Aelius spent the next several years in the cave, lost within the pages of the ancient books. His life became a cycle of reading, thinking, and attempting to internalize the vast amounts of knowledge flowing into his mind. The books were not just guides on magic; they were a complete encyclopedia of this world. He learned its history, its peoples, and its harsh realities. He realized his very existence was a paradox. He was a creature of immense power, but to the humans and demi-humans of this world, he was simply a monster. A living, breathing natural disaster. The texts described how dragons could flatten mountains with a single breath, or create storms that could turn fertile lands into barren deserts. He understood now why his mother had been seen as a threat. His power wasn't something to be wielded lightly; it was a force that could effortlessly shatter the lives and homes of others.
He learned the truth about mana cores and their place in the world's ecosystem. The books explained that all living creatures possessed mana, but only powerful monsters like dragons had enough concentrated mana to form a physical core. Lesser monsters, like goblins, had insufficient mana to form a full core, leaving only core fragments in their bodies upon death. When a monster died, its body would dissipate into mana, leaving behind its monster core or fragments as loot. He also understood why his mother hadn't dropped a core—the books revealed that once a core was damaged beyond repair, it would dissipate. His mother, knowing this, had used the last of her undamaged mana to transfer her power and memories to him, a final, desperate act to save her legacy.
Aelius also discovered a new tier of magical classification: the dragon star levels. The books detailed a clear progression from 1-star to 9-star, a measure of a dragon's core's strength and stability. He read about the immense power that each level represented. But then he found a final entry, a mythic level beyond all others: the 10-star, or Supreme Level. This was a pure, unclassified power, a perfect state of existence that transcended the need for a core. He also learned of a mythic figure, the progenitor of all dragons, the Golden Dragon. This being was the only dragon to ever reach the supreme 10th Dragon Star Level, and the books revered him as the Dragon Emperor, a being who died an honorable death while protecting the world from an unknown foe.
He realized that this was his current state, and it was why his raw, uncontained mana was so dangerous. He also learned that he needed to solidify his own mana, to forge his own core, or else the precious power he had inherited would simply dissipate into the air, and he would eventually die, a casualty of his own past actions. The books contained ancient dragon lore, detailing how a young dragon could develop and harden its core, turning its raw, formless mana into a stable, powerful center. It was a perilous process, but the only way to contain his inherited and, frankly, unmanageable power.
The books also spoke of the legendary form-shifting ability of ancient dragons, allowing them to take on a human form. He realized that this was the key to leaving the cave and exploring the world. He knew how to interact with humans from his past life, but not as a fearsome, scaly monster. By learning to shift, he could navigate the world safely and learn to control the immense power within him without risking its destruction. With the knowledge from the books, he now had a path forward. His quest was no longer a game, but a race against time. He had to learn to master his body, control his immense power, and forge his own destiny before the power that sustained him faded away forever.