A Man Without a Future
The Awakening Hall of Hunters—the place where destinies were decided.
Ethan Cross stood among the crowd, his hands clenched into fists, his breathing heavy. This was the moment that could change his life.
The ceremony began. One by one, people stepped onto the magic circle. Some emerged with powerful abilities, basking in cheers, while others left the hall with broken expressions.
And now, it was his turn.
His footsteps echoed on the cold stone floor as he stepped forward. The magic circle beneath him lit up. A bright blue glow enveloped him, and the world around him blurred.
✨ [Awakening in progress…]
✨ [Searching for Talent…]
✨ [Skill Found!]
His heart pounded. This was the moment that would change everything!
✨ [Skill: Coexistence with Darkness]
A black light swirled around him, but unlike the radiant glows he had seen for others, this one was dim and lifeless.
✨ [Passive Skill: Coexistence with Darkness]
✨ [Effect: 10% increased resistance to "Corruption"]
The hall fell silent for a few seconds. Then…
"Ha! What a loser!"
"Is there even a weaker skill than this?"
Even the ceremony official looked at him with a blank expression.
"Awakening complete. You can leave now."
Ethan, who had been filled with hope just moments ago, now stood frozen, staring at the ground.
From this moment on, he was worthless to the world.
The Beginning of a Disaster – A Gate to Death Opens
Hours later, night had fallen.
Ethan wandered aimlessly through the dark streets.
His feet carried him to an empty district.
And at that very moment—
The air trembled.
His eyes widened as the space in front of him twisted and distorted.
✨ [Warning: Dimensional Rift Detected!]
A dimensional rift…!
His blood ran cold.
A black gate tore open before his terrified eyes.
From within, writhing shadows slithered out.
Corruption Demons.
These were not mere beings. They were the embodiment of absolute darkness—formed from what humanity called "dimensional corruption." They consumed everything they touched, assimilating it into themselves.
A human infected by these demons would turn into a mindless, bloodthirsty monster. The only way to stop them? Complete annihilation.
One of the demons, its eyes glowing, its body formed of shifting black smoke, parted its jagged mouth and spoke in a voice that was deep, layered, and unnatural:
✨ "Fresh meat…"
Before he could even think of running, one of the demons struck him, slamming him against a wall!
"Gahh—!"
A searing pain tore through his body. Blood spilled from his mouth.
He couldn't move.
One of the demons raised its jagged, scythe-like arm.
✨ "Your time has come, weak human."
His vision blurred.
And just as the blade came down—
✨ [Emergency Activation: Pendant!]
The Pendant of His Father and the Arrival of the Dragons!
✨ A golden-red light exploded from his old pendant!
From within the radiance, three figures emerged.
All three had sculpted, breathtaking features, their curved dragon horns gleaming under the light.
Their golden eyes burned like fire, and their presence radiated an overwhelming power.
One of them, with flowing blue hair and icy armor, frowned.
"Seriously? This is our master? A pathetic weakling?"
The second, her red hair blazing like flames, crossed her arms and scoffed.
"Damn it, this has to be a mistake. There's no way someone like this could be our master!"
The third, with raven-black hair and piercing violet eyes, gave Ethan a look of utter disdain before smirking.
"Oh my, so this is who we were summoned for? If we have to serve someone this weak, we might as well die."
✨ [Dragon Wives' Contract Established!]
Ethan, still lying on the ground, barely managed to groan:
"What…?"
The Dragons' Reaction to Ethan
The air was still thick with dust. Ethan, lying on the ground, tried to push through the intense pain to stand up. He still couldn't believe that three dragon girls with horns, shining armor, and an aura beyond human comprehension had emerged from his pendant.
But the real shock came when one of them—a girl with fiery red hair and glowing eyes—pointed at him angrily and shouted:
"You've got to be kidding, right? You're not supposed to be our master!"
The other two girls felt the same way.
Selena, the ice dragon, sneered with cold eyes.
"Seriously? A weakling? For us? This must be a joke."
Luna, the dark dragon, smirked as she placed her hand under her chin and stared at Ethan. Mischief gleamed in her purple eyes.
"Heh… interesting. A guy who can't even stand up is supposed to lead us? That's too funny."
Ethan, still feeling the pain in his body, growled in frustration:
"If you're gonna save me, can you at least hurry up?"
But suddenly, when the dragon girls tried to return to the pendant—nothing happened.
The pendant was locked.
Selena glared at it.
"What? Why isn't it working?"
Fira, now completely enraged, clenched her fists.
"Damn it! We have to stay with this weakling?"
Ethan muttered under his breath:
"Ugh, what a hassle…"
The Demons Enter the Battle!
The Corruption Demons, who had been stunned until now, finally decided to attack.
One of them screeched:
"What are these things?"
But the dragon girls were now fully alert.
Fira, still angry, gathered fire in her hands and grinned.
"So you wanna fight? Fine, I was getting bored anyway."
She took a deep breath and sent a wave of fire toward the demons. In an instant, half of them were burned to ashes!
Ethan stared wide-eyed at the scene.
"Well… at least I know for sure now, you guys are really strong!"
But the problem was, the Corruption Demons didn't die that easily.
The rest of them, now empowered by dimensional corruption, began to merge. Their bodies twisted, grew larger, and now had thick, black skin that even Fira's fire couldn't penetrate!
Luna, with a terrifying grin, said:
"Well, well… now this is a real fight!"
The First Battle of the Dragons with Ethan
The dragon girls fought with overwhelming power.
• Fira, with fiery fists, slammed one of the demons into a wall.
• Selena conjured a tall ice wall to block the enemy's advance.
• Luna, with her glowing eyes, sent a wave of darkness that paralyzed several demons.
But in the middle of the chaos, Ethan was still just trying to survive!
Without any powers, he tried to stay out of the fray, but… he found himself right in the middle of the battlefield!
When one of the demons attacked him, he panicked and picked up a rock, throwing it—but instead of hitting the enemy, it struck Fira squarely on the head!
Fira held her head and shouted in anger:
"Hey, idiot! What's your problem?!"
Ethan, now more afraid of Fira than the demons, raised his hands.
"I didn't mean to! I swear!"
Selena shot him a contemptuous look and said:
"Weak, clumsy, and now distracted? Your situation is worse than I thought."
Luna, while crushing one of the demons, laughed:
"But at least you're entertaining!"
Ethan, while running from another demon, yelled:
"Why me?! I don't even have a sword!"
The Battle's Outcome and the First Spark of the Relationship Between Ethan and the Dragons
After a chaotic battle, the dragon girls finally destroyed all the demons.
Ethan, completely exhausted, panted,
"Well… I guess it's over."
But at that very moment, the Corruption Gate activated again!
Their eyes turned toward the gate. From the darkness, the sound of savage roars echoed, and more demons poured out!
Selena, now thoroughly fed up with the situation, said:
"Great. Looks like this night's never gonna end…"
Ethan, hopeless, looked at the dragon girls and asked:
"I just wanna know… is it gonna get worse from here?"
Luna, with a dangerous smile, approached him and whispered:
"What do you think, little master?"
The chapter ends with an exciting scene—more demons are charging, and Ethan is completely in shock!
In his mind, only one thought echoed:
"Why do I feel like my life is about to get a whole lot worse?"