I Got Reincarnated As A Dragon

Chapter 6: Dryad, forest guardian.

As dawn broke, the fifty brave knights and adventurers embarked on their mission, each handpicked for their unique skills and experience.

They were divided into smaller groups, with some mounted on horses, while others trudged through the forest on foot.

As night fell, they settled in a secure location within the forest and made camp.

A warm fire was kindled, casting an inviting glow in the dark of night.

Two figures stood amidst the flicker of the campfire, deep in conversation beside the campfire added a touch of intrigue to the stillness of the forest.

The pot-bellied man, with a carefree grin on his face, took a swig from his mug and chuckled. "You know what? I think we're overthinking this. We don't need so many men to take down a single monster. A team of four top-ranked adventurers would suffice."

The knight, ever the voice of reason, replied with a stern gaze, "I'd watch your tongue if I were you. Such words could get you into trouble if overheard. Trust me, the consequences would be dire."

The drunken man slurred, his words slurring together, "Come on, I'm just giving you the straight facts. It's just a random monster, after all."

The knight replied with a sober tone, "While your perspective may be limited, it is clear that if the king sees it as a threat, then it must be taken seriously. He is the strongest of the seven rulers, after all."

With a belch, the drunk man raised his mug high and declared, "I may feel insulted, but I'll still drink to humanity."

The knight looked at the drunken man with disappointment, shaking his head and saying, "You are truly drunk. How did you ever become an adventurer like this?"

The drunk man chuckled, "Don't sell me short, Mr. Knight. I may be drunk, but I'm still a force to be reckoned with."

The knight replied, "In your current state, you could easily be defeated. I must take my leave now."

The drunk man shrugged, watching the knight depart and muttering to himself, "Some people just don't know how to have a good time."

***

As the sun rose over the far side of the forest, Elvis opened his eyes to a somber scene. Beside him lay the still form of a majestic white bear, its back adorned with three glittering diamond spikes.

The bear had once been the proud inhabitant of the cave where Elvis had sought refuge the night before, but now it lay motionless, it came home weak and injured, so it was easy for him to take it out.

Elvis rose to his feet, spreading his wings in a mighty stretch. "It's time to master these wings," he thought determinedly.

Without hesitation, he set off towards a nearby cliff, not far from the looming mountain.

He arrived at the cliff's edge with ease, his heart pounding in his chest. "It's now or never," he whispered to himself, summoning all his courage.

With a fierce determination, Elvis began to experiment with the back muscles that controlled his wings.

Gradually, he began to feel a sense of control, and his wings began to flap with increasing speed.

Faster and faster they beat, and finally, with a burst of energy, Elvis lifted himself off the ground, soaring into the sky.

But his flight was short-lived, and he soon tired, tumbling back to the earth.

Undeterred, he kept trying, refusing to give up until he finally mastered the art of flight. With each attempt, he grew stronger and more confident, until he was soaring through the air with ease.

"Woohoo!" "Exultation filled Elvis as he soared through the sky, his joy only slightly tempered by a touch of clumsiness.

The wind rushed against his face, giving him a sense of liberty that he'd never known before.

'Could this be what it felt like to be a bird', he wondered? Flying was an experience beyond compare, an embodiment of pure freedom.

"Awesome! Flying is just the best!" Elvis chuckled to himself as he executed a series of loops and spirals above the lush forest canopy.

But in his elation, he failed to notice the looming tree trunk before it was too late. With a dull thud, he impacted the rough bark and tumbled to the ground.

Shaking himself free of debris, Elvis rose to his feet, surprised that he had escaped unscathed. "I expected at least a twinge of pain," he mused, only to discover that he had landed on a plush bed of blooming flower buds.

"My, my, why did I not detect your presence, little one?" Elvis was taken aback by the mysterious voice that echoed through the forest.

"Who goes there?" He called out, his guard instantly raised as he scanned the surrounding trees for any signs of danger.

"Fear not, I mean you no harm," the voice spoke once again, its tone soothing and reassuring.

Elvis was still on edge, and he called out again, "Show yourself! I want to see who I'm talking to."

"Very well," the voice responded, and with a flick of its wrist, a path of blooming red roses materialized before Elvis. "Follow this path, and I shall reveal myself."

Cautiously, Elvis stepped forward, the path of roses leading him deeper into the forest.

The petals brushed against his legs, their sweet fragrance filling his nostrils.

At the end of the path, he found himself before a magnificent tree, its branches reaching towards the sky. And then, like a dream came to life, a beautiful green-haired woman emerged from the tree's trunk.

"Greetings, I am Dryad, the guardian of this forest," she introduced herself with a serene smile, her eyes twinkling like emeralds in the dappled light.

For a moment, Elvis was struck speechless, admiring the beauty of the mystical being before him. And then, as if whispered by a mischievous breeze, a single thought drifted into his mind, 'Goodness gracious, she is breathtaking.'

"Little dragon?" The dryad spoke, her voice gentle yet inquisitive.

"Y.. yes?" Elvis replied, his voice a mix of uncertainty and wonder.

"I am taken aback by your existence," the woman continued, "the last time I laid eyes upon a dragon was five hundred years ago."

Elvis was stunned by her words, for he had never considered the possibility that his kind had been lost to the annals of time. "Five hundred years ago!" he exclaimed, his voice echoing through the forest.

"Yes, five hundred years have passed since then," the dryad repeated.

"Have they gone into hiding or...?" Elvis asked, his mind racing with questions.

"Who can say? But what I am truly curious about is you," the dryad said as she approached him. "You are but a hatchling, yet I couldn't sense your presence."

The dryad's words brought her memories flooding back, memories of a golden light that had illuminated the mountain cave, a light that even she had been too frightened to investigate.

'I can't tell her that I am not from this world,' Elvis thought to himself, his mind grappling with what to do.

"Do not fret, little dragon," the dryad said, sensing his distress. "Just be cautious in the future. You might be the last of your kind, for all we know."

"Thanks, I will," Elvis said, his voice filled with gratitude. "Wait, how come you can understand me?" he asked, his curiosity piqued.

"I have the ability to understand and converse with creatures of any race," the dryad answered, a small smile playing at the corners of her lips.

Elvis was overjoyed to have found someone he could talk to, and he spent the rest of the day in the dryad's company, talking and laughing as they got to know each other.

In the days that followed, Elvis grew attached to the dryad, who had taken a liking to the little dragon despite his species.

Elvis would spend his days by her side, sleeping at the base of her tree trunk each night, and the two would talk and laugh for hours on end.

The dryad found Elvis' shyness when it came to eating meat in front of her to be endearing, and she would often giggle at his antics.

Under the star-strewn sky, Dryad reclined upon Elvis, who had grown larger in recent days.

The two companions gazed up at the celestial lights in silence, until Dryad broke the stillness with a whisper. "You know, Elvis, there is a legend that every hundred or thousand years, the beasts and monsters of the world gather in the west, seeking the chance to take human form by passing a series of challenges."

Elvis, taken aback by the tale, asked in wonder, "Is it true?"

Dryad shrugged her branches. "It is just a legend, but who knows what may be hidden in the shadows of the world?"

"And what happens to those who fail the challenges?" he pressed on.

"They are granted the ability to speak human tongues, and they are allowed to try again in another hundred years," she replied.

"Wow," Elvis breathed, "that's incredible."

"I told you this," Dryad said, "because I want you to leave the safety of the forest and explore the world. Only by venturing forth will you truly grow strong."

Just then, Elvis was shocked to see a new mission appear before his eyes.

[Mission triggered: Retrieve the Transformation Orb].

[Host will be guided by the system].

'What? A mission? Could it be that the legend is true?' Elvis thought to himself in disbelief.