Chapter 2: Bet with a Dragon
’Wonder if she can turn into a human. She can be a real baddie,’ Noa thought, his smirk never fading.
The dragon felt infinite as if even the vast void struggled to hold her.
Her radiant body exuded divine pressure, her words burned more than the fire ever had, and her eyes gazed upon Noa’s soul.
[You die forgotten. Alone.] she spoke, her words reverberating across the world. [No one will speak or remember your name.]
Noa furrowed his nonexistent brows.
The surge of emotions finally caught up to him. The life he had was no more. The loneliness was gone.
But he felt anger.
It was unfair.
Losing his life because of those fuckers and leaving nothing behind made him mad.
"What are you trying to say?" he asked.
The being before him laughed, her head shaking before answering.
[You died... To be more precise, you were reduced to ashes. I want to help you—and in doing so, help myself—by offering you an opportunity.]
The colossal creature lowered her golden eyes, meeting with Noa’s almost fading soul.
"Opportunity? Does this mean I’ll be reborn, like in those fantasy novels?" he trailed his words, a surge of excitement and determination flashing through his eyes. "But who are you again?"
[I am the First Flame. And I name you my heir.]
"Heir? Will I inherit your bloodline or something?"
[Precisely. You shall rise from the ashes and show the world the might of the dragons. Are you up for it? Do you think you can handle this challenge?]
The nothingness burned again.
The flame of the dragon’s breath was enough to scorch even the surrounding void.
Memories of his past life surfaced in Noa’s mind. His boring past was gone. Now, he stood before a chance to start everything anew.
The strength he lacked and needed for all his life was within his grasp.
Inheriting the dragon’s bloodline and experiencing a fresh start was a dream come true, as it would allow him to live a life he couldn’t before.
"Bring it on!" he announced, conviction evident in his voice.
As soon as Noa gave his approval, the void stirred and exploded in gold and crimson.
And from the center of that storm, something floated toward him. It quickly sank into his chest. Before he could react, lines of text materialized, and otherworldly light covered his vision.
[Ding!]
[System initialization: Dragon Necromancer!]
"What?" Noa exclaimed after reading the floating window in front of him.
He scanned the short text with a mix of unease and disbelief. "Necromancer? I am going to control the undead?"
[No, it’s not that crude,] she corrected.
[You will gather their ashes into the world of beast tamers, where dragons are extinct. These ashes will become your strength and a source of your power. Now come closer! There is something I must give you.]
Noa raised his head and thought. ’Beast tamers, huh?’
He studied her infinite body and approached her with quick steps.
[As the first dragon to ever exist, my blood will ignite their ashes, and you will breathe life into their forgotten souls,] the dragon added and pushed her finger.
Each movement she made altered the dimension.
But when the drop of blood left her finger and floated toward Noa, the world seemed to relax.
[Ding!]
[Congratulations, Host, for getting First Dragon’s Bloodline]
[Wait for transmigration to check your status window]
’This is too much information for me to digest in one go,’ Noa thought. ’Even this situation is ridiculous.’
[It’s too late for you to question reality. As for understanding how your powers and the world work, that’s the fun part of starting a new life, isn’t it?]
The dragon howled quietly.
Still, her voice reached Noa’s ears as if the distance between them never existed.
’Now she can read my mind. I am not even surprised,’ he added inwardly.
[I could always do that. I even know that you want to see me in my human form with not-so-pure intentions.]
"Am I in some kind of trouble? Can’t a man even have a fantasy?" he spoke this time, trying not to lose ground against her.
[No. Not really... I understand the nature of desire, and I think there is nothing wrong with that.]
"I like your mentality," Noa said. "So... what happened to you? Why did dragons lose their glory in your world?"
He tried to be blunt about it, and the dragon noticed it.
[You are one interesting human, aren’t you? Instead of thinking about yourself, pleading for me to give you more benefits or strength, you want to talk about me. You received your death relatively easily as well.]
She seemed genuinely intrigued by Noa.
Her words carried a strange weight.
"I can always gain more power by working hard in your world.
With magic, your bloodline, and your dragons to revive, it shouldn’t be too hard, right? But it feels like it’s gonna be my last chance to converse with you, and I think it’s far more beneficial than wasting my efforts to get something out of you."
Hearing his explanation, the dragon’s mouth twisted into an amused smirk.
A low, melodic laugh rumbled from her. It lasted for a moment, and before Noa questioned her reasons, she explained herself.
[You are underestimating the world I am putting you into,] she howled. [I would gladly meet you at the end of your road and laugh when you kneel before me to give you another chance.]
"Wanna bet?" Noa asked, his voice calm.
[You think you can handle it?]
She examined Noa and laughed upon seeing his determination.
[Sure. If you can truly revive my legacy, I will show you my human form. But if you were to fail, nothing awaits you except death!]
"Sounds like a great deal to me," Noa nodded. "Now, tell me about yourself and the world I will have to spend the rest of my life in."
[Congratulations, Host, for getting the Weakest Beast Egg]
[Wait for the contract ceremony to check its status window]
The moment Noa shut his mouth, another wave of system notifications popped up in front of him. And after reading them and lowering his brows in surprise, the dragon spoke again.
[This is what you asked for.]