The infirmary within The Tower was silent save for the steady beeping of monitors. Raon sat by the bedside, unmoving, eyes locked on Min Seo's pale face. Her body was wrapped in a mesh of bio-thread and reinforced mana dampeners. Despite the layers of suppression technology, flickers of corrupted aura occasionally surged from her veins, rippling against the restraints like waves in a storm.
She hadn't woken up in two days.
Raon hadn't slept in just as long.
"You shouldn't be here," came a calm, low voice behind him.
Raon didn't look up. "And yet I am."
General Ha-Joon stepped into the room, dressed not in his usual armor but in a grey formal uniform. His eyes swept across the instruments, then returned to Raon.
"You went against direct protocol. Again," he said. "And you brought a Class-A corrupted subject into our base."
"She wasn't corrupted. Not completely," Raon muttered. "She fought it. I saw her fight it."
Ha-Joon folded his arms. "That system inside her—it's not like yours. Whatever source she tapped into, it's older, darker, and far more unstable. Do you really believe she can come back from that?"
Raon finally turned. His eyes were bloodshot, burning with something deeper than defiance. "I believe no one else could have survived what she did. And I believe she's not beyond saving. Isn't that the point of what we're doing? To evolve beyond cruelty?"
Ha-Joon stared at him for a long moment. Then he placed a datapad on the table. "The Council doesn't agree with you. They've voted for her to be transferred to Section Zero. They'll extract the system—by force, if necessary."
"That'll kill her."
"It might save others."
Raon stood, voice low and sharp. "She saved me. When we were kids. When I was nothing. Now it's my turn."
"You don't have the authority to make that decision."
Raon walked past him, pausing at the door. "Then strip me of rank. Ban me. But if they try to take her, they'll go through me."
Ha-Joon didn't stop him. But he didn't look away either.
As Raon disappeared down the hallway, the General muttered, "Just like your father…"
Elsewhere in The Tower, Level 9 of the Combat Wing was ablaze with activity. Trainees sparred in energy rings, fire and steel clashing under controlled simulations. One stood out—a girl with short white hair and dual crescent blades, her movements a blur of elegance and fury.
Her name was Kira, codename "Ghost Serpent". And she had been watching Raon for a while.
She caught her opponent's blade mid-air, twisted, and drove her elbow into his jaw. The simulation ended with a soft chime.
[Victory. Combat Rating: S-]
She stepped out of the ring, tossed her opponent a towel, and made her way toward the observation deck. Standing there was Dae-Hyun, one of Ha-Joon's aides.
"Is it true?" she asked. "About Raon and the corrupted girl?"
Dae-Hyun didn't answer directly. "There's a mission briefing. Level 4 War Room. Tonight. You'll want to be there."
Kira narrowed her eyes. "And if I'm not invited?"
"You weren't. But you're still going."
She smiled faintly. "Understood."
Night fell like a blade over Seoul. The city's shattered skyline glowed with artificial defenses—mana towers, searchlights, drone patrols. In the distance, the Forbidden Zones shimmered with unnatural storms.
Inside the War Room, a dozen figures gathered—elite operatives, system specialists, and faction leaders. Raon stood at the end of the table, arms crossed.
A projection hovered in the air: Min Seo's system diagnostics, fluctuating and unstable.
"She's evolving again," said Dr. Eunji, the Tower's chief medical officer. "Whatever system she bonded with is rewriting itself inside her. It's… parasitic, but intelligent."
"And you think this is salvageable?" barked Colonel Rhee, a scar-faced veteran from the Northern Front.
Raon nodded. "If we isolate the system, if we stabilize her mana core, we can suppress the corruption."
"Or we can put a bullet in her skull before this becomes another Black Sun Incident," Colonel Rhee snapped.
Tension surged through the room.
Dr. Eunji glanced nervously at Raon, then back to the Council. "We've never seen anything like this. If we extract data from her system, it might open paths to new evolution protocols. Even for Raon's own system."
The room quieted.
Ha-Joon leaned forward. "There's another problem. While Raon was fighting Min Seo in Incheon, something else woke up."
A second projection appeared—an underground ruin, covered in dragon glyphs, pulsing with blue energy.
"It's called the Echo Vault. Located beneath what used to be the Hanam District. We believe it's linked to the original creators of the Dragon Evolution System."
Raon's heart skipped.
"Inside," Ha-Joon continued, "we detected a presence. Level unknown. But it recognized Min Seo's system signature. It reached for her."
A cold chill settled over the room.
"You're sending me in," Raon said quietly.
"You'll go with a team," Ha-Joon confirmed. "Scout. Secure. If you encounter hostility—retreat. Understood?"
Raon nodded.
But deep inside, he knew retreat wouldn't be an option.
Two hours later, Raon stood on the rooftop landing pad, armored and ready. His system interface blinked with updates.
[Level: 12]
[EP: 1040]
[Next Evolution Tier: 13 – Dragonbone Reinforcement Unlocked]
[Shop Items Updated – Access New Equipment]
He ignored the shop for now.
Behind him, footsteps echoed.
Kira stepped into view, adjusting her gloves. "You're going in without me?"
Raon raised an eyebrow. "You're not assigned."
"I'm not asking."
He smirked. "Then let's go."
A black-winged transport descended, and the team boarded. Alongside Raon and Kira were two more: Han Ji-Woo, a stoic sniper with clairvoyant targeting, and Yuna, a system manipulator who could jam enemy skills for seconds at a time—just enough to turn the tide.
As the transport soared toward Hanam, Raon glanced down at his wrist.
Min Seo's vitals flickered softly on his secondary screen.
"Hold on," he whispered. "We're going to find answers."
The Echo Vault was like stepping into the skeleton of a forgotten god.
Massive rib-like structures jutted from the earth, covered in dragonic carvings. The air vibrated with raw mana—thick, heavy, alive. It felt like the inside of a dormant beast's heart.
Raon took point, blue flame coiled around his fists.
"System scan," he ordered.
Kira's eyes flickered as her HUD swept the ruins. "No visible hostiles. But... something is moving beneath the surface."
Han Ji-Woo knelt, peering through her scope. "Tunnels. At least six."
Yuna extended her hand, light dancing around her fingers. "There's a network of systems here. Old ones. Pre-war, maybe even pre-human."
They moved deeper.
At the center of the Vault was a chamber shaped like an inverted pyramid. Symbols glowed across the walls—one matching Raon's system rune exactly.
Suddenly, the walls pulsed.
A deep voice echoed, not in sound, but in thought.
"Bearer of the Azure Flame... why do you wake us?"
Raon stepped forward. "I seek answers. About the evolution systems. About what's happening to us."
The chamber shimmered. A projection emerged—an ancient dragon, its wings unfurled across the stars.
"Then you must face the Trial of Origin."
A circle appeared beneath them, glowing brighter.
Kira swore. "Trap—!"
The floor collapsed.
Raon plummeted into darkness, and the world around him vanished.
When he opened his eyes, he stood alone in a white void.
Before him stood… himself.
But different.
This Raon was older. Stronger. Wings of blue flame spread from his back. His eyes burned with power beyond comprehension.
"Who are you?" Raon whispered.
"I'm who you could become," the figure said. "If you choose power over mercy. If you kill without hesitation. If you abandon the weak."
Raon clenched his fists. "That's not who I am."
"It's who you must be. To survive what's coming."
"I'd rather die with honor than live without my soul."
The other Raon smiled sadly. "Then we'll see if you can hold onto both."
They fought.
It was not just a battle of strength—but of will. Of belief. Every strike the other Raon delivered tested Raon's convictions. Every defense Raon made was fueled by memories—of Min Seo, of his past, of his promise never to abandon those who mattered.
The final blow came not from fire or fury—but from clarity.
Raon whispered, "I choose who I become."
He struck.
The other Raon shattered into light.
And the void dissolved.
He woke in the chamber again, the others groaning around him. The projection of the dragon loomed above.
"You have passed. The path remains yours to walk. But beware—the deeper your evolution, the closer you come to extinction."
Raon nodded slowly. "I'll take that risk."
As the team climbed from the Vault, Raon's system pinged.
[System Evolution Updated – Path of the Azure Sovereign Unlocked]
[Title Acquired: Trial Conqueror]
[New Skill: Dragonheart Resilience – Damage resistance increased by 30% under 20% HP]
He didn't smile.
Because far behind them, in the darkness beneath the Vault…
A second heartbeat had awakened.
And it was hungry.