Chapter 16: Trial of the Ancient Dragon

The air inside the cavern was thick with the scent of scorched stone and ancient magic. Haru could feel the weight of something immense pressing down on him—a presence unlike anything they had faced before.

His grip on his sword tightened, knuckles pale from the force.

They had delved deep into this dungeon, slaughtering every monster in their way. But even now, with blood and ash clinging to their bodies, something told him they were still unprepared.

They stood on a massive circular platform, cracked and scorched, surrounded by towering obsidian pillars. The ground rumbled beneath their feet as if the dungeon itself was breathing. Haru's sharp gaze swept over the cavern, his heart pounding. His instincts screamed **danger**.

*"Something's here."*

He glanced at his companions.

Shira, his silent but unwavering Blue Oni warrior, stood beside him, massive Buster sword resting against her shoulder. Though she said nothing, her crimson eyes glowed with primal alertness.

Rhaelynn, his Centaur Archer, flicked her tail in agitation, her bow already drawn, emerald eyes narrowing as she scanned the shadows. "I've never felt something like this before," she murmured, tension in her voice. "This isn't just a monster. It's something… ancient."

Aryan, his Vampire Assassin, bared her fangs, already irritated. "Tch. Whatever it is, I don't care. We kill it and move on." Her crimson eyes gleamed with reckless excitement, but even she was gripping her daggers a little too tightly.

Haru exhaled, steadying himself. He had led them this far. He wouldn't falter now.

Then, the voice came.

A deep, resonant growl—no, **a voice of absolute authority.**

**"MORTALS."**

The cavern trembled, dust and debris falling from the ceiling. The sheer force of the voice alone sent a sharp pain through Haru's skull, and he grit his teeth to withstand it.

Something **moved** in the darkness above them.

A monstrous shape, scales glinting like molten gold, **descended from the abyss above.**

And then, she emerged.

The Ancient Dragon was **beyond colossal**.

Her body was **twenty meters tall**, her wings unfurled in a display of raw dominance. Her scales shimmered like living gold, each one lined with ancient runes pulsing with arcane energy. Two curved obsidian horns adorned her head, and her burning amber eyes locked onto Haru with something between **amusement and disdain.**

She was **divine.**

Haru swallowed hard, **fighting the primal instinct to kneel.**

Rhaelynn, next to him, gripped her bow tighter. "We're in trouble," she whispered.

Aryan clicked her tongue, but for the first time, she didn't charge forward. Even she knew the difference in power.

The Ancient Dragon lowered her head slightly, regarding them like insects beneath her feet.

**"You have come far. You have spilled the blood of my lesser kin. And now, you stand before me, believing yourselves worthy?"**

The ground shuddered.

Haru forced himself to step forward. "We're not here for your approval. We came to conquer this dungeon."

The dragon let out a deep, rumbling chuckle. "Conquer? You are a bold one, little human. But boldness does not equate to strength."

Her wings flared, and the **entire cavern erupted into an inferno.**

A **wall of fire** shot toward them.

"Scatter!" Haru yelled.

Shira reacted first, grabbing him by the collar and **hurling him across the battlefield**. The next moment, the firestorm swallowed the ground where he had stood.

Rhaelynn launched herself sideways in a blur of motion, arrows already flying toward the dragon's head. Aryan vanished in a flash of shadow, reappearing on one of the surrounding stone pillars.

Haru rolled, coughing, before forcing himself to stand. **She was fast.** Faster than a creature of her size should be.

The dragon **snapped her wings**, generating a shockwave that nearly knocked them all off their feet. Then, with a flick of her claw, **runes ignited beneath them**.

Haru barely had time to react. "MOVE!"

The runes exploded, sending **pillars of molten rock** spewing from the earth.

Shira **slammed her Buster sword into the ground**, the sheer force of it disrupting the explosion near her. Rhaelynn **leapt over the blasts**, her hooves landing on safe ground.

Aryan wasn't so lucky—one of the eruptions caught her mid-dodge, sending her **crashing into a stone pillar**.

"Aryan!" Haru shouted, but she barely moved, coughing up blood.

The dragon **descended upon her, jaws open.**

Haru's body **moved on its own.**

Adrenaline surged through him. He dashed forward, **kicking off the ground at full speed.**

**He wasn't fast enough.**

The dragon's fangs **closed in on Aryan.**

Shira appeared in an instant, her massive frame **slamming into the dragon's snout**, diverting her attack. The force of the impact sent tremors through the ground.

"Shira—!"

The Blue Oni couldn't speak, but she **grunted in pain** as the dragon's claws tore into her side, flinging her away.

Even after Rhaelynn's arrows pierced her hide, even after Aryan's daggers blinded one of her golden eyes, and even after Shira's blade split her scales open, **she still stood**.

Wounded. Enraged. Yet *undeniably beautiful* in her wrath.

Her massive chest heaved as she glared at them, nostrils flaring. The obsidian scales along her body shimmered, reflecting the glow of the molten cracks forming beneath them. Steam rose from her wounds, and **her tail lashed the ground, splitting the cavern further apart**.

Haru's breath was ragged, sweat pouring down his face as he steadied himself. His sword was barely intact, his muscles screamed in protest, and his **Booster skill** was reaching its limit.

The others were just as battered.

Shira had deep claw wounds along her arm, her massive blade chipped.

Rhaelynn's quiver was nearly empty, her centaur legs trembling from exhaustion.

Aryan had blood dripping from her lips, her once-arrogant smirk replaced by a feral snarl.

**And yet, Velmara still fought.**

*Damn it… we're at our limit… but so is she.*

Velmara narrowed her single good eye at them. Her pupils, still slit like a predator's, flicked across each of them, assessing them not as prey—but as *challengers*.

She **snorted**—and then, something unexpected happened.

She turned her gaze directly onto Haru for the **first time**.

And… **flushed.**

Just slightly. A **barely noticeable hint of red** along the dark scales of her cheeks.

"…?"

Haru blinked. His exhausted mind barely processed it before Velmara suddenly launched forward **again**.

He barely had time to dodge as her massive claws tore through the battlefield. She wasn't even using her breath attack anymore—**she was fighting with sheer brute force**.

"Haru!" Rhaelynn yelled as she fired an arrow. It **ricocheted off Velmara's hide**, barely scratching her.

Shira moved in, her enormous blade swinging down—**only for Velmara to catch it between her claws**. The Oni's eyes widened in shock as the dragon **wrenched the blade out of her grip** and slammed her tail into Shira's stomach.

The Oni was **sent flying**, crashing against the cavern wall.

"Shira—!" Haru tried to run toward her, but—

Velmara was **suddenly in front of him.**

Her golden eye bore into his, unblinking.

And then—**a smirk curled at the edges of her scaled lips**.

*Oh… shit.*

Before he could react, her tail swung **upward**, slamming into his stomach. The impact **knocked the wind out of him** as he was launched **into the air**.

**CRACK!**

He hit the cavern ceiling before plummeting back down, his body slamming into the ground.

Everything hurt.

His **system alerts were screaming at him**.

**[HP Critical – 12% Remaining]**

**[Warning: Booster Skill Overuse—Movement Restricted]**

Velmara **stalked toward him**, her massive claws clicking against the stone.

She was injured, yes. But **she was still too strong**.

They *couldn't* kill her.

They *wouldn't* be able to **win this through brute force alone**.

Haru grit his teeth, struggling to move as Velmara stood over him, wings half-unfurled. She **lowered her head**, her golden eye gleaming as she peered at him with an unreadable expression.

Something about the way she looked at him now **was different**.

Not just as an opponent.

But **as something else entirely.**

A choice appeared before him.

**[Boss Defeated – Special Bond Available]**

The system notification **hovered in his vision**, waiting.

*Lady Killer.*

It was the only **option left**.

Haru took a deep breath. His hands trembled from exhaustion as he **reached forward**, placing his palm against Velmara's snout.

For a single moment—time **froze**.

His skill **activated**.

A pulse of unseen energy **rippled through the air** as his **Lady Killer** ability established a connection between them.

Velmara stiffened. Her massive wings **shuddered**, and a **deep growl rumbled from her throat**.

Not a growl of rage.

But **of something else entirely.**

Her golden eye **widened**.

A shiver **rippled down her body**.

"…What… is this…?" Her voice was a deep, sultry purr, echoing through the cavern like **thunder wrapped in silk**.

Haru **gritted his teeth**, holding his ground. "It means… I *win*."

Velmara **stared at him**, the glow in her eye flickering with something **new**.

Uncertainty.

Curiosity.

And **a deep, instinctual recognition**.

Her **tail twitched** behind her, and for the first time, she **looked away**—**flustered**.

Haru could barely believe what he was seeing. The **Abyss Queen**… was **embarrassed?**

The system gave him **the choice**.

**[Tame Velmara, Abyss Queen?]**

**[Yes] – [No]**

Haru didn't hesitate.

**He selected [Yes].**

The instant he did, a surge of power **rushed through his body**. The bond **forged itself into reality**, linking him and Velmara in a way that **no normal connection could ever achieve**.

Velmara **shuddered**, her massive form **trembling** as the system **bound her to him**.

Then, after a long silence—she **sighed**.

"…You're an interesting one," she murmured, her massive body **shrinking** in size.

Her **wings folded inward**, her shape **shifting**—until she **transformed into a humanoid form**.

Standing before Haru now was **a tall, statuesque woman**, draped in dark-scaled armor. Her long, jet-black hair cascaded down her back, her golden eyes gleaming with untamed fire. Small, curved horns framed her regal face, and her lips curled into **a smirk of amusement**.

She **tilted her head**, watching Haru struggle to sit up.

"You look exhausted, Master." The word **rolled off her tongue smoothly**, a teasing purr beneath her voice.

Haru groaned. "…Don't call me that."

Velmara **laughed softly**, stepping closer. "Too late."

Rhaelynn, Aryan, and Shira all **stared in disbelief**, still trying to process what just happened.

Aryan, of course, was the first to break the silence.

"Are you *kidding me*?!" she shouted, pointing at the dragon woman. "You're telling me we nearly DIED just for her to **join us**?!"

Velmara **arched a brow**. "Would you have preferred I killed you instead?"

Aryan **clicked her tongue** but didn't argue.

Haru **exhaled slowly**, forcing himself to his feet. His **legs were shaking** from exhaustion, but he ignored it.

"…Welcome to the family, Velmara."

Velmara **smirked**, stepping forward until she stood directly in front of him.

Her gaze **swept over him slowly**, taking her time to **study him**.

Then, she **leaned in close**, her breath **warm against his ear**.

"…I'll make sure you don't regret it, Master."

Haru **felt a chill down his spine**.

This… was going to be *dangerous*.

**[New Familiar Acquired: Velmara, Abyss Queen]**