When Heron was a child, he loved playing old-fashioned RPG games. He spent his days playing his handheld console on a beanbag with snacks on the side. His childhood was filled with games with zero consequences and a lot of 2D dragons.

  And somehow, at the supple age of 35, Heron was facing a real, live 3D dragon.

  Weren’t dragons in video games supposed to be the final boss? The big battle at the end of a long journey? Against the party of heroes that would slay the great beast terrorizing humanity?

  But no, the white dragon had landed in Heron’s potato field on this tiny planet.

  It had only been a few months after Heron had started living here and had only begun to get past the beginner stage; currently, Heron had no villages—let alone a party of heroes—to deal with this giant, flying lizard.

  Heron had literally conquered the wilderness (more like feebly struggled), fended off the dangers that lurked in the darkness (the slime had literally stolen bread from under his nose), and survived all on his own without anyone’s help (this was true but he had magic hacks so did that really count).

  But a dragon?

  Heron was screwed. There was no way he could fight off a dragon.

  But that didn’t mean he was going to give up without a fight. He wasn’t the same man as he was before when taking a tongue-lashing from his shady company boss and coworkers. After reincarnating in another world and all the adversities he’d had to overcome, he was a changed man that was stronger, smarter (?), and better.

  Grabbing a potato off the ground that had spilled out of the wooden basket, Heron prepared to chuck it at the dragon. He was still only in his underpants but it wasn’t like wearing his suit and tie would change anything. He was about to become a dragon snack.

  “Begone, foul beast!” Heron chucked his potato. It fell short.

  Pathetic little mortal.

  Yes, Heron knew he was a pathetic, little mortal but—

  Wait a second.

  Heron stared at the white dragon. It stared right back, it’s red-eyes unflinching. Either Heron was going crazy and heard a god whispering in his mind—

  A god whispering? I approve of that statement.

  Okay, if Heron didn’t know any better, he would’ve assumed that the dragon was reading his mind and talking to him in his head—

  Humans, quite slow aren’t they?

  WHAT THE ACTUAL—

  The dragon let out a mighty roar. Heron yelled in return and chucked another potato. Overwhelmed and bewildered, he had no clue what the hell was happening. But he’d be damned if he got distracted by a voice in his head while a dragon was literally looking to send him off into the shadow realms of a third life.

  Would you stop that? Foolish mortal, do not test me.

  “I’m not crazy enough to think you’re talking to me, begone!” Heron waved his arms, trying to make himself look bigger than he actually was. Or was that a strategy against bears? Didn’t matter, he had to do something, anything.

  The dragon lunged, head snapping forward. Heron flinched, this was the end. So long, short second-life.

  The dragon’s snout booped him and Heron fell on his butt with an ‘oomph’ sound.

  Yes, it is I, the Great Lord of this planet that has chosen to grace you with my presence.

  It spread it’s wings as a grand gesture of dominance as it stared down at Heron. Heron was speechless, mouth agape and utterly confused. He was not dead yet, so maybe that was a good sign?

  I have been watching you, mortal.

  “You have?” Heron found himself asking incredulously. Was he seriously talking to a dragon?

  You’ve impressed me with your fickle ways and pathetic squandering.

  That didn’t really sound like a compliment or something to be impressed with, but Heron didn’t mind.

  “Okay… is there something I can do for you?” He did not want to ask if the dragon was here to eat him in case he reminded the beast.

  You are too scrawny for me to eat, little one.

  Little one? Now that was a tad offensive. He was in his mid-30s and wasn’t that scrawny or little.

  Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

  Heron froze, realizing what was going on. Was this dragon really reading his mind and responding to him via telepathy—

  A little slow too, aren’t you?

  Now that was uncalled for.

  “My… apologies.” Heron spoke unhurriedly, still on his butt in his underpants on the dirt floor by his fields. “Forgive me, um, great dragon. Now, what may I do for you?”

  The dragon eyed him and Heron did his best not to flinch. Then the dragon reared its head, baring his fangs. Heron gulped.

  I require your assistance.

  “Assistance? In what?” Heron frowned. What could a dragon possibly need assistance for from an office worker who couldn’t even use magic to make clothes?

  It is… difficult to explain. It is best that I show you.

  “Hold on, um, lord dragon.” He blinked, eyes narrowing in confusion. “I’m not sure I understand. How could I be of any help?”

  You must accept my terms and conditions before I show you.

  “Uh, alright, what are—“

  Before Heron could finish his sentence, a bright glow appeared between the two of them. A glowing cord tethered from the ball of light as it stretched until it touched the dragon and Heron. It happened so quickly that Heron didn’t have time to react until after the cord had latched onto him. But he didn’t feel anything. Instead, once it had touched both him and the dragon, the light disappeared.

  “What was that?!” Heron scrambled to his feet, touching his chest where the light had connected him. He patted himself down, trying to figure out if anything had changed. But everything seemed fine.

  What do you mean? You accepted my terms and conditions.

  “What?” Heron’s eyes widened as he stared at the dragon. “You hadn’t told me them yet, how could I possibly accept?”

  You said alright.

  “I was agreeing to hear you out, I can’t agree before I know what I’ve signed myself up for.” Heron protested.

  If dragons could make faces, it was laughing at him.

  I see, that’s unfortunate. Let me explain the terms and conditions now.

  Heron grimaced and smiled bleakly, “Can I still say no?”

  The dragon didn’t say anything in Heron’s head. Heron gulped and snapped his mouth shut. The dragon closed it’s eyes as it continued to speak in Heron’s head.

  I require your services. As my underling, you will accompany me in my conquest of the universe.

  What.

  “Excuse me?”

  The dragon droned on.

  In exchange, you will feed me and take care of me. You will meet my every request.

  In exchange? What in the world was this dragon going on about?

  “Let me get this straight.” Heron said slowly. “Your terms and conditions are that I will accompany you across the universe and in exchange, I serve your every need?”

  That is correct.

  Heron did not like the sound of this. Because it sounded like he was getting scammed. Where was the upside in this!?

  The upside is that you, a lowly mortal, have the honor of serving me.

  “And… who exactly are you?” Heron asked carefully. The dragon had mentioned it was the lord of planet, but that didn’t tell him much.

  The dragon beamed at him, proudly flapping its wings in all its glory.

  I am the destroyer of worlds, conqueror of planets, the nightmare that all mortals fear and quake in their slumber.

  Heron felt like he had heard this sort of monologue before but brushed it away. “Okay… but do you have a name?”

  He almost punched himself the moment he had asked the question. What was he thinking!? This dragon literally told him it was the final boss of this universe and Heron just asked for his name? It didn’t matter! This creature was dangerous.

  The dragon froze. Heron prepared himself to be evaporated. But it never came. The dragon made a rumbling noise in its throat.

  Foolish human. Of course I have a name. It is…

  The voice in Heron’s head trailed off. He raised a brow as he looked at the dragon. The dragon patted the field with it’s paw, dust flying up from the dirt.

  I demand food at once. Once you feed me, perhaps you will have earned my name.

  Heron blinked but didn’t question the beast. “Oh, sure I suppose.”

  I require the finest meal. Bring me your best meat.

  Now that posed a small issue. Since the few months that Heron has been here, the only meat he had was the fish from the lake. And he rarely took the time to fish. He didn’t know how many fish there were and he couldn’t dwindle the population by just fishing whenever he wanted to. What if he ran out someday?

  “I… don’t have much meat to offer.” He responded hesitantly. “But I can offer you bread and soup?”

  Bread and soup. The dragon echoed in Heron’s mind. Very well, I shall humble your offerings.

  Heron thought better than to think of a petty insult in his mind. The dragon could read his mind after all. Instead, he brought a serving of bread from his cabin and summoned a dragon-sized bowl to place the rest of his soup in. Then he placed the meal before the dragon. The dragon leaned over and gave the meal a sniff. Heron prepared himself. There was no way a dragon would like bread and soup.

  The dragon slurped down the soup and ate the bread whole. So much for leftovers—

  You said this was bread and soup?

  “Y-Yes?” Heron stammered, surprised by the dragon’s quick devouring.

  It was… acceptable. Now do tell me, how can we get more of this bread and soup?

  “I could make more.” Heron pondered. “But it would be even better if we had some dairy.”

  Dairy you say? What is that?

  “Oh dairy? I meant more like milk from cows and eggs from chickens.”

  Cows?

  “Yes, cows.”

  Heron wasn’t going to question how he could understand the dragon. Maybe magic gave the ability for all languages to be auto-translated. It didn’t matter. What pinged Heron as odd was that the dragon way the dragon had voiced the word ‘cows’ in Heron’s mind, sounded like this was a new word in its vocabulary. Perhaps cows were just called something different in this world.

  Now, how would one go about explaining what cows were?

  “They’re these four-legged animals that are white and black, kind of splotchy, and like to eat grass. They’re able to produce milk which is a useful ingredient for cooking and baking. I’ve been wanting some milk but haven’t been able to obtain any.”

  The dragon looked thoughtfully at Heron, as if contemplating something. Then it nodded.

  Very well, little one. We shall fetch you your cows.

  What.

  Heron made a very unmanly noise as he was suddenly hoisted into the air with an unknown force. Thrust onto the dragon’s back, Heron clutched onto it’s scales for dear life to prevent himself from falling off.

  Best if you don’t let go. This is a first for me as well.

  And the dragon took off.

  Heron screamed but no sound came out as the wind carried away his voice as they flew into the sky. What the hell had just happened? One second he was farming and then next he was kidnapped by the destroyer of worlds. He didn’t even have time to put on his clothes. Where was this dragon taking him?

  Clinging on for dear life, Heron shut his eyes as they ascended past the clouds and sky. And when he opened his eyes once more more, he held his breath.

  Was this… outer space?!