The next morning, sunlight filtered gently through the curtains.
Junyeok woke up with a long yawn, stretching lazily on the bed. Something warm and slightly heavy rested on his stomach. He blinked, still half-asleep, then slowly lowered his gaze.
"…Huh?"
Curled up comfortably on top of him was Nyxara.
Her small black body rose and fell with steady breaths, tiny wings tucked close, her tail loosely wrapped around his waist as if it were the most natural thing in the world. For a moment, Junyeok simply stared.
"Oh… it's you," he murmured, a faint smile forming as he gently patted her head.
The soft scales were warm beneath his fingers.
Nyxara stirred, her eyes fluttering open. She lifted her head slightly, clearly displeased, and opened her mouth to speak.
"Is this how you treat a la—"
Before she could finish, Junyeok slipped out from under her and stood up. Nyxara blinked in confusion as she landed softly on the bed.
"…How adorable," Junyeok muttered under his breath, a quiet chuckle escaping him.
Nyxara froze, her face flushing slightly as she turned away with a small huff.
Junyeok ignored her reaction and stretched once more.
"Alright… let's see."
He raised his hand.
"Status."
A translucent screen materialized in front of him.
"I didn't get the time to check yesterday," Junyeok thought, focusing on the figures as they settled into place.
Then—
"…Oh?"
His eyes widened slightly.
---
Status Window
Strength: 16
Defense: 13
Agility: 17
Mana: 14
Luck: 4
---
Every stat had increased—each one jumping far beyond what he had expected from a single contract. Strength, defense, agility—everything had risen remarkably.
And then he saw it.
Active Skill — Dragon Body Embodiment
Allows the user to manifest dragon-scale armor over the body.
Increases overall physical stats by 1.5× temporarily.
Effect scales with proficiency.
Mana consumption continues while active.
Does not affect mana or luck.
Junyeok's breath caught.
"…That's insane."
His gaze shifted downward.
Passive Skill — Dragon Devouring Eye
Grants a 10% advantage when facing enemies stronger than the user.
For a moment, the room was silent.
Then Junyeok laughed quietly, his shoulders trembling just a little.
"I really didn't expect this," he said, a wide smile spreading across his face—one filled with genuine excitement.
"Why are you smiling?" Nyxara asked, tilting her head with a confused expression.
"Oh, nothing really," Junyeok replied, quickly wiping the smile off his face.
At that moment, Junyeok's stomach let out a loud growl.
"…Looks like I should eat something," Junyeok muttered.
He glanced at Nyxara. "Hey, do you want to eat something?"
Nyxara lifted her chin proudly. "I don't eat like you low-life humans."
That confidence didn't last long.
Junyeok casually pulled out a double-X jumbo chocolate bar and peeled open the wrapper.
Nyxara's eyes locked onto it.
"…What is that?" she asked, curiosity creeping into her voice.
Junyeok held it out slightly. "Want some?"
Nyxara swallowed, drool forming at the corner of her mouth. "I-I can at least give it a try."
Junyeok handed her the chocolate bar.
Nyxara took one bite.
Her eyes widened.
"…Divine."
She immediately started gobbling it up, completely absorbed, tail swaying happily as she devoured the bar.
Junyeok watched the scene with amusement.
"Didn't you say you don't eat like us low-life humans?" he asked with a smirk.
Nyxara flinched, turning away and hastily making excuses that barely made sense.
Junyeok enjoyed every second of it.
"…But to use my active skill properly, I need more mana," Junyeok said after a moment, his expression turning thoughtful.
"I should start preparing for that."
A mental image of a gigantic rock monster flashed through his mind.
Over the next ten days, Junyeok focused solely on meditation, sitting for hours at a time as he carefully circulated mana through his body.
When he finally opened his eyes—
"Oh… it's growing fast this time," Junyeok murmured in surprise.
Mana: 21
He clenched his pendant tightly, feeling a faint warmth pulse through it.
"I'm almost ready," Junyeok said calmly.
"I'm getting bored," Nyxara complained, staring at him.
"Don't worry," Junyeok replied, his expression twisting into one that clearly hinted at a plan forming. "It'll be fun soon."
Nyxara stared at his face, a strange shimmer running through her eyes.
"…I can feel it," Nyxara muttered, eyeing his expression warily.
"Judging by that face, someone is about to be in very big trouble."
The next day—
"I should do some shopping first," Junyeok muttered, glancing down at the old, rusty iron sword leaning against the wall. One look was enough to tell it could snap at any moment.
With Nyxara accompanying him, he left the house.
They soon stopped in front of a massive building.
Liemberg Weapons & Artifacts
The shop's exterior was grand and polished, its glass windows gleaming under the sunlight. Weapons and artifacts were displayed neatly inside, radiating an air of luxury.
Nyxara's eyes sparkled.
"Wow… it's so big and shiny," she said excitedly, a bright smile spreading across her face. "Are we shopping here?"
Junyeok smiled back just as widely.
"Nope."
Nyxara froze.
Junyeok raised a finger and pointed across the street.
"That one."
There stood a small, gloomy shop. Its sign was faded, its windows dusty, and the entire place looked like it hadn't been renovated in decades.
Nyxara stared at it, disbelief written all over her face.
"…You're joking, right?"
"Why would I joke about our shopping place?" Junyeok replied calmly.
Her smile vanished instantly, replaced by a sorrowful expression, her mouth hanging open in shock.
As Junyeok stepped toward the old shop, a thought crossed his mind.
I know anyone would think there's nothing worth buying here, he thought.
In my past life… I wished I had bought that item.
The bell above the door rang as they entered.
An old man with a large belly looked up from behind the counter.
"Are you the owner?" Junyeok asked, though he already knew the answer.
The old man smiled warmly, his gaze briefly flicking toward Nyxara before returning to Junyeok.
"Yes, sir. I am the owner of this place," he said politely. "Feel free to browse around and buy whatever you like."
Junyeok smiled back.
Look at this piece of crap, Junyeok thought, irritation flashing through his eyes—though his expression remained perfectly friendly.
In my previous life, when I had visited this shop without an echo, the same man had treated me like trash, insulting me again and again.
But I'm not here for him, Junyeok thought coldly.
I have something far more important to do.
"Don't worry," Junyeok said aloud, maintaining his fake smile. "I'll take a look around."
As he walked through the cramped aisles, memories resurfaced.
I came here once in my past life, he recalled. I didn't buy anything.
Back then, a B-rank contractor had also been in the shop, searching for equipment. That man had purchased a pair of old, rusty daggers—nothing special at first glance.
A few days later, shocking news spread.
That same contractor had cleared a dungeon and risen to A-rank.
The daggers shown in the news were almost identical to the ones bought here—but now they were known as A-rank daggers: Hell's Fire, weapons imbued with powerful flames.
Later news article revealed the truth.
They were the same daggers.
They had simply been awakened using a specific method.
He was able to identify them because of his echo, Junyeok thought. Those "Smarty Eyes" that allow item identification up to A-rank.
Junyeok's lips curled into a dark smile.
"But not this time," he murmured.
This time… I'll snatch it all for myself.