After encountering Drake the Dragon Knight, Axton rekindled a familiar train of thought — that the NPCs in New Eden were definitely not ordinary.

Nothing about them felt scripted. Their emotions, their words, even their subtle gestures… everything seemed too real.

Either the developers were absolute geniuses, or something far more complicated was happening behind the scenes.

But Axton didn't have the luxury of time to dwell on that thought.

He inhaled deeply and raised his hand.

In the next instant, a vast shadow loomed over the terrain as his dragon materialized in a swirl of energy.

The beast's scales glimmered under the filtered sunlight, its molten-yellow eyes locking onto Axton with instinctive loyalty and an unmistakable hint of curiosity.

The dragon's gaze soon dropped to Axton's palm as it stared at the glowing Ancient Dragon Stone resting within it.

The creature's eyes widened slightly, a low, rumbling growl vibrating through its throat as anticipation flooded its body.

The dragon clearly recognized what that item was.

Axton didn't hesitate.

He tossed the stone high into the air.

*Swoosh*

In a flash, the dragon lunged forward and snapped its massive jaws around the stone, swallowing it whole.

Almost immediately, a surge of energy coursed through the dragon's veins.

Its scales shimmered violently as veins of golden light traveled from its throat to the tip of its tail.

The air began to vibrate with power.

Then came the familiar ding sound that made Axton's heart pound.

*Ding*

[Bloodline awakened]

[Your dragon beast has evolved]

[Evolution: Terra Dragonet → Earth Dragon]

The ground beneath the dragon trembled.

The soil cracked open in multiple places as the creature's entire form began to shift and expand.

Its limbs thickened, claws sharpening into blades that could rip through steel.

Each scale stretched and hardened, glowing faintly with an earthy hue as if the essence of the land itself had fused with its body.

The once sleek dragon now transformed into a towering force of nature.

Dust and energy burst outward, the air thickening from the sheer pressure it emitted.

The scent of earth and minerals filled the surroundings, thick and intoxicating.

Axton shielded his eyes as the brilliance reached its peak.

When the light faded, a majestic Earth Dragon stood before him — larger, stronger, and far more intimidating than before.

It raised its head proudly and released a thunderous roar.

*Rooooaaaaarrr*

The sound reverberated across the plains, shaking the sky itself.

Pebbles jumped, trees bent, and nearby creatures fell into a frenzy of panic.

Many fled outright, scrambling for shelter as instinct screamed at them to get away.

Axton stood firm, awe-struck at the sight before him.

******

Meanwhile, in the distance, Drake, who was already a bit far from the dragon and its rider, smiled faintly.

The moment the roar reached him, he stopped walking and turned slightly, his long coat fluttering in the wind.

"That sound…" he muttered, his lips curving into an appreciative grin. "He used it already."

He gazed toward the direction of the dragon's echo, his eyes narrowing with both admiration and a tinge of longing.

"It's always a magnificent sight to see a dragon evolve," Drake mused silently, his voice tinged with nostalgia. "I really should've taken him up on that offer to tour the city. Why did I choose to wander instead?"

He sighed dramatically, pretending to weep as if he'd just missed the most important spectacle of his life.

But his act didn't last long.

The Dragon Knight soon straightened, his expression sharpening again into one of deep contemplation.

"If that dragon is truly of ancient descent," he murmured, stroking his chin, "and it manages to complete its evolution line… then that boy might just qualify for the battle of legendary beasts."

A slow, mischievous grin stretched across his face.

"Heh! We'll surely meet again, Khan."

With that, Drake turned and continued on his path, his silhouette slowly fading into the horizon.

******

Back near the evolving site, Axton was still marveling at his dragon's transformation. He opened his system panel to inspect its updated status.

[Earth Dragon]

[Grade: Mythical]

[Level: 30]

[Attack: 1650]

[Magic Power: 1550]

[Defense: 6500]

[Mana: 3750 / 3750]

[HP: 9000 / 9000]

[Skills: Dragon's Roar, Earth Wall, Whipping Dragon Tail, Protruding Spears]

Axton's lips parted in astonishment.

"Mythical grade already…" he muttered under his breath.

His dragon had jumped from Grade 5 all the way to Mythical in a single evolution — something that, under normal circumstances, should've taken a long time of training and dozens of rare materials.

But more than that, the creature had also unlocked a new skill.

[Protruding Spears]

Axton quickly pulled up its description.

[Protruding Spears]

[Rank: Legendary]

[Level: 1]

[Description: Creates lance-like earthen spikes that erupt from the ground or any earthen base up to 50 metres high, with 100% of the dragon's Magic Power added to the damage. Successful hits reduce the victim's agility by 30%.]

[Drawback: Consumes 500 Mana Points.]

[Skill can be leveled up. Each level increases range by 100 metres.]

Axton smirked. "Another legendary skill. Not bad at all."

The Protruding Spears ability was devastating in both attack and crowd control potential. Reducing agility by 30% could cripple opponents who relied on speed or evasion — a perfect complement to Axton's aggressive combat style.

For a moment, he thought about upgrading it immediately, but decided against it.

He wanted to save his experience points for something else.

Right now, he had a different plan in mind.

He opened his inventory and summoned three items that shone brightly into existence before him — the Enchantment Armour, the Shock Plate and the Hell Blaze Armour.

Out of the three, the Hell Blaze Armour was undeniably the strongest.

Axton stared at them, formulating his plan.

"What I need to do," he muttered, "is extract the Enchantment skill from the Enchantment Armour, and the Shock Blast skill from the Shock Plate… then fuse both into the Hell Blaze Armour."

His eyes gleamed.

It was an ambitious idea — one that could fail if even the slightest mistake occurred. But if he succeeded, the resulting armour would be one of the deadliest fusion-grade items in his arsenal.

He rolled his shoulders, flexing his fingers as he prepared to start the process.

"Let's see just how far we can push the limits this time," he said, a faint grin playing at the corner of his lips.

Behind him, the Earth Dragon lowered its head, letting out a low, rumbling growl — as though it was watching its master with quiet pride.

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