Making a Companion (Physical)
Making a Companion (Physical)
The White Dragon Glacia.
On the community boards, Glacia went by other names. Weakest Dragon, Ice Chicken, a piece of trash that dealt less damage than a newbie...
And honestly, it made sense. This bitch called herself a dragon, yet her level barely scraped 77.
In the early scenario, that was still a level where she could solo a whole kingdom, but it was also the perfect level for a well-raised Swordmaster to take her head off.
Right. Exactly. The one who killed this bitch was none other than the Sword Saint Kiel.
Kiel, who'd been seized by wanderlust and left for the invincible north, ended up saddled with the absurdly overblown title of Dragon Slayer for this deed.
That was how the very early game went.
In the actual gameplay, you couldn't meet Glacia.
Ah, actually, you could.
She was probably on display in the Academy's main hall. Stuffed.
Glacia's face contorted with fury.
[Your insolence knows no bounds. I have heard the Lord speak of it. Humans are a lowly race, bereft of manners and ignorant of their place.]
Dragon Fear reverberated through her voice.
[Title 'The Bold One Before the Dragon' activated.]
- Immunity to the Status Effect 'Terror'.
The window I had only ever seen beyond the screen now floated before my eyes.
Exactly which of us was ignorant of their place?
Olivia smiled softly. Then she slowly extended her hand forward.
Thump, thump.
Mana pulsed near her heart.
[Skill: Blizzard activated.]
A message that popped up the moment I thought about using the skill.
That was a relief for Olivia. It meant she didn't have to chant the incantation herself or draw a Magic Circle.
Whoooosh-.
At some point, a biting, knife-like wind began to blow.
[Title: 'One Who Has Seen the Truth' activated.]
- Magic power increased by 100%.
Anyone who hit Max Level—level 100—became the Pinnacle of their field.
The Pinnacle. A title granted to only one individual.
Therefore, in the magic of frost and lightning, there existed no being superior to Olivia.
Even if that opponent was a Dragon.
[Hmm?]
Glacia seemed to sense the ominous shift in atmosphere too. But it was already too late.
"First, let's get on the same eye level."
BOOOOM!
Chunks of ice, honed sharp by the knifing wind, slammed into Glacia's massive body. Glacia spread her wings to shield herself, but it wasn't enough to block the impact.
[Kuaaaaaaagh!]
Wings riddled with holes were of no help whatsoever for flight.
THUUUMP!
Olivia pushed through the blizzard and walked toward the direction Glacia had fallen.
It was excessive magic to use on a level 77, but there was a reason for this.
Something I'd learned playing Lactea thousands of times.
All dragons are psychopaths.
Reds are battle junkies, Blues are just useless, Greens are concept-obsessed freaks who Polymorph into humans to pull cheap tricks, and Golds are miserly loan sharks preying on Dwarves.
Then what about Whites?
They like getting hit.
No, I wasn't kidding. Seriously.
The community once went absolutely nuclear over this.
It was because of one of the major NPCs: the White Dragon Lord, Carsian.
- Guys. Carsian, that bastard, we sent her to stop the Demon King and she got corrupted.
- That's a White Dragon trait. Her DPS was probably weaker than the Demon King's, so she got NTR'd.
- Those bastards like getting hit. I messed up my DPS calculation during the Carsian raid too and left her at a sliver of health. She suddenly Polymorphed and hit a dogeza right on the floor.
- Proof pls.
- dogeza.jpg
- This is insane lololololololol
A similar account came up in Kiel's recollection.
[Kiel gazed at the White Dragon, trembling violently and covered in wounds all over.
How weak. Was she a young one, barely an adult?
For a Dragon, she seemed terrified of death. He'd had no intention of killing her anyway. He'd only meant to test out a newly mastered swordsmanship technique.
Just then, the White Dragon's mouth twitched.
What was she trying to say? Kiel leaned in to listen to her words.
A moment later, Kiel changed his mind.
This Dragon must die.]
It was never revealed exactly what kind of insane bullshit Glacia had spouted back then to make Kiel change his mind.
And the true nature of that bullshit was now revealed.
"...Heu-eung."
Olivia's face twisted horrifically. At the same time, she understood with bone-deep clarity exactly why Kiel had done it.
Glacia lay sprawled on the floor, drool streaming from her mouth. Her eyes had rolled halfway back, showing only the whites, and her body squirmed like a worm. Worse, she wasn't even a dragon anymore; she'd been forcibly Polymorphed into human form.
It seemed White Dragons possessed a truly exquisite talent for making people feel utterly disgusted.
"Hey, stop drooling and get up."
Every time I nudged her with my foot, she flinched. What would the Dwarves who offered tribute to Glacia think if they saw this?
When this was just a game, it wasn't described in such vivid detail, so I never knew. Seeing it in reality was far more revolting than I'd imagined.
This crap was rated 12+?
Take a good hard look at yourself, Lactea.
"Wh-what have you done to my body?"
"Never mind that. Do you know the name of the nearest village around here?"
"Village? You mean a human village? Hic! L-let me go!"
Olivia released her grip on Glacia's collar. A briefly wistful expression flickered across her face, before she grew confused, as if unable to understand why she'd thought that.
Was using a hopeless case like this as an ally really the right call?
It wasn't as if the continent lacked powerful individuals over level 80. If I searched carefully enough, I could probably find someone.
'The problem is that I'm the one who killed every last one of them.'
The prerequisites for becoming an ally.
One: strong enough to survive into the late game.
Two: Favorability not completely wrecked.
There was no one who simultaneously met both conditions, which was maddening enough to make me jump up and scream.
Honestly, if you asked whether Glacia perfectly satisfied the first condition? That wasn't true either.
Given her species, her growth was overwhelmingly slower compared to humans. If I left her like this, she'd obviously end up as a completely useless liability in the late game.
"So. Do you know the village name or not."
"H-hic..."
"Answer."
"I-I don't know!"
Stubborn as hell, just as expected from a dragon. I hadn't expected this to be easy.
"Let's change the question. What year is it by the Imperial Calendar?"
"Im-Imperial Calendar? A human empire is beneath—."
"Bitch, it's been around since before you were even born."
"I don't know! I really don't know!"
There was no way she didn't know. Dragons regularly descended into the human world for amusement whenever they were bored.
And this one wasn't even a Hatchling, and she knew how to Polymorph into a human, yet she claimed she didn't know?
Instead of asking again, Olivia raised her staff. This staff, which was nothing but a Cosmetic Item, had one advantage: made from the roots of the World Tree, it was damn sturdy.
So sturdy that mere Dragon bones couldn't even compare.
Olivia swung the staff lightly as she spoke.
"You know what? In my experience, this is the best method for disciplining a White."
"I-I don't know what you're planning, but stop this instant!"
Smack!
"Aaaaaaaaagh!"
Crack!
"M-my bones! They broke! Keuheok! Keuheoheok!"
Even a Dragon was helpless before merciless violence.
There was definitely a difference in the feel of it compared to watching from beyond the screen and actually beating the shit out of someone yourself.
But still, was it okay to beat a dragon who was supposed to become a companion like this?
Trust me. Lactea was always this kind of game.
Back when I first discovered the No-Kill Ending and uploaded the strategy video, that was exactly how the community reacted.
- Th-this is a No-Kill Route?
- Well, as long as you don't kill them, it counts lolololololol
- Olivia's a total psycho, right? Would any of you be able to beat up the Emperor in the Imperial Palace?
- Peace (Physical).
- Fuck lolololololol
- Lady Olivia...just what kind of battles have you fought?
- For real, seeing that crazy shit and still getting an ending is legendary. Doesn't Favorability totally tank when you do that?
- If they don't want to get hit, they should listen lololololol
Even the Emperor, whose pride was notoriously sky-high, listened perfectly well after a month of getting beaten every day.
"Kuaaaaaaaaagh!"
How long would this one take?
Ten minutes was plenty.
****
"Keueo, keueoo? Kuah?"
Glacia's eyes grew hazy, as if she were drugged. It hurt like death, but she wasn't actually dying, so her brain just turned to mush.
Honestly, it was a lot harder than I'd expected.
A warrior might have managed, but a mage's body wasn't meant for sustained beatings; my whole body ached.
If it had been anyone other than Glacia, I probably couldn't have subdued them this easily.
Must have been thanks to White Dragon DNA.
By now, she would have realized it too. That I hadn't pulled some trick; the defect was in her own body.
Olivia magnanimously paused the beating, giving her time to wipe her snot, and asked once more.
"The hard way, or the easy way?"
"Ea-ea-easy! The easy way!"
"Way? Way? Not going to speak formally?"
At the sound of her voice, Glacia's eyes snapped open and glared at Olivia.
"I-I am a Dragon!"
"A Dragon who got torn to shreds like a dog by a human. What kind of Dragon is that."
"That's—!"
Whoosh!
The staff sliced through the air with a crisp sound. Glacia's body flinched at the same moment.
"Last chance. The easy way, or the hard way?"
"..."
"Answer."
"I want to take the easy wayyyy!"
"Good. That's what I like to hear."
Olivia stroked Glacia's head as if petting a dog.
"So. What's the name of that village over there again?"