As the sun was about to set.
Upon returning home, I locked the door and sat across from Laura.
It was to receive the lesson we had discussed previously.
Laura pointed at her horns and wings with her fingers.
“This body is a Dragonyte. A race that inherits a small amount of dragon blood.”
“Yes.”
“Normally, it appears like a human with wings or a tail, but in battle…”
Suddenly, she stood up and started to undress.
Swish.
Her pure white body was fully exposed.
Caught off guard, I averted my eyes.
“What are you doing?”
“Just watch carefully.”
Laura’s skin began sprouting red scales.
Her nails and teeth transformed into something fierce, like a wild beast’s.
The scales grew rapidly, forming an armor-like structure.
At a glance, it would just look like red-painted armor.
Her golden eyes stared straight at me.
“This is the true power of a Dragonyte.”
Even at a glance, it felt like a power of at least B-rank, if not A-rank.
“Remarkable. How strong are the scales’ defenses?”
“About the same as mithril. So, it should be able to block bullets.”
“A mana coat might be better for bulletproofing though.”
“But that can be penetrated by magical attacks. Scales are versatile.”
I nodded.
Indeed, it’s quite incredible.
But I don’t know why she’s showing me this.
Just boasting?
“So, what exactly are you going to teach me?”
“The method to become a Dragonyte.”
“Eh?”
“When I briefly possessed you, your body had already transcended the human form.”
“Yes, I’m aware of that.”
Thanks to that, my stats went up by almost a rank each, which I remember fondly.
“Looking at you recently, your soul seems to be moving away from human and getting closer to a dragon.”
“…”
“Looks like the influence of the souls contained in the Dragon Heart is significant.”
The corruption of the soul.
That was rather terrifying.
Even if I manage to clear this world and leave, the body might not matter, but the possibility remains that the soul will remain as it is even after leaving this world.
“To sum up, you can do the same thing as me.”
“Like Laura-sama, grow scales?”
“Not just scales. Your strength, agility, and intelligence will all get stronger.”
“That… sounds great.”
Another chance to gain power effortlessly?
Fantastic.
Anyway, since S-rank and above now have ‘ordeal’, it’s not so easily acquired.
“Just keep this in mind. To do this, your soul will need to be altered, which means you’ll fully become a subspecies of dragon.”
“Will my appearance change?”
“It’ll remain as it is now. It’ll only change when you want it to.”
If I accept Laura’s offer, I’ll return to my original world as a dragon subspecies.
It’s somewhat concerning, but that’s a problem to think about after we survive.
“What would happen if a modified soul entered an unawakened human body?”
“I don’t know why you’re asking that, but it won’t be easy. Your body will reconstruct itself according to the design of the soul, so you’ll likely be bedridden for a few days.”
“Is that all? I won’t die?”
“Unless you’re already sick, you shouldn’t die. Dragon souls, even hybrids, aren’t that dangerous.”
I smirked.
If so, the decision is clear.
“I’ll do it.”
“Don’t reject my power. Fully accept it.”
Laura grabbed my neck with both hands.
A hot sensation flowed down my throat, spreading throughout my body.
“Ah…”
It was painful enough to make me groan unconsciously.
“I’ll register it in the system so you can access it easily.”
As soon as she finished, a message appeared before my eyes.
<< Skill Acquisition >>
————– <Skill> ————–
◈ Name
Polymorph (Dragonyte)
◈ Rank
— S
◈ Description
Transforms the user into a Dragonyte.
Restriction: Only usable by those with a Dragon’s soul.
————————————————————
An S-rank skill.
The effect is having scales comparable to mithril armor and getting stronger overall.
I suppressed the rising corners of my mouth.
I quickly stripped and activated the skill.
“Polymorph.”
Scales began to grow on my skin.
They were the same red scales as Laura’s.
The scales themselves lacked sensation.
They felt similar to nails or claws.
Soon, the growth of the scales stopped.
I checked myself in the mirror.
“Hahk!”
I was startled.
I had turned into a monstrous form covered in scales all over my body.
“La… Laura-sama, what is this?”
“That’s why you need to control it properly. Making the scales look like armor is a skill. If you do it carelessly, you’ll just end up looking like a lizardman.”
To make scales like Laura’s, it’s going to take some training.
Though, one question did come to mind.
“Don’t these scales make me more defensive?”
Laura’s armor only covered the vital parts, leaving a lot of skin exposed.
She clicked her tongue disapprovingly.
“Tsk tsk. Wouldn’t that ruin the aesthetic? It would be inconvenient to move, too. You lack romance.”
“Ah, yes…”
“That’s also why I told you not to go hunting. I’ll teach you how to control the scales for the time being.”
With that, I nodded and deactivated the skill.
The scales disappeared like a mirage.
Laura’s scales also disappeared soon after.
Knock, knock, knock.
At that moment, there was a knock on the door.
“Shinnoda! Let’s eat! I’ve called you several times and you’re not coming out!”
Having checked the exposed state of both Laura and me, I quickly shouted,
“W-wait!”
The door opened.
Park Hayeon screamed upon seeing us.
“Kyaaah! What are you two… doing?!”
She covered her eyes with her hands in shock.
After all, we were both completely naked.
The next day.
Lunchtime.
I happened to meet Park Hayeon in the hallway.
She seemed unusually excited and kept talking to me.
We chatted as we walked around the school grounds.
On the field, a soccer game was in full swing, making it very noisy.
“Shinnoda, which club did you join?”
“Hero Culture Research Club.”
Park Hayeon tilted her head in confusion.
“What’s that?”
“It’s nothing much. Think of it like a superhero fan club.”
“I see! I joined the swordsmanship club!”
The swordsmanship club wasn’t a bad place.
There were some famous characters there, so it was considered a top-tiered club.
‘Admittedly, spear is actually the most OP, but you don’t seriously practice spear techniques in clubs like this.’
Strictly speaking, it’s more about networking than skill training.
“Oh, you made a good choice. You must have easily passed the test, right?”
She giggled with modesty.
“Not really! It was touch and go! But I did learn a skill today! There was a free skill book given out to the members.”
“Really? Which one?”
The swordsmanship club distributed several types of skill books.
Which one would come out was random.
That’s why some players repeatedly saved and reloaded until they got a good skill.
“Draw Sword technique.”
I let out a small sigh.
If it’s the Draw Sword technique, it’s the worst.
Admittedly, developing it takes a lot of time, which isn’t efficient.
Without ‘insanity’, it’s difficult to become proficient in the Draw Sword technique.
“Maybe it’s better if you erase it?”
“Hmm?”
“I’ve tried it. It’s not worth the return and later when you want to erase it, it leaves some attachment.”
“Hmm… I kind of feel that…”
Park Hayeon looked doubtful.
It was understandable.
Getting a skill isn’t easy, and being asked to delete it right away would be hard to accept.
“The skill… I think it was called Materialization, wasn’t it? Wouldn’t it be better to focus on electricity abilities?”
“Ugh. Alright, I’ll think about it. But I’m not going to erase it!”
“Alright. Try an internet search on ‘Draw Sword technique.’ There’s a fundamental limit to it. Even though the skill will make it stronger than a regular punch, investing time in other skills is more efficient.”
She looked slightly discouraged.
I felt guilty as I realized I was being too preachy.
She probably got excited about getting a new skill, and I spoiled it.
I changed the subject.
“So, how’s your class? Have you become closer with Hwangje-seong?”
“Mm… kinda.”
That subject seemed off too.
Park Hayeon’s face darkened.
It was strange since Hwangje-seong has a cheerful personality, making it unlikely to have trouble getting along with him.
“Would you like to go see a movie tonight?”
Under normal circumstances, I wouldn’t have time due to the Dark Knight activities, but I’m on a break now, so it’s fine.
The training with Laura can be done after I come back.
“Huh? The Avengers? Yes! I’ve heard it’s interesting recently!”
“Yeah. That one.”
I tried my best to cheer her up for the rest of the lunch period.
‘By the way, why did Yang Min-seo come by and leave?’
*
Lunchtime.
After finishing her meal, Yang Min-seo sat on a bench in the school garden, chatting with Ji Soyeon.
On the main field, a football match between the first year A and B class was taking place, and the shouts of the children occasionally reached them.
“Did you properly handle the task I gave you the other day?”
“Yes, no one found out.”
“Good job. When you deliver the item to the Knight, confirm it, and I’ll give you the reward.”
Ji Soyeon replied timidly.
“But isn’t this sort of thing dangerous?”
Yang Min-seo smiled slightly and reassured her.
“Those people, well, it’s hard to even call them humans. They’re only sealed by money, but they’re worse than ordinary villains. Consider this as upholding social justice. Like Dark Knight.”
“I saw their wicked deeds too, but do I even have the qualifications?”
“Think of it this way. You’re my instrument. All responsibility lies with me. Who blames tools for anything?”
“Instrument…”
“Anyway, I’ll see you out.”
A blatant expulsion.
Ji Soyeon left.
Yang Min-seo sighed and walked around the school.
In the distance, she spotted Shinnoda and Park Hayeon.
She moved closer to greet them but accidentally overheard their conversation due to the proximity.
Shinnoda with a serious face.
“Deleting it would be better.”
Yang Min-seo wondered.
‘What does he mean by deleting?’
She unintentionally hid within the bushes.
“Hmm?”
Park Hayeon looked confused and repeated.
“From my experience, it might seem worth it but in fact, there’s little return and leaving it would just create unnecessary attachments later.”
Yang Min-seo suddenly recalled they lived together.
“Could it be… a traffic violation?”
Park Hayeon hesitated and refused.
“Hmm… I kind of feel that…”
Yang Min-seo silently judged Shinnoda.
How could he say things like ‘delete’ and ‘barely worth cultivating’ after causing an accident!
She felt sympathy for Park Hayeon.
‘Such a shameless guy!’
A loud cheer erupted from the field.
The A class scored the first goal.
The audience and the players cheered.
“Woo hoo! Hwangje-seong! Hwangje-seong!”
“This is A class! B class maggots!”
“Waah!”
Someone grabbed Yang Min-seo’s shoulder.
She jumped in surprise.
“Aah!”
The person was Oh Haena.
“What are you doing here?”
Yang Min-seo quickly stood up and brushed the grass from her body.
“Ah, um, nothing.”
Oh Haena smiled upon spotting Shinnoda and Park Hayeon far away.
“Ah ha. Min-seo, you like Shinnoda? How about you’re stalking him like this? Should I tell everyone?”
“No, don’t! It’s really not—”
Yang Min-seo had to break a sweat to justify herself.
Oh Haena grabbed her arm and pulled her, saying.
“I’m going to get drinks for the boys. Come along!”
“Alright….”
