The war raged on beyond the horizon, yet the earth-shattering tremors born from that colossal clash were steadily fading into the distance.
The Thunder Titan and the Ancient Blue Dragon King had clearly carried their savage duel far from these lands.
Jarius eased his head above the surface of the small lake, his sharp gaze sweeping over the ravaged battlefield.
The recent showdown between the two titanic sovereigns had left the area a chaotic wreck, yet an eerie stillness hung over it—no creature dared to tread near.
This rare moment of calm gave Jarius a chance to peer into the water below.
Reflected on the rippling surface was an eagle-man unlike any other.
His beak had vanished, replaced by a nose and mouth so finely sculpted they could've belonged to a human from his past life. The gray-black fuzz once cloaking his face had begun to shed, revealing a refined, almost ethereal contour.
Atop his head, the dull gray-white hair of old now shimmered with streaks of silver-gray, gleaming with newfound luster.
But it was his eyes that stole the breath—gone were the vertical slits of an eagle, swapped for a pair of purple irises that blazed like twin stars in the night sky.
His transformation didn't end there. Feathers had fallen from his body in droves, and his once-razor talons were softening, taking on a fleshy, human-like texture.
Evolving into something closer to hands and feet.
The wings sprouting from his back, once a solid gray-black, now bore patches of pristine white feathers.
These new plumes, tender and freshly grown, glistened with a youthful sheen.
He had evolved, treading the same path as his ancestors before him.
With a thought, he summoned his status panel, and the display that flickered into view was a world apart from what it once was:
[Name]: Jarius
[Race]: Eagle-man (Bloodline mutating)
[Age]: 16
[Attributes]: Strength 10, Constitution 10, Spirit 13, Agility 11, Charisma 5
[Level]: Locked (Sealed, to be unlocked after game starts)
[Skills]: Throwing (Proficient), Spearmanship (Proficient), Thunder Power (Transcendent)
[Skill Points]: Locked (Sealed, to be unlocked after game starts)
[Talent]: Champion's Will (You possess extraordinary insight and reaction abilities, with combat awareness surpassing all.)
[Quest System]: Locked (Sealed, to be unlocked after game starts)
[Game Start Countdown]: 3646486 days, 5 hours, 35 minutes
Jarius studied the panel, a thrill surging through him as he noted the dramatic rise in his attributes. Power pulsed in his veins, raw and untamed.
His vision stretched farther than ever before, piercing the haze of the battlefield.
Though no level graced his panel, he knew deep in his bones—he had crossed into the realm of the transcendent.
The blood of Titans and Dragons had offered him this chance at ascension, and he had seized it with both hands.
His next step was clear: survive this war and make it back alive.
He gripped his bronze sword, channeling his transcendent energy until faint threads of lightning coiled around the blade, crackling with promise.
If he faced the twin-headed wyvern again, he'd have the strength to meet it head-on.
Stepping free of the lake's embrace, his eyes fell on a small turtle perched atop a bluestone. Its tiny gaze flickered with the first sparks of intelligence. Jarius decided then and there—once the dust of battle settled, he'd take both the turtle and its stone with him.
He strode to the shore, wings unfurling with a rustle, ready to take flight. But just as he tensed to leap, a gut-wrenching cry tore through the air, echoing between heaven and earth.
"Yatri, how dare you slay me!"
"Alileitos, this day shall be your last!"
The Thunder Titan's voice rolled forth like a storm breaking the sky, crashing over every soul within reach.
"No!"
Jarius' head snapped up, his heart hammering against his ribs.
From the forest not far off came the sounds of a brutal struggle. The towering Thunder Titan had locked his grip around the blue dragon's head and neck, his hands alive with what seemed like a billion volts of raw, electric fury.
Rip!
With a sickening tear, the blue dragon's head was wrenched clean off, blood spilling in a grotesque cascade.
A deafening boom followed as the dragon's headless corpse crashed to the earth, its crimson lifeblood flooding the forest like a river unbound.
The victorious Thunder Titan raised the Dragon King's severed head high, a grisly trophy that sent the dragon's allies fleeing in a panicked rout.
Across the Vast Sea Forest, the intelligent races sworn to the Titan's banner erupted in wild, triumphant cheers.
"The war is ended; victory is ours!"
But for Jarius, witnessing this carnage, his heart roared like a volcano on the brink of eruption.
"So this is it—the battle that lights the fuse! The death of Alileitos, son of the Dragon Emperor, will spark a war between Titans and Dragons that swallows the world whole!"
"The skies will shatter, the earth will crumble, and every race will drown in loss!"
"I need to find my people. Once this fight ends, I'll have to figure out how to shield my clan from the chaos of this coming storm."