Chapter One: Help! It's a Dragon Eater!

The afternoon sunlight filtered through layers of leaves, casting mottled patches of light on the ground. The heat seemed to ignite impatience in the air, making people irritable for no reason.

Linde looked at the wild grass nearly reaching his waist, then up at the towering trees stretching endlessly into the distance, and wondered if he had somehow crossed into a land of giants.

He was a senior in college. After finishing his internship for the day, he bought a flatbread and planned to return to his rented apartment, so he boarded the subway headed for Nibelungen.

The subway in City A was themed in collaboration with the Dragon Clan, creating a so-called specialty line named "King of Earth and Mountains," with its final stop called Nibelungen.

Rumor had it that anyone who rode this subway would gain undying golden eyes and become a fearless dragon-slayer.

Linde was unimpressed by such tales.

Hmph, who's ever seen a dragon?

After all, dragons were nothing but creatures of fantasy. If the world had only dragons, people would surely imagine beings even stronger.

Lost in such musings, his vision suddenly went black, and in the blink of an eye, he found himself in this world.

Staying put wasn’t an option. With a resigned "since I’m here," Linde munched on his flatbread as he began to explore the forest.

He had to admit, the environment here was delightful. The fresh air cleared his mind, and everywhere he looked were lush, towering plants. Occasionally, melodious birdsong echoed, painting a scene full of vitality and flourishing life.

"Roar!!!"

A distant, unknown creature’s furious howl echoed, the sound so loud it made Linde’s eardrums ache.

What was that?

He no longer cared to admire the scenery; this place seemed unsafe, and he decided to leave as soon as possible.

But just then, an uninvited guest appeared before him—

A black bear nearly three meters long and over a meter tall at the shoulder.

With that size, a casual swipe of its paw could crush his skull, Linde thought.

At moments like this, the mind tends to wander into absurd thoughts.

Could an adult man defeat a bear?

The simplest answer had been hotly debated on a short video platform before he crossed over.

Two factions emerged: one believed a serious punch could kill a bear; the other claimed they could take down two, saying only one would be too weak. They even posted a picture of a bald man beating two bears as evidence.

But now, Linde wasn’t in the mood for jokes.

Without a weapon of truth, encountering a black bear and not running either meant you were a fool or trying to cosplay as the Captain.

When he noticed drool dripping from the bear’s mouth and its left forepaw slowly rising, he didn’t hesitate—he turned and ran.

He might not outrun it, but staying meant certain doom.

Was this retribution for eating too many bear-shaped cookies as a child?

Wind rushed past his ears, his heart pounding wildly from adrenaline; Linde, who had never been chased by anyone, now knew what it felt like to be chased by a bear.

A cold dread gripped his back, the fear that at any moment he’d be caught.

Two legs were no match for four.

Linde could almost hear the thick bear paws slicing through the air.

This is the end—my life is over.

Just as he thought his demise was certain, the expected attack didn’t come.

He spun around in disbelief and saw the black bear fleeing in panic.

Ha, what an odd bear.

The prey was right at its mouth, and it ran off.

Linde, spared from disaster, exhaled in relief.

Maybe good fortune awaited him now.

He forcefully parted the bushes before him, but when he saw what lay ahead, he suddenly understood why the bear had fled.

A beautiful creature, horned and winged, lay quietly on its side.

Its height was unknown, but its length—excluding the tail—was roughly six meters. It bore a regal crest on its head, its scales shifting from white to violet, shimmering in the sunlight. The streamlined head lent a softness to its massive body, and its magical azure eyes gleamed like sapphires.

With its multitude of colors, it looked just like a resplendent butterfly; its enormous size betrayed no clumsiness, instead hinting at grace.

Linde’s feelings at that moment mirrored the protagonist in "How to Train Your Dragon" upon first meeting Toothless.

Astonishment, awe, and—

Intimidation.

If he guessed right, this must be the legendary dragon.

Though smaller than expected, it was likely still a hatchling, not yet fully grown.

Even so, unarmed as he was, he stood no chance against it.

The bear had been scared off; he couldn’t beat a bear, so how could he hope to face a dragon?

Linde sighed, his emotions tumbling like a rollercoaster.

As he studied the dragon before him, its beautiful eyes were studying him in return.

What puzzled him was the trace of fear he sensed in the dragon’s trembling gaze.

Uh, surely you’re joking—I’m not even enough to be a snack for you.

With a dragon ahead and a bear behind, escape was out of the question.

Since that was so, Linde decided to take a risk and spoke up:

"Hello, my name is Linde. Can we get along peacefully? I’m saturated with the scent of work and misery, hardly tasty at all.

As a substitute, I’ll give you my flatbread."

"Ga?!"

But as he raised his hand, the young dragon seemed startled, swiftly folding its wings and hiding behind a giant melon, trembling.

He had been so focused on the dragon that only now did he notice the enormous fruit, resembling a watermelon but dozens of times larger.

Everything in this world seemed oversized, he thought.

And why was the dragon hiding from him? Was another giant dragon approaching from behind?

He glanced back—nothing.

Apparently, it simply didn’t want to interact.

Linde could only sigh and say,

"Alright then, I’ll be on my way."

Just as he turned to leave, the young dragon suddenly spoke in human tongue:

"Hu…man…?"

"You can speak?"

Linde’s spirits soared.

The colorful hatchling spat out an ancient green-leather book, flipped through it with its claws for a long time, then stared at Linde and said,

"Hel…lo, I am Little Dragon Bun. Please don’t eat me, thank you."

Its words were unclear, like a child babbling.

Still, Linde roughly understood—it was asking not to be eaten.

His mind stalled for a second.

This world was mad—a dragon telling a human not to eat it?

For now, this gem dragon seemed harmless, so Linde chose to continue the friendly exchange:

"I won’t eat you. You’re a beautiful, lovely dragon, and I’d like to be friends."

He spoke slowly, hoping the dragon would understand his intentions and see he meant no harm.

Sure enough, after hearing him, the hatchling’s wings relaxed, and its body emerged a bit more.

[You have gained the initial trust of the young Gem Dragon Victoria.]

[Reputation Points +1]

Just then, a voice rang in Linde’s mind, and before him appeared a reputation panel visible only to himself.

[Current Reputation Level: 1 (1/500)]

[Reputation Points: 1]

[To tame dragons, increase understanding of them, and form emotional bonds with dragons will earn reputation points.]

[Available cheat commands:]

[/weather]: Basic cost 1 reputation point; can change local weather as desired. Consumption increases with area and complexity.

[/translation]: Cost 10 reputation points; allows understanding of any language.

[/mirror]: When about to take damage, all incoming attacks are reflected back. Cost varies with attack power.

[Current synthesis options:]

One piece of wood → Four wooden planks

Four wooden planks → Workbench

Eight wooden planks → Chest

……

Isn’t this just like Minecraft? Linde thought.

He quickly understood the system and was about to study it further when the Gem Dragon in front of him seemed suddenly agitated.

"Hiss!"

The dragon spread its wings wide, its expression turning grave, ready for battle.