From the books in the library, I learned that although the "Ring of Salamander" was offered to the First Dragon God by the king of the Salamander tribe, it was actually crafted by the high elves of the "Chrono-Mountainous Regions." These high elves are an evolved form of elves, rivaling dragons in strength and intelligence—three high elves could take on a dragon of considerable power.
Their unmatched skill in forging is legendary, but only a select few dwarves are permitted to approach them, and even then, the dwarves are not their equals. The downside to their exceptional craftsmanship is their rarity; high elves forge only on a few occasions throughout their incredibly long lifespans, which can extend indefinitely unless cut short by an unforeseen accident—something equally rare.
This unique circumstance was likely why the First Dragon God accepted the offering from the Salamander king. However, there are still many unanswered questions: What was the request? Did the Dragon God accept it? Did he even wear the ring?
Every time I ponder these questions, a hundred more spring to mind. So, I decided to set them aside for the moment and focus on examining the ring to see if it reacted to the blood pendant.
Utilizing my superior magical powers as a Dragon God, I created a strong mana link between the pendant and the ring, watching for any changes as the bond strengthened. Initially, nothing happened, but as I intensified the connection, the blood pendant shifted to a brilliant blue hue, while the ring shone even more brightly.
Suddenly, to my astonishment, the room seemed to turn upside down, rapidly spiraling like a wormhole.
(I can't feel any mana, and my body feels strangely weak.)
I had been teleported, but to where? The place resembled a tunnel.
(Nothing was visible except for a bright dot further down the tunnel.)
Hesitant but with no other choice, I proceeded forward.
(...)
The tunnel gradually constricted, compelling me to transform into my human form. (Shifting to my secondary form requires mental power rather than mana.)
At the end of the tunnel, I emerged into a vast grassland, where a large peach tree stood some distance away. Behind it, I glimpsed a silhouette that appeared to be human.
As I approached, the figure moved closer, and I realized with shock that it was not a human—or any recognizable species. It seemed as if an entire universe resided within that small body, radiating an immense power, one that I sensed surpassed even that of a Dragon God.
I stood frozen, awestruck, unable to comprehend the being before me. Despite feeling weak in comparison, my senses failed to detect anything substantial about him. It was as if he existed outside my understanding of reality.