Chapter 4 – When the Dragon Stirs
The Awakening Ceremony had ended, yet the storm it birthed was far from over.
That night, deep within the Supreme Pontiff's private chambers, Oscar stood quietly as Bibi Dong lifted the Testing Crystal Ball. Its surface glowed faintly, humming with stored spirit energy.
Her expression was composed, but the weight in her gaze betrayed her. She had seen miracles and horrors in her life, yet even she could not take lightly the boy's three martial spirits.
"Hold out your hand," she said softly.
Oscar did as told, calm as ever, his palm resting lightly against the crystal's surface.
Light bloomed instantly.
Not a flicker. Not a pulse. A torrent.
The crystal blazed so bright that cracks spiderwebbed across its surface. The chamber filled with golden radiance, spilling through the windows and lighting the night sky above Spirit City.
Bibi Dong's eyes widened for the briefest instant. Her composure nearly broke.
"Innate… rank thirty…" she whispered.
Impossible. No mortal child should be born with spirit power above level ten. Even rare geniuses reached fifteen, twenty at most. But thirty? That was a number belonging to gods, not men.
Oscar remained still, watching the light calmly as if it was nothing surprising.
Bibi Dong slowly lowered the crystal, her fingers tightening around its fractured surface. "Oscar… do you understand what this means?"
His gaze met hers, steady and proud. "That I was not meant to live an ordinary life."
Her lips pressed together. He was too calm, too accepting of something that would terrify most. But perhaps… that was precisely why he was chosen.
She reached out, resting her hand on his head. "Then you must remember this, my son. With power comes enemies. With destiny comes chains. You will need balance, or this strength will destroy you."
Oscar inclined his head slightly. "I will not lose myself."
For the first time in many years, the corners of Bibi Dong's mouth softened into a true smile.
Far from Spirit City, in the heart of the Star Dou Great Forest, a ripple of power spread like wildfire.
Beasts froze mid-step, ears twitching, tails curling tight. Even ten-thousand-year monsters trembled beneath the unseen weight pressing down on their blood.
At the deepest point of the forest, a colossal shadow stirred. Black scales caught the moonlight, sharp and cold as obsidian. When its eyes opened, molten gold burned in their depths.
Di Tian. The Beast God. The ruler of all spirit beasts.
The ground shook as his massive body shifted. His roar rolled like thunder across the land, and beasts of every kind cowered low to the ground.
"That aura…" His voice rumbled like mountains grinding together. "The Dragon God's bloodline."
His golden eyes narrowed to slits. "After hundreds of thousands of years… it awakens again."
The Dragon God, their progenitor, had long since perished—its body shattered, its soul divided, half sealed into godhood, half into the Silver Dragon King. The fragments that lingered were never meant to rise again.
Yet tonight, the echo was clear. The Dragon God's will had stirred.
Di Tian's claws dug deep into the earth. His scales rattled as his body swelled with anger, but beneath it, unease gnawed at him.
If a human child bore the Dragon God's shadow… what would that mean for the future of beasts?
In a crystal lake hidden in the depths of the forest, a woman's figure emerged beneath the silver moon.
Long silver hair spilled like liquid mercury across her back, her purple eyes reflecting starlight. Her beauty was otherworldly, untouchable.
Gu Yuena. The Silver Dragon King.
Her bare feet touched the water's surface, and the lake rippled outward in waves of silver light. Her senses were sharper than any beast, and what she felt now made her breath still.
"…The Dragon God." Her voice was soft, yet it carried across the lake. "You… are stirring again."
She closed her eyes, her slender fingers curling slightly. A faint pain pulsed in her chest, a reminder of the half she had lost long ago.
"Not Di Tian. Not me. A human…" She exhaled slowly, her tone unreadable. "Interesting."
Her lips curved faintly, though it was not quite a smile. "If you truly return… what will become of this world? Will you devour it, or… save it?"
The lake shimmered beneath her as she vanished into silver light, her thoughts already weaving toward the future.
Back in Spirit City, Oscar sat alone in his chamber, the Creation Pearl floating before him. Its glow pulsed steadily, as though resonating with something deep in his blood.
Within his mind, the Balance System's voice echoed clearly.
[System fully activated.]
[Detected resonance: Dragon God fragment. Warning—host's body insufficient to sustain full inheritance.]
[Balance Protocols engaged.]
Oscar inhaled slowly, unshaken. "Tell me what must be done."
[Quest generated.]
Quest: Foundation of Balance
Objective: Reach Spirit Power Rank 50 within one four years to stabilize Dragon God influence.
Reward: Evolution Path unlocked for Recovery Sausage.
Penalty: Instability of bloodline. Martial spirits may collapse.
Oscar's eyes narrowed slightly. Collapse. So this power wasn't a gift alone—it was a burden.
[Balance Points available: 1.]
He focused, willing the panel to unfold.
Name: Oscar
Age: 7
Innate Soul Power: Rank 30
Martial Spirits:
– Recovery Sausage (Dormant Evolution)
– Creation Pearl (Basic)
– Dragon God (Sealed Fragment)
Balance Points: 1
His gaze lingered on the sausage spirit. Everyone laughed at it, dismissed it as trash. Yet the System marked it as "Dormant Evolution."
"System," he said calmly, "what's the best use of my Balance Point?"
[Recommendation: Optimize the Recovery Sausage. Evolution adapts to host's balance.]
Oscar nodded. "Do it."
Light surged from the sausage, golden threads weaving through it. The smell changed subtly, richer, cleaner, carrying the freshness of pure spirit energy.
[Recovery Sausage → Spirit Nourishment Sausage.]
[Effect: Restores minor spirit power. Potential growth—unlimited.]
Oscar studied the transformed sausage and allowed the faintest smile.
"Not trash anymore."
[Balance maintained.]
Far away, Di Tian's golden eyes flared as the ripple reached him.
"The spirit evolved…" His teeth bared in a snarl. "The human child grows."
But even as fury burned in him, he could not deny the truth. Something greater was moving in the world.
Gu Yuena's voice echoed faintly in his mind, carried by her will.
"Watch him, Di Tian. Do not act rashly."
His claws tore at the ground, but he lowered his head in submission.
"Yes, my Lady."
For in the end, even the Beast God bowed to the Silver Dragon King.
Oscar set the sausage aside and closed his eyes. The Balance System's hum faded into the background, leaving only his steady breathing.
He was seven years old, but already his path diverged from all others. A path where beasts and gods alike stirred at his presence.
He whispered softly, almost to himself.
"I will not be devoured by destiny. I will master it."
The pearl glowed in answer, and the faint heartbeat of the Dragon God pulsed once in his blood.
The world had begun to shift.
And in that balance, Oscar would carve his throne