The system voice continued, calm and methodical, as if it were reading from some invisible manual that only it could see. "Shop has now been unlocked. Tutorial mode has been unlocked as well."

Jelo's mind was still reeling from the fact that the system could talk at all, and now it was throwing more information at him. A shop? Tutorial mode? He had so many questions he didn't even know where to start. But one question burned brighter than all the others, demanding to be asked first.

"What does this evolution actually mean?" Jelo asked aloud, his voice echoing slightly in the empty bunker. "What just happened to me?"

The system's female voice responded immediately, patient and informative. "Not everyone is worthy to become a dragon. The system sets specific goals which the user must reach before they can evolve into a dragon and fully unlock the potential of the system. These goals are designed to test strength, resolve, adaptability, and survival instinct. You have met these requirements through your actions, combat experience, and determination to survive against overwhelming odds."

Jelo processed that slowly, his exhausted mind working through the implications. So the system had been testing him this entire time. Every fight, every monster, every near-death experience—it had all been leading to this moment. The system had been measuring him, judging whether he was worthy of becoming something more than human.

"So I really am a dragon now," Jelo said quietly, more to himself than to the system. It still felt surreal, impossible, like something out of a dream or a story rather than his actual reality.

"Correct," the system replied. "You are now officially classified as a dragon, species designation confirmed. However, I must warn you to be careful. Now that you have officially become a dragon, other dragons will come for you."

Jelo froze, his entire body going still. "What?" he whispered, his voice tight with sudden tension.

"Other dragons will sense your presence eventually," the system explained, its tone remaining infuriatingly calm despite the weight of its words. "Your evolution has created a signature that other dragons can detect, though it may take time depending on proximity and their sensory capabilities. Some will be curious. Some will be hostile. Some will seek to test you, to determine if you are worthy of existing among their kind. You should prepare accordingly."

Jelo was surprised to hear the system say that there were other dragons alive. He'd assumed—foolishly, perhaps—that he was unique, that the system had chosen him specifically because there were no other dragons left in the world. But that didn't make sense when he thought about it more carefully. He reasoned that it actually made perfect sense that there would be other dragons. From the small knowledge he had been able to gather about dragons during his research and his brief glimpses into dragon society through the system's information, they were an ancient species that had their own civilization long before humans did. They had families, hierarchies, territories, politics. An entire world that had existed in the shadows of human history.

If dragons had been around that long, if they'd built entire societies and cultures, then of course some of them would still be alive. They probably hadn't gone extinct at all. They'd just learned to hide.

Jelo then reasoned further, connecting the dots in his tired mind. So now he was part of that species. Part of that ancient, hidden world. It suddenly made him feel like he was inside a web novel or manga, one of those stories where the protagonist discovers they're part of some secret supernatural society that's been operating beneath the surface of normal life all along. The realization was both thrilling and terrifying in equal measure.

"Are there really dragons out there?" Jelo asked, needing to hear it confirmed one more time. "Living among humans?"

"Yes," the system replied without hesitation. "Dragons have blended into human society over centuries of adaptation and survival. They occupy various positions across all levels of civilization—some in positions of power, some living quiet lives, some operating in the shadows. They will be extremely difficult to detect without specialized knowledge or abilities. Most humans will never know they have encountered a dragon."

Jelo felt a chill run down his spine. Dragons were walking among humans, completely undetected, living double lives. How many people he'd met in his life had secretly been dragons? How many of his teachers, his classmates, the random strangers he passed on the street? The thought was unsettling.

"Who are they?" Jelo asked, his voice taking on an edge of urgency. "Who are the dragons? Can you tell me their names? Their locations? How do I identify them?"

The system didn't reply immediately. The silence stretched for several long seconds, and Jelo wondered if it was processing his request or simply deciding whether to answer at all.

Finally, the system spoke again, but it didn't answer his question. "You should focus on creating your own family to ensure your survival."

Jelo blinked, confused by the sudden shift in topic. "What family? What are you talking about?"

"A dragon family provides protection, resources, territory, and political standing within dragon society," the system began to explain, its tone taking on what Jelo could only describe as a lecturing quality. "As a newly evolved dragon with no established connections or lineage, you are vulnerable to—"

The system's explanation was abruptly cut off by a sudden noise from above.

The bunker trapdoor opened with a loud metallic creak, the sound echoing through the enclosed space. Jelo's head snapped up, his body tensing instinctively, his muscles coiling in preparation for another fight even though he was completely exhausted. His heart hammered in his chest. Who was it? Had someone else found the bunker? Was it one of those dragons the system had just warned him about?

Then Mira's face appeared in the opening, peering down into the bunker cautiously. Her expression was uncertain, worried, like she wasn't sure what she'd find when she looked inside. When her eyes found Jelo standing there, still alive and apparently conscious, relief flooded across her features.

She waved at him, the gesture small and tentative. "Hey," she called down, her voice echoing slightly. Then, more hesitantly, almost afraid of the answer, she asked, "Are you good now?"

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