Chapter 16 : Proposal
Lucas stood motionless in the heart of the vast ashen forest on the 30th floor of the Tower. Trees, blackened by ancient fire, loomed high above him, their charred leaves whispering in the wind. The air crackled with heat, the remnants of countless battles between apex predators.
Before him, a gigantic white Wyvern—its body wrapped in smoldering mist, its wings stretching like storm clouds—glared down at him with burning, red-hot fury.
It was trapped. Sealed.
The Legendary-Grade Rune binding it glowed ominously, locking its enormous limbs in place. It struggled, claws digging into the ground, but the more it resisted, the tighter the rune's hold became.
Yet, despite its rage, it could not move.
"You…" The Wyvern's voice rumbled like a distant avalanche. "How do you possess such a powerful rune, human?"
Lucas didn't flinch. His expression remained calm, resolute—unyielding.
"So you recognize it," he said coolly. "Good. That means you're not completely brainless."
The Wyvern's burning gaze flared with greater intensity. Its instincts screamed at it to rip this arrogant human apart, but its body refused to obey.
Lucas exhaled. He didn't want to waste time.
So,
With a flick of his wrist, he produced a tiny, glimmering vial.
Inside it swirled a single drop of deep crimson blood.
The moment the Wyvern laid eyes on it, its entire body froze.
Its pupils dilated.
Its breathing hitched.
Its hunger—its longing—was absolute.
"No… It can't be…" The Wyvern's voice shook with disbelief.
Lucas remained impassive. "Oh, but it is."
A single drop of True Dragon's Blood.
A stage-1 god.
A drop worth more than empires. A substance that could elevate any Wyvern to the realm of gods.
The Wyvern's entire existence had been leading to this moment. Since birth, it had dreamed of becoming a True Dragon. Its ancestors had fought, slaughtered, and died for the mere chance of obtaining what Lucas was casually holding in his palm.
Its entire body trembled. But even through the haze of desperation, it hesitated.
"I… I cannot… Submit to a human… I have my pride—"
Lucas's gaze turned ice-cold. He really doesn't have time for nonsense.
"You have five seconds."
The Wyvern's heart dropped.
"If you refuse, I'll find another beast willing to take your place." Lucas's voice was merciless, unwavering. "You're not the only one who desires this blood."
The Wyvern's entire world shattered.
Pride? What was pride compared to this? Compared to ascension?
Compared to becoming a god?
Fuck pride.
"I—" It swallowed. "I accept! I ACCEPT!"
Lucas's lips curled into a small, satisfied smirk. "Good choice."
The air rippled. The rune flared, shifting its power.
The Tower responded.
A mystical contract circle erupted beneath them, golden inscriptions spiraling in the air, forming intricate patterns.
Lucas raised his hand.
"I, Lucas Yagami, form a Slave Contract with this beast."
The moment the words left his mouth, the Tower answered.
BOOM!
A pillar of golden energy shot into the sky. The Wyvern roared as its very essence shifted.
Scales cracked. Flesh burned. Bones twisted and realigned. Its form expanded, power surging through its veins.
It was no longer just a Wyvern.
It was becoming something greater.
A True Dragon. A stage-1 god.
{New Achievements!}
{You, Lucas Yagami, have been the first since the creation of the tower to have a Stage-1 god slave in the 30th floor.}
{The Tower is watching you.}
{The gods are aware of your existence.}
{You have gained the title : Owner Of A God.}
{You have gained a SS rank voucher question. The tower will answer any questions at the level of this voucher.}
Seeing all these notifications, Lucas just looked calm.
The tower and the gods are watching him ?
He doesn't care.
They can watch all they want.
'I have now a god as a slave. Time to speed run these stupid trials.'
'Ethan, wait for me. Big brother will reach floor 50 sooner than you expect.'
Lucas Yagami smiled with expectation. He is more eager to receive what Ethan has promised him than the tower rewards and gods attention.
The Yagami Estate –
Inside the grand Yagami meeting hall, the atmosphere was thick with tension.
Seated across from Lionnel and Iris Yagami, the Bloodsanguine family had arrived in force.
Eric Bloodsanguine—a tall, imposing man with jet-black hair and piercing red eyes—sat at the head of the delegation. His wife, Jade Bloodsanguine, and their daughter, Julie Bloodsanguine, sat beside him.
Eric's voice was calm but direct.
"I will not waste time," he said, his tone laced with authority. "I am here to propose an alliance between our two families."
He leaned forward.
"My youngest daughter, Julie, is of the same age as your eldest son, Lucas. As you know, our family has always kept our bloodline pure through internal marriage."
Lionnel scoffed, his lips curling in disdain. "Ah, yes. Incest." His voice dripped with mockery. "That sacred tradition of yours."
Eric's expression remained unfazed, though Jade's eyes darkened with anger.
"But," Lionnel continued, "you wouldn't be here if you weren't desperate." His gaze sharpened. "Your bloodline is weakening, isn't it?"
A flicker of something dangerous passed through Eric's eyes.
He didn't deny it.
They have conserved their pure bloodline but with generation of stagnation, with no evolution, their bloodline is no longer what it was.
"The world is evolving," Eric admitted. "If we remain stagnant, we will be left behind."
Iris, who had remained silent, finally spoke. Her voice was cold.
"But Lucas isn't here." She stared at Eric. "And we do not make decisions on his behalf."
Jade narrowed her eyes. "Are you lying to us?" She crossed her arms arrogantly. "We all heard that Lucas returned. Now you say he's gone again?"
Her aura flared—but before she could escalate further, Eric shot her a sharp glare.
Jade froze and retracted her aura.
Eric turned back to Lionnel. "Can we confirm his whereabouts?"
"You're welcome to verify it yourself," Lionnel said indifferently.
Eric fell silent. He could not return empty-handed.
But before he could find another angle, his daughter, Julie, suddenly spoke.
"…I heard that Young Master Ethan is here."
The entire room fell silent.
And then—
BOOM!
A wave of pure, oppressive heat exploded through the chamber.
The temperature in the room skyrocketed.
Cracks spiderwebbed across the marble floor. The very air warped and shimmered with unbearable heat.
Iris Yagami had snapped.
Her crimson eyes glowed with fury.
"What… did you just say?"
Her aura crushed down like a tidal wave. Julie gasped, choking on the sheer intensity.
Eric's eyes widened. 'She's even stronger than before…!'
He reacted immediately, conjuring a blood barrier around his daughter.
"Lady Iris," he said swiftly, "please, restrain yourself."
Lionnel placed a hand on Iris's shoulder, his calm, steady presence grounding her.
She exhaled sharply, her aura receding—but her eyes never left Julie.
Jade sneered.'losing control only because of this?'
Julie, however, remained steady.
She met Iris's burning gaze without fear.
"I was never interested in Young Master Lucas," she said smoothly.
A pause.
"I was interested in Young Master Ethan."
The room tensed.
And in that moment—the entire course of history had begun to shift.
Because of his own action. Because of him sending back Lucas to the tower.
Ethan now is involved in a political mariage.
—End of Chapter 16—