[Status]
[Name: Orion_____ ]
[Race: Humanoid Dragon]
[Title: Otherworlder, Holder of the Red Dragon Legacy]
[Rank: C]
[Class: Dragonborn (S-Rank), Starforged Mage (F-Rank)]
[Skills: Appraisal (B), Odorless (B), Flash Movement (A), Dragon's Charm (C)]
[Attributes: {Astral Energy: 50→100}]
"Oh my god… am I a dragon now? Can I fly?" Orion's voice trembled with excitement.
"You are a dragon," Ember confirmed. "But a humanoid one. Most of your soul is now of an ancient dragon, but the core remains dragonkin."
"So… nothing really changes?" Orion sounded dejected.
"Not exactly. Activate Scale Manifestation," Ember spoke.
Orion complied.
"Scale Manifestation," he muttered.
Suddenly, his entire body was covered in shimmering red scales. They gleamed with a majestic aura, far beyond the partial coverage he had before.
"Wow… before it only covered my arms and a few vital spots. Now I don't have to worry about defense at all," Orion said, satisfaction radiating from him. "Let's see what rank it is now."
He opened his status bar.
[Class-based Skills: Dragonborn]
Dragon Transformation (D-Rank): Superior version of Scale Manifestation
Warning: Causes heavy fatigue
"Wait… what the hell? Did the skill change? Is that even possible?" Orion asked, bewildered.
"Yes, it can," Ember explained. "When a skill reaches its full potential, it can sometimes evolve into something greater."
"Your skill changed because your race changed. You are no longer just a dragonkin—you're a true dragon now. And the dragon transformation is a skill that every dragon has."
"That is… so cool. Let's see what else changed."
He scrolled through his status bar, finding nothing new… until he spotted a skill he had missed in his excitement.
"Dragon Charm," he muttered.
"Oh…" Ember looked surprised. "That's one of the skills my sister had."
"What does it do?" Orion asked.
"This skill amplifies someone's lust and fear toward you. The stronger you become, the more powerful your dragon aura will be—and so will this skill. If you use it properly, it can be devastating."
"But how did you even get this skill in the first place? Yes, you consumed part of my soul… but I never had this skill."
"Maybe the fact that she was your sister—the one who possessed it—had something to do with it." Orion guessed
Ember shrugged. "Maybe. Or it could also be because you're just a strange anomaly."
"So let me get this straight… I can use this skill to attract women… or intimidate enemies?"
Orion paused, thinking.
"But what if my enemy is a woman? What if I want to attract her… and not intimidate her at the same time?"
Ember raised an eyebrow.
"It's simple. Focus on what you want, and your aura will shift—intimidating or… seductive." She said.
"That helps, thanks," Orion said, grinning like an idiot. He already imagined the possibilities—and maybe finally fulfilling his dream of a harem.
"You're not going to use this for… degenerate reasons, right?" Ember asked suspiciously.
Orion went silent, not confirming or denying her words.
"Right? She asked again. This time she was angry.
Orion sighed. "You know I will… why bother asking?"
Ember boiled with irritation.
"Hmph. Pathetic," she muttered.
"I don't care," Orion scoffed, not elaborating further.
Only then did Orion realize that, after all those days of torturous soul consumption, the rewards weren't really worth all that trouble.
"So that's it… all the hard work just for these two skills?" Orion complained.
"You're a greedy bastard," Ember said. "I'm surprised you didn't get a greed-related skill."
"Having part of my soul doesn't give you all my power," Ember explained. "The memories were wiped from the fragment, so any skill created in it is gone. What you gained is just a fraction of an ancient dragon's potential."
Orion's eyes gleamed. "A part of an ancient dragon's potential…"
"Yes. We, ancient dragons, have the potential to gain any skill that exists in this world. So you'll need to work hard. As you grow stronger, you'll gain more skills—and even new classes. An ancient dragon's potential is nearly limitless," she said smugly.
"Oh, you don't have to tell me twice," Orion replied eagerly.
After a couple of hours spent experimenting with his new skills, and with Ember showing him how to best utilize the ancient dragon's soul fragment,
It was finally the time for Orion to leave this dungeon.
"Now… I have nothing else to give you or teach you," Ember said gloomily.
"Hey, you've already given me plenty—more than I could dream of. You're my goddess," Orion said quickly.
"Oh… you flatter me too much," Ember said, amused.
"I'm not flattering. It's the truth," he said matter-of-factly. Then, with a cheeky smile, he added, "And we'll meet again. I still have to reach the deepest floor of this dungeon to get the other part of your soul fragment."
"You're being too cocky. You really think you'll clear all the hundred floors?" Ember teased.
"I have your soul within me… and don't forget, I'm an anomaly," Orion said confidently.
Ember smiled faintly. "Then I guess we'll see each other again… but don't be late."
She handed him a few items: a sword, a spear, and several magic stones. All emitted a frightening aura.
"Here. These aren't fancy… the best weapons are on the deepest floor. You'll get them when you reach there."
Although Ember said those weapons weren't fancy, he could feel the aura they radiated. Even though these weapons were millions of years old, they were still in perfect condition.
"Appraisal."
[Dragon Bone Sword: A-Rank]
[Dragon Bone Spear: A-Rank]
Made from dragon bones
"Whoa… thanks! These are amazing. You're truly the greatest," Orion said, putting them in his inventory.
"Do you have anything that can help hide these?" Orion asked, pointing at the small scales scattered across his body.
He had no idea where he would end up once he finally reached civilization. For now, appearing human felt like the safest choice.
"Hmmm…" Ember fell into thought. "Oh, right."
With a faint shimmer, she materialized a necklace. "This should help you change your appearance." She handed it to Orion.
After putting it on, Orion still looked the same. "Wait… how do I use it?"
"Just imagine the kind of appearance you want while pouring your magic into the necklace."
Orion gripped the necklace and began channeling mana into it, picturing a version of himself that looked the same—minus the scales and dragon-kin features.
"Wow… all the scales are gone."
Then his eyes widened. "Wait a minute. Can I change my appearance to anything I want? Like… an entirely different face?"
"Yes, you can," Ember answered. "As long as your mana can support it."
Orion was so excited he couldn't even speak.
This thing is so OP.
Ember created a golden portal—the same one she used to bring Orion here.
"Now… go," she said, tears glinting in her eyes.
Orion turned away, hiding his own emotions. Just as he was about to step through, he paused.
He turned back, faced Ember, and—
"Chuuu."
He kissed her deeply, using his tongue this time.
"Mmmmm," Ember moaned.
Two minutes later, they broke apart, locking eyes.
Then Orion used Flash Movement and appeared before the portal, stepping through without letting her respond.
Ember watched him go, smiling.
"Stupid," she muttered affectionately.