Dragon Of Eternity: Reincarnated As A Dragon With System

Chapter 3: Death Again

His claws scraped against the ground as he forced himself upright, the faint growls in the distance sending a chill down his spine. The jagged remains of his egg were still scattered around him, and the rocky terrain stretched out, unchanged from before.

But this time, he wasn't the same.

He could still feel the Clawstalker's claws raking through his flesh, the metallic tang of his blood pooling on the ground. The image of its glowing yellow eyes and the serrated teeth ripping into him was burned into his mind.

He clenched his claws, his body trembling with a mixture of fear and determination.

"This time," he muttered, his voice a low growl, "I'll do things differently."

The faint growls in the distance grew louder, echoing off the rocky terrain. His heart—or whatever passed for it now—thumped heavily in his chest.

If the system functions how it should normally do, then…

"Show me the Clawstalker's profile."

The system chimed, its glowing text appearing before him.

[Target Profile Identified]

Name: Clawstalker

Level: 4

Skills:

→ Stealth Predator: Conceals presence in tall grass and rocky terrain.

→ Ambush Strike: Increases attack speed and damage during surprise attacks.

→ Piercing Claws: Ignores weaker defensive scales.

His claws twitched as he read the glowing text.

"Level four?" he muttered, his deep voice trembling slightly. "What the hell am I, then?"

The system's text shifted.

[Player Profile]

Name: Unnamed Hatchling

Level: 1

Passive Skills:

→ Rewind: Resets to the most recent checkpoint upon death.

→ Copy: Retains all new memories and skills learned before death and carries them into the reset.

Active Skills:

→ None Acquired

He blinked at the glowing text, his claws freezing mid-motion. "So that's it. That's how I'm still alive."

His mind flashed back to the Clawstalker's glowing eyes, its claws tearing through him, the unbearable pain, and then—darkness.

"It's not a second chance," he muttered, his voice low and hoarse. "It's the same chance, over and over again."

The growling grew louder, cutting through his thoughts like a blade. He had no time to dwell on the implications of his newfound abilities.

His claws scraped against the dirt as he crouched low, scanning the rocky outcrops and patches of tall grass ahead.

It's faster. Stronger. And it's got the element of surprise.

But he had something it didn't: a second chance—or, more accurately, a thousand chances if needed.

He shuffled awkwardly toward a nearby rock, keeping low to the ground. His thick tail dragged behind him, leaving a trail in the dirt, but he had no other option. He needed to stay hidden.

The growling stopped.

His heart pounded as he pressed himself against the rock, straining to hear any movement. The silence was deafening, every muscle in his body tense.

Then, a faint rustle of grass to his left.

His mind raced. It's circling. Looking for an opening.

He spotted a loose rock nearby, half-buried in the dirt. Awkwardly, he picked it up with his claws, its weight almost too much for his uncoordinated limbs.

With a grunt, he hurled it toward a patch of tall grass on his right. The rock landed with a soft thud, rustling the blades as it rolled.

The silence broke. A blur of movement shot toward the grass, the Clawstalker pouncing where the sound had come from.

He didn't wait to see if the predator had figured out his ruse. He bolted toward the next rock outcrop, his heavy legs pounding against the dirt.

Each step felt clumsy and slow, but he pushed forward, adrenaline surging through him. He reached the rocks just as the Clawstalker turned, its glowing yellow eyes locking onto him.

It let out a furious roar, crouching low as it prepared to strike again.

He pressed his back against the rocky surface, breathing heavily. "Come on," he muttered to himself. "Think. What would a human do?"

Just this much took a lot of time, he failed to think of anything.

The Clawstalker pounced faster than he could react. Its claws tore into his back, slamming him to the ground with bone-crushing force. He let out a guttural scream, his legs kicking uselessly beneath him as pain erupted across his spine.

He tried to move, to crawl away, but the weight of the predator pinned him in place. Its claws raked down his sides, shredding his scales and leaving long, bloody gashes.

His screams grew hoarse as the Clawstalker's teeth sank into his belly, ripping through muscle and flesh. The pain was excruciating, his body convulsing as the predator pulled back, dragging his entrails with it.

His intestines spilled onto the ground in a grotesque mess, glistening in the dim light. The Clawstalker growled, its jaws snapping shut around the mass of organs as it tore them free. Blood gushed from his open wounds, pooling around him in thick, dark streams.

He tried to move, to fight, but his limbs wouldn't respond. He was trapped, helpless, forced to endure every second of the predator's feast. His vision blurred, but the pain remained sharp and unrelenting, every nerve screaming in agony.

I'm dying… again.

The Clawstalker's growls echoed in his ears as it buried its teeth deeper into his body, pulling and tearing at whatever remained.

Darkness crept into the edges of his vision, but the pain lingered, sharp and vivid, until the very end.

Rewind-

Light-

His eyes snapped open, his chest heaving as if he were still gasping for air. The warmth of the sunlit ground pressed against him, and the jagged remains of his egg were scattered around him once more.

He trembled, his claws scraping weakly against the dirt. The memory of his death was fresh and searing, the phantom pain of torn flesh and spilled guts leaving him breathless. This was the second time. And thanks to his memories, it was now deeply etched into him.

The system chimed.

[System Alert]

Detected: Previous Cause of Death #93,557—Predation.

He stared at the glowing text, his body trembling with a mixture of terror and exhaustion.

I need to survive… need to run… I…

His mind was in shambles, thoughts scattered, his will hanging by a thread. The pain of his previous death was etched into every fiber of his being. Just thinking about the Clawstalker made him gulp down chunks of saliva, his body trembling uncontrollably.

He knew the truth. He was just a level 1 dragon hatchling—weak, slow, and unskilled. Against the towering level 4 Clawstalker, he didn't stand a chance. It had already found and killed him every time, no matter how fast he tried to flee.

Running wouldn't save him.

The thought of dying again, of being torn apart and consumed, filled him with despair. But despair gave way to something else—rage.

The fear in his chest twisted into anger, a burning determination that coursed through his veins. His claws dug into the dirt, his trembling replaced with a clenched resolve.

"Run?" he growled, his voice low and venomous.

"No."

His claws tightened into fists, his teeth grinding as the words escaped him like a vow.

"I need to kill it."

His glowing eyes narrowed, his tail swaying as fury overtook his fear.

"I will kill it!"