Kyle was currently taking a stroll through Asteria upon Yuehua.
By now, he had grown accustomed to travelling this way.
The vast world stretched beneath him as Yuehua moved calmly through the sky. Kyle quietly looked down at the scenery, taking in the peaceful view below.
He should have been used to it by now.
Yet every time he looked at Asteria like this...
He felt happy.
There was something about this place that made him feel strangely at ease.
Kyle's gaze slowly moved across the land below.
The world was no longer as empty as it had been when he first arrived.
Various creatures now roamed across the land, each one created by Kyle during his time in Asteria.
Some moved through the forests, while others wandered across the open plains.
Kyle watched them quietly.
Every time he created something new, he felt something.
It wasn't exactly happiness.
At least, he didn't think it was.
It was difficult to put into words.
He simply felt good whenever he created something and saw it become part of Asteria.
Kyle had noticed it several times by now, but he never really thought much about it.
Perhaps it was simply the satisfaction of creating something with his own hands.
"Maybe..."
Kyle murmured quietly before his attention was suddenly drawn toward something in the distance.
He looked toward a particular area of the world.
For a moment, nothing seemed unusual.
Then Kyle's eyes focused.
The scenery before him suddenly changed.
His vision seemed to move forward on its own.
The distant landscape became clearer.
Then closer.
And closer.
Until the scenery itself seemed to disappear.
Kyle's vision passed through the distance before finally stopping at the World Tree.
His expression changed slightly.
There, beneath Yggdrasil—
The black carp was surrounded by a dark sphere.
Kyle stared at the strange sight.
"...Rio?"
Yuehua seemed to understand his reaction immediately.
Without needing to be told anything, the dragon changed direction.
Her enormous serpentine body turned through the sky and began moving toward Yggdrasil.
The clouds parted as Yuehua soared forward.
Kyle continued staring toward the distant World Tree.
...
As Yuehua came closer to Yggdrasil, Kyle could see the black sphere slowly beginning to disintegrate.
Soon, they reached the location.
Yuehua descended toward the ground, and Kyle stepped down from her back.
The dragon remained nearby, watching the strange phenomenon closely.
The black sphere continued to disappear until it completely vanished.
But something else had appeared in its place.
A cocoon made entirely of red flames.
Kyle didn't question what it was.
A status window had already appeared before him.
< Black Carp >
< Name : Rio >
< Status : Undergoing Evolution >
Kyle quietly looked at the cocoon.
But this time, something felt different.
During Yuehua's evolution, he had only been able to watch what was happening through the screen.
Now...
He could feel it.
Something was reaching out to him.
It wasn't a voice.
Nor was it something he could properly describe.
It simply felt as if something was asking him a question.
As if it was asking whether he allowed this to happen.
Kyle remained silent for a moment.
Then he simply accepted.
"...I will."
The moment Kyle gave his consent, the cocoon began to expand.
The red flames grew larger and larger, spreading around the area as the cocoon continued to increase in size.
Soon, it had grown to roughly the same size as Yuehua.
Kyle continued watching without moving.
Then—
The cocoon suddenly burst apart.
The flames scattered in every direction.
Yet strangely, Kyle remained completely unaffected.
As the flames disappeared, something enormous stood before him.
A dragon.
Unlike Yuehua's long serpentine body, this creature had a completely different appearance.
Its massive body was covered in crimson-red scales, with large wings extending from its back.
It stood upon four powerful legs, its long tail resting behind it.
Its entire body carried the same fiery red colour as the flames that had formed its cocoon.
For a moment, the newly born dragon simply stood there.
Then—
"ROOOAAAR!"
Its roar instantly resounded throughout Asteria.
The surrounding trees trembled from the force of the sound, while the air itself seemed to vibrate.
Kyle remained completely still.
Yuehua looked toward the newly born dragon.
Then she raised her head.
"ROOOAAAR!"
Her own roar echoed across Asteria in response.
The two dragons stared at each other.
One crimson.
One purple.
Neither seemed willing to back down.
Kyle simply stood between them, completely unaffected by the exchange.
He looked at Yuehua.
Then at the newly born dragon.
He remained silent for a moment.
'The sibling energy here is strong.'
'Okay, now it's time to put an end to this.'
Kyle simply clapped his hands.
"Clap."
The moment the sound echoed through the area, both dragons immediately stopped.
Yuehua remained in the air, while the newly evolved dragon also came to a halt.
The intense atmosphere between the two dragons disappeared almost instantly.
Kyle looked around at the surroundings.
Several trees had been damaged, and the ground beneath them had been disturbed from their little exchange.
Kyle simply raised his hand.
The damage began repairing itself.
The broken trees returned to their original state, the damaged ground restored itself, and within moments, everything was back to how it had been before.
Kyle lowered his hand.
"Much better."
He then turned his attention toward the newly evolved dragon.
A status window appeared before him.
< Primordial Western Dragon >
< Species Rank : Primordial Divine Beast >
< Current Status : Newly Born >
< Ability : Control Fire, Manipulate Flames, Dragon's Might, Unknown >
< Synchronization with Asteria : 21% >
< The world of Asteria has acknowledged the birth of its second Divine Creature >
< Dragon Name : Rio>
Kyle quietly looked at the status window.
Then his eyes shifted toward the enormous crimson dragon standing before him.
The creature looked exactly like the dragons Kyle had grown up seeing in movies and books.
Unlike Yuehua's long, serpentine body, Rio had a massive, powerful body supported by four sturdy legs. His crimson-red scales covered his entire body, each one catching the light with a faint fiery sheen.
Two enormous wings stretched from his back, large enough to carry his massive body through the sky. A long, muscular tail extended behind him, while a pair of curved horns rose from his head.
His head was broad and distinctly draconic, with sharp features and a pair of fierce-looking eyes that made the newly born dragon seem almost unreal.
For Kyle, this was what a dragon was supposed to look like.
A true Western dragon.
"...Now, the name Rio doesn't suit you anymore, right? T_T"
Rio simply tilted his head in response.
"??"