Farmboy becomes King with the Lust System

Realizing brute force was useless, Jae forced himself to change his approach. His breathing was rough, chest rising and falling in the sweltering heat, but his mind sharpened. He tested the dragon's movements, watching for patterns, slipping into a measured rhythm.

His next strike came as a sudden Gravity Punch, aimed low to stagger its footing. The blow landed with a deep, bone-vibrating thud that rattled his arms, forcing the Flame Dragon Lord to shift its massive weight.

He didn't stay still. Jae flowed into quick feints, darting in and out of reach, forcing the dragon's massive head to dip lower each time. Heat rolled off its breath in choking waves, sweat beading instantly on his skin.

Whenever its molten eyes locked on him and the muscles in its neck tensed, he reacted instantly, a burst of Phantom Step carrying him forward in a blink, just ahead of snapping jaws or claws that ripped trenches into the stone floor.

Even so, the creature's sheer power was crushing. Every step back felt heavier than the last. His Iron Skin shimmered faintly, mana hardening over his body, but fine cracks spiderwebbed across it from the strain.

The heat pressed against him like a smelter's furnace, every inhale burning his lungs. His arms trembled. His knees dipped with each blow he absorbed, the weight of the fight dragging him down inch by inch.

Blood trickled warm from a cut along his temple, sliding down into his eye. He blinked hard, vision blurring for a heartbeat, and that was when he saw it.

When the dragon charged its breath, it reared forward, stretching its neck. In that split second, the thick, interlocking scales at its throat parted just enough to expose a strip of softer flesh. Vulnerable.

Jae's jaw clenched. That was the opening.

He drew in a steady breath despite the heat tearing at his lungs, then lunged forward. His blade lashed at the dragon's front claws, sparks bursting from the impact.

The Flame Dragon Lord's head swung toward him, pupils narrowing. It inhaled deeply, chest expanding, the glow of molten fire building in its throat.

Jae didn't wait. At the final heartbeat before the blast, his form blurred, Phantom Step snapping him out of sight.

He reappeared at its flank, boots hitting the ground in a sliding step before he surged forward in a sprint. Stone cracked under his heels as he leapt, landing hard on the dragon's back. His Acid Fang dagger bit deep into its scales, anchoring him.

The exposed spot at the base of its neck flashed in his sight. He drove the dagger in with every ounce of force he had left.

A jolt of venomous energy raced down the blade and into the wound. The dragon's roar shook the cavern, a sound so loud it rattled his bones. Its muscles convulsed, the first signs of paralysis locking its massive form. But it wasn't enough.

With his other hand, Jae gripped his mana blade and began to slash, fast, brutal cuts, left and right, again and again. Sparks burst with each strike, blood spraying in hot arcs. His shoulders screamed from the effort, but he didn't stop until the light in the dragon's eyes dimmed and its weight sagged beneath him.

The Flame Dragon Lord collapsed with an earth-shaking crash, the impact sending dust and loose stone raining from the cavern ceiling.

A sharp chime rang in Jae's head.

<[System Notification] Quest Complete: Defeat the Flame Dragon Lord>

<Reward Unlocked: Treasure of the First Flame Dragon Lord>

He staggered off the corpse, boots slipping slightly on the blood-slick scales. His breath came in short, ragged bursts as another notification pulsed into view.

<[System Notification] Touch the slain Flame Dragon Lord to claim its treasure.>

Jae placed a trembling hand against the still-warm scales. Heat radiated into his palm, followed by a surge of energy that tore through his body like an explosion.

<[System Notification] You have absorbed the Dragon's Essence.>

<Item Gained: Dragon's Heart.>

<Mana Pool Increased by 40%.>

He gasped, chest tightening as if molten metal flowed through his veins. It burned, but instead of pain, the sensation settled into raw, pulsing strength.

<[System Notification] New Class Unlocked: Flame Dragon Lord.>

Panels appeared one after another.

<Mana Blade → Dragonfire Edge>

Your blade now ignites with a concentrated flame aura, increasing base damage by 30% and inflicting a burning effect.

The weapon in his grip flickered before bursting into a steady, dancing sheath of orange flame. Heat shimmered in the air around it. He swung once, fire trailed in a clean arc, leaving the faint scent of scorched air.

<Phantom Step → Ember Step>

Teleportation now leaves bursts of flame, dealing small area damage and creating smoke to obscure enemy vision.

He blinked forward in a test. The spot he'd stood on erupted in a burst of heat, the stone beneath blackening instantly.

<Iron Skin → Molten Skin>

Now resists heat-based damage and releases a burst of flame upon taking melee hits.

A faint red sheen rippled over his skin. He touched his forearm and felt the heat radiating outward, like sunbaked steel.

<Gravity Punch Upgrade Available: Combine with dragonfire to create Meteor Fist.>

His fist curled. A faint flame swirled beneath his knuckles, coiling like a caged storm

<New Skill Acquired: Dragon's Breath (Ultimate)>

Unleash a cone of devastating fire that deals massive area damage. High mana cost.

The knowledge of the move slid into his mind like an old memory, he could almost hear the roar it would unleash.

The last panel faded. The burning inside him steadied to a powerful hum, and he realized his stance felt heavier, his presence sharper, as if the air itself acknowledged his new strength.

A deep rumble came from the walls. The narrow stone passage that had sealed behind him cracked, then split open with a grinding roar.

Elise and the others rushed in, halting as soon as they saw the colossal red dragon lying motionless. Its body was riddled with deep cuts, its blood pooling dark and wide across the floor.

Elise's breath caught. "You… you killed it?" She knelt beside him immediately, her glowing hands pressing over the gash on his shoulder. Warmth seeped into him, mending torn flesh. "By yourself?"

Jae let the flames fade from his blade before it dissolved entirely. He exhaled, a faint, almost disbelieving smile tugging at his lips. "Honestly… I didn't think it was possible."