After the golden dragon spoke, Noir stood still for a brief moment.
For some reason, he felt that if he left now, that moment would be over forever. And he wasn’t ready for that—he didn’t want to leave.
He wanted to talk more with Chrysola, get to know her better, enjoy her caresses, and tease the golden sphere.
But... Noir was aware of one thing, and he didn’t need to be reminded of it.
The reality was that staying there would do him no good.
He wanted to explore, he wanted to grow stronger, he wanted to discover what kind of world lay beyond those tunnels. And above all... he wanted to return someday, able to keep the promise he had just made.
’How bitter goodbyes are...’
With one last glance at Chrysola, the little dragon turned around. His paws began to move slowly down the enormous exit tunnel.
Every step took him further away from the only person he had ever known in that world. And the one who had answered his questions, even though she hadn’t really told him anything.
But it also brought him closer to all the unknowns that awaited him outside.
The golden sphere fluttered beside him for a few seconds. Then it flew back toward Chrysola.
Noir stopped.
He watched as the tiny sphere circled the golden dragon. And for the first time, he thought that this was probably where they would say goodbye.
After all, that little girl had belonged to Chrysola long before he was even born.
It made sense.
It made perfect sense.
And yet... he couldn’t help but feel sad.
The little black dragon, tucked under his tail, really didn’t like goodbyes; parting ways with two friends at the same time wasn’t pleasant at all.
One was enormous and could kill him with a single claw, while the other was annoying, treacherous, and a liar—it treated him like a toy and kept dragging him into trouble.
’Wait... It’s better if that treacherous golden ball stays here.’
The little dragon wagged his tail; he was happy to have a huge burden lifted from his shoulders. Why wouldn’t he be happy?
’Goodbye, my beloved and dear companion.’
Then, the golden sphere circled the enormous dragon one last time, as if saying goodbye.
And then it shot straight toward Noir.
The little sphere landed on his head as if it were the most natural thing in the world, as if it had never considered any other option.
"..."
Noir slowly looked up.
In the distance, Chrysola watched the scene with an amused expression.
[Hahaha...]
[I think he’s made up his mind.]
The little dragon looked at the sphere.
The sphere looked back at him.
And for some reason, he had the feeling he’d just taken on a permanent problem.
***
Seven days had passed since Noir left the cave where the golden dragon Chrysola lived.
During that time, nothing particularly interesting had happened.
He had explored the cave, eaten strange herbs, slept on uncomfortable rocks, and argued several times with the golden sphere, which still refused to explain anything useful.
In short...
It had been seven incredibly boring days.
Noir was making his way through yet another cave identical to the ones before when something suddenly crossed his mind.
His paws came to a halt.
’...Wait.’
The little dragon blinked, then blinked again... and finally brought a claw to his forehead.
’I’m an idiot.’
He’d been so focused on exploring that he’d forgotten something fundamental.
He barely knew how to fight.
The only battle he’d ever won was against a Stone Maw, and if he was completely honest with himself, a significant part of that victory had been down to luck.
If a truly powerful monster appeared... he’d die.
The realization hit him like a ton of bricks.
Chrysola had explained the nature of magic to him.
He had learned a new skill.
He had even vowed to become the strongest dragon.
But he still moved like a newborn.
’I can’t go on like this.’
The little dragon swished his elegant, powerful tail and flapped his wings, trying to move.
"Gruu...!"
He struck the rock with his claws, activating his racial ability, Draconic Claw.
Thud!
The rock cracked slightly.
Noir studied the small crack for several seconds before striking again.
Thud!
This time, more cracks appeared, and the outline of his claw became more prominent.
The little dragon tilted his head.
’...Well, at least I didn’t break a claw.’
It wasn’t exactly the spectacular result he’d imagined, but he couldn’t complain either. After all, he’d only been living in that body for a few weeks.
He took a couple of steps back and focused his mana on his claws once more.
A familiar sensation coursed through his forelimbs.
The scales hardened slightly, and the black claws took on a faint sheen.
[Draconic Claws]
Slash!
This time, the rock didn’t just crack. A piece broke off and crashed into the cave wall.
Noir’s eyes lit up; he felt powerful.
’Much better!’
He wagged his tail with satisfaction.
Over the next few days, he began experimenting with different ways to use his abilities. He struck rocks from various angles, tried to coordinate his movements, and worked on getting used to his body.
At first, it seemed simple.
But he soon discovered that fighting and maneuvering a dragon’s body were two very different things. More than once, he lost his balance; on one occasion, he rolled downhill after trying to turn too quickly.
Another time, he spread his wings to steady himself and ended up crashing into a wall.
The golden sphere watched it all from above. And even though it had no face, Noir was convinced it was mocking him.
’Stop laughing.’
The sphere spun innocently.
’I saw you.’
The sphere began spinning again.
’I definitely saw you.’
That only made it spin around even more energetically.
Noir decided to ignore it. It was impossible to win an argument against a ball of light that never admitted anything.
After several days of practice, he began to notice some improvement.
His movements were still clumsy compared to those of a true predator, but he no longer felt as though he were controlling someone else’s body.
The wings responded better, the tail began to feel more natural, and even his reflexes seemed to have become slightly faster.
It wasn’t enough.
But it was a start.
And he liked that.
As he made his way through the cave, he recalled part of the conversation he’d had with Chrysola.
Dragons learned by living.
By exploring.
By experimenting.
Not just by listening.
For the first time, he understood those words a little better. Noir, if he wanted to become more than just a lucky dragon, would have to learn on his own.
And honestly... That sounded like a lot of fun.
The cave began to narrow again, as if they were approaching a chamber; the walls gradually closed in as the temperature dropped by several degrees.
Noir frowned slightly.
Something felt off; it wasn’t exactly danger... but rather an uneasy feeling, as if he had entered unfamiliar territory.
His Draconic Senses instinctively expanded.
The little dragon slowed down.
The golden sphere also stopped fluttering.
That immediately caught his attention. Ever since he’d known it, it had rarely stayed still.
But now he was floating motionless beside him.
Noir felt his scales tense.
The air smelled different.
There was a pungent, bitter, almost chemical scent.
A smell he hadn’t noticed before.
’...Poison?’
The word popped into his mind instinctively. His vertical pupils narrowed.
The tunnel slowly opened up before him.
Noir moved forward cautiously.
And then he saw it.
His body froze completely.
About twelve meters away, in the middle of a huge underground chamber, a gigantic serpent lay coiled up.
It was enormous.
Much larger than the Stone Maw.
Its green scales glistened in the light from the nearby crystals.
And with every breath, its body expanded slightly.
But that wasn’t the worst part.
The worst part was the bones.
Piles of bones.
Dozens.
Maybe hundreds.
Scattered all around the creature.
As if that place were its nest.
Noir swallowed hard. And for the first time since he had left Chrysola’s cave... he felt he had stumbled upon something truly dangerous.
The enormous serpent slowly opened one yellow eye.
And looked him straight in the eye.