Throughout her entire life, Evelyn felt her life was set in stone. The path of her life was already made for her, and she was practically given everything she needed to walk on it. Her parents had conceived her in a mana dense area to ensure she had the system from the moment she was born. She had private teachers and instructors help her grow strong in both mind and body. Every day her limits were pushed. Her parents would watch from the side as she pumped herself up to the peak of humanity, acing all her classes and drowning in their approval.

  When she turned 18, her father had taken her out to the wilderness to hunt monsters. She put every point she got indo durability until the point it supposedly rivaled a young dragons. Though, a dragon couldn’t confirm that of course. Dragons were barely as intelligent as birds, smart enough to use simple things they stole from humanity. And that was her purpose. To kill them. Her father was an important official in the MECHA force. She was given her first MECHA by her mother in order to join. It was the last present she was given before the sickness took her.

  She was put into a force with all the other upstart rich kids under Commander Jensen. Jensen was not a kind man. He worked his soldiers to deaths door for the sake of “Improvement”. At first she had thought it was just how commanders were. However, she found out eventually that none of the other soldiers were treated this way. Just her. She wanted to say something, but she wasn't dumb enough to argue with the level 97 high human. What could a simple level 9 human say?

  So she dealt with it. She fought and won and lost under the man's eyes. Then the day came. They were going to raid a supposed nest of dragons. They were instructed to take at least one alive. The ones up top didn't care about any others. They wanted to capture rare dragons, that was it. There was a rumor that they were searching for a particular type, but she doubted it.

  The commander had a MECHA, but preferred to use his power suit. It was apparently less restrictive to his high human strength. She was assigned to the smaller room they suspected was a bedchamber. She was told that she was to watch for any dragons returning, and that her position was important, but she knew better. The commander didn't want her annoying him during his mission.

  It came as a surprise when the dragons DID show up. At first, she was delighted. She could finally prove herself to the commander. If she caught these two lizards, she could turn them in, then the commander would have to respect her. She raised her weapons.

  “Halt lizards” She said to the dragons. She didn’t know why she was even talking to them. They couldn’t understand her. Whatever.

  “Resistance is futile-” Then she got tackled by the black dragon and smashed to the ground. She screamed in pain as her MECHA collapsed in on itself. She couldn’t do anything. Anything. She was defeated. She just laid there inside the smashed hunk of steel, waiting for her death as she was ripped out by the black dragon. But it didn’t come. Instead, he spoke. Spoke! She told him her name, and was passed on to the white dragon. She was told their names by the white dragon, that seemed far more forgiving to her then the black one. Snowstorm even told her their names. He was nervous too. Apparently, abhor didn't usually act like this. What, is a dragon named Abhor supposed to be all bubbly or something? Doubt it.

  She shouldn't have doubted it.

  <{(0)}>

  Thinking back on that felt like a thousand years ago, but it was just 2 days ago. Now she lays against Abhor's side while chewing on some cod. Apparently, neither of them could cook well, so she has to help. It was their second day here, and they have yet to decide what to do next Abhor was banned from the fire, so he usually just slept in the darkness zone while Evelyn and Snowstorm cooked. Snowstorm was a shockingly good learner, more intelligent than any human she's ever met. Funny. I thought they were dumber then any human I ever met. And Abhor was the most bubbly creature she ever met. He was so mad then she met him. If he wasn’t so mad didn't tackle her like a high school football player, she probably could have done some good damage to him.

  This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

  “This is surprisingly good fish, considering the lack of seasonings.” Abhor says, turning his head to look down at her. He made an expression that she has come to learn was a smile. “Thanks Evelyn.”

  “I helped too!” Snowstorm called while putting out the fire. His breath would have worked, but he didn't want to make a glacier of this room. Instead he used ice magic.

  “I've given you more thanks through out my life then I have to her, so I'm thanking her.” Abhor says simply.

  “No, no, no, that's not how it works.” Snowstorm says, wagging a fish around in his wing-claws. “The more things to thank a person does, the more thanking they get!”

  “I always thought it as a finite thing. You only get so many thanks before running out.” Abhor tells him. Evelyn starts laughing. These guys… they're hilarious. It makes her wish she had a brother or sister to bicker with. That's what makes a bond what it is, he had said. A true friendship comes from being able to speak and act freely around someone without fearing judgement. She didn’t realize it until now… but did she ever have something like that? Did she have anyone who she could just unload her problems on without fearing judgement? She loved her parents with all her heart, but to just talk? To not fear how they would react to her opinions? Her mother was always strict, ensuring she knew her path with the MECHA's. Her father even more so. But to not fear judgement… No, She suddenly realized. I don’t have anyone like that, do I? Nobody to smile with and laugh at. To have kind and cruel things said with an equally open heart. I don't have that. But I want it.

  She looks up at Abhor and can't help but smile.

  “We're friends, right?” She asks. He blinks for a moment, surprised, then grins wide.

  “Of course we are!” He tells her, then ruffles her hair with a claw.

  “Please never do that again.” She tells him flatly, but on the inside she's smiling.

  “Hey, I’m a friend too, right? Right?” Snowstorm bounds over to them and sits down beside her.

  “Oh, but of course you are, scoundrel.” Abhor says mockingly, making a face. Snowstorm frowns, then looks back down to Evelyn.

  “Really? HE is your favorite?” Snowstorm says flatly.

  “Your scales are too cold to sleep on.” Evelyn counters, snuggling into Abhor's side. Maybe if Abhor were human it would be seen as romantic or something, but he's a big-ass lizard that could LITERALLY eat a horse. She was interested in a partner with the same species as her at least. Why am I even thinking about this? She shoves her thoughts to the side and takes another bite of her cod. He was right. This is good fish. She chuckles.

  “So what's next?” She asks. Snowstorm thinks for a second while Abhor finishes his 14th fish and reaches for another.

  “We have a few options.” Snowstorm says, conjuring 3 blocks of ice, 2 big and 1 small.

  “First though, Evelyn, do you think Darkness is… alive?”

  “We-... They usually keep dragons alive for a month before… looting.” She says. “Killing dragons gives loot by the system, just like any other kill, but only if you are a lower level then it.”

  “What level is He?” Abhor asks, turning to Snowstorm.

  “43.” Snowstorm says immediately. “Smokewind was level 38.”

  “Am I the only one who didn't know about levels until recently?”

  “Yes.” Snowstorm says.

  “Yes.” Evelyn also says. They exchange glances then chuckle before focusing on the matter at hand again.

  “So saving Darkness.” Abhor says, thinking. “How’re we gonna do that?” He asks, thinking.

  “Simple. Level up and get stronger” Snowstorm says. “How much essence do you have?”

  “over 800.” He responded, looking at a screen only he can see.

  “Alright, here is the plan.” Snowstorm says…

  <{(0)}>

  “This is a surprisingly good plan.” Evelyn comments.

  “Of course it is. Snowstorm made it.” Abhor said absently. His scales feel a lot more solid then they did 5 seconds ago.

  “The system offered me the perfect skill too. Shadow warp. Lets me enter one shadow and pop out the next. Though its 850 essence. Im missing some.”

  “We have the time.” Snowstorm comments.

  “Buffing up all your stats to the species max was a good idea.” It turns out that the species maximum was 50.

  “The Commander would still win if you fought.” Evelyn says certainly. “I'm not confident you could get in and out without alerting him, but if you do…”

  “I'm dead. Yeah, I know.” Abhor says. “This essence stuff is powerful. Do you know what his stats are?”

  “No. But from word of mouth, his strength stat is apparently over 150.”

  “Holy mother of ice.” Snowstorm mutters. “That's… so much…” He takes a second then “164,081,073 pounds.” He says. “One hit from him, even with a durability of 50, you'd be splattered like a bug. That's 16.5 million Gs of force.” Evelyn nodded gravely.

  “Abhor, don’t go. We can figure something out.” he rested one hand on his neck, looking up at him. She just made a friend in him. She didn’t want him to die.

  “Evelyn, Snowstorm, I need this. I won't let Darkness die. Even if I have to fight Infinity himself.” He looked up to the roof of the spire, which had closed after they entered originally.

  “Commander Jensen… just you wait. I'm coming for you.”

  Skill:Stamina wants to evolve to (High)