Bel and the elf stood frozen, the silence between stretching.
Bel's gaze was locked on the floating system ssage before him.
[Warning: Stamina too low to maintain Draconic Form. Returning to Base Form.]
His mind reeled.
Stamina too low? Draconic form? What does that even an?
All this ti, the changes in his body, claws, scales, and eyes weren't just random mutations but part of sothing called a Draconic Form.
He had assud it was just an evolution, a natural progression of his abilities, but now... this changed everything.
His thoughts scrambled for answers, but he found none. How long had his body been shifting between forms without him realizing it? How could his stamina be too low? Didn't he have the ability to recover stamina? How was it low?
The elf, still standing in place, studied him carefully.
She was about to express her disappointnt, thinking he was going against her advice, choosing to look human just to blend in, but then she saw the genuine shock in his expression.
Even he didn't seem to understand what was happening to him.
Bel let out a slow breath, trying to steady himself. Now wasn't the ti for existential questions. He needed to figure this out, but that would take ti.
Right now, they had a job to finish.
The elf studied him for a mont, her gaze lingering on his features. Her brows furrowed slightly, then, she sighed quietly.
"We should hurry. Now that your appearance is human again, you won't be seen as a monster, but... you'll definitely stand out. Speaking of that... Are you... male?"
Bel blinked, snapping out of his thoughts.
"What?"
She cleared her throat, glancing away briefly.
"Your face... looks unnervingly female."
Bel tilted his head, intrigued. That wasn't the first ti he had heard that. In fact, it was the exact sa thing that woman had told him before.
His expression shifted from confusion to a little anxiety, and the elf took another step forward, now clearly confused.
"Wait... is even that a mystery to you?"
He imdiately shook his head, exhaling in mild amusent.
"No, I'm male, 100%. A male... a real male. Just... a male of a strange species."
An awkward silence followed. The elf opened her mouth, then closed it, unsure how to respond to that.
After a mont, she sighed, pushing aside her confusion.
"I see."
Then, for the first ti, her posture softened.
"I never introduced myself properly." She straightened, eting his gaze directly. "I am Selith Veylara, mage of the Verdant Glade."
Bel studied her for a mont before nodding slightly.
"Bel. Adventurer."
Selith waited for a few seconds, then as nothing else ca from his mouth, she narrowed her eyes.
"...That's it?"
Bel shrugged.
"Yes. That's all you need to know."
A small sigh left her lips, but it wasn't one of frustration. Instead, she looked at him with sothing closer to understanding.
"...Are you planning to keep your real nature a secret?"
Bel's expression didn't change.
"Seeing how people reacted here, it would be for the best."
Selith frowned slightly, her arms crossing.
"You should confront them. Show them what you are and impose your identity."
Bel shook his head.
"That's not how I want to do things. I have no reason to impose anything, and it's plenty enough like that."
A mont of silence passed before she let out a soft breath.
"... Fine. If that's what you want, then so be it."
Then, unexpectedly, she smiled. A quiet, genuine smile, small, fleeting, yet holding a warmth that felt almost out of place on her normally composed face.
Bel stared for a second longer than he ant to, then, just as subtly, smiled back.
They both nodded in silent understanding before heading toward the recovery team.
By now, most of the materials had been collected. The body was nearly stripped of all useful parts.
The only thing left... was the core.
Bel stood before the remains of the colossal snake, his red eyes locked onto the lifeless husk.
Closing his eyes briefly, he activated [Perception]. Instantly, a wave of invisible energy pulsed from his body, washing over the remains.
He saw it, buried deep within the wreckage, pulsing like a heart still clinging to life. A massive, luminous purple orb, emanating a thick and suffocating aura.
He stepped forward, his fingers brushing against the warm surface of the core. The mont he touched it, a powerful energy coursed on his body.
So this is it. He smiled.
The true treasure of the dungeon, the favorite al of dragons.
The recovery team paused their work, watching in quiet awe. Even Selith observed with mild interest as he lifted the core from the remains.
It was heavier than he expected, but he welcod the weight. This was his reward.
With the core secured, the group began their ascent out of the dungeon. The mont they stepped through the fading purple rift, the shift from dark caverns to open sky felt almost surreal.
Fresh air, the sight of the setting sun, the crisp evening breeze, it was over.
The mont of relief was short-lived, however, as the rest of the party finally took in Bel's changed appearance under the open light.
The dwarves were the first to break the silence.
"Well, lad," one of them said, rubbing his chin. "I'd say ye put on a damn fine show in there."
"Aye," the second dwarf nodded, then smirked, nudging the other. "Though with that face, ye best not sleep near a single man. Just to be safe."
The group erupted into laughter, except for Bel, who sighed, shaking his head.
With the tension from battle behind them, the conversation flowed easily. The newer dungeon raiders, still buzzing from the experience, shared their thoughts, excitent, regrets, and a new drive to improve.
"That was insane," the swordsman admitted. "I thought I was ready for dungeon raids, but that fight showed I've still got a long way to go."
"Sa," the archer chid in. "Next ti, I'm bringing better arrows, and maybe so magic items."
The dwarves clapped Bel on the back.
"Ye fought like a beast, lad. If ye ever need a battle partner, look no further."
"Aye, wouldn't mind another fight at yer side."
Bel gave them a small nod, appreciating the sentint.
As they reached the guild's outer post, the question of the ring ca out.
"It's yers now, lad. Ye earned it," the dwarf said with a firm nod.
Bel slipped it onto his finger without a word.
With that, the party began to part ways, each heading off toward their own destinations. Garrik remained quiet, his arms crossed, but he made no move to leave just yet.
Selith stood a few steps away, watching Bel carefully, as if considering sothing.
Just as he was about to turn, she spoke.
"You're with Eldoria's guild, aren't you?"
Bel blinked, then nodded.
"Yeah."
Selith simply exhaled.
"I see."
She turned as if to leave, then paused.
"...Don't disappear too soon."
Bel raised a brow slightly but didn't respond. With that, the two groups finally parted ways, leaving the battlefield behind them.
Left alone, Bel walked down the empty road as the cool evening air surrounded him.
Now that he was alone, there were so many questions to answer. So many choices to make. The first action was the most obvious.
His fingers tightened around the large, glowing orb in his grasp, feeling the powerful energy pulsing within.
Then, he smiled.
"Dinner."
There was no hesitation, no second-guessing. The fate of this core was sealed the mont he had taken it. Just like the others he had consud before.
The only difference? This one was bigger, stronger, packed with more power than anything he'd ever had before.
He chuckled to himself, wondering what the others would think if they ever found out. All those complaints about losing money, about how valuable it was... only for it to end up in his stomach. The thought alone made him smirk wider.
"I can't wait to see what this one does..."
anwhile, deep within the dungeon, near the remains of the snake, sothing unnatural stirred.
The ground, still slick with the monster's blood, trembled ever so slightly.
The thick, purple liquid, pooled around the broken cavern floor, began to shift, moving unnaturally as if drawn by an invisible force.
Then, the blood pulsed.
A dark sigil began to form, intricate patterns carving themselves into the stone, glowing with a deep, sinister light.
The temperature in the cavern dropped, and the air thickened.
A low hum echoed through the chamber, the sigil burning brighter.
Then, suddenly, the air split open, and from within the glowing mark, a purple furnace erupted, swirling like a portal to another world.
A shadowed silhouette began to erge, its form still hazy through the flickering flas.
A voice, smooth and curious, slipped through the darkness.
"So? What's the problem here?"
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