That day was just like any other.
Clear, sunny skies with no clouds in sight, and a gentle breeze blown across the ordinary moment where the sound of waves crashing on the shore could be faintly heard.
However—.
[Hoo.]
The change began with a single call.
“What?”
[Come here.]
Horus tilted his head at the solemn voice of his protector, the Elder Dragon Shuriheartgen, echoing in his mind. He was engrossed in his self-training in the magic lab as usual.
‘What’s going on?’
Lately, the dragon hadn’t said much and just kept watching him quietly.
But before he could dwell on that odd thought, Horus blinked a few times and then promptly stopped what he was doing, turning his body.
‘Guess I’ll find out if I go.’
Immediately, a light surge of magic enveloped him, lifting the chubby little blonde boy into the air.
Hooosh—
And in an instant, his body shot through the lair towards the voice that called him.
Before he could even blink, Horus arrived where he’d heard the call.
What appeared before his eyes was a golden being, its size comparable to a hill.
‘…It’s always magnificent to see that.’
A mix of intimidation and breathtaking beauty emanated from the giant creature. Its shimmering golden scales, covering a body several dozen meters long, scattered the surrounding light, creating an overwhelming presence.
If there were any flaw, it was that the once brilliant sheen of those scales appeared somewhat dull now.
Horus glanced at it out of the corner of his eye, then scurried over to where Shuriheartgen’s head was, opening his mouth.
“I’m here! What’s the matter?”
Because of his short tongue, the pronunciation of his words always slipped out before he realized it.
He’d tried to correct it many times, but seeing as it still happened, he decided to accept it as Horus’s unique trait until his body grew.
[I am going to die soon.]
“Ugh?”
But before he could ponder any further over such trivial thoughts, the massive golden dragon bluntly dropped the bombshell.
Horus paused, his eyes widening at the unexpected content contrasted with the calm tone.
“Uh….”
Surely it wasn’t a joke…
He had suspected that such a day would eventually arrive.
Hadn’t the dragon said when he first met him that his lifespan was nearing its end?
‘But still, that’s quite sudden!’
He certainly didn’t expect such announcement to come so casually and abruptly.
He had assumed that because they had been together for so long, the dragon simply had a different sense of time, being a long-lived creature.
“…When exactly is ‘soon’?”
So Horus had to ask, even if it was a pitiful question.
You never know, right?
That “soon” could mean several years!
[Right now. Here, at this very moment.]
However, his cautious question was immediately swept away by Shuriheartgen’s resolute answer.
Horus couldn’t muster any words to follow up; the straightforwardness of the response about his death was so direct it was almost surreal.
[To be more precise, I just finished preparing for death. Simply living longer would be possible for a few more years, but dragging on would be meaningless.]
By that point, he understood why the dragon could speak about his death with such confidence.
In short, he was declaring that he would no longer hold onto life and would instead choose to end it here.
Was it truly a mark of a dragon that had lived for thousands of years?
“No, come on! You should at least try to live as long as you can!”
Horus replied instinctively, frowning in protest.
No matter how tempting it was to inherit the heritage of the clan he would be left behind, how could he let someone he had built a connection with after spending over a year together just choose death casually?
[Horus, if it weren’t for you, I might have.]
“…Huh?”
Yet even with such a reaction, Shuriheartgen gazed down at him calmly, as if to convey a sense of pride in him.
[Forcing myself to endure here would be akin to distorting the power of fate, scraping away everything of mine to burn as fuel. The magic and life force within me, the stature and karma built over time, as well as the destiny bestowed upon me.]
A gentle explanation akin to a grandfather telling stories to his grandson.
He calmly continued, ensuring Horus understood why he had made such a choice.
[But, if I recklessly attempt to extend my lifespan, nothing will come of it. It would be nothing but literally becoming void. Of course, if my clan’s extinction had been assured, I would have thought nothing of it and just tried to survive as long as possible, but…]
Then, he lowered his enormous golden pupils and focused on the small boy standing right before him.
[Now that other options have emerged, I must choose the most efficient way given the circumstances.]
If he was going to end his life, he needed to leave at least one proper gift behind.
After gazing down at Horus for a moment, his eyes softened, carrying a hint of laughter.
“……”
Horus could not find any words for such unilateral kindness.
What else could he say here?
That he wasn’t a ‘real’ dragon worthy of such expectations?
That he was merely an outsider who could leave this world at any time?
…No, that wasn’t something to say to a wise dragon preparing for his end.
He was more than aware that what he was feeling was deception, but now it didn’t feel strange in the slightest.
‘From the start, my very existence is akin to being a fraud…’
When he first heard about the inheritance, he felt nothing but excitement, but as time went on, it appeared he had genuinely formed a bond.
Upon reflecting, perhaps it wasn’t that deep, but considering the turmoil he felt, it did seem significant.
Eventually, Horus couldn’t find the words and exhaled deeply, muttering in complaint.
“…So, what should I do going forward? Honestly, I have no clue what I should be doing.”
[Nothing. The situation can’t just be resolved by entrusting a hatchling with it now. Until the time comes, you can just live as you wish. Even if that leads to the extinction of our clan with you as the last one, it’s simply how it is.]
Comparatively speaking, it was a highly irresponsible statement given the expectations he had sent until now.
It was undoubtedly practical.
[For now, you’ve succeeded in extending the line; the rest will be up to Lord Dracalion’s will. You’re a smart kid, so when the time comes, seizing the opportunity won’t be difficult.]
As he finished with such nonchalant words, Shuriheartgen gently closed his eyes.
As if to convey that those were all the words he had.
“Um…!”
Just when Horus, who had been hesitating, was about to speak up again.
Change began as if it could no longer wait.
Whoosh—
In an instant, an enormous magical circle appeared, filling the entire hall, radiating a brilliant golden light.
At the center lay the massive dragon, lying on the ground.
Each of its dull golden scales started to glow, and soon its whole body was engulfed in light, emitting a tremendous energy.
[It was enjoyable being with you, Horus. I shall grant you a parting gift. I believe you will like it. It will be the most helpful thing for you right now.]
Coinciding with the moment, Shuriheartgen’s voice echoed in Horus’s mind once more.
And upon hearing those words, Horus instinctively realized that the greatest reason for the dragon’s current decision was that ‘gift’.
‘What could it be that warrants this much?!’
He struggled to steady himself against the storm of energy as he thought this, but the situation was already spiraling out of control.
It didn’t take long for Shuriheartgen’s body, resonating with the magic circle of the lair, to transform into a mass of mana shaped by light, surpassing the form of a living being.
[Ah— Oh, Dracalion.]
The giant form of condensed energy gradually began to dissolve.
As it oxidized in the atmosphere alongside the dazzling light, some of it congealed into a single point and started to compress.
From the massive volume that had filled the space, it shrank to roughly the size of a small hill, and then to that of a large boulder, finally—.
[Horus, then this…]
“Shuriheartgen!”
Before the voice could even finish, a gold crystal, the size of a child’s head, appeared in the center of the empty hall.
Against the backdrop of the still-glowing magical circle, it shone with brilliance far larger and more beautiful than the heart of a hatchling dragon that had once served as its medium.
…No, it was not just the heart of a dragon; it was the synthesis of power created by an Elder Dragon that had lived through long eras.
Though there had been considerable loss in the process.
‘That’s…’
Horus gulped as he stared at the dazzling form that seemed to allure him.
He shouldn’t be feeling this way, yet he couldn’t take his eyes off it.
Thud!
While he was caught in that trance, it suddenly pulsated with immense energy and began to throb violently.
And then—.
“Wait? Huh, just a second…!”
In an instant, the crystal flew toward him, piercing through his chest and merging into him.
Still pulsating with a massive energy field.
‘Ugh! This…!’
Horus, staggering, fell to his knees, clutching his chest.
Even though a crystal the size of his head had penetrated his body, there was no outward sign of it at all, but it didn’t even matter to him at that moment.
He grasped his chest and instinctively understood.
He was nowhere near prepared to fully wield this power.
His body, reinforced with various compensations, had long surpassed the limits of a hatchling, yet even in that state, it took considerable mental strength merely to draw out a fraction of the power contained within.
‘…It’s absolutely impossible to absorb everything immediately. I need to keep this under control somehow…’
Was it reacting to his turmoil?
The entity that had come into his body, exuding vast energy and displaying an intense presence, gradually calmed down, beginning to manage the energy it was leaking.
Sure enough, as a carefully prepared gift, it seemed some consideration had already been made.
Phew, that startled me. But if you’re going to give a gift like this, at least give me a heads-up.
He grumbled lightly for just a moment but dismissed it as mere whining.
Perhaps Shuriheartgen had hastily done so to avoid growing more attached.
He recalled how the dragon had always been so stern with him, and oddly enough, a warm feeling welled within as he gently patted his chest, now imbued with significant strength.
Never thought things would progress so suddenly.
Was this what it meant to live on forever in one’s heart?
Even though his soul wouldn’t remain, once his consciousness faded, he felt a certain sense of assurance as he jubilantly patted his chest and got back on his feet.
And then at that moment.
《The potential of the individual forcibly blooms. Limits expand, accelerating growth.》
《The individual has met the conditions for growth. Special skill “Heart of the Elder Dragon” acquired.》
《You are granted the authority of the last Gold Dragon. Special skill “Gold’s Haven” acquired.》
Messages began appearing one after another before his eyes.
As a result of the transformation brought about by Shuriheartgen’s final gift, empowerment that led to the inheritance of the clan.
He had expected to some degree that it would go this far, but…
《Achievement Unlocked! You have become the last ‘Final Gold Dragon’ in this world.》
《You have become the one and only Gold Dragon in the Auterica dimension. You are granted the bonus “Dragon Lair”.》
《Achievement completed, greatly impacting the world. Karma increases further.》
The contents of the next message were things he had never even considered.
