[You have been accepted into the Dragon Bloodline.]
With that notification appearing in front of Alex, Orvion waved his wing, and the arcane cage vanished.
The other participants were teleported back into the court arena, their bodies flickering as they reappeared in the familiar surroundings.
For the first time in history, all winners had been accepted into the Dragon Bloodline.
“Truly… the strongest batch,” Xyrran muttered, wiping sweat from his brow.
The aftershocks of the power of [World Cleaver] still lingered in the air, and none of them were immune to it.
Even Astariel and Draven, who were known for their calm demeanors, looked tense.
Draven, the dark elf who prided himself on his so-called immortality, felt an unfamiliar shiver crawl down his spine.
His eyes were glued to Alex.
That sword Alex had drawn… it felt like it could cut through his immortality if it had been aimed at him.
This wasn’t good.
‘Who in the hell is this guy?’ Draven thought.
But there was no time to dwell on it.
They had other things to focus on.
“Well,” Xyrran coughed, clearing his throat, “Orvion will teleport you to the altar now. The rest will… handle itself, future dragons or whatever,” he grumbled.
Orvion didn’t wait for any more words.
With another flick of his wing, his [Teleportation] spell activated once more.
In an instant, the five were pulled into another swirling vortex of light.
When their feet touched solid ground again, they found themselves standing before something new.
[The Dragon Bloodline Altar]
The area was eerily silent.
No dragons roamed nearby, no elders guided them through the process.
It was just them and the altar.
They were on their own.
Well, except for Alex, who had Alphox.
“Alright,” Alphox’s voice echoed from within Alex’s mind, filled with excitement. “My time to shine!”
Alex couldn’t help but smile.
‘Yeah,’ he thought, ‘we did it.’
“Nice thinking with the power, by the way,” Alphox added.
Ahead of them stood a massive fountain, surrounded by ten towering dragon statues, each carved with exquisite detail.
‘Damn, they took out my statue…’ Alphox sighed.
In front of the fountain were three pedestals, each engraved with unique symbols.
Alex narrowed his eyes, ‘These symbols…’
“The items from the trial,” Alphox confirmed. “That’s where you place them.”
‘Got it.’
While Alex had a good idea of what to do, the others looked lost.
Lira tilted her head, frowning, “So… what now?”
“The dragons won’t help us. Guess we’ll figure it out ourselves,” Draken shrugged, his tone indifferent.
“WRAAA!” Clovox roared, flexing his arms. “I WANT MY WINGS ALREADY!”
Astariel, as usual, stayed silent but thoughtful, his eyes scanning the surroundings, trying to piece it together.
Alphox chuckled, “No need to wait for them. Just go ahead, partner. Once the process starts, everything will be clear.”
Alex nodded.
Without another word, he stepped forward toward the pedestals and the towering fountain.
As he walked, he tapped on his [Digital Inventory Watch], selecting the three items required for the process.
Each symbol on the pedestals matched one of these artifacts.
[Dragonheart Essence] (Artifact)
[Wings of Destiny] (Artifact)
[Soulstone] (Artifact)
With a quick tap, the items materialized in front of him.
The [Wings of Destiny] were enormous, having once belonged to the [Dragon of Destiny], the boss of the tenth floor of the [Tower of Destiny].
“They’ll adjust to your size, don’t worry,” Alphox assured him.
The [Dragonheart Essence] and the [Soulstone] were easier to manage.
Alex picked one up in each hand, tucking the massive wings under his arm as he approached the pedestals.
The first pedestal bore the symbol of a heart.
Alex placed the [Dragonheart Essence] on it.
The moment it touched the surface, a soft click echoed, and the pedestal began to glow, illuminating the area with a warm, golden light.
He moved to the second pedestal, placing the [Soulstone] onto its engraved symbol.
Another click.
Finally, he set the oversized [Wings of Destiny] onto the third pedestal.
With all three artifacts in place, a deep rumbling echoed through the altar.
Click! Click! Click!
And suddenly, a brilliant flash of light burst from the pedestals.
Boom! Your adventure continues at My Virtual Library Empire
The items were sucked into the stone structures, disintegrating into shimmering particles that floated up into the air like golden dust.
The once-dry fountain began to stir.
A low hum filled the air as golden liquid gushed from the mouths of the dragon statues, cascading into the basin below.
Within seconds, the fountain was full, its surface shimmering like molten gold.
Then, a glowing panel appeared in front of Alex.
[Plunge your head into the liquid to absorb the properties of the three artifacts, transforming into a dragon.]
This was it.
Alex took a deep breath, feeling the weight of the others’ gazes on his back.
He stepped forward until he was standing at the edge of the fountain, staring down at his reflection in the golden liquid.
With a final exhale…
Fwish! Splash!
He plunged his head into the fountain, closing his eyes as the cool liquid surrounded him.
Immediately, the golden liquid began to drain, seeping into his skin, his muscles, his very soul.
At the same time, the particles from the artifacts he had placed earlier drifted through the air, drawn toward him like moths to a flame.
They fused into his back, sending a wave of heat through his body.
The process was intense, but Alex stood firm.
After about thirty seconds…
[Process complete.]
Alex lifted his head from the fountain, gasping for air, but a wide grin spread across his face.
He had done it.
He was now officially a dragon.
And to confirm it, another notification popped up.
Ding!
[You have acquired the SSS Dragon Bloodline!]
“Nice one, partner!” Alphox laughed, his voice filled with pride.
Alex felt it too.
Power coursed through his veins unlike anything he had ever experienced.
With this bloodline, Alex pretty much had everything he needed to fight the gods.
He still needed to consult Arceus to gain more skills and items, but everything else was in place.
A powerful armor, a staff that amplified his abilities, strong close-range skills.
His [Blood Art] could help him out, plus he maybe could find a way to make it heal him, and his destiny powers were some of the strongest in the world.
He was prepared to face the gods.
But even though he thought that, another voice whispering in his mind.
[You are not ready, you will die.]
In his past life, it had taken ten years for humanity to reach this level.
But now? Less than a year since the start of Universal Descent.
The gods had started descending within that first year, causing chaos and destruction.
But this time, Alex was ready to stop them before they even had a chance.
He wasn’t going to let this opportunity slip away.
“Guess it’s our turn now,” Lira’s voice snapped him out of his thoughts.
She stepped forward, summoning her own artifacts in hand.
Alex stepped back, giving her space as he read another notification.
[Do you want to check out all your new perks and abilities now?]
“Later,” Alex replied. “I’ll check them out once we’re in a safe place. No distractions.”
[Alright.]
For now, Alex would wait.
But his mind was already racing with possibilities.
The gods wouldn’t know what hit them.