The world returned in fragments of agony.
Ryujin stirred on the cold stone floor of the dragon graveyard, breath ragged, every muscle screaming, body drenched in sweat.
His arms burned with crimson sigils that pulsed faintly, dragon-shaped markings spiraling down to his fingertips. Every nerve felt scorched raw, as though fire itself had fused with his blood.
He forced himself upright, coughing.
The once dormant dragon statue now lay cracked, faint embers drifting into the air like dying stars. The ruin around him hummed with residual energy, a silent witness to the pact he had forged.
And yet… something was wrong. The air trembled.
From the shadow of a shattered dragon ribcage came a guttural snarl that vibrated through Ryujin's bones.
Two molten-gold eyes opened in the darkness, unblinking, primal, filled with hunger and hate.
A beast emerged; a Young Abyssal Drake, its obsidian scales glinting like oil-slick steel, wings jagged and torn from ancient battles.
Even young, it radiated lethal, volatile power.
Black smoke curled from its nostrils as it stalked forward on taloned feet.
Ryujin's breath hitched.
Abyssal Drakes were apex predators, a nightmare even for seasoned beastmasters. Known for their volatile temperaments, they had a near zero success rate of taming; every attempt recorded ended in blood and ash.
And now one stood before a beastless failure, glaring with enough killing intent to crush lesser men into dust.
Ryujin stayed still, his thoughts a scattered mess. 'What should I do?'
The drake hissed, baring dagger-long fangs.
A deep growl rolled through its throat, shaking the ground as it lowered its body, ready to pounce.
Ryujin stumbled back, hand instinctively reaching for a weapon he didn't have. Fear clawed at him, but something else stirred beneath it.
A normal tamer would die instantly. But Ryujin felt a strange resonance, his Legacy reacting. The markings on his arms flared with fiery light, resonating with the drake's aura.
A whisper, not spoken, but thrumming through his veins.
"Face it… command it… or die here".
The Abyssal Drake lunged. No hesitation, only instinct to kill.
Instinct screamed to run, but Ryujin planted his feet, throwing his hand forward in a daring move.
And then…
Dragon glyphs blazed from his palm, forming a shimmering circle of crimson light. The world seemed to warp as the Eternal Dragon Legacy activated for the first time.
Pain slammed into him like razors.
Unlike normal beast taming, which linked spirit threads gently, this bond felt like wrestling a hurricane made of razors.
The beast's soul fought violently, trying to crush his will.
The drake roared and writhed, its soul resisting, clawing into his mind with raw ferocity.
Images flashed; volcanoes erupting, ancient dragon wars, fire and ruin. The drake's primal will wanted dominance, not partnership.
Blood dripped from Ryujin's nose, his muscles trembling violently.
Any ordinary tamer would have been torn apart in seconds.
But Ryujin had been forged in humiliation and abandonment. He refused to break.
"Listen to me!" he snarled, voice echoing through the graveyard. "I am no coward. I will not bow… and neither will you".
"But fight beside me, and we will set this cursed world ablaze!"
The glyphs flared brighter, his body shaking and screaming in pain as if molten chains coiled around his heart.
The drake hesitated, its killing aura flickering.
The soulstorm raged still, but Ryujin's will burned hotter. Inch by inch, his dominance rose, not crushing the beast, but meeting it as an equal.
Then, a thunderous boom echoed as the bond locked in.
The drake threw back its head, unleashing a mighty roar that split the night sky.
Black fire flared around them both.
As the bond formed, Ryujin felt like his spine was being torn out of his skin, his body breaking apart from the strain as he almost blacked out.
But yet, he pulled through, then…
DING!
~----~
[Dragon Bond Achieved: Abyssal Drake]
[First Successful Beast Taming – Official Rank Assigned: F-Rank Tamer]
[Warning: Soul Integrity Damaged – Mortal Vessel Limit: 1 Lesser Drake Active.]
~----~
Ryujin collapsed to his knees, chest heaving.
His muscles trembled as he realized. 'If one young drake nearly killed me… what about the true dragons of legend?'
'This Legacy… it's not a gift. It's a trial of survival'.
The drake loomed over him, molten eyes no longer hostile but watchful, curious. It lowered its massive head until its snout was inches from his face, a low rumble vibrating from its throat.
With trembling hands, Ryujin reached up and rested his palm against its scale. A pulse of energy traveled between them, warm and heavy with unspoken understanding.
The first dragon in history to accept an Unranked beast tamer… no, not just accept, submit willingly.
From the shadows of the graveyard, the voice of Drakarys whispered again.
"Good… you did not break".
"But know this… until your soul hardens, even hatchlings will tear you apart if you overreach".
"This is the first of many. Rise, Dragon Sovereign".
For the first time since his humiliation, Ryujin smiled. He was ragged, bloodstained, but alive.
A raw laugh escaped him.
"F-Rank… Beneath nothing yesterday. But today…" He touched the drake's snout as it lowered its massive head. "…even F-Rank will shake the world".
The world had cast him aside, his own family had disowned him…
And yet, from the ashes of his disgrace, a dragon walked beside him.
The path of the God of Beast Taming had begun.