The silence still hung heavy when the Dragon King let out a colossal yawn.
It was no ordinary yawn.
The mountains in the distance shuddered, the lake rose in waves as if preparing to turn into a tsunami, and Thaldrik was hurled three steps back by the gust of hot wind alone.
— Hmmm... — the ancient voice grumbled, thick with sleep. — Wait a moment...
Thaldrik's eyes widened with anticipation, his ticket raised like a victory flag.
The Dragon King blinked slowly, rubbed his gigantic eyes with the back of his hand (nearly causing an eclipse in the process), and fell into thought. It was like watching a cosmic entity trying to remember where he had left his house keys.
— Yes... yes... I remember now... — he murmured, his voice still groggy. — Eons ago... on a boring afternoon... I... created a... club.
Thaldrik gasped, his heart racing.
— I KNEW IT!
— I scattered invitations across the corners of the world... — the Dragon King continued, scratching his beard like someone trying to jog a distant memory. — I tossed some into rivers, hid others in caves, and... ah, yes... I wrote one or two in... onion soups.
Thaldrik held the ticket up with both hands, his eyes welling with tears.
— SO IT WAS TRUE! It wasn't a tavern hallucination, or some gnome scam! I really am... a chosen one!
The Dragon King took a deep breath, releasing a cloud of golden smoke that spread like an aurora across the sky of the cave-world.
— True, indeed. But I must confess... — he closed his eyes for an instant, sighing. — I didn't think anyone would actually take it seriously.
Thaldrik nearly fainted.
— WHAT DO YOU MEAN?!
The Dragon King shrugged—or at least made a gesture that looked like one, though it shifted tectonic plates in the process.
— It was just a hobby. I was... bored. I created a club, made up some absurd benefits... and scattered the invitations just to see if any mortal would be foolish enough to seek me out.
Thaldrik clutched his heart as if he'd been struck by an arrow.
— Absurd?! Lord, with all due respect, but... creating universes, controlling time, restoring realities... those aren't absurd, that's a premium package!
The Dragon King cracked a half-smile, revealing fangs that sparkled like suns.
— Hm. I admit, you have a point. It would be rather fun, wouldn't it?
Silence fell once more.
Thaldrik felt a shiver run down his spine.
Then, the Dragon King tilted his head, his golden eyes locked onto him.
— Very well, Thaldrik von Zurlon III. You have come all this way. You have survived. And you brought the invitation.
His voice rumbled with a newfound solemnity.
— So tell me... are you prepared to become the first official member of the Dragon King's Club?
Thaldrik's eyes went wide, his face illuminated by the glory of the opportunity.
He straightened his posture, raised the ticket with pride, and shouted:
— YES! I WAS BORN FOR THIS!
Karnak settled even deeper into the sofa, stretching in a way that seemed to defy both gravity and common sense. The air around him rippled, as if the world itself had decided to respect his sheer laziness.
— Oh, right... — he said, yawning so deeply that tiny golden sparks danced in the air. — Before anything else, let me introduce myself as quickly as possible, because... well, I'm far too lazy.
Thaldrik blinked, trying not to look intimidated by the colossal figure who, despite everything, seemed more inclined to nap than to rule universes.
— I am... — Karnak made a dramatic pause, resting his head on the arm of the sofa — ...Karnak. That's enough. The full name involves eons, dimensions, and some lesser dragons who'd rather stay out of the conversation, so... laziness wins.
Thaldrik nearly choked with excitement.
— Karnak... it is an honor, Your Majesty. I mean... — he corrected himself — Karnak.
The dragon let out a long sigh that seemed to echo through the mountains.
— Oh, and just so you know, this form you see... is the human shape I decided to use today. — He shrugged in a way that caused a slight tremor in the cave. — Not because I have to, but because the sofa is much more comfortable than any gigantic dragon form.
Thaldrik's eyes went wide.
— So... you, the legendary Dragon King, are lying on a human sofa... and it's really you?
Karnak yawned again, stretching his arms.
— Yes, boy. I still have all the cosmic power, but today I'm busy with something more important: napping.
Thaldrik felt his heart race.
— So... the VIP club, the unlimited powers... all of it is real?
— Real as it gets, — said Karnak, turning lazily on the sofa. — But, if you've already got what you wanted, hurry up and get lost. I'm going to take my nap now, and no disturbing my rest.
Thaldrik blinked in surprise.
— Wait... you mean... after all this, I just have to... go away?
Karnak made a lazy gesture, as if to say: "Exactly. Take what you've got and vanish."
— You received the invitation, you made it here, and now it's up to you. Do whatever you want, but leave my sacred rest in peace.
Thaldrik swallowed hard, the ticket still in his hands, filled with a mix of excitement and nerves.
— So... it's officially my duty to explore my VIP powers alone, without supervision?
— Precisely. — Karnak yawned one more time. — And remember: don't burn down the entire reality.
Thaldrik took a deep breath, his eyes wide, and with an almost maniacal smile, he prepared to test his newly discovered VIP powers... while Karnak leaned back into the sofa, closing his eyes with the absolute certainty that chaos was inevitable.
This section adds a great layer of depth to Karnak's character—he's not just lazy, he's a god with very specific pet peeves. Here is the translation:
Karnak had already closed his eyes, sinking into his sofa like a deity in "snooze mode." Yet, even in this state of near-slumber, his mind echoed like distant thunder.
He thought to himself in silence:
"This Thaldrik fellow is actually a decent guy... a bit clumsy, sure, but patient. Polite, even. A rarity, considering the others who have shown up here with those invitations."
A lazy sigh escaped his lips.
Memories surfaced, one after another:
There was that wizard with the ridiculously long hat, who appeared demanding entrance to the club before Karnak had even properly woken up. He shouted things like, "I command you, by the authority of the cosmos, to accept me immediately!"
The result? His hat turned into a chicken. And the wizard, shamed, fled in a panic.
Then came the arrogant warrior woman, who insisted on "dueling for the right to be VIP." She had barely finished raising her sword when Karnak, without even opening his eyes, teleported her to a deserted beach surrounded by irritatingly loud seagulls. She's probably still there, trying to negotiate with the birds.
And, of course, he couldn't forget the persistent merchant who tried to sell Karnak his own entry into the club—as if it were possible to bribe the Dragon King with discount coupons and fifth-rate spices. That one was simple: Karnak just opened one eye, huffed, and the man vanished from space-time for... three centuries. He only recently returned, complaining of boredom.
Karnak yawned again, satisfied with his own memories of mild punishments—at least on a cosmic scale.
"Those ones were intrusive... impatient... they didn't know how to wait. They didn't respect my sleep."
Then his mind returned to Thaldrik.
He was standing there, clutching his crumpled ticket, eyes gleaming with almost childlike excitement, yet waiting in silence until Karnak chose to speak.
"Yes... this one is different."
"He didn't scream, he didn't disturb me too much, and he even respected the sofa. Perhaps... perhaps he deserves it, after all."
And with that, Karnak sank even deeper into the celestial upholstery, nearly diving back into his infinite nap, certain that Thaldrik would be capable of... either destroying everything... or surprising him.