Taming the Wyvern Lord
Whoosh—! A sleek black streak gracefully sliced across the skies above the World Tree.
Flying in my human body felt worlds apart from soaring as a massive crow. Back then, it was like a jet engine brute-forcing through the wind with overwhelming power and speed from my enormous wings. But now, in this slender human form, it was the exhilarating freedom of paragliding naked—without a parachute—just like in my past life.
"Hahaha! Flying bare-bodied is this thrilling!"
Wind resistance? Pfft, Michael's gift of Mana Control let me coat my body in a thin layer of mana, nullifying it completely. Screw aerodynamics—I glided through the air like it was an ice rink, pure bliss washing away the misery of my past life's hellish packed commutes.
I was midway through some acrobatic loops and dives when—
Screeeeech—!! Kyaaawk—!
Sudden ear-shattering shrieks exploded from all directions, and massive shadows blotted out the sky overhead. Looking up, I saw a horde of winged, vicious giant reptiles blotting out the heavens entirely. Each flap sent their distinctive stench wafting over.
Huh? That's the exact same smell as the meat I barbecued earlier. Wyvern pack, gotta be.
Leading the charge was a boss-level wyvern at least three times the size of the others. Its savage eyes gleamed with cruel hunger fixed on the "tiny human brat" invading its turf.
"How dare a puny human flybug invade my skies—!!"
Thanks to the universal language patch, its beastly roar translated crystal-clear in my ears as arrogant dialogue.
The boss wyvern reared up house-sized talons and dove straight down. Dozens more followed in a swarm, diving right for me.
But I just sighed deeply.
"Ugh, seriously. Ruining my fun flight with these pests."
I didn't dodge. Instead, I halted dead in midair. Then, casually flicked my finger at the boss's forehead.
Snap.
A crisp friction sound. Crackle—BOOM!!
A bolt of blue lightning shot from my fingertip, slamming dead-center into the boss's brow.
But it didn't end there.
"Kyaaawk?!"
Crack! Zap-zap! The massive current surged through the boss's body, arcing out in all directions to chain into half a dozen nearby wyverns charging alongside.
A web of azure lightning exploded mid-sky. Flutter—thud!! Crash!
Charred by the blast, the boss and its cronies went rigid-winged and plummeted. Dozens of tons of meat rained down like hail onto a massive branch midway up the World Tree.
"K-keeek……!"
"R-run! That's a monster!"
The survivors, awestruck by the overwhelming display, scattered in panic.
"Whew, what a mess."
I waved the dust away and alighted lightly onto the giant branch amid the carnage.
Wyverns lay everywhere—frothing at the mouth in unconscious heaps or necks snapped dead. The barbecue aroma sparked a sudden curiosity.
Come to think of it, I only grilled 'em last time. Gotta try premium ingredients raw at least once.
Curiosity killed the cat—or rather, I can't resist when I'm curious. I dropped the human form instantly.
Poof—! Black mist billowed, and the slender boy vanished, replaced by my true form: a colossal black crow with six drooping wings of obsidian sheen.
I approached a dead wyvern and tore off a huge chunk with my blunt beak.
Crunch, crunch.
"Caw!" (Whoa! Raw has its own umami! So chewy and satisfying!)
Blood dripping from the fresh meat, I savored it. A wild flavor totally different from charcoal-grilled—magnificent.
Jackpot. Stock up.
I flapped my massive wings lightly at the twitching survivors.
Slash—shiiiing! Razor wind blades from my wingtips sliced their throats clean.
I opened my Subspace and swept the fresh(?) meat into my personal fridge.
Clang—!
"Caw?" (Huh?)
A metallic ring—my wind blade had ricocheted off one spot. Turning, I saw the boss wyvern, who'd taken my lightning head-on.
Charred black and ragged, but it'd desperately squeezed out mana for a crude wind barrier to block my attack.
"Caw." (Oho, not bad?)
My eyes sparkled with interest. Boss-level indeed—tough life force and mana reserves.
I dissolved into black mist again, reforming as the black-robed human boy. Then I skipped lightly toward the gasping boss on the ground.
"You're a fun one, huh?"
"H-heek……!"
The boss wyvern's massive eyes bulged, trembling like a leaf. From its view, this was cosmic horror: a brat who halved its pack with a finger snap turns into a house-sized monster bird, devours its minions raw while critiquing the taste, then shrinks back to kid-size humming a tune as he approaches. Plus, his mouth reeked of its dead subordinate's blood and charred wyvern BBQ.
"G-great Transcendent One! Please spare me! I'm awful tasting! Tough scales like chewing old leather armor! Mercy for my life!"
Its beastly cries translated via universal patch as desperate pleas straight to my brain.
Where was the sky bully from before? Now it rubbed its huge forepaws together pathetically, belly-flat.
I tilted my head, peering down.
"Old leather armor?"
"Y-yes! I'm stringy and tough! Hard bones, thick scales—won't digest well! Might even give you indigestion……!"
Tears-in-eyes effort to trash its own value. I chin-stroked thoughtfully.
"But your minions were pretty tasty."
Its massive body shuddered.
"Th-that's 'cause they slacked on maintenance! As boss, I stress-eat—tough meat, gamey! No good, really!"
"I see."
"Yes! And I'm all charred from your lightning—bitter, acrid, tasteless! Please……!"
Impressive survival drive. Then it paused mid-grovelling, head snapping up indignantly.
"And frankly! I'm the sky ruler, Wyvern Lord Ienens Karshion! Top dog of this turf, yet treated like th—!"
Its pride-fueled tremor met the blue static crackling at my fingertip.
"……Actually, I'm the weakest wyvern here. Just call me Kar. Please……."
Pride surrendered to survival instinct in 0.3 seconds. I stifled a chuckle, arms crossed.
Staring at the flattened, quaking wyvern boss. Up close, its size appealed. Sure, nosebleeding and paw-rubbing killed the vibe, but red scales, vast wings, jagged horns—total "dragon" knockoff.
Wait, riding a dragon through the skies was a past-life fantasy too.
Got isekai'd to fantasy world—gotta dragon-ride at least once, right? Self-flight with mana control's fun, but long hauls were getting lazy.
Got style. Looks cushy. Too good for BBQ—maybe keep as pet?
Decision made, I smiled benevolently.
"Alright. BBQ plan cancelled. You're spared."
"Ooooh! Thank you! Great and merciful Transcendent! I'll never forget this grace!"
Tears and snot streaming, it thumped its tail like a giant reptilian retriever.
"But."
I raised a finger; tail froze mid-thump.
"From today, you're my pet."
"……P-pardon? P-pet?"
Its savage pupils quaked. Sky bully Wyvern Lord as a tiny human kid's pet?
But its gaze lingered on its half-eaten subordinate's corpse, and conclusion hit: Better pet than dinner!
"An honor, Master! From now on, this body is your loyal mount and wings!"
Overjoyed at survival, it headbutted the ground in oath. Lightning-fast attitude flip.
I nodded satisfied, hopped up to perch on its broad, flat crown, grabbed a horn, and pointed ahead.
"Good! Let's roll! Hyah!"
"……H-hy-ah? That's for lowly ground-crawling horses…… Ah, no! Departing now!"
Momentary pride sting, but blue sparks at my finger had it unfurling wings pronto.
Flap—! Whoosh—!
With a massive gust, the merciless sky tyrant soared gently upward, bearing the tiny human boy.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
Half a day after blasting skyward full-throttle.
I lounged starfished on the wyvern's back, humming contentedly.
"Ahh, great weather! Comfy ride! This is why you dragon-ride!"
Worlds comfier than bone-tiring crow flights.
"Huff…… pant…… M-Master……."
Unlike my bliss, the voice below sounded on death's door.
"I…… really, can't fly more…… Gonna die……."
Forced max-speed boost via my mana for half a day, the wyvern boss frothed pleas.
I tsked.
"Wyvern boss my ass—whining after half a day? Can't even match half my crow speed."
"B-but Master's beyond-spec Transcendent…… I'm just lowly lizard scrap…… huff, huff."
Talk tough, but altitude dropping fast. Mana scan: tank bone-dry, scraping bottom.
"Fine, fine. Head home. Turn here, straight up to World Tree summit."
Grabbing its horn to climb toward the peak—
Clouds parted, divine realm looming. The panting wyvern froze rigid as stone.
"F-forest canopy…… Y-you mean World Tree summit?!"
"Yeah. Problem?"
"A-are you mad?! No way! Summit's turf of one Four Kings, Lord Turaka! Trespass and you're bones-eaten!"
Trembling wings, desperate brakes. I scowled.
"Told you, it's my house. No eaters up there. Hurry."
"N-no! Kill me here! Better your lightning than Turaka chewing me alive……!"
Quaking midair, refusing advance—my patience snapped.
"Goddamn disobedient mutt."
Irritated, I hopped off its back into freefall, dropping human form.
Poof—! Black mist erupted; six-winged black crow manifested with menacing aura.
"K-keeek?!"
The brat atop it turns monster bird—wyvern screamed in terror.
I clawed its thick nape.
"Caw!" (Shut it, hold on!)
"Kyaaaak—!! Dead! If Turaka spots us, really dead!!"
Dragging it by the scruff to the summit, it squealed pig-slaughter all the way. Mountain-sized wimp.
Flap—thud!
Soon, safe landing in my cozy nest. I flung the claw-held wyvern into a corner like luggage.
"Aigoo…… over. Heading into Turaka's maw now……."
Curled up hugging head, shivering.
But minutes passed—no Turaka assault. Peeking eyes in nest silence, wyvern blinked confused.
"Wha……? No attack……? This Turaka's nest for sure……."
Glancing around, eyes locked on nest floor: sun-glinting azure scales spread wide.
Turaka's shed skin—peeled days ago as mat/blanket, dozens of meters long.
"Wha…… whaa?"
Its eyes bugged out. Staring between skin and me preening casually atop it.
"Tu-Turaka……?"
Deflated wheeze escaped.
The forest absolute it feared lifelong reduced to "skin mattress" before this mystery monster bird.
"K-kee……."
Overload of terror and shock—eyes rolled back, froth bubbling as it fainted.
Thonk. Head hit floor.
I beak-clacked in disbelief.
"Caw." (Sigh, all size no spine. Fainting and kicking up dust in my nest.)
Prodded its nape with claw, dumped outside on branch. Shitty mileage, weak mentals—but too good to scrap yet. Keep for now.
I flopped onto the snake-skin mattress.
That guy mentioned Turaka? Four Kings? Yeah.
Recalling the electric serpent's taste, I smacked beak.
So the eel was Turaka. Four Kings means three more premium ingredients in this forest?
Mouth watered. Wyvern tasty, but that snake's mana-rich savoriness was elite. Productive goal: road trip hunt the rest, stock fridge full.
"Caw, caw." (Food tour tomorrow. Sleep now.)
I curled on cozy Turaka skin, eyes shut.
Disaster crow with sky thug as knight, Four King blanket—World Tree summit's night sank deep, peaceful and sated.