Chapter 7

『☆☆☆☆☆☆☆ 【Prostia】 Ice Dragon LV□□□』

Seven stars.

It was a rank I had never seen while performing Shadow Symphony.

The highest rank I knew of was five stars, and my single black star represented unknown information.

However, seven stars intuitively indicated just how great this being’s potential was.

Level unknown.

Even during the Seed era, I could see the level of Frost Drake, which far surpassed mine.

I couldn’t even begin to guess how high this invisible level might be.

Moreover, the term ‘Ice Dragon’ signifying that this was a true dragon.

Dragons reign as the apex predators in every fantasy world.

Their strength was evident even through the wyverns and drakes, which were sub-species of dragons in the game, but now I could feel that a true dragon was immeasurably more powerful than those sub-species.

‘Run…’

The cold of the ice cave felt even more biting.

Each of my flower petals contracted, and my roots instinctively tried to dig deeper into the ground.

But I couldn’t move at all.

Time seemed to have frozen, as did I, with terror.

Such a being was right here, coming toward me.

Ku… Ku…

A colossal dragon, so massive it didn’t even fully register on my detection radar, slowly approached.

Though it was definitely getting closer, its form remained obscured, as if shrouded in fog.

『”Detection Lv.9″ skill has leveled up.』

Even with the increased detection level, I still couldn’t see its form, as if the vast gap in power obscured my vision.

Ku…

The entire ice cave resonated with every step that came closer.

The surroundings had already become a living hell.

Ice goblins clawed over each other trying to escape, snow hyenas frantically scratched at the cave walls searching for an exit, frost wolf-rings instinctively cowered in fear, and even the flying reindeer, paralyzed by fear, couldn’t properly take off and instead crashed into the walls.

The ice cave was filled with the screams of monsters unable to escape.

Just moments before they had been tearing at each other, but now only primal fear remained.

‘MikelMikelMikelMikelMikelMikelMikelMikelMikel’

The tips of my petals trembled.

The only one I could rely on was Mikel.

A toxic flower like me could do nothing.

All that was left was prayer.

And then finally, with the last sound of footsteps, a massive shadow fell over me.

A deep sleep.

The centuries-long hibernation seemed eternal.

In the deepest layer of the lair, condensed with extreme cold, time passed coldly and alone.

‘This scent… it’s a flower?’

A mysterious yet fatal, sweet yet dangerous fragrance wafted by.

A flower blooming in this deep layer?

The cold of the ice that repelled all life… and yet, a flower dared to bloom here?

The long frozen eyelids slowly opened at the sight of this plant’s vitality, reminiscent of a world tree.

The pure white eyes shone coldly like moonlight.

‘Remarkable…’

The long neck of the ice dragon moved gracefully.

For thousands of years, the power of ice had ruled this dungeon.

The only living things that could endure this cold were monsters possessing the magic of ice.

No plants could exist here.

Yet this fragrance was undoubtedly that of a flower – and such an alluring one at that.

‘A flower in the ice dungeon…’

A faint smile appeared at the corner of the ice dragon’s mouth.

Curiosity outweighed the unpleasantness of being awakened from a deep sleep.

Slowly rising from its place, the ice encasing its massive body shattered.

Pure white scales were revealed beneath the ice crystals.

Wings as soft as snowflakes, as if condensed from the first snowfall, unfolded gently.

The ruler of this dungeon finally began to move, advancing toward a single flower.

When it reached the deep layer, the ice dragon’s eyebrows furrowed slightly.

‘How noisy.’

At the passage leading from the deep layer, the lower-level monsters had lost their minds and were attacking each other.

Sensing their ruler’s presence, they began to flee in terror, but those whose movements were too slow met a terrible end.

‘Rude.’

A single cold, elegant step.

Instantly, the temperature of the deep layer plummeted.

The movements of the monsters slowed, and suddenly everything was crystallized.

The ice dragon moved slowly.

The monsters, now frozen statues gleaming with a blue light, crumbled like frost flowers and disappeared as their traces turned into icy powder in the cold air.

‘The lower layers are no different.’

This time, at the passage leading to the middle layer, the same scene unfolded.

Some monsters escaped the chaos, while others were not so fortunate.

Those who could not escape were immediately trapped in a blue ice coffin, meeting eternal silence.

The soundless steps continued.

The ice dragon, its pure white scales gleaming, advanced like a moonbeam.

With every step, the site of madness was instantly transformed into a garden of cold crystals.

‘This much madness…’

A smile played on the ice dragon’s lips.

This small change that came after thousands of years was enough to break the monotony.

Finally reaching the middle layer, it moved toward the source of the sweet flower fragrance and the pungent scent of blood.

Inside the cavern, dozens of monster corpses were scattered about.

And at the center, a single flower was blooming.

‘This is…’

Bathed in the blue light of the ice cave, a flower was burning red.

The flower, blooming at the end of the pitch-black stem, resembled a blood-red moon.

The red petals shone more brilliantly than jewels, and the long, purple stamens displayed their beauty.

‘Beautiful…’

It was a moment when the inner heart of a young girl, long asleep, awakened.

What happened next was even more astonishing.

A faint, but perceptible divine force emanated from the flower.

‘This… surely Mikel?’

Even to the eyes of a dragon who had lived for thousands of years, such a unique existence was unprecedented.

A small monster possessing Mikels’ holy power.

An impossible vitality blooming in the cold realm of ice.

And above all…

‘That alluring fragrance and beautiful appearance.’

The dragon’s gaze shone with interest toward the flower.

None of the invaders to this dungeon had ever stimulated its curiosity like this.

‘The boasting about Nis’ subordinates always seemed pathetic.’

A beautiful smile formed at the corner of the ruler’s mouth.

At that moment, the dragon’s massive body was enveloped in a luminous white light, resembling starlight.

The pure white scales broke apart one by one, turning into shimmering silver powder and scattering.

The large wings crumbled like snowflakes, and the long neck and tail melted into the starlight.

When the light faded, a woman stood in its place.

Her endless silver hair sparkled like ice crystals, her white skin pure like the first snowfall.

The cold dignity seen in the dragon’s form remained, but what stood out more was an indescribable beauty.

The silver gown, resembling moonlight, fluttered slightly in an unseen wind.

Her white eyes shone gently toward the flower as she took slow steps.

Walking barefoot, but moving gracefully on the cold icy floor as if walking on clouds.

Frost flowers blossomed and disappeared with every step.

The silver-haired woman elegantly kneeled to the height of the flower.

Her white fingers gently caressed the petals.

The petals trembled slightly under her cold but gentle touch.

“Truly… magnificent…”

Her voice was clear and elegant, like the sound of ice crystals breaking.

“That a flower could bloom in such a place. Moreover, how on earth did you come to possess Mikel’s divine power?”

With a slight smile at the corner of her lips, she continued naturally as if speaking to an old friend.

“I am Prostia, the ruler of this Shia Kalt.”

After a moment of contemplation, looking at the flower, she spoke with determination.

“You’re mine now.”

The tone was firm but gentle.

It was an order that left no room for refusal, yet in it lingered a strange affection.

Excitement shone in her cold eyes as if she had discovered a precious treasure she had long sought.

The ice dragon’s gaze turned toward me.

‘Please… please… spare me…’

Because of the detection ability, I couldn’t even avoid its gaze.

The massive ice dragon, now in clear view, reminded me of its overwhelming presence with every moment, making it clear that there was no escape, no place to hide.

Then, suddenly, the surroundings brightened.

‘Wh… Wh…?’

An unbelievable sight unfolded before me.

The great ice dragon had disappeared, replaced by a woman standing in its place.

With skin white like the first snow, infinitely long silver hair, and pure white eyes…

She was a beauty that seemed otherworldly.

‘Wow… she’s incredibly beautiful…’

A memory of my grand metamorphosis dream flashed by.

But quickly I realized the situation.

‘What am I thinking! Ah… please spare me…’

The silver-haired woman approached slowly.

Her graceful gait carried the majesty of the ice dragon, but strangely, there was no sense of hostility.

Rather… interest? Curiosity?

She elegantly kneeled down to my level.

Her white fingers gently brushed the petals.

Though cold, her touch carried a strange affection.

‘Uh… is this… perhaps… a selection…?’

I recalled videos I had seen online of stray cats finding new homes and starting new lives.

Was this how those cats felt?

This situation felt oddly similar.

‘Could this… be my master…?’

At that moment, she spoke.

“□□… □□□□□…”

‘Huh…?’

It was in a fantasy world language!

In the game, everything was automatically translated, but…

Ah? So this really is a fantasy world?