A Chronometric Defect

I look down at my handiwork with a bit of satisfaction. Oh, it's great having such excellent night vision, isn't it? I can easily admire my amazingly dexterous dragon fingers and their beautiful neon orange scales in the dark!

Erm. No, wait. I'm getting distracted again. It seems I enjoy admiring myself a little too much.

...

But how much is too much if I'm so darn awesome? Hey— stop that!

I shake my dragon head, forcibly switching my train of thought.

That arrow went through her helmet, her skull, her brain, her skull again, and out through the back of her helmet. In my previous world, I'd... Never seen anything quite like it.

Sure, bullets can punch through steel, but— an arrow? When he shot me with that huge compound bow, earlier, I figured it might hurt. Didn't do anything! Seeing the carnage it caused on a human?

Yeah, this really puts things into perspective. It definitely does.

Hmm.

On a human, huh? I'm making such a comparison even though I was shot by the same bow. Seems my sensibilities really are drifting. I don't know when, but at some point I'd started referring to these—

I glance down at the guard captain.

— as 'humans,' rather than 'people.'

They aren't my people; I'm not human.

I raise my hands and glance over my fingers. My orange scales glisten.

...

Assuming I have any 'people.' It doesn't appear this world's dragons are intelligent. I wave my clawed hand in the air as though I'm disregarding someone else's thoughts.

I focus back on the guard captain.

Since I hadn't tried to make a healing spell before, I had to experiment on these massive injuries. Maybe that was foolish, but she would definitely die without my assistance. Plus, I wasn't about to parasitize someone when I've never tested it. Experimenting with random spells is safer than risking outright killing her.

So, at first I worked around the wound with her helmet still on. Once the bone and tissue was stable enough to be moved, I used my metal warp spell to peel off her helmet, the last piece of armor still on her body.

It's weird how far away I feel while standing up, so I kneel down, then bend over a bit to examine her face.

Agh!

Even in my previous world, I'm... No, I'm sure. This kind of wound is a death sentence. It looks horrific even after I've partially patched it up. Her face is swollen and covered in blood, which is understandable, but the eye socket itself is just... Ugh. It's not an eye socket; more like a hole in her skull. There's even a bit of bone still showing.

It's not as bad as before— her skull had shattered in a spiral pattern like glass. If I'm not mistaken, spiral compound fractures are some of the most deadly. That arrow really did a number on her.

Luckily, my experimental cellular repair spell worked flawlessly. I tried to use Pathfinder to locate and duplicate cells that were displaced. Pathfinder didn't have any problem hooking up to my spell, nor finding damaged or missing cells.

So, I'd started at the edge of the wound. I'd make a copy of a missing cell located by Pathfinder, put it back where it should go also according to Pathfinder, then Devour the original cell. Occasionally, I'd repair a cell in place, assuming it wasn't too torn up. I did this cell by cell until the initial reconstruction was complete.

I've gotten very good at casting this spell many thousands of times per second. I'd never be finished if I tried to repair this huge wound one cell at a time.

She screamed a lot at first, but I soon learned to avoid the sensory nerves except when I was reconnecting them. I'm not sure whether I got better or if she simply passed out from overwhelming pain. I'm... Hopeful it's the former.

It's probably not.

Now for the hard part.

I examine the arrow still impaling her skull.

This is gonna suck, guard captain. Maybe it's best if you're passed out.

I check deep inside her wound for any leaking or blocked blood vessels. I branched them all off already, but it's always good to make sure. Even if she doesn't bleed out, ischaemic brain injury is a real possibility.

I don't see any, so I Devour the arrow. It's made of some kind of super-resilient yet flexible metal, but Devour doesn't seem to care. The arrow disintegrates and I'm left a gaping hole to work with. No bleeding.

Okay! So, my earlier procedures did stabilize the wound. This may be a lot easier than I thought.

I start casting my cellular repair spell en masse, tens— no, now I'm up to hundreds of thousands of times per second. The speed keeps rising as I somehow continue getting more proficient. It's ridiculous how quickly I'm learning to cast magic.

Pathfinder is locating cells; I'm recreating them, Pathfinder is positioning them; I'm placing them. Finally, I Devour the original cell. My mind spins like a finely-tuned machine. Spellcasting doesn't even interfere with my thoughts!

How is my brain doing this? Is Overmind really such a powerful job bonus? I... Guess that makes sense; the name 'Overmind' does sound pretty imposing. I mean, it should, since it's a dragon's job bonus.

...

I carefully watch the slowly closing wound.

I do indeed seem to have infinite Mana, since recreating even one cell requires a LOT of Mana.

How very lucky for the guard captain.

...

...

...

...

After an unknown time of mass spellcasting, Pathfinder gives me a red X when I cast my cellular repair spell.

Does that mean I've replaced all the cells?

I know bones aren't technically made of cells, but Pathfinder didn't seem to differentiate. It's weird how Pathfinder is so strict with job titles but it's fine with regarding chunks of bone as a 'cell.' I'm pretty sure that's not right. Maybe that explains why it didn't identify me as a dragon, earlier.

This makes the most sense. I nod my dragon head. Besides, if I'm not a dragon? I'll just declare that I am, therefore I am. Nothing can stop a dragon!

Pathfinder, show dragons within 50km.

I see the one south of the city. There's also a red dot exactly where I am.

Hraw! As it should be. I nod my dragon head again, immensely pleased with myself. Pathfinder knows what's right.

Me. I'm right.

...

I should pay attention to that, too. I'm getting so arrogant that I'm starting to piss myself off. Not to mention, ignorant arrogance is a great way to get killed by something I never saw coming. I need to stay grounded if I'm going to be a sensible dragon. Yes, let's be a little more humble. I think dragons can do that? Probably?

I don't really have a choice. If I'm ignorant, that opens up the worst possibility imaginable...

Someone could prove me wrong.

"Hraw!"

Okay, enough laughing at my own stupid jokes.

I focus back on the guard captain.

I look closer at her pristine, un-scarred face, and give a toothy dragon grin.

The devil himself would be scared of my smile, no? I'm apparently unusually terrifying for some reason. Well, beyond just being a large dragon. I noticed during the, hraw, execution. That wasn't really a fight.

Still, there's something extra that seems to scare humans when they see me. Especially when they see my teeth. When I bit one of those humans in twain, the entire group froze for a moment. I mean, sure, seeing your comrade torn in two is nasty, but they didn't freeze when I did that with my hands. So, it had to be the teeth.

I continue examining the guard captain's face. Indeed, not even a blemish. I smile a little wider. Success!

I stand up and look down at the unconscious guard captain. Humans are... So small.

...

Eh, regardless of how it makes others feel when I smile, I'm genuinely happy that I could reconstruct everything. She's going to suffer from memory loss, no doubt, but there's nothing I can do about that.

I'm not a miracle worker! I'mma dragon. Rawr.

Actually, I wonder. This achievement DOES deserve a proper victory roar. Yes! I must.

I raise my head up high and take in a deep breath. My huge lungs fill with air like a set of powerful bellows. My scaly chest bulges out, my knees bend slightly, my wings wave broadly behind me.

And I breathe out.

‡‡‡‡SKREOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOORRRRRRRRR‡‡‡‡

...

----skreoooooooooooooooooooooooooooooorrrrrrrrrr----

...

{~~~skreoooooooooooooooooooooorrrrrr~~~}

(tssshhhhshshhhhhhhhhhhh)

...

Two echos! Now THAT'S a dragon roar.

There's also a faint trembling sound sticking around after the fact. I think that's the Mana in the air shaking under the sheer power of the sound I've created.

I suddenly realize what I've done.

Oh, shit— I kneel down and check the guard captain's eardrums.

Yep, busted. Sorry about that.

Thankfully, you are already VERY much knocked out. I'll just fix that right up. Nooo worries. I grin toothily.

I freeze, my huge clawed hand hovering directly over her head.

Wait a second.

Am I enjoying human experimentation?

If not, then why am I smiling?

...

I look at her ruptured eardrums again and feel a bit more excitement. My grin widens.

...

Uh oh.