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 the determined part of him, the part that had made this decision, remained steadfast and 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 and igniting the shadows.
The iris blazed with intense orange and red, 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 had a dark, almost black coloration with sharp, angular features and an imposing presence that filled the entire cavern. The dragon's head was adorned with jagged spikes and horn-like protrusions, giving it a menacing, armored appearance that spoke of countless battles won. Its wings were massive and spread wide, with leathery membrane stretched between sharp, claw-like wing bones.
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.
Thyrak's most striking feature remained those glowing eyes, which burned with an intense orange-amber light that felt like red-hot flames. Brilliant 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 under the sound.
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 closed eyes 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 chamber.
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, contrasting sharply with her obsidian-black scale armor, which coiled and wrapped around her body in intricate, flame-like patterns.
Her jet-black scales held a faint glimmer of molten orange at their edges, as if pulsing with heat energy. Her body had slightly more pronounced curves—fuller hips, a more defined waist, and shapely thighs. 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 taking flight, each membrane stretched between blackened, bone-like spines that arced outward dramatically. A sleek, segmented 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 armor 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, which was mostly claws and scales, against her lips to stifle her 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 enigmatic smile on her face. "But to be precise, I am the last host of the Dragon King System."
"What do you mean? That makes no sense whatsoever," Aiden said, shaking his head. Everything this woman had said seemed entirely impossible.
"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. 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 transformation 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 Magic Has been raised to S 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. It was something that had never happened before, something he had toiled for years to achieve, working endlessly just to build enough magical energy for a single flame spark.
Now, suddenly, he was overflowing with more magical power than he had ever dreamed possible. He slowly stood up from where he had been kneeling, knowing he had to test something right here and right now. Then, he laid his palm out before him and conjured flames with focused intent, and Instantly, a giant fireball appeared right before his eyes, floating just above his palm.
The flames felt so powerful that a single burst could raze through the entire lair and beyond. 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.
[Choose one authority from any of the 3]
-Destruction
-Replication
-Space
"Authority?" Aiden didn't fully understand the concept, but he certainly understood "Destruction." Acting on instinct, he moved his hand toward the floating set of words and selected "Destruction."
The system responded immediately:
[Host has been granted the Authority of Destruction at SSS Rank]
[Default 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]
[System is Developing Host's Statistics]
Then a comprehensive display materialized before him:
[DRAGON KING SYSTEM]
Host : Aiden Crowley
Title : Hatchling
Level: 1
Rank: ???
Experience Points (Exp) : None
Mana Pool : 800/800
Vitality: 800/800
Health Pool : 80/80
[Host's Stats]-
Magic: Fire
Rank: SS
Strength: 10
Agility: 7
Intelligence: 8
Perception: 5
[Stats points Available: 0]
[Authorities]:
-Destruction: SSS
-Replication: (Locked)
-Space: (Locked)
[Destruction skills]
-Fists of Destruction (Default)
[Replication skills]
-None
[Space skills]
-None
[General Skills]
-None
[Inventory]
-None
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 realise it was all a dream or that he was already in the afterlife.