Aiden walked deeper into the cavern, each step echoing in the vast darkness of Thyrak the Great Black's lair. Somewhere along the way, doubt had begun to creep into his mind, perhaps this was foolish after all. Yet that determined part of him that had made this decision, remained unwavering.
He was truly tired of his life, and if death was to come, he would rather it happen here, where he would simply disappear forever. At least this way, the people of the palace and Dragonhold would not have the satisfaction of laughing and mocking his lifeless body. He might not possess magic worthy of a royal, and over the years his pride might have been ground into dust, but this one thing he could control; he would die with whatever dignity remained to him.
Aiden had not walked much further when he entered a darker section of the lair, where barely any light existed at all. Then all of a sudden, a sudden glow pierced the dark in the form of a fiery dragon's eye opening.
Its iris had intense orange and red colors, appearing to be filled with volcanic energy that created intricate web-like patterns of heat and flame. At its center sat a deep black vertical slit of a pupil.
The eye closed, then opened once more in that eerie fashion as the great dragon's head retracted. Slowly, the massive creature pushed itself up with its limbs, revealing a form both terrible and majestic.
Thyrak was a majestic black dragon, with sharp angular features and an imposing presence that filled the entire cavern. The dragon's head was had jagged spikes and horn-like protrusions, giving it an armored appearance.
The wings appeared dark and shadowy, partially obscured by the darkness of the lair, but their enormous span suggested incredible power, and the ability to blot out the sky. The wing structure had a bat-like quality with pronounced finger-like supports extending through the wing membrane.
Amber-like energy ran along its snout and facial features, creating an intense magical aura that made the air itself seem to shimmer.
Aiden's eyes widened with shock and terror as he stood face to face with certain death. Then Thyrak slid its massive head forward toward him and roared with such volume that the entire lair shook visibly.
Aiden dropped to both knees, stretching his hands out to either side in surrender. In that moment, he had flashes of Lysandra's beautiful smile and Grandal's weathered yet encouraging face; the old man who had always smiled at him over the past year, each time Aiden had tried but failed to make any magic appear.
Tears rolled down his cheeks as he accepted his fate and waited for the dragon to finish what he had come here for. "I'm sorry," he whispered, closing his eyes and waiting for the end.
However, an unexpected twist occurred. Aiden waited with his eyes closed for death to claim him, but instead, Thyrak moved its right arm slowly forward. Aiden felt the tip of the dragon's index claw touch his forehead, and instantly, warmth spread throughout the lair.
His face took on a puzzled expression, and he opened his eyes slowly, only to discover that the lair was now properly illuminated by glowing crystals of predominantly amber color, and standing directly in front of him was a fierce and elegant female figure with a draconic appearance. Her skin was a pale peach tone, which dark scales that wrapped around her body.
Her body had slightly more pronounced curves; fuller hips, a more defined waist, and thick thighs for days. Her chest and shoulders retained a toned, athletic build, but the added softness in her figure made her presence even more commanding.
Glowing, fiery-orange wings erupted from her back like blazing embers about to take flight. A sleek tail covered in the same black scales trailed behind her, flicking lazily as if it had a mind of its own.
Her short, tousled hair was fiery orange, framing a face marked by elven features, sharp eyes that glowed amber, and pointed ears that poked through her hair. Small, dark horns curled back from her temples, jagged and dragonlike, matching the aesthetic of her wings and scales perfectly.
"What the—" Aiden's eyes widened with shock at the unbelievable sight before him. He found himself unable to speak further and could only now stare at this creature.
The lady with the draconian appearance then broke into a smile and, with a casual wave of her hand, said, "Hello there…"
Aiden said nothing in response, and even his trembling arms couldn't muster up a proper wave in return. The draconic woman let out a muffled chuckle as she pressed her right palm against her lips in amusement.
"My name is Syra," she continued, watching as Aiden's incomplete attempts at speech began tumbling out while he pointed frantically at different corners of the lair, trying to emphasize what he was attempting to say.
"Where is the—" he started, then switched to "How are y—" before finally giving up and simply exclaiming, "What?!"
Syra chuckled again and said with almost comedic timing, "Alright, deep breaths in… out… and then try again."
As if Aiden needed that reminder, he slowed himself down and took several deep breaths before starting over. "Where is the dragon? How did you turn up here? And are those… w-wings?" The shock was still evident in his wide eyes.
"I am Syra, and I am also Thyrak," she replied, maintaining that cute smile on her face. "But to be precise, I am the current host of the Dragon King System."
"What do you mean? That makes no sense whatsoever," Aiden said, shaking his head. Everything this woman had just said sounded insane to listen.
"Listen carefully, I don't have much time," she began, her tone suddenly becoming more serious than before. "For years, only people who have coveted my power for their selfish interests have ever walked into this lair, and each one paid for it with their lives. You, however… you're a broken soul, Aiden, son of Crowley. You've come to me seeking relief from this life, but instead I'll grant you that which you've always wished for…"
Then her voice broke into something more casual and petite as she added, "That, and the fact that I'm absolutely exhausted." She raised the back of her hand to her forehead in an exasperated sigh. "I've been the black dragon for such a long time, another person has to take over now..."
She walked closer to him, her chest half-plated in dark scales, but full and swaying from side to side. As she approached Aiden, who still knelt on the ground, she bent lower and leaned forward so that their eyes met directly.
"...And you're just the right person," she concluded softly, gently tapping his nose with her index finger before walking back, her hips swaying naturally while her long dragon tail moved in perfect harmony with each step.
"I don't understand anything you're saying," Aiden muttered, his voice barely audible. She chuckled at his confusion but said nothing more. Instead, she gestured toward the vast expanse of gold coins and various assorted treasures and jewelry that glittered behind her in the crystal light.
"You can have as much as you want from this before the last of my power seals this lair," she offered generously.
"One more thing before I go. Every great power comes at a cost, but I think you'll be able to live with that." Then she turned back toward Aiden with a warm smile. "Good luck, Hatchling," she said as her form began disintegrating into what looked like golden magical dust that sparkled and danced in the air.
Soon after her disintegration was complete, golden magical hieroglyphics and symbols formed into shapes with words written within them, appearing and reappearing like overlapping notifications directly before Aiden's startled face.
[New Host Found, System Binding…]
[Host has successfully bonded with the Dragon King System]
[All Magic Parameters Increased!]
[Host's Innate Magic Has been raised to SS rank]
[Host's Deficient Mana Pool has been Increased]
Aiden still could not make sense of what was happening, but then instantly he felt an incredible surge of mana flowing through him. The Impossible was happening. Aiden had worked endlessly for the better part of one year, just to build enough magical energy for flame sparks at E-Rank. But suddenly, he was overflowing with more magical power than he would have never even dreamt of.
He slowly stood up from where he had been kneeling, while looking at both his palms still in awe and at that moment he knew he had to test something right here and right now. With his palms laid out, he conjured flames with focused intent, and Instantly, a giant fireball appeared right before his eyes, floating just above his palm.
The flames felt power and Aiden's eyes gleamed with wonder at this incredible sight. His mouth hung open for a long moment as shock overwhelmed him, and then suddenly his lips curved into a genuine smile. He probably couldn't even remember the last time he had smiled from pure joy.
Before any further thoughts could settle in, another set of prompts appeared before him.
[You have been awarded with the Authorities of the Dragon King]
-Destruction
-Replication
-Space
The system sent out new screens again:
[Host has been granted the Authority of the Dragon of Destruction at SSS Rank]
[Skill → Fist of Destruction has been awarded]
[Fist of Destruction → When this skill is active, host is able to destroy any object or structure in a single punch. Due to your level, certain objects or structures may not be destroyed fully]
[Host has been granted the Authority of the Copy Dragon at SSS Rank]
[Skill → Technique Copy has been awarded]
[Technique Copy → The Host is able to copy any magic technique he has seen or felt. Due to your level, copied Techniques will not be as strong as the original]
[Host has been granted the Authority of the Dragon of Space at SSS Rank]
[Skill → Void Step has been awarded]
[Void Step → Host is able to teleport within a short distance. Due to your level, Void Step maximum range is at 20 meters]
"By the gods!" Aiden exclaimed
And even then, the system wasn't yet done. New sets of screens followed right after his exclamation.
[General Skill → Dragon's Roar has been awarded]
[Dragon's Roar → When Host weaves his innate magic into his mouth, he is able release it as a torrent in any direction]
[General Skill → Dragon's Sight has been awarded]
[Dragon's Sight (Lv1) → This allows the host have a full rotational view of his surrounding up to a 50-meter range. When host focuses his vision on a particular surrounding in front of him, he is able to see everything within a 500-meter range. His vision is also able to penetrate and see through nearly anything, be it walls, smoke or illusions]
[General Skill → Dragon Transformation(Lv.1)]
[Dragon Transformation(Lv1) → The Host is able to transform certain parts of his body into that of a dragon's.]
[System is Developing Host's Statistics]
Then a comprehensive display materialized before him:
[DRAGON KING SYSTEM]
Host : Aiden Crowley
Title : Hatchling
Level: 1
Experience Points (Exp) : None
Mana Pool : 1000/1000
Stamina: 800/800
Health Pool : 200/200
[Host's Stats]-
Innate Magic: Fire
Magic Rank: SS
Strength: 10 Agility: 7
Intelligence: 8 Endurance: 5
[Stats points Available: 0]
[Authorities]:
-Destruction: SSS
-Replication: SSS
-Space: SSS
[Destruction skills]
-Fists of Destruction
[Replication skills]
-Technique Copy
[Space skills]
-Void Step
[General Skills]
-Dragon's Roar
-Dragon's Sight(Lv.1)
-Dragon Transformation(Lv.1)
[Inventory]
-None
[Dragon Curse Meter]: 0.1
Aiden stared at the golden set of texts floating before him, his mind struggling to process the magnitude of everything that was occurring before him. After years of failure and humiliation, extraordinary things were suddenly happening to him, although a small part of him still waited for the moment he'd realize it was all a dream or that he was already in the afterlife.