I Received System to Become Dragonborn-Chapter 1223: Strong Enough

Erend stared at the floating notification for a few seconds longer than he needed to.

Only after the words fully settled into his mind did he finally let out a long heavy breath he had not realized he had been holding.

"We did it," he muttered.

The tension that had been coiled tight around his chest since they entered this level 60 finally loosened. As if responding to that release, another sensation washed through him.

Warmth surged from deep within his core and spread outward through his limbs. It was familiar. Power.

Erend's eyes narrowed slightly as more notifications appeared, stacking one after another. His level climbed, the numbers ticking upward without pause.

Along with it came the unmistakable feeling of Exp, or essence, flowing into his body. It was dense, refined, and potent, far heavier than what normal monster provided.

"So even just destroying a projection like that gives essence," he murmured. "That's good."

Very good.

He could feel it clearly. The remnants of the giants, the hordes, and even Zerathul's malformed fetus had not vanished meaninglessly. Their existence had been converted into something real, broken down, and absorbed by them.

The Dungeon World recognized the act as a purge, and the rewards followed its rules.

Eccar let out a low breath beside him, rolling his shoulders as if testing his body.

"Hah…" he said. "I can feel it. My power feels denser."

Power rippled faintly along his arms as the Magic energy responded more eagerly than before. His stance felt more grounded as if the earth under his feet acknowledged him more deeply now.

Aesa closed her eyes briefly. Frost shimmered along her lashes before fading as she opened them again.

"Same," she said quietly.

There was satisfaction in her voice. Not joy or excitement like Eccar showed. Just the calm acknowledgment of growth earned through her battle.

But behind them, Khepra-Ankh remained still.

The pale glow around him stayed steady, neither strengthening nor diminishing. He watched them and the land with the same calm gaze as before, unaffected by the surge of essence that the others clearly felt.

Erend noticed it and turned toward him.

"You didn't get anything, did you?" Erend asked.

Khepra-Ankh shook his head gently. "No. I exist as part of this Dungeon World. Its rules do not grant essence to what is bound within it."

Erend frowned slightly, then nodded. That made sense.

"But," Khepra-Ankh continued, "the administrator has granted permission for me to intervene, like you know. My actions were allowed to assist you. That alone is sufficient."

Eccar snorted. "That will be a great help. I knew it already."

Khepra-Ankh smiled faintly but did not respond.

Erend looked around one last time at the now-silent crater. "We're done here."

"Right," Eccar said with a nod. "Let's go back to the others."

Aesa nodded once in agreement.

Erend turned to Khepra-Ankh. "We'll separate here for now."

"Yes," Khepra-Ankh replied calmly. "But we will meet again. When the situation demands it, I will come."

Erend smirked slightly. "I'll call you when that happens."

With that, he raised his hand. Space folded obediently as a portal tore open before them, its edges crackling with energy.

Erend stepped through first. Eccar followed. Aesa was last.

They vanished.

Khepra-Ankh watched the portal close. He let out a quiet sigh.

Then he opened his own portal and stepped away from the battlefield.

After he left, Level 60 began to change.

The corrupted land trembled softly. The blackened ground broke apart, not violently but gently, it was dissolving into countless pixels of light.

Ruined terrain unraveled into glowing fragments as if the world was being rewritten.

The Dungeon World was resetting. After the corruption was gone.

—

The transition happened in a short amount of time. Light folded inward and then burst open again as Erend, Eccar, and Aesa stepped out of the portal.

The pressure shifted sharply, lighter and far less suffocating than Level 60.

The Dungeon World had answered Erend's intent directly and pulling them to the level where the others were still fighting.

They were now at level 20.

The air here was scorched and torn apart by a recent battle.

Magic clashed in controlled bursts instead of overwhelming floods. The ground was damaged but not ruined beyond recognition.

Erend's eyes immediately found them.

King Gulben stood near the center of the field, his presence steady and commanding as golden light flared around his blade.

Adrien and Billy fought nearby, moving in practiced coordination. Around them were the others also still engaged with monsters. But something was different.

They weren't struggling.

The monsters died faster. The group's movements looked more confident. Even when surrounded, they did not panic or break formation.

Eccar let out a low whistle and said, "Looks like they got a lot stronger than before."

Aesa nodded once. She didn't say anything but clearly agreed.

Erend felt it too. Not just visually but instinctively. The flow of Magic energy around them had changed. It felt denser and more powerful. Their control was more refined.

Whatever they had gone through while the three of them were away, it had pushed them forward.

His gaze shifted instinctively to Arty's figure.

She moved with controlled aggression. Her attacks were precise and powerful. There was no hesitation in her strikes. Her Magic surged cleanly through her gauntlet, tearing through monsters easily.

Erend felt something ease inside his chest. His pride rose warmly and undeniable. Then he felt relief following close behind it.

She was strong now. Strong enough that he did not need to hover over her every step, strong enough to survive without him shielding her from everything.

The realization hit harder than he expected, knowing that his little sister will be fine even without him.

A monster lunged toward Arty from the side. She pivoted smoothly and cut it down in a single motion without even looking back.

Erend smiled faintly.

"Come on," he said.

His wings unfurled with a powerful snap, lightning flickering briefly along the edges as he launched himself forward.

Eccar followed with a surge of earth lifting him upward and he leapt forward with force.

Aesa rose after them, frost trailed behind her in a sharp arc.

The battlefield ahead changed as the three Dragonborn closed the distance.

—