Vaelros, the [Primordial Fate Dragon], gazed at Alex with wide, calculating eyes.
The swirling golden vortex in Alex’s irises caught his attention immediately.
He had seen this kind of aura before, one that did not belong to mere mortals.
It was a presence that defied destiny itself.
A flicker of doubt crossed his mind.
“A god…?” Vaelros wondered, narrowing his gaze. “No… they wouldn’t be here.”
If a god had descended, the world itself would have trembled in warning.
That left him with only one possibility.
“A God’s Chosen One,” he muttered under his breath.
For a brief moment, an unfamiliar sensation crawled through Vaelros, something close to hesitation.
But he quickly shook it off.
Fear? No. A Primordial Dragon did not fear anyone, not even those touched by divinity.
Yet, Alex wasn’t an ordinary human.
He saw it in the way the golden aura flickered around his body, the way he stood his ground despite knowing that death was imminent.
Every other person that he ever faced would be already trembling in fear and begging for their lives by now.
But of course, he wouldn’t help them, in fact, he would wait for their pleas before making an example out of them.
Just like the others, the Primordial Dragons especially liked to show how superior they are.
But even then, they should know that they had limits they shouldn’t cross.
More than that, Vaelros recognized the traces of another presence lingering around Alex, the unmistakable imprint of Kaelios, the God of Destiny.
That realization made him pause.
The [God of Destiny] was an existence above even the [Primordial Dragons], a deity so powerful that he could annihilate them all without effort.
If Alex was truly Kaelios’ chosen one, then there was a real chance he carried one of the god’s forbidden abilities.
Vaelros’ sharp eyes flickered toward Alex’s status.
[Level 700]
At first glance, it was pitifully weak.
Yet… something felt off.
“Tricks,” Vaelros thought. “That boy has tricks.”
Even at level 2,000, Vaelros wasn’t arrogant enough to completely dismiss the threat of divine techniques.
One mistake, one miscalculation, could cost him everything.
Especially if Alex possessed [World Cleaver], one of Kaelios’ deadliest skills.
It didn’t matter if Vaelros was over 1,300 levels higher.
If Alex activated [World Cleaver], nothing could save him. Not his level, not his strength, nothing.
So, he made the right choice.
He took a step back.
“…Hmph.”
He exhaled sharply, eyes narrowing.
“It’s the annual Dragon Bloodline Trial,” Vaelros muttered. “I’ll let it slide, this time.”
And with that, his massive form surged into the sky, vanishing in a flash of golden light.
Silence followed.
Everyone stared at Alex, stunned that he was still alive.
He had disobeyed a Primordial Dragon… and survived.
“Impressive, this power might be more useful than we thought,” Alphox laughed.
In Alphox’s time, [Primordial Dragons] were strong, but most hovered around level 1,500.
Now? Every single one had reached level 2,000, making them even more untouchable than before.
The [Dragon Race] had been the dominant force for centuries.
Yet, they continued to evolve, growing stronger with each passing generation.
From within Alex’s soul, Alphox’s voice rumbled.
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“Should I feel proud… or disgusted?” the ex-primordial dragon murmured.
Even though Alphox was no longer one of them, he still understood their ways better than anyone.
‘We shouldn’t feel anything,’ Alex replied, ‘We just do what needs to be done.’
A sudden gust of wind swept across the temple grounds.
Fwoooosh…
Then, with a deep, echoing creak—
The enormous doors of the [Pre-Selection Temple] began to open.
The moment the entrance was clear, the participants rushed inside.
Alex followed suit, stepping through the ancient threshold.
But just as he did, Alphox spoke again from within.
“Partner.”
His voice was serious this time.
“You were seconds away from dying just now. I don’t think you could have beaten him… but there’s something I need to tell you.”
Alex’s expression remained calm as he walked forward, ignoring the cautious stares from those around him.
“About what?”
“About them.”
There was a weight in Alphox’s words, one that made Alex instinctively tense.
A moment later, ten shadowy panels materialized before him, floating just within his vision.
Each one contained a name.
“Memorize these,” Alphox said. “These will likely be your strongest enemies, just below the Gods and Grand Mages.”
Alex, now deep inside a massive corridor within the temple, took his time reading them.
[Information on the Primordial Dragons:]
[Vaelros, Primordial Fate Dragon]
[Zyphir, Primordial Storm Dragon]
[Ignareth, Primordial Inferno Dragon]
[Vaelith, Primordial Frost Dragon]
[Draegos, Primordial Earth Dragon]
[Seraphyxis, Primordial Celestial Dragon]
[Morgathis, Primordial Abyss Dragon]
[Orvion, Primordial Arcane Dragon]
[Xeltharion, Primordial Chaos Dragon]
Alex’s eyes narrowed.
Alphox had told him dozens of times already there were ten primordial dragons.
And yet, even though he re-read those names several times, there was something strange.
“That’s only nine names.”
Alphox sighed.
“I don’t know the name or class of the one that replaced me,” he admitted. “Be careful. If someone replaced me, that means they’re absurdly strong. Becoming a Primordial Dragon isn’t something just anyone can do. They had to prove their strength to earn that spot.”
Alex nodded.
“Got it.”
They walked deeper into the temple.
Eventually, the corridor opened up into a massive chamber.
Ahead, ten separate hallways branched out, each one wide enough to hold thousands.
Above them, glowing inscriptions flickered:
[Each hallway can hold 5,000 participants. Only 100 from each will advance. The rest… will be eliminated.]
And then—
FWISH…
DING!
A system alert flashed before them.
[50,000 participants have entered. Sealing the temple.]
Behind them, the massive entrance slammed shut.
BOOOOM!
The air trembled from the sheer force of the lock clicking into place.
Some people flinched. Others remained still.
No one panicked.
They all expected this.
A final notification rang through their minds.
[Select your hallway from #1 to #10.]
Silence fell over the chamber.
One by one, participants started picking hallways. Some left without a word. Others chatted among themselves, forming groups.
“You said that we would use these one or two days to explore, but we wouldn’t have been able to check out the city anyway,” Alex groaned.
“I know, but as you see, the temple already closed, if you had been late, it would have been bad,” Alphox replied, “Which means that the pre-selection trial will start now.”
“Alright.”
“Select the #5 hallway,” Alphox asked Alex after analyzing the people heading to different hallways.
“Why?”
“Trust me.”
The most surprising thing among all in this temple though was the fact that even among so many different races…
There was only one thing they all agreed on: that they weren’t wary of each other.
Instead, they were wary of the [Dragon Race] itself.
And yet… racism still existed here.
Just one target remained universally despised.
Humans.
Whispers echoed around Alex.
“Disgusting.”
“I thought they didn’t allow humans in this trial?”
“He’ll get eliminated in the first round.”
One of them, who had a [Perception] Skill, laughed.
“Level 700? He’s the weakest one here!”
The hatred was obvious. They despised Alex for being human. For daring to challenge a trial they had trained years for.
And worst of all?
He had survived disobeying a Primordial Dragon.
Alex ignored them.
Without hesitation, he strode toward Hallway #5.
Inside, hundreds of rooms lined the walls.
A glowing notification appeared.
[Each room holds 10 participants.]
[Good luck. :)]
Alex sighed.
‘The trial will start in 2 days, but until then the pre-selection phase will happen.’
It already had started.
And judging by the gazes locked onto him…
Everyone in the temple was already planning to eliminate him first.
From within, Alphox chuckled.
“Get ready, partner.”
Alex clenched his fists.
“Right.”
And with that, he stepped into the first room.