Alex opened his eyes, his thoughts still swirling from the overwhelming explanations about god blessings.
Without wasting a moment, he stood and made his way back to Alera’s house.
Inside, the warm aroma of tea and baked goods greeted him.
The girls were seated around a table, enjoying their snacks while recounting the events from the [Tower of Destiny].
“And then, apparently, this massive beam of lightning came out of nowhere and chained the dragon!” Alice said, her eyes sparkling with excitement.
“Yeah! It was incredible!” Aurelia added, animatedly gesturing to match her words.
Alera chuckled at their enthusiasm, her expression calm yet serious.
“That’s wonderful to hear,” she said softly.
Then, her tone shifted, and her face darkened slightly.
“But you all need to be careful. The gods aren’t beings to take lightly.”
“We know,” Aurelia replied.
“Yeah, we’ll be cautious,” Alice added, though her earlier excitement dimmed slightly.
Alex listened quietly, noting the tension in the room.
Everyone knew that encountering a god, even one as seemingly mild as the [God of Destiny], was an incredibly dangerous experience.
Compared to other gods, Kaelios, if his behavior was genuine, had been surprisingly reasonable.
Instead of forcing a deadly game, he had simply contained the group in bubbles to avoid interference during Alex’s trial.
That leniency was practically unheard of among the gods.
Alex couldn’t help but wonder if there were more deities like Kaelios, ones who weren’t driven purely by malice or conquest.
The [God of Destiny] had hinted that not all gods sought domination.
Still, Alex found it hard to trust them.
“How many worlds have these gods conquered to find their chosen ones?” he muttered under his breath.
1? 2? 50?
The thought sent chills down his spine.
The gods had likely destroyed countless lives in their search for suitable champions.
And now, Alex had been selected as the [God of Destiny]’s chosen one, the only god left without one.
The weight of that realization pressed heavily on him.
Power came with risks, and Alex couldn’t afford to make this decision lightly.
Shaking his head, he forced himself to focus on the present and stepped further into Alera’s house.
“Ah, here he is, the man of the hour,” Lilith teased, flashing him a sly grin.
“Alex!” Alice and Aurelia exclaimed in unison, rushing over to hug him.
He laughed softly, wrapping his arms around them for a moment before joining the group at the table.
The mood lightened as he sat down, nibbling on snacks and sipping tea.
The hours passed peacefully, filled with casual chatter and laughter.
As night fell, the group began to settle in for the evening.
Alera’s house was large, with multiple rooms available for everyone.
Despite this, Alex often found himself sharing a room with Alera, Lilith, and Alice.
Aurelia, on the other hand, always slept alone in a separate room.
What Aurelia didn’t know, however, was that Alex and the others shared more than just sleeping quarters.
Every night, the four of them slept together, their bond deepening in ways Aurelia had never witnessed.
It was a secret Aurelia remained blissfully unaware of, one that none of them intended to reveal anytime soon.
Aurelia is always the first to go to sleep, or Lilith, but mostly Aurelia.
And Alex is always the first to wake up too, meaning that she had in fact never seen them sleep together.
That night, however, something unusual happened.
Alex rarely dreamed.
His mind was typically calm and alert, ready to sense any danger that might arise.
But as he drifted off to sleep, his consciousness was abruptly pulled elsewhere.
When he opened his eyes, he found himself in a familiar place, the [Shadow Pet Space].
The vast, shadowy realm stretched out around him, its air filled with an eerie stillness.
In the center stood Alphox, the massive primordial dragon, his golden eyes fixed on Alex.
“What the…” Alex muttered, rubbing his eyes.
“Hello,” Alphox rumbled, his deep voice echoing through the space.
Alex frowned, “Why am I here?”
The dragon tilted his head slightly. “I brought you here because we need to talk, duh.”
Alex’s suspicion was immediately piqued.
Alphox rarely summoned him without a reason, and the dragon’s tone suggested this conversation would be important.
Sitting down in front of Alphox, Alex straightened his posture, ready to listen.
Alphox raised a claw and gestured for Alex to act. “Show me what you’ve gathered.”
Nodding, Alex opened his [Digital Inventory Watch], navigating through the menu to locate the three key items he had acquired.
[x1 Wings of Destiny]
[x1 Dragonheart Essence]
[x1 Soulstone]
With a quick tap, the system prompted him for confirmation.
[Do you want to withdraw these items?]
“Yes,” Alex confirmed.
A soft hum resonated in the air as the items materialized before them, glowing faintly with power.
Alphox’s eyes narrowed as he examined them.
“You’ve done well,” the dragon admitted, his tone tinged with surprise. “That’s good, 99,9% of people don’t even manage to do that.”
Alex remained silent, watching as Alphox flicked the items with his claws, studying them intently.
“But,” Alphox continued, his expression darkening, “It still means that the 0.01% that does are extremely powerful, just as strong if not stronger than you are.”
“What do you mean?” Alex asked, his voice steady despite the unease creeping into his chest.
Alphox set the items down carefully before meeting Alex’s gaze.
“Soulstones are extremely rare,” he explained, his tone serious. “Acquiring one is no small feat. And the quality of the wings you bring plays a critical role in your future identity within the dragon bloodline.”
Alphox stepped back slightly, his tail brushing against the ground as he raised a clawed hand.
A flicker of energy surrounded him, and a translucent panel shimmered into view in front of Alex.
On it, an image began to form, a depiction of Alphox himself in his prime as a primordial dragon.
Towering over mountains, his scales glimmered with raw power as he unleashed torrents of flame that consumed armies below.
Alex stared at the image, his breath catching slightly at the sheer scale of Alphox’s former might.
The dragon gestured toward the panel.
“You see this? That was me, long ago. The primordial dragons are not just strong, they’re forces of nature. Titans of creation and destruction.”
He paused, his tone growing heavier, “failure is not an option. If you bring wings of insufficient quality or falter during the trial, you’ll be rejected, or worse, killed, for wasting their time.”
Alex’s gaze flicked between the image and Alphox, who now spun the [Soulstone] idly in his claws.
“That sounds… intense.”
“It is.” Alphox dropped the [Soulstone] onto the ground gently, the impact causing a faint ripple of light to spread across its surface.
“But there’s more. The trial isn’t just about proving your worth to the primordial dragons. You’ll also face others who are participating, all seeking the same prize.”
The dragon’s eyes narrowed.
“They won’t hold back. Many of them are desperate, and desperation breeds ruthlessness. You’ll need to be at your absolute best, Alex. This isn’t like anything you’ve faced before.”
Alex exhaled slowly, his mind already racing with thoughts of preparation.
Alphox moved closer, lowering his massive head until his golden eyes were level with Alex’s.
“If you succeed,” he said softly, “you’ll unlock the strongest bloodline of them all. With it, acquiring other bloodlines will become significantly easier. You’ll gain access to abilities and strengths that others can only dream of.”
Alex took a deep breath, his mind racing.
If the trial was as dangerous as Alphox described, he needed to prepare thoroughly.
“Alright,” Alex said, his voice steady. “What do I need to do?”
Alphox grinned, his sharp teeth glinting.
“First, you need to decide. Will you rely on your own strength, or will you take the [God of Destiny’s Blessing]?” Explore more at empire
Alex froze.
The question hit him like a bolt of lightning.
The blessing would undoubtedly grant him immense power, power that could tip the scales in the trial.
But it also came with risks, including the possibility of being bound to the god’s will.
It wasn’t that he didn’t like Kaelios, but trusting a God after everything that happened was difficult.
Though the [Scales of Truth] had indeed confirmed Kaelios’ words…
Before Alex could respond, Alphox leaned closer, his golden eyes gleaming.
“Let me explain more,” the dragon said with a sly grin.
Alex sighed, bracing himself for what was to come.