The sun had barely risen when I finished helping Mia restock the pantry. Arms loaded with bags of rice, crates of vegetables, and jugs of wine, I delivered each item where Mia instructed, her voice sharp but appreciative. When I was done, she patted my back once with her calloused hand and told me to eat something before I burned through my whole day.
Syr was already waiting, perched near the back door with a lunch wrapped in a cloth patterned with falling silver petals. She smiled when I approached, and without a word, handed the bundle to me. "For luck," she said softly. I thanked her, gave her a quick hug, and headed out—gear tight on my body, new twin blades gleaming at my side, and the bracelet Nyx gave me warm against my wrist.
Today felt different.
I descended through the dungeon with purpose, arriving at the first floor, where a group of goblins snarled in the distance. Perfect test subjects.
I extended my hand and whispered:
"Radiant Fire."
From my palm, a spiral of gold and violet flame erupted—searing, elegant, and utterly breathtaking. It roared forward like a living current, engulfing the goblins in purifying fire. They shrieked and vanished into light and ash, their monster stones bouncing across the floor.
I exhaled, stunned. That felt... amazing. I experimented from floor 1 through 4, channeling the fire in different ways. A steady stream, like a flamethrower. A compressed ball, the size of a baseball, launched like a comet that exploded on impact.
Each time, it consumed monsters cleanly—but I noticed something: fewer drops.
Still, I collected all the monster stones, but this time I did something different.
I opened my hand, focused on the runes of my bracelet, and placed a stone into my palm. The runes shimmered faintly—silver against the violet and black metal—and pulsed with soft light. Then… the stone crumbled into dust, dissolving without a trace.
And I felt it.
A faint warmth inside. Not enough to overwhelm, but just enough to notice.
So the bracelet does work. I get stronger… bit by bit.
I downed a mind potion, careful not to overuse my magic. No sense in collapsing from Mind Down like an idiot.
By the time I hit the 7th floor, I was slicing through War Shadows and swarms of Killer Ants with confidence. Radiant Fire surged from my body like second nature—each stream of flame guiding me through the chaos like a dance. Chitin cracked. Shadows burned. Stones absorbed.
Then came the Needle Rabbits—fast and aggressive. I barely caught them before their tusks pierced my shoulder, but I countered quickly with a cross-slash of my Shadow Fangs.
Each one dropped long, sharp tusks—I grabbed three.
Next, a group of Blue Papilio, but again, the flame made it hard to recover any wings. A loss, but a necessary trade-off. Still, I kept pushing. By the time I reached the 10th floor, my mind potions were gone, and the air had changed.
The mist thickened. The light dimmed into a cold, pale glow, almost silvery white. Dead trees stretched up from the ground, their bark rotted and ashen. I crept forward carefully, blades at the ready.
Then I heard it—thunderous breathing. An Orc stepped out from the mist. Towering, thick legs, tusked face. A low growl rumbled in its chest.
I didn't use magic this time. I charged with my blades, slashing at the calves first to disable movement. My enchanted blades bit deep—barely—but enough to bring the orc down to one knee. I leapt and drove both swords into its skull.
It collapsed, shuddering, dropping a monster stone and a coarse monster drop.
Then… more orcs.
I moved with precision: first calf, then skull or neck. Each one that fell made me stronger as I absorbed more stones The warm surge of power began to build. I could feel my movements tightening, my reflexes sharpening. My Breathing heavy but I stayed focused, I moved into the shadows of a dead tree and unwrapped Syr's lunch. A soft roll, meat cuts, sliced fruit, and a small note that simply said, "Happy Birthday Cain."
I smiled, ate, and sipped an elixir. My body stabilized, my mind clearing from the slow burn of overuse and muscles felt relieved.
When I got back into the fight more orcs came after, this time with Imps trailing them—fast and erratic. I activated Observation Haki, my awareness expanding outward. Every footfall, breath, and twitch echoed in my senses. I moved like a blur, slicing through the Imps first before spinning to slash down the orcs that crushed some of the imps. I continued this until the floor was cleared and then I reached the stairs leading to the next floor.
Finally, I reached the 11th floor. The air turned thick, and the mist became almost white smoke. My vision blurred slightly, but I kept pushing forward, burning every stone I collected.
Then I heard it. A deep, thunderous snort. The crack of claws against stone. And then it stepped out of the mist. A infant dragon.
It stood at least three times my height, deep orange scales. I grinned and dropped into my stance, twin blades ready, Mind's Eye active, Observation Haki flaring. The mist no longer mattered, I could see the floor, the rocks, the cracks… and the dragon's red glowing weak points across its body. Legs. Throat. Left eye.
It took a step toward me, earth shaking slightly with each movement. And I welcomed it.
The infant dragon loomed over me like a trial forged by the Dungeon itself. Every muscle in my body tensed as I charged forward, twin blades drawn. Its first move was almost lazy—a heavy stomp, more quake than technique—but I weaved between its legs, slashing at its calves, trying to cripple it early. My blades bit in, drawing blood, but the creature barely reacted beyond a growl.
Then it roared, and a stream of flame burst from its jaws—small by dragon standards, but hot enough to blister stone. I barely dodged, rolling to the side, the flames licking at my boots and hair. I struck again, slashing at its legs, trying to find rhythm. I managed to land a few slashes while dodging.
I thought I was making good progress and that when I miscalculated.
Its tail whipped around like a thunderclap. It hit me full-force, sending my body flying into a jagged boulder. The crash hit me hard Pain erupted in every nerve ending. My ears rang. I felt the sharp crack of a rib and the burn of torn muscle. I was dazed, barely able to think. But it wasn't over from there.
That's when the fire came down on me. The second breath attack landed square on my body. The hellish heat washed over me, peeling skin, boiling sweat, cooking me alive. I screamed my wounds were blistering raw and ragged, as I tried to use Armament Haki to block it, but it didn't work.
The fire dug deep, branding agony into my body. The stench of my own burning flesh filled my nose. I dropped to a knee, heaving for breath each breathe had me coughing and my lungs burning. My mind swam. I was going to die here.
No I needed to focus and dig deep. I focused and assets myself and my situation. I checked my belt all my potions were destroyed. Damn and I only had one good arm left that I could use.
I focused. Mind's Eye flared open, and through the painful haze, I saw it the red fracture, a thin and pulsing over the dragon's chest, right above where its heart should be.
I I have to it quick about and I have one shot to do it right. I stumbled to my feet, only one hand working properly now. My body was torn, nerves frayed. I ran towards the dragon, every step screaming at me to stop, to collapse, to give up.
Fuck that. This is nothing compared to what Ais, Ryuu, or Bell went through.
I leapt, took one of my Shadow Fang blades, and dug it with all the strength I had left. It struck true, embedding deep into the glowing fracture. The dragon howled in agony.
I dove under it, gritting my teeth through the pain, and with a savage roar of my own, kicked the hilt upward, burying the blade deeper. Blood poured out, coating me head to toe—hot, viscous, metallic. It seeped into my wounds and mouth. I could taste the iron, bitter but it soothed my dry throat.
The infant dragon shuddered and collapsed, dissolving into light and dust. A monster stone fell, along with a cluster of rare drops, to the floor.
I limped over and absorbed the stone. The healing effect, though subtle, was enough to stabilize me. I staggered to my bag, now lying beneath a tree, and pulled out my last elixirs—drank one, poured the other on my burns. Bless Miach and Naaza for these. My skin began to mend, the pain dulling, clarity returning.
Then I saw them my drops and something new.
Infant Dragon Claws. Scale. Dragon Eye. and something massive. A Dragon Heart it was the size of a bowling ball. I stared in awe. I didn't even think they could drop these. Cautiously, I sniffed it—it had a smoky, metallic scent—and, for reasons I didn't quite understand, I bit into it. It felt like a primal hunger to eat the heart of my conquered prey.
It was chewy, a tad rubbery, warm… but not to unpleasant. Maybe this was crazy… but if doing this gives me a development ability, it's worth the risk. Just as I finished, I heard a low roar from deeper in the mist. My head turned.
Another one. A second infant dragon oh great I groaned. "Alright… let's try for two." I grabbed my other blade and ran for to the infant dragon ready to not repeat the same mistake.
After an eight-hour dive, I finally exited the Dungeon. The sun was starting setting, gold and orange bathing the streets. And I was drenched in blood, carrying my overstuffed backpack drawing stares and hushed gasps.
When I reached the Guild, Rose spotted me instantly and her normally composed stoic face frozen in mild shock and concern. She rushed over.
"Cain! Are you alright?!" "Yeah," I said, trying to smile through my exhaustion. "I'm here to exchange monster drops."
She hesitated, then nodded. "Come with me. We'll go to a private room." Inside, she handed me a towel. I wiped the dragon blood and grime from my face while she opened my pack. As she laid out the contents, her eyes widened.
Fangs. Claws. Scales. Ant eyes. fluids. Wings. Armor fragments. Then she found the infant dragon drops.
"These… these are… Cain. These are infant dragon parts." I nodded, too tired to be smug. "I killed two."
She blinked. "Two?" "Yep. And I wanted to ask…" I pulled the wrapped wet cloth from my side and slowly revealed the Dragon Heart. It gleamed in the room light. Rose stared hard for a second. "This… this is a heart?! Is this from an infant dragon?!"
"Yeah," I said simply. She looked from the heart to me. "Did you have a party with you?"
"No. Solo dive."
"…I have to take this to our appraiser please hold." I nodded She disappeared, returning a couple minutes later, face pale but impressed. "The appraiser confirmed it. This is extremely rare. Worth 25,000 valis if you sell to us. More—up to 45,000—if sold to a Familia directly."
"I'm keeping it," I said. She nodded, almost relieved. "Fair enough. But… where are the monster stones?"
"I traded them to a passing adventure party," I lied. "I got hit bad by the fire breath. Needed an elixir. so I offered all my monster stones and they took them in exchange for their elixir"
Her eyes narrowed, then softened. "You're lucky to be alive. The 11th floor is too early for solo dives, Cain. You need a party and supporter." I gave a tired nod. "I understand. Thanks for the concern I will make sure to do that next time (maybe)."
Rose looked at the rest of my drops and calculated quickly. "Without the dragon heart, your total is 60,000 valis after taxes and commission."
"Sounds good, I'll take it." A few minutes later, she handed me a pouch heavy with coin. "Be careful next time."
"I will," I said with a slight smile. "Thank you, Rose." "Have a good day," she added, watching me as I walked out the guild. As the sun finally dipped beneath the horizon, I made my way across Orario to the Miach Familia shop, stepping heavy from exhaustion. As I open the door, bell chiming softly. Inside, Naaza and Miach both look up in surprise—just as I collapse onto a bench.
I leaned back on the wooden bench inside the Miach Familia shop, still slick with blood, grime, and the lingering smell of roasted flesh. My muscles throbbed in protest, but the warmth of safety made me relax.
Naaza was the first to rush to my side, a waterskin in her hand. "Cain—what in all the gods happened to you?" Miach followed quickly, concern shadowing his normally serene face. "Are you injured? Sit back, drink."
I nodded gratefully, accepting the cool water. "I'm fine. Just sore. I had… a rough run in the Dungeon."
Naaza squinted. "Define 'rough.'" I smiled faintly. "I fought two infant dragons on the lower floors. Solo."
Their jaws dropped in unison. Naaza whispered, "Two?!" "I survived," I added with a grin. "Barely." Then, from my pack, I pulled out the wrapped cloth and gently set the infant dragon heart on the nearby table.
Miach's eyes widened in amazement. He stepped closer, reverently examining the golden-red organ, its core still faintly pulsing with latent magic. "I've never seen a drop like this in my life," he breathed. "Do you know what you've found, Cain?"
"I heard from the Guild that I could get at least 45,000 valis if I sold it to a Familia."
Miach frowned slightly, rubbing the back of his head. "If I'm being honest… this heart is worth more than that. At minimum, it's valued at 60,000 valis, possibly even more depending on how it's used. The appraiser probably didn't realize how intact it was."
Naaza added, her tone regretful, "Even then, we still can't afford it, Cain. The Dian Cecht Familia or Hephaestus Familia would pay you properly for it." I shook my head. "I'm not here to sell it for profit. I'm giving it to you. I trust you, Miach. Your potions I trust and have saved me already. Make more incredible ones with this."
Both of them looked stunned. "This is a very rare drop, Cain," Miach said slowly, "you're giving up serious wealth."
I smiled. "You're family. I'd rather help your shop grow. All I ask in return is three low-grade elixirs. I'll pay full price—120,000 valis." I pulled out the pouch of money and placed it on the table.
Miach stared at the coin in disbelief. "You… you're sure?" "Yes. And if that wasn't enough," I added with a small grin, placing another 40,000 valis beside it, "consider this an investment for those two extra potions you gave me last time."
Naaza's eyes watered slightly with a faint smile on her face, and Miach, visibly emotional, bowed deeply. "Thank you, Cain. When we finish crafting potions from this… you'll receive the first one. Free."
I raised an eyebrow. "Half off you can start giving me free stuff when this place is flourishing." He laughed. "Alright, alright. Half off. You drive a hard bargain." I accepted the three elixirs, tucked them into my belt, and waved them goodbye. "Stay healthy. I'm counting on you."
Back at the Hostess of Fertility, I stepped through the back door, drawing gasps from May, Chloe, and Mia.
Mia narrowed her eyes. " stay in the back outside and bathe now. You reek of sweat, blood, and scorched leather."
"Noted." Before I could get a word in, Ryuu appeared with a bucket and scrub brush. Then came Nyx, appearing as though summoned by mischief.
"Strip," she said flatly.
"…what?" "You're disgusting," Nyx said, already conjuring a dark washcloth from the shadows. "We're cleaning you. Now."
Within moments, I was sitting bare in the back, crimson and dirt flowing into the grass as Nyx scrubbed me down with divine efficiency, Ryuu occasionally passing soap with Syr trying to come back and help but Mia pulled back in telling her to serve customer's. The embarrassment burned me hotter than the dragon's breath.
Later that night, after drying off and eating dinner, I met Nyx again in my room.
"Status update," she said with a sly grin, lets see how the bracelet worked for you.
I nodded, back turned, and the light flared behind me as I felt her power run through my Falna
Her breath hitched. "My, my…" She handed me the sheet with a reverent smile.
Cain Dawnstar – Level 1
Strength: G (210) → E (402)
Endurance: G (290) → E (420)
Dexterity: G (200) → E (400)
Agility: H (198) → F (392)
Magic: I (50) → G (290)
Skills
Luck (B)
Abnormal Resistance (C+)
Elder Blood (I)
Haki (I)
Mind's Eye (H)
Radiant Fire – Heals allies, burns enemies with radiant gold-violet flame.
Dragon Slayer – Increases damage and Falna growth when battling dragon-type enemies.
Limit Breaker – Boosts power and Falna gain when injured or near death. Increases exponentially the closer to death one becomes.
I blinked at the paper. "Two grade jumps across most stats… and my magic stat nearly quadrupled." Nyx looked pleased. "That bracelet is working wonders, isn't it?" I smiled. "I'm lucky you're my goddess."
She ruffled my hair. "Good. As long as you remember that." Then I pointed to the C+ rank on Abnormal Resistance. "The fire?"
She nodded. "Exactly. Surviving a dragon's fire it's no small feat. Just don't make a habit of get hit by it. Next time you might not be so lucky and who knows what I would do to this world when I grieve your loss."
I was shocked to hear that , but decided not to linger on it I slid into bed, the paper still in hand. "Another step forward to my dream."
"Getting stronger and to slay the One-Eyed Black Dragon?" I nodded. "I'll need more than strength—I'll need strategy, allies, skills… but I'll get there. One floor at a time."
Nyx leaned in, kissed my forehead, and held me in the arms in the dark room as I drifted off to sleep.
The next day I headed to Chloe's forge, with my destroyed armor in my back pack humming to myself.
Then I stepped through the door. We greeted each other and I ask her to help me repair my armor. I hand her my bag and she pulls the armor out. Her voice cracked like thunder.
"WHAT THE HELL DID YOU DO TO MY ARMOR?!" I froze as Chloe stood with a mangled, half-burnt breastplate, waving it in the air like a weapon.