The first blast of Frost Breath veered off-target, freezing only a patch of grass. But on his second attempt, the icy stream hit true, catching the toad's legs mid-jump. In an instant, frost surged over its limbs, locking them in a prison of glittering ice.
The creature crashed onto the cold ground, legs immobilized, writhing and croaking in panic.
Yuki didn't hesitate. He leapt forward, landing squarely on the toad's back. As soon as his claws touched the damp surface, he activated the Dragon God Codex.
Immediately, a faint silvery light glowed around his paw as translucent text appeared in the air before his eyes:
---
[ Available Extractions ]
• Bloodline: Water Toad (F)
• Skill: Water Toad's Jump (F)
[ Note: Both will be transferred to the Archive and become available in the Fusion Lab. ]
---
Yuki quickly skimmed the options. His instincts told him there was no risk. The process was perfectly tailored to him.
He focused his thoughts.
Extract bloodline and skill.
Another soft chime echoed in his mind.
[ You have extracted the Water Toad's Bloodline (F). It has been stored in the Archive. ]
[ You have extracted Water Toad's Jump (F). It has been stored in the Archive. ]
---
The toad beneath him fell completely silent. Its energy had vanished, drained by the Codex. Only a hollow shell remained.
Yuki stepped back, his chest rising and falling slowly.
"So this is how it works..."
He glanced at his claw, then the frozen corpse.
"System, can this dead corpse be used in the Fusion Lab?"
[ Yes ]
But then another prompt followed.
[ Warning! Fusing dead corpses can result in demonic mutation. These creations will have no will of their own and may attack you, Host. ]
The system responded. For a brief moment, it almost sounded like it carried a trace of emotion.
Yuki frowned slightly.
"I see... thanks for the clarification. But can I save this setting with human voice interaction? Preferably in a female voice?"
[ Admin command received. Changing to preferred voice settings. ]
A new voice rang out, in softer tone this time.
The voice was sweet, feminine, but still tinged with the system's mechanical undertone.
[ Hello, Host. This is Dragon God System. Do you like my new voice? ]
Yuki smirked. "It's perfect. Let's go with that. But I need to give you a name, just to make communication easier."
[ You may call me anything you wish, Host. The Dragon God System is now eternally bound to you. You are the sole owner of this system, though I was likely created for someone else. ]
"Ohh?" A flicker of curiosity passed through Yuki's mind. He asked, "Do you remember who that someone else was? The original host?"
[ Negative. I have no memory of the intended user. ]
"So it really came to me by accident..." he muttered to himself. "And that probably explains why I got so sick all of a sudden. My body probably couldn't handle its power."
His thoughts lingered for a moment. He clenched his claws, feeling the surge of energy sleeping within him.
"Still, no matter how it happened... this system is mine now. I won't give it back. I'll use it to change my fate. To become stronger. And live the life I never had."
"Alright, System. You will be called Dracina from now on," he said calmly.
The name had no special meaning. It randomly came into his mind.
[ Preference Saved. It's a pleasure to receive a name from you, host.]
"Like wise."
Afterward, Yuki set out to hunt more creatures. Naturally, he didn't stray far from the little wooden house—just far enough to search the nearby trees and shrubs.
"Croak! Croak!"
His ears perked up at the familiar sound. Another toad.
Near the base of a tree, a second Water Toad rested lazily, unaware of what was coming.
[ Water Toad – Level 2 ]
[ Extractions: Available ]
Without hesitation, Yuki attacked.
The toad's eyes shot open in shock as his small dragon body soared toward it.
Startled, it let out a sharp croak and leapt away, just barely avoiding Yuki's initial strike.
But Yuki had anticipated this.
Mid-air, he flapped his wings—not enough to fly, but enough to close the distance quickly.
[ Frost Breath ]
He took in a breath, then exhaled a shimmering stream of icy mist.
This time, it landed perfectly. The blue frost engulfed the toad's lower half, trapping it in a layer of glistening ice.
Yuki's eyes sparkled with excitement as he approached the immobilized creature.
Without a moment's delay, he activated the Dragon God Codex.
[ Available Extractions: ]
• Bloodline: Water Toad (F)
• Skills: Water Toad's Jump (F), Water Resistance (F)
Yuki chose to extract both the bloodline and the skills again. Because, It still wasn't the time to experiment with the Fusion Lab—not until he gathered enough material for testing.
After completing the extraction, he opened the Archive.
---
[ Archive ]
Bloodlines: Water Toad (F) – x2
Skills: Water Toad's Leap (F), Water Resistance (F)
---
So now it was clear that bloodlines and skills could stack up.
That also confirmed something else: the Dragon God's Codex couldn't replicate powers from the archive itself. He had to collect multiple instances directly. It was a bit disappointing, but not unexpected.
Still, he didn't let it bother him for long.
'Hey, Dracina, can I be a target in the Fusion Lab?' He asked internally while quietly scanning the underbrush for his next prey.
Dracina's voice replied smoothly, her tone calm and mechanical yet laced with a hint of warmth.
'Yes, Host. You are eligible to enter the Fusion Lab as a subject.'
'That's great. But is there a limit to how often I can fuse?'
[ Yes. Currently, you may only undergo Fusion 3 times per day. However, this limit is not absolute. You are free to override it. But doing so comes with serious risk. The limit is designed to protect your Soul and Body, both of which are still fragile in your current state.]
Yuki narrowed his eyes.
'Soul and body, huh? What do they have to do with fusion?'
Dracina answered swiftly, as if the explanation was long embedded in her system:
[ Answer: Skills are engraved directly into the Host's Soul. Excessive or unstable fusion can damage the Soul's structure. The Body, on the other hand, acts as the physical vessel to wield these Skills. Without a balanced and strong vessel, even a powerful skill would be unusable. Host is advised to maintain equilibrium between Soul and Body to avoid instability. ]
Yuki nodded to himself thoughtfully,
'So there were real stakes to growing stronger. A balance had to be kept, or everything could collapse from within.'
Still, the path forward was clear. Extract more. Fusion wisely. Grow stronger.
And survive.