Rafael's eyes widened in horror as he finally remembered what sort of situation he was in.
Although he had many questions about the mysterious dream he just had randomly, he couldn't care much about it since his life was on the line.
Sweat soaked his clothes as he slowly shifted his head backwards under the might of utter fear. However, in the middle, he heard something.
"Worthy"
'Huh?'
Rafael immediately froze due to fear when he heard that terrifying voice. The voice was monstrously deep, it contained a mix of killing intent as well as blood lust. Far surpassing anything that Rafael was currently capable of.
Soon, something finally came into view. A creature whose body was covered with blue flames and shadows with trillions of tentacles as well as having a dragon anterior.
It has several arms, each arm unfathomably large. Its claws were covered in blood and a glowing-blue hue also came from it.
Almighty, unfathomable. Nothing could describe the aura that came crashing down on these lands of everlasting Darkness.
Several entities, whom Rafael was not able to detect, immediately got crushed into a bloody paste.
Screams echoed through this world of everlasting darkness, many tyrannical beings who were previously asleep, screamed in agony as they got crushed by the aura emitted by the dragon creature.
The Creature, which would be terrifyingly unfamiliar to others, is extremely familiar to Rafael. A little bit too familiar.
'Isn't th-at Shadow Drag-on of Embers or something?'
Weariness surged through every part of his body as the creature started to come close. The aura, which could even kill beings as strong as the watchkeeper, was surprisingly quite comforting to Rafael.
Seconds felt like an eternity in this lifeless world as the creature was making his way towards Rafael. Every part of Rafael's instincts were screaming at him to run, but Rafael knew it was no use.
If that dream was true, there was no way Rafael could survive if that creature wanted to kill him.
Realizing the severity of the situation. Rafael simply sat down on the down crosslegged. If he was to die today, then so be it.
He had given up.
As the creature finally came close, Rafael closed his eyes, ready for death. He wished he was never reincarnated if the same life was going to be given to him.
However, instead of dying twice, the creature brought his huge hand forward and placed it over Rafael's head. Rafael shivered in fear as if knowing what the shadow dragon was about to do.
'Is he going to, squish me to death?'
However, to Rafael's surprise, the hand started moving back and forth. It looked like...
as if the hand was patting him.
"Huh," Rafael accidentally blurted out when he came to this realization.
"Why are you patting me?" Rafael said with a voice filled with confusion and weariness.
He had learned many lessons in his life, one of them was to always question everything and trust no one fully.
Be wear of almost everyone you love and hate.
Shadow Dragon, seeing this smiled. However, a smile from the shadow dragon looked like a goddamn monster about to eat you up.
"I will make a deal with you"
Suddenly, the shadow dragon said in a monstrous voice.
Rafael's eyes narrowed as he heard this, he knew the dragon was keeping him alive due to reason.
But why?
Curious about what the shadow dragon wanted. Rafael stood up and asked straightforwardly.
"What do you want?"
Rafael's eyes conveyed sharpness and calculations as he said those words. A familiar unnatural aura surged from his insides as he said this.
The Shadow Dragon chuckled seeing this, as if saying "Could you even do anything if I wanted to kill you?
"I saw your memories, you saw mine. For years, I was looking for someone who would free me from this Abyss and it looks like I've finally found that someone"
Rafael, hearing those words, got even more confused. How could Rafael even help this guy escape? He was barely keeping his insanity in hell.
He knew he was in no way, capable of performing such a feat.
Realizing the arduous task he had to do, he immediately stepped forward.
"If you have seen my memories, you should know that I am, no universe, be able to do that, you know?" Rafael said with wariness in his eyes.
'So the dreams I had previously were his memories. But I feel like something is missing'
Rafael thought as he realized the memories were too short. To be able to gather such a power, the memories, at the very least, had to be of a million years.
Sharpness came crashing onto him as he realized this.
Something was amiss.
"I know already, how weak you are. After all, you are just 14 years old. A newborn in my eyes. But guess what? this elite has no choice. You're the only one who can help me"
The Dragon said with a sigh, he understood the fact Rafael was weak. However, he saw Rafael in a different manner.
"I can help you grow strong with a treasure. However, when you grow strong enough. You have to free me." The Shadow Dragon said somberly.
Rafael's eyes immediately lit up as the bloodlust, killing intent, insanity and desire for Revenge burst through him like an ocean.
If Rafael was strong enough...
A maniacal smile covered Rafael's face as his persona turned from someone giving up to someone who was a madman for revenge.
"I'll take that as a yes"
Immediately following those words, was the shadow dragon turning himself into a line of shadows and immediately rushing towards Rafael.
Rafael's instincts immediately screamed at him to run. However, before he could even move a single inch. The line of shadows entered his mouth.
Rafael started to choke as the small line of shadows started to go deeper. From his oral cavity to his trachea to his stomach.
And finally, it entered his blood.
The line of shadows started to assimilate itself with Rafael's blood.
Screams covered the skies as Rafael bore through the pain resulting from this.
However, something was changing. Inside Rafael, his heart was being changed as the entirety of Rafael's insides turned into a shadow colour.
Rafael's heart had turned shadow colour as well as blue flames covering the entirety of it. A tyrannical and fearful aura rose within Rafael as this was happening. A blue hue started to come from him.
Unknown period of time passed in agony. The pain finally stopped.
Rafael stood up panting as he tried to analyze what just happened. The dragon turning into shadows, entering his mouth and that insufferable pain.
Nothing made sense to him.
'Just, what the hell happened?'
However, as Rafael was contemplating, he saw something in front of him.
[Blessed by the Unknown, Cursed by the Gods. Dwelling in the Abyss. You have been blessed by the Infernal Progression System]
System?
Confusion covered Rafael as he thought what was this about? He read through the text again and again but he couldn't find any more details or any hidden message whatsoever.
However, then he saw something else.
[Host has been given a bloodline system]
[Accept / Deny]