The rain came fast and heavy. The scorching desert transformed in an instant. Steam hissed from the baking dunes as cold droplets slammed into the sand and turning the air thick with mist and the scent of drenched earth.
The battlefield that dry and blistering a moments ago became cloaked in a swirling haze of rising vapor and crackling stormlight.
But Setekh-Ra didn't flinch. The storm seemed to welcome him. He stood tall in the rain not moving at all. His smile was calm and knowing. As if this downpour and this storm, as always meant to follow in his wake.
Erend's eyes flicked from him to Eccar.
The Earth Dragon groaned as he pulled himself free from the broken terrain. His wings flaring wide. Golden and brown light spiraled around him.
He snarled and his eyes glowing brighter. Power surged through him, radiating outward in waves. His body seemed to grow heavier, denser, and more dangerous.
Erend clenched his claws. "We're not done."
His aura shifted. Lightning flickered over his body like threads of silver and blue. The rain around him evaporated on contact. With a deep breath, he let go of water power and welcomed the lightning power.
A brilliant surge of white-blue light erupted as he transformed into his Lightning Dragon form. Static electricity leapt across his scales and arcs of raw energy danced across the ground.
His eyes blazed like twin lighting storms and his body pulsed with crackling noises.
For the first time, Setekh-Ra's smile faltered.
"So it's you," he muttered. "The one the System chose. You are the one who opened this Dungeon World."
Erend narrowed his glowing eyes. He asked, "What are you talking about? How do you know that?"
Setekh-Ra raised his gaze to the storm above.
"Because I've seen this once before. The System is not new to me. I fought a Dragon like you a long time ago. Because of that, I was imprisoned here, of course, by my own will," Setekh-Ra said.
The words hit them. Erend and Eccar frowned. They stood still with the storm swirling quietly around them now.
"There was another who had the access to this world?" Erend asked with curious voice.
"Yes. There was," Setekh-Ra answered. "But this Dungeon doesn't let me tell you more. Rules are rules. So I think we need to stop talking."
Eccar letting out a low growl. "This System hiding something."
Erend's mind reeled. The implications were too big. Another Dragonborn with the System ware exist, and why the Dungeon doesn't let him talk?
"Then tell us what you can," Erend demanded with his thundering Dragon voice.
Setekh-Ra's gaze sharpened. "I can't. Besides, it doesn't matter now. Only one thing matters now."
Lightning cracked above and strike the sand.
"You must defeat me to gain your power and proceed."
Eccar stepped forward, the ground trembling beneath his feet. "Yeah we were planning to."
Erend looked to him, a silent thought passing between them.
Eccar nodded. "I've been ready."
Without another word, they launched themselves into the sky. Their wings slicing through the stormwinds.
But Setekh-Ra was already changing as well.
Golden and blue light engulfed him as his body twisted and grew. The robed figure disappeared into a golem-shaped titan, forged of living metal, his body armored in shining plates that reflected the lightning above.
Twin emerald eyes still glowed in the face of this new form that now matching the Dragonborns in size and presence.
Erend and Eccar felt it immediately. The pressure of a true Boss now unrestrained.
But they didn't stop. Instead, they flew faster.
Back in the heart of the Qomore Kingdom, the city thrived under a clear sky and gentle moon. People moved through the bustling streets with a rhythm that felt ancient, yet alive in Arty's eyes.
She looked around. Stone buildings adorned with vibrant banners lined the roads with rooftops curved with elegant architecture unfamiliar to modern eyes.
Stalls brimmed with rare spices, fruits that glowed and also the normal ones, and fabrics that shimmered even without light. The entire city pulsed with a kind of wonder Arty had only ever seen through a screen.
She walked beside Archmage Sylmira with eyes wide with amazement. The smells, the sounds, and the air itself all felt surreal.
"It's like walking into a fantasy shows," she murmured to herself.
Erend had been living in a world ? She tried to imagine her brother casually passing through places , talking with warriors, mages, maybe even royalty.
"What kind of life has he seen that I haven't?" she wondered. "What other worlds has he stepped into?"
Sylmira turned slightly, catching the awestruck expression on Arty's face.
"Do you have any questions?" the Archmage asked gently.
Arty blinked, then smiled. "Not right now. I'm still wrapping my head around all of this."
Sylmira nodded thoughtfully, though her mind remained elsewhere. From the first moment she met Arty, she sensed something strange about her Magic.
The girl's Magic wasn't wild or chaotic but it was unrefined and different. Unlike anything Sylmira had encountered before.
It wasn't traditional Magic. It was awakened recently from someone who didn't have it before. And buried within it was another subtle undertone. A trace of Dragon Magic.
Not a full Dragon's power. That would have been overwhelming and obvious like Erend and Eccar. But this it was like a faint echo. Not strong enough to call her a Dragonborn but more potent than a human Magic talentt.
"She's Erend's sister so perhaps there's a deeper connection. Is this inherited?" Sylmira thought/
The restaurant came into view. It was an elegant multi-leveled structure with arching pillars and enchanted lanterns floating at the entrance.
The moment Sylmira stepped inside, the atmosphere shifted. Conversations stopped and all heads turned toward them.
The staff bowed with practiced grace, recognizing the Archmage at once. The owner, a broad man in dark robes and silver bangles, stepped forward with a warm smile and a deep bow.
"Lady Sylmira. An honor. Your usual room is prepared."
He glanced briefly at Arty with clearly curious eyes, but said nothing. The servers and customers stole looks at her too, trying to figure out who this unfamiliar young woman was to be walking beside someone so respected.
They were led to a private upper room. The view overlooked the city's market square, where people bustled like painted miniatures. Arty took her seat, still caught between wonder and disbelief.
Moments later, the food arrived. Bowls of steaming stew, crystal plates with sliced fruits, and bread that shimmered faintly with heat.
As Arty reached for her drink, her thoughts wandered again to her brother.
"This is a nice way of spending time. I hope nothing bad will be happening to me when I'm here."