My name is Minato Asakura. I'm 20 years old and was just a normal college student.
I didn't have many friends. I stayed in my room, reading fantasy books and playing RPG games. I loved learning about monsters, magic, and different worlds. I even studied plants and creatures from books and games. My dream was to explore a fantasy world for real.
One day, it happened.
---
I was walking home from school late at night. The sky looked strange—stars were moving, and there was a soft ringing in my ears.
Suddenly, everything turned white.
I couldn't feel my body. Just a voice in the light.
> "You have been chosen, Minato Asakura."
"Your role is Explorer."
"Your gift: World Archive—you will know the truth of this world."
Then I blacked out.
---
When I opened my eyes, I wasn't in Japan anymore.
I was lying in the middle of a glowing forest. The grass was bright green, the trees were tall and twisted, and two moons floated in the sky. Strange blue birds flew past me.
A screen floated in front of me.
> [Welcome to New Terra]
[Class: Explorer]
[Unique Skill: World Archive]
[Tip: This skill lets you see details about places, monsters, people, and more.]
My heart raced. "I'm really in a fantasy world…"
I stood up and checked the area using my skill.
> [Area: Whispering Forest]
[Nearby Creatures: Slimes, Vine Serpents, Forest Wolves]
[Danger Level: Low]
So cool… but also scary. I didn't have a weapon. Just my school clothes and a backpack with snacks and a water bottle.
Then I heard something crash in the distance.
BOOM!
Smoke rose from behind the trees.
---
I ran toward the sound. Maybe it was a monster—or a person.
When I got there, I found something I never expected.
A beautiful girl was lying in the grass. Her body glowed faintly. She had long dark green hair, soft green horns, and a long tail. Her clothes were torn, and her breathing was weak.
She wasn't human.
> [Injured Dragon Detected]
[Race: Forest Dragon – Rare Species]
[Warning: Core Damaged – Magic unstable]
[Touching the core may save her life – Do you accept?]
[Note: Touching the core forms a Soul Bond]
"Touch… her core?" I looked down. There was a glowing green symbol on her chest.
I hesitated. "If I don't do this, she might die…"
I reached out and touched it carefully.
---
A bright light wrapped around us both.
My heart pounded. My body felt warm. The girl opened her eyes slowly.
Her face turned red right away. "Y-You… touched my core…?"
She looked away, embarrassed.
"I'm sorry," I said. "The system said it would help heal you."
"You… saved my life…" she whispered. "I'm… yours now…"
"Huh?!"
She covered her chest with both arms, blushing. "A dragon's core is sacred… Only someone we trust or love may touch it… That touch creates a bond. You and I are now connected."
I sat back in shock. "This world is wild…"
---
Her name was Lyra.
She was a Forest Dragon, a shy and rare kind that usually lives deep in magical forests. She had been flying to escape hunters who were trying to take her core. They hit her with magic, and she fell from the sky.
Now, because I healed her, we were bonded.
"I will protect you," she said quietly. "That is the rule of the core bond."
"But I'm weak," I said. "I don't even have a weapon."
"You have knowledge," she replied. "That is more powerful than a sword, sometimes."
---
That night, we made a small camp under the trees.
Lyra used a small green flame to light a fire. I used World Archive to find fruits and clean water nearby. We ate quietly together.
I looked up at the stars. "This world is called New Terra. There are demi-humans, monsters, dungeons, and magic. So many things I dreamed of…"
Lyra sat beside me. Her voice was soft. "You really love this world, don't you?"
I nodded. "Yeah. I want to travel, explore every place, learn everything."
Lyra's tail swayed gently behind her.
"Then… let me come with you," she said. "Let's explore it together."
I smiled.
"Alright, Lyra. Let's begin our journey."
The next morning, I woke up to a soft sound—rustle, rustle.
I opened my eyes slowly.
And saw something I didn't expect.
Lyra was sitting near the fire, her back to me. Her clothes were still damaged from yesterday's fall—her top was half-burned, and I could see smooth green scales along her spine and sides. Her long green hair flowed down her back like silk.
She was trying to fix her clothes using vines and leaves.
> [World Archive]
[Race: Forest Dragon]
[Notes: Dragon scales grow softer when bonded. Tail and horns are sensitive. Shyness is common in female Forest Dragons.]
"She really is a dragon girl…" I whispered.
Unfortunately, I whispered a little too loud.
She turned around—eyes wide—face turning red.
"D-Don't stare at me like that!"
She quickly covered her chest with her arms and hid behind her tail.
"S-Sorry! I didn't mean to look!" I turned away quickly.
We both sat in awkward silence for a few seconds.
Then Lyra peeked at me shyly.
"…Do I look weird to you?"
"What? No way. You're… actually really cute," I said without thinking.
She froze.
Then puffed out a little green smoke from her nose and hid her face with her wings.
"I-It's the bond… That's why I'm being affected like this," she mumbled.
> [Soul Bond Status: Active]
[Effect: Emotional connection increases over time. Physical reactions may grow stronger with trust.]
---
We soon continued walking through the forest.
Lyra walked close to me, still hiding her chest with her arms. I offered her my hoodie to wear. It was baggy on her, but it covered her enough.
"Thank you…" she said, her voice quiet but sweet.
Along the way, I used my World Archive skill again.
> [Nearby Location: Spirit Lake – A magical lake said to boost healing. 2.3km North]
[Note: Safe area. No hostile monsters nearby.]
"This way," I said. "There's a lake we can use to wash up and rest."
Lyra tilted her head. "You even know where clean water is?"
"It's my skill. It shows me all kinds of details about places, monsters, items—even plants."
"That's amazing… I've never heard of magic like that."
We followed a small path and reached the lake within minutes.
---
The lake sparkled with soft blue light. It was peaceful and surrounded by glowing white flowers.
"This is beautiful…" Lyra said, her eyes wide.
"You can go ahead and wash first," I said. "I'll wait behind the tree."
"…Will you peek?"
"No! I'm not like that!"
She smiled a little. "I was only teasing…"
She slowly walked toward the water, taking off my hoodie and stepping in. Her tail swished gently behind her.
I turned around quickly and sat behind a tree, holding my face.
"Too cute… this is dangerous…"
> [Note: Dragons often tease those they bond with as a form of trust-building.]
"That's not helping, system…"
---
After she finished, Lyra came back wearing the hoodie again, her cheeks pink.
She sat beside me, drying her hair with a leaf.
"…Back in my world, dragons are proud. We don't show weakness. But after I bonded with you… I feel warm inside. It's strange, but… not bad."
"You can be yourself around me," I said.
She smiled.
Then her stomach growled.
"…I forgot I was hungry."
---
I laughed and opened my backpack. "Let's eat. I still have some snacks."
I gave her a chocolate bar. She bit into it—and her eyes sparkled.
"This is delicious! What kind of potion is this?!"
"It's chocolate. Just candy, really."
"It tastes like magic…"
> [New Item Detected: Chocolate Bar]
[Effect: +5 Happiness, +10 Trust (if shared with bonded dragon)]
I couldn't help but smile.
Maybe this world wouldn't be so hard after all.
---
As the sun set, we looked over a hill, where a small town could be seen in the distance.
"That's a human village," Lyra said. "But be careful. Dragons like me are feared by most people."
"I'll protect you," I said.
Lyra looked surprised.
Then smiled. "Then I'll protect you too… partner."