Deep within the lush forests east of Whispering Vale, the cries of dying monsters echoed faintly beneath the trees. A boy, no older than ten, stood with a gleaming longsword slung over his back and a look of arrogant satisfaction on his handsome face.
He was Li Fang, level 8, heir to the Li family--owners of countless food and trading companies in the human city of Silvermist. Three guards flanked him: hardened men at levels 24, 25, and 32. Blood splattered their boots from the monster corpses that littered the mossy ground.
"Tch. These beasts barely put up a fight," Li Fang said, yawning. "Let's keep moving. I want to reach level 10 before sunset."
"Yes, Young Master," one of the guards replied, wiping his blade and sheathing it.
As they pressed deeper into the forest, the group encountered a small caravan of Foxy villagers transporting bundled herbs. Four foxkin--two men and two women--dressed in simple clothing were pulling wooden carts filled with fragrant leaves and potions.
They stopped at the sight of the humans, their fluffy ears twitching with unease.
Li Fang stepped forward with a smirk. "Well, well… What do we have here?"
The oldest Foxy, a woman with soft red fur and gentle eyes, stepped forward. "We're just delivering healing herbs to the goblin village to the east. Please let us pass."
Li Fang's smirk widened. "Sure. Just leave half your herbs behind as a toll."
The Foxy blinked. "Toll? For what?"
One of the guards stepped forward and snapped, "You dare question the Li family?"
Li Fang held out a hand to stop him. "Let me introduce myself properly." He gave a mocking bow. "I'm Li Fang, son of the Li family of Silvermist City. The goods you're carrying? I want all of them now."
The younger Foxy bristled. "We have a trade agreement with the Royal Academy. These herbs are protected."
Li Fang's eyes narrowed, then he laughed. "The Academy? They can't touch us. If we cancel our contracts, they'll suffer heavy losses. You think they'd choose you over money?"
He gestured lazily. "Take everything."
The guards rushed forward before the Foxy could react. Swords flashed. Screams filled the air.
The Foxy resisted--but they were outmatched. Within moments, the carts were overturned, herbs scattered, and the foxkin lay on the ground, bruised and beaten.
Li Fang stepped over one of them, whistling. "You should thank me. I let you live."
With that, they vanished into the trees, leaving only destruction behind.
Meanwhile, back in the peaceful stillness of Lily and Kael's cottage, a soft hum filled the bedroom.
The incubation artifact resting beside Riku's bed glowed gently. Within it, the egg shimmered with golden light.
Then--
[System Notification]
[Hatching Progress: 100%]
[Initiating Evolutionary Awakening…]
Inside the shell, Ren felt warmth, pressure, and something new--freedom.
His consciousness swirled before suddenly going dark.
Outside, a golden glow began to seep through the cracks in the shell. A low pulse resonated through the air like a heartbeat.
Moments later, Lily opened the door carrying a bowl of warm tea. Kael followed close behind, setting down a bundle of folded cloths.
"What's that light--?" Kael stopped short, staring at the egg.
Lily gasped. "Kael, it's hatching!"
They ran to the artifact as golden light brightened the room. A long crack split the top of the egg. Then another. A third. A fourth.
Crack!
With a final burst, the shell shattered. Shards flew, but the light dimmed just enough for them to see what lay within.
Curled up amidst the glowing fragments was a creature unlike anything they had seen before.
A small dragon--its scales a radiant gold, each one gleaming like polished armor. Two tiny wings rested against its back, and a single elegant horn curved from its brow. The creature's breathing was soft, slow… peaceful.
Lily's hand trembled. "Is that… a dragon?"
Kael didn't answer. He stepped forward, crouching beside the artifact.
The dragon didn't move.
Lily knelt beside him, concern growing. "Is he… alive?"
"He's breathing," Kael whispered.
The tiny creature twitched, then curled slightly, nestling against the cloth lining the incubator.
Both parents exhaled with awe and disbelief.
Kael turned to Lily. "What do we do?"
She swallowed, then smiled gently. "We raise him. As our own."
"But--what if people find out?"
"Then we protect him."
They leaned closer, eyes locked on the sleeping infant dragon.
Kael chuckled softly. "So… we have two sons now?"
Lily nodded, her voice barely a whisper. "Two sons."
Just then, the dragon's eyelids fluttered.
Golden eyes opened slowly--slitted, deep, ancient.
They stared at the two faces hovering above.
And for the first time, Ren saw them.
A family.
A place to belong.
Then, exhausted from the hatching, his eyes slowly closed again.
Sleep claimed him once more.
But in the hearts of Lily and Kael, a new fire had awakened--a fire that would burn for the child they had sworn to love and protect.