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Zero woke up in his usual child-like body. He looked around to see where he was, realizing that Zero was not in the same place he had logged out. Instead, he was in a black void-like area with nothing in sight. Only a small ball of light surrounded his body and illuminated a very small area around him.
Real World Quest is still in effect.
3332/3333 quest left.
Zero was wondering how he could log into the game world, but the thought was quickly lost when he felt an unknown voice call out from his soul. It was not like any call he had ever felt, but more like a pull towards a direction, he had to go.
With each step, he followed the pull of the voice that rang in his heart. Even in the darkness, he seemed to know where he was going until he stopped.
Where am I? He looked around to find any clue of where he could be.
"What a familiar scent." An unknown voice called out to him.
Zero carefully glanced around to find the source of the voice, but it was too dark to find it. "Who are you?"
"You are asking who I am? Isn't it polite that you answer who you are first?" The voice grumbled in annoyance.
"I'm Zero. It seems I am lost."
"Well, Zero, who is lost. How did you get here? In no way can a human like yourself step foot in such a dark world except if they are part of something else. Or possibly do you have the gift?"
"The gift?"
"Yes. The gift. To travel between dimensions. In other words, astral projection."
"Travel between dimensions?"
"It seems you are new to this. Well, it's alright; leaving your physical body to come to the realm of the dead is a feat in itself."
"I'm dead!" Zero gasped in shock. "I was sure I was alive."
"You're not dead. Once astral projecting to another dimension, you just leave your body behind. Look, your lifeline is still attached to you."
A claw-like hand with silver scales extends out of the darkness and points towards Zero's belly button. It was like a very faint umbilical cord-like line that was not easily noticeable until it was pointed out.
"If I were you, Next time, I suggest you hide your lifeline. All it takes is for you to imagine it being translucent like air. Try it."
Zero followed the unknown voice instruction. Then, in a blink of an eye, the cord that was present faded away.
"Not bad. You're quite good at this."
"Who are you? Better yet, you still have not given me your name."
"Kuhuhuhu," the voice laughed creepily, giving Zero a chill. "Giving up your name means telling who you are. Don't you know I can call you here just by name?"
Zero was uneasy at what the unknown voice had stated, but it did not stop him from asking. "I have been polite to you by giving you my name, or have you had no courtesy to give me yours? Or are you too afraid to say your name?"
Bursting out laughing, the being's voice echoed endlessly into the void. Then, with claws clicking on stones, the being slowly slinked out for Zero to see. What stood before him was a majestic silver dragon. Eyes that glowed sapphire blue, scales that shimmered with their own silver light. The body was sublime and graceful, and patches of long hair decorated its head, elbows, back of its ankles, and even its tail. Two long graceful horns protruded from its head, and a large pair of wings sat on his back.
Zero had never seen such a beautiful dragon. The aura around the dragon had a life of its own, where he felt small compared to the dragon himself. Yet, he couldn't help but stare in awe as the silver dragon towered over him. Straining to look up, Zero's neck felt like his head would fall off.
In his mind, he called out 'Origin Form,' In seconds, he shifted and changed into his black and gold dragon form. Stretching like a cat, he still had to glance up at the silver dragon before him. He was dwarfed even in his dragon form compared to the Silver dragon.
"Oh? A Drezo Regalia. I haven't seen one in ages." The silver dragon laid down, folding its arms over each other. Lowering its head, the dragon stared straight into Zero's eyes, with Zero feeling a shock of energy run through his whole body. "Now it makes sense how you have come here. A human in a dragon body." Smoke erupted out of the silver dragon nose.
"Well, no matter, a holder to the True dragon's power. What brought you here to my domain?"
"I was not brought here out of my own will."
"It seems that is true. No matter. You are here and I as well. I have been bored for centuries with no one to talk to. So why don't you keep me company, little pup."
"What do I get out of talking with you?"
"Knowledge. Isn't that what your heart desires right now? But, unfortunately, it seems you don't even know what you truly are by the looks of it nor what I am except a dragon in your eyes. Not even a shred of respect towards your predecessors that had given your ancestor such power." The silver dragon clicked its tongue in disgust. "These days, these young pups don't show any respect to their elders."
"I'm sorry, but I don't know you. Giving respect needs to be earned. Respect is not something one throws around because of age. You should know that, oh wise dragon."
Tension filled the air in an instant; Zero gulped. He knew he was stepping on a landmine, especially because he could feel the power of the Silver dragon rising exponentially. Compared to him, their powers were like heaven and earth.
"Earning it?" The Silver dragon stared toward Zero. A crack of a smile erupted on the dragon's face, and once again, the Silver dragon burst out laughing.
"You are right on some aspects. I have not met such a rambunctious young dragon in a while. It brings a refreshing new wind. How it reminds me of my old days."
"Well, a dragon who does not want to give me your name. I have a couple of questions for you. If you don't mind asking."
"Kuhuhuh. I do not mind. Go ahead, young dragon. What is it that you ask?"
"Are you not a Drezo Regalia? You stated that I am a human in a dragon body, so I'm guessing that we might be two different beings."
"To answer your question. I am a True dragon. Us True dragons are not that many in physical life. Then, our powers could move mountains and shake heaven and earth. Now I am just an existence that lives between both planes. The living and the dead. How many of my kind are left that I do not know, but to see you, Drezo Regalias, still alive brings great happiness to my soul. To see our powers still reside strongly in your body proves that we are alive. Oh?" The silver dragon stops and looks closer at Zero's chest, where his Krustallos resides. With his silver claw, he taps Zero's krustallos.
In a flash of golden light, the energy around his Krustallos shimmered brightly, blinding Zero. The memories of his life flashes before them. Not a single episode of his life was hidden away. Instead, the silver dragon's static face changed into worry while looking through Zero's life.
"Hey! That's an invasion of privacy!" Zero exclaimed. He was not too fond that his whole game life showed before him like a movie.
"Are you the only one of your kind?"
"Yes. Why?"
"I am shocked to hear that the Drezo Regalias has fallen to only one. The future of your kind is bleak. I wondered why your kind has not come here in a thousand years even though I have called out numerous times to your kind's souls." The silver dragon said with heartfelt sorrow. "And it seems you been cursed. What has happened to your kind while I was sleeping?"
"If I knew, I would be able to tell you, but even I don't know the answer to what happened to all the Drezo Regalia. So I am actually searching for the answer."
"Young dragon. I am sorry that I can not help you with that aspect of your journey. Instead, you have awoken and enlightened me to the surroundings of both of our kind. It seems it is time for all our True dragons to rise up from slumber again and help guide this world again." The silver dragon stood up, its wings spread out wide and strong.
Zero couldn't help but be awed at the size of the silver dragon. He felt enormous power radiating from the silver dragon's body. He, too, wondered when he would grow to such size and power.
"It seems my time has come to leave. Maybe this is why you have come here. To awaken this old soul that has been slumbering here for over ten thousand years. I know what I must do."
"Wait, but I haven't asked you all my questions! What is a Drezo Regalia? How did we shift into this form? Why have you True dragons given us this power?"
With a gush of wind and the silver dragon's wings flapping, a torrent of wind blew towards Zero. The silver dragon lifted its body off the ground and flew upwards into a dark void, where Zero could not see.