A tattered, scruffy bird flapped overhead, screeching as it passed through the dense clouds of sulfur rising from the broken earth. Its feathers were half-missing, and its cry sounded more like a wail than a song.
A shadow followed close behind.
High above, a vulture with pale gray scales circled menacingly. Its wings were wide and ragged, its reddish eyes locked on Rayder like a predator waiting for him to drop dead. It didn't see a boy—it saw prey. A walking meal, soon to be a corpse.
Rayder's eyes widened, scanning the hostile landscape around him. This place wasn't just desolate—it was cursed. A grotesque, death-stained theme park from some twisted horror film.
The air was thick with the stench of burning sulfur. Every breath made him cough, each inhale like swallowing hot smoke and rusted iron. He doubled over, hacking uncontrollably, his chest heaving. The toxic atmosphere clung to him like a second skin, stinging his eyes and drying out his throat.
His legs trembled beneath him. A chill ran down his spine. Was this really Valyria—the fabled land of dragons?
As he bent down, trying to catch his breath, a clear mechanical "ding" suddenly echoed in his mind.
It was sharp and artificial—so unexpected that it nearly made him choke.
A female voice, soft yet synthetic, spoke inside his head:
> "Fire attribute magic energy detected. System is absorbing…
Mission complete.
Reward issued.
Second phase activated: Incubation Mission.
Reward: All system permissions unlocked."
Rayder froze.
System permissions unlocked? Incubation mission?
Before he could react, a dragon egg—roughly the size of a football—materialized out of thin air in front of him, suspended in mid-air like some divine artifact.
The egg hovered for a brief moment, then dropped.
Rayder instinctively reached out with both hands and caught it.
The egg was dark crimson, almost black, covered in ancient runic patterns that glowed faintly. It pulsed with a low warmth, like a heart beating from deep within. The moment his fingers touched the shell, something inside his mind clicked.
His thoughts stuttered. His brain momentarily crashed.
Kidora... also hatched from an egg...
That single thought struck him like lightning. His body trembled uncontrollably.
Was this... really that egg?
A wild, inexplicable force took over. Before reason could stop him, Rayder raised the egg—and slammed it hard into the ground!
> "BANG!"
The dragon egg hit the cracked stone floor with a dull thud. Red dust burst into the air like a small explosion.
Rayder stood panting, eyes blazing with anger and confusion. Then, lifting his head, he roared into the empty air:
> "System! Get the hell out here!
I promise I won't beat you to death!
I just heard your voice—show yourself! NOW!"
His voice echoed endlessly, bouncing off the stone walls of the ruined terrain.
For three long, hellish days, he had trudged through volcanic ash, fought off starvation, and nearly died just trying to complete a quest—and now the system handed him an egg?
What kind of reward was that?
His fury boiled over. But then, another "ding!" sounded in his mind.
A new window popped up.
> [Pet Panel] Unlocked
Rayder blinked.
A new interface floated before him, shimmering like light on water:
---
[Pet: Kidora]
Incubation Progress: 1%
Shared Ability: Dragon King's Pressure
---
He stared in disbelief, quickly switching over to his personal status panel. There it was: a new skill listed under abilities.
Dragon King's Pressure.
He tapped on the description:
> "Shares Kidora's pressure. Strength scales with Kidora's power. Can be controlled consciously."
Rayder's heart pounded.
Excitement surged through him like wildfire. Finally—a real reward. Something powerful. He focused, trying to activate the ability, but he felt… nothing. No pulse of energy. No dramatic power-up.
He frowned.
But then, something strange happened.
Rayder turned to look at the landscape around him.
The once-active creatures—twisted birds, ash-covered rodents, even that circling vulture—had frozen in place. Absolutely motionless. They didn't even twitch.
A lizard that had been sunning itself moments earlier now lay flat, pressed against the rocks like it was playing dead.
Rayder's jaw dropped.
They weren't just frozen—they were terrified.
He could feel it now—not through sensation, but observation. His body was now exuding a field of pure draconic dominance. Creatures within a certain range couldn't move under the invisible weight of the Dragon King's Pressure.
He laughed.
A full-bellied, wild laugh that echoed over the desolate land.
> "So this is what it means to carry Kidora's blood... Not bad. Not bad at all."
With a grin, he canceled the panels and picked up the egg he had just slammed down.
To his surprise, the shell was undamaged. In fact, it now seemed even more majestic.
The oval-shaped egg shimmered faintly in the light, golden patterns crawling along the crimson scales like veins of living flame. It felt warm in his hands, almost alive.
He tapped it with his fingers. It made a solid sound, like polished obsidian.
He gave it a gentle shake—something inside rattled, softly.
> "Yep," Rayder muttered. "It's a good egg."
Just then, his stomach let out a loud growl.
He had been so wrapped up in the system's updates and the arrival of the dragon egg that he had forgotten he was starving.
Rubbing his belly, he looked down at the egg and joked to himself:
> "If I boil this… will it become the world's strongest chicken soup?"
But after a second, he shook his head quickly.
> "No, no, no… This is my golden ticket. My last hope. I'm not eating it. Not even if it smells like roasted lamb."
He carefully wrapped the egg in the folds of his tattered robe and nestled it close to his chest. It was too valuable to carry openly.
As he trudged forward, Rayder looked for something—anything—to eat. But all he saw were cracked rocks, ashes, and scorched stone.
No grass.
No fruit.
Not even a bug.
He began to worry. If he didn't find food soon, dragon or no dragon, he'd die of starvation before anything hatched.
Then, as if fate heard his cry, he spotted a small cave nestled between two sharp rocks.
His heart leapt.
Rayder stumbled toward it and noticed a large stone partially blocking the entrance. He pushed it aside with great effort, revealing a dark, damp hollow inside. He squinted into the shadows.
It was pitch black.
He reached in blindly—and instantly yanked his hand back.
Something soft had touched his fingers.
Heart pounding, he reached in again, more slowly this time. His fingers brushed scales.
Grabbing hold, he pulled—and out came a fat, wriggling lizard.
> "YES!" Rayder cried, ecstatic.
Without hesitation, he bit into it like an apple. It was raw, slimy, and slightly fishy—but compared to eating grass and licking dew, it was the finest meal he'd had since transmigrating.
He chewed, swallowed, and wiped his mouth.
> "Five stars. Michelin gourmet. I could cry."
Strength returned to his limbs. It wasn't much, but it was enough to keep going.
He continued onward.
Not long after, Rayder came across a massive stone gate embedded into the cliffside. Ancient carvings covered its surface—symbols twisted and beautiful, etched into the weathered stone with inhuman precision.
In the center was a groove, perfectly oval in shape.
Rayder approached cautiously. Something inside him whispered that this was no ordinary door.
After a moment of hesitation, he reached into his robe, pulled out Kidora's egg, and gently placed it into the groove.
CLICK.
The carvings glowed faintly.
With a heavy rumble, the massive stone gate slowly opened, revealing a blinding golden light from within.
Rayder shielded his eyes.
Then, gathering his courage, he stepped through.
He passed down a long tunnel lined with glowing crystals, emerging at the summit of a massive mountain range.
The view took his breath away.
Below him stretched the ancient land of Valyria.
Volcanoes belched smoke in the distance, while dead forests stretched across the plains. Cracked rivers of lava coursed between obsidian rocks, and massive ruins lay scattered like bones of giants.
But despite the devastation, there was something majestic about it all.
This was his land now. His inheritance. His origin.
Rayder raised his head, filled with emotion. He had crossed the threshold. He had entered the true Valyria.
Behind him, the stone gate rumbled closed. There was no turning back now.
> "Looks like this journey's finally starting," he whispered.
Holding Kidora's egg close, Rayder smiled.
Ãdvåñçé çhàptêr àvàilàble óñ pàtreøn (Gk31)