"What was that sound?"
Valac's eyes stared around the room, cautiously not missing a single spot he could while standing on his own two feet.
"Kyu!"
Valac blinked, still standing shakily in the center of the room. The strange sound echoed again… soft yet high-pitched. Who is making that sound?
"Kyu!"
His gaze darted around the room, trying to locate the source of the noise. The dizziness was still gnawing at him, but he forced himself to move slowly, cautiously. He reached for the nearby desk for support, eyes scanning the room.
What kind of noise was that?
"Kyu!"
The sound was louder this time, and before Valac could process it, something small and soft slammed into his chest, knocking him back onto the bed.
"Ugh!" Valac grunted, barely managing to keep himself upright, as he stared at the tiny creature in front of him.
It was… a dragon.
Well, not just any dragon.
This one was no larger than a kitty, with shimmering scales that shifted between black and red. Its tiny wings flapped restlessly, and its beady, glowing eyes focused intently on Valac.
Cute…
The creature radiated a faint, otherworldly yet terrifying aura…, yet was somehow childlike in its appearance.
"What in the actual…?" Valac muttered, staring at the dragon in disbelief.
"Kyu!" The dragon chirped again, its tiny tail swishing back and forth. It hopped up onto Valac's lap, nuzzling against his chest like a lost puppy.
Despite its small size, Valac could feel the sheer power emanating from the creature. He didn't need a screen or system alert to tell him that this wasn't just some random beast.
Years of gaming experience was enough…
The screen flashed again before his eyes, and Valac glanced at it quickly.
[Spirit Binding Animal Unlocked: Lavathore, The Mythical Beast of the Eight Great Sins]
[Grade: SSS]
[Description: Created from the essence of the eight greatest sins of the world, a mythical creature born of demonic origins. It is fiercely loyal to its master and possesses the ability to bind its soul with that of the chosen. It will follow its master everywhere. Upon maturing, it will gain the power to devour any grade curse itself, granting the user incredible strength.]
[Note : Lavathore was the quest reward for killing the Demon Lord, Vol'Rath. Since, it's a soul bound mythical creature. It has been transferred from Player's old account.]
Valac's mind raced. "The baby dragon… it's from my old account?" he whispered to himself. He remembered the moment vividly… after defeating Vol'Rath.
So, the SSS- Grade Item was this. What demonic? What SSS? It's so f***king cute! But, 8 sins? Weren't there only 7?
Sitting right on his lap, Lavathore looked up at Valac with those cute glowing curious eyes.
"So, this is my reward," he murmured, reaching out cautiously to pet Kyu. His hand trembled slightly, not just from weakness but from the sheer strangeness of the situation. The dragon purred softly, leaning into his touch as if starved for affection.
Just like he once did…
But Valac's mind was still swirling with questions. But, the most prominent one was.
Will I ever be able to get my revenge?
"Lav…" Valac muttered under his breath, staring down at the dragon.
"You're powerful, but right now… you're just as weak as I am. Wait… I could train you and take you to Moonlit Cavern. Would you come, Lav?"
As if understanding his thoughts, Lav let out a soft, pitiful "Kyu!" and curled into a tiny ball on Valac's lap, eyes half-closed.
Valac sighed, resting his head back against the pillows, his mind still racing with the information overload. "I have to break this curse first. Moonlit Cavern…" he whispered.
"But I can't even stand without feeling like I'm going to pass out. How the hell am I supposed to get there? Just what did the owner of the body do for his stamina to be so low? Ugh! But, he does have an A-grade venom in his body. It's a surprise he's alive."
[Lav's Ability 1: Detection of Sin Level]
[Skill Activated: Sin Detection - Nearby Sin Detected (Greed)]
[Range Of Sin : Castle]
The green screen flashed again, startling Valac.
His eyes widened in realization as he processed the message. "Greed? Here?" He sat up, ignoring the dizzying wave that followed. His eyes scanned the room, but everything appeared normal. There were no signs of danger.
Kyu shifted, its tiny wings fluttering as it stood on Valac's lap, looking alert. The dragon let out a low growl, its gaze locking onto the door.
Valac frowned. "Is someone out there? Come inside."
Before he could make a move, the door creaked open slightly, revealing the same maid from earlier, her eyes wide with fear. Lav already hid under the bed before the maid could have entered.
She stepped into the room hesitantly, her gaze flickering nervously between Valac and the ground.
"Master Valac…" she whispered, her voice trembling. "I… I came to check if you needed anything…"
Valac's instincts screamed at him that something was off.
"You're lying," Valac said flatly, his voice cold and sharp. The maid flinched at the accusation, her eyes widening in fear.
"I-I swear, Master Valac! I was only worried for you—"
"No. You're lying," Valac interrupted, his eyes narrowing. "You're shaking. Your pupils are trembling. It's not hard to tell."
The maid's hands trembled as she wrung them together, her gaze shifting nervously to the side. "I… I only came to help…"
But Valac wasn't buying it.
His body might have been weak, but his mind was sharp. Afterall, even if the body was Valac, the soul… the experience… the memories… They were of Aamon's.
Lav let out another low growl, the tiny dragon's eyes glowing with an unnatural light as it watched the maid intently from under the bed.
If it was some sin, Lav would be attracted. Still… I can't let my guard down in an unknown place.
"What are you hiding?" Valac demanded, his tone growing more forceful.
The maid's eyes darted to the door, her hands trembling. "I-I don't know what you mean, Master Valac! I only—"
"Don't lie to me," Valac snapped, his patience wearing thin. "Unless, you want to lose this job."
The maid's face paled, her lips trembling as she took a step back. "I… I… I need help, Master! Please!"
"Go on."
"Master, could you give me some bread from your meal for my siblings? I'm sure the curse is unspreadable. I was just planning to steal from your dinner to feed my siblings." Before, Valac could have said anything, his words were cut off by the thunderous banging on the door .
Knock! Knock!
Who's here now?