The egg pulsed again, gold veins flaring slightly brighter across its jet-black shell.
Lucian watched without blinking.
Mana flowed softly from his palm—not forceful, just steady. A gentle feed of essence shaped by his will. His energy sank into the egg like ink dropped in water, spreading slowly, vanishing into the cracks.
Lucian stood slowly, hands lowering, watching the change.
The golden lines burned brighter, curling across the egg like living veins. The floating pedestal trembled, vibrating with a low hum that echoed across the space. A gust of wind stirred—where there shouldn’t have been any.
Then came the first sound.
A low, guttural growl—like the sky itself was waking up.
Hairline fractures spread out with a faint hiss. Golden light leaked through every crack, lighting up the dark chamber like a miniature sun was being born. Lucian didn’t step back. He didn’t flinch.
It didn’t explode. It simply fell apart—petals of black and gold drifting around the newborn shape inside. Light curled around it, reshaping, condensing, folding into scaled skin.
It hovered—barely off the pedestal—still curled, still small... but its presence was massive. Pressure rolled off its body like gravity had just gotten heavier.
Then it opened its eyes.
Burning red gold. Slit pupils. Intelligent. Ancient. Newborn.
A voice entered his head—not words, but meaning.
Lucian let out a breath. "Yeah. I know."
The drake uncurled slightly, floating toward him like it had been swimming through air its whole life. Its scales were a shifting black with glints of starlight between the ridges—almost like a living constellation. Four horns curved backward from its skull, two smaller ones near the jawline. Its wings weren’t feathered or leathery, but jagged—half-formed blades of mana and matter.
A screen blinked into existence beside him:
[System Notification]
Creature Bond Established: [Primordial Drake - ??? Rank]
Species: ??? (Draconis Infinitum - Mutation)
Elemental Affinity: ∞ (Undefined – Evolves Based on Bonded Host)
Rank: Unknown (Scaling beyond known thresholds)
Eternal Embryo: Will never die of age. Can evolve endlessly based on stimuli.
Infinity Resonance: Shares partial resistance to all elements and forces currently resisted by host.
Dimensional Familiarity: Can exist in spatial rifts and phase between dimensional layers.
Draconic Pulse: Emits a shockwave that disrupts magic and matter in a radius.
Mana Sync: Can consume and store excess mana from surroundings or host.
Astral Howl: (Locked) – Roar that temporarily bends physical laws.
Bond Type: Soul-Fused Familiar (Cannot be transferred or severed)
Lucian let the screen vanish.
The little drake circled him once, then landed softly on his shoulder, curling its tail around his neck. Its body radiated warmth—not burning, just grounding.
"You feel like family," Lucian whispered.
"Let’s give you a name."
He raised his finger and drew a small rune in the air—just for the feeling of it. The drake watched, its head tilted slightly.
Lucian’s voice was soft. "You were born from mana, bound to infinity, shaped by my thoughts..."
He looked at it again. The glow in its chest pulsed gently, like a second heart linked to his.
"You’ll grow. Change. Break limits."
He thought for a long second.
"Your name is... Kaelis."
The rune burned softly, then vanished.
The drake’s eyes narrowed slightly in approval, then leaned its head against his jaw.
Familiar Registered: Kaelis
Current State: Stable. Bond Confirmed. Emotional Link: Warming.
Lucian turned around slowly, taking in the entire space around him. Stars blinked in patterns he still didn’t understand. Winds moved sideways. Time ticked at an odd rhythm here.
It had become his sanctuary. His world.
And now, their world.
Kaelis fluttered down to his forearm, then onto the floating stone floor below them, stretching its wings once, then again, trying to fly higher. A clumsy spin followed by a tumble that made Lucian chuckle for the first time in days.
Kaelis growled like it agreed.
Lucian raised a hand, and from the sky above, several floating orbs of raw elemental energy descended—fire, water, earth, wind, and something... darker. Kaelis looked up with wide eyes.
"Pick one," Lucian said. "Let’s see where you lean."
The drake pounced toward the fire.
Then leapt for the wind—spinning midair and absorbing it into his body.
Kaelis landed, tail flicking. His scales shimmered slightly.
Lucian raised an eyebrow. "Wind affinity first? Interesting."
A gust of wind shot across the room, knocking over a few floating stones.
"Alright. We’ll keep that quiet for now."
He knelt, scratched Kaelis’s chin. "You’re not just a pet. You’re going to be a damn problem for this world."
The drake nuzzled closer.
Lucian looked up—his eyes calm.
Soon, they would return.
Sanctum Zero was ready.
Elsewhere – Outer Sector Fieldline
Karl stood on the edge of a ruined cliff, coat fluttering softly behind him as his eyes narrowed at the horizon.
Something ancient stirred.
"...A dragon?" he muttered, eyes still sharp. "No... that’s not just any dragon. That’s something bigger."
His hand flexed unconsciously as the weight of that presence crawled through his skin.
"Are the Elders finally moving...?" he asked the wind, voice low. "Or is there another hidden beast in this world?"
But nothing appeared. No envoys. No challengers. No announcements.
Karl frowned, more confused than concerned. "Strange."
He turned, slowly walking back toward the shaded camp he’d built nearby. But his thoughts weren’t at rest.
That damn boy had shaken him months ago at Zenith.
Not just with raw power.
But with that eerie calm. That presence.
That thing behind his eyes.
Karl hadn’t forgotten it.
No one should be that strong at that age. Especially not a human. And ever since then, Lucian had gone completely dark—like he never existed.
Karl didn’t like things he couldn’t track.
"Still hiding, huh?" he muttered under his breath. "Or maybe... waiting."
But before he could sink deeper into his thoughts, a faint ripple passed through the air behind him. A tear in space.
Karl turned—just in time to see the world break.
A huge rupture in the sky cracked wide open, like a scar splitting the land. Purple lightning spat from the edges as a massive portal exploded outward.
Dozens of creatures burst out in a chaotic swarm—fangs, claws, black slime, sharp scales—monsters of all kinds charged out like they’d been starving in the dark.
Karl didn’t even flinch.
He just blinked once and exhaled.
"Tch. And here I was hoping for a quiet morning."
The monsters didn’t care.
They charged past him, heading straight for the sector walls in the distance. Screeching. Howling. Their numbers swelled with every passing second, like something was pumping them out of the gate.
Karl simply raised a brow as they stampeded.
"...What’s with the sudden rush?"
He looked toward the distant human city beyond the sector wall. The defense turrets were already lighting up, firing tracer rounds into the horde. But it wasn’t going to be enough.
Not against this tide.
"...Can’t have you all ruining the fun before I’m done with my end."
Then, with no warning, he lifted one hand and pointed a single finger toward the barrier that protected the human sector.
His fingertip sparked.
A thin beam of deep red light shot forward—silent, focused, and deadly.
And in one clean, surgical strike—
The wall exploded inward.
A hole carved perfectly through its defenses.
The monsters roared in approval and stormed through like unleashed demons. Chaos followed. Screams echoed from the city behind the breach. Alarm sirens rang out.
Karl stood there, watching.
Arms folded. Smirk growing.
"Let’s see how long they last."