A Zoologist’s Guide to Surviving Magical Creatures

That smile, man. The moment it flashed across his face, I noticed two things immediately.

First, his dragon fangs made a subtle appearance, poking out just enough to remind me that I was standing in front of a god who could probably eat me for breakfast if he wanted to.

And second, there was this dimple on his cheek when he grinned, making him look almost... cute?

Weird, considering he could probably level an entire mountain if he got bored. It was a bizarre combo—ferocious fangs, a dimple, and this "I'm too cool for this" aura.

If I wasn't so completely overwhelmed, I might've actually laughed at how casually he seemed to handle his divine badassery.

The Iron Dragon god, effortlessly unbothered in his human form, beamed at me like we were old friends.

"Carl! You finally made it back. How was the quest?" he asked, his voice warm and inviting.

The founder was nothing like the stories I'd been told by Jiuge, Agnos, and the Incan god. They painted him as distant and detached, only showing warmth when Kaleon was around and always deferring to him.

But now, in front of me, he was jovial and carefree, completely at odds with the stern figure I'd imagined.

"Uh, hi boss," I said, flashing him a weak smile. "The quest is done."

"Excellent! No need to call me boss. Just call me Naga," he grinned even wider. "So, you're ready to head back to MECCP now, right?"

Oh boy. How was I supposed to say this?

I steeled myself. "Well… something came up."

It was like a switch flipped.

He suddenly noticed Agnos, Jiuge, and Viracocha standing behind me.

What he did next took me by surprise: he gave them a casual nod, completely unfazed by their presence, and turned his attention back to me as if they were invisible.

"So, what's come up?" he asked, still smiling. "Who knows? I might be able to help."

He casually draped an arm over my shoulder, treating me like an old friend.

My boss, the founder of MECCP, and an Unknown God—an Iron Dragon, no less—was acting like I was his best buddy. I had no idea what to make of this gesture.

Clearing my throat, I began to explain everything—why we were there and what had happened.

Naga—apparently we're on a first-name basis now—listened intently, not interrupting even once. By the time I finished explaining everything, he simply nodded, as if it was the most normal thing in the world.

"So, you want to restore the leylines?" he asked, his tone casual, like we were talking about the weather.

I shrugged, unsure. "I'm not sure if I can restore it, but they said I could."

"Oh, don't worry about it. I'm sure you'll be fine," he said, with a wave of his hand. "Come on, let me take you to the leyline's node."

I couldn't help but feel a bit thrown off by how nonchalant he was. It was like he knew this was all going to work out, like he had absolute confidence in me.

Did he know something I didn't?

Did he have the same keen senses as Viracocha?

Without waiting for a response, he gestured for me to follow him, and we all moved into what looked like a circular elevator.

But instead of being made of glass, the walls were made of some kind of magical barrier—translucent and glowing with a silvery light.

Then came the part I wasn't prepared for.

The magical elevator shot downwards at an alarming speed—seriously fast, like we were plummeting through a transparent tube.

I could see everything outside: we were heading deep beneath MECCP's main office. It turns out that directly below us was where the main node of the destroyed metal leyline used to be.

And it hit me. The MECCP location, along with its surrounding area, was actually part of the destroyed realm.

I mean, part of it was still intact—this land controlled by MECCP—but the rest? Corrupted. All those other parts of the Metal realm were gone, wiped out and twisted beyond recognition.

What was left, the part we were standing on, was the last piece that had managed to survive.

"This is the main node of the metal leyline," Naga said, gesturing toward a small silver crystal orb the size of a baby's fist.

"I've been keeping it intact for years, protecting it from corruption. It's taken a lot of my energy and power. Every time I imbue it with my magic, it drains me. So, I have to sleep to recover," he added, and just as he finished speaking, he yawned, revealing his dragon fangs.

I stood there, dumbfounded.

The Iron Dragon god—my boss—looked so ridiculously relaxed. It was as if the threat to Mythica's balance was just an afterthought to him, something to shrug off with a yawn.

Was he really the same aloof, detached, and fearsome Iron Dragon god I had heard about? The one who could obliterate enemies without a second thought, without hesitation or mercy?

I started to question everything Agnos, Jiuge, and Viracocha had told me about him.

This guy?

A ruthless god of destruction?

Right.

The glowing portal shimmered before me, humming with ancient energy.

"Alright, Carl," Naga said, clapping me on the back. "You're up."

I didn't move. My hands felt clammy. My knees locked. Why was no one else freaking out?

"Uh, quick question," I said, stalling. "What happens if this doesn't work?"

"You die."

My brain short-circuited.

Naga laughed, waving a hand. "Kidding! Kidding. Probably."

I turned to Jiuge and Agnos. "Can you guys go first? You know, test the waters?"

"Nope," Jiuge said. "Not our divine mess."

"Unbelievable," I muttered.

I took a deep breath. This was it. Either I did this, or Mythica collapsed.

"Alright. Let's go ruin my life," I grumbled. And stepped forward.

I cleared my throat and turned to the others, who had been suspiciously silent now.

"So… what should I do?"

Viracocha was the first to break the silence. "You just need to touch the node."

"Okay, easy enough. But what happens after that? Do I need to say something? Like a mantra or a spell?" I asked, trying to get a clearer idea of what I was supposed to do.

Jiuge shrugged, looking like she'd rather be anywhere else. "We don't know what will happen."

"It's all up to you, Carl," Agnos chimed in with a smile. "Good luck!"

I took a deep breath, glancing at all four of them. With a sigh, I placed my hand on the leyline's node. "Here goes nothing."

The moment my hand touched the node, I felt something rush into me—something raw and powerful.

And then, a sharp pain exploded inside my head, like every nerve was being set on fire. It caught me completely off guard.

I clutched my skull with my other hand, as if that would somehow make it stop, but it didn't help in the slightest.

I had expected some discomfort—after all, the fragments Agnos had me absorb had done something similar. But this... this was on a whole different level. The intensity was unbearable.

Just when I thought I couldn't handle it any longer, my vision began to blur. Darkness crept in from the edges of my sight, slowly swallowing everything.

And then, everything went black.

I lost consciousness before I could even scream.