The forest was quiet.
Too quiet.
Kai had just finished a successful hunt. A thunder-scaled panther now lay scorched behind him, its essence absorbed into his evolving form. His wings were healing. His reflexes sharper. He had even unlocked a new active ability—Claw Burst—a midair strike that could split stone.
Things were going well.
Almost too well.
He perched on a branch near the top of a high ridge, watching the setting sun bleed orange over the sky. The forest below stretched endlessly, dotted with glowing mushrooms, strange birds, and rustling leaves.
Until everything… stopped.
A soundless pressure rolled through the air. Not a tremor. Not a gust. Just presence.
Every beast in the forest—every squirrel, serpent, and spirit fox—froze.
Kai blinked, heart suddenly pounding against his ribs.
He couldn't move.
Not even a twitch.
"W-What is this?" he tried to say, but his throat locked up.
His claws dug into the branch as an invisible force pushed against him. His wings folded involuntarily. His lungs struggled to breathe.
Then, through the trees…
It appeared.
A colossal shadow moved across the forest floor.
Towering trees bowed as if in worship. The clouds above seemed to still.
And there, walking with slow, earth-shaking steps, came a dragon.
But not like Kai.
Not like the Dragon God either.
This creature… was ancient.
Its body was coated in jagged layers of living stone, moss growing in the cracks of its scaled armor. Its massive tail dragged behind like a collapsing mountain range. Horns curled outward from its skull, creating a crown of sheer intimidation. Its eyes were closed as it walked, glowing faintly from within.
[Monster Identified: Earthroot Titan Dragon][Rank: SSS][Status: Dormant – No Hostility Detected]
SSS?
The words barely made sense to Kai's mind.
He had only just defeated a B-rank.
This… this was on another plane entirely.
The Earthroot Titan Dragon did not snarl. It didn't roar. It didn't so much as glance at the world around it.
It simply walked.
And with each step, the ground wept—cracks forming beneath its feet, roots writhing away in silence. Creatures bowed instinctively, even the lowliest insects freezing mid-crawl.
Kai's mind screamed for him to run.
To flee. To hide. To do anything.
But his body didn't respond.
It was like the world itself had chosen to pause.
And he… was insignificant.
[System Suppressed – Threat Level Exceeds Safe Processing Limit]
Even his system had frozen.
Was that even possible?
The giant dragon moved past him, not noticing Kai clinging to a tree branch like a terrified hatchling. Even the wind bent around its body like it didn't dare disturb its path.
And then… it stopped.
Several meters ahead, the Earthroot Titan Dragon stood still.
Slowly, it turned its head—not toward Kai, but toward a massive hill near the cliffside. Its eyes opened slightly—revealing a depthless green glow, ancient and heavy.
Then, without a sound, it reared up, stomped once—
BOOM.
A massive crater formed under its claws.
And the ground split apart.
In one smooth motion, the SSS-rank monster dug its body deep into the earth. Stone closed around it, reshaping into a natural dome. Vines, dirt, and moss quickly grew to cover the impact site, leaving no trace.
Like it had never been there.
The forest remained frozen for several more seconds.
And then… the world breathed again.
A bird chirped.
A squirrel scurried.
Leaves rustled in the wind.
Kai collapsed from the branch, slamming into the ground with a grunt.
He gasped, finally regaining control of his limbs.
"What the hell was that…"
His claws trembled. His heart thudded so hard he could barely hear.
Even now, he didn't sense hostility. But that made it worse.
If a creature like that didn't even notice him, what chance did he stand?
He sat there in stunned silence.
Then something pinged faintly in the back of his mind.
[Note: Entity logged – SSS Rank Earthroot Titan Dragon.][Warning: These creatures are considered Ancient Guardians. Do not engage until Evolution Tier ≥ Mythic.]
[Fact Unlocked: There are only three true dragons remaining in this world.][Remaining: Dragon God (Rank ???), Kai (Rank E+), Earthroot Titan Dragon (Rank SSS)]
Kai blinked.
"…What?"
He read it again.
Three.
Only three dragons left.
And he was one of them.
Somehow, that didn't feel like an honor. It felt like a sentence.
He looked up at the sky, the wind cool against his scales.
So that's why the Dragon God cared so much. Why he was forbidden to reveal himself yet. Why he was hidden inside the Tree of Life—a cradle meant to protect a dying bloodline.
He was not just a dragon.
He was one of the last.
The responsibility pressed on him like a mountain.
But then… a spark of defiance lit in his chest.
He stood slowly, flaring his wings, muscles burning.
"I may be the weakest of the three…"
His claws dug into the soil.
"…But I won't stay that way forever."
Somewhere far underground, in total silence, the Earthroot Titan Dragon lay in hibernation. It did not dream. It did not think.
But for the first time in many centuries… it felt something.
A presence. A heartbeat.
Small, but familiar.
Like a brother born thousands of years too late.
Meanwhile, deep within the Tree of Life, the Dragon God watched through a spectral mirror, arms folded, expression unreadable.
He sighed.
"So you've seen one," he muttered.
His voice echoed through the chamber.
"He didn't crush you. Good. But that was only luck."
His eyes glowed with flame.
"Evolve, little one. Because next time…"
The mirror shimmered, briefly revealing the shadow of another titanic being sleeping beneath the sea.
"…they might not just pass you by."