The central screen flickered like it had a fever. Chaotic code flooded every control station. Two systems—one alien technology, one an ancient force from mythology—wrestled for every byte of data within Keal's consciousness.
"Unprecedented! Both… loading simultaneously!?"
"They're fighting inside his brain!!"
Scientists panicked, sweat pouring down their faces. A few tried to cut the power, but the controls were locked. Sparks flew from the neural interface device. The brainwave monitor shrieked continuous warnings.
[Nova: 91%... 94%... 97%...]
[DUN CORE: 12%... 21%... 38%...]
All the lights in the room began to flicker, then winked out one by one. From Keal's body, a stream of golden-black energy began to spread through the wires, invading the servers.
"Shut it down! Quickly!!!"
"Too late!!"
[Nova: 100% - SYSTEM ACTIVATED]
[DUN CORE: 47% - ATTACHING TO CONSCIOUSNESS AXIS]
Then—BOOM!!
The entire room short-circuited, blinding white light exploding. All systems crashed. Screens shattered. Several technicians were thrown back. Smoke billowed from the central circuit board. The smell of burning permeated the air.
Silence fell.
Only one faint sound echoed… from within the experimental chamber:
"...It's done."
Whose voice it was, no one knew. Not Nova. Not human.
In the darkness… Keal opened his eyes.
The blurry white light slowly resolved into images. His body was still prone, heavy, but… his consciousness had changed.
A faint blue interface appeared in mid-air before him—floating, intangible. The interface wasn't just an image; it was like a living entity, coiling, glowing softly in the air like a wisp of soul.
[WELCOME, MASTER]
The voice resonated. Ethereal, emotionless, yet crystal clear. As if directly resounding within his brain.
"You have successfully connected to the Nova control system—the latest generation of supreme AI."
"I am the system's default support personality."
"Oh… and by the way…"
The interface blinked faintly, as if chuckling softly:
"I just helped you preserve your soul from being completely erased by an ancient system—of unknown origin."
"You should thank me."
Keal's mouth twitched. He said nothing… just exhaled sharply. His eyes now—one human, the other glowing like a dragon's eye—a brilliant gold-red.
Something inside him… was no longer solely Keal's.
"What… the hell is this…" Keal groaned, clutching his head. The pain was like nails being hammered from the inside out.
He reached up to his forehead.
The stitches were still there.
Cold, rough, and… real.
Not a dream. Not a hallucination. He'd undergone brain surgery—and was still alive.
Keal gasped, his eyes darting around. A soft "ting" sounded.
The system interface floated before him, glowing blue.
"I repeat—I am the supreme AI NOVA – Version 1.0, the most powerful AI ever created by civilization—"
"Brrr… brrr… reprocessing data… brrr…"
Keal rasped, "What… the hell is this thing…"
He swiped his hand to dismiss it, but the interface clung to him like a phantom flashlight.
At the same time—outside the lab
A pale-faced scientist stared intently at the camera.
"H-He… he's awake!!"
"Not brainwashed!?!?"
"Call the guards!! Emergency!!!"
Inside Keal's head—Nova reappeared.
[Warning]: Current physical state extremely weak. If encountering guards – mortality rate: 80%.
"But don't worry… you have me—Nova!"
"System activating urgent mission:"
[Main Mission: Neutralize all guards in 59… 58… 57…]
The interface glowed red. The countdown pounded directly into his brain like a timed bomb.
Keal gritted his teeth, launching himself off the operating table. His legs still trembled, but his eyes glowed with the fiery orange hue of a dragon.
"80%...?" Keal clenched his fist, his eyes reflecting a flicker of helplessness.
"So I'm good as dead anyway…"
His breath came in ragged gasps. Veins bulged on his temples. He glanced at the floating system before him.
"...Alright. I don't care what you are… but save me first!"
[Combat support interface uploaded...]
The screen changed. A combat HUD began to appear before Keal's eyes, lines of text flickering brightly:
[Basic Status – Connected]
HP: 340 / 540
Mana: 120 / 120
SP (Stamina): 70 / 100
EXP: 0 / 100
[Bloodline Activated: Basic Dragon Body – UNLOCKED]
Basic Skill Gained: [Dragon Slash I]
– Physical attack with claws imbued with Dragon Power. Can cause laceration effect.
– Requirement: Dragon Body Activated.
Automatically set to Active Skill Slot.
"Dragon… what…?" Keal froze for a second.
"No time for explanations," Nova replied coldly.
"Guards arrive in 15 seconds. Move or die. Your choice."
Keal growled, his eyes shifting to a blazing orange. He clenched his fist, his fingernails lengthening into sharp points, a hot breath spreading through his chest.
His body trembled… but the dragon blood had begun to circulate.
The moment Keal tensed, preparing for battle…
…he felt Dragon Power surge from his heart, spread through his spine, then gather in his right arm.
But this time… there was no screaming in his head. No hallucinations. No scorching blood consuming his mind.
Only energy. Pure. Clean. Easy to control.
Keal's eyes widened. His breath caught in his throat. For so many years, every time he used Dragon Power, he lost control, he destroyed, he feared himself. But now… he clearly felt every drop of his blood—obeying him.
The skin on his right arm began to crack, swelling. Black, metallic dragon scales grew layer upon layer over his human skin. From his shoulder to his fingertips, his entire arm transformed completely, doubling in size, with sharp claws curved like crescent moons.
A primal source of power surged in his palm.
[Skill Activated: Dragon Slash I]
Nova displayed the command. Its voice now sounded almost gleeful.
Keal looked down at his right arm. He clenched his fist again. No trembling. No pain. No madness.
Only a smirk.
"For the first time… I can control you?"
Just then—the laboratory door burst open.
Three armored guards, wielding glowing blue stun guns, stormed in.
Keal let out a low growl, his eyes blazing like lava—and lunged forward like a beast awakened.
The three guards charged in, their black armor covered in glowing blue veins. They said nothing, simply raised their energy weapons.
ZAP!!
A bolt of blue electricity shot directly at Keal.
He leaped aside, but was half a beat too slow. The electrical bolt grazed his shoulder, leaving a black burn mark and the smell of burnt flesh.
"Damn it…!" Keal gritted his teeth, blood trickling out, but he remained standing.
The second guard lunged, swinging an electric truncheon horizontally at his head. Keal fell back, his vision darkening. But his dragon arm held fast to the steel floor, keeping him from passing out.
[Warning: HP 180/540]
[Status: Light Stun – movement reduced by 25%]
"Nova… you said you were the most powerful AI…" Keal panted.
"Calculating optimal counter-attack. Survival rate: 21%. But I like to gamble."
One guard raised his gun, but Keal charged before he could pull the trigger. His Dragon Body arm slammed directly into the mask, cracking the visor, and Dragon Slash I activated.
SLASH—!!!
A vertical cut from shoulder to abdomen. The guard screamed, blood spraying in crimson jets mixed with artificial fluids.
The remaining guard didn't hesitate. He delivered a powerful blow with his gun directly to Keal's back—CRACK!
He cried out, collapsing, his whole body tingling.
"Damn it…!" Keal lay face down, blood dripping from his mouth. But his eyes… still hadn't dimmed.
The interface lit up again.
[Dragon Slash I – recharging 60%...]
He lay still, waiting… listening to the approaching footsteps of the guard, gun raised—now or never.
The moment the guard brought his gun down—Keal sprang up like a wild animal, spinning around to deliver a horizontal slash with all his remaining strength.
WHIP!!!
His neck was severed.
The head fell, blood arcing. The headless body crumpled to the ground.
Keal knelt, his dragon arm trembling uncontrollably.
The last guard panicked, retreating to fire, but—Dragon Slash had just recharged.
Keal roared, leaping forward like a cannonball.
The final slash tore him in half from chest to abdomen. Pieces of armor and flesh clattered disgustingly to the floor.
Silence returned to the room.
Keal stood amidst the three corpses, breathing like a bellowing bull, covered in blood—half his own, half theirs.
[Mission Complete: Neutralize Guards – 3/3]
[EXP gained: 240] – [Level up: Lv. 1 → Lv. 2]
Keal exhaled in relief… then collapsed.