"Jim…" Max softly called out as he finally regained his composure. "How about if I say that I can fix your weakness? What if I say that I can make you stronger?"

"What?!" Jim shouted, jerking his head up to look at the dragon in complete confusion. "Wh…what do you mean?" The hunter asked, slowly rising from the ground while wiping his face clean of tears that had streamed down moments before.

"Yes, Jim, I think I can help you," Max replied again, rising to his full height and smiling faintly at the hunter, his eyes calm but focused.

"Bu…bu…but to do that, we would need to get a hybrid serum so I can become a hybrid. That's the only way for me to become stronger. But right now, we don't have the money for that. So what are you saying?" Jim asked again, his heart thumping loudly in his chest with each second, adrenaline and excitement mixing together.

"That is why I brought you here," Max said, letting out a slow sigh. "After the battle with the demon, something in me changed, and I feel like I can turn someone into a dragon… well, not as strong as me, but I think you get the gist."

"Wait, really?! You can turn someone into a dragon?!" Jim couldn't help but exclaim, pure glee dancing in his eyes, sparks of excitement reflecting in the light of the room. His entire body seemed to shake with anticipation.

"Well, I think I can, hence I brought you here to test things out and see if I can turn you. But I can't do it without your permiss…"

"I will do it!" Jim declared firmly, clenching his fists tightly. A wide, eager smile remained spread across his face, radiating confidence and trust.

"Huh?" Max muttered, furrowing his brows. "There are going to be pros and cons. You need to think things through very carefully because this is my first time attempting something like this. You need to be sure that you really want to do it, since even I don't know what might happen during this process."

Jim simply shook his head, a determined grin lighting up his face.

"This is why I called you great."

"Huh? Excuse me?" Max muttered, raising one brow in mild confusion.

"You got a powerup. Something to use to turn a human into a dragon. And the first person you could think of helping was me? So tell me, how could I not keep idolizing you?" Jim asked, briefly wiping a trickle of tears from his eyes. His voice wavered only slightly, betraying the emotion bubbling inside him.

"So my answer is yes, regardless of the risks involved. You know why? Because I trust you completely. You won't do anything to harm me, and if it's coming from you, I know it won't hurt me either."

'Sheesh! Are we sure this dude wasn't a woman in his past life? He feels too dramatic and acts all girly. But honestly, his trust in me is something to commend,' Max thought, rubbing his temples, sighing deeply, and shrugging. A small smile tugged at the corners of his lips despite himself.

"Alright then. Since you are so eager and ready, there is no need to waste time with unnecessary conversations," Max muttered, his tone calm but resolute. Jim stood there, scanning the room with eyes bright with anticipation.

"So…how do we begin? I really can't wait," Jim said eagerly, bouncing slightly on the balls of his feet.

"Hold on a second, let me see…" Max mumbled as he scrolled through his system tabs, his fingers moving with practiced ease until he finally spotted the skill he would use.

'Hmm, give me the description on how to use this skill,' he thought, staring intently at the screen. After a moment, the interface shifted smoothly, displaying the details clearly.

[Skill: Draconic Ritual]

[Description: This ability/skill allows the host to activate a ritual that can turn a human into the host's Draconic subordinate. The subject would be granted a class and rank under the host.]

[Limitations: Host can currently only turn three humans. Pool will increase as host grows stronger.]

[Family: 0/3]

[How to activate: Host must drop two drops of their blood into the human's mouth and then activate the ritual skill.]

'Oh! So that's how it's done? Sheesh! It's similar to a vampiric ritual or something,' he chuckled inwardly. He looked up at Jim, who was practically glowing with anticipation, and took a deep breath, mentally preparing himself for the first attempt.

"Okay, let's begin," Max said as he clapped his hands together, his tone calm but resolute. He gestured for the hunter to take a seat. "This might seem weird, but it's for your own good."

"Anything that doesn't involve my dignity," Jim chuckled nervously, glancing at the dragon as he saw Max bite down on his finger, hard enough that blood began seeping out. Jim flinched slightly but held still, curiosity mixing with apprehension.

"Now open your mouth and close your eyes," the dragon ordered. Jim gulped audibly, knowing there was no turning back, but he took a deep breath, exhaling slowly, and lifted his head, staring at the ceiling. He opened his mouth wide, his hands gripping the edges of the chair as Max stepped closer.

Max positioned his hand directly above Jim's mouth, controlling it with precise force, and allowed the blood to drip down.

Drip, drip!

Two exact drops landed perfectly in the hunter's mouth. Almost instantly, Max withdrew his hand and swiftly activated the skill.

[Draconic Ritual Activated]

Immediately, Max's eyes glowed a fierce yellow, the intensity radiating so strongly that it reflected in Jim's eyes. Following suit, the human's eyes also turned a brilliant yellow as he swallowed the blood.

As the blood coursed through Jim's veins, a prickling, almost electrifying sensation ran throughout his body. He looked around wildly, especially at Max, his pulse racing.

"Huh? Is that it? Aside from the sensation I felt inwardly, I feel… fine," Jim said, shrugging casually, though his voice betrayed a hint of unease. Max raised an eyebrow, clearly puzzled.

'Huh? I thought something dramatic would happen. I mean, I read it in a webnovel—but that was a vampire ritual, not a dragon. Sheesh! But did it work though? I should have gotten a system message if it did, right?' Max thought, frowning, brows knitting tightly.

"Did it work?" Jim asked, rising from the chair, his excitement and anxiety mixing in his voice.

"I don't know. How do you feel?" Max asked, walking closer, his gaze sharp and observant. That's when he noticed something unusual.

"Wh…why are you sweating so hard?" Max questioned, stepping back slightly.

"Me? I'm sweating?" Jim asked, rubbing his palm across his face. When he pulled it away, he saw it was soaked with sweat, glistening under the room's dim light.

"Hu…ARGHHHHH!" The hunter suddenly roared, his voice echoing through the room. His eyes blazed yellow, and within seconds, his knees slammed into the ground as every vein on his body bulged ominously, his entire form trembling as raw power surged through him.

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