---
The ride back to the mansion was quiet. Too quiet.
Alex, sitting across from them in the limo hovercar, kept glancing between his sister and Max, biting back a grin. Scarlett, meanwhile, sat rigidly beside Max, her arms folded, her cheeks still faintly pink, her gaze fixed firmly out the window at the blur of city lights rushing by.
Max, as always, was relaxed — legs crossed casually, golden eyes half-lidded, one arm draped over the seat. As if nothing at all unusual had happened.
When they arrived at the mansion, Scarlett swept out of the car first, her heels clicking briskly against the marble driveway. Alex stretched lazily and winked at Max before following behind at a leisurely pace.
But as Max stepped into the grand foyer, Scarlett's voice cut through the air like a blade.
"You. Upstairs. Now."
She didn't even look back at him as she strode toward the staircase, her long hair swaying behind her.
Alex let out a low whistle and shot Max a look of mock sympathy.
"Heh. Looks like you're in trouble already, Romeo. Good luck."
Max only smirked faintly and followed her, his footsteps silent on the stairs.
Scarlett led him into her private study — a richly appointed room lined with bookshelves, a wide desk, and tall windows that opened onto a balcony. The moment the door shut behind him, she rounded on him, eyes flashing.
"What the hell was that?" she hissed, her voice low but sharp.
Max tilted his head, feigning ignorance.
"You'll have to be more specific."
Her jaw tightened.
"Don't play dumb with me. At the party. You kissed me. You—" she faltered, her cheeks coloring again despite herself, "—you bit my ear in front of everyone!"
Max's smirk deepened just a fraction, his golden eyes glinting with amusement.
"You're the one who declared you were mine. Or did you already forget?"
Scarlett froze at that, her lips parting slightly. He took a single step closer, closing the distance between them, his voice dropping to a soft, dangerous murmur.
"Or… was that just a game to you? A way to provoke Gui Nan? Because if it was—"
She straightened, regaining some of her composure, and cut him off sharply.
"You went too far."
Max's faint smile didn't falter. He reached out, brushing a stray lock of hair from her cheek, his fingers lingering just long enough to make her breath hitch.
"Too far?" he echoed softly. "No… I've barely even begun."
Her heart thudded painfully in her chest as he leaned in, his lips hovering just a breath away from hers before he finally stepped back, his usual calm, unreadable mask settling back into place.
"If you want me to stop, Scarlett," he said, turning toward the door, "you just have to say so."
His hand was already on the doorknob when her voice stopped him.
"Max."
He paused, glancing back over his shoulder.
Scarlett's fingers curled into fists at her sides as she met his gaze, her voice quiet but steady.
"Don't make me regret what I said back there."
Max's lips curved into the faintest of smiles — not mocking this time, but something warmer.
"Then don't give me a reason to."
And with that, he slipped out of the room, leaving Scarlett standing there alone, her pulse still racing, her cheeks burning as she stared at the door long after he'd gone.
---
Meanwhile, elsewhere in the city, Gui Nan nursed his wounded pride and plotted his revenge… and Gui Shu, alone in her own room, whispered softly to herself as she traced her finger across her lips: "Mine…"
~~~~
Arriving at his room, Max closed the door behind him and exhaled. With a single thought, he summoned his system panel.
A glowing screen materialized in front of him:
[Status Panel]
Name: Max Alucard
Race: Half-Dragon (Potential for further evolution)
Bloodline: Primordial Chaos Dragon
Rank: 6-Star Copper
Physique: Nine Yang Immortal Primordial
Strength: 100
Agility: 110
Dexterity: 110
Charm: 7,005
Luck: 99
Stamina: 700 / 700
Mana: 750 / 750
---
Abilities:
Blood Dragon Beast Transformation — Transform into the humanoid form of the Primordial Chaos Dragon.
Ultimate Combat — Grants heightened awareness and instinctive mastery of battle.
Chaos Blood Manipulation (Unlocked) — Shape and control blood using mana.
Active Skill: Bloodmancy
> Awaken and command up to 5 blood warriors.
Note: 20% failure chance if the target was stronger than the host; 80% failure if much stronger. Target must be dead.
Current Blood Warriors: 2 / 5
---
Then, a new notification flashed:
[New function unlocked — check to learn more.]
[The Dragon Tower has been unlocked.]
Max's eyes narrowed slightly. "System," he commanded, "open the new function."
The system replied in its calm, mechanical voice:
[System Shop unlocked. Host may use Chaos Battle Coins to purchase items and upgrades.]
Available Chaos Battle Coins: 500
Max absorbed the flurry of information, but one question burned brighter than the rest.
"How do I earn more Chaos Battle Coins?" he asked.
The answer came instantly:
[Host can earn Chaos Battle Points by challenging the Dragon Tower. Each beast defeated and each floor ascended grants points and additional rewards.]
[Note: You grow stronger by battling beasts within the Tower, just as you would in reality. However — if you die in the Tower, you will not die in real life. Instead, your progress will drop by ten floors.]
That last line made Max pause, his eyes glinting with something between excitement and resolve. A place to fight, to grow, to harvest power… without risk of death.
A faint smile tugged at his lips.
"Interesting," he murmured.
Then he straightened and made his decision. "System… show me what the shop has to offer."
The panel shimmered again, opening the gateway to a whole new world of possibilities.
The shimmering panel reconfigured itself at Max's command, revealing the long-awaited shop interface. Rows of items, skills, and treasures glowed faintly, each radiating its own aura of power.
At the top of the panel, the words glowed in bold gold:
---
[System Shop — Chaos Battle Coins: 500]
> "Spend wisely, host. Every choice shapes your path."
---
Max's eyes scanned the categories.
[Consumables] — Potions, recovery elixirs, temporary buffs.
[Skills] — New combat arts, elemental affinities, defensive techniques.
[Equipment] — Weapons, armor, artifacts imbued with dragon essence.
[Bloodline Upgrades] — Rare bloodline enhancements.
One particular tab caught his attention immediately:
[Exclusive: Bloodline Awakenings]
He opened it. A single item glowed crimson at the top of the list.
---
[Awaken Bloodline Trait: Draconic Heartbeat] — 500 Coins
> Unlocks the first latent ability of the Primordial Chaos Dragon bloodline: Draconic Heartbeat. Each beat of your heart generates a shockwave of chaos energy, damaging and disrupting enemies within a radius. Scales with your Rank.
---
Max's breath hitched slightly as he read the description. So the system isn't just handing me power — it's letting me dig deeper into what I already am…
It was tempting — extremely tempting — to spend everything now and feel that power surge through him. But another thought whispered at the back of his mind:
Should I diversify instead? Strength is good, but surviving the higher floors might need more than just brute force…
He flipped quickly through the Skills tab next:
---
[Phantom Havoc Dance Step] — 200 Coins
> A movement technique that creates illusory afterimages while increasing agility by 30% for 10 seconds. Cooldown: 30 seconds.
[Dragonhide] — 150 Coins
> Temporarily hardens your skin like a dragon's scales, reducing all damage taken by 50% for 5 seconds. Cooldown: 1 minute.
[Bloodsense] — 100 Coins
[Grants heightened awareness of all living beings within 50 meters, sensing their blood flow even through walls].
---
And in Equipment, something cheaper but potentially life-saving gleamed:
[Chaos Fang Dagger] — 50 Coins
> A blade forged from chaos essence. Increases critical strike chance and draws a small amount of blood to replenish stamina.
---
Max's eyes narrowed as he weighed his options.
> One big leap forward with the bloodline awakening… or a mix of skills and equipment that might help me survive longer and climb higher?
Finally, his lips curled into a decisive smile.
"No need to hesitate," he muttered. "I know what I'm here for."
His finger hovered over the crimson glow of the Draconic Heartbeat, and with a firm motion, he pressed Purchase.
---
[Purchase complete. Awakened bloodline trait: Draconic Heartbeat.]
[Remaining Chaos Battle Coins: 0]
A sudden warmth exploded in his chest. His heart began to pound louder and louder — each beat sending a ripple of chaotic power through his veins. He gasped, clutching his chest as faint golden cracks of light danced across his skin before fading.
When it was over, his breathing slowed, but his eyes burned with new, undeniable power.
Max flexed his hands and smiled darkly.
"The Dragon Tower won't know what hit it."
He glanced back at the panel, where one final message waited for him:
[Do you wish to enter the Dragon Tower now?]
[Yes] / [No]
Max's grin widened.
"Yes."
With a flash of light, his figure vanished — and the first floor of the Dragon Tower awaited its challenger.