Just as the swarm of spiders lunged in for the kill—everything halted.
Time itself froze.
Mark stood frozen mid-breath, unable to move. Yet, he quickly realized he wasn't alone in this stillness.
"...What… what is this?" he muttered, eyes darting around. The spiders were suspended in air like lifeless puppets. Not even the wind moved.
DING—
> [Time has been momentarily stopped. This is a passive ability of the system. You are unable to move during frozen time. This moment is reserved for communication only—we don't have much time.]
Mark blinked. "So… what, is this your final goodbye, System?"
> [Incorrect. We are currently facing a life-or-death situation. Would you like to unlock more of your dormant power… in exchange for a sacrifice?]
His stomach dropped. "…What kind of sacrifice?"
> [One of your lungs—for ten minutes of a full Ash Dragon Transformation.]
Mark's eyes widened. "A lung? Isn't that a bit much?!"
> [Perhaps. But worth it—to protect your family… and your little friend, Rosemary.]
Mark chuckled, low and bitter. Then he laughed, louder and louder.
"Haha… You're right. Take it."
> [Ash Dragon Transformation — ACTIVATED.]
Time resumed.
Mark's body instantly convulsed, his bones shattering and reforming in twisted patterns. Skin split apart, replaced by molten, ash-gray scales. His eyes turned to narrow reptilian slits, glowing with orange heat.
Roaring in agony, his body completed the metamorphosis—a full dragon of blackened scales and ember-lined wings.
The towering beast coiled protectively around Rosemary just as the spiders pounced.
Their fangs sank into hardened scales—but burst into flame the moment they touched him. One after another, they were incinerated in a flash of searing heat.
From the back of the swarm, Sharaia screamed in disbelief.
"WHAT—what is this?! No one said he could transform!"
Rosemary peeked through the scaled cocoon shielding her, eyes wide. "W-Wait… is that… Mark?"
With a twisted grin, Sharaia snarled—and dropped her kimono, revealing glowing tattoos crawling across her skin.
Her flesh began to warp and swell, muscles tearing and bones protruding. She was transforming too.
But Mark didn't wait.
With a monstrous roar, he whipped his tail—smashing her mid-transformation.
Her body flew like a broken doll, slamming into the earth with a thunderous crack.
Blood and guts splattered across the stone floor.
"Get on!" Mark shouted.
Without hesitation, Rosemary climbed onto his back. Mark surged upward, smashing through the sewer ceiling and bursting into the open, leaving behind a gaping crater in the ground.
Ding.
[Transformation time limit approaching. Destroy the barrier before it expires.]
Mark flapped his dragon wings hard, soaring toward the city's mana barrier.
But just as he neared it—
FWOOOM—
Jax appeared, flying into his path with a twisted smile, blocking his way.
"Tch… not now," Mark growled under his breath. "I have to break that barrier before time runs out…"
Ding.
[Would you like me to take over?]
Mark didn't hesitate. "Do it."
His eyes turned a glowing white as the system seized control.
"Ash Dragon Art: Rain of Cinder!"
Dozens of ash orbs materialized midair, swirling with heat and flame. They hovered around Jax, pulsing ominously.
"What… what is this?" Jax muttered, eyes wide.
BOOM—BOOM—BOOM!
The orbs launched all at once, striking Jax from every direction. Each one exploded in fiery bursts, engulfing him in a hellstorm of cinders.
Jax fell unconscious, unable to withstand a direct hit from a full-powered dragon.
The system, still in control of Mark's body, grabbed Jax and dashed toward the barrier with blinding speed.
> [You'll be useful.]
"Ash Dragon: Cry!"
A scorching breath of ash and cinder blasted from Mark's mouth, burning a hole through the barrier.
Without hesitation, Mark flew through it at top speed. Behind them, the city was engulfed in smoke and fire, a hellscape left to burn.
Rosemary screamed over the wind, "Wait—we can't just leave the city like that!"
Mark shouted back, "We can't do anything now! Once we land, we'll send word to Aurora for reinforcements!"
The system didn't respond. It just kept flying, pushing Mark's body to its limit. Eventually, they crash-landed deep in the Forest of Wind and Spirits, a sacred region nestled between Gilmore and Regalia.
As they touched down, the transformation ended. Mark's dragon form disintegrated into a cloud of ash, and his human body slammed into the dirt.
Rosemary leapt off, then turned in horror.
Mark lay motionless. His left side—from chest to leg—was burned raw. Each shallow breath was agony. Blood trickled from his lips.
"Mark!?" Rosemary dropped to her knees beside him. Her eyes widened at the sight of the scorched flesh. "Are you—are you okay!?"
The system, still controlling Mark's body, slowly turned toward Jax's unconscious form.
> "What are you doing?" Mark's voice echoed faintly in his own mind.
> [I'm going to transplant one of his lungs into you. You'll still be in critical condition, but it'll keep you alive.]
Mark winced but nodded mentally. "Fine… just—don't let Rose see."
> [Understood.]
A veil of ash formed, cloaking the area in a dense cloud. Rosemary, confused, stood just outside the shroud, trembling.
Her thoughts spiraled—Mark's injuries… the city's destruction… Guilt gnawed at her chest. Was there more I could've done?
Meanwhile, within the ash curtain…
> "Ash Transmutation: Dragon Claw."
Razor-sharp claws formed on Mark's fingers. With surgical precision, the system cut into Jax's chest, extracting the lung. Then, using cinders, it seared the wound shut to stop the bleeding.
> "Ash Manipulation: Clone."
A perfect ash clone emerged, gently lifting the lung and placing it into Mark's chest. Steam rose from the open wound as the clone sealed it shut, using heat and ash to mend the flesh just enough to stabilize him.
Outside the veil, Rosemary gripped her own arms, shivering. "Mark… please make it…"
The ash veil collapsed into fine particles, fluttering gently into the forest wind. The clone disintegrated just the same—its duty complete.
Mark's body lay on the forest floor, unmoving.
Control had returned to him—but he was unconscious.
"Mark!" Rosemary ran to him, dropping to her knees. Her hands trembled as she pressed her ear to his chest.
BODUM… BODUM… BODUM…
His heartbeat—faint, but there.
Relief washed over her like a wave. Tears welled in her eyes, but she quickly wiped them away. Now wasn't the time to break.
She sat beside him, her breaths shallow, her thoughts racing.
"Okay… okay…" she whispered, rummaging through her bag with shaking hands. "I have to send word to Aurora."
She pulled out a crumpled piece of parchment and a small, enchanted quill. With quick, anxious strokes, she wrote a letter—detailing everything.
> To the Command Council of Aurora,
Gilmore has fallen. The city is overrun—destroyed. Only a handful may have survived.
Mark… he's alive, but critically injured. His left lung was damaged but he'll survive. We escaped through the southern barrier, but the threat still looms.
Please send aid to Gilmore immediately. Casualties are high. Enemy forces include advanced assassins—one called Sharaia—and a user named Gin-Kai. Both extremely dangerous.
We're currently in the Forest of Wind and Spirits between Gilmore and Regalia. Will await further orders.
—Rosemary Veilheart
She sealed the letter with her personal sigil and pulled out a messenger hawk crystal—a tiny totem carved like a bird, imbued with teleportation magic.
With a whisper of incantation, the letter vanished in a shimmer of blue light.
Rosemary exhaled and leaned back, staring up through the canopy.
"get here fast," she muttered.
Beside her, Mark stirred—barely—but at least he was alive.