Power springs from one's own desires.
And desire drives life ever forward.
This was the most straightforward belief of the Deep Darkness Dragon Lord.
Just as seeds long for soil and forests reach toward the sun, desire exists in all things under heaven. It is the most primitive and fundamental instinct shared by every plant and animal in the world.
It is longing. It is fulfillment. It is an essential need.
Like a double-edged sword, it can drive success, yet it can also lead to disastrous consequences.
Six hundred years ago, driven by the desire to "become stronger," the mightiest being among the Dragon Race, the Dragon Emperor, turned his gaze beyond the world itself.
After striking a deal with Players known as the Six Great Gods, the Dragon Race withdrew from the world.
The Dragon Emperor, together with the True Dragon Lords, began a research project that would last for an entire century.
Through a series of experiments with Wild Magic, the dragons reached a conclusion.
World-Class Items.
These possessed a power similar to Wild Magic, yet faintly transcended it.
Both contained boundless potential and immense energy.
They were like two entirely different branches. They seemed contradictory at first glance, yet in some mysterious way complemented each other.
If one could peer into the essence within a World-Class Item and combine it with Wild Magic, it might be possible to break past existing limits and step into an entirely new domain.
This discovery filled the Dragon Lords with overwhelming excitement.
But while the idea sounded perfect, reality proved harsh.
Just as they were preparing to begin their experiments, a problem stood in their way.
They… could not break the shell of a World-Class Item.
It was not because Wild Magic lacked power.
As a force whose rank rivaled that of World-Class Items, Wild Magic itself was far from weak.
The true reason was…
They… were too weak.
The result left the Dragon Lords in silence.
As the most powerful beings of the Dragon Race, those who bore the title of Dragon Lord had never imagined they would one day be forced to face such an answer.
However, the Dragon Emperor did not lose confidence.
Instead, this only strengthened his earlier hypothesis, pushing him to continue researching Wild Magic even further.
Only magic can counter magic.
By the same logic, if one wished to break the shell of a World-Class Item, only Wild Magic of equal rank would have even the slightest chance.
And so, driven by that desire, the Dragon Emperor succeeded.
A completely new form of Wild Magic was born.
It possessed no offensive power, no defensive ability, and its effect was extremely simple.
Erosion.
...
"Erosion?"
Hearing this, the Brightness Dragon Lord fell into deep thought.
Thoughts churned through his mind, and he seemed to vaguely grasp something.
"That's right."
"Erosion is a concept. It exists everywhere."
"According to the Dragon Emperor's theory, the flow of time is erosion. Thinking is erosion. Even the mere existence of all things is itself a process of erosion."
The Deep Darkness Dragon Lord nodded as he spoke.
Erosion exists everywhere.
For example, short-lived species grow old and die as time passes.
Long-lived species, over the course of their extended lives, undergo shifts in thinking and changes in belief.
Even the Dragon Race cannot escape this process.
They can only delay it for an extraordinarily long time compared to other races.
"So you intend to break the shell of a World-Class Item by applying erosion?"
"The Dragon Emperor… that really is…"
The Vampiric Dragon Lord sighed, a hint of emotion in his expression.
He had to admit that there was a reason the Dragon Emperor had once been the strongest among the Dragon Race.
At the very least, the Vampiric Dragon Lord knew he himself would never have come up with such an idea.
"You may be right, but in the end it's still just speculation. At the very least… I never saw the Dragon Emperor truly succeed."
The Brightness Dragon Lord raised his head and responded.
Without a successful example, all of this remained nothing more than theoretical speculation.
Becoming a god?
What proof is there?
The Dragon Emperor was already dead. There was no way to confirm any of it.
Who knows whether this was simply fabricated?
If you want us to believe it, then present new evidence.
Through his words, the Brightness Dragon Lord made his position perfectly clear.
"No…"
"If the Eight Greed Kings hadn't defiled the world, the Dragon Emperor would have already succeeded back then."
The Deep Darkness Dragon Lord shook his head.
Why hadn't he taken part in the war against the Eight Greed Kings despite knowing the stakes so clearly?
Because the Dragon Emperor had been there.
The Dragon Emperor was waiting.
Waiting for his own transformation to be completed.
The Deep Darkness Dragon Lord had been waiting as well.
But the one thing neither of them expected was the Eight Greed Kings polluting the world.
Wild Magic became restricted, and Tier Magic took its place.
The change in the world's laws directly affected every member of the Dragon Race, including the Dragon Emperor who was at the most critical stage of his transformation.
The balance collapsed in an instant, forcing the transformation to stop.
Both his body and his Dragon Soul suffered unprecedented backlash.
Although he didn't die on the spot, he was already at the end of his strength, barely clinging to life.
"In his final moments, the Dragon Emperor chose to burn everything he had. He unleashed power approaching the realm of gods and, by himself, held back the Eight Greed Kings along with their many NPC subordinates."
"He bought time for the Dragon Race to escape, and for his own descendants as well."
At that point, the Deep Darkness Dragon Lord paused.
Desire is a double-edged sword.
It was as if everything had already been predetermined.
Because of desire, the Dragon Emperor summoned a World-Class Item. And because of desire, he ultimately met this fate.
"The realm of gods…"
A trace of realization flashed across the Heavenly Dragon Lord's eyes.
No wonder he had sensed a strange aura from the Dragon Emperor back then.
That feeling of Wild Magic intertwining with a World-Class Item had been like a small world in the process of being born.
So that was the truth.
"So Deep Darkness, is this the trump card that gave you the confidence to attack the Guild Base and even seize a Guild Weapon?"
Curiosity flickered in the Swordmaster Dragon Lord's eyes as he quickly asked.
At this point, the answer was already obvious.
"Exactly!"
"I can temporarily reach a level comparable to the Dragon Emperor in those days."
The Deep Darkness Dragon Lord smiled faintly, the corners of his mouth lifting slightly.
"The reason I invited all of you to join in eliminating the Filth is twofold. One reason is to remove a hidden threat. The other is to seize the resources and World-Class Items in their possession."
"My fellow kin, we will surpass the Dragon Emperor and become the eternal gods of this world."
If you want a horse to run, you must feed it first.
The Deep Darkness Dragon Lord understood these dragons well, so he offered a condition they simply could not refuse.
[Becoming Gods]
Only by sharing the same goal could he ensure they would give their all in the coming operation.
After saying this, the Deep Darkness Dragon Lord pulled several thin threads from his forehead.
Within them was the Wild Magic of [Erosion], the very foundation for becoming a god.
However, he still kept a precaution in mind.
What he provided was only the first-generation version developed long ago, not the third-generation version he personally possessed.
The effect was the same.
The only difference was that the efficiency was lower by just a tiny bit.
"Now tell me your answer. Accept, or refuse?"
Hearing this, the dragons looked at the threads held in each other's claws.
"Agreed."
"Agreed."
"Agreed."
There was simply no reason to refuse, no matter how one looked at it.
However…
The Brightness Dragon Lord and the Vampiric Dragon Lord exchanged a smile.
Even the White Frost Dragon Lord, who had been silently observing the entire time, wore the same expression.
They all seemed to be in quite a good mood.
After that, the Dragon Lords resumed their discussion, talking about matters such as how to carry out the operation and the details of their plan.
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