The yellow dragon floated above the surface of the water, its eerie aura casting a faint light over the boy in front of it. It lowered its head to the level of Micro’s with a growl and looked closely at him for a moment.

  “In all my thousands of years, I’ve never seen a soul like this.” The dragon almost sounded impressed, its deep voice resounding throughout the cave. “But this vessel is ill suited to the needs of your soul… the work of third rate magicians no doubt. Nothing worth eating, perhaps…”

  The dragon snorted in disgust and withdrew from the boy. It glared down at the boy while somehow hovering above the surface of the water, illuminating the cave with its ominous glow.

  “It does feel oddly like I’m in need of an oil change,” the boy agreed, but his words were lost on the dragon.

  “I am Ray, born of the Amber Water Serpent Art Dungeon,” the dragon announced proudly. “You intrigue me, strange soul. I could eat you, but it would be a waste of something unique.”

  “Thanks, I think,” Micro smiled. “I’m a Micro, by the way. And this is Blue. We’re looking for the exit, but we could use some help finding it.”

  The dragon squinted its big, glowing eyes before reeling back in thunderous laughter.

  “Indeed, this is no place for such weak little creatures as yourself.” The dragon may have been smiling, but it was hard to tell. “Very well. I’ll put you in my debt today.”

  The dragon who called itself Ray extended its right arm to Micro’s chest, poking him gently with its extended claw. Micro was unafraid of the dragon, but looked in confusion at the claw touching his chest. Suddenly, the claw began to glow, and his chest felt warm.

  “There,” the dragon spoke confidently. “I’ve strengthened your core for the time being, though you will still die if you do not learn to cultivate it.”

  “What?” Micro replied blankly.

  “In accordance with the will of my creator, I have lent aid to the weak,” the dragon said with a prideful tone. “I am not just any dragon, I am Ray!”

  “I’ll die if I don’t cultivate…?” Micro asked.

  “Yes, you must seek out a master at once,” Ray replied. “And make use of the resources made available by my creator.”

  “Like a Core Card?” Micro asked. “Blue mentioned those.”

  “Hmm? A Core Card would teach you something, sure.” The dragon nodded. “But your own core is of too low a level to contain that oddly shaped soul at the moment. I’d say… yes, at least an amber level core.”

  “How do I get an amber core?”

  “You must find a master, as any human would.” The dragon’s voice was beginning to soften. “The nostalgia of our encounter has stirred my generosity, after all. Take this.”

  The dragon held its claw above its head for a moment, and a bolt of lightning blinded Micro. Blue’s eyes were already tightly shut in fear as she grasped the bars of her cage. Micro looked closely and noticed the familiar shape of a Core Card had appeared between two of the dragon’s long claws. It looked tiny in its monstrous hand, but its colour was different to the broken card Micro had stumbled across before.

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  “If you are able to survive the first steps of your journey, find a sect that follows the path of the Serpent Art, and show them this.” Ray delicately placed the card in Micro’s hand. “This should put you in their good graces.”

  “This one is yellow.” Micro waved it in the air for Blue to see, but she was still trembling in the corner of her little cage with both eyes shut. “Neat…”

  “Indeed it is,” Ray explained. “It is meant for those who have attained the level of an amber core, the second stage a cultivator achieves. Your vessel already possesses a jade core, but it is insufficient for your needs. Find a master, and cultivate a core to contain your odd spirit. The Water Serpent Art is a noble Art, so you’d be lucky to have mastered it.”

  “Umm, thank you very much.” Micro scratched his head, which he noticed was completely healed.

  “You have hardly fulfilled the traditional requirements to receive such a blessing, mind you. When I inhabited dungeon many years ago, few cultivators ever won that card from me,” Ray said, his voice still booming with pride. “So, your contract is this.”

  “Contract?” Micro raised an eyebrow at the sudden mention of a contract.

  “When you have finally cultivated your core to at least the amber stage…” The dragon’s face suddenly began to emanate malice and bloodlust. “As soon as your soul is stable within an amber core, you must find my rival and defeat him. Well, you shall at least attack him. Yes, you must catch him off guard.”

  “Your rival?” Micro asked. “Who would rival a school bus?”

  “You must find the one whose antics resulted in the both of us being banished from our dungeon,” Ray said bitterly. “Find the filthy yellow basilisk named Lo, and beat some sense into him.”

  “Beat some sense…?” Micro tilted his head.

  “Indeed, you are weak…” Ray sighed, then continued with his booming voice. “Very well. You shall make an effort to land at least one attack on the vile and traitorous beast called Lo. Your soul shall be bound to this challenge. Oh, take this as well.”

  The dragon repeated his previous gesture, and another card appeared spectacularly in his claws. Ray appeared to grin as he tossed the yellow card to Micro.

  “Thanks!” Micro said happily, though his confusion was clear on his face.

  “That Spirit Shield Skill Card should help you deal with the poison. Oh, I wish I could see his face when you show up with that skill!” Ray laughed, causing Micro’s ears to hurt as the entire cave was shaken by the sound.

  “I was actually planning to get back to my garage to—”

  Ray’s aura exploded with bloodlust and he stared at Micro.

  “Accept this contract, or be my dinner.”

  “I don’t really—”

  “He accepts!” Blue screeched from her cage. “He’ll do it! Please, let us leave!”

  The dragon glanced at the cage, then turned back to Micro, awaiting his answer. After considering the pixie’s words for a moment, Micro nodded his head.

  “Okay.” Micro cheerfully replied and extended his free hand. “It’s a deal.”

  “Good…” the dragon replied ominously, but the boy continued to hold his hand out to the dragon. Ray looked awkwardly down at the hand and frowned. “What… What are you doing.”

  “I’ve already given your vessel all the power it can hold.” Ray sounded irritated now. “Dare you ask for more?”

  “It’s a contract, right?” Micro inquired. “Then we shake on it, don’t we?”

  “What?”

  “Isn’t that how contracts work?” he continued. “The old man always did business that way.”

  With some hesitation, the dragon extended its hand to the small human boy in front of him, who confidently grasped one of its long claws and shook it for just a moment before letting go.

  “That’s it?” Ray asked awkwardly.

  “It’s a deal.” Micro smiled. “Bye then.”

  Micro waved at the big yellow dragon, then left with Blue to continue down the cave. With the feeling of a full tank of gas and a clean windshield, he walked briskly along. As Blue continued to shiver fearfully in the cage he held, he thought he heard the dragon mumble something before slipping back into its pool.

  “Strange boy…” Ray growled as he slithered back into the pool of clear water. “Hard not to like him though…”