"wow!"
Laymar exclaimed as he was seated on Sirena's right solider. The moment he lay his eyes on the extremely big river before him, his eyes widened.
The water was transparent white. There seemed to be a lot of small boats ,made of woods, ships, launches were floating on the river.
But the wonders didn't end there. In the sky, right above them, was a massive ship floating ,which seemed to be made of alloy. The ship had a pair of airfoils like a plane's. Few meters away from the flying, a parade of black birds flown through the sky with unbelievable speed, completely abnormal speed.
Sirena then took out a small sack from her pocket, opened it. Then she brought out a tiny wooden boat from the sack, and threw it on the water.
"Grow."
As she uttered that, the small wooden boat, all of a sudden, grew bigger.
Then the big and a slightly weighty boat landed on the water, which made water splashed everywhere and create massive droplets.
"Do you have everything in your sacks?" The tiny dragon's eye twitched as he said that. "You are like Doraemon."
"What's Doraemon?" Serina side glanced Laymar, not understanding what was he referring to.
"Never mind. You wouldn't know." After a sigh, he added, "What I meant to say was that YOU- no your magic power is amazing. You can change size of objects. Not only that but also you have even healing ability on the top of that! You are a battle priestess type, huh?"
She was indeed a battle priestess. Not too long ago, she healed the bruised and battered Laymar with her healing magic. Now, he looked and felt as good as new.
After a seconds of silence and staring at Laymar, she said, "Yeah. But my SIZE MAGIC isn't only limited to changing the size of objects. It can also change the size of the living beings."
Oh. Living. He wondered.
Then he widened his eyes, realizing what she just said. If her magic power isn't only limited to objects, then Laymar finally could grew bigger in size a bit for more freedom of movement and physical combat.
"Wait. Please, could you make me 5'6-5'8 foot tall?"
The woman scowled. She didn't want the cute tiny creature to turn into a big sized dragon. After all, if she did that she wouldn't be able to pet the dragon the way she wants. Though it's not like Laymar was a pet to begin with.
"What? For real?" Then sighing in disappointed, he said, "Okay, I guess, making you bigger in size would help you in combat."
Saying that she put Laymar down from her shoulder. Then crouched down, and pressed his forehead with her right index finger.
"Grow."
As she said that, all of a sudden, Laymar's entire body trembled. After a few seconds, his body began to grow big. As the body was growing by extending the tiny cells, Laymar felt a peculiar tickling feeling.
After a few seconds, he grew 5'6 foot tall.
After Laymar's dragon form grew big, there were few changes about his appearance. His adorable appearance changed into heavy and ,sort of like, cool. His purple eyes became more narrower.
With his body size this big, Laymar certainly felt more strength than before.
Laymar grinned by clenching his pointy teeth together.
Finally.
"Let's not waste time, and get on the boat." Serina said with a kind smile.
Laymar shook his head, and asked as he stepped onto the boat after Serina.
"Where are you going?" He looked curious to adventure in this new world of magic.
A black shirt and a full pant suddenly grew bigger in Serina's right hand. She then threw the clothes at Laymar, and said, "Wear them."
Saying that, she continued, "We will go to a dragon's dungeon."
As Laymar was pulling up the pant, his curiosity grew even more hearing this.
He never could have thought that magic, dungeons, dragons he always read in Isekai stories, could really be real. So, finding himself in one of such world, he was definitely nothing short of happy and curious.
"But before you go to dungeon, you need to properly learn how to use your power, right?" Serina said with a neutral face.
Laymar widened his eyes, remembering what had happened to him when he fought against Shadow Dragon. He was utterly powerless, and had no understanding of his magic. He definitely don't want to face another situation like that. So, he said, "Yeah."
"Good. I have a perfect way for you to learn your skills." She sat down on the boat.
Laymar also sat down at one of the corner.
After that, the wooden oars on both side of the boat, automatically began to flap.
First, it flapped slowly. Then with each passing second, the speed of the flapping increased. As it increased, the boat slowly began to move forward.
Seeing this unfold before his eyes, Laymar's lips curled up.
"Is this powered by... magic?" He made a guess.
"Yep." Serina said, looking eager. "The same is with the flying ship and other vehicles. They are all powered by magic."
"Wow!" Looking amazed, Laymar exclaimed.
"It's astounding to think that humanity has flourished this much in only within 50 years. They not only uses magic to fight against dragons, but also use it to enrich the their civilization. Nowadays, everything you will see here are powered by magic."
Then as she said that, she reached her hand into the water, and lifted up some water in her palm, and continued, "Even this water contains magic substance. It happened naturally after the outbreak of dungeons. If you drink this water, your fatigue will fade, and your tensed body will relax."
"Wait, can you even drink the river water? I mean it's contaminated." Laymar said.
"Nope, it isn't. The magic substance in the water naturally purifies all the bad substances. So, it is, as a matter of fact, safe to drink."
"Really?" Laymar, looking astonished.
Serina shook her head.
" Close your eyes and try to deeply inhale the air around you through your nose. Tell me if you noticed anything."
Laymar did what she told him. He closed his eyes, and slowly inhale the air through his nose like she told him too.
As the air entered his nostrils, a distinct sweet scent covered his nose. It wasn't just that. He also noticed that his headache was gone after he inhaled deeply.
There it was! He shoot his eyes opened, looking taken aback.
Looking even more Intrigue and confused, he asked, " It smells sweet. But why?"
Serina stared at eager Laymar with amazement, and said with a smile, Okay, okay. I will tell you. Remember, a while ago, you saw a flock of black birds flew across the sky with abnormal speed?"
"Yeah." Laymar shook his head.
"They are a type of mutated birds. Before the Dragon Apocalypse, those used to be just normal birds. After that incident they along with every living beings, environmental elements and geographical structure changed once they came in contact with the magic energy that mixed into this world. With the exposure of mana from the dungeons, every single things in this world went through the process of mutation, and the laws and structures changed."
"That's...amazing!" Laymar exclaimed.
That also explained the reason behind the air being sweet, even though it shouldn't smell sweet at all. Then a question abruptly popped up in his mind, so he asked, "So, human aquired magic power through mutation too, am I right?"
"Correct." Serina shook her head. "But that process wasn't easy. Many people either died or went insane during that process, but those who managed to survive the mutation awaken magic."
"I see." He said as he was trying to process all that information.
"We are here." Serina rose to her feet. "Let's go."
As she said that the flapping of the oars stopped, and the boat stopped near a green river bank. After that, she got off the boat.
Laymar shook his head, and got off the boat after her.
Then as Laymar raised his head, he was mesmerized. Before him stood a girl, who seemed to be in her adolescence.
But, from the looks of it, she didn't appeared to be a human, even though she looked like one. Because she had horns just like a dragon.
She had short, wavy black and orange hair, glowing red eyes, and large curved white horns. She wore a black lace and silk dress with intricate patterns, and a fiery red emblem on her chest. Her left eye was covered by an ornate black eyepatch with a magical red sigil. She wore elegant gold and red earrings
As she looked at Laymar she bowed her head a little.
Then raising her head again, she asked confidently, "Who might this be, Miss. Sirena?"
Sirena gestured to Laymar, introducing him, "He is Laymar Hyurai. A dragon. The same as you."
Wait, Another dragon?
Laymar's jaw slightly dropped. He was rethinking if the information about Humans and dragons being sworn enemies was even true at all.
If dragons are supposed to be humans worst enemies then why the hell the human and the dragon before be looks like good'ol pals ?!
With a funny narrowed eyes, Laymar said, looking at Sirena,"Um...Do you a good relationship with every dragon or something?
"I told you, didn't I?" Sirena said as her lips curled up. "Now you know that not all the dragons are arrogant."
"I guess so." Laymar muttered with his eyelids closed.
"And, now." Sirena said. Glancing at the girl, she continued, "This dragon girl before you is GATE DRAGON. She will help you learn everything about your skills."
"She? How?" Laymar asked, looking confounded.
After a slight sigh, Sirena said, "You will see soon. When she touches you on your forehead, you consciousness will be teleported to your mind-world. There you will have to fight against your own abilities, and master them to some extent."
Saying that, Sirena signaled Gate Dragon. The dragon nodded, and stepped before Laymar.
"Don't lose your mind there, alright?" As the dragon said whispered, she placed her right palm on Laymar's forehead.
"GATE OPEN."
As she uttered that Laymar's body abruptly shook. As his purple eye balls rolled up, he lost his consciousness, and was about to fall on his back. But before the body could fall, Sirena prevent it from falling.
Meanwhile, everything at first looked pitched black for Laymar.
Suddenly, Laymar pierced through all the darkness, and found himself in a blood-red sky. He seemed to be falling.
He was many meters above the red ground. Seeing this he gasped, knowing he was about to be crushed to death, he screamed, while sweats could be seen on his face.
"Aaaaaaaaaah."
As he was descending to the ground, he kept on screaming. Within a few seconds, his body violently crushed on the bloody ground.
"Aah." Suddenly Laymar realized something. "Wait, I didn't feel any pain."
He immediately jumped to his feet, and noticed that he was now in his human form. So, he narrowed his eyes, thinking why he had returned to his human form all of a sudden. Though it didn't bother him a single bit.
He, at once, checked his body, and confirmed everything was all right. Surprisingly the fall didn't damage his body at all.
After that, he raised his head, and shot his black gaze forward. The moment he looked forward his eyes went blank. It was as though he was mortified.
Before him lay a remnant of battlefield. The crimson sun shone on the brutal blood-soaked battlefield, adding horror to the cruel scenario.
There were hundreds of skeletons of fallen warriors. Swords were stabbed through their rotten skulls. Guns lay on a sea of blood.
And, amidst it all, stood a boy as pale as a ghost.
His head was lowered. His hair was black and messy. He wore a green military uniform. The boy slowly raised his head. With a hollowed smile, and hollowed eyes the boy raised his head.
The boy looked exactly like Human Laymar!
"Welcome me." The boy uttered with a hollow voice.
Laymar looked horrified and at the same time confused by this. Something about all of this felt familiar to him.
As terror surfaced his face, before he could even comprehend, the Laymar- look-alike boy pointed a machine gun at Laymar.
"Go to hell, murderer." As the boy said that with a malicious and hollow voice, he shot the gun.
A bullet shot forth, cutting through the air, and instantly hit Laymar's forehead.
That knocked him down, he fell on his back. From the back of his head blood gushed out, as his black eyes were completely empty like a dead man.