Leon Pov

  The Phoenix's silhouette disappeared from my sight, and I snapped back to reality.

  My arm was bleeding. My back and wings were burned a little by those flames. It hurts.

  Staying here isn't safe either—there are noises and movements I can hear all around me.

  Again, I have to find a water source. The creatures here are sensitive toward blood from what I've realized. Every drop that falls is like a beacon, drawing predators from across the forest.

  I should move toward a new lake.

  When I looked at the dense forest before entering this place, I noticed a large river flowing through the middle of this land with many small lakes branching off from it. Finding water won't be a big problem.

  I dashed forward on all four limbs. My hand was bleeding with every step, hurting like hell. The wound throbbed in rhythm with my heartbeat, each movement sending fresh waves of pain up my arm.

  I'd never seen vegetation like this before—glowing fungi sprouted from twisted roots, translucent leaves that pulsed with bioluminescent light, plants that seemed to breathe and shift as I passed by.

  As I reached a small pond nestled between moss-covered boulders, I jumped straight into the water.

  Ah... cold water feels so good. The chill shocked my system, but it washed away the blood and grime clinging to my scales. For a brief moment, I let myself relax, scrubbing at the wounds.

  I heard a crackling sound.

  My body tensed immediately. This time, unlike before, I won't give it a chance or fool around. Straight attack.

  I straightened my arm and launched Piercing Claw quickly in the direction of the noise—My claw stopped mid-air. What?

  The claws hung suspended, as if caught by invisible threads. A faint shimmer of magic—wind magic—swirled around them, holding them in place. I looked toward where my claw was suspended, and then I saw the creature rising from behind the lily pads. A human? No—something different. Something ominous.

  Beautiful blue hair cascaded down her shoulders like flowing water, catching the ambient light. Eyes as sea of blue—stared back at me with an intensity that made my breath catch. Her skin was pale, almost luminescent in the dim glow of the pond. The system appeared:

  [SPECIES IDENTIFIED: MERMAID]

  Suddenly, I was mesmerized by the beauty in front of me.

  A sweet scent filled the air—warm, intoxicating, like flowers blooming under summer sun. My thoughts grew hazy. The pain in my arm dulled. The exhaustion weighing on my body seemed... less important. I started losing myself in that scent, in those eyes.

  There was a beautiful smell wrapping around me, and I could feel rest calling to me from her arms. Safety. Comfort. Everything I'd been denied since hatching.

  As I was lost in my own thoughts—or rather, drowning in that sweet voice—I heard her speak:

  "Come to me... you must be tired, right? Yes, that's it. Come. Do not be afraid. I won't hurt you."

  Her voice was honey dripping over velvet. Each word smoothed away the sharp edges of my thoughts.

  She won't hurt me. Of course she won't.

  My claws retracted. My stance relaxed.

  I took a step forward.

  Just rest. You deserve rest.

  Ah, damn it. Snap out of it. Don't listen and give in to pleasure.

  But my body wouldn't obey. Another step. The water felt warmer now, welcoming.

  Deep in the back of my mind, a tiny voice screamed: TRAP.

  But it was so faint. So easy to ignore.

  [MERMAID'S PERSPECTIVE]

  I had been setting up my trap when the noise started—not too far away, it seemed. There had been a fight. From the sounds, the Deathbloom had covered the area with its poison, and I could hear fire crackling and the unmistakable guttural shouts of goblins.

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  But why would goblins leave their nest and attack a Deathbloom?

  They're carnivores. They'd avoid Deathbloom at all cost—those things are plant-based and their venom is deadly even to monsters. It seems there's an invader moving through the forest. That's why there's so much noise. Something—or someone—is stirring up the territories.

  At last, I covered the area with my scent—a specialty of mermaids that works when prey is not cautious or unaware of our abilities. It makes them lose their senses, gives them relief, and increases their pleasure instincts. The mind grows foggy, the body relaxes, and rational thought fades away.

  On top of that, mermaids are considered beautiful creatures, which increases the effect even more.

  Few can resist once caught in the trap.

  After some time, a creature dashed toward the lake, covered in blood. The scent of it was thick—fresh wounds, recent battle.

  I hid myself deeper in the pond, only my eyes above the surface, watching

  What the—

  White skin and scales that gleamed even under the dim light. Red eyes that burned like embers.

  I can't believe it. That's a dragon.

  By the looks of it, he's probably only a few months old—a hatchling. He isn't too small, but definitely not adult-sized either. Still, even at this age, dragons are formidable. Dangerous.

  What is a dragon doing here?

  My tail made a sound in the water—a soft swish as I shifted position.

  Oh no. I revealed my location.

  Before I even had a chance to form another thought, claws came flying straight at me with a high-pitched whistle cutting through the air. This is like how Skynels throw their pincers!

  I reacted on pure instinct—wind magic flaring to life in a split second, forming a barrier that caught the projectiles mid-flight.

  It seems the mana behind the dragon's attack was extremely low. The claws stopped fairly easily, suspended in my magic.

  As we stared at each other across the pond, I could see it taking effect. My scent was working.

  He wasn't aware of what was happening.

  He was focusing too much on me—on my appearance, my voice—while ignoring his surroundings and his dulling senses."Come to me... you must be tired, right? Yes, that's it. Come. Do not be afraid. I won't hurt you."

  I kept my voice soft, coaxing. The words didn't matter as much as the tone—gentle, reassuring, promising safety.

  The dragon started coming toward me, movements slow and uncertain.

  Yes, that's it.

  I don't want to kill him—I just want to ensure he leaves my territory. A fight with a dragon, even a young one, could leave me injured. Vulnerable. In this forest, vulnerability means death.

  However... a dragon is a rare creature, also considered one of the strongest beings in existence. If I control his mind and bring him to them—to the tribe—they would accept me back, right? They would see my value. See that I'm not useless.

  No. Stop it. Don't think like that.

  My chest tightened with old, familiar shame.

  I just don't like all of this. I want peace. I don't enjoy fighting, don't enjoy using others. I left the tribe because I was tired of their ways—tired of the cruelty, the constant competition, the endless hunting.

  As he was coming toward me, I hesitated, my resolve wavering.

  What should I do? Just let him go? Run away myself?

  Whatever happens to this dragon isn't my concern.

  Then suddenly—he seemed to struggle, his movements jerking awkwardly. He was trying to resist my effect.I watched, surprised.

  It won't work. You don't seem to have knowledge of what mermaids can do—that's why you fell for this so easily. You clearly don't have experience with magic like this.

  The charm was too strong. His mana reserves were nearly depleted. There was no way he could break free through willpower alone.

  I could run and walk away right now. Whatever happens to this dragon isn't my concern.

  Just then, he raised his arms up and launched his claws into the air—straight upward.

  What the—what is he doing?

  The claws shot skyward, completely missing me. Missing everything.

  And how did he manage to even move his arms? The charm should have complete control by now.

  As I looked closer, I could see his body trembling. Burning marks marred his back and wings. One of his arms was bleeding heavily, blood dripping into the water.

  It seemed that due to the pain—constant, searing pain—he was resisting a little, clinging to consciousness through sheer agony.

  But what's the point? The aim isn't even right. He's just wasting energy.

  Then suddenly, I understood.

  The claws that launched upward started to fall down—descending rapidly, pulled by gravity—

  And pierced straight into his back.

  THUNK. THUNK.

  Blood sprayed. The dragon's body convulsed, and a guttural, choked sound tore from his throat.

  I can't believe it.

  No way.

  He knew. He knew that if he attacked himself directly with his attack full force it might hurt him too much at that speed.

  It could be fatal, could pierce something vital and leave him helpless.

  So he aimed upward instead, letting gravity do the work. The momentum would be slowed down by the arc—enough to damage him, enough to cause intense pain, but not enough to make him unable to fight.

  The claws pierced inside him, and he used that pain—fresh, immediate, overwhelming—to snap out of the pleasure haze.

  Damn it.

  The charm shattered like glass.

  His eyes cleared instantly, no longer glazed and distant. Now they were sharp. Focused.

  He rushed in. The moment he came out of the pleasure state, he closed the distance between us in a split second—faster than I expected, faster than should be possible with those injuries—and tried to punch me.

  I barely threw up a wind barrier in time. His fist slammed into the magical shield with terrifying force, sending ripples cascading across its surface. Cracks spider-webbed through the barrier. Impossible. His mana is nearly gone. How is he this strong physically?

  His fighting ability... the way he analyzes situations in the heat of battle... the way he used pain as a weapon against my magic...Who is this creature, really?