The twin pillars of golden light that enveloped Kaelen marked their triumph — though not without cost. His chest rose and fell in ragged rhythm, the canyon air thick with iron and ash. He was Level 6 now, but the system's sting was immediate: reduced experience for the kill. Even victory came with diminishing returns. Two levels gained… and a reminder that this world was designed to crush the unprepared.
Every strike, every dodge, every fraction of a second mattered. Survival here wasn't luck — it was precision carved by pain.
Beside him, the dragon perched silently, her white-gold scales catching the canyon's dim afterglow. She was barely the height of his torso, yet her presence felt… ancient. Something in her eyes, a depth that belonged to the legends of the old world, not a newborn creature in a beginner's canyon.
Kaelen crouched, studying her in quiet awe. "You really are something else, huh?"
He examined her details through the system window, and his breath hitched. Her growth potential — absurd. No player, no NPC, no monster in the starting zone should ever possess stats like that.
"Ten stars… across the board?" he muttered, half laughing, half disbelieving. "Even endgame raid bosses would flinch."
The dragon tilted her head, letting out a soft, questioning trill.
Kaelen grinned. "Alright, alright. I get it. You deserve a name."
He tapped his chin thoughtfully. "Orion. How about that? Strong, heroic, constellation vibes—"
A chirp of protest cut him off. A system ping followed.
Your companion finds this name too masculine.
Kaelen blinked. "Ah… you're a girl, huh?" He smiled, softer now. "Then… Luna. Like polished moonlight. Fits you perfectly."
The dragon blinked once, then trilled with quiet approval.
You have successfully named your companion [Ancient Dragon Heir: Luna]. Loyalty increased.
Kaelen chuckled under his breath. "Pleasantries over, Luna. Let's see what our wolf friend left behind."
The canyon shimmered faintly with scattered loot. Kaelen knelt, retrieving the spoils one by one, the metallic scent of the Alpha's blood still lingering in the dust.
A thick hide armor — bronze-tier, flexible yet sturdy, resistant to the corrupted aura that tainted the beasts here. A curved fang dagger, small but perfectly balanced, sharp enough to draw sparks from stone. A silver bangle engraved with unfamiliar runes — clearly part of something bigger. And lastly, a skill scroll pulsing with pale light.
He absorbed its information at a glance.
[Coin Toss] — A rare, high-grade skill that allowed a player to throw their weapon as a projectile, dealing devastating damage at the cost of the weapon itself. No cooldown.
Kaelen couldn't help but smile. "A gambler's move, huh? Fits me perfectly."
He equipped the dagger, fastening the armor, and stowed the rest. The canyon around him seethed with motion — corrupted wolves pacing along the edges, their red eyes glinting like embers in the gloom. Luna's tail flicked once, eager. Her instincts screamed for battle.
"Alright," Kaelen murmured. "Let's move. Keep low. Hit fast."
The two became a rhythm of motion and precision — Kaelen's blade cutting arcs of light through the haze, Luna's tail slamming down like a golden hammer. Her small frame moved with lethal grace, crushing bones and cleaving through the air as if born to it. Every kill granted experience shared between them, though Kaelen could feel the system clearly favoring him for direct engagement.
The levels ticked upward in steady rhythm. Seven. Then eight. Small victories, measured not just in numbers but in the controlled calm that replaced his early panic. His movements grew cleaner, sharper — a swordsman in training, tempered by the constant edge of danger.
When the fighting finally ceased, Kaelen leaned back against a jagged boulder. His breathing slowed as he watched Luna preen her wings, small scales glittering faintly in the canyon's twilight.
For a fleeting second, the world quieted.
He closed his eyes, feeling the wind brush against his face — cold, rough, real. It wasn't the sterile, recycled air of a hospital ward. It wasn't the weight of failing lungs or whispered pity. Here, he was just alive. Each strike, each movement, each heartbeat was proof of it.
"Man," he muttered, half-smiling. "I could get used to this."
But peace never lasted long in Ascendant.
A low growl rolled through the canyon, deeper and more primal than before. Kaelen's eyes snapped open. Three colossal shadows emerged from the far mist, their outlines jagged against the dim light.
At first, he thought it was an illusion. Then their forms solidified.
A tiger, its fur scorched black and veins pulsing with crimson corruption.
A lion, mane flickering like molten gold beneath ash.
And above them, wings of steel and thunder — an eagle the size of a small fortress, its talons glowing like heated blades.
[Corrupted Tiger] (Silver Boss)[Corrupted Lion] (Silver Boss)[Steel-Claw Eagle] (Silver Boss)
The canyon trembled. Rocks shuddered loose from the cliffs. Ozone filled the air with sharp bitterness. Every instinct screamed at Kaelen to run.
He forced a shaky laugh, voice hoarse. "You've gotta be kidding me. Three Silver bosses in a starter zone?"
He could feel Luna's tension beside him — the subtle twitch of her tail, the rumble low in her chest. Her instincts wanted to fight. His wanted to survive.
"Not this time," he whispered, backing away. "We're not dying here. Luna, go!"
The dragon responded instantly, wings snapping open with a force that kicked dust into a storm. The wind howled as they launched into the shadows of the canyon, narrowly avoiding the first strike — a tiger's paw slamming into the stone where they'd stood moments earlier, splitting the ground in a shockwave of pulverized rock.
Kaelen looked down as they soared deeper into the canyon's darker reaches. Below, the bosses bellowed in frustration, their roars chasing them through the narrow ravine.
The world blurred past in streaks of gray and crimson light. Kaelen clutched Luna's scales tightly, every heartbeat a reminder of the razor edge between victory and annihilation.
"Rise like the strong, huh?" he muttered under his breath, half-laughing despite the fear. "More like trip over my own sword and eat dirt first."
The dragon let out a soft rumble, as if amused.
Even in retreat, Kaelen could feel it — the rush, the pulse of life in his veins, fierce and addictive. Today, he'd barely escaped death. But tomorrow… he'd strike back.
He looked forward, the light of the canyon's exit flickering ahead, and whispered to himself with quiet conviction:
"This world won't break me. Not again."