A Mutant Gecko? Nay, I Am the Incarnate Flame of Dragonkind

Arthur wasn't the same little gecko he'd been when he first set foot in this forest.

Even with that giant wolf's fangs just a hair's breadth from his neck, he didn't panic. The moment he sensed those teeth about to clamp down, he twisted his body and kicked out with his hind legs, heaving the wolf off him.

They broke apart for a split second, then smashed back together again.

This was real close-quarters combat—blood flying, dust swirling, fallen leaves flung all over the place. Both massive forms, gecko and wolf, traded fierce blows, each landing solid hits. 

Within moments, Arthur and the giant wolf were both bleeding. They backed off, each eyeing the other warily, surprise evident in their gazes.

The wolf was stunned that this gecko could put up such a formidable fight.

Arthur, on the other hand, was taken aback that this wolf was actually a lot stronger than that so-called wolf alpha he'd killed before.

Arthur realized he'd have to switch tactics if he wanted to keep the upper hand. Hesitating would only let the giant wolf set the pace—once his stamina ran out, he'd be the main course.

Arthur might be cautious by nature, but that didn't mean he was spineless. This giant wolf had worked itself into a frenzy over its dead packmate, but judging from pure power, it didn't truly outdo Arthur.

Once that clicked, Arthur changed his style. If you couldn't overpower your opponent outright, the best way to break a stalemate was to go even harder than they did. 

Sure enough, with Arthur cutting loose, the wolf couldn't hang. It was soon riddled with new wounds.

And the clincher? Arthur had already refilled his stomach, so he could use Dragon Flame again. Spotting his chance, he spewed a fireball straight at the wolf. Caught completely off guard, it howled in agony, rolling frantically on the ground to put out the flames. It managed to extinguish them, but its fighting spirit dimmed. Arthur could practically see fear creeping into its eyes.

They faced each other in a shaky standoff.

Arthur was mulling over how this giant wolf might be connected to the wolf alpha he killed, while the giant wolf was skittishly sizing him up. 

But both knew they were enemies now. In the jungle, when you made an enemy, you either settled it then and there or risked a massive headache later on. Arthur and the wolf were both trying to figure out a quick way to kill each other.

Just then, a crushing aura descended like a blow from above, accompanied by a deep, resonant roar. As if on cue, the entire forest froze.

Everything—except Arthur—threw itself flat on the ground, shaking all over, not daring to lift its head even a little.

Roar!

That dragon cry boomed again. A gale whipped down from overhead, and Arthur's every nerve screamed danger. Without a second thought, he bolted.

But the dragon was way too fast. He'd barely turned before a massive fireball came crashing down from the sky, landing dead center on the giant wolf. The creature was instantly seared to ash, charred so thoroughly it smelled cooked. Within a hundred-yard radius, the forest floor turned to cinders, black and smoldering.

After a moment, Arthur peeled himself out of a patch of scorched wreckage. Thanks to his Fire Resistance talent, he hadn't burned up. In fact, the lingering heat made him realize his own fire resistance might've just inched up further.

"A fireball that can actually boost my abilities?"

The thought flickered through his mind, but he had no time to dwell on it. A colossal shape landed in front of him, whipping up gusts of wind.

When the huge dragon stood there, Arthur finally learned what real intimidation looked like. His own frame—comparable to a bull—was a speck by comparison, not even the size of the dragon's foot.

Arthur went rigid. He tried to run, but that golden draconic eye had already locked onto him. 

The dragon seemed intrigued by this lone survivor. It nudged him around with one gargantuan talon, sending him rolling across the ground like a toy. Each time, though, Arthur got back up, stubbornly refusing to stay down.

Apparently, that only piqued the dragon's curiosity more. With a flurry of mighty wings, it rose into the air. Its huge claws scooped Arthur up and soared skyward in one fluid motion.

Wind battered Arthur's face, his heart hammering so hard he couldn't bring himself to open his eyes. All he could do was pray the dragon's grip stayed firm—he really didn't fancy plummeting to his death.

Luckily, the dragon didn't drop him. Clutching both him and the giant wolf's remains, it flew up to a cliffside, stopping at a massive cave mouth. There, it released Arthur with casual indifference, dumping him unceremoniously on the rough floor before flapping its wings and taking off again.

"Escape!"

"Gotta get out of here!"

Arthur jumped to his feet and dashed for the cave's entrance. He hadn't even reached the cliff's edge when a swirling gust sent him tumbling back. He couldn't get anywhere near it.

Dejected, he returned to the cave interior. Oddly enough, though there was clearly some magical barrier sealing the entrance, the inside was actually pretty comfortable—there was airflow, some warmth, and no savage wind knocking him around.

Arthur reached the giant wolf's body and looked up, realizing there were far more scorched corpses piled up around him.

"Is this dragon stockpiling meals?"

He scanned the piles. There were giant lizards, griffins, trolls, and even some shockingly gorgeous elves—clearly, the dragon didn't discriminate about dinner.

"Tch, guess it'll eat anything, huh?"

Despite the grim sight, Arthur's stomach began to rumble. He'd just dumped all that food he ate into evolution, so he was starving. With so many corpses around, he thought, "Well, no point letting it go to waste."

It wasn't like he could go toe-to-toe with the dragon right now. Better to power up first, then figure a way out. He revved up his Extreme Digestion talent and began feasting like mad. He felt a wave of satisfaction as he stuffed himself.

Eventually, he crawled deeper into the cave, still chowing away, and glanced up to spot three enormous, round shapes.

They were three gigantic eggs.

"Dragon eggs? So that monster's actually a mother?"

Arthur stared, excitement flooding him. "If I eat these eggs, maybe I can inherit the dragon's powers?"

He scrambled forwarded and tried to bite down.

Crunch!

Arthur jerked back, his jaw aching. He hadn't even scratched the surface. This was the same mouth that could bite a thick tree trunk clean through. But here, he couldn't leave the faintest mark on the eggshell. This shell was beyond anything he'd imagined.

Glaring at these three oversized but otherwise ordinary-looking eggs, Arthur decided to try incinerating them. He shot a fireball over—but it flickered out in midair, long before touching the shell.

"That's nuts! It's just a big eggshell, but it's this strong?"

He refused to give up and tried everything: smacking the eggs with his tail, shoving them around. 

But he couldn't budge them a single inch, let alone crack them. 

Nothing worked.