Back in their room, Kelvin collapsed into his chair with a laugh. "I still can't believe we actually did that."
Noah sat on his bed, surprisingly calm. 'Amazing what a void storage system can do for your nerves.'
"You're taking this well," Kelvin noted, eyeing him suspiciously. "Usually you'd be pacing around, worried about getting caught."
"Maybe nearly dying changed my perspective on what's worth worrying about," Noah shrugged.
"Speaking of weird changes..." Kelvin leaned forward. "What was that back there? One second you're next to me, then you're somehow across the room. Since when are you that fast?"
"Adrenaline, probably." Noah forced a laugh. "Being unconscious for a week probably messed with your perception of my abilities."
"Right..." Kelvin didn't look convinced, but he dropped it. "Well, whatever it was, it was impressive. Terrifying, but impressive."
Noah stood up, making a show of sniffing his shirt. "All that sneaking around got me sweating. I need another shower."
"Another one? You just—"
"Better safe than sorry!" Noah called back, already heading to the bathroom.
The moment the door closed, he turned on the water and then whispered, "Domain."
A dark wave swept through him, and suddenly he was standing in his domain's ethereal landscape. Nyx bounded over immediately, chirping hungrily.
[Void Storage Contents:
- 3x Level 2 Frost Wolf Cores
Select Action:
1. Convert to Feed
2. Store for later use]
'Should probably save some,' Noah thought. 'But first...'
He selected two cores for feeding, keeping one in storage. No sense emptying his supplies completely.
[Converting Cores to Dragon Feed...]
[Notice: Higher-grade beast cores can accelerate dragon growth]
[Current Probability of Evolution: 27%]
[Evolution chance increases with core quality and quantity]
'Wait, evolution?' Noah watched as Nyx devoured the converted energy, its scales gleaming slightly brighter.
[New Quest Available!]
[Title: Evolution's First Step]
[Objective: Successfully evolve Nyx to its next form]
[Reward: Unknown]
[Note: Evolution success rate varies based on core quality and feeding frequency]
Noah knelt beside Nyx, watching it feast. 'So you can grow stronger... but we need better cores.'
The tiny dragon looked up at him, letting out a satisfied chirp. Despite its current size, Noah could sense the potential within it. The raw power waiting to be unleashed.
'A Red Death Dragon...' he thought. 'I wonder what you'll become.'
[Quest Accepted]
[Current Evolution Progress: 2%]
'Well,' Noah smiled as Nyx curled up contentedly at his feet. 'Looks like we'll be needing more cores. Wonder if they'd notice if we made more visits to that vault.'
Noah watched Nyx stumble around the domain's ethereal landscape, pondering the dragon's origins. 'Did you have a family?' he wondered. 'A mother, maybe? Or did you just... appear in that lava pit?'
The thought of other dragon eggs in that molten pool made him pause. Other siblings of Nyx, perhaps waiting to hatch. But something about that didn't feel right.
'No,' he thought, watching Nyx chase its own tail. 'You're different. Special.'
The tiny dragon suddenly flopped onto its side, letting out a dramatic yawn that seemed comically oversized for its small frame. Noah couldn't help but laugh.
'Some "Red Death Dragon" you are,' he thought affectionately. 'More like a red death kitten.'
Nyx shot him what could only be described as an indignant look, as if reading his thoughts, before curling up into a ball. The fearsome beast of legend, now taking a post-meal nap.
'But that name...' Noah mused. 'Red Death. They don't just hand out titles like that.' He studied the sleeping hatchling. 'Wonder what you'll become after evolution. Something tells me you won't stay this adorable forever.'
His mind wandered to his new abilities. Void Blink had already proved invaluable during the heist. A five-meter range wasn't massive, but used strategically...
'In combat, five meters could mean the difference between life and death,' he analyzed. 'Dodge an attack, get behind an enemy, create distance for a counterattack.'
The thirty-second cooldown was the real challenge. 'Have to make each blink count. Can't waste it on simple dodges if a bigger threat might come.'
He found himself mapping out scenarios in his head. If another Stonewall Behemoth attacked, he could blink past its defenses, strike its weak points. Against faster enemies, he could use the ability to create space, control the flow of battle.
'And then there's Null Strike...'
He stood up, feeling the void energy pulse through him. The ability to channel that power into attacks – it seemed straightforward enough, but he sensed there was more to it.
'Void energy isn't just about raw power,' he reasoned. 'It's about manipulation, control. Maybe Null Strike can be more than just a direct attack.'
Nyx stirred in its sleep, letting out a tiny puff of smoke that dissipated in the domain's air. Noah smiled, sitting back down beside his companion.
'We've got a lot to learn, little one,' he thought. 'About your powers, about mine. About what it means to be a Void Walker with a Red Death Dragon.'
He glanced at his status screen again, studying his attributes. Average numbers for now, but with training...
'First things first though,' he decided. 'We need to get you evolved. Can't have a legendary dragon sleeping through all our adventures.'
Nyx responded with a soft snore, making Noah shake his head in amusement. 'Yeah, yeah. Rest up. Something tells me we're in for quite a journey.'
A journey that would probably involve more vault heists, more close calls, and definitely more beast cores. But looking at his sleeping dragon, Noah found he didn't mind the risks.
'Besides,' he thought with a slight smirk, 'I'm starting to get pretty good at this whole sneaking around thing. Who would've thought?'
In the peaceful quiet of his domain, watching his legendary dragon sleep like a common house pet, Noah felt a strange sense of contentment. Whatever challenges lay ahead, whatever evolution might bring, at least they'd face it together.
'Just try not to set anything on fire when you wake up,' he silently pleaded. Though knowing his recent trail of luck, that was probably asking too much.
Noah glanced around his domain one last time. The serene landscape, the gentle breeze – it was almost too perfect.
'Maybe a bit too peaceful,' he thought, watching Nyx snore away. 'Do you get bored here, little one? Just waiting around in this endless green?'
Then he remembered – the shower was still running.
'Damn it.' The academy's water billing was notoriously strict, and he had no idea how much time had passed in the real world. 'Plus, Kelvin might come checking...'
He walked over to Nyx, who had rolled onto its back, belly exposed to the domain's ethereal sky. The scales were rough under his touch, but the dragon leaned into his hand like any content pet would.
'We'll figure this out,' he promised silently. 'The whole Void Walker thing, your evolution, all of it.'
Exiting the domain took just a thought, and suddenly he was back in the steamy bathroom. The real shower was definitely overdue.
As he finally took his actual bath, his mind wandered to the evening ahead. Lila and ice cream. Not a date, definitely not a date. Just two people who happened to survive a near-death experience together, getting dessert.
'She's probably just being nice,' he reasoned, trying to ignore the flutter in his stomach. 'We almost died together. That's bound to create some kind of bond, right?'
As he toweled off, his mind wandered to more uncomfortable thoughts about Lila.
'Funny how things change,' he mused with a hint of bitterness. 'One near-death experience and suddenly we're getting ice cream.'
He remembered when she first joined their team. Everyone had been excited – Lila, one of the top students in their class by entrance scores, choosing to work with them. But Noah had seen through it.
'Classic strategy,' he thought, wiping fog from the mirror. 'Join the underdogs, stand out more. Easier to shine when you're surrounded by people barely scraping by.'
The memory of the cave made him pause, towel mid-motion. Lila had been next to useless when the Stonewall Behemoth showed up as far as he was comcerned. All that talent, all that reputation, and in the face of real danger...
'Some help you were then,' he thought, then immediately felt guilty. 'And now here I am, getting dressed up to hang out with you. The irony.'
He stared at his reflection, at the area near his chest where the beast had nearly ended him. 'Maybe I'm being too harsh. Fear does things to people. Makes them...'
[Time Check: Evening Approaching]
[Nyx Status: Resting]
The system notification interrupted his thoughts, and he almost laughed. Here he was, worrying about Lila's motives while hiding a legendary dragon in a pocket dimension.
'Talk about trust issues,' he thought wryly. 'Though at least Nyx's motives are simple. Food, sleep, and possibly world domination.'
Still, he couldn't quite shake the nagging feeling about Lila. Self-righteous or not, his instincts had kept him alive so far.
'Well,' he thought, reaching for his towel, 'at least ice cream is a low-stakes way to figure someone out.'
Unless, of course, she turned out to be as complicated as everything else in his life had become.
By the time he stepped out of the bathroom, Kelvin was waiting with a knowing grin.
"Took you long enough," his friend smirked. "Got a hot date to prepare for?"
"It's not a date," Noah said automatically, reaching for his usual t-shirt.
Kelvin intercepted his hand. "Oh no you don't. Not that old thing." He walked to his own closet, rummaging through it. "Here – wear this."
He tossed Noah a dark blue button-down shirt that probably cost more than Noah's entire wardrobe.
"I'm getting ice cream, not going to a gala," Noah protested.
"Ice cream with Lila," Kelvin corrected. "The girl who, may I remind you, hasn't shown interest in anyone since joining the academy. Until now."
'Because we almost died together,' Noah wanted to say, but kept quiet.
"Look," Kelvin continued, now digging through his pants collection. "You survived a Level 3 beast, pulled off a vault heist, and somehow developed ninja-level reflexes. But Lila? She might be your biggest challenge yet."
Noah caught the dark jeans Kelvin threw at him. "You're enjoying this way too much."
"Someone has to," Kelvin grinned. "Because you're too busy overthinking everything. Just like always."
'If you only knew what I was really overthinking,' Noah thought, thinking of the sleeping dragon in his domain.
"Fine," he sighed, taking the clothes. "But if I look ridiculous—"
"You'll thank me later," Kelvin cut him off. "Now hurry up. Can't keep your not-date waiting."
As Noah changed, he caught his reflection in the mirror. The clothes did look good, he had to admit. But his mind kept drifting back to Nyx, to the vault, to everything that had changed in the past week.
'One thing at a time,' he told himself. 'First, survive ice cream with Lila. Then figure out how to evolve a legendary dragon. Simple enough, right?'
Right.