Empress Solinine stood beneath the vaulted archways of the inner courtyard, her ocean-blue eyes searching the horizon. Flanked by a few trusted attendants and her personal guards, she wore a calm expression, though worry stirred beneath her surface.
When Emperor Cobard approached, his pace brisk and presence heavier than usual, she stepped forward with concern.
"Dear... did something happen during your travels? Why have you returned so quickly?"
Cobard usually went hunting once every two moths, staying out for at least one week. Yet here he was, back the very next day, and not a scratch on him.
The emperor offered her a reassuring look, though his tone was serious.
"Sweetheart, we should talk... somewhere more private."
They made their way into a quiet inner chamber, lined with velvet drapes and carved stone walls. Meanwhile, far beneath the empire , within the endless dark of a deep, forgotten dungeon something stirred.
The ancient dragon, Sraverjek, coiled among endless bones and the echoes of time, suddenly opened one eye.
He sensed the child's presence.
A long, thunderous hum escaped his throat, resonating through the stone like the groan of the world itself.
"..."
Then, with a flick of his tail and a lazy blink, he returned to sleep. But the echo of his roar remained in the air like a stain of fire.
Back in the private chamber, Emperor Cobard finished recounting everything,the hunt, the eerie feeling, and the child suspended in midair.
The Empress, trembling slightly, finally spoke, her voice breaking:
"I thank the Goddess... for finally answering our prayers."
Her crystalline tears fell freely, sparkling in the soft candlelight. Cobard, unable to contain his own emotions, wrapped one arm around her while still cradling the child in the other. His tears mingled with hers, silent and raw.
The Next Evening...
"Huh...? Where... is this place?"
The child or rather, the soul now inhabiting the child awoke. He looked around, wide eyed.
Massive marble columns surrounded him, carved with intricate patterns, almost Baroque in style. The ceiling soared nearly ten feet high, and golden inlays shimmered across the walls.
"Wait... did I get transmigrated into a new world?" he muttered, blinking rapidly.
He quickly examined his body smaller, paler, yet clearly not fragile.
"Hmm… yup, definitely a new body. And judging from the decor, I ain't in Earth anymore."
As he looked around, something else caught his attention.
"Wait… am I seein this right?" His eyes focused on a nearby object.
[Name: None]
Age: 1000 years
Material: Porcelain
Cultivation Level: Kindled soul]
His jaw dropped.
"Goddayum. Is this for real? Why the hell does a vase got Kindled soul level cultivation?"
He turned his gaze to his own reflection in the polished glass.
[Name: Unknown]
Age: 1 day
Cultivation Level: Grandmaster]
"Yo... hold up. I'm already Grandmaster level? Ain't that, like, top tier or somethin'? Damn, I'm really out here startin' at the top from the beginning ?"
Even though he had sensed his strength from the beginning, seeing it confirmed hit different. Curiosity sparked inside him.
"Alright then… let's test this out."
Closing his eyes, he took a slow, deep breath. He focused inward, visualizing himself floating like those monks he'd heard rumors about meditating in the air back in his old world.
His body began to hover off the floor, slowly and steadily.
His eyes began emiting black, corrosive flames and the air itself seemed to bend around him. Time stilled.
Outside the chamber, birds froze mid-flight. Flames held steady. Even the dust stopped in mid-air.
Then came the pain sharp, searing knowledge pierced his mind like a spear. Visions, runes, memories not his ownflooded into him. His breathing turned ragged, but he held on.
He slowly descended back down, hovering still at two feet above the ground.
Half an hour passed in stillness.
Then, with a deep exhale, he opened his eyes.
Time resumed.
The flames died down. The air cleared. Parts of the room were charred black from the corrosive aura. Yet he felt... calm.
Stronger. Sharper. Wiser.
He looked again at his reflection.
[Cultivation Level: Paragon]
"...No way... Paragon? That's above Grandmaster, right? Yo, what kinda cheat code did I just unlock?"
A slow grin spread across his face.
"Looks like I'm broken from the get go. Hell yeah. I can't wait to see what the world outside this palace looks like."
With a casual flex of thought, his body vanished in a blink ,a clean swish of displaced air remained,the only sign he'd been there.