Finally Out Of The Badlands, Onwards To The Humans!

"Disrupt the flow of essence?" I echoed, my voice growing sharp. "What do you mean?"

"The Apocalyptic Dragon is tied to the essence of the world," James explained quickly. "When it awakens, it devours the ambient essence to fuel itself. That means every creature, every realm, every leyline will be drained. Your evolution will stop. Your Codex—"

"Enough!" I roared, my aura flaring with sudden intensity. The air around us distorted, rippling as though reality itself bent to my will. James staggered back, his sparrow letting out a panicked chirp as it circled erratically above him.

The silence that followed was deafening. I let it stretch, watching as he struggled to compose himself. My third eye narrowed, scanning him for even the faintest sign of deception.

He's desperate. But he's not lying.

Interesting.