It felt like beginning.
The ridge no longer smelled of ash. The air was damp with dew and clean earth, tinged with the faint sweetness of pine-sap returning after fire. Villagers whispered thanks to gods they no longer remembered how to name. Some wept openly, kneeling in the soil as if it were altar, as if the quiet itself was a miracle.
But Andy's vision filled with something no one else could see. The system stirred, patient but absolute, and the world dimmed around its words.
[System Log — Orion Constellation]
Stage: COMPLETE
Participants: Andy Aetherion Drakhael, Nia Everhart, Aurelia Moonveil
Bond Status:
— Nia ⭐ 100%
— Aurelia ⭐ 100%
— Combined Orion Tier III Progress: 100%
Rewards Granted:
The log unfolded like a scroll, each line glowing white-gold, steady as his own breath.
— Dragon-Phoenix Form: Permanent Unlock.
State: Ascended Hybrid
Aura: Stabilized | Contamination: 0%
— Draconic Oathblade: Elemental Mastery Achieved.
Elements Unlocked: Fire, Water, Wind, Earth
Fusion Protocol: Active
— Passive Skill: Corrupter's Bane III
Effect: +35% damage vs corrupted entities.
Status: Permanent
— Dragon Resonance — Tier III
Aura control refined. Dominance field extends 300m.
Corruption resistance +50%.
— New Skill: Celestial Dragon-Phoenix Nova (Locked)
Unlock Condition: Next Constellation Stage Progression.
Companion Rewards:
— Nia: Lumina Constellation Form (Tier III)
[Glyph Ascendant EX]: Cast without vocalization. Range doubled.
— Aurelia: Huntress Constellation Form (Tier III)
[Moonveil Huntress EX]: Split into 3 mirrored echoes, duration extended.
Inventory Update:
— Core Fragment ×3 acquired.
— Shared Inventory capacity doubled.
— Bond Saturation: Stable.
Andy's jaw set as he read each line. The Oathblade at his side pulsed softly, heat balanced by cool tide, air whispering steady against stone weight. All four elements answered him in harmony now, not as rivals. His wings shifted slightly, feathers of fire and scale rustling, their scent faintly like iron and clean rain.
Another pane flickered to life. Its letters glitched at the edges, shifting shapes like stars not yet arranged.
[Constellation Path — Orion]
Stage: Complete
Next Constellation: Loading…
Estimated Manifestation: 1 day
Status: Pending Alignment
Andy narrowed his eyes, the corner of his mouth lifting slightly. Not satisfaction. Preparation.
Behind him, Aurelia's laughter broke the quiet. "The villagers are staring like they've never seen a man with wings before." Her hand brushed his shoulder with mock-possession, though her body sagged with exhaustion. "You should smile, Dragon. Pretend you like the worship."
Nia's voice answered softer, firm but warm. "They don't worship. They trust. And that is more dangerous." She stepped closer, her hand grazing Andy's arm, her gaze lifting to meet his calm eyes. "Don't carry it alone."
Andy said nothing. The log still shimmered in his vision, visible only to him.
[Note]
Constellation Orion: Complete
Anchor Secured.
Await: The next map in the sky.
He blinked, and the panes dimmed. The dawn returned — villagers tending to the wounded, carrying water, bowing as he passed though he had not yet moved. The ridge smelled of beginnings.
Andy folded his wings tighter. He breathed once, and the world steadied.
Tomorrow, the stars would draw new lines. Tonight, Orion burned its last, perfect blaze.