The noble took a bold step forward, brushing imaginary dust from his pristine coat as if the chaos around him were just a passing breeze. He grinned, eyes locked on Shirayuki like she was a prize on display. "Ten gold bars," he said coolly.
Cian's glare hardened, fists slowly tightening.
"Twenty," the noble continued, not missing a beat. His lips curled into a smirk. "I'll take care of her. Feed her. Dress her. Treat her like a little pet."
Cian's breath slowed. A single step forward.
"Fifty gold bars," the noble said, licking his lips. "I'll even throw in a carriage for you peasants to ride away in. Just hand her over—"
Cian's arm swung back, knuckles cracking as his fist charged with restrained fury.
But then…
A ripple surged in the air behind him. The ground rumbled lightly. Cian paused mid-punch and glanced back.
Solaira, who had been crouched quietly on all fours behind him, was glowing.
A fiery pulse coursed through her body, and small arcs of heat shimmered off her scales. The Emberlix's form suddenly expanded, her tail stretching, claws sharpening, her cute round eyes narrowing into focused slits.
Her once chubby body elongated with graceful, dangerous elegance. Crimson scales layered her limbs like jagged armor, wings unfurling in a blaze of heat as her back split with a burst of fire, revealing glossy, leathery wings.
Her mouth opened slightly, smoke curling from between her teeth—no longer just a pet, but a predator.
Solaira had evolved.
A majestic young red dragon now stood where the tiny Emberlix once had. Her scales shimmered like molten metal, pulsing softly with inner heat. Fire coursed through the gaps in her claws, and her tail lashed the ground like a whip of embers.
The noble froze mid-sentence, mouth agape. "W-What is th—"
Too late.
Solaira reared her head, eyes locked onto the noble with a primal, ancient glare. She inhaled deeply, chest expanding—
Then let loose a deafening roar that shattered the silence of the forest. Birds scattered. Trees shook.
And then came the fire.
A river of flame erupted from her maw—a blazing, golden inferno that swept forward like the wrath of a god. The noble didn't scream. There was no time. The fire enveloped him in an instant, his silhouette swallowed by scorching light.
When the flames finally died down, only a charred crater remained, smoke rising lazily into the sky.
Cian lowered his fist and whistled low.
"...Well damn."
Shirayuki tilted her head, blinking slowly at Solaira with what looked like admiration. Then she waddled over and tried to pat the dragon's leg, her quills softly jingling.
Solaira, proud and smug, huffed smoke from her nose and posed like she expected applause.
The system, silent until now, finally spoke:
> [System Alert: Evolution Complete.]
[System Comment: And you thought you were the badass.]
Cian blinked. "…Hey."
The forest sizzled with the aftershock of Solaira's fiery wrath. Smoke wafted lazily through the trees, and somewhere in the ashes, the noble's coin pouch melted into a sad puddle of gold.
Cian exhaled slowly, dusting ash off his shoulder.
Clap. Clap. Clap.
The sound was slow and deliberate—sarcastic, but not mocking.
Cian turned.
The old man, singed at the edges of his cloak and clearly trying to hide his tremble, clapped with a forced grin.
"Well, I was going to break your ribs earlier…" he said, voice half-cracked, "but now I'm thinking retirement sounds better."
He sheathed his blade with a soft sigh and approached, his movements still graceful despite the soot. He stopped before Cian and reached into his tattered cloak.
From within, he pulled a sheathed sword.
It wasn't flashy. Its hilt was wrapped in dark leather, aged but tight. The guard was shaped like twin wings, and a faint shimmer pulsed beneath the blade's sheath—like the sword itself was breathing.
"This… is Kureha," the old man said, voice now solemn. "Its potential hasn't awakened yet. But in your hands… maybe it will."
He offered the weapon.
Cian accepted it with both hands, surprised by how light it felt. As soon as his fingers wrapped around the hilt—
> [System Alert: Rare Weapon Acquired – Kureha, the Silent Tempest]
[Description: A blade forged from stormsteel, once wielded by a forgotten hero. When fully awakened, it is said to move with the wind's wrath and silence. Current state: Dormant.]
[Hidden Potential Detected: Conditions Unknown.]
[System Comment: Finally. Something cool enough for your moody protagonist aesthetic.]
Cian stared at the sword for a moment, then smirked. "Silent Tempest, huh… Let's see how loud you get."
The old man coughed awkwardly. "Right, well. I'm going to go sit somewhere and not die. Don't let the dragon burn me."
In the background, Solaira struck a majestic pose atop a boulder, her wings folded neatly like a smug phoenix. Shirayuki waddled beside her, offering a sparkly quill like a gift.
Cian chuckled softly, then turned his gaze forward.
The forest wasn't quiet anymore. It was waiting.
The thunder of hooves echoed in the distance—dozens of riders, maybe more, racing toward them like a coming storm.
Cian clenched his fists, readying himself.
Then—
A soft crack.
A pulse of heat behind him.
He turned—
The sky shimmered.
The ground glowed red.
And Solaira vanished in a pillar of flame.
From the fire, a figure stepped through—smoke swirling around bare skin.
Cian's brain short-circuited.
"…N-NOPE—WHAT?!"
His hands flew over his eyes, but too late.
The system chimed, completely unfazed.
[System Alert: Solaira has entered Human Form - Beta Mode.]
[System Note: Evolution complete. Clothing? Optional.]
Shirayuki, standing beside him, stared blankly for two seconds. Her fur puffed up like an angry cat.
She slowly turned to Cian.
Glare.
Cian sweated.
"Wha—don't look at me like that!! I didn't ask her to evolve into a supermodel dragon lady!!"
Shirayuki's quills trembled. One of them launched and hit a rock behind him—accidentally. Probably.
The old man, turning around with the utmost caution, caught a glimpse—and tripped over his own legs.
"I—I don't know if I should scream, pray, or propose! WHY IS SHE SHINY?!"
Cian was frozen, red as a cherry. "W-We're in danger! Why is THIS happening now?!"
[System Note: Stat Update – Cian is now 70% flustered, 30% doomed.]
From within the smoke, the figure took another step forward, eyes glowing, lips curling into a knowing smile—
The light flickered.
Cian's heart stopped.
The world slowed down.
Cian barely had a second to register the shimmer behind him before—
WHAM!
A soft, warm weight slammed into his face. Two squishy, overwhelming forces enveloped his vision.
His arms flailed, his feet scraped the dirt, and the force knocked him flat onto his back. A breathless "OOMPH!" escaped him as the mystery mass continued to suffocate his consciousness.
System Warning: User is under attack by twin… projectiles. Impact damage—MAXIMUM.
Cian gasped, his voice muffled in something way too heavenly for a battlefield.
He peeked.
And immediately regretted it.
Naked. Red-haired. Glowing. Hugging him like a happy puppy. And still no voice, just soft breathing and innocent cuddles.
"SO...LAIRA!?" he squeaked, utterly lost.
System Alert: Evolution complete. Dignity… deleted. Respect… pending reboot.
The old man turned pale and quickly spun around.
"I-I-I'm not looking! I swear I'm not looking!"
Shirayuki, meanwhile, had entered full-blown rage mode. She puffed up, quills sparking, eyes twitching in furious disbelief. Her little paws slammed the ground with jealous vengeance as if saying:
"EXCUSE ME!?"
Solaira, still hugging Cian like he was her personal teddy bear, gave a cheerful little squeeze, completely unaware—or unconcerned—about the chaos she'd caused.
Cian lay limp.
Emotionally broken. Spiritually exhausted. Face-first in dragon boob territory.
System Whisper: Ciaoo~ brave warrior. May your soul rest in peace.