The First Dragon God

An unknown amount of time had passed.

The glow surrounding Ves, Mia, and Miguel had long since faded, leaving only the faint traces of lingering energy in the air.

Leo and Tatiana stood by the side, anxiously waiting for the three of them to wake up—with Leo being the anxious one.

He was worried as the glow had dissipated for a while but they were yet to wake up. He was aware that there was nothing wrong with them, and they would soon wake up. But he couldn't help but feel worried.

Ves was the first to open her eyes.

She blinked slowly, her vision adjusting as she saw Leo standing over them with a worried expression.

He smiled in relief when she finally woke up. He slowly reached out offering a hand to her, and she took it without hesitation. He pulled her up gently, making sure she was standing and was alright.

A second later, Mia and Miguel also woke up, groaning as they slowly sat up.

For a brief moment, none of them spoke, still lost in the lingering haze of what they had gone through.

Then, slowly, they began to move.

Tatiana, who had been leaning against a nearby tree, watched silently, with an small smile on her face.

Ves flexed her fingers, her claws extending instinctively before retracting. She felt… the same.

Mia did a light stretch, rolling her shoulders.

"That was amazing. Now, I'm Evolved Rank," she said, with a smile on her face.

Miguel cracked his knuckles, testing his grip.

"I feel… stronger but it doesn't feel that different."

The three of them glanced at each other, checking for any noticeable changes.

Their bodies felt more refined, their movements smoother, but aside from a slight increase in strength and the confirmation of their evolution displayed on their status screens, nothing else seemed different.

"After everything we had to go through. The result is very underwhelming," Mia said, with disappointment clearly written on her face.

She was expecting her stats to double or triple but all she got was a measly 1.5 stat that was added to all her stats. Very disappointing to say the least.

Leo understood Mia's feeling but there was nothing any of them can do about it. He turned to Ves.

"How do you feel?"

Ves knew exactly what he meant.

She was aware that he wasn't just asking about her strength. He was asking about the half-zombie part of her.

Was it still under control? Had the evolution awakened something in her that she couldn't stop?

She met his gaze, holding it for a long moment before shaking her head.

"No changes," she said firmly. "I'm still me."

Leo held her stare for a second longer before nodding.

"Good."

Tatiana pushed off the tree, stretching lazily. "Now that everyone's done evolving, let's get moving. It's already late."

Leo glanced at the darkening sky, realizing just how much time had passed.

They needed to return to the inn to rest. They have a big day tomorrow.

....

The walk back was quiet. The three newly Evolved kept clenching their fist, as they felt the increase in their strength.

Though it wasn't much and didn't compare to what they were expecting, the fact that they are no longer ordinary Awakened was something to be happy about.

But despite having grown stronger, none of them felt entirely at ease.

The fights had been too close and the near-death experiences still fresh in their minds.

Leo led the group as they moved through the outskirts of the forest

Mia exhaled.

"Feels weird, doesn't it?"

Miguel raised an eyebrow. "What does?"

"Walking through the forest like this." She gestured vaguely around them.

"Before, we had to be on guard constantly. Now, these things don't even look at us."

Miguel chuckled. "Guess they can sense real power."

Ves smirked slightly. "Or maybe they remember how much blood we spilled."

Leo remained silent, lost in thought, not wanting to say anything as he had nothing to say.

Tatiana, walking slightly behind them. She looked at Leo and studied his expression before speaking.

"Still thinking too much?"

Leo sighed. "Maybe."

She smiled faintly. "Good."

Leo gave her a questioning glance.

Tatiana shrugged. "Means you're not comfortable yet. That's a good thing. Comfort is dangerous."

Leo nodded slowly. She was right.

They weren't done yet. Not even infinitely close up being done at all. They still have a lot of ground up cover and a lot to accomplish.

....

By the time they reached the capital, the streets were still alive with the energy of the night.

The soft glow of lanterns bathed the cobbled roads in gold, the scent of grilled meats and sweet wine drifting from the market stalls still open for business.

Despite the liveliness, Leo's group ignored it all, their focus solely on reaching the inn.

The familiar wooden sign of The Burrow's Rest swung gently in the night breeze as they stepped inside.

The rabbit beastkin innkeeper looked up from behind the counter, her sharp ears twitching as she took in their battered clothes and exhausted expressions.

She sighed. "Rough day?"

Leo gave her a tired nod.

She huffed. "Rooms are still yours."

Inside his room, Leo lay down on the bed, staring at the night sky littered with stars, with his mind racing.

Fiona, who had been resting near the corner of the room, stirred slightly before padding over to him.

She let out a soft huff before curling up on the floor beside his bed.

He presence was like a quiet assurance to Leo. Heexhaled as he continued staring at the star filled night sky.

He couldn't help but wonder what was beyond those stars. We're they even stars? He was very curious about a lot of things. Finding himself in a new world was something beautifulz except that this one is just as dangerous as his own.

Leo thought of Earth and what was going on on it. Had the Off-worlders turned every humans into slaves? Is it safe for him to return? Had there been any changes to the leaderboard?

His thoughts slowly drifted to Lucien and the Abyssal Realm, and he smiled. If it was before, he would scolding himself for being weak but not today.

He knew that soon he will have the strength to put Lucien in his place and take revenge for what he did.