The countdown reached zero, and my vision slowly began to fade to black.
But this ti, it wasn’t instant like the previous simulations. This ti, there was a mont—a single mont where Shadow remained visible.
She was crying.
Her massive dragon form trembled in the sky, tears streaming down her scaled face as if she could actually see the separation happening.
Her mouth opened, but the sound didn’t reach anymore. The world was becoming distant, muffled, like being pulled underwater.
I reached for her instinctively, my hand stretching out even though I knew it was futile.
Then—
I was jolted back.
My eyes snapped open, and I gasped for air . My body was drenched in cold sweat, my heart hamring against my ribs so hard it hurt.
I looked around frantically, trying to orient myself.
I was in my safe room. My real room.
My hands were shaking.
I fumbled for my phone on the nightstand, nearly dropping it twice before I managed to check the ti.
Seven hours.
I had only been gone for seven hours.
Seven hours in the real world. Seven years in that other place.
"I..." My voice ca out hoarse, barely a whisper. The cold sweat continued to trickle down my back, soaking through my shirt. My breathing was ragged, uneven.
Was what I experienced actually real? Or had it truly been just a simulation?
"System," I said, my voice steadier now but still laced with uncertainty. "What was that? Are you sure that was just a simulation?"
[Affirmative.]
The response was imdiate, But sothing about it felt wrong. The certainty was too absolute, too quick. Like it was trying to convince rather than inform .
I clenched my fists. "You’re lying."
[Host’s emotional state detected as unstable. Recomnd rest and recovery before—]
Just as I was about to demand more answers, sothing appeared in my vision.
A card.
It floated there, semi-transparent and glowing with a soft golden light. The edges shimred with intricate patterns that seed to shift and change as I looked at them.
My reward.
Despite everything, despite the turmoil raging inside , I felt a pull toward it. I reached out slowly, my hand trembling slightly, and the mont my fingers made contact—
Blinding light exploded outward.
I had to squeeze my eyes shut against the brilliance, raising my other arm to shield my face.
The light felt warm, washing over in waves. Then, just as suddenly as it had appeared, it faded.
When I opened my eyes again, an egg was on the floor.
My eyes widened, and for a mont, I forgot how to breathe.
It was the sa egg. The exact sa one that Shadow had hatched from.
Black as midnight with a golden sheen that caught the light, making it look like soone had poured liquid starlight over obsidian.
I reached out with both hands, cradling the egg carefully. It was warm to the touch, and I could feel sothing inside it.
’No way,’ I whispered. ’This can’t be...’
[Royal Dragon’s Egg detected.]
[Host would you like to accelerate the growth of this egg using Monster Cores?]
That option wasn’t available before, but it was a ti saver.
Moving quickly, I set the egg on the bed with care, then rushed to the corner where my supplies were kept.
Several containers sat stacked there. Each one held monster cores. Most were low grade.
Originally, these had been gathered to enhance breathing exercises. The concentrated energy they released into the air made cultivation more efficient, helped absorb energy faster and with greater purity.
The mont the first core ca close, it began to glow.
Light seeped from the egg’s surface, and the core in my hand started to dissolve, its energy flowing like liquid.
I fed it another. Then another. One by one, I watched the cores disappear, their energy absorbed completely.
The egg grew warr. The heartbeat inside grew stronger.
Then—
Crack.
A hairline fracture appeared on the surface.
Crack. Crack.
More fractures spread across the shell, golden light spilling through the gaps. The room filled with a soft humming sound, like distant singing.
Then the egg shattered.
Pieces of shell fell away as I watched. They broke down into motes of light, then rushed straight into my chest. The energy sank into my heart, and a magic circle began to form.
The first circle locked into place with ease. It was a feat that had taken three months the last ti. This ti, it happened in seconds. The change did not stop there.
A second circle followed, then a third. The flow ended only after the third circle settled.
"No fucking way." I touched my chest. Three years. That was how long it had taken to create that many when I was in Arden’s body.
Before the excitent could fully sink in, my gaze dropped to the floor. . And there, sitting in the center of it all, was a tiny dragon.
It was no bigger than my palm. Black scales , each one perfect and iridescent. Green eyes blinked open and looked directly at .
For a mont, neither of us moved.
Then the little dragon spread its wings—delicate, mbranous things that seed too fragile to ever carry it through the sky—and gave them an experintal flap.
It stumbled slightly, unused to its own body, but righted itself quickly. Then it turned those green eyes back to , and I felt it
The soul link.
It snapped into place like a key turning in a lock, instant and absolute. I felt her—and yes, it was definitely a her—emotions flooding through the connection. Curiosity. Recognition. Joy.
And sothing else.
mory.
Fragnted, incomplete, but there. Glimpses of sky battles and naval warfare. Echoes of a voice calling out "Father."
This was Shadow.
’You’ve got to be kidding ,’ I muttered, running a hand through my hair.
The little dragon chirped at , a sound sowhere between a bird and a cat. She took an unsteady step forward, then another, making her way across the bed toward .
When she reached my hand, she pressed her small head against my palm, and I felt a wave of warmth through our link.
Father.
The word didn’t co in sound but in feeling, in pure understanding transmitted directly to my mind.
My throat tightened. "Yeah," I said softly. "Yeah, I’m here."
She climbed onto my hand, her tiny claws surprisingly gentle, and curled up in my palm, her tail wrapping around my wrist.
I stared at her, this creature that shouldn’t exist, and felt sothing break open inside my chest.
Honestly, I had always thought I would get a child first, given the number of won I slept with. To think that I would end up as the father of a dragon.
A laugh escaped—short, slightly bitter, but genuine. "Of all the things to bring back from that world..."
Shadow looked up at the sound, her small head tilting with curiosity. Through the soul link ca a pulse of innocent confusion, wondering what was funny.
"Nothing, little one," the murmur ca softly, one finger gently stroking along her snout. "Just thinking about how life never goes the way you expect."
.
.
.
.
.
"Guild Master? What is that cute little thing?" Rhea pointed at my shoulder.
"She’s my little daughter." I smiled.
Monster pets did exist in this world, but their prices were so high that only the wealthy could afford them. Most people never even saw one in person, let alone owned sothing as exotic as a dragon—even if they didn’t know that’s what she actually was.
Shadow shifted on the shoulder, her small wings spreading slightly as she took in all the attention.
Through the soul link ca a burst of curiosity mixed with excitent. New people. Interesting slls. Different voices.
"Oh my god, she’s adorable!" Sora practically squealed, stepping closer with her hands clasped together. "Guild Master, can I... can I pet her?"
" too!" Lian chid in, already reaching out before pulling back, rembering her manners. "Please? I’ve never seen anything like her before!"
"Please, Guild Master?" Rhea added her voice to the chorus, hands pressed together in a pleading gesture. "Just for a mont?"
The instinct to reject ca imdiately. Shadow was not a toy. She was family, a companion, sothing precious that shouldn’t be passed around like so cute accessory.
But she was leaning forward on the shoulder, her small body practically vibrating with eagerness. She wanted this. Wanted the attention, the affection, the new experiences.
"Shadow?" The question ca quietly, ant only for her.
She chirped enthusiastically and actually launched herself off the shoulder, gliding—still sowhat clumsily—toward Rhea’s outstretched hands.
Rhea caught her with a delighted gasp, cradling the small dragon carefully. "Oh, she’s so warm! And her scales are so smooth!"
They both have fire attribute, so that might have been the reason.
Shadow imdiately started nuzzling against Rhea’s hands, then, without any hesitation whatsoever, she climbed up and nestled directly into the chest area, making herself comfortable in the soft space between her breasts.
The soul link transmitted pure contentnt. Warm. Soft. Nice.
"Oh my..." Rhea’s face turned bright red, but she was smiling, one hand gently stroking Shadow’s back.
"My turn, my turn!" Sora reached out eagerly.
Shadow, clearly enjoying herself, allowed the transfer. And imdiately, she did the exact sa thing—climbing up and settling into the generous bosom with a satisfied purr.
"She’s purring!" she giggled, her own face flushing. "Guild Master, she’s so sweet!"
Shadow made her way from girl to girl, and every single ti, without fail, she found the exact sa spot to nestle into
Like father, like daughter indeed.
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