Mike examined his status panel, realizing all his attributes had surged dramatically. Power thrummed through his veins.
His vision now pierced farther than ever before.
Though his level remained unlisted on the panel, he knew—he had stepped into the Transcendent realm.
The blood of Titans and Dragons had granted him this opportunity, and he had seized it.
Now, all that remained was to survive this war and return safely.
Gripping his bronze sword, he felt Transcendent energy course through him. Tiny arcs of lightning coiled around the blade.
If he faced a two-headed wyvern again, he could now fight it head-on.
Stepping out of the lake, he glanced back at the little turtle—its eyes now gleaming with nascent intelligence—and the glowing stone beneath it. After the battle, I'll take both with me, he decided.
As he reached the shore and unfurled his wings, ready to take flight, a soul-rending roar split the heavens.
"Yatrii! You dare kill me?!"
"Arilethos, today—you DIE!"
The Thunder Titan's voice boomed like a sky-shattering peal, crushing all beneath its weight.
"NO—!"**
Mike's head snapped up, his heart lurching.
Not far in the forest, the colossal Thunder Titan wrenched the Blue Dragon's head and neck in his electrified grip, his hands surging with a billion volts of power.
RIIIP!
The dragon's head tore clean off, blood gushing in a horrific cascade.
With an earth-shaking CRASH, the headless corpse of the Blue Dragon collapsed, its blood flooding the forest like a crimson river.
The victorious Thunder Titan raised the decapitated head of the Blue Dragon King high, sending the dragon-aligned creatures into panicked retreat. Across the vast Emerald Forest, the intelligent races of the Titan faction erupted into triumphant cheers.
"The war is over—we've won!"
Yet as Mike witnessed this scene, his mind erupted like a volcano.
"This battle... this was the spark that ignited the world-spanning war between Titans and Dragons! The death of the Dragon Emperor's son, Arilethos, led to a cataclysm that shattered the heavens and ravaged all races!"
He clenched his fists. "I must find my kin. After this battle, survival becomes the priority—how to preserve our tribe in the coming storm."
But first...
Mike glanced back at the glowing Cyanstone and the little turtle at the lake's depths. After a moment's hesitation, he chose to leave them behind.
Without spatial storage equipment, carrying such treasures would be like a child flaunting gold in a crowded market!
And he distinctly remembered—portable spatial storage wouldn't appear until the late second arc, with the rise of the Goblin Empire.
Memorizing the location, Mike spread his ash-and-silver wings and took to the skies, the sound of wind and thunder humming in his wake.
At this height, his Transcendent vision pierced vast distances. He could clearly see the remnants of the Blue Dragon King's forces—some fleeing desperately, others kneeling in surrender.
The outcome was undeniable.
Then his gaze shifted to the battlefield where the Thunder Titan and the fallen dragon lay.
His pupils contracted.
The Thunder Titan had just devoured the Blue Dragon King's massive heart, and was now in the process of flaying its hide and harvesting its most precious parts.
"Every inch of a dragon is treasure—let alone an Ancient One."
But the Blue Dragon King was the son of the Ancient Dragon Emperor. His death would inevitably push the Dragon race into an all-out, no-holds-barred war against the Titans.
The true world-ending conflict was about to begin!
So this really is the spark that ignited the cataclysm!
Mike's mind raced. "I must lead my people away—immediately. The High Savage Mountains are no longer safe!"
"The Thunder Titan's territory will become ground zero for the Dragons' vengeance. They'll stop at nothing to slaughter him and everything around him!"
A cold realization struck. "If history holds true, the full-scale Titan-Dragon War will erupt within a year."
"No time to waste. Where are my kin?"
He banked eastward.
Back when he'd lured the wyvern away, his tribe had fled in this direction.
Fortunately, as Hawk-Men were aligned with the victorious Titan faction, flying across the battlefield now posed little danger.
After some time, he spotted a large flock of Hawk-Men in the distance—and among them, his own tribe.
Yet at a glance, his heart sank.
Only thirty-some remained, all wounded.
Frowning, Mike approached.
His transformed appearance—though still recognizably Hawk-Man—was now undeniably different. His tribesmen sensed his familiar aura but hesitated, awed.
The arcs of lightning dancing across his wings marked him as Transcendent.
While the Hawk-Man Royal Court had many such elites, each was a prized warrior, far above ordinary tribesmen.
From the group, a broad-shouldered warrior with sooty-black wings and a stone spear flew forward, bowing respectfully.
"Milord, what brings you here?"
The stark shift in attitude from this Royal Court warrior—once dismissive, now deferential—deepened Mike's understanding of the weight of Transcendence.
"I've come for my kin," he declared.
"Your... kin?" The warrior blinked.
"Them."
With that, Mike soared toward his tribesmen.
"Brothers and sisters—it's me, Mike. I've returned."
A male Hawk-Man broke from the group, his voice trembling between disbelief and joy. "Mike?! Is it really you?"
"Lyon, it's me." Mike grinned.
Even as he called them by name, the High Savage Mountain tribesmen hesitated.
His transformation was too radical.
A Transcendent standing among them felt like a dream—one they feared might shatter if they breathed too loud.
Just as Mike opened his mouth to ask why only thirty remained, the Royal Court warrior rushed forward, eyes alight.
"Milord! You're a newly ascended Transcendent!"
To him, Mike's altered form was unremarkable—Transcendence manifested uniquely in each individual.
"Indeed," Mike confirmed.
"Since you've attained Transcendence, milord, you must accompany me to pay homage to the King. His Majesty will be overjoyed!" the Royal Court warrior pressed on.
"And what benefits would that bring me?" Mike asked bluntly, his tone indifferent.
The question caught the seasoned warrior off guard.
"To leave your tribe behind and reside permanently in the Royal Court—is that not the greatest honor?"
Mike shook his head. "And what of my kin?"
The warrior scoffed. "Tribesmen are but lowborn vermin, like weeds sprouting wildly across the wilderness—why trouble yourself with them? Take your family and depart!"
Gesturing westward with reverence, he added, "Our Royal Court resides atop the Celestial Peaks, where resources abound and the air is sweet. We dwell near the divine palace of His Highness, the Thunder Titan Yatrii! That is where noble Hawk-Men belong!"
Mike's disgust for the Royal Court deepened.
These so-called royals care nothing for their people—no wonder, by the Fifth Epoch, the Hawk-Men degenerate into mindless monsters, stripped of wisdom and legacy!
Suppressing his fury, he forced calm. I've just stepped into Transcendence. I lack the strength to defy the Court—yet.
"My tribe raised me. I've no intention of abandoning them," he said evenly. "But I'll gladly accept your invitation to meet the King."
If I must bide my time, I might as well scout the Court's weaknesses.
The Royal Court warrior chuckled, unsurprised. "All Transcendents from the tribes start like this. Once you experience the Royal Court, you'll change your mind. Now, let me present you to the King!"
After reassuring his tribesmen, Mike followed the warrior to the Hawk-Man King's encampment.
Upon arriving, Mike noticed dozens of Transcendent Hawk-Men patrolling the area. When he entered the King's grand tent, he saw a corpulent, crown-feathered monarch seated atop a raised dais, deep in discussion with a middle-aged advisor.
Though the King's aura paled in comparison to the Thunder Titan's, Mike sensed he was still far stronger than himself.
The King barely glanced at the newcomer.
"Since you've risen from lowborn filth to Transcendence," he said dismissively, "you will serve the Court faithfully. Dismissed."
With a wave, he ordered an attendant: "Give them two vials of Windfeather Nectar. And have the High Priest instruct this new Transcendent on the Path of Professions."
The warrior who had brought Mike bowed deeply, elated. "Your Majesty's generosity knows no bounds!"
Mike watched him coolly. Ah. So this is why he brought me—rewards.
But the mention of "Professions" piqued his interest. He echoed the thanks: "Gratitude, Your Majesty."
In the Fifth Epoch, Professions were the cornerstone of every Transcendent's advancement—Warriors, Mages, Rangers, Clerics, Night Watchers, Knights, Witches, Warlocks, Druids, and countless specialized branches.
Each offered a clear path to Legendary status, limited only by talent and resources.
But in this era... it seems the system isn't fully realized yet.