Sorinus found himself suddenly transported to a strange world in the blink of an eye.
It was as if he were soaring amidst lofty clouds, surrounded entirely by a sea of billowing white mist.
Gradually, his descent began, parting the clouds aside as a small island came into view before him.
An island suspended in mid-air.
Sorinus landed upon the island's soft grassy surface, surveying his surroundings.
Beneath his feet lay a bed of soft grass, with wildflowers, rocks, and tangled foliage dotting the landscape. Beyond, shrouded by swirling mist, lay the island's perimeter.
"Greetings, Lord of the Pasture. Please provide your appellation," a voice resounded once more.
"Sorinus Alduran," he replied.
"Respected Sorinus, Lord of the Pasture, welcome to your Dragon Pasture."
Sorinus couldn't help but pause in astonishment. This was his Pasture? What creatures inhabited it?
Dragons?!
"Congratulations, Lord of the Pasture, on activating your Pasture and acquiring the Novice Welcome Pack. Would you like to claim your rewards?"
"Yes, please."
"Congratulations, my lord, on receiving one thousand gold coins!"
Sorinus suddenly found himself holding a weighty black pouch, almost too heavy to bear.
Opening it, he discovered a brilliant golden hue within. Joy lit up Sorinus's eyes.
One thousand gold coins!
For him, and even for the entire Alduran family, it was a substantial fortune.
The exchange rate between gold and silver coins was 1:10, and between silver and copper coins was 1:100.
As a baronial noble, Sorinus's father, Sapiens, collected only two or three hundred gold coins in land taxes each year.
"Rewards obtained, one draw chance added."
Before Sorinus appeared a vast, illusory roulette wheel. Each segment bore a differently colored... egg.
Sorinus blinked and selected to spin the wheel.
After a few moments, the wheel came to a halt, and a fiery red egg gradually materialized from the haze.
It floated lightly to the ground before Sorinus, roughly the size of a human head and resembling a dragon egg.
"Congratulations, Lord of the Pasture, on obtaining a Fire Dragon Egg."
"Main quest issued: Hatch the Dragon Egg and acquire your first pet dragon."
"Quest rewards: Experience Points x5, Gold Coins x50."
Sorinus paused, perplexed. Hatch the Dragon Egg? How was he supposed to do that? Sit on it like a brooding hen?
With a bemused expression, Sorinus crouched down and placed his hand on the egg.
To his surprise, the egg felt unusually warm, almost hot to the touch.
Sorinus could sense a life stirring within, slumbering.
"Hello? Can I get a hint here?" Sorinus shouted into the void.
The system's voice responded, "The blood of the Pasture Lord can awaken the dormant Dragon Clan."
Blood pact? That old trick again?
Sorinus muttered to himself, then, with a determined resolve, bit into his index finger.
Several drops of crimson blood trickled onto the eggshell.
Suddenly, something magical happened.
Sorinus watched as the egg absorbed his blood like a sponge, its color deepening to a fiery red, its temperature rising and emitting waves of heat.
It seemed to be cooking.
The egg began to tremble violently.
Startled, Sorinus quickly retreated.
Crack...
Countless fissures appeared on the egg's surface, and it abruptly shattered, revealing a tiny, fiery red head emerging from within.
"Eeya..."
A nascent, peculiar cry.
The creature within the egg, now freed, clumsily crawled out.
Its chubby body, about the size of a small dog, was entirely crimson, resembling molten lava.
The baby Fire Dragon wobbled towards Sorinus, on the verge of toppling over.
Sorinus quickly scooped it up.
The Fire Dragon affectionately licked Sorinus's face with its tongue.
The little dragon emitted intense heat, making Sorinus feel as if he were holding a furnace, even its tongue was scorching.
"Phew..."
The Fire Dragon suddenly spread a pair of small, fleshy wings from its back, finally resembling a member of the dragon kind.
"Quest completed. Congratulations, Lord of the Pasture, on acquiring your first dragon. Reward: Experience Points x5, Gold Coins x50."
Before Sorinus, another pile of gold coins appeared, this time numbering fifty.
At this moment, Sorinus felt like a wealthy man.
"What are Experience Points used for?" Sorinus muttered to himself. "Can they be used to level up?"
He guessed correctly.
Sorinus found his personal attribute panel on the system board.
[Host: Sorinus Title: Lord of Dragon Pasture Profession: Apprentice Mage (5/10) Owned Dragon: Fire Dragon (Unnamed) Owned Buildings: None Owned Items: Gold Coins x1050]
Next was the baby dragon's attribute panel.
[Fire Dragon Name: Unnamed Rank: 0th Tier Abilities: Fire Breath, Bite Habitat: Fire Dragon Nest Output: 1 Gold Coin per minute (activated after owning a Dragon Nest) Growth Value: 0/10 Note: Without a Dragon Nest, dragons cannot gain any natural growth points. Personality: Loyal, passionate, hot-tempered]
"So, the so-called Mage Talent is utterly useless for me. As long as I have enough experience points, I can directly advance from an Apprentice Mage to a Trainee Mage or even a Level One Mage. That's good news," Sorinus mused aloud, his expression turning cheerful.
For him at present, this was the best news he could hope for, as in this strange world, power was the root of everything.
"Let's give you a name first!" Sorinus embraced the baby dragon, feeling a sense of kinship between them.
"Eeya eeya..."
The baby dragon joyously licked Sorinus, much like a puppy.
"Always making those sounds, let's call you Eya!" Sorinus laughed.
The little Fire Dragon exuberantly exhaled a small burst of flame, startling Sorinus.
"Thankfully, I reacted quickly," Sorinus chuckled wryly. "Otherwise, my handsome face would have been ruined."
Just to be safe, he decided to keep his distance.
Sorinus placed Eya on the ground.
The recently hatched Eya gazed up at Sorinus with a pair of innocent, clear eyes, looking rather pitiful.
"Eeya eeya..."
As if asking, "Master, why don't you hold me? Don't you like me anymore?"
Sorinus looked at Eya and said, "Let's build you a home first."
"Main quest issued: Construct a Fire Dragon Nest."
"Quest rewards: Experience Points x5, Gold Coins x50."