Chapter 43: 43. an S-Ranked Slime

Three more days passed.

Owen waited on the platform outside the Tower of Royals, alternating between his massive Juvenile Dragon form and his new humanoid form as he was having form playing around with the alternation.

When he’d first looked at his reflection in the mana-infused spring water near the platform, he was surprised.

His humanoid face, though covered in patches of black scales along his jawline and temples, looked exactly like his human face from his previous life.

The same basic structure, the same expressions that flickered across his features. It was uncanny, disorienting, like looking at a photograph of himself that had been altered in subtle but significant ways.

He wondered if all dragons had some kind of past lives that they looked like when they transformed, or if this was something unique to him. Another question he had no answer to.

The Greater Dragons checked on him periodically. Fey’rath brought him food, massive slabs of some kind of magical beast meat that tasted like the finest steak he’d ever had, marbled with fat that practically melted on his tongue. She’d sit with him sometimes, not talking much, just keeping him company in her own way.

Zephron tried to goad him into a sparring match to “test out that new body,” which Owen declined. He wasn’t in the mood for games, not while Yuki was still in there.

Veridra observed him silently from a distance, her emerald eyes tracking his movements whenever he transformed or practiced walking. He could feel her analytical gaze, always studying, always assessing, though she never approached.

Glacius asked questions about his experience in the tower, which Owen answered reluctantly, giving the bare minimum of detail. The ice dragon seemed satisfied with what little Owen shared, nodding thoughtfully at certain points.

And Chronara… Chronara just watched. Always watching. Those violet eyes seeing things Owen couldn’t even begin to comprehend, looking at him like he was a book she was reading, seeing not just what he was but what he could become.

“She’ll return soon,” Chronara said on the evening of the third day, appearing beside Owen without warning, without even a whisper of displaced air.

Owen, in his humanoid form and practicing a series of combat stances, nearly jumped out of his scales. “How soon?”

“Dawn.” Chronara leaned on her staff, her ancient face peaceful. “She has faced trials different from yours. Harder, in some ways. Easier in others.”

Owen’s hands clenched into fists. “What do you mean?”

Chronara’s expression was unreadable, her violet eyes distant. “You learned what dragons are. What you are meant to be. What legacy you carry.” She paused, considering her next words carefully. “She will learn what she is. Not what others have told her. Not what she believes herself to be. But what she truly is, beneath all that pain and trauma”

Before Owen could ask what that meant, before he could demand more details, Chronara vanished in a swirl of purple mist, leaving him alone on the platform with more questions than answers.

Dawn came slowly, the artificial sky of Drak’thar lightening from deep purple to soft gold.

Owen stood at the base of the Tower of Royals in his humanoid form, black wings folded against his back, tail wrapped nervously around his leg, golden eyes fixed on the massive doors. He had barely slept that night, too anxious, too worried about what Yuki might have faced in there.

The other Greater Dragons had gathered as well, standing at a respectful distance in a loose semi-circle. Even they seemed curious about what would emerge, about what the Tower of Scholars would make of a human who’d dared to enter.

The doors began to glow.

Golden light spilled from the cracks between the massive slabs of stone, growing brighter and brighter until Owen had to shield his eyes.

And then they opened with a sound like thunder, swinging outward on hinges that hadn’t moved in who knew how long.

A figure stepped out, silhouetted against the golden light.

Yuki.

But she looked—or rather, felt different.

There was something changed about her presence, something fundamental.

From analysing her stats with dragon’s eyes, Owen could tell she was still C-Rank, though she had levelled up alot.

And perched on her head, nestled comfortably in her dark hair, was a small green gelatinous creature.

A slime.

It was translucent, about the size of an apple, with a faint green glow emanating from somewhere deep within its gelatinous body.

Two tiny black dots that might have been eyes stared out at the world with what could only be described as innocent curiosity. It jiggled slightly with each of Yuki’s steps.

Owen’s eyes widened. “Yuki!”

He rushed forward, his wings spreading instinctively, his tail unwrapping from his leg and swishing behind him for balance. He’d been waiting three days for this moment, and now that she was here, now that she was safe, the relief was overwhelming.

Yuki’s eyes locked onto him and she froze mid-step.

Her visible expression went from exhausted relief to complete shock, her eyes widening behind her mask.

“O..Owen?” Her voice was barely a whisper, disbelieving.

Owen skidded to a stop in front of her, suddenly self-conscious about his new form, about how different he must look.

“Uh, yeah. It’s me. I know I look different, I evolved and got this humanoid form thing and I’m still getting used to it but—”

“Your face.”

“What?”

Yuki’s hand trembled as she reached up, slowly, carefully, like she was afraid he might disappear if she moved too fast. Her fingers touched his cheek, traced the scales along his jawline with feather-light pressure, then moved to his more human features, his nose, his lips, his brow. Her hand was shaking.

“You look just like how you did before…” She swallowed hard.

Then she pulled him into a hug.

It was sudden, desperate, and completely unexpected. Her arms wrapped around him with surprising strength, her face buried in his shoulder.

Owen froze, his wings flaring out in surprise, his tail going rigid. Then he felt it—she was crying. He could feel her tears soaking into his shoulder, could feel her body shaking with silent sobs.

“I’ve missed you….so much” she whispered, her voice breaking. “In the tower. I couldn’t feel you through the bond. The connection was gone. I thought, I thought maybe…that I had lost you again….”

“You didnt….I’m here,” Owen said, finally recovering from his shock and wrapping his arms around her, an action that still felt foreign with hands instead of claws but somehow right. “I’m right here. I’m not going anywhere. I promise.”

They stood like that for a long moment, neither speaking, just holding each other.

The Greater Dragons watched from a respectful distance, saying nothing.

Then Yuki pulled back, wiping her eyes behind her mask with quick, almost embarrassed motions. “Sorry. I’m just, it’s been a long six months.”

“Six days, actually,” Owen corrected gently. “You were in there for six days total.”

Yuki blinked, confusion crossing her features. “Six? It felt like… longer. Or maybe shorter. Time was weird in there. It kept stretching and compressing. I don’t know anymore.”

Owen nodded, understanding completely. “Tell me about it. The tower messed with my perception of everything too.”

Then his eyes focused on the slime still perched on her head, jiggling contentedly. “Uh, Yuki? What’s that?”

Yuki reached up and carefully lifted the slime off her head, cradling it in her hands.

The creature seemed perfectly content, molding itself to the shape of her palms. “Oh. This is… I haven’t named it yet. The tower gave it to me. As a reward for clearing the trials.”

“The tower gave you a pet slime?”

“It’s not a pet,” Yuki said, a defensive edge creeping into her voice. “It’s a companion. A partner. Like you.”

The slime jiggled happily in her hands, and Owen could swear it looked pleased with that description.

Owen activated [Dragon’s Eyes], focusing on the creature, curious what the system would tell him.

—

[Tamed Beast: Unnamed]

[Species: Primordial Slime]

[Rank: S]

[Level: 1/20]

[HP: 5,000]

[Stats:]

– Attack: 5000

– Defense: 10,000

– Agility: 3000

– Mana: 15,000

[Skills:]

– Absorption (S-Grade): Can absorb and store matter, energy, and even skills temporarily

– Shapeshifting (S-Grade): Can alter its form and density at will

– Corrosion (S-Grade): Can secrete powerful acids capable of dissolving most materials

– Regeneration (S-Grade): Near-instant healing from almost any injury

– Adaptive Evolution (SSS-Grade): Evolution path changes based on absorbed material.

—

Owen’s mouth fell open. “Holy shit.”

“What?” Yuki asked, concern flickering across her face.

“That thing is S-Rank. And its skill set is insane.” Owen stared at the innocent-looking slime, re-reading the descriptions.

“Depending on what it absorbs, it could become… really, really dangerous. That Adaptive Evolution skill is SSS-Grade. Do you know how awesome that is? It’s literally onpar with my Sovereignties!”

The slime jiggled again, seeming to pulse with that faint blue light, as if pleased with itself.

Yuki smiled faintly, the first real smile Owen had seen from her since she emerged. “The tower said it was a gift. Something to help me grow stronger. Something that would grow with me.” She looked down at the slime with genuine affection. “We’re bonded now. I can feel it, like I feel you, but different.”

Owen switched his [Dragon’s Eyes] focus to Yuki herself, curious about what changes the tower had wrought in her.

—

[Hunter: Yuki Goldberg]

[Level: 75/100]

[Rank: C]

[HP: 5,000]

[Stats]:

-attack:172

-defense: 175

-agility: 174

-mana: 1090

[SP: 0]

[Skills:]

– Beast Contract (C-Grade)

– Beast Heal (B-Grade)

– Beast Link (A-Grade)

– Beast Space (B-Grade)

– Beast Shift (A-Grade)

– Beast Sync (S-Grade)

– Gust (C-Grade)

– Swordsmanship (B-Grade): NEW

– Mana Reinforcement (A-Grade): NEW

– Battle Intuition (S-Grade): NEW

– Indomitable Will (SS-Grade): NEW

—

Owen’s eyes widened even further. “Yuki… your stats. Your skills. You’ve grown tremendously. Your mana especially, it’s increased a lot.”

Yuki looked away, her expression darkening like clouds covering the sun. “The tower was… thorough. I had to put all my SP into mana”

“What happened in there?”

Yuki’s expression darkened further. Her hand tightened around the slime, which made a small concerned Squeaking sound. “I don’t want to talk about it.”

“Yuki…”

“I said I don’t want to talk about it, Owen.” Her voice was firm. Final. The tone that said the conversation was over, that pushing would only make things worse.

Owen recognized that tone. It was the same one she’d used after Oak and Lucien died.

She’s been through something. Something that changed her. Something she’s not ready to share yet. Maybe something she’ll never be ready to share.

He nodded slowly, respecting her boundary even though he desperately wanted to understand. “Okay. When you’re ready.”

Yuki’s shoulders relaxed slightly, some of the tension draining from her posture. “Thank you.”

The slime jiggled and began climbing back onto Yuki’s head, wiggling through her hands and up to her hend, settling into her hair like it belonged there as its nest.

Fey’rath approached, her humanoid form striking as always, all deadly grace and barely contained power. “Well, well. Both brats survived. Color me impressed.”

Zephron grinned, his storm-gray eyes gleaming with excitement. “And she came out with a Primordial Slime! That’s a legendary-tier companion right there! Do you know how many human tamers would kill for that?”

Veridra’s serpentine eyes narrowed, studying both Yuki and the slime with intense focus. “The tower deemed her worthy of such a gift. Very interesting indeed.”

Glacius stepped forward, his icy gaze appraising both Owen and Yuki with the cool assessment of someone who’d seen countless warriors come and go. “You have both completed the Tower of Royals. You have earned the right to remain in Drak’thar. You have our acknowledgment, if not yet our full trust.”

Chronara tapped her staff against the ground, the sound resonating with finality. “Rest. Both of you. Recover your strength. Tomorrow, we will discuss what comes next.“

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