After the system answered his final question, everything around Alex began to vanish.
The twenty-five glowing spheres, the looming divine silhouettes behind them, and even the mysterious energy that had filled the space just moments before, it all faded into nothing.
Slowly, the vast cosmic void that had once surrounded him started to ripple like the surface of disturbed water.
Then, without warning, it shattered like glass, crumbling into fragments of fading light.
And in its place, reality returned.
The world reformed around him, revealing once again the broken, silent remains of Dragon City.
The winds were quiet now, carrying only ash and dust, and the ruins stood solemnly beneath the pale sky, bearing the scars of the destruction that had torn through this place not long ago.
“Phew…” Alex exhaled a long breath, the weight of everything he had just learned still settling in his mind.
“I guess it’s time to deal with the last few things…”
He glanced around the shattered city.
The battlefield might have quieted, but the path ahead was still far from complete.
The road to the Chosen Games was narrowing, but the tasks that remained were still heavy, tasks that would either strengthen his position or leave him vulnerable.
He needed to be smart now more than ever.
No more wasting time.
With a short sigh, he shut his eyes for a moment and began mentally listing the objectives he still needed to handle, this time, with more clarity and structure.
It was time to make things simple.
A glowing blue panel appeared before him, and he started creating a personal checklist.
[Alex’s Objective List:]
[Find the “Token of Wrath” in the Tower of Wrath.]
[Find the “Token of Nightmares” in the Tower of Nightmares.]
[Resolve any upcoming problems with the major families and Universal Descent NPCs to prevent future interference.]
[Apply pressure to the races that typically oppose humanity, such as the Dark Elves, Demons, Ogres, Minotaurs and more by leveraging the presence of the Angels.]
[Upgrade the Undead Lord Talent to A-Rank, then use the Talent Upgrade Scroll to reach S-Rank, its highest possible tier before the Chosen Games.]
[Speak with the Primordial Dragons.]
[Return to Kaelios to obtain more information about the Gods and their power.]
[Review all his current items to identify overlooked uses, and investigate whether his surplus of Skill Points could still serve a purpose.]
“Yeah… that’s a long list,” the Hatred Demon muttered dryly from within, its tone sounding half amused and half annoyed.
Alex merely groaned in response, nodding slightly.
Long was an understatement.
Still, he couldn’t ignore it.
If he wanted to stand at the top by the end of the Chosen Games, this was the only way forward.
Preparation wasn’t just important, it was essential.
His eyes slowly scanned down the list again, but instead of rushing forward, he paused.
Some of the tasks there deserved a second thought.
The one that caught his attention first was the objective involving the NPCs of Universal Descent, and the big families of Earth.
Ever since his reincarnation to the time before the game’s launch, he’d taken steps to meet key individuals, not just players, but powerful NPCs.
NPCs like Tolkien, The Exorcist Blacksmith, who had proven invaluable twice already, or Aiden, the formidable leader of the World Association stationed in Bell City.
He’d also made seen Ravenna, the leader of the Black Crow Guild, an NPC who had been important in his past life.
But now, thinking about it from his current position, was it still worth pursuing them?
His power had grown so much.
His strength now reached levels that surpassed most entities, whether player or NPC.
The need to rely on the help of characters he once feared or respected had all but disappeared.
He sighed again, crossing his arms.
Was all that effort meaningless?
‘No.’
Even if he didn’t need them anymore, building those early relationships gave him options.
Back then, he hadn’t known whether he’d reach this point of strength.
Planning ahead had never been a mistake.
Besides, having allies, even ones he didn’t strictly need, was never truly a bad thing.
His gaze moved to the mention of the big families from Earth.
In the past timeline, they’d been a thorn in humanity’s side, constantly seeking to dominate and manipulate.
Now, though, now they were little more than annoyances.
If they acted out, he could wipe them away without hesitation.
If they stayed quiet, he’d ignore them.
But if they dared to step out of line, if they threatened anyone in any way, then they would disappear like ashes in the wind.
That much was certain.
Then came the final task on the list: the use of Skill Points.
“Find a way to use my Skill Points…” Alex muttered, almost to himself.
His inventory still held an enormous pool of Skill Points, hard-earned through leveling up, monster kills, quests, and even certain high-tier events.
[Skill Points: 2,872]
That number alone was shocking.
With that amount, most players could push some skills to max-tier instantly.
But for Alex? That wasn’t the case anymore.
Ever since he’d unlocked Skill Evolution, the nature of his powers had shifted.
His most powerful abilities had already surpassed conventional tiering, meaning normal skill points couldn’t evolve them any further.
So what now? Were they useless? Maybe. But maybe not.
For now, the points had no immediate use, but discarding them would be foolish.
As for Karma Points, the strange and rare “currency” he’d gained from killing Angels, they wouldn’t come into play until after the gods descended.
Which meant, just like before, another resource he couldn’t use.
And yet, knowing all this? It made him feel clearer.
Now that he had structured his path, he could finally begin acting on it.
And so, he chose the simplest task first.
“PRIMORDIAL DRAGONS!!” he bellowed at the sky, his voice echoing across the empty ruins, raw and powerful, “COME OUT! I WANNA SPEAK!”
Much like the time he’d fought the Hatred Demon, when he’d called upon them mid-battle, the reaction was immediate.
Flashes of energy tore through the skies like falling stars, bursts of primordial force erupting in all directions.
In the blink of an eye, the space around him shifted, distorted, and warped, until finally, all nine remaining Primordial Dragons appeared, one after the other.
Their presences were overwhelming.
Each one was unique in their elemental alignment, size, and aura, ancient beings that had witnessed the rise and fall of empires, who stood atop the peak of power in the world of Universal Descent.
And yet Alex, unmoved, stepped forward calmly and looked directly toward the center, where the most powerful of them stood.
Xyrran, the Primordial Dragon of Space and Time.
“We need to talk,” Alex said plainly, his tone direct, expression firm.
The dragons glanced at one another, silent and serious.
Then, Xyrran nodded.
“We agree,” he rumbled, voice low and resonant, “What happened… cannot be ignored.”
He wasn’t just talking about Alex’s call.
The destruction of Dragon City still surrounded them, shattered towers, scorched skies, lifeless streets.
The once-mighty homeland of dragons lay broken beneath their feet, a grim reminder of how much they had lost.
Dozens of dragons had died. Hundreds more had fled.
The wound cut deep, not just into the earth, but into their pride.
“But first…” Xyrran’s eyes narrowed slightly.
He stepped closer, gaze locked directly onto Alex.
“I didn’t notice it before. Your aura was too dense, too… masked. But now…”
The other dragons noticed it too.
Their heads turned.
Their ancient eyes glowed as they focused entirely on Alex’s form, and slowly, one by one, their expressions changed into surprise.
“…There’s an oddly familiar aura inside of you, human. One that should not be there. Care to explain what it is?” Xyrran finally asked.
Alex opened his mouth, but he didn’t get the chance to answer.
Because a voice rang out before he could speak.
“It is I,” a familiar tone echoed, deep and taunting.
A swirling, colossal black portal opened beside Alex, rippling with shadow and heat.
From within, a figure emerged, tall, scaled, and powerful.
It was Alphox, the Primordial Shadow Dragon, eyes glowing with amusement, his smirk filled with mischievous pride.
“Missed me?” he asked playfully, his wings folding in as he landed beside Alex.
“…Ah, shit,” Xyrran groaned, his expression shifting instantly.
The other dragons took a step back.