Morning came quietly.
Mist rolled through the forest like a living thing, clinging to the ground and wrapping around the trees. He stood at the edge of a cliff, looking down at the valley below, thoughts steady but sharp.
The dream—no, the vision—had not faded.
If anything, it felt clearer now.
[System Status: Stable]
[Human Form Mastery: Stage 2 – Active]
He flexed his hand, feeling the dragon core pulse calmly beneath his chest. No backlash. No instability. Just controlled power.
"Created the system," he muttered. "The Great White Dragon…"
The words still felt unreal.
He closed his eyes and focused, not outward—but inward. The ancient mana he had sensed last night was still there, faint but unmistakable. Like footprints left behind on snow.
You didn't hide it completely, he thought. You wanted me to notice.
He stepped forward.
With a single leap, he launched himself off the cliff. Wind rushed past him as his body fell, then—
His wings burst out midair.
Not fully transformed. Not fully human.
Perfect balance.
He glided smoothly, landing at the valley floor without a sound.
[Dragon Core Integration II – Stable Output Confirmed]
The land here felt different.
Mana was thicker, heavier, as if the ground itself remembered something ancient. Broken stone pillars lay half-buried in the earth, covered in moss and cracked runes.
Ruins.
He walked toward them slowly, senses wide open.
"These aren't recent," he said quietly. "Thousands of years old."
The system didn't respond.
That alone told him enough.
A sudden presence flared.
He turned instantly.
From the shadows between the ruins, figures emerged—humanoid creatures wrapped in dark cloaks, their eyes glowing faintly blue. Each carried a weapon etched with runes similar to those in the dungeon.
[Entities Detected: System Observers]
[Affiliation: Unknown]
[Threat Level: Moderate]
Observers?
"So the system isn't just a thing," he said calmly. "It has hands."
One of them stepped forward.
"You walk a forbidden path," it said, voice hollow and distorted. "The Dragon System is not meant to awaken this far."
He tilted his head slightly.
"And yet," he replied, "here I am."
The figures attacked without another word.
They were fast. Faster than normal humans. Their movements were precise, trained—like assassins designed specifically to deal with awakened beings.
But they weren't prepared for him.
He moved through them like flowing water.
A step. A strike. A controlled burst of dragon power.
One fell.
Then another.
The third managed to land a hit—its blade grazing his side. Pain flared briefly.
[HP Reduced: -4]
He looked down at the wound, then back up at the attacker.
"…That's it?"
His presence shifted.
Not explosive.
Heavy.
The remaining Observers froze, instinct screaming at them to retreat.
Too late.
He crossed the distance in an instant, striking the leader with a single palm to the chest. Dragon energy pulsed outward—not enough to destroy the body, but enough to shatter the core holding it together.
The figure collapsed, dissolving into particles of light.
Silence returned to the ruins.
[System Notice: Unauthorized Entities Eliminated]
He frowned.
"Unauthorized?" he repeated. "So even the system has factions."
That was interesting.
He turned his gaze deeper into the ruins, where the ancient mana was strongest.
"If you're testing me," he said calmly, "then stop sending watchers."
His golden eyes narrowed.
"Send something real."
Far away—beyond the sky, beyond the world—
A massive white eye opened.
And slowly, impossibly slowly—
It smiled.