chapter 18 : The king of thunderstorms (3)

Its force diverted just enough to save In-Ji. But the backlash still scorched the ground in a sharp crack, searing the air with ozone and smoke.

Ye-Jun roared from the dragon's crown. His beastified limbs, coarse with fur and pulsating with strength, clung to the horn as the dragon thrashed under him.

Seo-Yeon swung her hand—

The beam diverted mid-air. Barely.

In-Ji was panting, the hem of his coat still smoldering from the near-hit.

Seo-Yeon wiped blood from her nose. "I can't do that again."

The blast left the ground glassed, but none of us dropped.

"You live," it said. "Good."

Ye-Rin stood beside mother, gauntlets crackling with static. The ground trembled beneath her boots.

And at the top of the dragon's skull, claws digging into hardened scale, I , in full beastified form, held fast—my fur bristling with static, my long monkey tail lashed around one of the horns for balance.

Nameless turned his gaze—one glowing eye narrowing.

"You tampered with thunder."

"I redirected your mistake," I spat, crouching low, knuckles smoking from the backlash of the Lantern.

The dragon's golden eye glared upward. Sparks danced along its jaw. "Your courage… borders on madness, monkey." Nameless growled—not in anger, but intrigue. "You. The beast-shaped one. I smell spirit blood on you... and something older."

I grinned. "Yeah? Get used to it."

Below, the others saw it happen—Ye-Jun digging deep into the dragon's flesh again, not to wound—but to steer.

And for just a moment—the beast responded.

Nameless snarled, flinching back. A pulse of resistance cracked through the earth, splitting the tiles beneath Ye-Rin's boots. She crouched low, gauntlets steaming, and the axe gripped tight.

"I'm going in again!" she yelled.

Seo-Yeon nodded, blood still running from her nose, but her hand lifted—telekenetic force swirling around Ye-Rin like a hurricane of will.

"Round two, Yeet-n-Smash," Seo-Yeon said through gritted teeth.

"Send me."

With a crack, Ye-Rin launched like a missile, rocketing toward the dragon's head—toward her brother.

The timer still ticked in the corner of their vision:

`[4:48]`

The four moved in concert.

Mother cast another [Curse of slowness], shadowy threads crawling up the dragon's thigh.

In-Ji reloaded his gun with a few bullets he had left.

"Hold steady, Ye-Jun!" she yelled mid-air.

"YOU'RE THE ONE FLYING AT US LIKE A METEOR!"i screamed from the top of my lungs.

"You want elegance? I'll show you fucking elegance!"

CRACK.

She didn't aim for the eye.

She slammed her weapon into the horn beside it—right where dragon nerves crossed.

The scale cracked. Lightning arced—but this time, the siblings didn't flinch.Right next to Ye-Jun.

The impact cracked scale and bone—Nameless reeled.

I grinned beside her. "Nice timing."

"Nice seat," Ye-Rin smirked. "Room for two?"

Nameless's bleeding eye narrowed on the two of them.

"Two stars… born from the same spark." it spoke.

Ye-Rin stepped onto the dragon's forehead, standing beside Ye-Jun.

"We're not here to defeat you anymore," she said, then suddenly she knelt. "I offer myself as your rider."

For a beat—nothing.

Then—

The dragon laughed.

A deep, guttural, ancient sound that cracked nearby rocks and echoed into the clouds above. The kind of laugh gods might share when entertained by mortals.

"You wish to claim me, girl?"

"No," Ye-Rin said. "I want to fight beside you. As equals."

The dragon inhaled.

"You're bold. Both of you. But I don't accept words. I accept proof. One final strike. Together. On me. If it knocks me down—I will yield."

It braced.

"Show me that your bond is worthy of thunder and fangs."

Below, the others heard the pact.

Seo-Yeon, limping from exhaustion, still smiled faintly. "Those two…"

"They're gonna do it," In-Ji muttered.

Mother, bleeding but steady, whispered, "Let the children have their miracle."

Above—

Ye-Rin and Ye-Jun exchanged a glance. No words.

Just trust.

"Together," she said.

Ye-Jun's tail wrapped around her wrist for anchor.

Their weapons glowed.

Ye-Jun launched himself upward with all his strength, then fired his webs downward to accelerate his descent.

Ye-Rin's axe, blazing red with kinetic heat.

Then she jumped—after her brother—and dove.

They spun mid-air—combining force, will, nature, and blood. And with a synchronized scream, they slammed into the cracked crown of the dragon's skull.

BOOM.

The entire beach shook.

Sand exploded outward. Lightning sparked skyward in a pillar. The dragon's remaining two heads twitched—they woke up.

Silence.

Then a rumble.

And the centre head collapsed.

unconscious.

"…Impressive."

The voice boomed—echoed—but it was quieter. Humble.Nameless let out a deep, almost reverent exhale.

"You pass... my judgment."

[System Update – Pact Initiation Successful]

[Pact Formed: Dragonrider – Shin Ye-Rin]

Bonus EXP Gained: +4,500

Bonus Reward: large magic Crystal (x5)

Party Level Increased!

Ye-Jun → Lv. 15

Ye-Rin → Lv. 15

Seo-Yeon → Lv. 13

Mi-Sun → Lv. 15

In-Ji → Lv. 13

Ye-Rin collapsed.

The moment her palm touched the dragon's massive brow, the pact triggered—magic crackling through her veins like liquid flame. Her body went rigid, eyes wide, and then—darkness took her.

She crumpled to the ground.

"Ye-Rin!" Seo-Yeon screamed, rushing forward. Mother followed, already casting a false healing spell targeting the dragon.

But the dragon stirred. His other two heads spoke in unison.

"She is not dying," it said. "She is adapting."

The voice echoed with fascination.

"Such is the price of binding oneself to a beast of my lineage. One full day and night of soul fusion. Let her rest."

Ye-Jun, still perched atop the Dragon's bloodstained crown, reverted from beastified form, collapsing to one knee, sweat rolling off his face. Junior, the baby spider monkey, nestled nervously against his neck.

The Dragon turned its gaze to him. "And you..."

Ye-Jun raised his head.

"There is something inside you. Not power... "It stopped.

[Inner monologue of the dragon]

There is something in this human. Something more ancient. I felt it the moment his claws dug into my skull. It was larger than me. Deeper than any summon. A presence that doesn't belong to this world... nor the next.

Ye-Jun blinked, chest rising. "What are you talking about?"

The Dragon didn't answer directly. Instead, it grinned with molten teeth. "You are a Druid. A Tamer. You understand creatures. But understand this—I am not a product of the system. I am older. Bound to its rules, but not born from them.I serve no database. I was not coded."

It narrowed its eyes."You did not run. You climbed. You fought. You redirected my storm. That lantern may have saved your comrade... but your instinct saved your party."

"I just did what I had to," Ye-Jun muttered.

"Indeed," the dragon murmured. "Then allow me to offer what no creature has been offered since the falling of the system."

"My brothers and I... we cheat. We bend the System's laws. We have to. Because we were summoned... but never shackled."

Then, calmly:

"Will you tame me, Druid?"

Ye-Jun stared. "What?"

"You heard me. I have three heads. Three minds. Three wills. Your sister has bonded with the two of us who values strength and pride."

"The center?"

The dragon nodded. "We know how to cheat the system. He is still unconscious and he has yet to form it's alliance to your sister. But if we made you tame this before he woke up. Then..."

"Then I can tame it and use you whenever I...." Before I could complete my sentence, "Smart of you, human" it interrupted.

Ye-Jun hesitated.

But something stirred inside him. Not emotion—instinct.The same primal hum he'd heard when his beastification first began. But this… was bigger. Louder.

Deeper.

He nodded. "Yeah. Let's make this pact."

A surge of energy crackled through the clearing.

[You have tamed another pet Limit (2/2)]

The dragon exhaled.

"I shall sleep now… for the pact is forged."

The Dragon roared—and then, in a breath, its body folded into itself. Bones groaned. Flesh twisted. And then...

A puff of steam.

Its form shimmered—and shrank.

Massive limbs twisted into a tight coil. Wings folded inward. Scales shifted.

And in a blink, the great beast was gone—replaced by a two-foot tall dragonling with curled horns and narrowed eyes.

It perched beside Ye-Rin, silent, still regal.

"Only the one who names us… can awaken us," the creature said before curling beside Ye-Rin protectively.

Seo-Yeon stared. "It... shrank."

Mother wiped blood from her mouth. "Good. Easier to carry."

In-Ji cocked his rifle. "Still wouldn't try to fight it."

Junior squeaked nervously.

"Easy," Ye-Jun muttered. "He's with us now."

By the time the sun dipped beneath the ruined skyline, we had made it back to the original apartment—the same we'd holed up in on Day 1.

The streets are quieter now. Too quiet.

No distant roars. No skittering claws. Just the low hum of dead electricity and wind whispering through shattered windows.

Seo-Yeon looked up at the building. "So this is it."

Ye-Jun nodded. "We'll take the stairs. Elevators are busted."

In-Ji muttered, "Of course they are."

Mother followed behind, still limping slightly. Her eyes glanced behind them—scanning the shadows. She always walked at the rear.

We climbed, floor after floor. Muscles ached. Blood crusted their clothes. But there was safety in height. In walls. In familiarity.

By the time we reached our room, Ye-Rin was tucked gently on a mattress she used to sleep in. Still unconscious, but breathing steadily.

Seo-Yeon placed a wet cloth on her head. "She'll wake up tomorrow?"

"She'll need a day," Ye-Jun said. "Dragon pact… whatever it did, it drained her."

The group said nothing more. Everyone was tired. Everything hurt.

I knew if the Dragon hadn't put restrictions on itself we wouldn't have made it.

Name: Forgotten

  Race: Dragon     Age: Unidentified

  Nature: Thunderstorm

  Title: (Unlocks after Subclass)

  Level: 20 (Temporary)

  Strength: 350    HP: 2500

  Agility: 200    Mana: 500

  Stamina: 350

Restrictions: 60% stats are blocked.

One by one, everyone drifted off into uneasy sleep.Then I suddenly remembered,

"We have to find the boss!"

[Somewhere in the city.]

The old lobby was silent. Sunlight no longer reached that far. It was a dead place—shattered glass, dead plants, long-abandoned check-in counters.

Then.

The lights turned on.

One by one.

Flick.

Flick.

Flick.

Motion-triggered. But nothing moved.

And then—a shadow.

Just enough to trip the sensor.

The air pressure changed.

Something metallic stepped across the cracked marble floor. Smooth. Deliberate.

Not stomping. Not dragging. Just... present.

No growl. No hiss. No human sound.

But its reflection flashed once across the broken mirror behind the reception desk.

Too smooth.

Too symmetrical.

Too clean for this world.

The light buzzed overhead, flickering.

Then went out.

Darkness returned.