Just as he finished grasping the situation.

Fwsh!

His vision flickered white again.

A moment later, feeling a cold wind sweep over his body, Walfred opened the eyes he’d closed. He’d escaped the baby dragon’s memory and returned to his own body.

And.

"...!? Haah!"

Walfred sucked in a sharp breath before he could stop himself.

At some point it had woken up. The baby dragon was crouched right in front of him, staring at him.

Eyes of a deep, clear blue, like a jewel.

The baby dragon, gazing intently at Walfred, worked its mouth as if trying to say something.

And then.

Fwoom! Krakakakaka!

Suddenly, the sound of something slicing through the air rang out.

Walfred immediately looked toward where the sound had come from.

Then he saw an enormous shadow plummeting down through the hole that led to the sky.

"...!"

It was the Bone Drake.

The thing had noticed the ice crystal had shattered and the baby dragon had awakened, and now it revealed its true colors.

Reflexively, Walfred scooped the baby dragon into his arms and rolled across the floor.

And in that moment.

Kraboom!

Sharp claws drove into the spot where he’d been standing just before. The icy floor shattered, and jagged shards flew in all directions.

Was it because its surprise attack had failed?

The Bone Drake glared at Walfred and the baby dragon with savage eyes, as if it would kill them.

[Kyiaaaaaah!]

The spine-chilling shriek rang out again.

But unlike at Prospect Park Station, his head didn’t ring and he didn’t cough up blood.

Ignoring the thing, Walfred ran for his life. At this, the Bone Drake charged toward him at terrifying speed.

Just as he was about to be swallowed by it.

"Burst!"

Walfred activated [Instant Burst] and put distance between himself and the thing in a single motion. Then he threw himself toward the passage he’d come down through earlier.

A narrow, complex passage like an ant tunnel.

Its structure was such that something with a body as massive as the Bone Drake’s couldn’t get in.

Boom! Kraboom!

But the drake was set on forcing its way in, ramming the ice walls with its whole body.

The ice walls shook violently and icicles dropped from the ceiling. The thing refused to give up, smashing the entrance and shoving its body in by force.

[Graaaah!]

The thing flung its maw wide open with a shriek.

If he stayed here, the passage would collapse before long, so Walfred fled deeper inside.

But he just couldn’t pick up speed. His feet were heavy, like lead weights were strapped to them.

’Damn it!’

It was because of the debuff he’d been hit with when he first entered the White Dome, [Frost Dragon’s Wrath].

He couldn’t run for long in this state.

’If I stay like this...’

He’d be caught by the thing for sure.

Walfred’s face crumpled. Just as he was struggling to drag his thousand-pound feet along.

Ding!

Along with a system notification chime.

His body became impossibly light, as if it had all been a lie.

-----

[Notification] 𝐟𝐫𝕖𝗲𝘄𝚎𝗯𝕟𝐨𝕧𝐞𝚕.𝕔𝕠𝐦

[□□ feels a sense of closeness toward you.]

[(Frost Dragon’s Wrath) effect dispelled]

[You have escaped the ’weakened’ state.]

-----

"Wh-what the..."

Walfred was bewildered. Then, with startled eyes, he looked at the baby dragon in his arms.

"Don’t tell me... you did this?"

"Boo. Aba. Ba."

The baby dragon murmured as if babbling.

It looked at Walfred and broke into a bright smile, then stretched out a tiny hand and gave Walfred’s chest a little poke.

And, as if delighted, it said.

"Aba. Pa. Papa."

"...Papa?"

"Pa! Papaa!"

No, why am I your papa?

We’re not even the same species.

Walfred stared at the baby dragon with a flabbergasted look.

Aware of it or not, the baby dragon giggled and spread both arms wide.

And then.

-----

[Notification]

[□□ feels affection toward you.]

[Your resonance level rises.]

[You have acquired a new skill.]

-----

A skill? All of a sudden?

Walfred wore a dumbfounded expression.

But only for a moment. The thought that it might be a skill capable of breaking through his current situation occurred to him, so he checked the newly acquired skill.

-----

[Blessing: Blessing of the Frost Dragon]

[A young Frost Dragon blesses you.]

[If a being that has bestowed a blessing is within a 1,640-foot radius, [Blessing of the Frost Dragon] activates.]

[If the blessing activates within the Nest of the Frost Dragon, all blessing effects increase (twofold).]

▷Cold/freezing resistance: +30% (60%)

▷Dragonkind skill resistance: +20% (40%)

▷Physical ability enhancement: +250% (500%)

▷Special skill: [Ice Shatter]

▶(Unopened)

▶(Unopened)

▶(Unopened)

[Special Ability: You become able to automatically understand the language of all dragonkind, including young dragons.]

-----

"That’s insane..."

A 60% boost to [Cold Resistance], and all his physical abilities inflated more than fivefold?

How strong would this get if it stacked with [Frost Domain]?

Walfred’s mouth fell open.

’More than that, what even is Ice Shatter?’

Ice Shatter, the special skill granted by the blessing.

Walfred checked the skill right away.

-----

[Blessing of the Frost Dragon: Ice Shatter]

[When attacking an enemy, there is a certain chance of applying an ’Ice Shatter mark.’ When attacking a marked enemy, it ignores the target’s freezing resistance/tolerance.]

[This skill can only be activated while Blessing of the Frost Dragon is active.]

▷Mark application chance: 10%

▷Mark duration: 30 seconds

▷Mana cost: 120

-----

"...Heh."

A gasp of admiration escaped him before he knew it.

Ignoring freezing tolerance and resistance.

In other words, if he could just apply the Ice Shatter mark, he could deal considerable damage to the drake, which had high cold resistance.

And then.

Krrrumble! Craaaash!

The passage entrance collapsed.

Then Walfred saw the Bone Drake forcing its body through and pushing all the way inside. The instant his eyes met the thing’s, a sharp voice rang out.

[That! Is mine!]

Unlike just earlier when he couldn’t understand what it was saying, now he could make out what the Bone Drake was trying to say.

It was thanks to the Blessing of the Frost Dragon, which let him understand the language of all dragonkind, including young dragons.

[Dragon! Heart! Hand it over! Now!]

A powerful greed could be felt in the Bone Drake’s voice. Its hollow eyes were fixed on the baby dragon. Just then, the baby dragon lifted its head.

Then it whispered in a clear voice.

"Papaa."

"Huh?"

"I. Don’t. Like him. Bad."

The baby dragon hissed at the Bone Drake. A sound like a beast growling spilled from its tiny mouth.

And in that moment.

[The Frost Dragon’s roar bears down on the target.]

[Target: Bone Drake]

[Target’s total resistance: -30%]

[Target’s total stats: -50%]

"...!"

Walfred shuddered.

To think a baby dragon that had just been born could land a debuff on an A-rank Elite Monster. Was this because it was an SS-rank monster, even if it was still a baby?

’If it’s this much...’

Maybe it’d be worth taking it on?

To begin with, even if he fled, the other end of the passage was an ice wall. To get out of this situation, he’d ultimately have to bring down the Bone Drake.

’Let’s do it.’

Walfred’s eyes shone with resolve.

He pulled down the zipper of his cold-weather gear and tucked the baby dragon inside. Then, glaring at the Bone Drake, he planted both hands against the ice walls.

"Frozen Weapon."

Soon ice axes were in both his hands.

Had the Bone Drake realized that Walfred intended to fight it? A powerful fury surged in the drake’s hollow gaze.

[A bait! Like you! Dares!]

Boom! Krrrrash!

With that, the passage shattered completely.

The Bone Drake lunged, its enormous maw flung wide open. Walfred didn’t back away. Instead, he leaped toward the thing.