Drahon’s stats didn’t show, and he didn’t bother because he knew why. He had done nothing in the fight; Devon had done all the work.
Some seconds ago, Devon become a god.
He looked at him in awe. He had always known something was up with Devon, the way he behaved, his charisma, and now, he just witnessed it.
Devon had saved his life.
"Damn you, weakling!" Devon said, smiling as he walked over to Drahon and helped him up.
Drahon took his ’clawy’ hand, speechless.
"Next time," Devon said, "Don’t get tossed like a ragdoll."
Then he looked at Ayvira, saying nothing because he was seeing her for the first time. Ayvira hesitated before bowing slightly in gratitude. Devon nodded back at her.
He then walked over to the dead monsters’ corpses like nothing happened, his claws fading back into his skin and the demon dragon form dissolving slowly, bit by bit, until he was back in his armor, his cloak fluttering behind him.
Drahon stood in silence.
Ayvira walked closer and stood beside him, also speechless.
"...Remind me to never piss him off," Drahon muttered.
"Noted. I wouldn’t want to piss him off either."
They both watched as Devon went over a monster, crouching as dark mist twirled and swirled in the air as they entered into his body.
Drahon furrowed a brow as he watched him, intrigued.
Ayvira also studied the act, not saying anything.
After absorbing the dark, dusty stuff from the monsters, Devon stared at Drahon and Ayvira and said:
"Pardon me. I just have to absorb their essence. I had a lot before I fused with my dragon and saved you guys. That act consumed a lot."
"You don’t need to ask for our pardons. I think you deserve our souls too."
"I’ve been trying to work on my attitude lately. The two players I tagged along with before meeting you guys called my attitude dark, gritty, and boring."
He hesitated, breathing in the essence of the dead monster in front of him.
After breathing it in, he said:
"You know what, they’re dead now, killed off by Draconic goblins."
There were things like Draconic goblins?
Ayvira too made a face.
Devon went to the next dead monster, repeating the act he did with the previous one.
"There are things like Draconic goblins?"
"Yes," Devon replied. "Really strong monsters. They are like five SSS-rank Dragon Demon monsters put together. They gave me a hard time since I wasn’t just fighting one monster but a lot. The painful part about it is that after I managed to kill two, I discovered I’m not compatible to extract Draconic essence from them."
No wonder whenever he wanted to absorb the essence of any monster, his system had to do a genetic scan and see if he’s compatible so there wouldn’t be any side effects.
That made him wonder again, why couldn’t Devon absorb essence from them? Think about it, he’s a legendary dragon and he leans more toward demonic dragons and monsters...
"But I have a high compatibility rate with these Demon Dragon monsters. It’s 201/100. They should give me more than the essence I wasted fighting against them."
Drahon didn’t lean on the demonic side and he was a Golden Dragon, so why was he able to absorb essence from Demon monsters?
Was it because he was demonic?
If that was so, then why didn’t Devon absorb essence from the Draconic goblins?
Could that mean that he, Drahon, could absorb all kinds of essence? It could make sense. That would mean Golden Dragons are more superior, or he was from a higher class of demon dragons?
It was all speculations.
They watched Devon absorb the essence of all the dead Demon Dragon monsters. He absorbed all but two. Standing up, he pointed at the corpses of two dead monsters and said to Drahon and Ayvira:
"You two should come absorb these last two. You are in bad shape."
Drahon smiled and nodded, extending his thanks with that gesture.
What baffled him the most was Devon’s character. Back at level one, he was this character who kept to himself and looked like a villain. Now, he was being a hero, saving his life.
Or was he? Maybe he just wanted to gain the essence of the Demon Dragon monsters... that was the reason he fought them.
Nevertheless, he had Ayvira staggered over to the remaining two monsters and began absorbing their essence. After they were done, Devon said to Drahon:
"I’m sort of paying back a favor. Back at level one, if you hadn’t taken that wild shot, I would have been dead by now."
"I see. But how did you get stronger? How are you able to fuse with your dragon?"
Devon gave a half-smile, dark cloak fluttering as he turned slightly toward Drahon. "Well... it’s quite simple," he said, voice calm. "All my bonded dragons are now three. All demonic. One of them, my second, has fusion-type genetics. It’s rare. The system called it a Symbiotic Class. Unlike most dragons that only lend power, this one merges it with mine at a cellular level."
He lifted a hand, dark energy glowing faintly across his knuckles. "It’s not just spiritual or magical. It’s, let me say, um... biological. My essence syncs with the dragon’s, fusing instincts, strength, and abilities. That’s why I don’t summon this particular dragon. I become it, if that’s a thing."
Devon’s gaze darkened. "While you were busy playing lord, being faithful to the role, I was wiping out the nearby kingdoms. I didn’t sit on a throne; I razed them. I took other kingdoms’ resources, hunted monsters, absorbed essence from anything that moved. That’s why I’m... well, ahead."
He let the words sink, then added quietly, "This world isn’t a game anymore. I mean, it is, but it goes beyond that. The players who treat it like one won’t last."
Drahon again said nothing. He was now deep in thought - unconsciously.
Devon glanced around the field, then looked back at Drahon. "You couldn’t summon your dragon, right?" he asked.
Drahon nodded in the affirmative, a bit curious.
He pointed at one of the Demon Dragon corpses. "The monsters release a kind of corrupted aura, pure suppression. It interferes with draconic bonds, especially summoning. Think of it like jamming a signal. Your dragon might hear you, but it can’t reach you through that mess."
He folded his arms. "They’re built that way. Demon Dragons aren’t just strong; they’re tactical. That suppression field is part of their biology. The stronger the beast, the wider the field."
Drahon was getting suspicious now. How did Devon know all this, and why was he speaking like an AI, very much correct and factual?
Or perhaps he had been a brilliant child growing up or...
How did Devon know all this information? He spoke like he had lived in the Dragon world all his life, speaking with eloquence also, like he was sure of everything he was saying (which he was).
From being dark and brooding to being a mix of that with friendliness and more expressiveness.
"But we can summon our dragons now though..." he heard Devon say.