When the Red Moon rises once every year, dragons descend from Drakha, feasting on the abundant Mana of Eternia. It was a time of chaos, where even the bravest players huddled in the safety of cities, praying for the Red Moon to pass.
Drakha was said to be a place of both immense danger and opportunity, accessible only by aircraft, skyships, or those with the ability to fly. But once inside, you might be trapped for a long time, waiting for the next Red Moon to return to Eternia.
No one had ever entered Drakha willingly — there were simply too many dragons pouring out, making entry nearly impossible without engaging in a deadly battle with the gargantuan creatures.
Legend had it that the dragons descended to consume Eternia's Mana because Drakha's supply wasn't enough.
Eternia's Mana was a delicacy to them, but Vaala — the essence vital for their survival — existed only in Drakha, making the Dragons return to their land no matter what.
However, some dragons chose to remain in Eternia, their formidable power undiminished for a time. Though a year away from Drakha wouldn't kill them, the absence of Vaala — the vital essence that fueled their strength — they would gradually weaken.
Eventually, when the Red Moon rose again, these dragons would be drawn back to Drakha, compelled by their need to restore their power.
Those who lingered in Eternia after the Red Moon were hunted for their valuable loot and attribute points, essential for raising their stats and growing stronger. It was an opportunity to strike the dragons while they were weakened.
Horizon also learned before that not all dragons hailed from Drakha. Some breeds were native to Eternia, and roamed the land, though they were far different and much weaker than their Drakhan counterparts.
Among these were the Floral Dragons, a unique breed that thrived in the enchanted forests of Eternia, their scales shimmering with hues of blooming flowers, and their breath exhaling a mist of life-giving spores.
Though less powerful, these dragons possessed their own mysterious strengths, deeply intertwined with the magic of the natural world.
Horizon's thoughts were interrupted as he suddenly felt himself plummeting from the sky. He gasped, the sensation of the wind rushing past him and the gut-wrenching feeling of free-fall overwhelming his senses.
Everything felt so vivid — very real! No matter how many simulations he'd endured back in the ARK, nothing had prepared him for this level of reality.
He was plummeting into Drakha, the Land of Dragons, and there was no turning back. Excitement surged through Horizon as he recalled how every player had dreamt of venturing here at least once.
Was he the first to make it? Had anyone else managed to breach this forbidden realm? If not, he was about to make history.
As he tumbled through the sky, Horizon twisted around to take in the scenery. His breath caught in his throat as a breathtaking world unfolded before his eyes.
Drakha, to his surprise, bore a striking resemblance to Eternia — but with one key difference: DRAGONS.
Countless dragons of varying sizes and shapes soared through the skies, their scales gleaming under the blood-red moon.
There were Wyrm's, Land Drakes, Wind Serpents, Wyverns, and countless other fearsome beasts.
From his vantage point, Horizon could see seven distinct regions stretching out across the landscape, each one unique than the other.
It was a world both terrifying and beautiful, and Horizon knew that whatever awaited him down there, it was going to be unlike anything he had ever experienced.
The first he noticed was a Golden City, its monolithic beauty shining across the landscape for dozens of miles around. Even from a distance almost everything in it was enormous in size.
The second was when the mountains stop and the desert started.
The third area was persisted in a state of desolation with red, green, black, and gold vitreous regions, some of them with patches on their surface — thousands of square miles-wide — highly polished and eroded by the hot winds caused by the exhalations of the immense volcano standing in the middle of this territory. The plains, particularly the area surrounding the volcano, have no plants or living beings.
The fourth was a jungle Horizon saw had a building on it. Numerous pyramid-like structures stood amid lush jungles and streams.
The fifth was the most ominous of all fortifications on the realm, a massive open grave. A broken stretch of land magically locked in perpetual twilight, near the Red Moon's far side. It was a desolate, haunting place where the deserts give way to a series of low crags and plateaus extending for miles
The sixth was a hostile desert expanse. The largest sea of dunes, extending for millions of square leagues. The sands were broken up by rocky outcroppings, deep crevices, and low, jutting stone hills, which provide the only shade from the unyielding rays of the sun and shelter from the sudden sandstorms.
And the last location was an amazing vistas, striking beauty, and alien sounds. It was a place steeped in legends of luxury and lavishness, where the senses could truly be overwhelmed and few other living creatures have visited with their minds intact.
The terrain below was utterly foreign to him, a complete unknown. No information in the ARK databases even hinted at its existence, as no one had ever ventured in this world. And if, by some stroke of luck or miracle, a player had somehow made it here, Horizon doubted they'd survived to tell the tale.
Horizon had no idea what was happening as he continued to plummet through the air. Panic set in as he realized he was falling fast, and his surroundings became more defined — he was hurtling toward a dense jungle below.
"Shit!"
His scream echoed through the sky, but just as the treetops rushed up to meet him, a powerful gust of wind surged from nowhere, catching him mid-air.
"No, no, no, no!" Horizon's eyes widened in terror as he was swept away, the wind dragging him across the vast expanse of the realm — straight toward a looming graveyard on the distant sky.
Was this world really going to kill him on his first day?!