"Hidden Quest 'Dragon Slayer' completed: Oh, young maiden, do you realize the magnitude of what you've accomplished? This is something unprecedented—never before done in history! To slay a peak Earth-tier dragon while you're still only at the peak of Spirit-tier—it's enough to make one's blood race! And thus, the quest is complete."
"Quest Requirement: Personally slay a high Earth-tier or above dragon. The greater the difference in strength between you and the dragon, the higher the reward."
"Quest Completion Rating: Perfect."
"Rewards Obtained: SS-rank Dragon Bloodline, S-rank Title [Dragon Slayer], S-rank Aura [Depart, O Weaklings]."
"Dragon Bloodline: The blood of dragons. If the user's body can withstand it, drinking it will induce a painful metamorphosis, eventually granting the bloodline of a Heaven-tier dragon. Abilities: 400% increase in strength output, 300% stamina recovery, immunity to magic skills below S-rank, and the ability to transform into a dragon. Bloodline Evaluation: Rank 7 (Highest: Divine-tier, followed by Rank 1)."
"Ayase, if a Heaven-tier dragon's bloodline is only rated as Rank 7, then how strong does a Rank 1 bloodline have to be?" Chu Lian couldn't help but complain. Dragons were supposed to be the apex beings of legends, yet their bloodline only ranked seventh? That was shocking.
"There are plenty of people around you with bloodlines higher than that. Honestly, I'm surprised you even received it. Even though it's SS-rank dragon blood, it's not that valuable," Ayase replied, leisurely sipping her red wine. Setting down her glass, she frowned slightly. Why had the system given out something that, while rated highest among the rewards, was actually the least useful? What a waste.
"Oh? If you mean Anna, then yes—her bloodline far surpasses this dragon's. After all, it's Divine-tier," Chu Lian said. The first person that came to mind was Anna—the daughter of Tírnas, the Reaper of Tyrael, one of the strongest beings in the dimensional universe. Her bloodline was undoubtedly of the Divine-tier.
"Not just her. Even the Spirit Race members, like Hare and Inori, have bloodlines stronger than this dragon's," Ayase said, rolling her eyes. Couldn't she figure that out herself?
"Now that you mention it, I've always felt they still have huge potential left untapped," Chu Lian mused. Indeed, it would take a long time to truly confirm their limits. For now, she decided to move on to the next reward.
"[Dragon Slayer]: S-rank Title, equippable. This title can level up as you continue slaying dragons. Effect: When equipped, you'll become renowned among adventurers as the legendary Dragon Slayer—an elite and a symbol of hope in the human kingdoms. It will grant significant support throughout your adventures. Additionally, all damage you deal to creatures with true dragon bloodlines (excluding lesser dragonkin) increases by 15%, and weaker dragons may be intimidated into fleeing—a 3% chance. However, you will also become the sworn enemy of all dragons, drawing the majority of their hatred."
"Equippable? So that means it's optional, not automatically active like some of the others? That's good. The last thing I need is to be hunted by a horde of dragons every day—that's terrifying," Chu Lian muttered, relieved. It was a powerful title, sure, but when faced with a swarm of dragons, discretion was definitely the better part of valor.
"How pathetic... cough cough" Ayase choked on her wine mid-sip, coughing twice as she watched the girl's expression of relief. Honestly, she didn't even know what to say.
Pretending not to hear her, Chu Lian continued reading the next reward. She might be cute, but she wasn't stupid—dragons were not something you provoked lightly. Unless absolutely necessary, she had no intention of keeping that title active.
"[Depart, O Weaklings]: S-rank Aura. Enemies one tier weaker than the host have a 15% chance of falling to their knees and begging for mercy, a 15% chance of fleeing in panic, and a 3% chance of losing their courage and committing suicide. Allies within the aura gain +15% damage against foes weaker than themselves and +5% to their overall strength."
Another group-type aura—this one was overall stronger than the previous one, [Depart, O Dead]. However, while that aura was more specialized, [Depart, O Weaklings] was much more versatile. The two effects didn't overlap, meaning they could complement each other perfectly.
Still, the names being just one character apart made Chu Lian's imagination run wild. "At this rate, will there also be things like [Depart, O Living], [Depart, O Cowards], [Depart, O Perverts], [Depart, O Lolicons], or maybe even [Depart, O Sad Winds]?"
"That... depends on the system. I've never really checked its full database, but honestly, there are so many entries it wouldn't surprise me if those existed," Ayase replied after some thought, clearly hearing Chu Lian's muttering.
"Yeah, I bet they exist," Chu Lian said with conviction. Given how shameless this system had been so far, odds were high—very high—that such ridiculous auras really did exist.
No point overthinking it. If she was curious later, she could just browse the system database.
"System Notification: Because the host slew a dragon and obtained the Dragon's Heart, access to the [Harry Potter] World Dungeon remains available. Please consider the consequences before making such reckless decisions again. (Not that I care or anything, hmph.)"
The tsundere tone of the system princess gave off an unexpected wave of cuteness. Chu Lian could almost imagine the system's pouty expression—she just wanted to reach out and pinch her cheeks.
"Don't expect her to show herself. Her current clearance level is Tier 3. Until I'm sure she can function independently, I won't let her form a separate personality," Ayase said calmly, as though reading Chu Lian's thoughts.
"I'm trying my best, but Ayase still thinks I'm not ready... Host, please complete your missions properly and listen to my advice, okay? I really want to become an independent personality someday!" Suddenly, the system screen flickered, displaying that message. Chu Lian's heart melted instantly—she nodded repeatedly in agreement, smiling brightly.
"Don't fall for that act. Once she gets out, you'll regret it, I promise you," Ayase warned dryly, fully aware of what was happening between them.
"I know, I know. She's probably a little devil in disguise. But Ayase, don't you think it's kind of sad to keep her trapped in the system, forced to express herself only with emoticons?" Chu Lian's smile softened. "I understand your caution, but... fine, I'll respect your decision."
"Three years. As long as she doesn't make any major mistakes, I'll allow her to gain independence then," Ayase murmured, sounding drowsy. Having finished her wine, she lay on the couch, curling her alluring legs as she slowly drifted to sleep.
"You hear that? Three years. Just three years to go, so hang in there," Chu Lian said, making a V-sign toward the screen—only for the system princess to retort, "Ugh, such an old-fashioned gesture! And three years? I'll die of boredom by then!"
"Oh, come on, my little lady. Isn't it fun enough that I let you tease me all the time?" Chu Lian replied, running her finger across the system interface.
"Kya~ stop, stop! That tickles, it tickles~ Orz" The screen immediately flashed a flurry of text, and Chu Lian, curious, kept dragging her finger again—and then again.
"Stop it stop it stop it! You're so mean! Don't you know being tickled is torture?! If this keeps up, I'll start acting weird!" The words appeared rapidly, and Chu Lian burst into laughter. "Hahaha! So you're ticklish, huh? Just wait, I'll use that against you later!"
"You're even worse than Ayase, T^T! You big bully..." the little voice replied pitifully.
Feeling a hint of guilt, Chu Lian stopped teasing and looked at the screen seriously. "Do you... regret being just an awareness?"
"Not at all. Without the system, I wouldn't exist. And if I didn't exist, nothing would have meaning for me. So why would I regret it? I'm happy that I exist at all," the system replied cheerfully.
Her words left Chu Lian both surprised and faintly enlightened.
Her wishes weren't grand—perhaps because she understood her own nature. She knew why she existed, and thus had few desires. Compared to humans, she was truly pure.
"Hmm, looks like that's all. If there's nothing else, I'll be heading out," Chu Lian said after reviewing everything. Nothing seemed to be missing, so she prepared to withdraw her consciousness from the system.
"Wait—you're not just leaving, are you? Don't you want to know more about the system?" The system princess suddenly protested, her words stopping Chu Lian in her tracks.
"But aren't there things you're not allowed to say? Wouldn't Ayase punish you for it?" Chu Lian asked, hesitant. She wanted to know, of course—but not at the cost of getting the newly freed system princess punished.
"It's fine. These aren't classified. None of this falls under the restrictions Ayase set for me."
"Alright, then just tell me what you can. If something's off-limits, don't mention it," Chu Lian replied, standing still as streams of data began scrolling across the system interface.
"There are some hidden features in the system, as you already know—and have even triggered before. What I'll tell you now are the ones that only appear after certain passive conditions are fulfilled."
"Achievements: These are similar to titles and auras, but they can only be earned outside of combat. For example, [One Thousand Conquests]—achieved after sleeping with a thousand women. Or [Loli Enthusiast], granted for forming a hundred proper friendships with lolis. Then there's [Crossdressing Mountain], earned after sleeping with ten crossdressers—but I don't think you'll be needing that one. Still, if you have a friend who qualifies, you can gift it to them. Yes, unlike titles or auras, achievements can be transferred to others."
"Achievements also have unique effects. Once you earn your first one, you'll understand—but I think it'll leave you laughing and crying at the same time."
"Special Attribute Values: These measure your personal traits or behavioral tendencies—such as [Loli], [Queen], [Yuri], [Darkened], or [Yandere]. Once a trait reaches its maximum value, you'll receive a system reward—it's pretty powerful, you know?"
"There are other details, but I'll tell you later. What's important for now is this: your various points are very important. Even your easily earned Integrity Points matter—they're required for system upgrades. Right now, everything available to you is at the lowest tier. You'll need to upgrade the system to unlock higher-level exchanges, though that'll also require more points."
"Got it... I understand," Chu Lian nodded earnestly.
"And one last thing—you're my only hope of ever gaining true independence. So please, take good care of yourself. I'm going to rest now. You should return too..."
After sending that final message, the system princess fell silent. Chu Lian waited for a while, and when she realized there would be no response, she withdrew from the system, letting her consciousness return to her body.
What she didn't see was the faint glow that appeared on the system screen after she left. Words shimmered softly across it:
"Thank you for listening to my rambling. I really like you. Please take good care of yourself—I still want to walk beside you someday, in a human form..."