Wei Long stared at the glowing screen, with a messy head, "Wait… what? What does this mean? Is this me?" He gasped. "Do I have abilities? I'm a hybrid? I… I'm eight hours old?! What in the name of every holy and unholy being is going on?"
The details clicked together in his head, and with a sinking feeling, he came to a horrifying conclusion. "Wait a second… Dinosaur Hybrid? These abilities… Bio-engineering? Don't tell me…" His voice trembled. "Don't tell me I've been turned into that creature!"
His heart—or whatever he had now—raced.
It was possible.
It was extremely possible.
After all, the government had done crazier things.
They'd promised him a cushy retirement and a peaceful life. But what if their real plan had been to experiment on him all along?
What if they had turned him into the very thing he had been sent to destroy?
"No, no, no, no, no!" Wei Long panicked, flailing—or at least, trying to. He wasn't entirely sure he had limbs anymore, but the sensation of movement remained. "This can't be happening! I survived countless wars for this?!"
Before his spiraling thoughts could consume him entirely, a faint purple glow appeared.
It was soft at first, but it grew brighter, washing over his senses like a sunrise breaking over a shadowy battlefield.
Suddenly, Wei Long felt everything.
His senses sharpened, heightening to an unnatural degree.
The faintest rustles and whispers reached his ears, the vibrations of existence themselves brushing against his skin—or scales?
He heard a sound. It was faint but unmistakable: the soft tapping of a heartbeat. Then another. And another.
The darkness faded, revealing a dim, cavernous space.
Before him, nestled in a pool of strange luminescent liquid, was a massive egg. Its surface was pearlescent, shimmering with hues of blue and white. Inside, curled up and glowing faintly, was a creature.
Wei Long stared, bewildered. "What… What is that? Is that…"
The creature was small, almost skeletal, with delicate limbs and shimmering white scales that glowed faintly in the dim light. Its head was reptilian, adorned with faint ridges that hinted at horns yet to grow.
It looked… fragile.
Almost cute.
Wei Long's breath hitched. "No way… don't tell me…"
Tentatively, he tried to move his hand.
The moment he thought about it, the baby creature inside the egg twitched, its tiny clawed hand mirroring his intention.
Wei Long froze.
"No. No, no, no. Don't tell me this is—"
He willed his hand to move again. But the creature's tiny claws wiggled in perfect synchronization.
Wei Long's heart—or whatever organ he now possessed—lurched. "This is me? This… baby dinosaur is me?"
Just as he began to process this bizarre revelation, his heightened senses picked up something else.
Voices.
Distant and faint, yet distinct.
They didn't sound human.
Their tones were melodic, ethereal, like the gentle chime of wind against crystal.
The words drifted to him, carried on unseen currents.
"The Blue Eyes White Heaven Dragons have birthed another," one voice said, its tone reverent.
"Yes," another replied, this one deeper and more resonant. "Once every chaos void, our clan's bloodline strengthens. The strongest race—Chaos Dragons—will rise again through their descendants."
"Finally," a third voice chimed in, smooth and lilting. "Our clan's glory will be restored. The heavens themselves will tremble before the might of the Blue Eyes White Heaven Dragons."
Wei Long's mind raced.
Blue Eyes White Heaven Dragons?
Chaos Void?
Strongest race?
He felt like he was caught in some strange cultivation fantasy story. But before he could dwell on it, the voices continued.
"Wait," one of them said, sounding startled. "Do you feel that?"
"Yes," another replied. "The egg… it already has consciousness like others."
The ethereal voices jumble around Wei Long, echoing in the dim expanse of his surroundings.
"A pure dragon… in one of the Fuhuaqi!" one voice exclaimed, its tone filled with reverence and excitement.
"Truly blessed by the heavens!" another chimed in. "To find one already possessing consciousness—this is a sign! Quickly, we must take it to the Heaven Newborn Spring. Only there can it properly awaken and begin its journey as one of the purest among the Heaven Dragon Clan."
Wei Long felt the tremor through the egg before anything else. His heightened senses buzzed with new stimuli as the surface of his egg began to hum faintly, then shuddered.
A weightless sensation washed over him as the egg—his egg—began to rise.
It was surreal.
He had no control over what was happening, but he could feel everything.
I'm floating…?
What kind of advanced technology is this?
Wei Long wondered. But as his senses expanded, he realized something crucial: this wasn't a laboratory.
The sterile smell of chemicals and cold steel wasn't present.
Instead, there was an otherworldly energy, faintly sweet and warm, like sunlight filtering through ancient forests.
This isn't the government's doing… this is something else entirely, he thought. His mind pieced it together, however hesitant.
The way these voices spoke, the reverence in their tones, the mentions of clans and purity—this was unmistakably a cultivation world.
But why couldn't he see their faces?
With his heightened senses, he should've been able to. He could make out the flowing robes they wore, shimmering with celestial patterns that seemed to ripple with every movement. He could hear the rustle of fabric and the faint hum of spiritual energy surrounding them. Yet, their faces were hidden from him, as though cloaked in mist.
Why can't I see them? he thought.
The mystery gnawed at him, but he had no time to dwell on it.
The two figures carried him—or rather, the egg—toward an enormous, intricately carved door. Its surface gleamed with a pearly white radiance, and dragon motifs coiled and danced across it as though alive.
It was breathtaking.
Standing beside the door was an elderly figure, hunched slightly but exuding an aura of immense authority.
His robe shimmered like the night sky, and his voice was deep and resonant. "Hmm."
The elder's eyes, sharp and glowing faintly, swept over the egg. "A consciousness. Good. Take it inside swiftly. The Heaven Newborn Spring awaits."
The two figures nodded deeply, bowing slightly to the elder. "Thank you, Elder," they said in unison before stepping forward and pushing the heavy door open.
Wei Long caught glimpses of the elder's expression, his lips moving in what appeared to be an approving mumble. But Wei Long's mind couldn't settle.
Why are they so obsessed with this 'pure' thing?
What happens if a dragon isn't pure?
The question in his mind felt eerie that he couldn't take it out his head.
Once the two figures disappeared into the radiant doorway, Wei Long's heightened hearing picked up the elder's low voice again, speaking to someone just out of sight.
"How many impure were found this cycle?" the elder asked, his tone cool and impassive.
"Exactly one hundred and fourteen, Elder," came the reply.
The elder paused, his voice heavy with judgment. "How impure are they?"
The answer came quickly. "Twenty possess most of the Heaven Dragon Clan's purity, sixty are half-bloods, twenty-seven are below half-blood, and seven… are completely impure."
The elder let out a long breath, as though the words disappointed him. "The below half-blood and completely impure ones—send them to the lowest realm under the Heaven Dragon Clan's domain. They are unworthy to remain in the higher realms."
Wei Long felt his metaphorical stomach drop.
What?!
Sent to the lowest realm?
The elder continued, his voice unflinching. "The half-bloods can be sent to the Fourth Realm. Their worth is limited, but they may yet serve in minor capacities. As for those closest to purity, they shall remain in the Second Realm for training and observation. We must ensure that the clan's strength is preserved."
Wei Long's mind reeled. Lower realms? Higher realms? Just how vast is this world? And what kind of hierarchy is this? The sheer scale of it all boggled his mind.
The two figures soon returned from beyond the door, nodding politely to the elder before moving off elsewhere.
Wei Long was left alone for a moment, floating in his egg and stewing in his thoughts.
This is insane.
Just how obsessed are they with this purity thing?
What if I wasn't pure?
Would they have tossed me into some desolate wasteland?
This place… this place is dangerous.
Isn't he a dinosaur?
What if he's not pure?
Having nothing else to do, Wei Long turned his attention to the translucent screen still hovering before his vision.
It glowed faintly, ever-present and inviting. Curiosity got the better of him, and he deci
ded to examine the abilities listed.
"Let's see what I've got," he muttered, his claw—or the thought of his claw—hovering over the first ability.
He clicked on it.