Somehow I managed to come out of the mermaid's trap by using my own attack against myself. The damage did accumulate—my back throbbed where the claws had pierced through, blood still seeping from the wounds—but I could still move.

  I dashed right at her in a split second.

  But she used magic to block my attack—a wind barrier materializing instantly between us. The translucent shield shimmered in the air, rippling like water.

  This mermaid is strong.

  After my punch connected with the barrier, I twisted mid-air and used my legs to kick at her—

  She dodged easily, her movements fluid and precise, like she was dancing rather than fighting.

  Damn it.

  The way she created those barriers of wind to block my attacks was infuriating. I couldn't land a single hit on her. Every strike met that shimmering wall. Every approach was cut off before I could get close enough.

  I do have venom—I could spit it at her when I get close enough. But I'm sure it won't manage to go beyond that wind barrier of hers. The magic would deflect it, just like everything else.

  I need to catch her off guard. Find an opening.

  Even this mermaid knows how to use that energy—the strange power that lets creatures control their abilities with precision and strength. The same energy I still can't grasp.

  Damn it. It's only a matter of time before she realizes I don't know how to control it. That I'm already at my limit.

  She shifted her stance, and suddenly the wind around her changed.

  No longer defensive—offensive.

  Wind slashes shot toward me—compressed blades of air that cut through the space between us with a sharp whistle.

  Damn, they're fast!

  I barely avoided the first one, twisting my body as it grazed my shoulder and carved a thin line across my scales. The second came immediately after. I dove to the side, claws scraping against stone.

  And I could tell—she wasn't even taking this fight seriously yet.

  Her posture was relaxed. Her breathing steady. She was testing me, gauging my abilities while barely exerting herself.

  Compared to the other opponents I'd faced—the lizardman, the Skynels, the Hob-goblins—she was on a completely different level. Comfortably stronger. More skilled. More dangerous.

  I need to close the distance. These slashes are getting faster the longer this drags on.

  I ran toward her, forcing my injured legs to move, ignoring the pain shooting through my body with every step—

  Suddenly, she thrust both hands forward.

  A powerful gust of wind slammed into me like a physical wall.

  I lost my balance, stumbling backward, claws digging into the ground to stop myself from being thrown completely off my feet.

  And then she chanted, her voice clear and commanding:

  "Wind Magic: Wind Tornado."

  I looked toward her, searching for the attack.

  Where is it? I don't see any tornado. Did her magic fail?

  The moment I had that thought—

  WHAM.

  Something massive slammed into me from behind.

  What the—

  A tornado—horizontal, spinning violently—crashed into my back and lifted me off the ground. The force was overwhelming, spinning me around, disorienting me completely.

  She can control where the attacks come from!

  And unlike how I knew tornadoes to work—vertical columns rising into the sky—she had created one that moved horizontally, hitting me directly with its full force.

  The wind released me suddenly, and I went flying—

  Straight toward her.

  She was already moving, her fist covered in swirling wind magic, compressed and rotating like a drill.

  As I hurtled toward her, helpless to change my trajectory, she said calmly:

  "I'm surprised you didn't notice the attack coming from behind."

  Her eyes met mine.

  "You don't know how to control mana, do you?"

  Her fist shot forward.

  CRACK.

  The punch landed square in my abdomen.

  Pain exploded through my body—so intense I couldn't even scream. The wind-enhanced strike felt like being hit by a battering ram.

  I went flying backward across the lake, my body skipping across the water's surface like a stone before crashing into the opposite shore.

  Damn... that hurts.

  Everything hurt. My ribs. My back. My stomach. Every nerve screamed in agony.

  I was losing consciousness—vision blurring, sounds growing distant—but somehow I managed to cling to awareness. Barely.

  I couldn't even stand. My legs wouldn't obey. My arms trembled uselessly.

  Current me is weak. I cannot defeat this mermaid. It's impossible.

  She was too strong. Too skilled. And unlike the previous opponents I'd faced—creatures driven purely by instinct, fighting with raw aggression—she fought with her brain. Every move was calculated. Every spell precise.

  And she'd even figured out that I couldn't use that energy. That I was fighting without mana control, relying only on physical strength and the few abilities I'd absorbed.

  I'm done.

  As she approached me slowly, tail propelling her through the shallow water, I lay on the ground, breathing hard.

  I forced the words out through clenched teeth:

  "I didn't know... monsters could speak language too. This is... the first time I've spoken to someone."

  She stopped mid-step.

  Surprise flickered across her face—genuine shock in those crimson eyes.

  But she quickly regained her composure, expression smoothing back into careful neutrality.

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  "You're full of surprises," she said finally, voice cautious. "I didn't know a dragon so young could speak."

  I managed a weak laugh—or maybe it was a cough. Hard to tell.

  "Ah... I'm losing consciousness. It's getting difficult to speak." I met her gaze, forcing myself to focus through the haze of pain. "How about we talk... after I wake up?"

  The moment she heard those words, she laughed—a short, disbelieving sound.

  "What the hell—you really think you'll see tomorrow? That I won't kill you right now?"

  I looked at her one last time, vision fading.

  "Yeah... just a feeling."

  And then darkness swallowed me whole.

  [MERMAID'S PERSPECTIVE]

  I stared down at the unconscious dragon, utterly baffled.

  "This guy... what does he take me for?"

  But even as I said it, I knew the answer.

  Well, it is true. Killing him wasn't my goal.

  And now that he'd said it himself—now that he'd trusted me, in that strange, reckless way—I didn't like the idea of proving him wrong.

  Still...

  I crossed my arms, tail swishing in the shallow water as I studied him.

  I was curious. Who was this dragon, really?

  The fact that he could communicate—that he spoke with clarity and thought, not just bestial growls—was unprecedented for a hatchling. Dragons were intelligent, yes, but speech came later. Much later.

  And I was interested in his magic too.

  How could a dragon use an attack similar to Skynels? That projectile claw technique was far too basic, too crude for a dragon. Their magic was supposed to be complex, elemental, devastating in its purity.

  What he'd displayed was... wrong. Incomplete.

  Something is not adding up.

  I sighed and used my wind magic to lift his unconscious body, the air currents wrapping around him gently as I carried him toward a large tree near the lake's edge.

  I set him down carefully against the trunk, positioning him so he wouldn't roll over onto his wounds.

  As I looked at him—battered, bleeding, but somehow still breathing—I muttered:

  "You should be thankful I'm a maiden at heart."

  I returned to the lake, slipping beneath the surface.

  I'll stay here until this guy wakes up. Then we'll talk.

  And maybe... just maybe... I'll get some answers.

  I woke slowly, pain dragging me back to consciousness.

  My body ached everywhere—ribs protesting with each breath, back burning where the claws had pierced, abdomen tender from that devastating punch.

  But I was alive.

  I was still near the lake.

  She really didn't kill me. I actually bet correctly on that.

  I looked around cautiously. The forest was quiet—just the gentle sound of water lapping against the shore, the distant calls of unknown creatures.

  Did she leave already?

  Then I noticed something beside me.

  Fish. Three of them, cleanly killed and placed within easy reach.

  Did she... leave these for me?

  My stomach growled immediately, answering the question before my brain could.

  Well, I'm not going to complain about free food.

  I grabbed one and bit down. The meat was fresh, surprisingly tender. I devoured all three quickly, barely tasting them.

  The system didn't appear.

  I wonder... is it because I didn't kill them myself? Or because these fish don't have any special abilities worth absorbing?

  I filed the question away for later.

  Another thought crept in as I sat there, licking blood from my claws.

  Why was that mermaid being so kind? Unlike the other monsters I've encountered, I didn't really feel any killing intent from her.

  She'd fought me, yes. Beaten me easily. But there had been no malice in it. No hunger. No desire to see me suffer.

  Just... caution. And maybe curiosity.

  Why—

  Suddenly, a strong wind blew around the area—powerful enough to whip the water into waves and send leaves spiraling through the air.

  And she appeared.

  One moment the lake was empty. The next, she was there—rising from the water's surface as if stepping through an invisible door, wind magic swirling around her like a living thing.

  That's one way to make an entrance.

  I stared.

  I had questions. So many questions.

  How did she just appear like that? How was she staying outside the water with half a fish body? How was she walking on... nothing?

  Best not to ask.

  "Oh, so you finally woke up, dragon boy," she said, crossing her arms with a slight smirk.

  I met her gaze, still wary but... less cautious than before.

  "Yeah. Thanks for not killing me, I guess."

  She tilted her head, studying me with those blue eyes.

  "Don't mention it. Though I'm still deciding if letting you live was a mistake."

  Despite the words, there was no threat in her tone. Almost... playful?

  I didn't know it then—couldn't have known—but this moment would change everything.

  From this meeting, my life would completely flip.

  But for now, we just stared at each other across the water.

  Dragon and mermaid.

  Predator and... whatever I was becoming.

  And slowly—very slowly—I began to realize:

  This encounter was going change my life forever.