Leveling Through Betrayal

CHAPTER 5 — The Red Eyes Inside the Shadows

Alex stood frozen. His body trembled out of control, but he forced his legs to keep supporting his weight. Cold sweat flowed from his temples, passing his tightly clenched jaw.

"Damn it, move," Alex cursed inwardly, trying to dispel the panic paralyzing his nerves.

At the edge of the cave's darkness, the pair of red eyes moved. It wasn't one, but rather two pairs.

Ding!

[Adult Shadow Dragon]

[Rank: Elite]

[Status: Extremely Critically Injured]

"A dragon..." The whisper escaped through the gaps of Alex's lips.

In his original world, this creature was merely a fairy tale. But now, that massive form was reality right in front of him.

Slowly, the creature dragged its body out from the shadows. Its size was far larger than the black wolf that had almost claimed Alex's life the other day. The pitch-black scales coating its body appeared tattered. One of its wings was severely torn, drooping helplessly. Thick black blood kept dripping, wetting the cave floor.

Amidst the gripping horror, there was a fleeting, small flash of relief. The dragon had not attacked yet. At least for this exact second.

"Is it not attacking because it can't, or because it is watching me?" Alex pondered quickly.

Alex knew his limits. The system had already warned him that his winning probability did not even touch the one percent mark. Foolish bravery would only lead him to death.

As he kept gripping the hilt of his black sword, a small movement behind the adult dragon's body caught his attention. Another pair of red eyes—which was far smaller—peeked warily.

A dragon hatchling. Its size was probably only as big as a dog. Its fine scales had not formed perfectly yet. The small creature curled up near its mother's claws, staring at Alex with a combination of fear and hunger.

Alex fell silent. In the midst of this life-and-death situation, the memory of himself suddenly crossed his mind. Weak, discarded, and having no one.

"Why does its form have to be like this?" A bitter flashback spun in his head. "Just like the old me."

Ding!

[Special Scenario Detected. Evaluation of Advantages Initiated.]

[Choice 1: Retreat and Leave the Area.]

Reward: Instant safety guarantee (Survival Efficiency: 100%).

[Choice 2: Finish off the Dying Shadow Dragon.]

Reward: Large-Scale EXP Extraction & Rare Materials (Growth Efficiency: Short-Term).

[Choice 3: Exploit the Target's Condition.]

Reward: Unknown (Investment Efficiency: Long-Term).

Alex frowned. This was the first time the system did not provide an absolute recommendation with a red indicator or the safest path. All choices were left completely to his own logical calculations.

"This system usually always demands that I take instant profit. Why let loose now?" Alex weighed the options on his screen. "Option three... too risky, but 'long-term investment' sounds promising if I want to survive more than seven days."

He brushed aside his emotional ego and began to observe the adult dragon's condition more closely. Something was amiss. The wounds were too neat for a fight between monsters. His eyes narrowed when he saw the remnants of thick iron chains still wrapping around the dragon's hind leg. Then, a deep linear gash on the chest area. That was the mark of a man-made weapon.

Alex took one step forward slowly. His eyes caught a decorative object embedded between the dragon's scales. A broken spear.

Ding!

[Weapon Analysis: Armor-Piercing Magic-Coated Spear.]

Alex's gaze locked onto the engraving at the remaining base of the spear. The emblem of the same faction as the one on the leather bag earlier. The Royal Emblem.

"So they hunted this dragon too..." Alex muttered softly.

The warrant from King Theron crossed his mind again. 'Kill that trash child. Bring his body to me.' "If the king's hunters can make a dragon this strong critically injured, it means the position of this place is highly unsafe," Alex thought, feeling a new danger approaching. "If I stay here, I could end up slaughtered by them too."

Thud!

A heavy impact startled Alex. The adult dragon's massive body collapsed, spilling its remaining strength onto the cave's stone floor. The ground beneath Alex's feet felt like it shook.

The dragon hatchling behind it panicked instantly. The small creature let out a hoarse screech, using its small snout to push at its mother's head. Once, twice, there was no response. The adult dragon's breath grew increasingly thin, leaving disconnected puffs of warm vapor.

Alex observed the interaction without changing his position. His hand remained on the sword's hilt. Instead of feeling pity like a naive human, his brain spun rapidly, weighing the profit and loss.

He had just left a human soldier groaning for help without a shred of guilt. But facing this dragon hatchling, his pragmatic instinct saw something different.

"The man out there could lie and stab me in the back after I help him," Alex's cold logic began to dictate. "But this creature... animals do not know complex betrayal. In this crazy world, absolute loyalty is the most expensive commodity."

The dragon hatchling looked up. Its wet red eyes stared directly toward Alex. There was no aggression, only pure fear over losing the only protection it had.

Silence ruled the cave for a few moments, before being stained by a familiar mechanical voice.

Ding!

[Object Characteristics Analysis Complete.]

[Species: Shadow Dragon (Infant Phase).]

[Growth Value: S-Rank | Evolution Potential: Maximum.]

[Egoist Recommendation: The subject meets the absolute criteria as an Obedience Contract Beast.]

The muscles in Alex's body tensed up again. "Contract beast?"

"Absolute obedience?" The corner of Alex's lips twitched slightly. "System, you truly know what I need."

His gaze shifted to the dragon hatchling that was now curling up helplessly beside its mother's cooling body. For the first time, Alex realized that this system was not just guiding him to merely escape the seven-day target, but rather giving him the foundation to build his own strength from scratch.