Kairo's mind raced as the Divine Dragon loomed above him, every scale of its colossal body glinting with a terrifying brilliance.
Before he could react, the dragon's tail lashed out like a living mountain, smashing into him with the force of a cataclysm.
He was sent sprawling across the lakebed, water erupting violently around him.
Blood mixed with the churning waters, and Kairo gasped, struggling to draw breath as the pain seared through his body.
Instinct screamed at him to run, and he pushed himself upright, sprinting desperately across the water's surface.
But the dragon's senses were impossibly acute.
With a terrifying speed, it slammed its tail down again, and Kairo was hurled once more into the unforgiving earth beneath the lake.
The dragon hovered above, narrowing its ancient eyes.
How… how is this possible? its deep, rumbling thoughts echoed in Kairo's mind.
A single attack kills immortals… yet this human, only at Nascent Soul, survives two of my strikes. He should have perished instantly…
Even as the dragon calculated, Kairo seized the opportunity, propelling himself forward at full speed.
Every muscle, every fiber of his being, pushed to the limit.
But before he could escape, the dragon's massive hand shot down like an iron trap, crushing him with the weight of a mountain.
Pain exploded through his chest, and Kairo's cries of anguish tore through the night.
Yet in that moment of agony, the dragon noticed something unsettling.
His recovery… impossible… there are two forces within him that should never coexist… yet they do.
Its crimson eyes narrowed, the first trace of curiosity breaking through the fury.
Kairo, meanwhile, felt the surge of his evil cultivation and the black dragon's power within him pulse, binding to his very soul.
Despite the overwhelming might of the Divine Beast, he smiled grimly.
His body healed with uncanny speed, and the dark energy within him flared like molten shadows across his skin.
This… this is my chance, he thought.
A revelation hit the dragon as Kairo's aura intensified.
Memories, old and bitter, clawed through the beast's mind.
Centuries ago, a man named Stelix—Kairo's ancestor—had waged a reign of chaos across the Immortal World.
Stelix had been ruthless, cruel, and nearly unstoppable, bending even the mightiest to his will.
Together, he and the dragon had wrought devastation upon the mortal realm.
And yet… Stelix had changed.
He had abandoned the dragon's path of destruction, disguising himself as a mere human, marrying into the Kelric family, establishing their lineage while secretly harboring the same desire for chaos.
Kairo now carried the legacy, the bloodline of a man who had once commanded the dragon itself.
The dragon's eyes burned brighter than ever, an ancient fury mingled with disbelief.
Could it be… this boy, this Nascent Soul… is my master's descendant? Could this human—born weak, yet bound by darkness—be the heir to the power I once served?
Kairo's dark grin widened as he stood defiantly, blood mixing with shadow around his feet.
You see, old friend… destiny has brought us together once more.
This world… will burn again. But this time, it will burn under me.
The Divine Dragon's roar echoed across the horizon, shaking mountains, forests, and rivers alike.
The battle between ancestor and descendant, between immortal fury and human darkness, had only just begun.
And somewhere deep in Kairo's heart, the thrill of impending chaos ignited like wildfire.