Kaelus activated his Mana Sense, pushing its limits to scan the entirety of the Dragon's Cave and the continent beyond. He searched for the minute anomaly, the tear in the fabric of space that marked the Players' point of invasion.
He was so deeply focused on the continental scale of his scan that he did not notice himself walking. His feet carried him unconsciously toward the center of the platform, the sacred nexus point where his mother had died.
The instant Kaelus reached the precise middle of the stone platform, the Ancient Runes flared violently. The platform glowed once more, drawing a massive, instantaneous surge of Wind mana from Kaelus's core. This was not a controlled pulse; it was an automatic, primal response from the nexus recognizing the presence of the Dragon heir.
A monumental gust of Wind magic erupted from the platform, washing over the Phalanx members and surging outward, penetrating the rock ceiling and the concealed fissure.
"What is this? Also, why are you glowing, Kaelus?" Sylva shouted, shielding her eyes. Then her voice became a reverent whisper. "The barrier... I can feel it. We are inside the barrier. The dragon barrier is reconstructed!"
Zane stared at Kaelus, completely stunned. "You can reactivate the barrier, Kaelus?"
Kaelus was enveloped in a thick, pulsating aura of mana, drawing all the ambient energy of the cave into the nexus. As he drew the energy, the raw power coalesced, taking form. Standing before the Phalanx, a majestic little dragon, viridescent green and silver, materialized—a holographic projection of Kaelus's immense core power.
"Kaelus can activate the dragon barrier, so this means he is a dragon?" Zathis asked, the reality sinking in.
Sylva looked at the spectral dragon, then back at Kaelus, her scientific mind demanding closure. "Kaelus, you said you were summoned into this world, but you didn't actually specify what creature you are when you summoned here." Sylva's voice was firm. "Are you the dragon that lives here, Kaelus?"
Kaelus knew there was no hiding it now. The enormous energy consumption had pushed him past his internal suppression limit, and the barrier's activation had sealed his fate. He let his human mana skin dissolve completely, returning to his true self.
In a blinding flash of silver-white light and swirling green mana, Kaelus transformed into his true form: a magnificent, albeit small, viridescent green and silver scaled dragon.
"Yes," the dragon's voice resonated in their minds, cutting through the dense air. "I was summoned into this world as a dragon."
Vara covered her mouth, her eyes wide with shock. "I can't believe what I am seeing. A dragon, a real dragon. But you are not as large as I expected, Kaelus."
The small dragon lowered its head, its emerald eyes filled with painful acceptance. "My real name is Aelius Wyndhelm. And I am reincarnated as a baby dragon."
Sylva stared at the powerful, yet comparatively small, creature. The confusion on her face was quickly replaced by analytical reasoning. "I cannot believe it," she muttered. "So this explains why you can't manifest any element besides your default element. Because you are not a human, Kaelus. Only monsters have only one element!"
The vast cavern, now filled with the immense, pure mana of the reactivated barrier, was suddenly rocked by a localized earthquake. The stone platform shuddered. Jian pointed frantically to the cavern wall to the right of the platform. A section of the ancient stone was grinding open, revealing a previously concealed passage.
Five silhouettes, cloaked in heavy gear and radiating unnervingly familiar, high-level mana signatures, strode into the cave. They had entered through an entrance the Obsidian Phalanx had not seen or used.
A loud, boastful voice echoed through the cavern. "I see some people here! Are we late?"
A woman's voice replied, "How are we late? We're the only ones that entered this dungeon."
Then, a quest update notification was audibly broadcast: "Hey, guys, the quest updated! 'Slay the Last Wind Dragon and its Party!'"
The voice of the group's leader boomed, recognizable to Kaelus instantly. "So this is still the Wind Dragon Quest? I guess SHINSEKAI failed to clear this quest. HAHA! The heavens are helping me. It's good that he's still in bed this time. We will write our name as the conqueror of this Dungeon! HAHA!"
The small dragon, Aelius Wyndhelm, instantly transformed back into the human Kaelus. He shouted, "It's WhiteTrash! Guys, this is the Players!"
"Zane, Sylva, emergency contact the Mage Emperor! Obsidian Phalanx, prepare for battle!" Zane roared, adrenaline overriding shock.
Sylva immediately activated the Twin Communication Artifact, sending a frantic, condensed thirty-second report: "Mage Emperor! The Players have entered the Dragon's Cave! The invasion point is active! The Phalanx is engaging them now! We are fighting the advance party! Request immediate support! Kaelus is engaging! End report!"
Kaelus recognized the Players: WhiteTrash (Rank 2, Greatsword), Emperor (Rank 4, Battle Mage), Jonghyun (Rank 7, Mage), Smile (Rank 8, Swordsman), and Zestia (Rank 10, Korean Assassin).
WhiteTrash surveyed the scene, his eyes locking onto Kaelus. "Hey, little dragon. Before we fight, I heard you just shouted my name. How did you know my name? Also, why are there so many NPC here?"
Zestia didn't wait for permission. Utilizing pure stealth and speed, she vanished and reappeared behind Vara, her poisoned blade arcing toward Vara's neck. Vara, though a 7-Star Mage, was still reeling from the revelation.
But Kaelus moved faster. He instinctively channeled the newly stabilized Dragon Barrier energy into a localized defensive burst. The energy shield, instantly erected by the nexus, shimmered emerald green, stopping Zestia's assassination attempt cold. Vara stumbled, still in shock.
Zestia backed out immediately, stunned by the failure of her highest-level stealth attack.
Kaelus faced WhiteTrash, his eyes blazing emerald. "WhiteTrash, as long as I'm here, you cannot hurt my team members!"
WhiteTrash laughed—a harsh, familiar sound. "I remembered someone as cocky as you, little dragon. And I heard that he's still in bed right now, in a coma."
Kaelus froze, his mind reeling from the reference to SHINSEKAI. Wait? What? He's talking about me, Kai Nakamura! So my body is in a coma, and I'm not dead? He shoved the terrifying implication aside; it was not relevant now. He had to stop the invasion.
Zane drew his sword, positioning himself between Kaelus and the Players. "Kaelus, can you still support us with your barrier?"
Sylva, finished reporting, rushed to Zane, noticing the strain on Kaelus. She whispered to Zane, "He cannot definitely maintain the barrier while fighting, Zane. He needs total focus."
WhiteTrash roared, raising his greatsword. "Rankers! Just as we planned—Formation C! Kill the others first!" The other four Players immediately moved into battle positions, unleashing their devastating skills. The battle for the future of Terra Continent had begun.