The echo of Kaito's boots carried down the dungeon's suffocating halls. Each step scraped against stone slick with old blood. His shoulders burned from swinging his blade; his lungs clawed for air. Monsters lay behind him in twisted heaps, their stench mingling with smoke and the iron tang of his own blood.
Still… his eyes were alight. Fierce. Determined. Unblinking.
And then—he saw it.
A black gate loomed at the corridor's end, its surface veined with glowing runes that pulsed like a heartbeat. The air around it shimmered with heat.
[WARNING: Final Boss Ahead. Dungeon Boss – Flame Tyrant Vel'Drath, Ancient Wyrm of Eternal Ashes.]
Kaito's lips twitched into a grin. "About time."
He pushed. The gate groaned open.
A blast of heat slammed into him, stealing his breath. Before him stretched a cavern carved by fire—its floor cracked with rivers of lava, bones jutting from molten rock like white flags of surrender.
And coiled in the center… the dragon.
Its scales burned crimson in the lava's glow. Horns jagged as obsidian towers crowned its head, and when its golden eyes opened, they carried the weight of centuries—wisdom and hatred entwined.
It roared. The sound wasn't just noise; it was a living force that rattled his bones and made the air quake.
[Boss Battle Initiated!]
The Fight
Vel'Drath moved with terrifying speed, its tail whipping through the air. Kaito barely rolled aside before molten rock sprayed upward, sizzling against his armor.
"Magic Negation," he muttered, dodging between a spray of fire and the slash of claws.
The dragon inhaled, and the cavern itself seemed to hold its breath—then a beam of pure flame screamed toward him. Kaito dove low, his divine sword flashing as he struck at its underbelly.
The blade bounced. Not even a mark.
"Not even a scratch…?"
The dragon lunged. Teeth like swords clamped down, ribs cracking beneath the pressure. Pain tore through him—white-hot, blinding. Blood gushed from his mouth. Still, his hand found the beast's gums, and he drove his sword upward. Vel'Drath shrieked and flung him across the arena like a discarded toy.
Stone shattered around him as he hit the wall. Breath gone. Bones screaming.
[Warning: Critical Health Level.]
He should have been afraid. Instead—he laughed.
"So this… is what it takes to survive?"
Something broke open inside him. Energy flooded his veins.
[Level Up. Skills Gained: Flame Resistance. Berserker Will.]
Kaito pushed to his feet, blood dripping from his chin, and roared back at the dragon.
The battle became a rhythm of pain and defiance—every wound answered with a strike, every fall with another rise. Until, in a final surge, he slid beneath Vel'Drath, driving his sword into the thunder of its heartbeat.
The beast roared once more—then fell.
Aftermath
Silence swelled in the cavern. Smoke curled around the corpse.
[Dungeon Cleared. Title Gained: Dragonslayer. Level: 38 → 72.]
Kaito staggered forward, muscles trembling, when a sound reached him.
A whimper.
He followed it to a shadowed corner—where a dragonling, small enough to fit between his arms, huddled. Its eyes, molten gold like its parent's, were wide with fear.
He raised his sword. His breath caught.
[Compatibility detected. Dragon Lineage acquired. Contract Formation Possible.]
The dragonling stepped forward, lowering its head.
Kaito's hand—scarred, trembling—reached out. A red glow flared, binding them.
[Taming Skill Unlocked. Companion Bond Established.]
The little dragon's stomach growled. Kaito turned back to Vel'Drath's corpse, slicing free a slab of meat.
"Eat."
The dragonling obeyed—ravenously. Flesh tore. Blood dripped.
A chill ran down his spine.
"Even dragons…" he murmured, "...know what it means to suffer."
Together, they ate.
[Skills gained: Draconic Flight. Flame Manipulation. Dragon's Endurance. Mana Threshold broken. Rank: God-Tier Warrior.]
Carving deeper, his blade struck something glowing—bright as a star.
[Dungeon Core Found.]
The divine sword pulsed, drinking it in.
[Weapon Evolution Complete: Sword of the Voidborn – Rank: GOD-TIER.]
Light swallowed him.
The World Beyond
The gates yawned open.
Wind touched his face. The scent of grass replaced the stench of ash. The sky—vast, unbroken—spread above him.
The dragonling padded to his side. He looked down at his bloodstained hands. He had survived hell, and something greater now walked the earth in his place.
The system's voice returned.
[New Item Received: Grimoire of the Unbound Thought.]
The pages were blank.
[Spell Creation Activated: Anything imagined may be written.]
He imagined a castle—black as night, with gardens spilling into the horizon and a library that touched the sky. Servants born of magic: a chef, a butler versed in the dark arts.
The pages glowed. The world answered.
In the distance, his sanctuary rose from the earth.
Kaito stepped inside as the sun bled into the horizon, the dragonling's shadow stretching beside his own.