"Ah, shit… not again. I'm really getting tired of flying around," Orion groaned as he pushed himself up.
This time, at least, he wasn't seriously hurt. She'd thrown him gently—mockingly so.
"Well, didn't anyone ever teach you not to talk about a lady's age?" she said, her lips curling with amusement. "It seems I'll have to give you a few important life lessons," she said in a teasing and seductive tone.
"I mean, I wouldn't mind if that's really what you're into," Orion grinned.
To his surprise, it took her a moment to understand his implication.
"You're shameless," she said sharply. Yet a faint blush crept onto her face—something Orion noticed immediately. "Is this how you behave around your elders?"
So cute…
Seeing an ancient, all-powerful being blush really is a once-in-a-lifetime sight. I guess she isn't quite as experienced as she lets on.
Her eyes snapped back to him. "Did you just think something rude about me again?"
"I wouldn't dare. Anyway—let's get back to the important stuff."
Orion straightened, forcing himself to focus.
That was when it hit him.
The system.
Cold sweat trickled down his spine.
Her words implied she'd been spying on him from the beginning… What if she saw it?
"Have you been observing me from the beginning?" he asked carefully.
"Yes," she replied instantly—far too innocently, as if her actions weren't wrong at all.
Then her smile shifted. Sharp. Playful. Dangerous.
I have a very bad feeling about this.' Orion thought to himself
"Don't worry," she added sweetly. "I looked away when you were checking out your… little friend."
No. No. No.
That did not just happen.
Orion's face burned red.
"Hahaha! You're really fun to tease," she laughed, wiping an imaginary tear from the corner of her eye.
"Now then," she continued, voice turning serious, "who were you talking to all that time? And how did you awaken your class at the exact moment you needed it? Not to mention—you awaken a class only meant for dragon kin royalties."
There was no dodging this.
He either told the truth… or told a legendary lie.
"Well," he said slowly, "I was quite lonely in there, so I made up an imaginary friend to talk to," he said all that with a straight face.
She stared at him.
"…Aha."
She didn't buy it. Not even a little.
"And your class?"
"I honestly don't know," Orion admitted. "I don't even know how classes work."
That part, at least, was true.
"I feel like you're still hiding something," she said calmly. "But don't worry—I won't force it out of you."
Her eyes glowed red.
"It's much more entertaining to make people confess on their own."
Orion shivered.
This isn't fear… then what is this feeling?
The red glow in her eyes faded into soft pink.
"What are you doing to me?" he demanded.
"Hmmmm. You're interesting," she murmured. "You have remarkable resistance to my charm."
"Your charm?" Orion snapped. "Were you just trying to charm me?"
"Relax. I barely used any of it. I just wanted to see your reaction," she leaned back into her throne.
He exhaled sharply. "Look, you have the power to kill me with a blink. If you keep doing things like that, I can't trust you."
She smiled—slow and mesmerizing.
"Then tell me your secrets."
"Let me ask you this—would you tell a stranger your deepest secrets the first time you meet them?" Orion said, trying to end the discussion.
She paused… then nodded.
"Fair enough. We'll drop it—for now."
The pressure in the air eased.
"Let's introduce ourselves properly," she said. "Hearing my true name would overwhelm you at your current level. So, you may call me the Red Dragon… or Emberlyn."
"Emberlyn," Orion repeated. "Can I call you Ember?"
"Well, if you want,"
"Then, Ember… my name is Orion. Can you tell me how I passed your trial? I don't think I did anything significant to deserve passing any kind of trial."
"Simple. You cleared the first two floors of this dungeon."
That's it? That's all it takes? Those two floors weren't that hard… I think anyone with decent power in this world could do this with ease… something feels off here.
"Then am I the first one to manage such a feat?"
"Don't get ahead of yourself," she scolded him. "Many have reached your feat. A few even reached up to the sixtieth floor."
"Then why me?"
"Because none of them surprised me as much as you," she said quietly.
"Some of those who came before you were powerful—very powerful—but their strength was predictable. It came from hard work, talent, or superior classes."
Her eyes sharpened.
"You're different. A true anomaly."
"Your instincts are unnatural. Your skills are strange. And your luck…" she paused, a faint smile forming.
"You always seem to obtain exactly what you need, precisely when you need it."
Her gaze bored into him.
"I've never seen anything like you. When you first entered the dungeon, I couldn't sense a single skill from you. Yet only a short while later, I could feel at least three—each one… mysterious."
Because I'm the only one with the system, Orion thought.
"So you have a long-term plan for me, right?" Orion said, keeping his eyes fixed on Ember. "You don't just give away part of your soul for nothing. You want something from me."
"You're smarter than you look," she said approvingly. "Very well."
She gazed into the distance. She had a sad look on her face.
"You know I'm a dragon, right?" she said.
"Well, there are three kinds of dragons.
Regular dragons—the ones you see flying around most of the time.
Elder Dragons—once regular dragons who, after existing for an extremely long time, gain power from nature itself and evolve into something greater.
And then there are the Ancient Dragons."
"I am an Ancient Dragon. We aren't born as regular dragons. We were the very first living beings in this world—and every living creature that exists today is, in one way or another, our offshoot."
Orion swallowed. He already knew she was powerful, but after hearing that, he felt small and insignificant compared to her. And his mind was filled with countless… countless questions.
"There were seven Ancient Dragons. I was the youngest—and the only one born with divinity."
"… So you're a god?" Orion asked, his face pale
"Not exactly. Divinity doesn't make you a god—it gives you the potential to become one. And so, the other Ancient Dragons decided to kill me before I could reach that potential… before I could threaten the balance of this world,"
Silence fell.
"I see… Your story is touching and tragic, sure. But if you're asking me to take revenge against godlike Ancient Dragons…" Orion shook his head.
"I'll have to pass."
She burst out laughing.
"Oh, you misunderstood. Even I couldn't fight more than two of my kind at once. The idea of you doing it is hilarious."
That laugh stung.
"Then what do you want?" he asked.
Her smile softened—melancholy creeping in.
"There is someone precious to me," she said.
"Someone I would like for you to save…"
"And who might that be?"
She met his eyes.
"She is… something like a daughter to me. And the rest of the world knows her as…"
"Demon Queen"