“Snowflake, are you hungry?” the girl called as she ran between the bushes, a bright grin on her face. She wore a long white dress, complementing her pale skin and creating contrast against dark hair and eyes. She moved toward a lone maple tree in the yard, its red leaves falling and dancing in the autumn wind.

  Beneath the tree stood a white dragon. Its four scaled legs were taller than the girl herself. Its eyes - dark pupils set against yellow irises - were fixed on her, completely ignoring the small bird leg she carried in her hand.

  “Snowflake, come,” the girl said as she got close enough, trying to blow her long black hair away as it fell across her face. Both her hands were dirty with the bird’s blood, and she didn’t want to touch her hair with them.

  The dragon stepped closer as it released a high-pitched purr to show affection toward the girl. When its head lowered toward her, it exhaled gently from its nostrils, and the girl’s hair was blown back from her face.

  “Thank you, Snowflake,” she chirped, brushing her cheek against the dragon’s scaled chin. Her pale skin turned red from the contact. “Here, I brought a duck…”

  Her words died in her throat as the dragon suddenly bristled. The scales along its back shifted as it stepped forward and positioned itself in front of her.

  “What are you doing?” the girl protested, not understanding what was happening. She pressed her shoulder against the dragon, trying to push it aside.

  Not far from them, the ground exploded in front of the mansion, as if struck by thunder. The earth tore apart in the large yard, sending pebbles flying as a thick cloud of dust rose into the air.

  Through the settling dust, three giant dragon figures emerged, their massive bodies barely obscured by the haze. Three men jumped down from their backs almost instantly.

  The girl stopped pushing against Snowlake as she saw a man and a woman rush out of the house before the three newcomers could even step onto the low staircase leading to the entrance.

  “Daddy? Mommy?” she whispered, confusion turning into fear as she stood frozen in place.

  Her parents exchanged a few rapid words with the men. Then her father flared his mana and launched an icicle toward them. At the same time, her mother turned and drew a rune in the air before activating it.

  “Run!” The single word reached the girl and the dragon as the air itself vibrated.

  “Mom!” the girl screamed as she let go of the duck leg she had been holding all this time. She lunged toward her parents, but Snowflake stopped her. The dragon lifted her with one clawed leg and launched into the air, flying away from the growing battlefield.

  “No! What are you doing?! We have to help them!” the girl cried, pounding against the dragon’s limb.

  The dragon’s entire body was now coated in silvery mana as it gathered momentum, increasing its speed.

  Then a deafening, guttural growl came from behind them.

  From the corner of her eye, the girl saw a massive brown dragon closing in. It was at least ten times larger than Snowflake.

  Lightning began to crackle across Snowflake’s body as it pushed itself faster, and the gap between them slowly widened.

  But while the lightning increased its speed, it also harmed the girl in its grasp.

  Her entire body spasmed as loose sparks ran through her, vibrating violently through her limbs. She wanted to scream, to beg Snowflake to turn back and help her parents, but her jaw wouldn’t move. Her body felt completely stunned.

  Then Snowflake seemed to notice as the lightning around its body vanished.

  And with it, much of its speed.

  The giant dragon quickly regained the distance Snowflake had gained in the last few seconds. As it drew closer, it spat a ball of green saliva toward them.

  Unable to dodge, Snowflake folded its wings around the girl, shielding her completely with its body.

  She could neither see nor hear what was happening outside, but she felt the tremors. She felt the violent shudder running through her dragon’s body.

  Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.

  Snowflake shrieked and growled until, at last, the pressure eased and its wings opened.

  They were on the ground.

  Beside them stood a massive white dragon, and the brown one was nowhere to be seen.

  “Lady Evelyn, are you alright?” came a worried voice.

  She turned toward the sound and saw a man in a simple tunic and trousers, holding a massive spiked flail. He stood hunched, his left hand gripping his bleeding right shoulder.

  “Uncle Robert…” Evelyn cried out, her voice desperate and muffled by tears, as she tried to run toward him, but Snowflake was still holding her. “Mommy and Daddy…”

  “Snowflake, take her to Lord Henry,” Robert said, ignoring her plea as he looked her over to confirm she wasn’t injured. “You must save the last member of House Glacière!”

  As if understanding, Snowflake rose from the ground, though the left side of its body was rotting away where the green substance had struck it. The dragon still lifted its head proudly and gave Robert a long look.

  The man knelt before Evelyn.

  “Lady Evelyn,” he said, removing a black leather satchel from his side. “This was meant to be your eighth birthday present. I still haven’t finished it…”

  He placed it in her hands. She stared at him, unable to understand what was happening.

  “You should have had a different life,” he muttered through clenched jaw, glancing toward the horizon where smoke darkened the sky.

  He was about to say more when the giant white dragon growled and lifted its head toward the sky.

  Robert understood immediately.

  “Snowflake, now!” he ordered.

  He picked Evelyn up as she tried to cling to him, but he pulled away. He set her on Snowflake’s back, carefully avoiding the hissing green patches still eating into its scales.

  “Evelyn, never forget that you are the proud daughter of Missandre and Rupert Glacière…”

  <<<>>>

  When Lucas opened his eyes, he was already back in the corridor. In front of him, Evelyn stood with her back turned, dressing in a hurry, and he managed only a brief glance at her bare back.

  A pale dragon mark stretched across the left side of it, looking less like ink and more like something burned into her flesh.

  “It is impolite to stare at a woman while she dresses. Especially without permission.” Evelyn’s calm voice startled Lucas as he looked away instinctively.

  “I’m sorry,” he muttered, a faint flush rising to his face, though a small smile betrayed him.

  “So you grow stronger with each creature you kill,” Evelyn continued as she finished dressing and turned toward him. “Is that why I failed to extract an essence from the specter?”

  Lucas’s eyes widened as he swallowed.

  She really had learned about his secret. But how much? Did she know he was from Earth? That he could see the blue windows? That strange connection he felt with the dragon?

  “Probably. I don’t know much about it either.”

  “How did you remain so unimpressive with such a powerful ability?” Evelyn chuckled, though her smile did not reach her eyes. “You need not worry. I am accustomed to keeping secrets. Revealing them has a habit of harming not only those I value… but myself as well.”

  Lucas understood what she meant and simply nodded. Inside, however, he was celebrating.

  Evelyn might have joked to lighten the mood, but it told Lucas that she didn’t know he had been recently transported into this world, and she likely didn’t know about his game-like windows either.

  Thank God this damn dungeon didn’t reveal everything…

  The relief lasted only a moment as a blue notification appeared in front of him.

  [You’ve successfully cleared the Chamber of Trust!]

  [

  Quest 1/3

  Objective: Clear as many chambers as you can (min. requirement: 3; currently: 3)

  Reward: Exit permission and a new skill generated based on your performance

  ]

  [You may exit the dungeon and receive your reward, or continue clearing chambers for a better one.]

  Lucas was still reading when Evelyn’s voice snapped him out of it.

  “Lucas!”

  He looked up and saw her figure beginning to turn transparent, tiny particles swirling around her like dust.

  “Wha…” he started, but she cut him off.

  “I will see you outside,” Evelyn said, a warm smile on her face as her body dissolved completely into drifting specks.

  The sight was far more disturbing than Lucas had imagined leaving this place would be. For a moment, he even wondered whether Evelyn had died, but then he remembered the warm, relaxed smile on her face and decided she couldn’t have possibly been in pain.

  His gaze shifted back to the blue windows as he read them once more. He could gain a new skill and leave this place if he wanted to, but he hesitated.

  He wasn’t blind - he could see he had grown much stronger since entering the dungeon. He had leveled up a few times, evolved his skill, and even gained potions and money he could use later. But more than that, he hesitated because of the promise of a better skill.

  Lucas had already realized how powerful skills could be. Now that he had gained a new active one, he wanted to stay and grow as strong as possible before leaving.

  He dismissed the blue windows and picked up the spear and the wooden staff from the floor. His eyes settled on the chamber entrance ahead of him. As he resolved himself, excitement rose in his chest and energy spread through his muscles.

  “Let’s gain as much as I can from this place.”

  ??

  The next chapter on Saturday!

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