[You will be teleported to the location of the Dragon Bloodline Trial.]
A heavy silence settled over the remaining participants as they stood before the three Primordial Dragons, all of them prepared for whatever came next.
“Orvion, teleport them,” Zyphir groaned, as if he couldn’t be bothered with the process.
All they wanted now was to return to their home and observe the trial.
It would be displayed in all of [Dragon City], as said before, since they were meant to judge whether they were worthy of entering their bloodline or not.
Also it was like some sort of event, and dragons enjoyed seeing other races struggle and die.
Orvion, the Primordial Arcane Dragon, gave a slow nod.
Unlike the others, he had no interest in making a show of power, his abilities spoke for themselves.
As the master of space and arcane magic, he was the only one capable of transporting such a massive group with pinpoint accuracy.
Closing his eyes, he concentrated, his aura rippling outward as an invisible force spread across the room.
A translucent dome formed above the participants, growing wider and wider until it enveloped the entire lobby.
“Teleportation,” he whispered.
Fwoosh!
[You are being teleported…]
The sensation was immediate.
Alex felt his entire body being pulled through a vortex, though he remained perfectly still, his expression unreadable.
He had been through teleportation before, but this was different.
Unlike the standard [World Map] teleportation, which was instant, this felt like being dragged through shifting tides.
It lasted only five seconds, and then—
His feet touched the ground.
Alex glanced down, realizing he was standing on a small circular platform, barely large enough to fit both feet.
Around him, the ground stretched out in every direction, covered in endless green grass.
Above, the sky was unnervingly empty.
No sun.
No moon.
No stars.
It was blue, don’t get it wrong, but it was as if it was simply mimicking the actual one.
He instinctively checked his surroundings.
The Primordial Dragons were nowhere to be seen.
They had teleported only the participants.
Looking around, he saw that everyone else was also standing on identical circular platforms.
There were exactly 367 of them, positioned in a perfect circle, each platform linked to the next.
It looked eerily precise, deliberate, like some kind of ancient formation.
Ding!
A sudden announcement echoed in the air.
[Do not step out of your platform if you do not want to be disqualified.]
[Wait…]
Before anyone could react, the space at the very center of the formation distorted.
Alex narrowed his eyes.
“That’s not normal,” Alphox muttered, sounding tense. “Stay on guard.”
Alex nodded, focusing.
The air rippled unnaturally, like a tear in reality itself.
And then—
A massive figure emerged.
A dragon.
Not just any dragon, this one was far larger than the others.
Its cyan blue scales shimmered under an invisible light, reflecting a cold, almost mechanical glow.
Its massive white wings stretched outward, sharp and imposing, while its blue claws pulsed with energy.
But the most unsettling part—
Two spinning clocks floated around him, moving in perfect synchronization.
They twisted and turned, forming the infinity symbol, an endless cycle with no beginning and no end.
Alex could feel it in his bones, this dragon wasn’t just strong. It was something beyond logic itself.
“…I don’t know this one,” Alphox muttered, visibly uneasy. “He must be the new guy.”
That made Alex pause.
Alphox had been one of the original ten Primordial Dragons.
If he didn’t recognize this one, that meant—
This was the dragon that replaced him.
A sharp ding echoed.
[Xyrran, Primordial Space and Time Dragon.]
[The strongest Primordial Dragon.]
“Shit!” Alphox exhaled sharply. “His aura is insane!”
Alex could feel it too.
Unlike the other dragons, Xyrran’s power wasn’t just physical, it twisted the very fabric of time and space itself.
His mere presence made the air bend unnaturally.
Then, there were his eyes.
Xyrran’s pupils weren’t normal.
They weren’t even eyes in the traditional sense.
They were clocks.
They ticked forward with perfect precision, as if constantly measuring every fraction of time that passed.
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“It is interesting…” Xyrran finally spoke, his voice deep and slow, like something that existed outside the normal flow of time.
Many participants shivered at the sound.
“As they said, this is the strongest batch of candidates so far,” Xyrran continued, scanning the crowd, “Which means the most interesting one as well. I made the right choice in participating this time.”
A heavy pressure settled over the field.
No one dared to move.
“Now, for the rules,” Xyrran spread his wings.
There was no hesitation, no delay, he wanted to start immediately.
Panels materialized before every participant.
[Each Primordial Dragon has their own Trial. The specific trial is determined beforehand, and each year, a different dragon’s trial is chosen.]
[However, this year will be different.]
[Xyrran, whose trial has never been conducted before, has personally decided to hold it for the first time.]
[This is the hardest and most dangerous trial.]
[We expect zero survivors.]
[Not even one.]
Silence.
Then—
A cold, insane grin spread across Xyrran’s face.
His clock-like pupils spun faster, as if the mere thought of complete annihilation excited him.
“…That’s not good,” Alphox muttered.
Alex didn’t respond.
He was already processing everything.
“So that’s how it works,” Alphox continued, “Each Primordial Dragon has their own type of trial, and it changes every year depending on who they pick.”
“Which means…?” Alex prompted.
“It means this must has never happened before,” Alphox groaned, exhaling, “Xyrran must have always refused to hold his trial because he found the past candidates boring. But now? He’s interested in you all. That’s bad.”
Alex remained still, but his mind was already calculating.
Xyrran had deliberately chosen this batch.
He had been waiting for a group strong enough to hold his interest.
And now that he finally had one, he was fully intent on seeing what they were capable of, even if it meant their complete destruction.
“…How strong is he?” Alex finally asked.
Alphox hesitated.
“Before I died, he was already being considered for Primordial Dragon status. Many of us believed he had the power, but we only allowed ten Primordial Dragons at a time. So we rejected him.”
Alex’s eyes narrowed.
“So you’re saying,” he said slowly, “that the moment you died, he was immediately promoted to a Primordial Dragon?”
A long pause.
Alphox’s expression darkened.
“…Shit,” he muttered, “You’re right. I never thought about that before.”
It was too much of a coincidence.
Alphox dies, and the one dragon who had been eagerly waiting to take a Primordial Dragon spot immediately gets promoted?
‘His ability is space and time manipulation…’ Alex thought. ‘If anyone could erase memories or alter history, it would be him.’
Alphox clenched his fists.
“…There’s a real chance Xyrran killed me,” he admitted.
“And if he did,” Alex said, his lips curling into a small grin, “then we’ll get him.”
Alphox stared at Alex. Then, he grinned back.
“Damn right, partner,” he chuckled. “Let’s win this trial.”
“Yeah.”
Just as they finished speaking, Xyrran flapped his wings, sending a powerful gust through the air.
More panels appeared.
[Now for the Trial.]
[Xyrran’s trial is the hardest and most dangerous one ever created.]
[Its name is: “Token Holder”.]
[Here are the rules.]