The party left Eldenview behind.
The World Tree slowly disappearing above them like a fading legend.
Ahead of them—
a cave entrance wider than a fortress gate.
Inside was not darkness.
But light carved into stone.
A full civilization existed within the cavern.
A dazzling underground town built across layered rock bridges and glowing mineral rivers.
Dragonewts everywhere.
Half-dragon, half-human.
Some with horns polished like metal.
Some with wings folded like cloaks.
And some breathing small embers while eating street food at grill restaurants.
Jessa was the first to speak.
"…Do you know Draco Jay?"
A nearby dragonewt flipped a skewer casually.
"Oh yeah, the dragonewt king's son who got lost?"
A pause.
"Yeah, that guy. Why?"
Jessa leaned forward.
"…Why did he get lost?"
The dragonewt pointed toward the back alley of the market district.
"He went that way after talking to some weird guy who looked like him."
Silence.
Jhonathan's eyes narrowed.
"…Draco Jay."
They moved instantly.
At the alley—
a hooded figure stood.
Almost identical posture.
Almost identical presence.
The figure turned slightly.
A distorted voice echoed.
[Dracoian language]
"…Run."
And then chaos exploded.
The party sprinted through the dragonewt town in pursuit.
Roofs shattered.
Market stalls flipped.
Grill smoke filled the air.
Jessa swooped down mid-chase and grabbed the figure—
her momentum slamming him backward.
The impact triggered something strange.
The figure's body warped instantly.
Becoming unstable.
A slime-like form, shifting to avoid restraint.
Then—
a cheetah.
It bolted forward.
But—
Jhonathan was already there.
He didn't chase.
He arrived.
The cheetah paused.
Looked up.
Then—
instead of resisting—
it got petted.
"…Huh?" Jhonathan muttered.
The creature hesitated.
Then relaxed slightly.
Confused.
Before anyone could react—
Leeroy rushed in—
and threw it.
A brutal impact.
Bones shattered on contact.
The creature collapsed mid-transformation.
Leeroy stood still—
then suddenly froze.
"…Wait—why do I feel—"
Jessa had landed behind him during the chaos.
Unintentionally.
And that was enough.
Leeroy's eyes went wide.
"…I—I—"
Nosebleed.
Instant faint.
"Sorry bro," Jessa said awkwardly.
Meanwhile—
the creature's mana exploded outward.
Its shapeshifting evolved violently.
No longer unstable.
No longer limited.
Something new awakened inside it.
Something far more dangerous than Draco Jay's identity alone.