Chapter 10: Stuck in the moment
I felt something poking my face, I opened my eyes and saw the Dragon man crouching beside me with moistened eyes.
"I wasn't crying" He said after meeting my eyes, he immediately stood up and turned his back from me.
I was about to ask him something but then a familiar transparent window appeared in front of my eyes again.
[Status update
Name: Anya Ruth Theodoreford
Race: Human
Title: Princess of Theodoreford empire, Author(??)
Age: 16(??)
level: 1 (Intermediate)
VARIABLE STATUS:
Strength: 1
Stamina:1.001
Agility: 1.2
Dexterity: (Attack:1) (defense:0.5)
Mana: 0/??
INVARIABLE STATUS
Charm: High (intermediate)
Luck: Intermediate (low)
Skills:
[You have successfully acquired Caden's magic core]
[Lucky! You have acquired two of Caden's Talents:
So it was real! Isn't this too good to be true?
I am very much familiar with windows like this, I had one in the novel I wrote back on earth. I put such a detail to my story to follow the progress of the characters. A status window that shows you your current body's condition is a cheat I thought of in my previous world. I thought that if humans had something like this, they can develop themselves according to where they see themselves lacking.
Caden, did he make this? Is he some kind of a great sage or perhaps a God? Just who the hell are you?
"So, when are you gonna break the seal? You already told me that you can, no backsies" my thoughts were interrupted with the Dragon man's words
I looked at him while trying to suppress my laughter, Backsies?
"What are you laughing at lowly human?!" He said with furrowed brows
"Nothing, anyway, Something unexpected happened" I said and slowly sat up, my body is surprisingly light despite the excruciating pain I felt a little while ago.
"It says that I had to defeat you in battle to break the seal" I said
"What?! Is that what he wanted?! he really wanted to kill me?!" The Dragon said full of anger, his body slowly transformed into its original form
"It did not say kill, it just said defeat" I said to ease his anger a little
"What's the difference?! Do you also want to kill me?!! You Ungrateful human!! After sparing your life and tending to you, This is how you repay me?!! Ungrateful pests deserve nothing but death!!" The dragon shouted and before I could even reply, Scorching Hot flames, comparable to what they describe as hell fire touched my skin.
I felt my skin and my bones melt in a matter of milliseconds, I just woke up from an excruciating pain, and now I am being burned? What the hell did I even do in my past lives to deserve such-
my train of thoughts were cut and everything turned black again.
--
"How is this possible?" I opened my eyes immediately after hearing the familiar voice.
The Dragon which is now in his human form again, is looking at me like I'm a monster.
"Why are you still alive?!" He said as he stepped back
I looked at my hand and feel my body with it. Nothing seems to be missing, and my clothes are still the same tattered clothes I had before being scorched to death.
I breathed a sigh of relief, but the feeling was short lived, just when I was about to scold the Dragon about burning me alive, another scorching hell flame is rapidly approaching me, and behind it is the Dragon in his original form
"If I had to do this a million times to avoid death, I would gladly do so!!!"He screamed and again, the hell fire burned me to death, or so I thought.
--
The Dragon kept on burning me alive every time I feel my consciousness coming back, It seems like he really planned on burning me for a million times before giving up.
Despite the pain and the rapid regeneration my mind still calculated for an answer.
and one thing made sense out of all the theories I thought.
since the time in the Space is warped, maybe Caden made it so that the time in here is stopped. It sounds like a fantasy but I think that is it. That's why no matter whatever the Dragon does he never feels tired or sleepy, because the condition of his body just like the space stopped and since the Dragon seal updated, just like the Dragon, in this space, my body will never age or die, because it stopped everything.
"Why aren't you burning?!!!!!!" my attention was caught when I heard the Dragon's voice in my head
I looked at my body and realized that I am in the middle of his attack but my body is intact that was also when I realized that various windows had popped up in front of me
[You have acquired a new skill:
[Using the skill
[All Variable stats increased
you are now level 2
Strength: 2
Stamina: 3
Agility: 2
Dexterity: (Attack:1) (defense:2)
Mana: ????]
So that's why I don't melt anymore.
Wait! This invalidates my theory? Is the seal more complicated than I thought?
"WHY AREN'T YOU BURNING?!!" an enraged Dragon was running towards me with open mouth
"Hey will you please stop and listen?!!!" I shouted back with all my might.
I felt the vibration comparable to an earthquake stop, so I opened my eyes and looked at the huge Dragon in front of me
"I do not want to kill you, and even if I do I cannot kill you. This space stops us from killing each other" I said and walked towards the surprisingly unburnt couch
"Do you mean it?" He asked innocently
Did this Dragon go crazy for being stuck here for a long time or he was originally this innocent? honestly I don't even want to call him innocent, he fits the word stupid the more I talk to him.
"Yes, so sit down, We need to find a way to get out of here" I said and sat at the couch I was sitting on earlier.
"We? Are you also trapped here from now on?" He said excitedly, so I glared at him.
"I mean, it is inevitable and so unfortunate to be stuck here, but do not worry human. You have such magnificent companion, I will save you from boredom. Be grateful, for I, The great white Dragon is giving you such sympathy and time" He said with his chest puffed up.
I can't help myself from rolling my eyes. Am I really stuck here? with this arrogantly stupid Dragon?