After bidding farewell to the villagers of Eldoria, Leo—now known as Nyxaris—ventured into the Veilwood Forest once more. The cool night air brushed against his slime-like form as he moved swiftly beneath the towering trees. The village had been his first true trial, but he knew there was still much to learn about this world.
As he moved deeper into the forest, his instincts sharpened. There was something strange ahead—a presence that sent a subtle pulse of energy through his form. He followed the sensation, gliding through the dense undergrowth until he stumbled upon a cave entrance hidden beneath the roots of an enormous withered tree.
The moment he crossed the threshold, a system notification flashed before him.
[System Notification: You have discovered the Cave of Zeraldris, the Abyssal Storm Dragon.]
[World Announcement!]
"Player Nyxaris is the first to discover the Cave of Zeraldris, the Abyssal Storm Dragon!"
Leo froze.
A world announcement?
Only monumental discoveries or achievements triggered global messages. The fact that his name had just been broadcasted across the game meant that he had stumbled upon something big.
But while Leo was still processing it, unknown to him, the creators of Evolvera Online were in absolute chaos behind the scenes.
Monitors flickered with red alerts as programmers, designers, and executives frantically examined the code.
"This isn't possible!" one developer shouted. "The Cave of Zeraldris wasn't meant to be discovered yet—at least not for another few game expansions!"
Another developer furiously scrolled through the game logs. "And Nyxaris… The system shouldn't have allowed him to be named yet! That function was locked behind high-tier events!"
The game's lead designer, a man with dark circles under his eyes, whispered, "Did we miss something? Or…" He hesitated before asking the question no one wanted to voice. "Did the game change its own parameters?"
The room fell silent.
And then, a single monitor flashed, displaying live footage of Nyxaris standing at the entrance of the forbidden cave.
"He's going in."
The cave walls were jagged and charged with latent energy, faint crackles of lightning dancing between the deep grooves of the stone. The air felt heavy, pressing down on Nyxaris as if testing his resolve.
He moved cautiously, his body shifting fluidly to navigate the uneven terrain.
The deeper he went, the stronger the aura became.
And then—he saw it.
At the far end of a vast, cavernous chamber, a colossal dragon lay imprisoned within a towering barrier of glowing chains.
Its scales shimmered like a stormy sky, constantly shifting between shades of deep blue and silver. Jagged horns like obsidian blades protruded from its head, and its wings—though folded—stretched far beyond the width of the cavern.
Its eyes—piercing and filled with untamed fury—locked onto Nyxaris.
A voice, ancient and deep as thunder, echoed through the cave.
"A mere slime dares to step before me?"
Leo felt the weight of those words reverberate through him.
But instead of fear, he felt curiosity.
After a long pause, the dragon sighed.
"You do not flee. That is… interesting."
Leo hesitated before responding. "I want to know… who you are."
Zeraldris' eyes narrowed, then softened with something akin to amusement.
"Very well, little one."
The dragon shifted slightly, the chains glowing brighter as if reacting to his movement.
"I am Zeraldris, the Abyssal Storm Dragon. Long ago, I was one of the most powerful beings in this world. My storms could erase entire kingdoms, and my name alone struck fear into gods and mortals alike."
Leo remained silent, listening intently.
"But my power made me a threat. The gods of this realm—fearing my strength—conspired against me. They forged these cursed chains, sealing me away in this forsaken cave for eternity."
Leo's mind raced.
This was no ordinary NPC.
In games like Tensura, dragons were legendary beings, and if Zeraldris was sealed by the gods themselves, then his power had to be beyond comprehension.
But then Leo said something that surprised even himself.
"What if I could free you?"
The dragon chuckled, a low, rumbling sound. "Foolish. No mortal can break these chains. You do not possess the power of the divine."
Leo shook his head. "Not now. But… maybe one day."
Zeraldris studied him.
Then he laughed again—louder this time, the cave trembling from the sheer force of it.
"You are an amusing creature, Nyxaris. Very well. I shall make you an offer."
Leo listened closely.
"Absorb me."
Leo blinked. "Wait—what?!"
Zeraldris smirked. "Your essence is unique. I can sense it. You are not bound by the natural order of this world. If you take my power into yourself, I will not die—but rather, become a part of you."
Leo hesitated. "And… if I grow strong enough…?"
The dragon grinned. "Then perhaps, one day, you shall restore me to my full might."
Leo clenched his core. This was insane—but at the same time, it made sense.
If he absorbed Zeraldris now, he wouldn't gain all of the dragon's power—but he could carry his essence, and maybe, just maybe, find a way to restore him later.
Taking a deep breath, he reached out with his ability—[Devour]—and let it take effect.
The chains shattered into particles of light. The mighty dragon's form began dissolving, swirling into Nyxaris' body like a storm being drawn into a vortex.
[System Notification: You have absorbed Zeraldris, the Abyssal Storm Dragon!]
Leo felt a surge of raw energy, his form trembling from the sheer force of the transfer.
And then—another notification appeared.
[New Ability Unlocked: Humanoid Form]
You have gained the ability to assume a human body.
Select your appearance:
Option 1: Dark-haired, golden-eyed warrior with an aura of mystery.
Option 2: Silver-haired swordsman with piercing blue eyes.
Option 3: Shadowy rogue with an ethereal presence.
Leo stared at the options, his mind racing.
He had started as a simple slime—but now, he was evolving into something more.
And unknown to him, the developers were watching in disbelief.
"This… was never supposed to happen."
Leo grinned to himself.
"Looks like I'm breaking the game."
The Chaos Behind the Screens
"What the hell just happened?!"
The lead developer of Evolvera Online, Mark Vance, stared at the live game feed in utter disbelief. Around him, the entire developer headquarters was in absolute chaos. Monitors flashed red warnings, system logs scrolled faster than human eyes could track, and frantic voices filled the air.
A programmer practically screamed as he pointed at his screen. "He absorbed Zeraldris! That shouldn't even be POSSIBLE!"
A systems analyst shook his head rapidly. "No, no, NO—Zeraldris was meant to be an endgame boss! His power level was capped beyond what ANY player should be able to interact with until multiple expansions down the line!"
A designer with disheveled hair gulped. "He was supposed to be sealed FOREVER. How did he break the sequence? The game never programmed an option to absorb a Divine-Class entity!"
Mark clenched his fists. His heart pounded in his chest.
"The only way this could happen is if the system changed its own parameters."
A chilling silence spread through the room.
One of the engineers hesitantly spoke. "Are you saying... the game is evolving?"
Inside the game, Leo—now Nyxaris—stared at the glowing screen before him.
[New Ability Unlocked: Humanoid Form]
Select your appearance:
Option 1: Dark-haired, golden-eyed warrior with an aura of mystery.
Option 2: Silver-haired swordsman with piercing blue eyes.
Option 3: Shadowy rogue with an ethereal presence.
Leo exhaled slowly, his mind still reeling from what had just happened.
He had actually absorbed a legendary dragon.
Sure, he didn't suddenly gain godlike power—but he could feel the difference. His core felt stronger, his mana deeper, and deep within him, he could sense a faint storm-like presence—the essence of Zeraldris himself.
Leo smirked. "You still there, old man?"
A deep, rumbling chuckle echoed in his mind. "I am not so easily erased, little one."
Leo shook his head, still in disbelief. "Well, let's see what I look like as a human."
After a moment's thought, he selected Option 1.
A bright light surrounded him, and his slime-like form melted away, shifting, stretching, reshaping. His senses expanded as he gained a new physical body.
When the light faded, he looked down at himself.
His new form had messy black hair, slightly longer in the back, with golden eyes that seemed to glow faintly in the dim cave light. His frame was lean but well-defined, his skin slightly tanned, giving him an almost otherworldly presence.
His clothes had also changed—his body was now clad in a long, dark coat with silver embroidery, paired with lightweight but sturdy armor underneath.
A small, floating mirror-like system screen appeared, reflecting his image.
"...Damn."
Global System Announcement: Anomaly Detected!
Player Nyxaris has successfully absorbed a Divine-Class entity: Zeraldris, the Abyssal Storm Dragon!
An unexpected event has occurred. Adjusting world balance…
The moment that message flashed across every player's screen, the developers lost it.
"HE TRIGGERED A SYSTEM ERROR!"
"The game is trying to rebalance itself!"
"This… this is worse than being Named! The engine is REWRITING itself in response to his actions!"
Mark rubbed his temples. "So let me get this straight. Not only did Nyxaris get Named WAY too early… but now he has a Divine-Class entity's essence INSIDE HIM?!"
A programmer checked the system logs again. "It gets worse." He gulped. "He's bypassing the game's intended progression path. There were supposed to be at least TEN different quests before a player could even encounter Zeraldris' cave."
"And now?!"
"Now? The system recognizes Nyxaris as an anomaly and is rewriting quest chains to accommodate him. The game itself is adapting to his existence!"
Mark felt a headache forming. "We need to monitor him closely. If he keeps breaking the game at this rate, we're going to lose control of the entire world balance!"
Leo—now Nyxaris—grinned, stretching his new human fingers.
A new system screen popped up.