The morning sun came slower than Corey wanted. He had awoken only mere hours after falling into slumber. Having enough time to bathe, and change into the same style of clothes he wore to bed. Only cleaner.

He pulled the mask over his face, and study the dragon mage as she slept. The rise and fall of her chest. Her parted mouth as she drooled into the pillow, and snorted from time to time.

He watched for what felt like hours, until she turned and he could see the tattoo. Hos eyes made a shuttering sound, a picture captured.

‘NewAge, scan this tattoo for me.’

NewAge: APHELION TATTOO. THE SKULL AND DRAGON BLOWING FIRE OVER IT.

ORIGINS: THE ROYAL AMBASSADORS OF LITHUA. TH STRONGEST DRAGON MAGE FAMILY ACROSS THE LAND.

ISSUE: GAINING A RANKING BOOST FOR THIS FAMILY IS DIFFICULT. YOU’D HAVE TO DO SOMETHING INCREDIBLE, TASK MERELY SATISFY THEIR BOREDOM AND PROVIDE FOOD AND MONEY.

HENCE THE REASON YOUR MAGE, IS STUCK AT LEVEL 0005.

Corey nodded, reading the words as NewAge spelled them out for him. Ithe aphelions are royal, then why is Eleanora still at level five?

The answer was right in his face and he knew it. Her lack of connection and full control of her dragon makes her a weak dragon mage. Which, is saying a lot. He watched her fight the night before. If that is considered weak amongst her family, then he could feel excitement running through his insides at the thought of observing them.

But if he could train Eleanora, her loyalty to him would grow by a lot. And he would have access to anything her family has.

NewAge: THEY HAVE DIRECT CONNECTIONS TO THE ROYAL FAMILY OF LITHUA. AND BEST OF ALL, THEY OWN PRIVATE ISLANDS. IF YOU SUCCEED, ELEANORA CAN CONVINCE THEM TO GIVE YOU ONE TO BUILD YOUR GUILD/PARADISE

Paradise sounds fantastic. A place of his own. He would add elements from all the games he’s played, and create his ultimate dream home. The life he’s always wanted. To create his own paradise won’t be an easy thing. After all, when he first created his guild in CLASH of THUNDER, It had taken him two whole months.

It was a weird thing to flex about but Corey thrived in the hard work. No one could say he didn’t earn his guild. Or that it wasn’t remarkable to see on the website.

The game’s creators adored the teen. He made their game famous.

‘I need a map to figure out which path to take.’

NewAge: TO THE LOCK KEEPER?

Corey’s head swayed from one side then to the other. ‘No, to find helpers. I can’t go marching to the Lock Keeper’s home. I have to rise in rank. Add more women to my harem. I need to be the second best first, before I can go after him.’

NewAge: WANT TO KNOW SOMETHING?

‘Always.’

SECRET: ELDRIS EYES, HAS AN OLD SEER WITH MYSTICAL EYES THAT CAN BE USED TO CREATE A MAP.

‘Excuse me?’ Corey guffawed at the system, though his face struggled to show it.

NewAge: GORGE HIS EYES OUT, AND USE THEM TO CREATE A MAP OF THE ENTIRE GAME

‘WHAT? Can’t I just think of a map?’

If he wanted something, all he did was think about it and the system made it possible. It should apply in this situation, the logic only made sense.

NewAge: IT DOESN’T WORK LIKE THAT. COREY, YOU SAID IT YOURSELF, YOU DON’T KNOW THE EXTENT OF YOUR ABILITIES. OR HOW FAR I CAN GO.

Eleanora stirred to life, making the teen on the other bed jolt a bit from surprise. She shifts, blinking her hooded lashes to clear her vision against the bright lights dangling off the ceiling.

“How long have you been awake?” she made this inquiry, slipping the sheets over. The tanned lines of her thighs draw Corey’s attention, there’s a scar there that he hadn’t noticed last night when she walked out of the shower naked. A long gash running from the middle of her right lap.

She must have gotten it from an intense battle.

Eleanora traced Corey’s stare to the scar on her thigh. Her bone turned stiff immediately, and she dashed for the bathroom.

Corey eyes the empty place where she was once seated with strange curiosity.

‘Why is she so testy about a scar? We all have one.’

To Corey, he had more than just scars. One long gash on her thigh is nothing to be ashamed off. It is one of the keys to being a good gamer. Have no shame gland. Whenever someone tries to humiliate you or blackmail you, you can just remind them that you fear nothing. Post whatever they have against you. He had seen more than enough gamers do it.

They take that part of them, and shove it somewhere no one will ever find it. Corey has never been ashamed of anything. Aside the scars beneath the bandages. He wasn’t necessarily ashamed of them, but he hated to look at them. And he disliked it even more when people asked him about it.

Calling him freak and walking away, or throwing something at him was far better than asking him why he had bandages around his arm.

Corey heaved in, if he could get his bullies here they would be dead. As much as he doesn’t like the idea of killing. Mostly due to how interested he might get if he made a habit out of it. He would adore bringing his enemies over just to feed them to Greta.

He busies himself packing his things and stories them in the inventory. Leaving a blank piece of paper and a pen in his back pack. Slugging the item over his shoulders while he waited.

The curtains were never closed when they went to bed. So the sun sneaks into the room, lighting up everything with an almost omniscient vibe. Eleanora came out shortly, once again soaked with water and trying just the towel.

Corey notes how a normal teenager would lose their shit over of an attractive female like Eleanora, and he was instead picking on the parts of her that shouldn’t be considered hot. For him, it was her back. The flexible curve it takes whenever she bends into a different position fascinates him.

She reminds him of Olympic acrobats he’d see on TV back home.

Eleanora dressed in the privacy of the walk on closet like she did the previous night. Corey prepared her a bag, hearing breathless mutters and squeals coming from her.

‘She must really like the armors.’

And to prove him right, Eleanora runs out with the biggest grin on her face. Dressed in a warrior mage’s armor but with the symbol of fire to indicate what type of mage she was.

She cooed at him, checking herself out in the mirror.

Corey could almost feel envy. He had never been one to stare at himself in the mirror for long, giggling and feeling so happy just due to one clothing.

They exited the room, and picked up Greta from her premium stay.

Corey hoped to explore more places during this journey to becoming number one. He rest his back against the pile of bags Eleanora had on the saddle on Greta’s back.

During the flight, he thought about what Eldris eyes might look like. He would have to make the journey on his own. He couldn’t endanger Eleanora.

She is of too much value to him at the moment. Getting lost in the cloud buzzing by, and focusing on what to do when he finds the seer.

He would only resort to NewAge’s advice if all other options fail.

He can’t just go around listening to the system and becoming a murderer. The stamp matters as much as a grain of sand at this moment, but Corey had this guy feeling that he would need a clean name to get into some parts.

The seer should be able to help him find a map that he needs to get around. He would need a weapon. One that have no magic or exes related to arrival.

Once Greta made contact with he ground, Corey got off silently. He walked to the front of the Dragon, petting her nose.

“Keep an eye on your owner, and I don’t mean me. Keep an eye on your mage.” He whispers to Greta, seeing how the slits in her eyes widened.

Almost like she understands what he said, and will follow it to her grave. A loyal dragon on this. I’m not sure I want to trust her to make anything that can help any of aside from the bird due.

Eleanora’s boots thumps. “I can’t go any further than this.”

Corey only nods.

“Just follow the path of the trees, you’ll know you’re close to a Eldris eyes. Trust me, it’s hard to miss.”

“Don’t go anywhere.” He says to her. She blushes again, taking his words for worry.

He’s worried I’ll die while he’s away, she shouts in her mind. Filling up with a bubble of joy.

Corey tugs on the strap of his bag and waves to the mage.

“What if something happens?”

“I will be fine. You need to promise me, that you won’t follow me.” He leaves no room for arguing, and Eleanora can only say yes to his demand that she stays put.

“I will wait here then.”

“I will be back in two or three days. Build shelter, or hide with Greta somewhere and sleep on her saddle. She’ll know when I return so you don’t have to worry about that.” If I do it right, maybe even before the sun rises tomorrow.

She pouts, watching his back as he ventures into the forest. Down a straight path.

The first thing Corey takes note of, aside from the heavy wind that suddenly taking over the forest. Leaves rustling, and the sudden rumble of thunder in the air. The day is still very bright, yet it appears as though a heavy storm is on its way.

What Corey sees through his eyes, is a glow of pink dusting the entire forest.

And the pattern the tall- palm trees? Use in moving. The current is going south but they’re moving in every other direction but that.

Right at the moment his trigger sense of danger arrives, Corey pieced together what the trees actually were.

WARNING: DANGER ALERT; ELDRIS NUTAK TREES

He was supposed to spend days trying to get to Eldris eyes.

‘How did I end up in their forest? I just started walking.’

He turned to see the way he had come, finding himself further into the forest than he had thought. When his neck returns back, a palm tree bends over to face him.

It's leaves that are closed, peel back as though they blossoming. Only to reveal a large eye, leaking red liquid.

The pupil parts into a mouth, and a tongue sweeps over to lick up the liquid.

Corey pauses, just staring at the eye with empty wonder and pure, unfiltered, shock.