Year 79; End of the worm wars; Day 50

  Isaac soared through the sky, returning to his mountain—his home.

  He now realized with a quiet thrill. Strange how this place, once unfamiliar, had wrapped itself around him, becoming a sanctuary he longed for.

  He gazed at the dragon eggs cradled in the net the elves had woven for him, their delicate shells surrounded by small, rune-etched stones radiating gentle warmth. Crafting these fiery stones had come naturally, guided by Alda’s wisdom and his own affinity for fire. Enchantments had always been within reach,

  His lessons with Alda had paid off, sharpening both his magical skills and understanding. He had learned that the true power of a skill lay in its NAME, and in the strength of will and knowledge behind it.

  However, the first, more practical lesson together had given them rune stones that radiated heat in proportion to the amount of magic put into them. The elves in general had taken to them, especially the ones that had ventured out of the jungle, now that the elves started scouting out the continent in general. The heat of the jungle and desert was an exception to the rest of the continent.

  But it was the eggs that had inspired him and Alda to create the stones in the first place. Isaac had not truly taken it seriously until now, but this was his first real step in caring for them. Both Alda and his instincts insisted that keeping the eggs warm was absolutely vital—something the former goddess had made abundantly clear.

  Isaac touched down softly on the plateau above the valley, near the entrance to his cave, where several elves awaited him. They had come to help—and to make this valley their new home. Among them was his friend, Spirit of Leaves and Wind, the whimsical yet stern elf who had embraced the adventurer’s life with delight, greeting Isaac as always.

  “Greeting, Isaac of fire and scale,” the wind greeted Issac too, but was still afraid of Isaac as usual. The wind had never taken a liking to him for some reason.

  “Greeting Spirit of Leaves and Wind,” Isaac responded, and his senses, magical and non-magical, went over the valley below. It was still surprising, “Have you sensed the change?” Isaac said, and the group of elves nodded in response. Isaac had thought of it for a long time. But the mana levels were rising, and a bit too fast, where he lived.

  “As the High one said,” one of the other elves spoke, a board-shaped elf-man, “it was Will of Mountain and Stone,” Isaac thought. The elf names were still new to him, but he liked how they gave them meaning.

  The elf man continued, “Before the descent of the high and our awakening, the mana motes were abundant, and they are now returning, and as it would have it, this valley is on a leyline of the world.”

  Isaac was shocked and felt a little betrayed when he learned Alda was behind the drop in mana level. As a dragon, it mattered to him and his stomach. Still, during their lessons, Alda explained that she never thought it would take so long for mana to return. It had to be something about how unique this world was.

  After all, this world sheltered his dragon soul and two younger ones now. Calling it unique was no exaggeration.

  That was one reason Alda had sent elves to accompany him. Not that they needed convincing—most were eager to explore the continent now that the worm war had ended.

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  It helped that these elves were among the most battle-hardened from the war. If danger came, they would defend the eggs—and him— without hesitation.

  Not that I need protecting, he thought, though the enormous yawn that followed undermined his bravado. “I’ll be in the cave if you need me,” he rumbled. Isaac had grown in recent months, and his old cave would have been a squeeze—fortunately, the elves had expanded it for him.

  Inside, the cave felt transformed. Faint traces of his old magical scribbles and favorite eating spot remained, though much of it was outdated—most life below the mountain had perished in the worm wars. Now, the elves had brought the jungle with them: green vines and lush plants draped the cave walls, and small rooms at the back promised company. For once, Isaac would not be alone.

  In the main hall, his hoard of mana stones still glittered, though some had been used to enchant the chamber with steady warmth. Isaac was sure the heat would drive away or kill any lesser monsters. For him, it was pure comfort.

  He gently placed the eggs at the center of the room and curled his body protectively around them. One egg was black as midnight, the other gleamed gold, and now both shimmered with swirling mists—one dark, one radiant—casting a soft, magical glow.

  It would take time and care for him and his new companions to keep the eggs healthy, but Isaac felt as ready as he could be.

  He decided to review his stats one last time before sleep claimed him.

  Isaac

  Dragon of True Flame: adolescent

  Level: 12

  Title: Dragon Patriarch of Fire

  Dragon nourishment: 400

  Mana nourishment 2nd stage: medium~

  Mana pool: 339 / 339 ( Soul damage minor ~ )

  Skills:

  Bite of a Dragon level 7

  True fire Marked claws level 10

  Mana control 17 -> 18

  ?Arcane sight level 18 -> 20

  ?Arcane focus level 18 -> 20

  Evasion level 12 -> 13

  Mana perception level 14 -> 16

  True Draconic Fire level 18 -> 21

  Dragon Fear level 12

  Draconic Soul level 11 -> 12

  Fire control level 10 -> 11?

  Draconic resistance level 9 -> 10

  Fire manipulation level 10 -> 11

  Divine speak 10 -> 12

  According to Alda, his skills would need to reach level forty, and for his next evolution, they would need to be level eighty.

  ‘I should write all this down, so other dragons don’t have to figure it out the hard way,’ Isaac grumbled. From what he’d learned, there were four main stages: hatchling, youngling, adolescent, and adult. There were two more only for dragons, but as an adult dragon, you would already be a force of nature.

  The same pattern held for most living things: baby, child, teen, then adult. At least, that was true for elves—and, judging by the excited whispers, some of the elves were expecting children soon.

  On top of everything else, his soul damage should heal in time. The fallen goddess was rarely wrong about such matters. And for all it counted, Isaac still trusted her.

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