Chapter 23 : The Dragon Prince’s Awakening

Jin stood in the strange realm of floating islands and glowing rivers—a world unbound by mortal laws. The air shimmered with ancient pressure, raw and heavy with judgment.

Above him, translucent dragons spiraled through the sky, their ghostly scales flickering like echoes of a forgotten age. Every beat of their vast wings rippled through the realm, causing islands to quake and rivers to flare with ethereal fire.

Then, the voice came—deep and echoing like thunder wrapped in reverence.

"First Trial: Combat."

A pillar of radiant light erupted before him, solidifying into a towering humanoid figure clad in gleaming silver draconic armor. Its face was hidden beneath a scaled helm, but its eyes—molten gold—burned with fierce judgment.

"You who carry the fragmented blood of the dragon. Let your body prove your worth."

Without warning, the warrior lunged.

Jin barely activated his Tyrant Body, feeling a metallic hum as his skin hardened and muscles bulged, blood surging like molten steel. But the first strike hit like a meteor, sending him crashing through floating boulders, ribs fracturing under the impact.

Pain seared through him, but the spectral warrior pursued relentlessly, blade ablaze with ancient energy.

"Wind Surge!" Jin shouted, wind roaring beneath his feet as he twisted midair to evade the next strike, though the edge clipped his arm, slicing open fresh wounds. His blood hissed where it touched the air.

A sudden fury ignited within him—rage, pressure, the weight of legacy.

Fury activated.

Blood qi exploded through his veins like molten lava; his eyes flared fiery red, dragon-like slits narrowing. Breath crackled with volatile power.

He met the warrior blow for blow. Their fight lit the skies—the realm itself shaking as islands shattered and rivers flared white-hot with shockwaves.

With a final roar, Jin crossed his fists, draconic scales erupting from his arms, and slammed both into the warrior's chest.

The armor cracked, the figure bowed, then shattered into silver light.

"You pass."

The realm folded like paper.

Jin was stripped bare—powerless, mortal.

He watched a terrible vision: Lana bleeding on cracked stone; Arielle chained in sorrow; Sarah unconscious.

Above them sat a man wearing his face—older, hollow-eyed, cruel.

A tyrant.

The vision-Jin raised a hand apathetic as skies turned blood-red.

Whispers echoed: "To gain everything, you must lose everything. Love is a weakness."

"No," Jin said firmly. "I won't be that man."

He walked through temptation, guilt, and fire, eyes locked on Lana's fading gaze.

She smiled faintly—and vanished in a cascade of light. So did Arielle and Sarah.

"You chose love over conquest. Loyalty over dominion."

The final trial opened like a temple of crystal and stars.

Dragons carved from light danced on walls; a floating mirror shimmered at the center.

From it emerged a titanic dragon of starlight.

Its voice thundered: "What future do you seek, descendant?"

Visions flooded Jin's mind—

A feared, isolated king surrounded by death.

A weak fugitive always fleeing.

A corpse mourned by weeping women.

Then a final vision—

Jin standing tall beside Lana, Arielle, and Sarah.

Not as a ruler—but a guardian.

Behind him, people stood protected, not bowed.

He whispered, "I choose them. To protect, not to rule."

The dragon's eyes gleamed.

"Then walk your path, Guardian of the Dragon Flame."

Light engulfed Jin.

Runes burned across his skin—then faded into his blood.

The Mark of Dragons

When Jin's eyes opened again, the cavern was silent except for his ragged breath.

His body battered, clothes torn, blood staining his side—but something had changed.

As he moved, he caught sight of his reflection in a shard of crystal: across his back, twin dragon tattoos had appeared.

One was a fierce black dragon—scales jagged like obsidian, eyes glowing like burning coals, sharp claws curling in silent menace. It pulsed with raw, demonic energy.

Beside it, slightly to the left, was a faint silver dragon—elegant, ethereal, wings spread in graceful arcs. Its eyes gleamed like starlight, subtle yet infinitely ancient.

The two dragons shared his back like dark and light in perfect, uneasy balance.

But as he stepped forward, the tattoos dimmed, fading until they became nearly invisible—ghosts beneath his skin.

Yet, even with their fading, his blood told a different story.

Where once it had been a simple red, now traces of gold shimmered in the crimson flow—like molten metal folded in fire.

There were hints of deep red—blood demon lineage—and, strangely, streaks of silver coursed through his veins, reflecting the spectral dragon's legacy.

The mixture was uncanny, almost unnatural.

"What is this?" Jin murmured, flexing his fingers as the power throbbed within him.

Lana, Arielle, and Sarah approached cautiously, sensing the immense aura pressing down like a storm.

"Jin…" Lana said softly, eyes wide. "You've changed."

Arielle studied the faint silver shimmer, brow furrowed. "The silver trace… it's unlike anything I've seen. It's… the dragon's will mixed with the demon's fury."

Sarah smiled faintly, "We're really traveling with a dragon now."

Jin smiled, though the weight settled deep in his bones.

"Not a dragon," he said quietly, "just someone who remembers what it means to protect."

System Updates — After the Awakening

[LEVEL UP] +2 (Current Level: 11)

[Magic Power] +200 (Total: 1450)

[Strength] +10 (Total: 70)

[Vitality] +5 (Total: 40)

[Agility] +6 (Total: 40)

[Bloodline Awakening]

• Dragon Bloodline: 35% → 37%, now resonating deeply with the ancient dragon veins

• Blood Demon Bloodline: 5% → 8%, surging with fury and raw force

[Elemental Insights Gained]

• Ice, Wind, Fire, Earth

[New Skills Unlocked]

• Dragon Soul Resonance (Incomplete) — Amplifies elemental aura and bloodline power, enhances presence in ancient or dragon-infused realms

• Blood Devour Sutra — Passive absorption of blood qi from foes, boosting regeneration and cultivation speed

• Fury Skill (Enhanced) — Doubles cultivation temporarily, triggered by intense emotional or battle conditions

• Dragon's Vein Resonance — Passive stat boosts in pressure zones and ancient domains

[Tyrant Body Progress]

• Silver Stage, Level 2 (Muscle density, pain tolerance, elemental resistance significantly increased)

• Combat Stage: Blood Refining Stage – Vein Tempering Level 2

[New Title Gained]

• Guardian of the Dragon Flame

[EXP Gained]

• +2450 (Total: 5700 / 6000 toward next level)

The Weight of Power

Each step Jin took was weighted by the dense power coursing through his body.

His muscles strained beneath the burden of draconic and demonic blood mingling within him.

The air around him crackled faintly.

His breath came with conscious effort, every movement a testament to the mountains of strength now chained to his bones.

Lana's eyes shimmered with tears—not of pity, but awe.

"We'll help you bear this."

Arielle nodded, "It's not a curse. It's greatness. You just need time to master it."

Sarah's grin was steady. "Traveling with a dragon… that's not something anyone can say."

Jin's tired laugh echoed softly.

"Not a dragon… just a man who remembers how to protect."

Behind them, the cavern began to rumble.

The sacred ruins closed their gates.

Above the exit, faint draconic runes shimmered with ancient wisdom:

"To protect is to carry the heavens upon one's back."

Jin inhaled deeply, feeling the gravity of his path settle into his bones.

This power wouldn't make life easier.

Each step forward would grow heavier.

Each breath taken would be a battle.

But it was his to carry.

Because he had chosen it.