The cloud of snow thrown up by my attack dissipated and a pile of dragon corpses greeted me. Throwing them into the Ring of Massive Inventory one by one, I held my breath.

  If I was lucky, I’d see an egg of sorts buried under one of the dragons. But no such luck. Only the disappointing white and red of blood-stained snow was visible.

  From my mouth formed a misty cloud as I sighed. Supposedly, there’s a one in ten thousand chance at getting an egg. But, after months of nearly non-stop slaying dragons, I’m pretty sure I’ve killed more than fifty thousand already. I know the chances of getting the drop doesn’t increase from one kill to the next, but it was still disheartening.

  If there was a Dragon Slayer title, I would have gotten it.

  Honestly, I was beginning to feel sick from all the dragons I’ve killed. They were kind of cute, at least the younger ones were. Some elite dragons were older and more fearsome, but they were pretty cool looking in my opinion. It felt bad to commit genocide on these dragons like this.

  I had nothing against them personally. In fact, they were my favorite fantasy beast. My character, Celia, was even a dragonkin which was evident by the sharp eyes, pointed ears and sharp canines. I loved dragons, that’s why I was obsessed with trying to get a dragon pet.

  I had no choice but to kill them for a dragon egg drop.

  If this were reality, I probably would’ve wiped their entire species by now. This realization made me feel unbearably guilty. Despite that, I wanted a dragon egg so badly, just thinking about it made me extremely restless.

  But… maybe it’s not meant to be. Killing countless dragons just to get a pet dragon is just so counterintuitive. Realistically, what animal would willingly want to be a pet to a master that wiped your species off the planet?

  Such an animal would only follow you out of fear. Lore-wise, dragons were supposed to be frighteningly intelligent as well. Such a being wouldn’t remain subservient when you killed all of its kind and its parents. It’d simply look for ways to get revenge while pretending to follow you, wouldn’t it?

  As I thought about it, I felt more and more ashamed at my actions. Tearing up a bit, I let go of my staff and watched it warp out of existence as it went into my Inventory.

  The Inventory was similar to the rings of inventory, but it didn’t require any ring to access. It was tied to my very character and thus was the most secure inventory I had. Although the space in it was only equal to a Ring of Small Inventory or Small Bag at first, I was able to upgrade it to be infinite.

  “I give up!” I shouted in misery while collapsing to my knees.

  “I give up I give up I give up I give up!!!!!”

  I punched the snow with all my might each time I said so.

  “I give up.. So leave me alone, guilt.”

  Sulking, I went into a nearby cave to avoid the buffeting winds of a blizzard that was forming.

  I haven’t been in this cave before… Well whatever, looks just like any other cave.

  I planned on walking into the cave until reaching the end of it and resting, but this cave kept going deeper and deeper to the point I needed to activate light magic to see my surroundings.

  I walked forward, confused, before the floor beneath my next step vanished. I fell and started sliding down a tunnel of sorts.

  After tens of minutes of sliding down the tunnel, I plummeted into an open freefall only to be rendered speechless at the sight below me.

  Wh-what is this place?!

  It was a cavern larger than anything I’ve ever seen. Large enough to fit an entire city in it. This wasn’t in the mountain, I had to be way below ground level now.

  That explains the extremely long claustrophobic tunnel.

  But the size wasn’t what dazzled me, the entire cavern was also brightly lit with luminescent crystals and moss. Below me, there was something like an extremely large ring of molten rock in the center of the cavern that generated a lot of heat and light. At the inner part of the ring was basically an island, where the ground wasn’t molten.

  I looked around, taking it all in with wide eyes.

  The cavern was inhabited; filled to the brim with dragons of all ages and species.

  Dragons as powerful as the strongest ones I’ve been farming this whole time were no less than 15 meters long and this place was abundant with them.

  Even for me, such a large number of dragons would be difficult to take on. It was quite literally an entire colony.

  Before I could fall to my death, I activated [Flight] and descended gently onto the ground.

  Despite my powerful protection against temperature, the giant ring’s heat was uncomfortably hot. So much so that it actually caused some damage that was healed by my regeneration.

  My vision adjusting, I froze upon seeing two absolute behemoths in front of me.

  [Analyze]!

  {Dragon Monarch (King) Lv. 1000(-995)}

  {Dragon Monarch (Queen) Lv. 1000(-995)}

  “!”

  I leapt back, using [Flight] to gain as much distance as possible between me and the Dragon Monarchs. Though even one step from the Monarchs could close the gap.

  “[Starlight Barrage]!” I shouted.

  Immediately, rows of light shaped like spears appeared behind me. But I hesitated to launch them.

  Wait, what’s wrong with their levels..? And why aren’t they attacking?

  Raid bosses usually attack immediately and indiscriminately, giving no time to prepare if they spot you.

  However, these two monarchs didn’t move an inch. These monarchs who seem to be one of the strongest raid bosses at the minimum, were also weakened to the point of being nothing more than a low level mob that wasn’t worth the effort of killing.

  The two Dragon Monarchs rose to their full height, side by side. I felt a sense of vertigo just watching their heads rise so high up.

  Unlike the usual dragons I’ve seen atop the snowy mountain, these Dragon Monarchs were of an entirely different species. First off, they weren’t blue, nor were they comprised of only scales. They were pure white, fluffy, and full of feathers— most notably a large plume that acted as a mane of sorts near the chest and base of their necks. On their heads were two large feathery antennae rather than spikes or horns.

  They were beautiful, regal, and awe-inspiring. At least, those were the three words that came to mind upon taking in their greatness.

  It would be a crime to say they were the same as the dragons on the surface.

  “So you’ve come, Dragon Slayer.”

  The Dragon Monarch (King) regarded me with its sharp eyes.

  “We were awaiting your arrival."

  The Dragon Monarch (Queen)’s gaze was a lot softer.

  “Huh!?”

  It wasn’t possible.. These voices.. How could they be here?

  The voices I’ve missed for so long. The voices I’ve yearned to hear once more since that day. The voices I would’ve given everything to hear again in person.

  How was this possible?

  The all too familiar voices chuckled at my reaction.

  “So, what do you intend to do with that spell of yours?” asked the Dragon Monarch (King).

  “I—..” I said, before faltering.

  There was no way I could unleash my spell after hearing their voices.

  I didn’t want to kill any more dragons in the first place.

  “Will you defeat us in hopes of obtaining the most legendary equipment possible?” asked the Dragon Monarch (King).

  “Perhaps you’d instead enjoy basking in the glory of defeating the Dragon Monarchs by yourself?” asked the Dragon Monarch (Queen).

  ““What do you want, little one?””

  I canceled the spell and stepped forward, my vision blurred by tears.

  Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings.

  “I don’t.. want equipment,” I whispered. “I don’t want glory.”

  With a gentle chuckle, they each put a paw forward.

  To my confusion, their bodies began to glow brightly, forcing me to shield my eyes with my arm. The light acted as a bright silhouette as I slowly watched their enormous stature shrink. Soon the light faded, leaving two humanoid figures where their paws were, gazing gently at me with loving smiles. Though, the two white and feathery antennae were still on their heads.

  “Mom.. Dad,” I murmured with a lump in my throat.

  I’ve missed you two so much…

  I walked towards the two Dragon Monarchs without hesitation.

  ““Well?”” they asked again.

  Tears flooded down my face as I spoke, “I want a hug.”

  The one thing I wanted most from them was to embrace their hugs. My biggest regret was getting into a tantrum and rejecting the hugs from my parents, only for the opportunity to apologize to forever disappear soon after.

  As if they were expecting this, they spread their arms, letting me walk into their embrace.

  So warm. So gentle. Like a warm spring breeze enveloping me, sweeping away any troubles plaguing my soul.

  It was just as like I remembered when I was younger. A feeling of safety and stability like no other. As if no problem in the world could hope to threaten me.

  Every thought in my mind faded away as I embraced the two, hugging them tightly as if to never let go of them again.

  “I’m.. sorry,” I uttered. “I’m sorry!”

  “I’m sorry I’m the only one that survived!” I wept in remorse.

  ““Silence, little one.”” The Dragon Monarchs said in unison.

  “Any true parent would rather their young survive than themselves,” stated the Dragon Monarch (King).

  “After all, to care for a child is to give and share your life with them,” cooed the Dragon Monarch (Queen).

  ““For your child to die, is to lose the life you’ve given,”” they said in unison.

  ““To live broken is a fate worse than death.””

  There was nothing I could say. I could only feel my bottled up emotions flooding through me. Unable to hold back anymore, I sobbed as I held onto them tightly. We lowered to sit on the ground as I continued to hold them tightly in a hug.

  “A parent lives on through their child, even after death," murmured the Dragon Monarch (Queen).

  Their grip on me loosened, attempting to release the embrace we were holding. But I held on tighter, refusing to separate. Giving in, they settled back into the embrace and we held it for who knows how long.

  But as with all good things, the embrace had to come to an end all too quickly.

  “Little one, I’m sorry,” murmured the Dragon Monarch (King). “Our time is running short.”

  “We held on this long in hopes of meeting you, I’m glad it wasn’t for naught,” said the Dragon Monarch (Queen). “We have a request.”

  “H-huh?” I uttered somewhat lamely.

  “In mere moments, we will pass on and later be replaced by another set of Dragon Monarchs that… won’t react as kindly to your presence,” she explained.

  “We are not the first Dragon Monarchs, nor will we be the last. However, the new Dragon Monarchs replacing us are unrelated to us,” the Dragon Monarch (King) stated.

  “And just as you survived the passing of your parents, our own dragon children will be left behind when we pass,” explained the Dragon Monarch (Queen).

  ““Please raise and grow alongside our children in our stead.””

  Holding hands with each other, the Dragon Monarchs backed up and each raised their free hand, palm facing upwards.

  One second there was nothing, but in the next, there were two dragon eggs. One in each hand.

  They gently lowered the eggs to the ground; their bodies were already beginning to fade to a glowing white light.

  “Y-You can count on me,” I mumbled through tears.

  ““We thank you.. Alice, Child of the first Dragon Monarchs.””

  And with that, they were gone, leaving two eggs in place of themselves.

  I put up a brave front to let them rest easy, but now that they were truly gone again I began sputtering and gasping for air. It wasn’t long before I broke down into a sob again pulling the eggs into a hug.

  ~ ~

  After several minutes of weeping, I found myself exhausted from crying. I was at the point where crying more would feel forced. It was all out of my system already. As much as I wanted to linger and remain sad—

  I've calmed down enough.

  Thinking about them still made me tear up a bit, but I held strong. I now felt determination and a burning desire to push onwards.

  I should put the eggs in my Inventory before something happens.

  Hugging each egg one last time, I stowed them away in my Inventory.

  Now to address these popup windows…

  After the Dragon Monarchs faded, a popup window appeared, but I was too anguished to acknowledge it until now.

  “This is..?” I uttered in surprise.

  “{Title - Child of the First Dragon Monarchs acquired!}

  {Title - Dragon Monarch acquired!}

  {Race changed from Dragonkin → Dragon Monarch}

  {Amity with all dragons permanently increased!}

  {Base stats greatly increased!}

  {Absolute elemental immunity acquired!}

  {Passive Skills acquired due to race change: Dragon Monarch’s Sense acquired!, Dragon Monarch’s Aura acquired!, Dragon Monarch’s Resilience acquired!}”

  The heat I felt from my surroundings diminished to a pleasant degree. While reading the notifications, my vision warped as everything grew sharper and my field of view increased greatly. My skin tingled as translucent scales grew all over my body before melding with my skin and becoming nearly invisible. In addition, my nails grew sharper and slightly longer.

  Are.. my nails weapons now…?

  I shook my head vigorously. That wasn’t important, I just read some incredible things. My race change from Dragonkin to Dragon Monarch.. Was that a second ascension? If so, I could only imagine the fuss it’d cause once the other ascended find out.

  The first ascension was akin to a limit break, it boosted your stats and pushed you past the limits of your current self, even letting you acquire some unique abilities or spells. If it turns out that a second ascension that evolved your race was possible this entire time...

  “{Dragon Monarch skill set acquired!}

  {Claws of the Dragon Monarch acquired!}

  {Breath of the Dragon Monarch acquired!}

  {Wings of the Dragon Monarch acquired!}

  {Soul of the Dragon Monarch acquired!}”

  There was so much information that my mind started spinning.

  “I feel like I became less of a mage and more of something else entirely,” I muttered to myself in shock. “Though I don’t know what exactly..”

  With my race evolving and base stats increasing greatly, that would mean I’ve surpassed the other ascended players.

  Absolute elemental immunity meant I couldn’t be affected or damaged by elemental spells like debuffs. That was frighteningly overpowered to the point of being considered a cheat.

  I wonder if that affects elemental buffs as well… that would be an understandable tradeoff to balance this overpowered effect. Though, I wouldn’t need buffs from elemental spells in the first place at this rate.

  I took a closer look at my passive skills, namely, their description.

  Firstly, Dragon Monarch’s Sense.

  ‘{The perception of a Dragon Monarch knows no equal! You can detect everyone in a large vicinity without fail. No enemy can hide from it. Dragon Monarchs, as the pinnacle of the dragon species, are said to be able to perceive time and space differently from other living species.}’

  I guess it’s the highest tier of perception. Nothing could hide from me, that’s pretty handy.

  Dragon Monarch’s Aura was…

  “Wow,” I exclaimed.

  ‘{You exude the aura of a Dragon Monarch! Nearby enemies lose 50% of their offensive power. Weak enemies lose 100% of their offensive power and their will to fight you. Your chance of taming dragons is 100%. Dragonkin allies are greatly inspired by your presence; base stats increased by 150% when in your presence. Allies of all species are inspired by your presence; base stats increased by 50% when in your presence.}’

  That was the description of the Dragon Monarch’s Aura passive skill. I’m simply speechless.

  Last but not least for my new passive skills, Dragon Monarch’s Resilience…

  ‘{Your Dragon Monarch scales are impenetrable and you have the resilience of a Dragon Monarch. You take 80% less damage from all sources. You are immune to weak attacks. You are immune to weak status ailments. These effects cannot be mitigated.}’

  “Ahh.. I know what I’m becoming,” I murmured aloud.

  “I’m becoming a raid boss.”

  Dizzy from the implications of these new passive skills, I continued to the three new active skills I’ve acquired.

  “I’m scared these might be terrifying as well.”

  Claws of the Dragon Monarch.

  ‘{The Dragon Monarch’s Claws are said to be capable of slashing through reality itself! When activated in humanoid form, sharp translucent claws form over each finger. These claws can take on any element, or simply remain neutral. Heal for 100% of the damage dealt. Each attack does a minimum of 10% of the target’s max HP. Claws of the Dragon Monarch becomes a toggled passive in the form of a Dragon Monarch.}’

  “R-ridiculous.”

  Deal ten percent of an enemy’s max HP, MINIMUM? So all I would need to do to defeat any enemy, is land ten hits. That’s.. unthinkable.

  Theoretically, that’d mean I could solo any raid boss. I’d deal 10% of the boss’s HP, and heal for that amount. Considering a raid boss's HP I’d practically fully heal myself for each attack. The only downside was that its range was pretty small as they were claws.

  Breath of the Dragon Monarch.

  ‘{The Dragon Monarch’s Breath is said to alter reality itself! A dragon’s breath is a powerful attack with a low cooldown.—}’

  Compared to everything else so far, that’s not so bad. It’s like a basic attack for dragons.

  ‘{—However, Breath of the Dragon Monarch cannot be blocked. It can also take on any element. Targets hit by this are unable to recover health by normal means. The offensive power of Breath of the Dragon Monarch is greatly increased in the form of a Dragon Monarch. It is still usable in a humanoid form.}’

  I spoke too soon.

  At least.. It probably isn’t too strong as I don’t have a Dragon Monarch form. That must be it, it’s probably a weakened version that I can utilize as a humanoid. Anyways, moving on. Wings of the Dragon Monarch.

  ‘{A Dragon Monarch’s wings are powerful and able to work without accumulating fatigue. Usable in humanoid form, the user grows the majestic wings of a Dragon Monarch that allow unlimited flight. Greatly increases agility when active. Wings of the Dragon Monarch is permanently active in the form of a Dragon Monarch.}’

  I gulped. To fly is something every player wants to experience when they first start playing, I was no exception. However, the [Flight] spell was difficult to learn and not very efficient. It guzzles your mana like no other. Thus flight was very limited for players. But if these wings would allow flight without the use of a spell or mana, that was huge.

  Lastly. Soul of the Dragon Monarch.

  ‘{The soul of a Dragon Monarch burns fiercely within you! You are able to transform into your true form of a Dragon Monarch—}’

  “Ah okay,” I stated, my eyes glazed over.

  I raised my arm and opened the menu.

  .

  .

  .

  {Logging Out…}