When I first fell into the game.
The first person to save me was the protagonist of the game, a girl with golden eyes, Catherine.
However, the one who truly helped me to be “capable” was someone else.
『The Real Wizard Channel of the Machine Age』
15 subscribers · 128 videos
That was my first master.
My eternal master in my heart.
In this (absurd and out of mind) cyberpunk world, he was also the one who made videos so I could use magic.
As time passed, I, who had turned into a child, had grown up again.
To express my gratitude, I left comments (likes, subscriptions) for my master several times.
But there was no reaction from him at all.
In fact, it was quite common in this world for someone’s news to suddenly stop.
Surely something must have happened to him.
I couldn’t help but feel disappointed about it.
Of course, my second master Merlin did criticize the magic lecture videos I watched, calling them “non-expert videos,” “garbage without answers,” and “fundamentally flawed videos.”
But even now that all truths have been revealed, could he still say that?
Probably not.
My first master, the dragon in front of me, clearly showed a confused atmosphere.
Surely, psychoactive drugs that correspond to the lethal dose by human standards would be affecting his brain, yet there were no signs of violent reactions at all.
While he didn’t strike a pose that looked like it belonged in some competition, like ’’└○┐’’, I could clearly tell that the dragon was flustered.
I never thought I would be able to read a dragon’s expression.
Anyway,
I wanted to go back to the past and leave a word for Merlin, who had dismissed the videos I watched.
– “I’ll keep it short. What you saw was garbage. More accurately, it looks like a video made by a non-expert.”
– “Dragon.”
– “…?”
He didn’t understand even in my memories since he didn’t learn properly…
I ended the recollection and nodded.
Who am I?
One of the fifteen disciples of the dragon.
(because the channel had 15 subscribers.)
Slowly, I looked up at the dragon.
Seeing those golden eyes, I shouted.
“Master!”
【…Krrrr?】
Hmm.
It seems like he isn’t fully coherent yet.
It was estimated that the first master, the dragon, would need some time to regain his senses.
Even at this moment, the dragon’s pupils were dilating and contracting repeatedly.
It seemed like a tightrope walk between reason and instinct.
There was no sign that he was about to attack us.
Despite all facts being severed, the dragon didn’t create any disturbances. He just kept his head down, looking at us.
I let out a sigh of relief inwardly.
For now, I had put out the urgent fire.
I didn’t want to engage in physical combat with a mass that looked like it weighed dozens of tons hundreds of meters underground.
Of course, I had Catherine and Eve with me, but it was best to avoid any risk we could.
The dragon still seemed to struggle with using normal language.
【Krrrrrr….】
He hadn’t fully regained his senses.
It was a sound like a beast’s cry. The dragon left thick gashes in the ground with his sharp claws.
Watching the dragon, I tried to mimic its roar.
“…Krrrung.”
【?】
“Is the frequency off? …Krrung, krrrr….”
【…??】
If only the frequency matched, humans could communicate with anything, even toads.
All I had to do was abandon the dignity that comes with being human.
Just then, Catherine cautiously approached from behind me.
A little one was perched on her shoulder.
“…Sister. This person is strange.”
“Shh, sometimes he does this.”
…You know I can hear everything, right?
Anyway, Catherine, who came up to me, couldn’t hide her puzzled expression.
“…What in the world is happening here?”
Now that I think about it, Catherine and Eve probably didn’t know.
I began to briefly explain the current situation to them.
Back when I lived with Catherine at the landfill, I talked about the video channel I discovered, and even the magic I learned from those videos.
Catherine’s eyes widened in surprise.
“…The channel from back then? You mean this dinosaur here made those lecture videos?”
Not a dinosaur but a dragon.
I responded to Catherine’s statement.
“Almost 100% sure.”
“…Why?”
“…….”
I didn’t know either.
I turned my body to look up at the dragon watching over us.
Even though I hadn’t explained it in detail to Catherine and Eve, the dragon’s gaze seemed much more stable than before.
Perhaps it was the weight.
It seemed like the drugs in its system were quickly fading away.
As the dragon glanced around, it turned its enormous eyes toward me.
【…You watched that video channel?】
The dragon leaned its head toward us.
The glass wall had long since broken. The dragon’s breath was felt right in front of my nose.
My hood was blown off by the dragon’s breath.
Getting so close was a little scary. I instinctively put my hands in my pockets and replied.
“And I left comments and likes on all the videos.”
【…….】
The dragon’s response was somewhat strange.
It opened its huge mouth as if trying to say something, then closed it again and again.
【Humans can use magic just from watching that?】
“Are you a speciesist?”
【…What are you talking about?】
Well, I could understand the dragon’s sentiment.
First off, it definitely wasn’t a feasible method for ‘humans’.
There was a reason why the videos weren’t popular. In fact, the audio of the videos was just created through TTS.
Regardless, excited, I continued to speak to the dragon without paying attention to my surroundings.
“So your body is okay now─.”
– Kwoooong…!
My voice was cut off. A massive vibration resonated throughout the underground space.
Dust fell from above, and particularly since I lacked athleticism, I stumbled slightly from the tremor.
– Whyyeeeing─!
Along with a loud siren.
Then a mechanical announcement echoed through the laboratory.
《Attention. This laboratory is entering closure procedures. Please evacuate within ‘180 seconds’. Once again, please note – zzzzt.》
Eve grabbed my arm.
I looked at Eve and asked.
“Why?”
“You have to get out quickly. The Monolith troops outside are also evacuating.”
“So why?”
I said that with slightly ambiguous wording.
If it was operating systemically, then “Doraemon of Cyberpunk,” Eve couldn’t possibly miss it.
Seeing my dazed expression, Eve vigorously shook her head.
“There is no separate cancellation sequence.”
…Hmm.
So, is this a big issue?
“According to the hacking of the communication line, it has been identified as an order from the city’s mayor.”
And if we manage to escape from here safely, I was determined to make the mayor unemployed.
…I guess I need to move a bit urgently.
With only 3 minutes, going up via the elevator was impossible.
It had to be either the sewage or the incinerator.
Since Eve just stopped the waste heat power plant’s system, it seemed better to use the incinerator, which offers more space.
【They probably don’t want ‘the Outsider of the City’ project they were conducting here to be revealed to the public either. It could expose the city’s flaws.】
The dragon mumbled in a low voice.
Is the project named ‘Outsider of the City’ because it is an experiment on wizards?
Whoever decided that seems to have lacked a bit of sense.
Anyway,
“Master, please prepare to go quickly too. I saw that the space you are in seems connected to the incinerator. That should be the way out.”
I decided on the escape route through ‘incinerator’ also considering the master’s, the dragon’s, size.
It would have been nice if there was magic to transform into a humanoid, but that couldn’t be the case.
Naturally, the option of escaping without the dragon was excluded.
My inner ‘Confucian Scholar’ wouldn’t allow it.
‘Oh dear! It is said that military and teacher are one body, and that a ruler, teacher, and father are one!’
Usually, I would have said “shut up,” but at this moment I agreed with that view.
I couldn’t just part ways with my master.
The dragon raised its prostrate body again.
Its massive voice reached us.
【…3 minutes.】
“More precisely, it’s 107 seconds.”
【…….】
Not reading the atmosphere, the AI responded, and the dragon twitched its wings.
Anyway, it seemed like there was something it was relying on.
Indeed, my first master. No, from now on I’ll only have one master. Who is Merlin anyway?
Surely, the dragon is what it is because humans can’t be what they are.
I waited for the dragon’s words.
The dragon slowly opened its huge mouth filled with sharp teeth.
【Everyone get inside my mouth.】
“…….”
I’m not tasty.
*
On the outskirts of Neon City.
Outside that vast wasteland.
– Takuyaaaan!!
The red-scaled ‘dragon’ emerged, crushing the ground beneath.
*
《Neon City Bulletin Board》
[Anyone know what that earthquake was?]
I don’t think there was any earthquake forecast.
Is today finally the day the city is doomed?
I think I should move to Neo Sanctum now.
ㅡ Seriously, Neo Sanctum? LOL
ㄴ What’s wrong with that? (Author)
ㅡ I think I see the author who got hit by a radiation storm and now has 8 fingers.
ㄴ That guy, it’s really a thumbs up…
[NCB24 Channel 310, Type C]
Words fail me.
ㅡ Channel 300’s drones are from the city outskirts, right? Even there’s a madman making payments. It must be super expensive for a paid subscription.
ㄴ But I’m crazy too, so I forgive myself.
ㄴ Shit.
ㄴ What the hell is that????
ㄴ It’s coming out from the ground. (Author)
[Damn, flying dinosaurs exist now]
(A photo of the dragon captured by the drone)
I’ve lived to see this, LOL
…And this has been underground until now?
ㅡ Living in a lower-class area makes me want to move now LOL
ㅡ That isn’t a dinosaur, it’s called a dragon. You should try using the term dragon.
ㄴ Flying saurus (Author)
ㅡ If you like that, go to the beastman board.
ㄴ (Beast emoji passed)
ㄴ Why the hell is there a video of Pete Mc dancing naked? And why is that the main entrance? More importantly, how is this bulletin board still alive?
ㄴ (Human disqualified emoji)
[The Dragon Karsex boom has arrived]
Come on, sign it.
From now on, dragon karsex is a ‘major’ genre.
ㅡ Please hold your breath for 3 years.
ㄴ LOL, you’d be planning a funeral with a single breath.
ㅡ You’re the one who was throwing shit memes.
ㄴ It’s not terrorism, it’s missionary work. (Author)
Thanks to that, the bulletin board of Neon City became a chaotic mess.
To the extent that the fact the city mayor resigned for ‘unknown reasons’ was buried lightly.
…….
Anyway, today was another peaceful day.
