The sick bay doors slid open with a low hiss, the cold white light spilling out across the floor.
Lucian stepped inside, Karl’s unconscious body nowhere in sight for now—only his sister in his arms.
Lucy was pale but steady, her breathing soft and even against his chest. The fight hadn’t left a mark on her skin, but he could feel it—the faint turbulence in her aura. Something was changing.
He crossed the room and laid her gently on one of the medical beds. The sheets were crisp, the faint hum of the ship’s systems filling the silence.
From the ceiling, a sphere of black metal descended—no larger than a man’s head. Its segmented plates shifted, and an iris-like lens opened at the front, scanning in rapid flashes of blue light.
"Subject identified," the ship’s AI said through the speakers, its voice deep, smooth, and cold. "Initiating full diagnostic scan."
Lucian leaned against the wall, arms folded, watching as the AI—Frank—extended a series of delicate robotic arms from the walls. Each arm held a different scanner, probe, or injector. They moved around Lucy with mechanical precision, mapping her aura, pulse, and core resonance.
The scan ended with a low chime. The lens swiveled toward Lucian.
"Status: Subject’s core is at 99.4% saturation," Frank reported. "She is on the verge of breaking through to Rank X."
Lucian’s brows lifted slightly. "Rank X?"
"That is correct. However..." the AI paused for a fraction of a second, as if running another calculation. "The world’s natural ceiling is currently SSS Rank. This breakthrough is not possible under standard conditions."
Lucian’s gaze sharpened. "Not possible... unless."
"Unless the subject’s bloodline or environment is under the influence of an external factor beyond the world’s limit," Frank finished.
Lucian didn’t have to think long. The answer was obvious. Me.
He’d broken past X Rank himself not too long ago, tearing through a limit no one else had touched in centuries. If that had altered the balance around him, maybe it was bleeding into her—allowing her to stand at the very edge of that ceiling.
But she wasn’t there yet.
"She just needs a push," Lucian murmured.
Frank’s lens shifted in a faint tilt. "Analysis confirms. A high-density Rank X core would provide sufficient energy for stabilization and breakthrough."
Lucian opened his system menu in his mind. The familiar translucent interface snapped into place, shimmering faintly against the sick bay’s light.
[X Rank Monster Core – Price: 9,000 System Points]
He didn’t hesitate. His balance remained the same in the corner of his vision as the core materialized in his hand—a deep crimson gem, pulsing with raw power. Its glow lit the lines in his palm like molten veins.
He turned it over once, feeling the dense weight of energy thrumming inside. "Make sure she absorbs all of it," he said, passing it to the nearest robotic arm.
The core was slotted into a glass chamber at Lucy’s side. Thin conduits extended from the machine, attaching themselves to her wrists, temples, and sternum with gentle, magnetic clicks.
The chamber’s walls lit up, the core beginning to dissolve into streams of liquid light that flowed into the conduits.
Lucy’s breathing shifted—deepening, then slowing, her aura starting to swell in soft waves.
Frank’s voice cut in. "Absorption process initiated. Estimated time: thirty-five minutes. All vital signs stable."
Lucian gave a short nod. "Good."
Turning away, he left the sick bay, the doors sealing behind him with a soft thunk. The ship’s corridor stretched out ahead, lined with sleek black panels and faint strips of blue light running along the floor edges.
His steps were quiet, measured. But the air around him carried that subtle bend—space shifting with each movement, as though the ship itself was adjusting to make way for him.
He reached the reinforced holding sector at the rear of the vessel. The security doors were thick enough to withstand artillery fire, but they parted instantly at his approach, the locks disengaging in rapid succession.
The room beyond was cold, the air heavy with the scent of molten stone. The walls were layered in containment seals—dim red sigils that pulsed slowly, feeding power into the restraint system.
And in the center of it, chained to a grav-anchor, was Karl.
The dragon was back in humanoid form—tall, broad, molten eyes glaring under a mane of dark, ash-streaked hair. His chest rose and fell with slow, deep breaths, the heat radiating from him warping the air in faint ripples.
Even weakened, Karl’s presence was a weight in the room. Rank X power coiled under his skin like a caged inferno.
Lucian stepped forward, his boots echoing against the metal floor.
Karl’s gaze followed him, unblinking. "Come to finish what you started?" His voice was low, the gravel in it carrying heat.
Lucian stopped just outside the grav-anchor’s reach. "If I wanted to finish you, there wouldn’t be anything left to chain."
Karl smirked faintly, though it didn’t reach his eyes. "Then what? Interrogation? Threats? You’ll get nothing."
Lucian didn’t answer right away. He just studied the dragon, the way the molten glow beneath his skin flared and dimmed with each breath.
Finally, he said, "You’re alive because I want you alive."
Karl’s smirk faded a fraction.
"I’ve seen what Rank X dragons can do," Lucian continued, his tone flat but edged. "You’re not here as a trophy. You’re here because you might be useful... if you know what side of the fire to stand on."
Karl’s molten eyes narrowed. "And if I don’t?"
Lucian stepped forward. Space tightened in the room—like invisible walls closing in from every direction. The air thinned, heat warping in strange patterns.
Karl’s shoulders tensed despite himself. Even restrained, even at full power, he could feel the gap. This wasn’t the same fight from earlier—this was something heavier, sharper.
Lucian’s voice stayed quiet. "Then I find out how far a dragon can fall before it stops burning."
For a long moment, neither moved. The containment seals hummed softly, their red light casting jagged shadows across both of them.
Karl finally looked away, molten glow dimming slightly. "You’ve got nerve, human."
Lucian turned toward the door. "Get used to the view. You’ll be here for a while."
He stepped out, the seals flickering once before stabilizing behind him.
The corridor felt colder on the way back, though the hum of the ship was steady. Somewhere deep in its core, Lucy was breathing energy that could shatter the limits of the world. And somewhere else, a dragon with enough power to erase cities was chained in place—waiting.
Lucian’s boots echoed in the quiet, each step carrying him toward whatever came next.