The First Mythical Dragon: Harem System

Lana had just been smashed into a wall. Jake was huffing and panting from the solid punch he received to the chest, and Max—he was ready. His body leaned forward toward the demon, eyes glowing faintly as he glared at it with killing intent.

"One thing you fools don't realize is that I'm not just any demon," the being sneered, its grin stretching wide across its pale face. "I'm of the Proto-Echelon rank. A rank just below the Twelve Echelons. And who are the Twelve Echelons? Demons with terrifying strength, beings just a little under Lucifero—our leader!

The Proto-Echelons all aspire to one day join their ranks, so we hone our skills and powers daily. The more humans we eat, the stronger we become.

Right now, I'm just toying with you all, waiting for an S-rank hunter to arrive. If I can feast on one, my powers will rise exponentially. I'll finally have the power to rival a lower echelon." The demon's deep chuckle echoed through the alley.

"And I don't think anyone asked for your backstory, did they?" Jake said, arching a brow as he straightened up. His fists tightened, blood trickling from one knuckle.

The demon's grin widened. "Ever wondered why your little association only has three S-ranked hunters? Do you even know why?"

That caught everyone's attention. Their expressions hardened as silence filled the air.

"I'll tell you this for free," the demon continued, voice dripping with mockery. "Demons don't just target weak humans or helpless hunters—we go for the strong ones. Even before your association existed, we were feasting on anyone powerful enough to reach S rank.

Every time humanity produced a prodigy, we devoured them. We kept feasting and feasting until your kind grew weaker. That's why no one can reach the S rank anymore." It smirked, patting its flat, pale stomach. "Before they even get close, they end up in our bellies."

"You eat humans too?" Max asked, his voice low as he stepped forward, claws slightly visible.

"Huh? Of course I do." The demon's brow furrowed in irritation.

"You eat a lot or not?" Max asked again, narrowing his eyes.

"Over the years, I've eaten about three hundred humans," the demon said proudly, its grin returning.

"And yet you look as thin as a damn needle," Max replied with a mocking tone. "I'm guessing they're starving you down there in the underworld, huh?"

The demon froze for a split second, then veins bulged along its forehead. Rage flared in its eyes.

"Earlier, I just wanted to toy with you," it snarled, teeth grinding together. "But now, I'll skewer and feast on you alive! ARGGHHH!"

With that, the demon bolted forward like a blur, both sickles raised high.

"And I want to see you try to kill me!" Max roared back as he pivoted sharply, barely dodging the twin blades by a hair's breadth. The weapons sliced through the air with a loud shing.

Max retaliated instantly, swinging his leg toward the demon with brutal speed. The creature reacted in kind, its own leg lashing out.

Their kicks collided mid-air with a thunderous crack that sent shockwaves through the area, rippling the dust and shaking the walls around them.

"AHHHH!" The demon screamed in fury, twisting its arm to swing one sickle straight at the dragon's eye.

'Shit! Too fast! How is it still this fast even with my skill active?!' Max thought, panic flashing through his eyes as the blade streaked toward him.

"Brother, move!" Jake's voice thundered as he grabbed Max by the back of his collar. With every ounce of strength he had, he yanked the dragon backward, swinging him out of harm's way before smashing all seven of his knuckles into the demon's twin sickles.

A powerful shockwave blasted outward as the hybrid's fists collided with the weapons. The ground beneath them shattered instantly, forming a crater from the sheer force of impact.

A loud, echoing bang filled the air as Max leaped high above, claws glowing bright orange under the dim, flickering light. His pupils thinned into fierce slits as his eyes burned a deep, wild yellow.

"Begone!" The dragon roared, hammering his claws straight into the demon's face. To everyone's surprise, the strike connected cleanly—his claws ripped through the creature's cheek, causing a gush of black-red blood to splatter across the broken ground.

"They got a hit in!" Jasmine shouted, her voice full of excitement as her eyes tracked every movement.

"All that effort for just a single scratch and a drop of blood? Tsk, tsk, tsk. How disappointing," the demon said mockingly, shaking its head.

Then, before anyone could blink, it leaped back. In mere seconds, the slash on its cheek sealed up completely, not even leaving a scar behind.

'Fuck! I forgot how fast a demon's regeneration is,' Max cursed inwardly, his teeth grinding hard as his claws twitched.

"Damn it! The wound healed up!" Jasmine yelled again, frustration building in her tone.

"Can you just stop commentating? I can see what's going on too," Daki muttered, brows furrowed deeply as her gaze stayed fixed on the ongoing clash.

The demon grinned, its fangs glinting under the moonlight. "You hit softly for a dragon. Let me show you what a real hit feels like!"

It vanished in a blur, the air bursting around it as it appeared directly in front of Max. The dragon barely had time to widen his eyes before the demon's sickles shot forward with killing intent.

"And you hit like a pillow too!" a feminine voice roared from above.

In a flash, Lana descended, wings curled protectively in front of Max like a living shield. The sickles clashed against her metallic feathers with a loud, ringing clang that echoed across the battlefield.

"Foolish human!" the demon hissed as it poured more strength into its swing.

'My wings are strong… strong enough to withstand a hit from a Legendary-tier beast,' Lana thought quickly, bracing herself. 'Though I've never actually tested it before… but I'm confident it can bl…'

SCREEECH!

The horrifying sound ripped through the air as the demon's blades sliced through her wings like knives cutting through fabric.

"ARGHHHH!" Lana screamed in pain as her feathers scattered in all directions. Blood trickled down her back as the demon's grin widened.

"Now you'll die meaninglessly for interfering," it sneered, swinging the sickles toward her face.

But before the blow landed…

"Move!" a voice bellowed.

Max slammed into her with all his might, shoving her aside just as the blades came down. The next instant, the sickles tore through his back and buried deep into his flesh. Blood sprayed violently, staining the cracked floor beneath them.

The demon's grin only grew darker. But then…

Tring!

[Foreign substance has just been injected into Host's bloodstream.]

[Calculating type of substance…]

[Calculation complete! Highly concentrated poison detected!]

Max's vision blurred instantly as the system's alert echoed in his head.