It's been about a month since I fought that bear-tiger thing, and I've learned a ton about the power hierarchy on this island. First off, there are only two big bosses here—because only two creatures can survive at the heart of the island, which means they've gotta be the strongest.
After a month, I'm totally used to the winter cold. I don't even need extra layers to stay warm anymore. I've fought tons of animals—some I beat just with my boosted strength, others with my regular muscle power. I've racked up a lot of wounds, but thanks to my reinforcement ability, my body's way tougher against tearing. And luckily, my new body heals quickly, with no scars left behind.
I feel like my strength has grown more from these battles than from any training. So obviously, the more I fight, the stronger I get.
Right now, the only real rivals left are those two island bosses: a gigantic wingless western dragon, and a giant monkey with an army of weaker monkeys. Since that monkey army is huge, I figured I should take down the dragon—aka "Drake"—first. You're probably wondering why I'm not attacking the monkeys? Simple: I plan to kill Drake and tame the monkeys. With their basic smarts, they'll actually be useful.
I teleported right to where the wingless dragon lives. A young black Drake appeared before me, looking like it was carved from volcanic granite. I stared at it for a moment…and I couldn't bring myself to kill it. In that instant, I decided to tame both bosses instead. After all, the one in front of me was genuinely beautiful…
I stepped toward it, and it stared back—like it knew who I was and everything I'd done. Our eyes locked, and you could feel the tension. Suddenly, we both lunged forward.
When I reached its side, it swung its tail at me. I jumped up and landed on its back. Its sweeping tail sent a blast of snow flying, carving an odd pattern in the drifts. I raced toward its neck, but it rolled over, so I had to leap off its back. We glared at each other, then attacked again.
This time it tried to crush me with its claws. I dodged and punched with everything I had. Its armored skin cracked, but it didn't flinch.
I thought, damn, it's like wearing armor—so I'd better use reinforcement. I activated it, charged, and punched it in the head again. Finally, it winced.
I kept landing blows, dodging its attacks, punching different parts of its body. Cracks kept spreading across its turtle-like shell.
Mid-fight I realized its weak spot was under its belly. I scrambled underneath and slammed my most-strengthened punch upward. Boom! It went out cold… and collapsed right on top of me. How embarrassing. I used my reinforced strength to shove its heavy body off. Gasping, I staggered to a nearby tree to catch my breath. That last hit really wiped me out, and Drake's weight was insane. I leaned against the tree, looking at my hands—mostly bruised, not cut.
I pulled some stored meat out of my pocket-space and started eating. A few hours passed before Drake came to.
When it turned its face toward me, shock was written all over its eyes. I moved closer, and fear deepened in its gaze. I gently reached toward its snout—it closed its eyes at first from fear… then calmed down when I kept petting it. I offered it a piece of meat, and it actually seemed to like it.
Looking into its eyes, I began talking:
"From now on, you're my pet and my sparring partner. My name's Aryas—Arya Barzan. I plan to beat the monkeys and become boss of this island."
I was rambling on when I realized: holy crap, I'm talking to an animal! But when I looked back, I was stunned… it actually understood me. I asked if it got what I was saying, and it nodded.
Wow—at least it's smart enough to understand me!
Now I've got to decide: train with Drake until I can beat it without reinforcement, or go hunt down the monkeys for another sparring partner. Honestly, with all the cracks in its shell, I doubt Drake can keep sparring—so I guess it's time to find that Monkey King…
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14-first boss