Rebirth: 100 Days Before Doomsday

Grace pondered over 2025’s words, letting them sink in. It made sense in a way - corruption, decay, and destruction always seemed to spread faster than growth, healing, or cultivation. The infected beasts, like the zombies, thrived on an aggressive, almost parasitic form of evolution, while her mutated beasts had been steadily developing in a more balanced, controlled manner.

Still, something about the dragon’s rapid evolution unsettled her.

"So, how long do you think it will take the mutated beasts in here to cross level four?" She asked, curious to know if even two decades of pure energy of Infinite Realm wasn’t worth even two years of bad energy of the outside world.

"Not long. There are actually two among them that are about to level up to Level Five very soon. Maybe a month or two at most." 2025 finally had a good news for her regarding the matter.

Grace let out a small sigh of relief. She wasn’t asking for much, she just wanted her beasts to at least be on a level where they could defend themselves against the outside world on their own when the time came.

"If the dragon reaches Level Ten, what does that mean for us?" she asked as her attention returned to the dragon. "Will it still be under my control?"

2025 hesitated for a moment as if processing the question.

"Theoretically, yes," it finally answered after a while. "The bond you formed with it is strong, and since you have given it such a good place to live and cultivate its spirit stone, it might consider this place its home. However…"

She narrowed her eyes. "However?"

"It’s leveling up too quickly," 2025 admitted. "Even if it remains loyal to you, a Level Ten Spirit Beast is not something to take lightly. Right now, no creature in your realm or the outside world has reached this stage. It will be the first."

Grace exhaled sharply, crossing her arms. That meant she was treading in completely uncharted territory. No records, no past experiences to draw from. Just pure, unpredictable change.

"We should prepare," she murmured.

2025 bobbed in agreement. "That would be wise."

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She turned away from the little creature and walked toward the lake. With a deep breath, she jumped into the lake, heading straight into its depths where the big beast was sleeping peacefully. It was curled up in a bed of golden mist, its scales shimmering faintly. The closer she got, the more she could feel the power radiating off of it. A steady pulse, like a heartbeat, vibrated through the air.

Reaching out, she hesitated just before touching its warm, scaled forehead. "What are you going to become?" she whispered.

The dragon didn’t respond, its breathing slow and even. But in the depths of her mind, she felt something stir - something strong, vast, and awakening.

* * *

For the next few days, Grace remained inside the Infinite Realm, watching over the dragon. She adjusted the energy flow within the space, making sure it wouldn’t accidentally absorb more power than it could handle. Meanwhile, outside, Davian and Rune handled Greenstone’s affairs, ensuring everything ran smoothly in her absence.

Then, on the fifth day, the dragon finally woke up.

Grace was working in the fields when a deep rumble spread through the Infinite Realm, shaking the ground and making the sky tremble. She turned her head in time to witness the dragon emerging out of the lake and flying high in to the sky.

Once it was high enough, it stopped moving and just stayed there as if it was waiting for someone... or something.

"What’s going on?" She asked 2025 that appeared next to her once it too felt the disturbance.

"I think its about to reach Level Ten." The little creature answered while it made the system note down every single change within the dragon.

Hearing that, Grace immediately summoned her power in case anything went wrong.

The very next moment, a bright golden light surrounded the dragon - it was almost blinding, forcing them to close their eyes. Then, a powerful gust of wind rushed through the area, sending waves across the lake and fields.

And then, everything calmed down, allowing Grace to finally open her eyes. But she found neither the golden light or the dragon. She was about to ask 2025 what happened when she felt a strong presence behind her.

She turned around right on time to witness the dragon coming to a stop. Her heart pounded as she wondered if she just avoided becoming its snack.

As her gaze locked with its stormy blue ones, something about it felt… different. It wasn’t just about its power... but its very presence. She also noticed how its eyes had turned a shade darker.

She wanted to ask 2025 if the dragon had already leveled up, but before she could have spoken, someone else did.

"Master," it spoke, its voice deep and resonant, echoing in her mind.

Grace froze.

The dragon had never spoken before.

She stepped forward cautiously. "You can talk?"

"I have always been able to," it replied, lowering its head to meet her gaze. "But my Spirit Stone was too weak to form proper thought before. Now, I am whole."

Her heartbeat quickened. If it was self-aware now, that meant it wasn’t just a beast following instinct anymore - it was a fully conscious entity. That changed everything.

"Are you still… you?" she asked, testing the waters.

The dragon let out a slow exhale, eyes glowing. "I am. But I am more than I was before."

She wasn’t sure if that was comforting or terrifying.

Before she could say more, the dragon suddenly lifted its head, its gaze sharpening. "Something is happening in the outside world."

Grace frowned. "What do you mean?"

"The energy beyond this realm is unstable." It turned its gaze upward, as if it could see past the barriers of the Infinite Realm. "Something… is changing."

A cold feeling crept into Grace’s chest. Without wasting another second, she exited the realm and returned to reality.