The Prophecy

Days passed without anything significant happening. Ray continued his daily training at his usual spot, preparing for the upcoming knight recruitment, while his mother and father remained occupied with their quests.

His father had been away for longer than usual—over a month had passed. Ray expected him to return any day now, eager to test the effects of the crystal he had absorbed. But when he arrived home after his training, he was met with an unsettling sight.

Upon opening the door, he could hear the sound of his mother crying. Rushing to the kitchen where her voice was coming from, he found her sitting at the table, her head down.

"Mother, what's wrong?" Ray asked, his heart pounding.

She lifted her head, her face streaked with tears. "It's your father. He's not well."

She knelt down, trying to steady herself, and reached for Ray's hand. "Let's see him together. I'm sure it will make him happy."

Gripping his hand tightly, she led him toward their bedroom. As they neared the door, her grip tightened.

"Before we go in, I need you to be strong, Ray," she whispered.

Ray nodded, steeling himself.

His father lay on the bed, unmoving, not even acknowledging their presence. His skin was pale and dry, his hair thinning, his eyes sunken and lifeless. The strong man Ray once knew was gone. As they approached, his father murmured softly, his words barely audible.

"The shadow... it will kill us all... we will all die... the shadow... the shadow..."

Ray activated his Dragon Eyes skill. His father's aura had changed—it was no longer the strong golden hue it had once been. Instead, a dark, sinister purple aura surrounded him. Ray had never seen this color before.

"What happened to him?" Ray asked, glancing at his mother.

"Let's talk outside," she said, leading him away from the room. His father continued his murmuring, repeating the same chilling words over and over.

Seated at the table, his mother explained what had happened. His father had contracted something called the Shadow Plague, an incurable disease that had spread across the continent. He had been infected during his latest quest near the border, where the plague was most rampant. The knights had brought him back while Ray was away, saying he had been wounded while protecting a small village from shadow beasts.

Lying in his room later that night, Ray wrestled with the new information. He had never heard of the Shadow Plague or shadow beasts in his time as a dragon. How long had it been since his transformation? How much had the world changed in his absence?

He opened his status window and examined his skills. His Dragon Eyes and Summon Pet skills were listed, but beneath them was a strange figure:

[1/1000]

Despite already having the Summon Pet skill, the counter remained unchanged. This wasn't a skill he possessed as a dragon. Perhaps the number was tied to unlocking his true abilities.

He recalled a skill from his past life that could clear all status conditions. If he could unlock it, maybe he could save his father. But he still had no idea how to acquire new skills. Defeating the Crazed Monkey hadn't unlocked anything new, meaning combat alone wasn't the trigger.

Even if he found a way to unlock more abilities, he had no control over which skills he gained next. Time was slipping away. His father's condition was deteriorating, and his mother would soon have to stop working to care for him. Their savings wouldn't last forever. What would happen then?

Ray clenched his fists. He needed answers, and the best place to find them was Avrion Academy. With their resources, he could learn about the Shadow Plague and the changes in the world since his defeat. More than ever, he needed to pass the knight examination. He had already lost his family once—he wasn't going to lose them again.

Far away, in a grand cathedral, a gathering of elders stood in a circle, their white robes glowing under the soft light of a massive, radiant orb in the center of the room.

"The prophecy has been foretold," one elder said gravely.

"Yes, but this is no simple matter," another replied.

"Difficult indeed," a third muttered.

They exchanged solemn glances before the first elder spoke again. "We must find the boy with red hair and guide him down the correct path. His fate is uncertain—he has two destinies. If we fail, he will bring destruction upon the world. If we succeed, he will be its savior."

The elders nodded in agreement.

"We must inform the land quickly!"