Back in the tunnel, I'm still cursing my luck.
No wonder the system didn't show me my luck stat. It must be in the negatives.
Figures. Just my kind of fate.
"What the hell do I even do now?" I mutter to myself.
First, I need to return to the fortress. Then I'll worry about what kind of excuse I'll make. Maybe a monster dragged me off for a tea party. Who knows.
I glance at Noctharion, the ancient dragon now bound to me.
He's… massive. Towering. Intimidating. If anyone at the fortress sees him, they'll probably die of shock on the spot.
"You're kind of a problem, you know," I mutter. "Can you… maybe shrink yourself or something? Hide?"
His deep, thunder-like voice echoes in my mind.
"Don't worry. No one else can see me but you. This is only a fragment of my will—a conscious projection, not my real body."
That calms me a bit, but now I'm curious.
"Then where is your real body?" I ask, still wary.
"In another dimension," Noctharion replies, as if it's the most normal thing in the world.
I blink. "Another… dimension?"
"Yes. This world hunted me. Everyone wanted my head. I couldn't let them find me, so I created a sealed realm—hidden, unreachable. That's where I slumber. What you see here is merely a shadow of my soul."
I stay silent for a while, processing everything.
Even the strongest beings in this world couldn't find that dimension?
Even SSS-ranks?
He seems to read my thoughts.
"Not even your so-called SSS-rank Awakeners can touch it. Their strength is nothing compared to what hunted me before."
I swallow hard.
Just who the hell did I make a pact with?
"But still," I say, staring up at the towering dragon beside me. "Even if others can't see you… it's kinda hard to focus when there's a walking mountain breathing over my shoulder."
His eyes narrow ever so slightly, amused.
"You find my true form distracting?"
"No shit," I mutter. "You're like a castle with wings. Shrink down or something—at least let me pretend I'm sane."
For a moment, nothing happens. Then, with a soft ripple through the air, his body begins to shift.
The colossal, god-like presence starts to condense. Scales fold inward. Wings vanish into his back. The sheer weight of his aura begins to fade. Slowly, steadily, the monstrous behemoth shrinks.
Until he's… cat-sized.
I blink.
A palm-sized dragon now hovers in the air before me, perched proudly like he still owns the skies. His wings twitch once, tail flicking like an annoyed feline.
I squat down to his level and nod.
"This is good enough."
He huffs, indignant—but doesn't argue.
Now, I just had to get back.
Simple. Easy.
Except for one tiny, bloodthirsty little problem.
The hounds.
Yeah… those hounds. The ones that tried to rip me apart.
I grit my teeth, remembering the way their eyes glowed in the dark—dozens of them, hungry, fast, and organized. And their leader…
That bastard looked at me like I killed his entire family.
He wouldn't let it go. I knew it.
He'd still be out there. Waiting.
Watching.
I sigh, dragging a hand through my hair.
"Great. My life just keeps getting better."
Sure, I'd advanced. I was finally D- rank now. A major breakthrough.
But that pack? There were over twenty D-rank hounds—and their leader?
He was C- rank.
I only survived last time because of his arrogance. He looked down on me, thought I was too weak to be worth finishing off.
Next time… he won't hesitate.
And to make things worse, I still wasn't used to the new power flowing through my body. My limbs felt heavy, aura unstable. Like my own strength didn't belong to me yet.
I glance back at the tunnel.
Dark. Silent. Safe—for now.
But I couldn't stay.
No one was coming to rescue me.
I'd either rot here… or risk it all.
"…Screw it."
I clench my fists and start walking.
"Let's gamble they're gone."
I begin crawling through the tunnel again—this time, heading out.
Noctharion had vanished. I couldn't see him, but I could feel him. Watching. Waiting. Somewhere close, in the dark.
I pressed forward, one shaky breath at a time. The tunnel curved upward, the incline steep, the walls narrow. My body still hadn't adjusted to this new power coursing through me. But I couldn't wait any longer.
First priority: get outside.
Second: retrieve my katana.
I still remembered where I threw it. There was no way I could fight without it. Facing that pack barehanded would be suicide.
That was the plan—simple and suicidal. Just one step.
I kept climbing.
And then… I saw it.
Light.
A soft orange glow spilled into the tunnel—the sun setting on the horizon. Evening, maybe. The kind of beautiful end-of-day glow you'd stop to admire…
If you weren't being hunted.
I didn't stop.
As soon as I emerged from the tunnel, I broke into a sprint, rushing toward the slope where I'd slipped down before—where it all started. My footsteps pounded against the dirt.
Then I felt it.
A presence.
Heavy. Close. Familiar.
I looked back.
And there he was.
That damned hound.
Massive. Fur matted with dried blood. One eye missing—the one I bit out. His other eye blazed with fury.
He roared and lunged after me.
"Fucking hell," I muttered under my breath. "My luck really is cursed."
He'd waited.
Two whole days.
And now he wasn't alone.
The rest of his pack followed behind him—snarling, howling, fast.
A full damn party. Just for me.
I ran.
And this time, I wasn't just running—I was flying.
My speed shocked even me. Faster than any D-ranker I'd seen in the fortress. Faster than the hounds.
They couldn't catch me.
I grinned through the panic.
This… this was the blessing of my awakening.
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Author's Note:
Hey everyone! I'd love your honest feedback on the story so far. What do you think about the pacing, characters, and overall direction? I'm especially curious to hear what worked for you — and just as importantly, what didn't.
Is there anything you'd like to see improved, changed, or explored more deeply in the next chapters?
This story means a lot to me, and I want to keep pushing it to the next level — your thoughts help me grow as a writer. Feel free to share any suggestions or critiques!
Thanks for reading and sticking with the journey so far. 🙏