**Chapter 5: A Pact with a Dragon**
*Translated by Vine | Proofread by Lust*
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But Yuna couldn’t keep running forever.
She wasn’t some warrior brimming with stamina, nor did she have a protector by her side. She was a fragile cleric, someone who needed protection, not someone who could provide it.
Her body had limits, and she knew them well. As she had done when fighting zombies, Yuna made the difficult decision to turn and face the goblins chasing her.
“*Ugh…!*”
But unlike the mindless zombies, goblins were cunning.
They could strategize, work together, and as soon as Yuna attempted a desperate counterattack, the goblins began to patiently wear her down, like hunters toying with their prey.
“*I’m being hunted…!*”
“Krehehe! Kiik!”
Yuna realized too late that she had walked right into the goblins’ trap. Despite her attempts to escape by running along the mountain trail, the goblins had no intention of letting her go.
Their eyes glowed with perverse desire as they chased her, their tongues hanging out as they stared hungrily at her figure. With every step, Yuna could feel their gaze crawling over her. Finally, she reached the edge of a cliff.
“*Is this the end?*”
It wasn’t a dead end, but a sheer drop. If she jumped, she might escape the goblins… but it was at least a 100-meter fall.
Anyone who fell from this height would almost certainly die, even an awakened like her.
But the alternative—letting the goblins catch her and violate her—was a fate far worse than death.
“*Ugh, what do I do…!*” Ahead of her was a deadly drop, and behind her, the disgusting, leering goblins closing in.
The choice she faced was a grim one: physical death or the death of her spirit.
“*Better to take my chances…!*”
Summoning her courage, Yuna shut her eyes and flung herself off the cliff.
As the sensation of falling hit her, the wind whipped fiercely against her body, and she knew she had made the right choice.
“Krehe?! Kreeek!”
“Take that, you bastards!”
Yuna cursed at the goblins, whose faces twisted in frustration as they watched their prey dive off the cliff.
But as the ground rapidly approached, the terror of what awaited her began to sink in. Her thoughts swirled with fear—*please, let it be quick and painless…* And if by some miracle she survived, she wondered if her healing skills would be enough to save her.
The sensation of weightlessness continued, and with it, the inevitability of her death.
But… the impact never came.
“Huh?”
Instead of slamming into the ground, Yuna felt nothing but the continuous, gentle sensation of falling.
She had been falling long enough that she should have hit the ground by now, but her body kept descending.
Opening her eyes, Yuna realized she had somehow reached the bottom of the cliff without even noticing.
“*What…? I’m not hurt…* What just happened?”
She touched her body, marveling at the lack of any injuries. There was no pain, no damage—nothing. It was as if she had been lowered to the ground by some invisible force.
It was a miracle. Yuna felt an overwhelming urge to thank whichever deity had spared her, but before she could do so, something else caught her attention.
“*What’s that…? A cave?*”
Before her was a cave entrance.
It wasn’t man-made, but rather a natural cave formed by the collision of rocks.
At first, Yuna hesitated, wary of what might be inside, but she quickly realized that this cave could be the perfect place to hide from the goblins.
The thought of monsters or animals lurking inside the cave did cross her mind, but there were no signs of tracks or footprints near the entrance. That gave Yuna some confidence that the cave hadn’t been discovered recently.
“*It looks untouched… no sign of anyone—or anything—living here.*”
Reassured, Yuna cautiously entered the cave, her smartphone flashlight guiding her deeper inside.
What she initially thought was just a simple natural cave turned out to be something far more.
As she ventured further, she saw intricate carvings along the walls—symbols and depictions of some kind of ancient power.
“*Is this… a ruin?*”
It seemed she had stumbled upon some sort of ancient site, hidden deep within Namsan.
“*I never imagined there’d be something like this here…*”
Yuna continued forward, her curiosity piqued. She could feel something important waiting for her at the end of this path.
Soon, she came across a large stone statue.
“*A statue?*”
The figure was carved with incredible precision, and around it were more murals and symbols, seemingly praising the figure’s great deeds. The same mysterious patterns she had seen at the entrance were etched all around it.
The mural depicted a massive dragon and a woman standing beside it.
“*A dragon…?*”
Yuna couldn’t help but feel her heart race. The carvings and murals were too detailed, too deliberate, to be mere fantasy. As she approached the statue for a closer look, something even stranger happened.
“*What the…! What’s happening?*”
The moment Yuna stepped closer to the statue, the cave—no, the ruin—came to life.
One by one, flames ignited along the path, illuminating the way forward. It was as if the ruins were welcoming her, guiding her deeper into its secrets.
Despite her fear and confusion, Yuna couldn’t help but feel a sense of awe.
“*What’s waiting for me at the end of this path?*”
This wasn’t just some ordinary cave or ruin. There was something far more extraordinary hidden here, and Yuna couldn’t help but imagine the possibilities.
*Could it be treasure? An artifact from a forgotten era?*
Or maybe… something even greater?
In any other circumstance, such thoughts might have been dismissed as fanciful daydreams. But Yuna had already survived a zombie apocalypse—a disaster straight out of a novel. So why couldn’t something miraculous be waiting here for her?
“*Might as well… I don’t have anywhere else to go.*”
Driven by curiosity and the spark of adventure, Yuna pushed forward.
“*This place is deep…*”
The deeper she ventured, the more statues and murals she encountered.
Each statue depicted a different figure, but the common theme remained the same—a dragon and a human, side by side.
“*Is this… a temple dedicated to a dragon?*”
Yuna wondered if she had stumbled upon an ancient temple that worshipped some great dragon. The idea seemed more and more plausible the further she went.
Eventually, Yuna reached the end of the path.
She found herself at the base of a long staircase that seemed to stretch endlessly upward.
“*It feels like I’m at a temple…*”
The stairs reminded her of the long, steep steps that led to a Buddhist temple. With no escalators in sight, she realized she’d have to climb them the old-fashioned way.
Though the sight was daunting, Yuna was in better shape than the average person thanks to her awakening. She could handle it.
She ascended the staircase, and when she finally reached the top…
“*……*”
Yuna was struck silent.
At the top of the staircase was a grand altar, flanked by seven massive dragon statues.
The statues weren’t just any dragons—they had humanoid forms, with dragon heads staring down at her.
The sheer size and intricacy of the statues made Yuna instinctively shrink back in awe. Even though they were just stone figures, they radiated an undeniable sense of majesty.
“*It’s just a statue… nothing to be afraid of,*” Yuna muttered to herself, trying to calm her racing heart.
But the moment she convinced herself that they were harmless stone, a deep, booming voice echoed throughout the temple.
“*I never expected a visitor after so long.*”
“*Huh?! Who’s there? Where are you?*”
Yuna spun around in shock, searching for the source of the voice.
All she could see were the seven dragon statues looming over her. There was no sign of any other living creature.
Had the statues spoken?
“*Down here.*”
Following the voice’s instructions, Yuna looked down—and that’s when she saw it.
Through the transparent floor beneath her, Yuna finally noticed the massive, imposing figure she had somehow missed.
It was a dragon. A real one, not a statue.
Beyond the glassy surface beneath her feet, a gigantic dragon sat calmly on a stone throne, gazing up at her with glowing blue eyes.
“*A dragon…?*”
The dragon was enormous, far larger than anything Yuna had ever imagined. Its navy-blue scales glinted with hints of gold and red, and it sat with an air of regal authority, like a king on his throne.
The dragon’s piercing blue eyes locked onto Yuna, and she realized that this was the source of the voice.
“*Welcome, visitor. It has been a long time since anyone came to my temple.*”
“*Wait… I’m the visitor? Are you… are
you talking about me?*”
“*Indeed. Or should I say… a guest of my temple?*”
Yuna’s head spun in confusion.
“*A guest of the temple…?*”
She looked down at the dragon, fear creeping into her heart. Though the dragon sat still, not making any aggressive moves, she knew one thing for certain: if it wanted to, it could crush her with a single claw.
“*Why am I here…?*”
But before her panic could overwhelm her, the dragon’s deep voice soothed her fears.
“*Calm yourself, child. I am Bahamut, the dragon who protects humans. I am a force of good, a guardian of the weak. You have nothing to fear from me.*”
The dragon introduced itself as Bahamut and assured her that it meant no harm.
Yuna’s fear slowly subsided, replaced by awe.
“*Bahamut…*”
She gazed at the dragon’s magnificent form, stunned by its beauty and power.
Bahamut’s scales shimmered in shades of dark blue, with golden and crimson highlights. Its body was covered in a mix of powerful muscles and elegant wings, and its face held a calm, almost gentle expression.
The sheer presence of the dragon was overwhelming. Yuna could only stand there, transfixed.
“*Why have you come here, visitor?*” Bahamut asked.
“*I… I was being chased by monsters. I didn’t mean to come here, I just… stumbled in.*” Yuna stammered, still in awe of the massive dragon.
“*Monsters?*”
“*Yes… green monsters. I think they’re called goblins… Do you know them?*”
“*Ah, I see. That explains much.*”
Bahamut nodded slowly, understanding Yuna’s predicament. For the first time in what felt like ages, Yuna felt a sense of relief.
She had found a place of safety.
Feeling her exhaustion catch up with her, Yuna collapsed to the ground, her body finally letting go of the tension that had kept her going.
But just as her mind began to drift toward sleep, Bahamut’s voice cut through her weariness.
“*This is a sacred temple, a place where contracts are forged. Those who make a pact with me shall gain my power.*”
“*Power? You mean… I could gain your strength?*”
Yuna’s eyes widened as she processed Bahamut’s words.
“*Indeed. But such power does not come without a price. By making a contract with me, you would become my priestess. In return, I would grant you my strength. It is a bond of mutual exchange.*”
A contract with a dragon.
The thought left Yuna breathless. Could she really gain the power of a dragon?
*If I could borrow his strength, it would be like… it would be like having a miracle.*
Her mind raced with possibilities, but she hesitated.
*Do I really deserve such power?*
*After all… I killed my parents…*
But Bahamut seemed to understand her hesitation.
“*You have made it this far, haven’t you? That means you have the potential to become a force of great influence in this world, for better or for worse.*”
“*Me? A great influence?*”
“*Indeed. Whether you choose to do good or ill, your actions will shape the world. And I am willing to lend you my strength to see where that path takes you.*”
Yuna couldn’t believe it. She, someone who saw herself as weak and ordinary, could become a force that could change the world?
“*I will help you if you are willing to follow your convictions and prove your worth. I swear this by my name, Bahamut.*”
“*I… I…*”
Yuna was at a loss for words. But one thing became clear to her.
“*I want to live! I want to survive and bring this world back to normal!*”
This was her last chance—her only chance to survive and make a difference.
Without hesitation, Yuna shouted her desire to live, to fix this broken world, with all her heart.
“*Very well. If that is your wish, then I shall lend you my strength. I swear it by my name—Bahamut.*”
—
**【 You have changed your class. 】**
**【 Class Unlocked: Dragon Priestess 】**
With Bahamut’s declaration, the contract was sealed. The status window confirmed it, and Yuna, overwhelmed with relief, immediately passed out.
“*…What?*”
Seeing Yuna collapse like a puppet with its strings cut, Bahamut stared at her in confusion.
“*Is she… alright?*”
Apparently, Yuna’s body had been pushed beyond its limits, and now it demanded rest.
The mighty dragon watched as his new priestess lay unconscious, feeling a mix of concern and bewilderment.
“*Everything’s fine… This hasn’t been a disaster.*”
Bahamut muttered to himself, though even he seemed unsure of that.
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