The Duo

I walk through the dark path, and return to the cave from the lake.

My steps are heavy as expected.

Ahhh, dammit, still I want to have a full humanoid body.

I can’t believe that I need to suffer just to use 〖Art of Human Transformation〗.

This is what, means that I have to live as a dragon my whole life?

I feels like it purposely tried to give me trauma.

Don"t tell me I have to suffer every time I use that skill.

It seems to be necessary for me to check it first every time I obtained a weird skill.

Like a skill to separate the head from the body, it won"t be funny if the body is destroyed while the head is split.

I, I wonder if I’m not suited to be a human ....... Or What, do I need to raise the skill level?

Do I have to go through that suffering many more times to level it up?

That is to say, I’m not fond of self torture.

Now that I can finally seen the cave, and found a floating light that dazed near the entrance.

Is that...... a Hikaridake?

[E.N: I know that hikari=light and take=mushroom, but the words is written in Katakana, where it"s usually used to spell foreign name in j.a.panese. Seriously, the more I’m checking his naming sense the more i"m getting a headache. like, he can"t really think of the english name, so he decided to call a foreign mushroom in j.a.panese name, with foreign letter. So tempted to change this to Glowshroom]

Hikaridake is a glowing mushroom, something which I have used as a light bulb in the cave.

I turn it off at night by covering it with the gray wolf’s fur.

There is no way for the mushroom to emerge by itself.

When I concentrate my eyes, I can see two woman observing the entrance of the cave.

The shorter woman in the back has the Hikaridake in hand. It looks like she is using it as flashlight.

She was holding a foolishly big hammer in her other the hand that’s not holding the Hikaridake.

What is that woman, there’s animal ear growing on top of her head?

Is that girl a beast human?

I"m not too surprised by this because I am a dragon.

The other one wore a rough armor.

Although it barely shows the body line, it seems like she can move well in it.

What is a beastwoman and a female swordsman doing in such as place?

Or rather, the time has finally come for a human to visit my home.

This is finally my chance to appeal to them as a friendly, cultural and peaceful dragon..

I must control the timing of my appearance.

I instinctively hide behind a tree, and watch the situation inside the cave.

The two female adventurer, I observe from various angle from the entrance.

Ooo I’m nervous I’m nervous.

I need to show the height of my perfect image.

Somehow this, I’m happy and nervous  and impatient at the same time.

The two people are in a silent state, having a dumbfounded look with their mouth open.

Heheh, it"s because it is a product that i have created over and over again.

The pot is one thing, but the statue at the entrance should have the most impact.

While they’re looking around, the girl put the hammer and Hikaridake on the ground, and start patting the statue.

Ooo, can’t be helped.

You can touch it until you are satisfied.

The moment I allowed them in my mind, the girl pick up a nearby branches and hit the statue with it.

Ya b.a.s.t.a.r.d, what are you doing!

I didn"t allow you to go that far!

Although the tree branch broke, as for me, I’m not feeling so good.

I’ll seriously cry if you scratch it.

What a terrible thing to do.

After that, while pointing the Hikaridake forward, the two people timidly enter the cave.

The pots and carpet that I had laid inside, the salt and spices that I desperately collected, and also the dried meat.

I’m looking forward to what kind of reaction they will have, so I quietly move from the shadow of the tree to the entrance of the cave.

Oh, that reminds me, the Black Lizard is still sleeping inside.

"Gaaa"!"

I bark into the cave, and quickly hide myself.

Now I wish the Black Lizard would wake up and flee.

"Kishii"!"

"Τι είναι αυτό ;!" "Μαύρη Σαύρα!"

Three kind of screams can be heard inside.

Black Lizard then came running out of the cave quickly, and jumps towards me.

"Kishi"! Kishii"!"

I patted the excited black lizard to calm her, and then I turn my eyes to the cave again.

The two are peeping from the lined up jar, while looking like they’re discussing something.

I want to go out with the [Actually it’s me] kind of feeling,  or [I’m a dragon as smart as a  human] kind of feeling.

Should I do it, or should I not?

But what if they only see me as a monster strayed off to the cave?

That"s when a good idea hit me.

While observing the two people who are in the cave, I coming up with plans about this and that but cancel them myself.

"Kishishi"?"

Black Lizard stared curiously at the troubled me.

The moment that I was about to direct my focused to the Black Lizard, I saw the beast ear move towards the entrance.

In a hurry I run and stick to the wall of the entrance, to hid my figure.

Dangerous dangerous.

I was about to be seen.

But what do I do?

The preparations that I had done till now will go to waste if I"m only hiding myself.

While I’ve decorated the interior so that i can live inside it comfortably, I also need to show that I’m not just a monster when a human appears.

I can’t hesitate here.

There is no other choice but to do it.

I used the once sealed 〖Art of Human Transformation〗 as there are no other choices.

Although I certainly have a terrible appearance, I didn’t look all that different from a human.

It should be better than my Dragon form. Also I think that unstable appearance is because it"s my first time.

"Gaa"."

"Karubokishimechiru?"

I give a small squeal to the black lizard while stroking its head.

To insure that the Black Lizard does not rampage when it see my changed appearance.

"Karubokishi, Kishi"!"

Was it because of my appearance, but I felt Black Lizard crowing even more.

This gave me some peace of mind to me.

Even if I humanize successfully, I have no intention to separate from the black lizard.

While stroking the head of the black lizard I think such a thing.

Though it might just be my excuse to depend on the black lizard.

I calm my breath, and create a strong image of a human in my mind.

I got this. I can do it.

Yet, my mental image is not enough.

[The level of normal skill〖Art of Human Transformation〗 has increased from 1 to 2.]

Encouraged by the letter appearing inside my head, I activated the 〖Art of Human Transformation〗.

The inside of my body heats up, and become compressed.

Perhaps because I was used to it, or is my body is adjusted for it, I think the pain is lesser than before.

I can do it!

It"s possible to do this.

Though I can"t confirm my appearance, I think it should be more human than before.

"Kishii"!"

I look back at the Black Lizard who makes a small noise, but i look away immediately, and enter the cave.

I arrive at the entrance of the cave and looks for the two people.

Their expression express the color of dark and fear.

If you were to guess, it might be because I look like some kind of terrible monster...

Well ...... Could it be, that there are monsters behind me?

"Μην αφαιρείτε την απόλυτη!" "Είναι φυσικό!"

With a shout, the beast person launch herself towards me.

The foolishly big hammer slammed into my body.

Because I was in human form, my offence and defence was reduced by half.

That blow could have been downright fatal.

"Bugaa"!?"

I was sent Flying through the air with the good strike, but I somehow managed in arranging a landing posture.

As that was happening the female swordsman who was standing behind the beast girl, holding the sword to the outside of the cave.

"" Φως του φεγγαριού ". "

With a cry the moonlight is reflected on her sword, and it changed to several spheres that attacks me.

I got hit by 5 of it, and falls to the ground on my stomach.

"ga, Gaa ......"

The beast girl tries to finish the worn out me, but the female swordsman stops her.

The two people left, trying to run away.

"Kit, Kishiii"!"

The black lizard who see the two people running away, tries to chase them.

Gripping its tail, I manage to detain her somehow.

When the two people disappears, my body expands, I returned to the dragon form with a crouching posture on the ground.

"Gaa ......"

"Kishi"."

With a lick, the tongue of the black lizard touched me.

I wonder if she is trying to console me?

The me, who is desperately trying to betray the black lizard.

"Kishii"!"

The black lizard cries again, then it pays attention to the stone statue at the entrance of the cave.

Standing there are the dragon statue and a human statue lined up on each side of the entrance, but it gazed towards the human statue.

Which makes me wonder how much the Black Lizard understands about the current situation.

It’s already good that its not surprised to see me suddenly transformed, it even tried to console me after the disturbance just now, so I think the black lizard might be smarter than I think.