Chapter 13: Dragon Rune

Chapter 13: Chapter 13: Dragon Rune

It wasn’t like Michael didn’t know Seraphine was powerful. He had just assumed she was at most Peak Rank 3, considering she had awakened with a Tier 3 talent and was publicly known as a Rank 3 powerhouse.

But he had never imagined she had already reached Rank 2—let alone the very peak of it.

Before he could fully absorb the shock, the next section appeared.

[TALENTS]

- Aptitude (SS)

- Sand Art (SS)

- Light Magic (SS)

- Comprehension (SS)

- Teacher’s Eye (S)

- Gentle Authority (A)

- Business Sense (A)

- Mature Appeal (S)

- Delicate Heart (SS)

Michael stared.

Once.

Twice.

Then he slowly tilted his head, his brows knitting in confusion.

"Wait a minute... why are all her skills ranked so damn high? I get that she’s a witch and all, but aren’t higher-level skill runes supposed to have way lower chances of giving you anything good?"

SSS aptitude.

Multiple SS-ranked talents.

Even her ability to comprehend things was ranked SS.

And then—

Mature Appeal (B).

Michael’s eyes twitched.

The System really has no shame.

But before he could dwell on it, another section appeared.

[Luck: Legendary]

Michael went silent.

"Of course."

A final line materialized beneath it.

[Favorability: 64]

Michael leaned back into the couch, staring at the screen with a complicated expression.

’So this is the woman I’m supposed to somehow get closer to...’

He rubbed his chin. ’Yeah... I’m definitely screwed if I ever get into an argument with her.’

Michael couldn’t help but thank his lucky stars that the Dean had such a kind heart.

After studying the skills for another minute, he decided to tap on the ones that stood out to him the most.

[Gentle Authority (A)]

Description: The softer you speaks, the harder it becomes to disobey.

[Mature Appeal (A)]

Description: Blessed with a body of unusual fertility and allure. Those who taste it experience pleasure intense enough that the unprepared or unworthy risk losing themselves completely — in rare cases, fatally.

[Teacher’s Eye (S)]

Description: Instantly perceives flaws in techniques, skills, and arts. Possesses an exceptional eye for latent talent.

[Delicate Heart (SS)]

Description: Beneath your composed exterior lies an unusually vulnerable heart. Because of this vulnerability, you are highly susceptible to heart demons that can hinder your growth. Once interest is sparked, you form deep attachments quickly. You also have a strong affinity with nature and living things, making you a capable vessel for a wide range of forces.

Michael leaned back.

Teacher’s Eye fit her perfectly. Gentle Authority and Delicate Heart, however, were surprises. The latter especially explained why someone of her strength might still be stuck, unable to ascend. After all, Heart demons were no joke.

His gaze returned to Mature Appeal.

A flush crept up his neck as an old rumor from school resurfaced in his mind—one claiming that the Dean’s late husband had reportedly died of heart failure in bed.

Suddenly, the story sounded a lot less exaggerated.

He swallowed. ’Death by snu-snu... honestly, that doesn’t sound like the worst way to go.’

After a moment of thought, he decided it was best to give her a mission. Even if she wasn’t currently here, he still had to farm as many Growth Points as possible.

At first, he wasn’t quite sure what kind of mission to give her. After thinking it over for a while, though, an idea finally came to him—something that would let him understand her better while also testing whether he’d already started affecting that Delicate Heart trait.

For the reward, he chose carefully: one piece of information about himself that she genuinely wanted to know.

Honestly, he felt like he was being a little stupid with this reward, since she could ask something dangerous. Something that might even lead to him revealing that he was a transmigrator.

Still, if he seriously wanted this relationship to go anywhere, he couldn’t keep treating everything like some kind of game.

If he wanted Seraphine to eventually become his woman, then he couldn’t just keep hiding behind the System and farming Growth Points. At some point, he’d have to show her that his feelings toward her were genuine.

And besides...

If she really did have feelings for him already, would she actually ask something that could expose a secret like that?

He thought about it for a few seconds. ’...Probably not.’

At least, he hoped not.

With that thought, Michael finalized the mission, paid the transaction fee, and sent it.

Then he remembered the rune.

Michael hurried upstairs, retrieved the Dragon Gene Rune from his bag, and returned to the couch.

The small stone felt heavier than it looked. According to his father, it had been recovered from a Tier 5 Gate years ago.

The murals surrounding the cave had depicted a creature from the Third Heaven—a true dragon. An ancient race so powerful that even immortals feared them. Yet that same powerful bloodline had vanished without a trace, even in the highest heavens.

Even the last fragment of their existence had weakened over time until it became an F-rank gene with no further growth path. Because of that, most great families had no interest in wasting a precious gene slot on something so diluted, even if it came from one of the strongest races in existence.

But Michael had a System that could upgrade nearly anything. This kind of gamble was exactly what the System was made for.

He closed his eyes and poured Spirit into the stone.

The moment his energy touched it, the rune exploded with crimson light.

BOOM!

A violent surge of energy erupted from the stone and slammed into his body.

Michael’s tightly shut eyes squeezed even harder.

The next instant, he felt as though molten metal had been poured straight into his veins.

"Ghh—!"

His entire body convulsed.

The foreign energy tore through his blood vessels, forcing its way into every corner of his body. His muscles tightened violently. His bones groaned under the pressure. Even his organs seemed to twist as an ancient power seeped into them.

It felt like his entire body was being ripped apart and rebuilt at the same time.

His vision blurred.

Then, a deafening roar echoed inside his mind.

ROOOOOAR!

For the briefest moment, Michael could have sworn he saw something.

A colossal dragon soaring through an endless crimson sky.

Its body was so massive that mountains looked like pebbles beneath its claws. Its scales shimmered like molten metal, while its golden eyes carried an ancient majesty that made Michael’s soul tremble.

Then the vision vanished.

The energy surged again.

Michael’s back slammed into the couch, his fingers digging into the cushions hard enough to tear the fabric.

The crimson light surrounding the rune grew brighter and brighter until the entire room was bathed in blood-red radiance.

Something deep within his body cracked.

Then another.

And another.

Not broken bones.

Something deeper.

Something fundamental.

His blood.

His flesh.

His very genes.

They were changing.

The transformation continued for what felt like hours.

Every second brought another wave of agony, followed by an unfamiliar sensation of power spreading throughout his body.

Eventually, the pain began to fade.

The crimson light slowly disappeared, and the rune crumbled into dust between his fingers.

Michael remained motionless on the couch, drenched in sweat and breathing heavily.

When he finally opened his eyes, the sun had long since disappeared beyond the horizon.

The room was dark.

The Dragon Gene Rune was gone.

And Michael felt like he’d just been dragged through hell and back.

He stared at his hands.

"...Holy shit."

He clenched his fist.

For some reason, he couldn’t stop the grin from spreading across his face.

Ding!

[Host has successfully synced with Dragon Gene Rune — F-Rank.]

[Current Gene DNA: Human 50%, Dragon 20%, True Incubus 15%, True Dragon 4%, Creator Dragon 1%.]