A Hitman's Guide To Becoming A Hero

In a small room, its walls lined with paintings and artwork of every kind, Joan sat in the corner, a book resting in her hands as she flipped through its pages.

Her eyes followed the words, but her mind was elsewhere. Thick black miasma filled the room, twisting through the air like living smoke.

Joan was a reader.

She had read countless books and lost herself in countless fantasies.

Worlds she wanted to visit.

Abilities she wished she possessed.

Lives she longed to experience.

Each story offered an escape from the painful realities of life, allowing her to drown herself in imagination.

And like every reader, Joan had her own favorite trope.

She loved apocalypses.

No...

She didn’t just love them.

She wanted to live through one.

She wanted to know what it truly felt like.

The rush of adrenaline.

The uncertainty of survival.

The terror of facing monsters powerful enough to level cities and erase entire civilizations.

As she read through story after story, she encountered countless beasts and creatures.

She didn’t care much for elves, humans, or intelligent races.

Instead, her fascination always drifted toward the monsters.

The creatures that brought chaos.

The beings that reduced kingdoms to rubble and plunged entire worlds into despair.

The thought of reincarnating into such a world and witnessing it firsthand consumed her imagination.

Under the influence of the plague, Joan remained completely oblivious to the destruction she was causing around her.

Her mind swirled with thousands upon thousands of creatures.

There were simply too many choices.

But the book resting in her lap guided her.

As she read, she selected every beast that captured her interest.

And now...

Her eyes remained fixed on a single word.

Dragon.

Joan wanted to see dragons.

-----

Outside, the heroes stared upward in horror.

The clouds parted as though making way for a divine descent.

From the vast tear in the sky, a colossal creature slowly emerged.

From below, they could make out polished black scales that gleamed beneath the light. Curved obsidian horns crowned its head, while enormous wings unfurled behind it, stretching across the heavens like dark storm clouds.

With every passing second, its silhouette became more defined.

The sheer size of the creature defied reason.

Its very existence dominated the sky.

Then it landed.

BOOM!

A devastating shockwave erupted outward.

The force alone was enough to make every hero shield themselves.

Buildings closest to the impact collapsed instantly.

Windows shattered.

Roads cracked apart.

The earth beneath the dragon’s feet caved inward, unable to withstand the burden of its immense weight.

No matter where one stood within Denvi Town, the creature was impossible to miss.

It towered above everything.

A living disaster.

As its feet settled upon the earth, the dragon slowly opened its eyes.

Crimson.

Burning crimson.

Its gaze swept across the town, and for a brief moment it felt as though those eyes could see through flesh, bone, and soul alike.

An overwhelming pressure descended upon the battlefield.

The dragon hadn’t moved.

Hadn’t attacked.

Hadn’t even spoken.

Yet the heroes could already feel their bodies growing heavier.

Their breathing became difficult.

Their hearts pounded wildly.

Sweat formed across their faces almost instantly.

Fear.

Pure, instinctive fear.

"ROOOAAARRRRR!!!"

Its deafening roar thundered across the entire town.

The sky trembled.

The streets shook.

Even the monsters below paused momentarily beneath the sheer dominance of its cry.

It was not merely announcing its arrival.

It was declaring its rule.

Then...

The dragon lowered its head.

Its burning crimson eyes settled upon the tiny figures gathered below.

The heroes.

"We’re dead," one of the heroes muttered, a tear slipping down his cheek.

The others said nothing.

The same thought had crossed their minds, but none of them wanted to believe it.

Not yet.

"I said it before, and I’ll say it again. No one is dying."

Nectron’s voice resonated through the air with renewed confidence.

This time, he didn’t wait for the others.

He attacked first.

Both hands stretched toward the dragon as he slowly pulled them together. Veins bulged across his neck and forehead as he poured everything he had into the attack.

Instantly, the dragon felt the crushing pressure building around its body from every direction.

Its massive head slowly turned.

Crimson eyes settled upon Nectron.

Its vertical pupils narrowed.

Nectron’s heart skipped.

The moment their eyes met, it felt as though the distance between them had vanished.

The dragon no longer seemed far away.

It felt as though it stood directly before him.

Towering.

Oppressive.

Like a mountain given life.

The longer he looked into those eyes, the heavier the pressure became.

He struggled to keep his hands together, desperately trying to maintain his hold over the dragon.

But at the same time, the dragon’s overwhelming presence pressed down upon him.

His muscles trembled.

His bones groaned.

Blood vessels swelled beneath his skin.

"ATTACK NOW!"

The cry tore from his throat.

They didn’t wait, Pyron reacted instantly.

Flames erupted around the dragon, roaring upward in a blazing inferno. Yet the creature was simply too large. The fire only managed to cling to a single scale.

A moment later, it flickered, then vanished.

Leaving behind not even the slightest scorch mark.

The dragon glanced at the scale, then huffed. The gesture carried unmistakable disdain.

Its gaze returned to Nectron, this time, the pressure intensified.

Nectron’s eyes widened.

BOOM!

He crashed to the ground.

Blood burst from his nose as his concentration shattered completely.

The invisible force restraining the dragon vanished.

Vixen moved immediately.

A massive spatial rift opened beneath the dragon, twisting reality itself in an attempt to swallow the creature whole.

But the dragon was simply too large.

Before the distortion could fully form, one enormous claw swept forward.

RIP!

The spatial tear was ripped apart like fragile cloth.

CLANG!

Several black streaks flashed across the dragon’s scales.

Night Ninja’s blades struck with deadly precision.

Sparks exploded outward, yet the scales remained untouched.

Not even a scratch.

Selena felt her stomach sink, ’All their attacks are useless...’

Fear finally settled deep within her chest. She had watched these heroes fight for hours.

Watched them tear through hordes of monsters.

Watched them crush creatures in an instant.

Yet now...

Not one of them could even damage the dragon.

’Are we really going to die?’ The thought echoed through her mind.

The dragon slowly unfurled its wings, the motion alone generated a violent shockwave.

Air exploded outward.

Attacks were scattered.

Debris flew through the streets.

Several heroes were forced backward.

Then the dragon rose into the sky, it hovered above them. Looking down upon the battlefield, like a god passing judgment.

Its maw slowly opened.

At first, nothing happened.

Then the heroes felt it.

Heat.

An unbearable heat.

Crimson light began gathering deep within its throat.

Molten energy flowed through the lines of its neck like rivers of lava.

The surrounding air warped.

Buildings nearest to the dragon began to crack from the temperature alone.

And then...

With a gaze filled with absolute contempt...

The dragon unleashed its flames upon the humans below.

"Supervisor Selena, how much do I get paid after this? Cause it really has to be worth it" a voice echoed through the tense air.

{Void}