The fight was finally over, but the valley was a total mess. Smoke hung in the air, and the ground was littered with burned trees and rocks cracked open like eggs. The air stank of lightning and burnt wood. Null was still breathing hard, his vision flickering with leftover light from all that chaos. It was an unbelievable sight to behold and everything truly felt surreal. Stella stood next to him, her golden eyes locked on the sky like she was waiting for it to explode again.
Up above, the sky looked insane from the visuals. Lightning was going wild everywhere, thunder rolling nonstop like drums of war waiting to erupt. It honestly looked like the world was ending. All of it came from that crazy mix of Astro's blood and Aurelius's power like the heavens themselves were pissed that something like that even existed.
Null didn't move. He just stared, half dazed. Bolts of lightning hit all around him—trees, rocks, dirt flying up everywhere. It felt like the sky was personally trying to erase them.
Aurelius floated up there, his wings huge and glowing gold. He looked calm somehow, even while everything else went to hell. When a jagged fork of lightning aimed right for Null and Stella, Aurelius didn't even flinch. He just moved one claw, almost lazily, and the bolt shattered into a thousand harmless sparks. He did it again. And again.
It went on forever. Each blocked strike shook the ground so hard Null felt the vibrations in his teeth. Stella flinched at every flash, but Aurelius never moved an inch. He was like a mountain in a storm.
Then, finally, it stopped. The sky just… ran out of anger. Aurelius let out a deep roar that didn't sound angry, just final, and the last few sparks fizzed out in the air. Null's knees almost gave out, and he nearly dropped to the dirt, sweat dripping from his chin. His whole body was trembling. Stella nudged his arm with her snout, her scales still warm like pavement in the summer sun.
Then he saw it. The Thing that will change his path in all the chaos.
Floating over what used to be the garden was this glowing red orb, swirling with black dragon patterns that seemed to writhe and move. It pulsed with a strange power that made the hair on Null's arms stand up but not in a bad way. It felt pure. Heavy. Like finding a diamond in a dumpster.
Aurelius reached out a claw and motioned him over. Null hesitated, his eyes tracing the wrecked garden and the burnt husk of the hut. Everything's just… gone. He didn't feel ready for whatever came next but he was. This is the kind of change he needed. This was the type of excitement he craved deep down.
Stella gave him a hard, impatient shove with her nose, nearly knocking him over.
"Okay, okay, I'm going," he muttered, stumbling forward. The air around the orb buzzed against his skin, like static right before you touch a doorknob and get a shock.
"This," Aurelius said, his voice making the very air vibrate, "is a piece of my essence, fused with the prize you won. It will judge your worth. It will decide if you are fit to stand at my daughter's side."
Null's throat was dry. The closer he got, the hotter it felt, like reaching for a stove element you know is still on. Aurelius gave a single, slow nod. Null took a breath and reached out. The moment his fingers brushed the surface, raw, screaming energy exploded up his arm. It wasn't pain, not exactly. It was like his nerves were being plugged into a power line. His heart hammered against his ribs, trying to keep time with the orb's pulsing glow.
A brilliant, impossible-to-ignore message seared itself across his vision.
[You can now change your class to Divine Dragon Swordsman.]
Null blinked, a breathless, almost hysterical laugh escaping him. "Divine Dragon Swordsman, huh?" he mumbled to himself. "Well, that's not over the top or anything."
Aurelius lowered his massive head, his ancient eyes holding a universe of patience and warning. "The path ahead is drenched in shadow and blood. You will be tested in ways that will shatter lesser beings. But endure… and you will ascend beyond the grasp of kings and gods."
Null didn't have any grand words. He just bowed his head, a gesture of respect he hoped the dragon understood. Aurelius spread his wings, and with a beat that felt like it shifted the world, he lifted into the sky, becoming a shimmer of gold on the horizon until he was gone. Stella let out a soft, chirping trill.
Even though Null is not express it outwards but he was very thankful for everything so far. Even though Aurelius did send someone to try and kill him but it was also a test, an opportunity.
Null turned back to the ruins. The flowers, the little hut all of it, just gone. He let out a long, slow breath, and felt something hard and certain settle in his chest. Things break, he thought. You just have to build something better from the pieces.
He pulled up his menu. The class change screen appeared, and a list of insane requirements popped up Level 100, mastery over four elements… He actually snorted. "Yeah, that's not happening." He reached for that familiar feeling inside, the one that said rules are for other people. His Null-Command trait flared to life. Energy surged, and he felt the system's requirements simply… bend. They snapped like old rubber bands.
The system flashed in protest, then conceded.
[Class Changed: Divine Dragon Swordsman!]
Power didn't just flood him; it rewired him. It was a feeling of his bones becoming denser, his blood singing with new purpose. The air around him warped slightly, the light bending as if he were suddenly heavier on reality itself. For the first time, he didn't just feel stronger. He felt different. Like he'd been upgraded from a wooden toy to a steel blade.
Notifications bloomed across his vision—his old skills evolving into something new and terrifying:
Whirlwind Slash was now Dragon Slash.
Charge was now Divine Charge.
Elemental Strike was now Judgement Strike.
His stat numbers scrolled upward like a slot machine jackpot. Even Stella rumbled, a deep, approving sound that vibrated in his chest.
Null patted her warm scales. "You're my good luck charm, you know that? Don't ever tell anyone I said that."
When they finally trudged back into Aethelburg, the place was almost unrecognizable. The quiet starter town was now a bustling hub. Players were everywhere, a chaotic mess of shouting, trading, and showing off new gear. The air was thick with chatter about boss kills and rare drops. The whole place was alive.
As Null moved through the crowd, he could see how much everyone had grown. Some players had armor that actually looked solid, not just starter leather. You could feel the difference in the air—a buzz of confidence. But he was still miles ahead, and he knew it.
Then he spotted a familiar face near the market stalls—the girl who'd bought his old, crummy starter sword. She smiled when their eyes met, a real one that reached her eyes.
"Null, right?" she said.
"Yeah," he replied, returning the smile. "Been a minute."
"I'm Elena," she said, properly introducing herself this time. "Good to see you're still in one piece."
"Looking to upgrade again?" he asked, gesturing to the stalls.
She nodded, and they fell into an easy rhythm, browsing and trading. She was easy to talk to, her smile quick and genuine—a rare thing in a game where most people just saw you as competition.
When their business was done, her tone shifted, becoming a little more serious. "So, my guild, the Crimson Blades… we've been watching you. We're impressed. I'm here to offer you an officer position."
Null raised an eyebrow. "Just like that? No trial? No interview?"
"Just like that," she confirmed. "You have a reputation. The perks are real. You get a cut of all raid loot, access to private training dungeons, a monthly gold stipend. And in the real world—" she lowered her voice, "—we have corporate sponsors. That means a salary. Actual money."
The words actual money hit him like a physical blow. A real paycheck. For playing a game. It was the solution to everything—his treatments, his parents' debt, the constant, gnawing worry. It was almost too perfect.
"What's the catch?" he asked, his own voice quiet.
"The usual guild stuff," she said with a shrug. "Lead a couple raids a week, help with recruitment and strategy, be a public face for us. We're professional—set schedules, the whole deal."
And just like that, the shiny offer turned dull. Schedules. Responsibilities. Answering to people. His whole life had been a cage of limitations. His power, Null-Command, was the ultimate key to freedom. It was the ability to tell the universe 'no'. Joining a guild, even a good one, would mean locking that part of himself away again. It would mean becoming a cog in a machine.
He shook his head, a small, apologetic smile on his face. "I appreciate it, Elena. Really. But… I'm a solo player at heart."
She looked disappointed but not surprised. "I figured you'd say that. The offer stands, though. And if you ever need backup—just message me. I mean it."
After she melted back into the crowd, Null pulled up his inventory. His eyes went straight to his gold count.
69 Gold.
Even with the worst exchange rate, that was over three hundred thousand dollars. On day two.
He let out a slow, shaky breath, staring at the number. If I cash out even half of this… Mom and Dad… the hospital bills… The weight of it was almost too much to grasp.
Stella chirped softly, nudging his hand. He looked down at her, at this incredible creature who had chosen him. "One step at a time," he said, more to himself than to her. But for the first time in a long time, a real, hopeful smile spread across his face.
He looked around at the other players. They were leveling up fast, some already decked out in gear that would have seemed impossible yesterday. But he wasn't worried. Not even a little.
He tightened his grip on his sword, feeling the new, divine power humming just under his skin, a promise of storms to come. Stella's golden eyes glowed with a light that was all their own.
"Let's get stronger," he said, his voice low and steady.
As they walked toward the city gates, the morning sun caught the faint, otherworldly shimmer of his new aura. Players stopped to stare, whispering. A few newcomers even pointed, wondering if he was some kind of special quest-giver.
Null ignored them all. He had a path now. A real one.