I Received System to Become Dragonborn

Eccar felt the pain — sharp and real. But pain was no stranger to him. He had known it long before he ever gained his Dragonborn power.

Back then, pain was just part of survival, and now, after everything he'd endured, it wasn't something he feared or even hated anymore. There was something he despised far more now, it was the Rage.

Straightening his body, Eccar rose to his full height, blood still trickling from the fresh cuts carved by the wind.

Across from him, the bird-man watched closely, a flicker of relief flashing in his eyes at the sight. At least this enemy could bleed. That meant he could be killed.

"Nice attack," Eccar muttered, his voice rough but steady.

The bird-man gritted his beak. He knew this foe was no ordinary intruder. As one of the forest's highest champions, he was deeply attuned to the ancient god's power and wielded wind Magic with deadly precision.

No enemy so far had withstood his retaliation without dying. Yet here stood this outsider with his bloody but unbroken body.

Muscles rippling, the bird-man drew on deeper reserves of power. The wind Magic around him shifted, the white aura darkening to a greenish hue, rich with the force of the old forest.

This was no longer a battle to move the intruder away. This was turning into something else.

Eccar's golden eyes narrowed. He could feel the pressure radiating from this creature. That meant the bird-man wasn't just strong; he was one of the highest-ranked in this forest, maybe even connected directly to the old gods this whole mess revolved around.

That made him valuable. Eccar had questions and to get answers, he had to make sure this creature stayed alive.

The bleeding on Eccar's body slowed, then stopped entirely. His wounds sealed themselves with unnatural speed until only smooth, tanned skin remained.

And then, without warning, he launched forward. Becoming a blur of motion that closed the distance in the blink of an eye.

WHOOOSH!

WHOOOSH!

WHOOOSH!

More blades of wind came screaming at him, larger and deadlier than before.

They ripped through the air, forcing Eccar to halt his charge. The bird-man flapped his wings, retreating swiftly, while the storm he conjured lashed the battlefield.

Trees behind Eccar were shredded; smaller trunks snapped and fell, their crashing echoes rolling through the misty forest.

The noise carried far, loud enough that every creature in the forest would hear this chaos.

But the bird-man knew even this wasn't enough. His sharp eyes caught the glint of black and brown scales now covering Eccar's crossed arms, shielding him completely from the slashing winds.

The sight made the champion's chest tighten. He couldn't hold back anymore.

Power surged through the bird-man's wings as he condensed his Magic, the swirling air thickening until it vibrated with Magic.

With another fierce flap, he unleashed a barrage of wind blades that larger and more numerous than before, cutting through the mist like a storm of knives.

Eccar didn't stop. He pressed forward, fists punching through the oncoming slashes, his scales deflecting the deadly edges.

He only activated the scales on his arms — deliberately holding back. If he unleashed the full power of his Dragon Scales now, he knew the bird-man might try to flee and that would turn this fight into an even bigger headache.

Behind him, trees kept toppling, the massive trunks crashing down with tremors that made the earth shudder.

The ground itself quaked from the sheer destruction.

The tribesmen who had been watching from the shadows had long since scattered.

The moment they saw their champion unleash such powerful Magic, they knew better than to stay. Had they remained, they would've been torn apart by the storm now ravaging their sacred forest.

"Enough running!" Eccar roared, his voice cutting through the howl of the wind blades. "What's the matter, bird? Are you afraid of me?"

The words hit their mark. The bird-man's eyes flared, glowing a darker shade of green as anger flared in his chest.

Afraid? Never. He was a champion of the ancient forest, a chosen guardian of its god — and he would make these intruders pay for daring to trespass during the sacred ritual.

"Afraid?" the bird-man hissed, his voice sharp like a blade. "I'll show you what fear is."

With a powerful beat of his wings, he surged toward Eccar and closing the distance in the blink of an eye.

His razor-sharp talons glowing faintly with wind Magic. He clamped it around Eccar's shoulders, stabbing deep. Blood spurted as the bird-man's claws hooked into flesh and then he yanked Eccar off the ground, launching skyward with incredible speed.

They tore through the canopy in a burst of shattered branches and swirling mist.

They rose higher and higher into the sky. The bird-man's wings reinforced with dense green wind Magic, carrying the heavy human like he weighed nothing at all. The forest below became a distant blur, swallowed by fog and treetops.

When they reached dizzying heights, the bird-man glanced at his prey, a cruel grin stretching across his beak.

"How about now?" he sneered. "What will you do when I drop youand let you fall like a stone back to the ground below?"

He threw back his head and laughed — but then froze. Because Eccar was laughing too.

"HAHAHAHA!"

A deep, hearty laugh that rang out even through the rush of wind.

The bird-man's face twisted in confusion and fury.

"What the hell is so funny, you fool?" he snapped, his voice edged with a growl.

Still chuckling, Eccar looked up at him with a wild grin. "Ah… sorry, it's just… this is all too damn funny. You think I'm afraid of heights?"

Snarling, the bird-man's patience snapped. With a violent motion he released Eccar, letting him plummet toward the distant ground.

But he didn't stop there — his wings flared wide, summoning a storm's worth of wind blades that rained down in a deadly swarm, chasing Eccar's falling figure with every intent to tear him apart before he even touched the earth.

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