The sky burned red.
Fire poured down from the heavens as dragons and demons tore each other apart in an endless war above the city. Roars shook the earth. Screams vanished beneath collapsing towers. Within moments, the city was swallowed by flames.
Behind the broken city walls, a group of young dragons fled toward the forest, their small wings trembling with fear.
A demon descended like a shadow.
Its claw snatched a little red dragon mid-flight. She screamed as the demon dragged her toward its fanged mouth, hunger flashing in its burning eyes.
"Xiaoyan!"
A little black dragon slammed into the demon's arm with everything he had. He bit. He clawed. He rammed his body against the monster again and again—but it was useless. The demon barely noticed him.
Cold fear crushed his chest.
We're going to die.
Just as despair took hold—
A blast from the war above struck the demon.
The explosion tore through the air. The demon howled as its body was shredded, but the shockwave sent the two little dragons flying. Pain consumed the black dragon as he wrapped his body around the red one, shielding her with his own.
Darkness followed.
He woke up gasping.
Rough stone pressed against his scales. The smell of damp earth filled his lungs. Panic surged through him as he scrambled upright—
Then he froze.
A little red dragon slept beside him, her body curled tightly, her breathing shallow but steady.
She was alive.
Relief washed over him… followed by confusion.
What… happened?
Memories that did not belong to this world flooded his mind. Another life. Another body. Another planet.
Blue Star.
He remembered dying in an explosion at the exact same moment this black dragon had fallen unconscious.
Two deaths. One soul.
"I… transmigrated?"
His claws trembled as he looked down at his black-scaled body.
His name surfaced naturally, as if it had always been his own.
Long Heiyan.
The little red dragon beside him stirred.
She opened her eyes—and immediately began to cry.
"Xiaoyan… it's okay."
He pulled her close, gently wrapping his wings around her small body, instinctively comforting her despite the chaos raging in his mind.
"We're alive. I promise… I won't let anything happen to you."
Around them, other young dragons huddled together inside the cave—survivors, all of them trembling in fear, hiding from the war that had destroyed their home.
Suddenly—
Everything froze.
The crying stopped. The wind halted. Even the flickering shadows on the cave walls stood still.
A cold, mechanical sound echoed in his mind.
DING—
ANCESTRAL DRAGON SYSTEM LOADING… 35%
"What…?"
50%…
75%…
100%
DING!
WELCOME, HOST.
I AM THE ANCESTRAL DRAGON SYSTEM.
MY PURPOSE IS TO GUIDE YOU TO BECOME AN ANCESTRAL DRAGON
AND REBUILD YOUR CLAN.
"…Wait."
He stared into the empty air.
"So I'm a dragon. My clan is destroyed. And I can become an Ancestral Dragon?"
YES, HOST.
"And you give missions?"
YES.
REWARDS INCLUDE, BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO:
TRAITS, TECHNIQUES, GEAR, ATTRIBUTE POINTS, AND DRAGON POINTS.
"What's the difference between attribute points and dragon points?"
ATTRIBUTE POINTS ENHANCE YOUR PHYSICAL AND MAGICAL STATS.
DRAGON POINTS MAY BE USED IN THE SYSTEM LOTTERY OR SHOP
TO ACQUIRE TRAITS, TECHNIQUES, AND DIVINE POWERS.
HOW YOU OBTAIN THEM IS FOR THE HOST TO DISCOVER.
"…I see."
Before he could ask more—
A red panel materialized before his eyes.
DING!
⚠ EMERGENCY MISSION DETECTED ⚠
MAIN MISSION: RUN
OBJECTIVE:
ESCAPE THE FOREST WITH YOUR SISTER AND THE SURVIVING YOUNG DRAGONS
BEFORE THE DEMONS FIND YOU.
TIME LIMIT: 3 HOURS
REWARD:
1 TRAIT
1 TECHNIQUE
FAILURE PENALTY:
DEATH
Long Heiyan slowly looked down at the trembling little red dragon in his arms.
Then he clenched his claws.
"…We run."