Surviving the Lock Keeper's Game

004- Finding a quest

Eleanora continued to gaped at Corey's skill. Her dragon has been anything but obedient since she hatched it. It made the other dragon mages doubt her skill, and with her rank standing at level five, she was considered as the weakest. Corey kept the bonus he had just attained to himself. He was formulating a plan to get the mage to help h, and phase one was just completed.

He had won over Greta, and caught the interest of the dragon's owner. He only needed to wait for-

"Teach me." Eleanora pleaded, then made a wincing sound as she considered the plea to be a show of weakness. She drew a dagger from a porch strapped around her thigh. Corey had his back to her but he knew. Without the system warning him of an approaching danger, that Eleanora was about to do something.

"I can teach you. It's rather easy, but I would need something in return."

She paused, flipping the blade in her hand. She advanced towards Corey with careful steps. He still did not move.

Corey considered the woman to be similar to an animal. A violent bear to be precise. Running would prove futile. And he needed her. He was still unclear of how he can boost his rank enough to eat. A level one and above can eat.

Being at the bottom meant his chances of making it to number one were slimmer than zero.

"You will teach me for a price?" The mage tested with the question. Greta huffed at her, the breath of smoke stilled Eleanora. She could almost hear the dragon warning her against laying harm to Corey.

Confused even more, she ran her gaze over the male. There was nothing too grand about him. He wasn't dressed like a noble, or even a typical dragon mage. No armor. Bandages around his arms. She wondered, could he be a demon? Or a low rank in need of something?

"What is your rank?"

Without hesitation, Corey told her. "0."

Her gasp, had him turning his neck around to look at her. "A level zero can't tame a dragon. Tell me the truth. It won't hurt my pride."

To that he chuckled. Her pride was more thant wounded. A level zero male tamed her dragon. It's enough to ruin someone's confidence.

"I have no reason to lie to you. I need food to stay alive, but I can't eat at my level. And the only people who can't eat are-”

"Level zeroes." Her throat bobbed as she swallowed. Her eyes held an unbelieving look. It was unheard of. Someone of his level, shouldn't be able to tame Greta.

"Will you help me?" Corey had his expression in a soft, submissive move. He was luring her into something, and from the looks of it, Eleanora has no clue.

The mage thought it over. It would be cruel to leave someone this smart to die of starvation, and maybe he could teach her his trick. She can finally go up a rank, to six. Maybe even ten. With her mind made up, and nodded.

"I will help you. There is a town, not too far from here. We can get you a simple quest. Boost your rank, and then you must teach me how you did-” her fingers stretched out, gesturing at the purring dragon nuzzling Corey's face.

"Thank you." He bowed. Corey could barely keep his cheeks from splitting into a grin. Some people make it too easy for him to deceive them. He snorted and thought, I haven't even started. If God of games is going to trap him here, he might as well make it interesting.

The game was just the challenge he has been looking for.

Eleanora smiled to herself, she would soon show the other dragon mages the length of her skills once she and Greta were on the same page.

Corey stepped away from the dragon, allowing Eleanora to walk towards the massive beast of scales. Greta kept her slitted eyes on Corey, almost like she was waiting for him to run so she could stop him.

I raised an arm, waving it at a slow pace. It seemed to appease the dragon. Eleanora whistled for Greta. Corey watched the dragon lower onto its belly.

'So she obeys a few commands. Interesting.' He noted with fascination.

"Can you mount a dragon? Or do you require help?" The mage inquired.

Corey made an okay sign with his fingers. Confusing the mage more. He brushed past her, gripping Greta by one of her stronger- and less sensitive scales- using it as the leverage he needed to climb onto the saddle strapped to her neck.

But he didn't stay there, he moved further up to the larger saddle. With a wide enough space to fit bags, and other items. He found a sleeping bag, and some weapons.

Eleanora was impressed that he could mount Great without help. He even knew to skip the scales that could get him killed. Most don't know that Great Danes have trigger scales. So sensitive that even a small braze against it can anger them.

She got on Greta, sitting on the smaller saddle connected to the rope.

"Up girl."

Corey has played more games involving dragons than he could count. But he had never ridden one

He paid close attention to Greta's stance. How she spread her wings with violent elegance. She took to the sky, and Corey's inner child cheered.

The flight had lasted five minutes, it was enough for Corey to decide that he wanted a dragon of his own.

INFORMATION: A NONE DRAGON MAGE CAN ATTAIN A DRAGON BY BUYING ONE OF IT'S EGGS OFF THE WIDOWER SHOP.

PROBLEM: LEVEL TENS AND ABOVE ARE THE ONLY ONES ALLOWED TO DO THIS

Corey cursed beneath his breath. All the good things can only be gotten by higher ranks. He would need to be of the greatest rank to be able to move freely and do whatever he wanted. Like CLASH of THUNDER, where he was at the prime.

His determination to get higher grew.

As Greta struck her landed, in a large circle on the middle of what appeared to be a market square, Corey hoped he could find a quest.

WARNING: HUNGER LEVELS DECREASING. EAT SOON COREY.

"For fuck sakes!" He groaned. Whatever system attached itself to him, was persistent.

"Come, let's find someone who needs something." Eleanora called as she hopped off Greta m Corey watched her body bend into a flip mid air before Greta could lower her form to the ground. Eleanora hit the ground in a powerful landing. Her right leg stretched to the side, and her fingers dug into the ground while her left leg bent into an almost squatting position.

Corey's jaw dropped. Eleanora stood, brushing off the fleets of dust that had gotten onto her armor. She sashayed her hair to the side. Corey didn't care for the move she made, or the catcalls that drew. His was still starstruck by her flip.

'Flexible.' He charted another part. Eleanora was a good choice.

Corey got off Greta the exact same way he had got on. He figured, until he had practiced with Hsi abilities, tricks like back flips were just to risky. Especially for someone at his level.

'How did I even get this?' He questioned no but himself.

"Let us ask that noble. They give the best quest. It always pays well." Eleanora informed his once he was down. They walked side by side. The noble she had pointed was a tall, lanky elf. Decked out with a golden crest that suggested he was from a royal class.

Corey's eyes shifted, scanning the Noble.

RANK: 0100

TAG: ELITE OF CANDOR, NORTHERN ALTHIEM. THE HOME OF THE WARRIOR ELVES.

NAME: DECON THE THIRD

BEST TECHNIQUE: RAIN OF THUNDER ARROWS

WEAPON: BROWN'S BOW AND ARROWS OF THE THUNDER MAGE

WEAKNESS: NECK. HE IS SO PROUD OF HIS LOOKS HE KEEP HIS NECK UP BARE. TO CHARM THE LADIES. IF YOU WANT, COREY, JUST CUT FROM THERE. CREATE A WEAPON AND DO IT! YOUR LEVEL WILL RISE FASTER THAN ANY QUEST

Corey blinked the words away. The end sounded a bit bloodthirsty. Something about this system wanted him to spill blood. And he would, once he was sure of the limits.

Killing a noble in the middle of a market square was a dumb of a move as any one can make.

"Hello." Eleanora started. The noble craned away from the scroll he was reading. His eyes danced with lust at seeing the mage. Then he scrunched his nose with disgust at seeing Corey.

"A mage and a devil? I never thought I'd see the day."

Corey raised his right eyebrow. He was no devil. His appearance was just....

'Unique.'

"We were hoping you had a quest in of completion." Eleanora said, ignoring the man's words.

He eyed her up again. Switching his gaze between her and Corey. The teen looked empty, no emotions on his undead face. The scars, the bandage, they intrigued the noble as much as they disgusted him.

Decon reached for Corey's hand. Before he could move his limb, the noble had caught.

"Trash. Who gave you the right to walk amongst a dragon mage? Are you intimate? And to walk up to me? The audacity." Corey noticed the noble's hand began to glow, soon the scars beneath the bandages twitch and panged with pain.

The teen stared at the Noble, then the hand that was lacing with more injuries. His wounds rippling open, Corey only winced. Surprising Eleanora and the noble.

He could have made a far bigger sound, but the pain was 50/50. It popped up along with every wound that tore open, then dispersed. His tolerance for pain hand returned.

Yet....

Anger sheathed his veins. These scars were his most sensitive. They never healed. They were the stories of his abuse.

He glared with his golden glare at the Noble. Then he spoke, "Your neck would look good in my palm."

The noble yanked his hand away, creating a distance between him and Corey.

Corey paid him no mind, he only stared at his scar. Watching as red trickled out. The burn marks from cigarettes and fire. Corey hated seeing them. He treated them as tender new borns. Hoping they would heal over time.

And now this fucker had come to ruin it for him.

"Do you have a quest for us or not?" Eleanora hissed, she wanted to check in on her nameless friend but she felt now was not the time or place.

The noble, fascinated by the devil that had threatened his neck, snapped from his trance. "Yes. Actually, I have the perfect quest for you two."