring the armory, testing the weight of different weapons and examining the construction.
The dwarves obviously knew their craft, so I could play off that stereotype at least. Every piece of armour was perfectly balanced and sharp despite the apparent age.
I stored it into my inventory, watching it disappear with only a bit of fascination. I repeated it a few times before I made my way back toward the treasure chamber.
The return journey felt shorter, probably because I knew where I was going. Soon enough I was back at the edge of the golden sea, looking out over the mountains of coins and precious objects.
I couldn’t find any sort of exit.
This place was massive.
Perhaps the other section I could see across the golden sea would help.
I started across, trying to find a path that would make less noise. The coins shifted under my weight no matter how carefully I stepped, but I managed to keep the movement to a minimum.
I was about halfway across when something changed.
My ears picked up heavy breathing, slow and rhythmic. I paused, my eyes widening.
The sound seemed to be coming from deeper in the treasure hoard, somewhere I hadn't explored yet. A deeper part in the sea of Gold.
I took a step, deciding that I should probably leave.
Behind me, coins began to shift and slide. Not from my movement
I turned slowly.
A massive eye, easily the size of a car, stared back at me from between two hills of gold. The pupil was a vertical slit, like a cat's but infinitely larger and with a weird sort of cross as its pupil. The iris was a deep amber color that seemed to glow.
The eye blinked once, slowly.
‘Appraisal.’
{Smaug the Mighty}
{Title: The Chiefest and Greatest of Calamities, The King Under the Mountain, The Last of the Great Fire-drakes}
{Race: Dragon (Fire-drake of the North)}
{Power level: 23,400}
We both stared at each other for a moment.
I felt a lance of shock run through, closely followed at anger at the sheer fact I couldn’t even go one day without being fucked over.
Seriously, being reborn in the domain of a fucking Dragon wasn’t fair.
[Quest]
The Dragon's Slumber
Description: You have awakened in the hoard of Smaug the Mighty, the last of the great Fire-drakes.
Objective: Survive Smaug
Reward: 10x Stat Crystals
The quest came up, drawing my brief attention and making me click accept.
I had no choice honestly.
I’d find out what the reward meant if I survived.
The massive dragon began to rise, gold cascading off its enormous form like a waterfall. Each movement sent tremors through the treasure chamber, coins sliding and tumbling in waves.
The creature was impossibly large, its head alone was bigger than a truck.
I did what common sense told me to do, I ran.
It was weird. I found my speed to be miles above what I had been before and the normal exhaustion that came from running didn’t appear at all. My steps also took me further.
That was until my feet slipped on the unstable surface of coins, sending me stumbling as I tried to reach the stone corridors. Behind me, the sound of the dragon's movement was like an avalanche.
It’s breath echoed through the hall, the gold shaking from its sheer weight.
I quickly jumped up, looking back and getting my first true look at the massive Dragon.
He was certainly big.
Deciding I had nothing to lose, I concentrated on the instinctive knowledge the system had given me about light manipulation. Energy gathered in my hand, forming into a spear of white light that hummed with power.
I spun and hurled it at the dragon's massive head.
The light spear struck true, hitting him right between the eyes. His head turned slightly from the impact, but otherwise he showed no sign of damage.
He didn't even slow down.
Well, it was a valiant effort on my part.
I began closing in on a smaller entrance, one I could probably have a better time hiding in than the massive mountains of gold.
I kept running, but the dragon was faster despite its size. Until a massive scaled tail slammed down in front of me, cutting off my escape route. The impact shook the entire chamber and sent me sprawling onto the gold.
Was it bad to admit I had packed all the energy I had found now present in my chest into that single spear of light?
I looked up to see the dragon's head descending toward me, jaws opening to reveal teeth the size of swords.
I wanted to curse.
This wasn’t fair.
Anger blossomed in my heart, adding to the already ever-present rage that I had woken up with at my previous life’s rather abrupt ending.
But instead of flames or fangs, the dragon's lips pulled back in what could only be described as a smile. It was the most terrifying expression I'd ever seen.
Though, I hid it well as I stared back defiantly.
"Awake at last," the Dragon’s voice rumbled through the chamber, each word vibrating through my bones. “I truly thought you were some sort of statue at one point, though your presence was certainly alive.”
That caught me off-guard.
I stared at him in confusion.
"You have slept in my hoard since I took this place for myself, beautiful creature," the dragon said, settling back on his haunches but keeping his massive head close enough that I could feel his breath.
What…?
I couldn’t deny how confused and strange this situation was.
I had been alive for probably less than hour, in that time I had woken up in a sea of gold, realised I’m in a fantasy world, realised I was in some sort of dwarf fortress and I’ve now encountered a fucking Dragon.
Whose power level was beyond twenty times of mine. Along with the consideration that the instinctive knowledge my Gamer System imprinted on my mind showed as stat points grew larger in number, their value grew higher.
I looked down at my attire.
So the Dwarves had dressed me? Why?
There were so many questions to be asked.
Did they know I was an Angel? It didn’t seem like it.
“What am I doing here?” I decidedly questioned.
“That is a good question.” The Dragon mused. “It started with the dwarves keeping you in their deepest vaults when I claimed this mountain. Such an exquisite thing. They weren’t wrong in their decision, there is something... special about you.”
I hesitated.
"You're not going to kill me?" I asked, trying to process this insane situation.
"Kill you?" He chuckled, a sound that had too much base in it to be natural. "Destroy such a rare and beautiful possession? Hardly. You are mine, lovely thing. Part of my hoard. You belong to me as surely as every coin and gem in this mountain."
The quest notification chimed in my head.
[Quest Complete: The Dragon's Slumber]
[Reward: 10x Stat Enhancement Crystals obtained]
“…”
I mean I’ll take it…
I was still trying to wrap my head around this situation.
So my new body had been here for a while then?
I sat there in the gold, completely baffled. In the span of a few minutes, I'd gone from fearing for my life to discovering I was apparently a dragon's prize collectible.
The distinction was unclear and frankly disturbing
Not knowing what else to say as I digested the information, I continued.
“So what now?”
The Dragon sat down, the action causing the coins below me to thump.
"Now?" The Dragon’s terrible smile widened, showing rows of teeth like curved daggers. "Now you remain where you belong. In my hoard, under my protection."
I stared at him. "So I'm just supposed to... stay here? Forever?"
"You misunderstand your position, little treasure," the Dragon said, his voice carrying a note of amusement. "You are not a prisoner. You are a possession. You may move around, as long as it’s not out of my sight.”
The dragon shifted, and I noticed how his massive form seemed to naturally curl around the treasure piles, as if he were embracing the entire hoard. His glowing amber eyes never left me.
This felt wrong. The Dragon felt wrong in any case.
His eyes were practically radiating malice and yet it wasn’t directed at me. His form was made to kill everything. That much I could tell. His claws were sharp, his scales tough. I didn’t want to even think about what his fire breath looked like.
Right…
I sat down.
My head shook, I decided to focus on something else before attempting to unravel what the hell was happening.
I looked over my reward.
What were stat crystals?
[Status crystals are a usable item granted by the gamer system via quests or rare drops. When used the user will gain a random attributed stat point in the user's status sheet.]
I flinched, something the Dragon noticed as it silently watched me.
So I could boost all the stats tried to me. Which was twenty in each stat.
Ten was quite the boost.
The Dragon shifted and caught my attention.
"Tell me," he continued, tilting his great head with genuine curiosity, "How did you come to find yourself here?”
I paused.
I considered how much to reveal. "I don't remember much. Just... waking up here."
"Fascinating, I don’t believe I've ever met a creature such as yourself." The Dragon’s gaze intensified. "No matter.”
He leaned closer, his breath washing over me like a furnace. "But understand this, you may wander my mountain freely with my supervision, but you do not leave. Ever. What is mine remains mine.”
A possessive dragon.
Great.
Despite this weird and very unexpected start to my second life, It wasn’t the worst situation to be in. I knew nothing of the world I was in and judging by this Dragon’s existence I’m sure it’s probably an incredibly dangerous world.
Still… I didn’t intend on staying here. I'd already died once for allowing others to control my fate. I wasn't about to let it happen again.
“So… Do you have a name?” I asked, after a brief pause between us.
I wasn’t going to reveal that I had appraised him.
“Smaug.” The Dragon said, a weight behind the word.
“Very well, I am Kai.” I replied easily.
“Kai… What a peculiar name.” Smaug hummed.
The dragon moved then, his massive form shifting through the treasure. Unbothered of the resistance the sea of gold provided. Each step sent coins cascading as he made his way to a raised section of the hoard.
He settled down in a coil, his great head resting on a pile of golden coins but his unique amber eyes remained fixed on me with unblinking attention.
I decidedly ignored him for now.
There were more pressing matters to attend to.
Which was bizarre considering there was a Dragon watching me.
A notification had appeared while I wasn't paying attention.
[Light Manipulation has increased to LVL 2/25]
So using my abilities actively leveled them up.
Good to know.
I focused on the stat enhancement crystals I'd received, mentally directing all ten points into my magic stat.
The system responded.
The effect was immediate, power rushed through my body like liquid fire, my magical reserves expanding and deepening. The sensation was intoxicating, addictive even.
I only noticed my newly-gained magical capacity due to a previous lack of one. It was a weird sensation to say the least.
Smaug's head lifted slightly at whatever he sensed, but he made no comment.
I sat down on the golden coins, feeling exhaustion creep through my body. Probably a side effect of being reborn literally an hour ago, though I fought against the tiredness.
It was after a solid ten minutes of pure thinking that I moved.
I needed to understand the limits of this system. If I could level skills through use, what about base stats?
I sent a glance towards the lazing Dragon.
Standing up, I walked around and found an even surface on the floor, then with another look to Smaug I began doing push-ups on the uneven surface of coins.
The gold shifted under my hands, making balance difficult, but I pushed through.
Then sit-ups, squats, anything to test my physical limits.
It was the basics of training.
"What are you doing?" Smaug's voice rumbled through the chamber.
I didn't stop my exercises. "Training."
"Why?"
"To get stronger." I replied flatly.
“Hm.”
The dragon watched me with what might have been amusement, but said nothing more.
An hour later, my muscles screaming and sweat dripping onto the gold, I finally collapsed.
The notification I'd been hoping for appeared.
[You Have Gained 1 STR]
So it was possible.
A wild smile spread across my face as I lay there gasping.
I can’t say I was some sort of training freak but when you could physically feel the rapid growth and your strength was put in numerical value it was a lot easier to push through.
The exhaustion hit me harder than expected. My body felt heavy against the gold coins, and I realized just how drained I was. Being reborn apparently took more out of you than I'd thought.
I shifted to find a more comfortable position among the treasure, coins clinking softly as I settled.
Smaug's watchful gaze never left me, but he seemed content to observe for now.
Before I let myself rest, I decided to test another aspect of my system. The Download skill had been intriguing and the special skill I got from the wheel of fortune,
If I was going to be stuck here for a while, I might as well make use of it.
I focused on the skill, thinking about what I wanted.
Something useful but not too powerful, I didn't want to be waiting for years to use this power again while it processed. Something basic but would help my lack of fighting skills.
I settled on a rather interesting choice.
[Ezio Auditore da Firenze] [World - Assassin Creed] (CHOSEN)
It wasn’t exactly a conventional character, but it would be a good start. From what I knew he was still human. So his strength shouldn’t take absurdly long.
He would have a good combat style to work from.
I wasn't certain whether my ability would instantly replicate his exact level of mastery, or if it would simply grant me the foundational knowledge and let me develop the skill through practice, similar to how my light manipulation had started at the basics and required training to advance.
I suppose I would see soon enough,
The system confirmed the download had started, and I felt a strange tingling in the back of my mind.
The events of the last few hours began to catch up with me, along with my already tired new body my eyes began to close despite my efforts to stay awake.
It had been a rather abrupt way to start my new life, waking up as a dragon's treasure, discovering I had magic and now downloading martial arts skills from my head.
The last thing I saw before sleep took me was Smaug's amber eyes, still watching.
At least I'd be safe while I slept.
-END-