The wind howled around him as Kai soared through the sky.
Below, the jungle stretched endlessly in all directions. The ruins of Elira's caravan faded into the trees behind him, but her wide-eyed expression and soft-spoken words still echoed in his mind.
"You saved me.""You're the first one who didn't want something from me."
He grunted.
He hadn't done it for her. Not exactly.
He had simply seen a predator and a prey—and made a choice.
One that helped him.One that triggered evolution.
Kai angled toward the cliffs at the edge of the jungle, where a massive stone ledge jutted out like the open palm of a god. This was his resting place—the place he always returned to when the pull of evolution became too strong.
His talons dug into the stone. The air shimmered around him with anticipation.
[Evolution Ready]Species Tree: Ember Dragon Hatchling → Choose Evolution Path
Available Evolutions:
Crimson Drake – Focused on raw firepower and wing strength. Fire breath intensity and aerial agility increased.
Molten Fang Serpent – Long, sleek dragon form. Increased elemental resistance. Gains "Lava Pulse" ability.
Aetherflame Wyrm – Hybrid elemental dragon. Slight resistance to magic. Gains passive: "Mana Hunger."
??? (Locked) – Requirements not met.
Kai stared at the glowing screen only he could see. His instincts hummed.
Each path offered strength—but in different ways.
He could feel it now. The way his body itched beneath the scales. The heat rising in his chest, building up like a furnace.
He had to grow.
He chose.
[Chosen Evolution: Crimson Drake]Commencing transformation…Warning: Evolution may cause temporary unconsciousness.Estimated Time: 6 hours.
Pain hit like lightning.
Kai roared, staggering.
Flames erupted from beneath his scales. His limbs locked. His body stretched, bones cracking and shifting into new proportions. Wings widened, claws sharpened, and horns curled into razor-like points.
He collapsed onto the stone, smoke rising from his body, vision flickering.
But before the darkness claimed him, he heard a whisper:
"Evolution complete."
Then—silence.
Six hours later.
The wind shifted.
Kai's eyes opened—new, sharper, glowing a deeper gold with crimson embers swirling inside.
His body felt… different.
Larger. More balanced. His wings spread wider now, fully functional for long-range flight. His scales shimmered a darker red, like smoldering coals beneath obsidian.
He stood—and the stone cracked beneath his weight.
Power.
He could feel it in his chest, roaring like an ever-burning furnace.
A flick of his tail split a nearby boulder.
A test breath released a cone of fire so intense it turned the air white-hot.
[You have evolved into Crimson Drake!]+New Ability: Inferno Burst – A short-range explosive fire wave.+Passive Gained: Flame Control (Lesser)+All base stats increased.New potential evolution trees unlocked.
Kai flexed his claws.
So this was what it meant to grow in this world.
Not reincarnated. Not reborn. Just… evolved.
He flared his wings and roared.
A pillar of flame burst upward, scattering nearby birds for miles.
And far off—past the jungle, through the sky, across the plains and mountains—others took notice.
In a nearby city.
A man in a dark robe sat in a tower of crystal, looking through a massive scrying mirror. His eyes flickered with magic, locked on the edges of the jungle.
The flame had risen like a beacon.
He leaned forward. "A dragon…?"
Another voice answered, low and heavy with age. "They should not exist. Not now."
The man smiled. "Then perhaps… we were wrong."
He turned to a messenger.
"Send word to the Academy. Tell them the anomaly has appeared."
In the royal capital of Aurelien, a blue-haired girl stood before a panel of armored men and women. Her dress was new. Her wounds healed. But her voice was firm.
"I know what I saw," Elira said, slamming her hand on the table. "It wasn't a wyvern. It wasn't a chimera. It was a dragon."
The nobles muttered.
"Dragons are extinct."
"Elira, you were in shock—"
"I. Know. What I saw."
She took a deep breath.
"It spoke to me. It understood me. It saved me."
Silence fell over the room.
Her eyes narrowed.
"I'm going to find it again."
One of the older knights frowned. "And if it's hostile next time?"
"Then I'll deal with it." Her voice was quiet but deadly. "But I don't believe it will be."
She turned and walked out, her heels clicking against marble, cloak fluttering behind her.
And in her mind, the image of those golden eyes burned.
Back in the jungle, Kai hunted.
His power was different now. Hunting weak prey bored him. He wanted something stronger.
He wanted something that could challenge him.
He stalked through the underbrush, looking for something—anything—that might help push him toward the next evolution.
But even as he moved, part of his mind remained distracted.
The girl.
Her name had been Elira.
She had bowed to him. Spoken to him like he mattered.
And something about that… bothered him.
Not in a bad way.
But in a way he didn't understand.
What did it mean to be remembered?What did it mean to matter to someone?
Kai shook his head.
He didn't need humans. He didn't need anything but strength.
Still…
If he saw her again…
He wouldn't run.
By nightfall, the jungle whispered again.
Something new had entered the forest.
Kai crouched low, silent.
There—movement.
Not beasts.
Humans.
Armored. Armed. Carefully stepping through the undergrowth, following tracks.
"Hurry up," one whispered. "The trail's still fresh. Commander wants that head mounted."
"They say it breathes fire."
"That just makes it more valuable."
Kai's eyes narrowed.
So.
They had come.
To hunt him.
He didn't roar this time.
He just stepped into the light, wings unfurled, and let his body burn.
The men stopped.
One dropped his spear.
Another soiled his armor.
"…oh no—"
Then came the fire.