The path down the mountain was quiet.
Not eerily so—
But gently.
Like the aftermath of something catastrophic had finally given way to stillness.
Grass swayed softly beneath the breeze.
The sky stretched endlessly above them.
And for once—
There were no enemies.
No pressure.
No imminent danger.
Just—
Peace.
"…Hey."
Ryota's voice broke the silence.
Rio glanced at him.
"…What?"
He looked down at the small dragon in his arms.
Indratos's breathing had slowed.
Soft.
Rhythmic.
Its small body curled slightly inward—
Comfortable.
Safe.
"…He's getting sleepy."
As if on cue—
The little dragon let out a tiny yawn.
A faint puff of warm air escaped its mouth.
Rio's expression softened.
"…Of course he is."
A pause.
"…He went through just as much as we did."
Ryota nodded.
"…Yeah…"
He looked around briefly.
Then—
Carefully—
He lifted the small dragon.
"…Alright."
And gently placed it—
On top of his head.
Rio blinked.
"…You're serious?"
Indratos—now comfortably perched—
Curled slightly into Ryota's hair.
Like it had always belonged there.
"…Seems like the perfect spot."
Ryota shrugged.
"…Warm. Stable. High ground."
A beat.
"…Strategic advantage."
Rio stared at him for a moment.
Then—
A small smile escaped her.
"…You're ridiculous."
Indratos shifted slightly—
Then settled.
Completely asleep.
A tiny, content sound escaped it.
Rio's smile grew just a little.
"…It's cute."
Ryota grinned.
"…Right?"
He adjusted slightly—
Making sure the dragon stayed balanced.
"…Hey, Rio."
"…What now?"
"…You think it's okay if I change his name?"
Rio raised a brow.
"…Change it?"
He nodded.
"…Yeah."
A pause.
"…Imdratos's cool and all, but…"
He glanced upward slightly.
"…I was thinking…"
"…Indra."
Silence.
Rio blinked once.
Then again.
And then—
She smiled.
Not teasing.
Not sarcastic.
But genuine.
"…I'm sure Auram won't mind."
A small pause.
"…If anything, I think he'd like it."
Ryota looked up slightly.
"…You hear that?"
Indratos—
No—
Indra—
Didn't respond.
Still asleep.
Still peaceful.
"…Guess that's a yes."
They continued walking.
Side by side.
Down the long path toward the Town of Beginnings.
The wind brushed past them.
Soft.
Calm.
And for once—
Their footsteps weren't rushed.
"…So."
Rio crossed her arms slightly.
"…What did you get?"
Ryota blinked.
"…Huh?"
"…The skill book."
A pause.
"…You've been staring at it this whole time."
"…Oh."
He chuckled.
"…Right."
He opened the worn book again.
The pages shifted—
Symbols rearranging—
Light flickering faintly.
Then—
A system window appeared.
[World Dragon Crest]
Description:A World Legacy skill that grants the user access to the power of the World Dragons.
Allows the wielder to learn, adapt, and inherit the abilities of each World Dragon.
Ryota's eyes narrowed slightly.
"…Wait…"
He scrolled.
And then—
More text appeared.
[World Dragon Lineage — Locked]
Andrak (Wind) — Locked Prominese (Fire) — Locked Redux (Earth) — Locked Tiamat (Water) — Locked Auroras (Light) — Locked Nebulus (Dark) — Locked
Then—
At the very bottom—
One name remained.
Unlocked.
Indra (Core) — Available
Title:The World Legacy Dragon of Change
Ryota froze.
"…Core?"
Rio leaned slightly closer.
"…Let me see."
He angled the screen toward her.
She read it once.
Then again.
Her eyes narrowed.
"…This isn't normal."
"…Yeah, I figured."
A pause.
"…What does 'Dragon of Change' even mean?"
Rio didn't answer immediately.
Instead—
She studied the description carefully.
"…It means…"
A pause.
"…Adaptation."
Her gaze sharpened.
"…Growth."
Another.
"…Possibility."
Ryota blinked.
"…That sounds… broken."
"…It is."
No hesitation.
"…If this works the way I think it does…"
She looked at him.
"…This might be one of the strongest scaling abilities in the game."
A beat.
"…And you got it at level 3."
"…Level 3, by the way."
Ryota scratched his cheek.
"…No big deal."
Rio sighed.
"…You're unbelievable."
But she was smiling.
Just slightly.
"…So?"
He looked at the prompt.
Still waiting.
Still glowing.
[Would you like to learn the skill "World Dragon Crest"?][Yes] [No]
Ryota didn't hesitate this time.
"…Yeah."
He tapped—
[Yes]
The world flickered.
Light surged through the book—
Then shattered into fragments.
All of it—
Flowed into him.
"—Whoa?!"
Energy wrapped around his body.
Not violent—
But deep.
Like something ancient had acknowledged him.
Accepted him.
His body tensed—
Then relaxed.
A notification appeared.
[Level Up!]Ryota has reached Level 4
Another.
[Skill Acquired: World Dragon Crest]
And another—
Faint.
But present.
[Indra — Synchronization Established]
The glow faded.
Silence returned.
Ryota blinked.
"…Huh."
He flexed his hand slightly.
"…That felt… different."
Rio watched him carefully.
"…What changed?"
He paused.
Then smiled slightly.
"…I think…"
He looked up.
At the sleeping dragon on his head.
"…We're connected now."
Indra shifted slightly.
Still asleep.
But—
A faint glow pulsed once.
Soft.
Acknowledging.
Rio exhaled quietly.
"…Of course you are."
She turned forward again.
"…Just don't break the game too early."
Ryota laughed.
"…No promises."
They continued walking.
The Town of Beginnings slowly coming into view in the distance.
Familiar.
Safe.
Normal.
But now—
They weren't the same players who had left it.
They had changed.
Grown.
Survived something no one else had.
And gained something—
No one else should have.
A World Legacy.
A Dragon.
And a path—
That would reshape everything.
The wind carried them forward.
Toward what came next.
Unaware—
That the world itself had already begun to move around them.
At The Town Of Beginnings
The guild hall was quieter than usual.
Not empty—
But restrained.
Voices were lowered.
Movements measured.
Because for the first time in a long while—
Two rival forces stood under the same roof.
At the center of the room—
A large table.
Spread across it—
A map.
Detailed.
Precise.
And unmistakably—
Valuable.
"…So this is it."
Kiraya's voice broke the silence.
She stood with her arms crossed, eyes locked onto the parchment.
"…The hidden dungeon."
Across from her—
Hinabi leaned slightly against the table.
Her fiery gaze scanned the map with sharp interest.
"…Not bad."
A small smirk formed.
"…Your source did good."
Kiraya didn't respond.
But her eyes flickered briefly.
Because they both knew.
This wasn't something just anyone could have found.
This was Rio's work.
And that alone—
Changed everything.
Around them—
Members of both guilds stood in formation.
Eternity Lions.
Burning Pride.
Once enemies.
Now—
Allies.
At least—
For now.
Fayzan stood beside Kiraya.
Arms relaxed.
But his eyes—
Focused.
Serious.
"…Scouts confirmed it."
He spoke calmly.
"…The entrance is exactly where the map says it is."
A pause.
"…No visible distortions."
"…No anomalies."
Hinabi hummed.
"…Hidden dungeon without a visible trigger…"
She tapped the map lightly.
"…That means it's condition-based."
Ayame, standing slightly behind Fayzan, spoke up.
"…We think so too."
Her voice was softer.
But steady.
"…Most likely tied to a specific item or key."
Sumi, leaning against the wall nearby, crossed her arms.
"…Which means not everyone can enter."
A beat.
"…That's going to complicate things."
Magumo scoffed lightly from the opposite side.
"…Or it just means we send the ones who can."
His tone carried its usual arrogance—
But it was… restrained.
Different.
Because this time—
Hinabi was watching.
And he knew it.
"…We'll deal with that later."
Hinabi cut in smoothly.
"…What matters right now…"
Her gaze sharpened.
"…Is clearing it."
Silence settled again.
Then—
A new voice.
Calm.
Authoritative.
"…We don't have much time."
All eyes shifted.
Elias.
Standing at the head of the table.
Unmoving.
Composed.
"…Floor Two will open soon."
A pause.
"…And with it…"
His gaze lowered slightly.
"…The Floor One boss."
The weight of those words—
Settled heavily across the room.
Because everyone understood what that meant.
A race.
Not just for progress—
But for power.
"…If we clear this dungeon first…"
Kiraya continued.
"…We gain the advantage."
Hinabi smirked.
"…And if we don't…"
"…Someone else will."
Silence.
Agreement.
Unspoken—
But absolute.
Elias nodded once.
"…That's why this is a joint expedition."
A pause.
"…We don't compete here."
Another.
"…We win."
His gaze swept across both guilds.
"…Together."
No one argued.
Because even pride—
Had its limits.
And this—
Was bigger than both of them.
Kiraya stepped forward.
"…I'll lead the frontline."
Her tone was firm.
Certain.
"…My unit will handle direct engagement."
She glanced behind her.
"…Fayzan."
"…Ayame."
"…Sumi."
Each of them nodded.
No hesitation.
Hinabi straightened slightly.
"…Then I'll handle support and control."
Her eyes flicked toward her side.
"…Burning Pride's main force moves with me."
A pause.
Then—
"…Magumo."
He smirked.
"…Yeah?"
"…Don't mess this up."
A beat.
"…Or I'll kick you harder than last time."
A small ripple of restrained laughter moved through the room.
Magumo clicked his tongue.
"…Yeah, yeah."
But he didn't argue.
Didn't push.
Because this time—
He understood.
This wasn't a personal fight.
This was something else.
Something bigger.
Kiraya turned back to the map.
"…Let's talk terrain."
Her finger traced a section just outside the dungeon entrance.
"…Dense forest area."
"…High monster activity."
Fayzan nodded.
"…We've already encountered them."
A pause.
"…Treants."
Ayame shivered slightly.
"…They don't move at first."
"…They look like normal trees."
Sumi smirked faintly.
"…Until they try to kill you."
Hinabi leaned in slightly.
"…Ambush-type monsters?"
"…Exactly."
Fayzan continued.
"…They blend into the environment."
"…Then attack in groups."
A pause.
"…High durability."
"…Slow movement."
"…But strong control over the terrain."
Kiraya nodded.
"…So we burn them."
Hinabi grinned.
"…Glad we agree."
A flicker of flame danced briefly along her fingers.
"…Fire-type attacks should be effective."
Ayame added quietly—
"…But we need to be careful."
"…If they surround us, healing won't keep up."
Elias spoke again.
"…Then we don't let them surround us."
Simple.
Direct.
"…We clear the outer area first."
"…Establish a safe zone."
"…Then move in."
Kiraya nodded.
"…Frontline breaks their formation."
Hinabi followed.
"…Backline supports and clears stragglers."
Fayzan clenched his fist slightly.
"…We push forward together."
Silence.
Then—
Elias straightened.
"…That's enough."
His voice carried finality.
Authority.
"…You all know your roles."
A pause.
"…Prepare yourselves."
His gaze hardened.
"…We move soon."
No one questioned it.
No one hesitated.
Because this—
Was the moment before something big.
Something dangerous.
Something that would decide—
Who would stand at the top of Floor One.
Elias turned away.
"…Dismissed."
Chairs shifted.
Footsteps echoed.
The room slowly emptied.
Plans set.
Roles decided.
The calm before the storm—
Now over.
And far away—
Unseen.
Unnoticed.
Two players walked toward the same destination.
Unaware—
That the world they were about to return to—
Was already moving toward its next collision.