I Received System to Become Dragonborn-Chapter 1194: Optimism

Erend stood before them with his posture rigid, his expression carved into something hard and serious. His gaze moved slowly across the group, looking at their battered armor and tired eyes.

When his eyes lingered on Arty, his sister, the usual warmth that softened his features did not come. His jaw stayed set, his eyes sharp and focused as if he was carrying a pressure none of them had seen from him since they entered this place.

He was always calm as if everything was under control and as expected. But now it was different.

The change did not go unnoticed. That made them straighten instinctively.

Erend had always looked with ease and calm, always measured, even when the level looked like they tried to crush them.

Now he looked stiff and serious as if holding something dangerous behind his ribs. The air around him felt heavier because of it, and anxiety crept into their chests.

Something was wrong. They all felt it.

Then, Erend spoke.

"Something wrong is happening in this Dungeon World right now. But this level doesn’t end here," he said calmly. "You’ll continue the trial and face it the same way you’ve faced every challenge before. Stay together and move carefully. Don’t rush, and don’t panic."

His gaze swept across them as he continued, "Trust the strength you’ve gained so far. You’re not the same as when you first entered this Dungeon World."

He paused briefly before adding, "Eccar, Aesa, and I will be leaving for now. We won’t be far, and we’ll be watching from afar."

A murmur rippled through the group. Uneasy glances were exchanged.

"Wait, without you here?" Billy asked, tension clear in his voice. "Is that really safe?"

Lysander clenched his fists and asked. "What if this level becomes dangerous?"

Erend’s expression softened just slightly. He allowed himself a small, steady smile.

"You’ll be fine," he said. "You’ve already endured worse than this." He gestured back toward the ruined battlefield behind them. "You all already killed waves of monsters that should’ve killed you and you had survived pressure that once would’ve crushed you."

His voice grew firmer. "You’re strong now. Stronger than you realize and stronger than when you first stepped into this Dungeon."

The doubt in their eyes wavered, replaced by something steadier as his words settled into them. He was right. They had become stronger and he trusted them.

As the words sank in, something shifted.

They remembered the fear they had overcome.

They felt it in their bodies, in their Magic, and in their instincts. Erend’s confidence did not feel empty. It felt earned.

What he did not say mattered just as much as what he did.

He did not mention Zerathul, or the corruption or deeper dangers. Because it will only make them scared and worried.

King Gulben stepped forward, his presence steady as ever.

"If you trust us, then we will trust ourselves," the Elven king said firmly. "I will not worry."

Erend nodded once in acknowledgment. "Thank you, Your Majesty."

He then turned to Arty and placed a firm hand on her shoulder. His voice lowered, meant only for her.

"If anything goes wrong," he said, eyes locked onto hers, "I’ll come back immediately. I promise."

Arty swallowed, then nodded.

"I know," she replied quietly. "Just... don’t take too long."

Then Erend opened a portal. Light folded inward, space tearing cleanly as he, Eccar, and Aesa stepped through without hesitation.

The portal closed behind them, leaving only drifting ash and silence.

For a moment, no one spoke.

Then Billy sighed. "So... we keep going," he said, more a statement than a question.

"Of course," Adrien echoed, nodding. The tension that had tightened his shoulders earlier had eased.

King Gulben stepped forward and looked across the group. He expected to see lingering fear. Instead, he saw something else entirely. Their expressions had changed. The worry that had flickered moments ago was gone, replaced by resolve and optimism.

They believed him, and they believed themselves.

King Gulben felt a faint smile tug at his lips.

"We move now," he said.

No one argued or hesitated.

They began advancing across the shattered ground, steps crunching against blackened stone and drifting ash.

King Gulben took the lead as he always did, his sword steady in his hand. Aurdis walked close behind him, eyes sharp as she scanned the horizon. Aerchon and Saeldir flanked the group.

But no monster came.

Minutes passed. The devastated world remained silent. No roar echoed or shapes rose from the fissures beneath their feet. The absence of monsters felt unnatural.

"This is too quiet," Billy muttered.

"Yes," Aerchon replied. "I feel like this place is holding its breath."

They kept moving anyway.

Then the air shuddered.

It started as a subtle ripple, like heat distortion. The cracked land ahead of them wavered, lines of reality pulling and stretching as if something unseen was pressing from the other side.

"Stop," King Gulben ordered.

They halted instantly.

The distortion deepened. The sky darkened further, ash swirling upward instead of falling.

The ground groaned as thin black veins spread across the stone.

"Here they come," Adrien said under his breath.

Shapes began to emerge from the warped space ahead of them. Figures stepped through the distortion, one after another, their silhouettes humanoid, familiar in form.

King Gulben, Aurdis, Aerchon, and Saeldir stiffened. Their eyes widen as they recognize those shapes.

The figures that emerged were Elves. Or what had once been Elves.

Their bodies moved stiffly, joints jerking as if pulled by unseen strings. Blackened veins crawled across pale skin, spreading from their eyes and mouths. Their eyes shined with emptiness and clouds of darkness swirling.

Their clothes and armor have a familiar design. It looks like the armor of the Elves in Elf Palace but warped and cracked, soaked in corruption. Some still carried bows. Others dragged broken blades that scraped against the ground with every step.

The zombified Elves lifted their heads in unison. Their mouths opened, but no words came. Only a hollow, distorted sound that scraped against the air.

The group tightened formation instinctively while taking glances at the four Elves.

Sorrow and confusion flashed through the Elves’s eyes.

"These are not our kin anymore," King Gulben said, raising his sword.

The corrupted Elves lurched forward and the battle began.

—