**Chapter 7: The Dawn of Conviction**
*Translated by Vine | Proofread by Lust*
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—
“Ugh…?”
When Choi Yuna woke up, she felt more refreshed than she had in a long, long time.
Back when she was in the survivor camp, she never got to sleep properly, constantly worrying about the zombie hordes that would attack at any time, day or night.
As a healer, her role meant that she had little time to rest, constantly tending to injured survivors. She had been cutting back on food, sleep, and personal care, all in an effort to keep the others alive. The relentless work took a heavy toll on her—she had been running on fumes for weeks. If not for the abilities she gained from the system’s awakening, she might have collapsed from overwork and died long ago.
But today, things were different.
“…I feel… so refreshed.”
She had slept deeply and fully, something she hadn’t experienced in months. Her mind, previously clouded and sluggish, felt clear and sharp.
Yuna sat up and immediately sensed that something was different about her body.
“Huh? My hair?”
Her hair, which had been turning white from the intense stress she’d been under, was no longer its previous dull, ashen color. Instead, it shimmered in the dim light, reflecting a radiant platinum hue.
“What’s… going on?”
Confused, she reached for the compact mirror in her bag and checked her reflection.
The face that looked back at her was still hers, but different. Her hair now gleamed like polished silver, and her eyes had shifted to a striking sapphire blue. She stared at herself in shock, hardly recognizing the beautiful, ethereal image in the mirror.
“What the… why did my hair and eyes change?”
She touched her hair in disbelief. It was soft, smooth, and shining. As she tried to make sense of it, the memories of what had happened before she fainted began to surface.
“Wait… the dragon!?”
Her heart raced as she recalled her encounter with the mighty dragon. She remembered entering the temple, the overwhelming presence of the statues, and her conversation with the dragon—Bahamut.
Everything came flooding back.
Her pulse quickened as the realization set in: she had made a contract with the dragon.
“Did that really happen? Was it real?”
With that thought, Yuna sprang to her feet, anxiously scanning her surroundings. The grand, imposing dragon statues stood exactly as she remembered them. The surreal events from before were not a dream. It had all been real.
“You’re finally awake.”
A deep, powerful voice echoed through the chamber.
Yuna turned toward the source of the voice, her eyes widening as she saw the massive dragon from before—Bahamut—sitting calmly behind the transparent barrier.
“You…!”
“You may call me Bahamut, your contracted guardian,” the dragon said with a low, regal tone. His voice was firm, but carried a gentleness that made Yuna feel at ease.
Though she still trembled in the presence of such a grand creature, she no longer felt the overwhelming fear she had before. Yuna had made the choice to form a contract with this being—to borrow its strength in her quest to restore the world.
“About the contract—what happened?” Yuna asked, her voice laced with both curiosity and urgency.
Bahamut smiled faintly, his expression calm and knowing.
“That is something you already understand,” he said.
“I… already understand?”
Confused, Yuna furrowed her brow, searching for meaning in Bahamut’s cryptic words. Then it hit her.
“The status window!”
Without wasting a moment, she mentally called up her status window, eager to check for any changes.
—
**【Name: Choi Yuna】**
**【Race: Human】**
**【Gender: Female】**
**【Age: 16】**
**【Alignment: Neutral Good】**
**【Level: 9 → 15】**
**【Trait: Attendant of the Dragon】**
**【Class: Dragon’s Priestess】**
**【Strength: 11 → 21】**
**【Stamina: 12 → 22】**
**【Agility: 14 → 24】**
**【Wisdom: 32 → 42】**
**【Magic: 32 → 132】**
**【Luck: 9 → ???】**
**【Skills: Holy Magic (Beginner, Level 7), Concentration (Beginner, Level 1), Elemental Mastery (Beginner, Level 1), Instant Casting (Beginner, Level 1), Summoning Magic: Bahamut (Rank: Unknown)】**
—
“W-Wow…” Yuna gasped in disbelief.
Her stats had skyrocketed. Just by forming the contract, her level had shot up by six, and every one of her attributes had increased drastically. Her magic, in particular, had risen by a whopping 100 points. Even her holy magic skill, which had been her only real ability before, was now accompanied by several new skills, including summoning magic that allowed her to call forth Bahamut.
She also now had a class—*Dragon’s Priestess*—and a trait that marked her as Bahamut’s attendant.
It all felt surreal. She stared at her status window, overwhelmed by the drastic changes.
“I… I’m strong now.”
The realization filled her with an unfamiliar sense of empowerment. For the first time, she had real power. The strength to fight. The strength to survive.
But then a thought crossed her mind, tempering her excitement.
“…But what am I supposed to do now?”
Even with all this newfound power, Yuna was not the kind of person who naturally knew what to do. She had always followed others, relying on the stronger voices around her to lead. She had been a healer, not a warrior. Could she really take the lead now?
“What am I supposed to do with this power?” she wondered aloud, the weight of her situation sinking in.
“During our contract, you said that you wished to restore the world,” Bahamut’s voice rumbled. “And that you wanted to live again.”
“Restore the world…” Yuna let out a soft, hollow laugh. “I said that without even thinking. How could someone like me restore the world? I’m just an ordinary person.”
Her voice was tinged with self-deprecation. She couldn’t believe she had been foolish enough to say something so grand. It was absurd.
“Ordinary? What makes you think you are ordinary?” Bahamut questioned, his deep voice carrying a hint of curiosity.
Yuna bit her lip, struggling to explain.
“There’s… there’s no way someone like me could do something that big. I’m not special. I couldn’t even save my family,” she said, her voice trembling with self-doubt.
Bahamut listened patiently, waiting for her to finish before speaking.
“Restoring the world is no small task. But who is to say that you, with the strength you’ve now gained, cannot do it?”
Yuna blinked, taken aback by Bahamut’s calm confidence in her.
“Why do you sound so sure?”
“Because you possess the will to fight. Even if that will is buried beneath fear and doubt, it remains within you. That, and the power you now hold, make you more than capable of achieving great things.”
“But… I couldn’t even protect anyone back at the survivor camp. I couldn’t even stop the chaos from tearing it apart… How am I supposed to believe that I can change anything now?”
The words tumbled out of Yuna, laden with guilt and hopelessness. Even now, she could still picture the camp falling apart—the people dying, the chaos overwhelming everything. She had tried to help, but in the end, it had all been in vain.
Bahamut’s gaze softened. He could see the weight Yuna carried, the trauma of everything she had been through. He let out a deep sigh.
“Sometimes, the strength to restore order does not lie in what you have done, but in what you will do,” Bahamut said. “Even the strongest among us fall short at times. The important thing is that we rise again. That we fight for what we believe in.”
“But… how?”
“Through power, Yuna,” Bahamut answered firmly. “It is through strength that we can make the world listen, that we can protect those we care for. It is only through power that we can shape a new future from the ruins of the past.”
“Power…?”
“Yes. The world may be broken, but you can fix it—if you have the strength to do so. And you have that strength now, don’t you?” Bahamut gestured subtly with his massive clawed hand.
Yuna clenched her fists. She had the power now. She could feel it coursing through her body. But… was it enough?
Still, Bahamut’s words began to resonate within her. The world was broken, and it would take power to restore it. She had the strength now—she had the power to make a difference.
“I… I won’t fail again!” Yuna’s voice grew stronger, more resolute. She rose to her feet, her legs steady, her eyes blazing with newfound conviction.
She wouldn’t let the past hold her back any longer. She wouldn’t be the helpless girl who could only watch as her world crumbled.
“I’ll rebuild what was lost! I’ll make the world right again!”
“That is the spirit,” Bahamut said, a note of approval in his voice. “You have the power to change
everything. You have my strength, my guidance, and above all, your own will.”
Yuna stood tall, her heart filled with determination. For the first time, she felt a glimmer of hope—not just for herself, but for the future.
She wouldn’t run anymore. She would fight.
“I, Choi Yuna, will make the world right again!” she declared, her voice ringing with newfound purpose.
—
“…Did I overdo it?” Bahamut muttered to himself, watching Yuna as she became more and more fired up. The once hesitant girl now brimmed with zeal and conviction.
—
*She’ll be fine… right?*
