Chapter Fifty-Nine

Edward took a deep breath and lowered his arms to his legs. The flames that had been gathered in his throat caused his chest to become overwhelmed by a fierce heat, so he took a moment to cool himself down. Once he was calmed down, Edward opened his eyes and put his hands on his hips.

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Your soul companion has been avenged!

They will return to you now!

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A bright flash of light exploded above Edward's head. Ikarus suddenly popped out of the bright light, quickly landing on the ground in front of Edward. The dragon's eyes were wide open with excitement as his tail wagged back and forth.

Edward felt his heart skip a beat as he looked at his dragon. A tear formed in his eye as he slowly crouched. Edward gazed at his dragon as a smile appeared on his face.

"I thought I lost you, Ikarus. Come here!" Edward cheered. His voice nearly cracked from the happiness he was feeling. As Edward opened his arms, Ikarus quickly rushed forward and threw himself onto his master. Edward fell back onto the floor and put his arms around Ikarus's body. The dragon and master hugged for a moment, glad to be reunited. After a moment, Edward took a deep breath, "Don't ever die like that again, okay?"

Ikarus nodded and collapsed his weight against Edward's chest. The wind escaped from Edward's lungs as all of his dragon's weight was pressed against him, but Edward didn't dare to let the dragon escape from his arms

Edward smiled once again, then looked up and directed his attention to his next notification.

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The Ancient Dragon, [UNLEARNED NAME], has applauded your efforts. With this achievement, you have taken the first step in earning his favor. As such, the Ancient Dragon, [UNLEARNED NAME], has gifted you his First Gift.

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[The First Gift] - Race Change

All Dragons now recognize you as one of their own. You are no longer a Dragonkin, but a Dragon yourself. Any human blood still left in your body will be destroyed to make room for Dragon blood. Your physical appearance will not change unless you wish it to, and you will be granted abilities unique to full-blooded dragons. Congratulations.

- All [Pyrokinesis] attacks now summon Dragon fire instead of ordinary flames.

- There is no longer a level restriction to tame Dragons, only a mana restriction.

- You have learned the skill: [Minor Morph]

- Any progeny you sire will be dragons, as well.

- Your Origin has changed from Dragonkin to Dragon, and your skills have been upgraded.

In light of your recent achievements and physical appearance, you have been adopted as a member of the Obsidian subrace.

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The Obsidian Dragon

The Obsidian Dragons are among the most courageous and powerful subraces of Dragon Kind. Known for their stalwart loyalty and powerful red flames, they are the core of Draconic pride. Where Platinum Dragons focus on speed and maintain air supremacy, Obsidian Dragons focus on the strength of their flames and the durability of their scales. Their bodies are amongst the largest of all Dragon Subraces— coming only second to the wingless Earth Dragons. Although Obsidian Dragons only have one pair of wings, these wings are large enough to create hurricanes and tornadoes.

The Obsidian Dragons are widely recognized as among the three 'royal' subraces of Dragons. Only they, the Platinum Dragons, and the Gold Dragons have any chance of ascending to the throne.

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"What?!" Edward shouted as he gazed at the notifications in front of him. He immediately rose to an upright position, nearly pushing Ikarus off his body as he moved. Edward continued to gaze at the screen in front of him with wide eyes.

'A race change? What does that even mean?'

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Your environment has been registered as [SAFE]

The Race Change will now go underway. Please stand by

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Before Edward could even finish reading the message hovering in front of him, an aching pain suddenly covered his entire body. While not as intense as the pain that came with his ascension, the pain was still fierce and nearly unbearable. Edward stifled a scream as his body began to convulse on the ground. 

The pain began near his heart and other vital organs. It started as a low ache, like what Edward would feel after an intense workout. The pain hardened his organs and increased their durability. Soon enough, the pain quickly turned into a burning sensation that quickly expanded to his bones and muscles. His bones became more powerful as his muscles grew more dense. After a few minutes, the pain moved on to his skin as patches of his body became as hot as coal. 

The pain eventually reached his eyes, blinding him for a moment. Edward felt like his eyeballs were melting, but he still did not scream aloud in fear of alarming his teammates. After a few seconds, his eyes quickly rebuilt themselves until they were completely brand new.

When Edward opened them again, he saw smoke emerge from underneath his clothes, so he quickly removed his gauntlets and gazed upon his hands. Underneath the embers of flames and burnt skin, Edward saw scales of black glass grow larger and thicker. When the pain was finally gone, these black scales had replaced some patches of Edward's skin. 

After a brief inspection, he soon learned that the skin on his knees, feet, knuckles, wrists, shoulders, and collarbone had been replaced with scales made of black glass. Edward removed much of his armor and looked at his body. The scales on his hand covered his fingers up to the middle knuckle and almost reached his wrist— though his palm had been saved. His legs had been less fortunate, as everything below his knees had been completely covered in the black scales. 

Luckily, what scales had appeared on his skin hadn't been turned into grotesque lumps of mass. Instead, the scales replaced his skin without adding unnecessary bumps or edges. Otherwise, he wouldn't have been able to walk in his boots.

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Race change has been completed. The [Minor Morph] skill has been added.

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You have earned 27.5% XP from this battle.

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You have reached level 11

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'So much is happening all at once,' Edward thought to himself with a sigh.