I should have felt devastated. Grief-stricken. Perhaps even guilty for not reaching her in time.

  Instead, what washed over me was a complex tangle of emotions—relief that my search was over, regret at the wasted journey, and a strange, hollow acceptance.

  It was no use dwelling on what was lost. The thought should have horrified me, yet I merely acknowledged it.

  Sathi placed a scaled hand on my shoulder. “I’m sorry.”

  I was about to respond when something caught my eye. I examined the watch more carefully, turning it over in my palm.

  Glass had been created from the dragonfire on the ground below the charred body, fused into small pools of obsidian. The surrounding rock had partially melted.

  I placed a hand above it. No heat.

  More than that, was I really expected to believe that the glass of Petya’s watch was merely broken, its exterior only blackened, when the fire had been hot enough to melt glass beneath the charred remains?

  “She’s not dead,” I said, certainty blooming within me.

  Sathi looked at me, his pupils dilating. “She isn’t?”

  The complete story formed in my mind like pieces of a puzzle falling into place.

  While Petya had been using the washroom, Marda had accosted her. Petya had revealed her wish to break from me. Marda, her sympathies played upon, gave Petya a separate room and intervened on her behalf. She then redirected and neutralized me, while having someone—likely Farid—sneak in to grab Petya’s things.

  While I slumbered, Marda must have helped Petya escape during the night or early morning, having someone keep watch to ensure I couldn’t follow. Then, Marda led Petya away, perhaps even giving her a small sum to get started.

  Money Petya had used to go directly to the docks.

  Hiring a vessel, she had returned to the cave to satisfy her curiosity. During the journey, she likely anticipated that I might follow and made the difficult decision to part with her watch—something she calculated I wouldn’t expect her to sacrifice.

  I’m not sure how she had burned it, but it wouldn’t have been too difficult if she had had an extra ten minutes. She could have accomplished this in the city.

  But she hadn’t counted on the fact that a common fire was no replacement for dragonfire. This was a fantasy world, after all, and she wouldn’t have known there would be such a clear difference.

  So, she was alive. And probably not far.

  She wasn’t at the shipwreck, so where had she gone? North, perhaps? Deeper into the cave? With whatever meager funds Marda had provided, she might have hastily purchased supplies. I couldn’t imagine Marda giving her more than a few silvers. She might have even chosen to go back to the city; we had sailed so far from the coast that despite my careful scrutiny, she could have easily escaped my notice.

  But the strangest thing? I found myself no longer caring. I had satisfied my curiosity, and at this point, I was content to let Petya “win.”

  Especially given the mounting danger and the fact that the portal definitely wasn’t here.

  “We must move on,” Sathi said, pulling on my sleeve. “About that treasure...”

  Ah. The “treasure.”

  I could hardly tell Sathi that this was all a lie. I had to at least make a showing of it.

  “Let’s move,” I said.

  We went deeper into the cave where, to my surprise, something caught my eye—a faint blue glow emanating from a passage we hadn’t yet explored. My breath caught in my throat.

  “Do you see that?” I whispered, pointing toward the soft azure light.

  Sathi turned, his pupils dilating. “Yes. A blue light, like you said.”

  Without waiting for Sathi’s response, I moved toward the light, drawn by an almost magnetic pull. The blue glow grew stronger with each step, pulsing gently as if it were alive.

  My heart hammered in my chest. Petya had failed, having given up too soon, but I still had a chance. To think Petya had been so close to a potential way home... it was almost enough for me to feel bad for her.

  Or had she seen the same light? Had she gone back here?

  As we rounded a bend, the source was not what I expected. And in light of what the fishermen said about treasure, I suppose I shouldn’t have been surprised.

  It wasn’t a portal at all, but a bright, pulsing orb of azure energy resting on a natural stone pedestal. At its base lay even more treasure: gold and silver coins, glowing weapons, potions, and jewels.

  It was a small hoard, but no doubt it was life-changing for any person who gained access to it.

  “By the Holy One,” Sathi breathed behind me. “It’s…an Intellect Core.”

  I could not tear my gaze from the glowing orb. “So this is how people gain classes in this world.”

  He approached the pedestal carefully. My heart lurched.

  “Wait!” I said. “This doesn’t belong to you.”

  He looked back at me, giving me a toothy smile. “Fear not. My Core Attribute is Coordination, so I can’t use it. But this will sell for a lot to the right buyer.”

  My breath caught in my throat.

  I came to stand by him, but Sathi had positioned himself between me and the core. My hand itched to reach for my dagger. How hard it was to refrain.

  “This is an Intellect Core,” Sathi continued. “I’m not sure what class it is specifically.” His frill rippled with excitement.

  The orb seemed to respond to my presence, its glow intensifying.

  Sathi’s scaled hand caught my arm. “Wait. What is your Core Attribute?”

  I shirked his grasp. “My what?”

  “Your Core Attribute,” Sathi repeated, as if speaking to a child. “Everyone has one—Power, Intellect, Coordination…all the rest. Mine is Coordination.” His eyes narrowed. “What is yours? Don’t lie to me!”

  I hesitated, unsure how to respond. If I admitted I had no Core Attribute, would he guess I wasn’t from this world?

  “Why does it matter?” I asked instead.

  Sathi’s frill flattened against his neck. “It matters because if your Core Attribute is Intellect, you could absorb this core and gain a class.” His voice took on an edge. “And cheat me out of my share of its value.”

  “I don’t understand,” I said, which was at least partially true.

  “If your Core Attribute matches the core, you can absorb it and gain its class,” Sathi explained impatiently. “If not, it’s merely a valuable item to be sold. Since my Core Attribute is Coordination, I cannot use this core myself.”

  I nodded slowly, beginning to understand. “I see. And how do I know you’re not lying?”

  Sathi smiled, and I didn’t like the look of it. “If I were, I would have used it by now.”

  It was a good point. It was exactly what I should be doing now.

  And I would have, except Sathi was standing in my way.

  “So,” Sathi pressed, “what is your Core Attribute?”

  I met his gaze. “I don’t have one.”

  Sathi’s laugh was sharp and disbelieving. “Impossible. Everyone has one. It’s part of being alive.”

  “Not everyone,” I whispered.

  Sathi studied me for a long moment, his vertical pupils contracting to thin slits. “You’re lying,” he decided. “You must be an Intellect type, hoping to claim this core for yourself.”

  “I’m not lying,” I insisted. “I truly don’t have a Core Attribute. I’m not from this world.”

  This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

  “What do you mean?” Sathi asked, suspicious. “Not from this world?”

  “I don’t expect you to believe me.”

  Yes, I’d told Sathi something I shouldn’t have.

  But I had the feeling it soon wouldn’t matter.

  “Then you won’t mind if I hold on to this,” Sathi said, moving toward the orb. “For safekeeping until we can sell it and split the proceeds.”

  I watched as Sathi approached the pedestal, his scaled hand reaching for the glowing core. Something twisted in my chest—a sudden, intense desire to possess the orb, to claim its power for myself.

  This was it—my chance to gain power in this world, to stop being an outsider, and to finally have an advantage.

  Like hell I would let Sathi cheat me out of it.

  “Wait,” I said, stepping forward. “Let me at least touch it.”

  He gave a hissing laugh as he took the core. “Do you take me for a hatchling, mammal?”

  As he held the core, nothing happened. He was telling the truth about his Core Attribute, at least, but that didn’t mean I trusted him.

  “You must let me hold it, because…” I searched for a convincing reason. “Because I found this cave. Because I led us here.” I gestured to the surrounding treasure. “Besides, there’s all this. We can’t carry it all out at once. I’ll need your help. Later. This is hardly the only treasure in this cave. Why not let me have it?”

  “You think we’re coming back here?” Sathi asked, creating a bit of distance. “We need to leave now before the dragon comes back. The greedy fish gets hooked, and this core is easily the most valuable prize. This is more than enough to set us up for a long time. Don’t be a fool!”

  I needed to play it cool, even as I subtly moved to block off his retreat. I needed to at least seem to agree with Sathi. “Okay, you’re right. Let’s get out of here while we can.”

  Sathi nodded. “After you.”

  I laughed. “No. You go on first. I’ll follow behind…at a distance.”

  Sathi’s amber eyes went to my dagger. “There’s murder in your eyes, mammal.”

  “A vile accusation.”

  Sathi smiled. “Yes. I knew there was something strange about you. You intended to kill me all along. No wonder Petya fled from you.”

  “I will not suffer such insults,” I said. “Marda will know how you robbed me!”

  “You think that overgrown ape matters now?” His frill stiffened. “Thank you for showing me your true colors. I won’t share the treasure with the likes of you!”

  Sathi lunged toward the exit with the core clutched in his hand. I reacted instinctively, grabbing for him as he tried to slip past.

  My fingers caught the edge of his cloak, yanking him backward. Sathi hissed, spinning to face me, the core clutched protectively against his chest. His stick in his other hand could hardly be wielded effectively while he held the core. If he tried to put the core in his pack, it would give me an opening to attack. Something he couldn’t afford.

  “Don’t be foolish,” he warned. “This doesn’t have to end badly. I may even share part of the profits if you play nice.”

  “Give me that core,” I snarled, drawing the dagger. “It’s mine. I found it!”

  “It belongs to whoever can sell it,” Sathi countered.

  He feinted left, then darted right, trying to get around me. I pivoted, slashing with the dagger. Sathi avoided the blade with surprising agility, his scaled body bending in ways mine couldn’t.

  He escaped through the chamber’s entrance as I cursed. “You’re making a mistake, Sathi! A huge one!”

  I sprinted after him, catching sight of him going around another bend, back toward the main chamber.

  As I rounded the corner, though, I found Sathi standing still, facing toward the entrance.

  And in between, the red dragon, who had returned as silently as death, was now watching the Varkiss who had claimed its treasure.

  I hung back in the shadows, praying it still didn’t see me, and that my Silent Step enchantment would not create noise.

  Time seemed to slow as its ember-bright eyes fixed on Sathi, who stood frozen, the precious core still clutched against his chest. The fool still wasn’t letting it go. Greedy lizard!

  The dragon’s nostrils flared, smoke curling from them as it inhaled deeply. Fire coiled within the dragon’s open maw, a molten glow building at the back of its throat. Sathi let out a shriek as he attempted to run past the beast, desperation overriding reason.

  I wasted no time. My hand plunged into the outer pocket of my pack, fingers closing around the crystal vial. With practiced motion, I unstopped it and downed the contents in a single gulp, ignoring the acrid metallic taste that seared my tongue.

  Heat surged through my veins like liquid fire, spreading outward until my skin tingled with energy. A translucent crimson barrier shimmered into existence around me, just as the dragon unleashed its fury.

  The world disappeared in a hellish inferno. Flames roared through the chamber, so intensely that they melted small rocks and turned sand into glass.

  Yet within my protective cocoon, I felt nothing—not even warmth. The vial’s protection was absolute.

  Through the curtain of fire, I watched in horrified fascination as Sathi’s fate unfolded. His scales, resistant to normal flames, held for precious seconds before the dragonfire overwhelmed them. They blackened, then bubbled, then sloughed away like wax from a candle. His scream was cut short as the inferno consumed him.

  The Intellect Core dropped from his charred hands, hitting the stone floor with a crystalline ring that somehow pierced through the roar of flames. The orb remained untouched, its azure light pulsing defiantly amidst the oranges and reds of dragonfire. It rolled a bit, pushed by the weight of the flames toward me.

  This was my chance. I charged forward through the flames, feeling them part around my shielded form. Ten strides brought me to where the core lay. I snatched it up, its surface cool despite the inferno surrounding it.

  The moment my fingers closed around the orb, a message—it could be described as nothing else—appeared before my eyes.

  [Congratulations! You have found a Wizard Core. No Core Attribute detected. Would you like to gain an Intellect Core Attribute and adopt the Wizard Class?]

  I mentally affirmed, hoping this would be enough.

  The flames were moving in slow motion now. The dragon seemed to be frozen in time. This “System” seemed to have powers beyond even this dragon.

  [You have absorbed a Wizard Core. You are now a Level 0 Wizard with an Intellect Core Attribute. The Wizard class harnesses the Foundation Language of Arcanis to bend reality to its will.]

  Two more messages flashed before me, words hanging in the air.

  [You now have a class and can access the Aethereal Interface!]

  [Ten points have been added to your Power, Coordination, Endurance, Intellect, Perception, and Charisma attributes. Gain experience points to level-up and unlock more attribute points and abilities!]

  Then, another message flashed before me, words hanging in the air.

  [As a Wizard, you have unlocked your Class Spell: Magic Missile.]

  I smiled. Now we were talking.

  Magic Missile: Deal concentrated non-elemental damage to a single target. Damage scales with level and your Intellect attribute. Cooldown: 10 seconds.

  Power surged through me, different from the potion’s protective heat. This was something deeper, more fundamental—a restructuring of my very being. Knowledge blossomed in my mind, arcane words that would be the energies of Eyrth to my will.

  [You are now Level 0. The path of the Wizard unfurls with each spell uttered. Good luck, Brave Adventurer.]

  And just like that, time resumed, as well as the reality of my current predicament.

  I had gained a class, but I would be a fool to think I wasn’t hopelessly outmatched.

  The dragon, still focused on the charred remains of Sathi, hadn’t yet turned its attention to me. I was about to flee deeper into the cave system.

  That was, until I remembered what Grak had told me about the dagger.

  I drew it.

  [Would you like to bind Nightwhisper to your core?]

  I mentally affirmed, and the blade transformed in my hand. Dark energy rippled along its length, the midnight steel seeming to drink in the surrounding light. The ruby in its pommel pulsed like a beating heart, synchronized to my own quickened pulse.

  I could at last make use of my dagger’s magical properties. Each successive hit on the same target increased the chance of killing instantly by 1%.

  I could run, yes. But a swift calculation formed in my mind. The potion would last another ninety seconds at most, assuming it had paused with my class selection.

  If I tried to flee deeper into the cave, I’d be without protection when the immunity wore off. The dragon would hunt me through the tunnels, and eventually, I would be cornered.

  But I held Nightwhisper now—a blade with Deathtouch. Given the increased chance of killing with each hit, the key wasn’t precision but persistence.

  Many hits, however small, would stack the odds in my favor.

  It was madness. Pure, reckless madness. And yet, I felt oddly calm as I processed the mathematics of survival, all in a couple of seconds.

  Right now, the dragon was focused on Sathi’s remains. It hadn’t even marked me in the darkness of the cave, hanging back. A small concession, but one I desperately needed.

  And my new clothing enchantment might allow me to sneak up on it.

  I stalked forward, getting as close as I dared. I came shockingly close, within reach. The dragon was still preoccupied.

  I dragged Nightwhisper across the dragon’s exposed foreleg, a shallow cut.

  The dragon shrieked as its massive head swung toward me, jaws gaping.

  I raised my hand, aiming right for its open maw. “Sagitta Arcanum!”

  A bolt of white-blue energy landed directly in its mouth, causing it to recoil. I charged, slashing wildly at the dragon’s side.

  Two, three, four hits. Nothing.

  The beast reared up, preparing another blast of flame. I circled behind a rocky outcropping, mind racing. Ten seconds since my first spell—it was surely ready again.

  The dragon’s fire washed over the stone, superheating it instantly. My shield held. At least a minute left.

  As the flames subsided, the dragon’s snout appeared from behind the rock, a foot away. It expected me to be dead, and why shouldn’t it?

  I slashed, barely nicking it.

  The beast screeched, snapping at me, teeth missing my arm by inches.

  “Sagitta Arcanum!” I shouted.

  The blue bolt flew true, hitting the side of the dragon’s pointed head. It wasn’t a powerful attack, but it was enough to stun it, being so close to its brain, I suppose.

  I landed three rapid strikes along its neck and shoulder—shallow cuts, none of which worked.

  “Come on!”

  The dragon thrashed wildly, its tail sweeping across the chamber. The impact caught me in the side, sending me tumbling across the floor. Pain blossomed in my ribs, but the adrenaline pushed it aside.

  The dragon backed me toward the wall. Its massive bulk blocked any escape. Another Magic Missile was ready to go, but I had to use it strategically, not blindly.

  Then, the dragon’s neck extended toward me, mouth agape.

  “Sagitta Arcanum!” I called again, firing the spell into its mouth as I rolled away.

  As it roared in pain, its body was somehow right next to me.

  I didn’t waste time wondering. I slashed once, twice, and then three times in rapid succession, sacrificing depth for quantity.

  Still nothing! Was this thing even working?

  My shield sputtered as the crimson glow faded rapidly. Seconds were left, at most. The dragon seemed to sense my vulnerability, gathering itself for a final, devastating attack.

  I clung to the dragon’s scales, not daring to let go. I continually stabbed, not allowing myself to let go of its scales. Multiple strikes, each increasingly desperate as I screamed.

  But it was the sixth one in this chain—and probably my twentieth overall—that finally did the trick.

  The ruby in the dagger’s pommel blazed to life, a crimson star in the cave’s darkness. Dark magic erupted from the blade, enveloping the dragon in writhing tendrils of midnight. The beast’s roar transformed into a choked gurgle as the shadows constricted, seeping into its wounds, flowing into its mouth and nostrils.

  I held on as the dragon thrashed, its movements becoming increasingly erratic. My shield vanished entirely; the potion’s protection was exhausted.

  The shadows tightened their grip, coalescing around several points in the dragon’s chest. As I backed away, one by one, the dragon’s limbs gave out until, with a final shuddering breath, the mighty beast collapsed.

  I fell to my knees, gasping for breath. Pain radiated through my battered body, but a fierce exultation drowned it out.

  I, Dragomir Valdrik, had slain a dragon.

  A notification appeared before me.

  [You have gained 5,000 experience points! Your experience stands at 5,000/1. Level-up available!]

  I lay beside the dragon’s corpse, laughing despite the pain.

  In minutes, I had gone from a lost, classless stranger to a Wizard of Eyrth.

  As my laughter echoed through the chamber, I knew with absolute certainty that this world was mine for the taking.