Chapter 25: A New Perspective from the Dragons – Brother Evolved! I Want Power Too!

  Where am I? Why is everything so dark and cold?

  The last thing I remember was that unfair battle I had with that monster... That’s right! I fell and hit the ground!

  “So you finally remember? Heh heh, your consciousness is so empty and small, but with age and experience, that inner weakness will gradually fade. Just remember not to call me a monster again—such words are a grave insult to me.”

  W-Who are you?! What do you mean this is inside my consciousness?!

  “How quickly you forget. Doesn’t my voice sound familiar to you?”

  ...

  A heavy silence ruled over that cold darkness, as the dragon finally remembered the source of that voice.

  M-Master... I... I don’t know what to say... Should I speak of my ignorance of my own power, or my inability to understand and recognize my Lord? Oh Lord, can I still be worthy of Your forgiveness? I know I’m going to die soon—

  “You rebellious child of mine! Do you take me lightly, or are you still unaware of the knowledge I’ve gifted you? How could I allow you to perish before my very eyes and do nothing but watch? My dear child, I created you to live, not to have that life cruelly stolen from you. Everything that has befallen you today is a consequence of your na?ve and foolish past—not your present.”

  Child? My Lord, do you truly see me and my brothers and sisters as Your children?

  “Are artists and creators not deeply attached to their creations? If humans cherish lifeless objects so dearly, how could I not call my living creations my children?”

  My Lord, truly You are wise and merciful. Although I don’t fully understand what an artist is, I’m sure they must be strong and remarkable beings if You speak of them with such reverence.

  ...

  “Very well, I’ll leave you now to rest in your sleep. I wish you a peaceful dream.”

  Wait! Master—

  Suddenly, that powerful presence faded away, vanishing gently, and with it, sleep and darkness overtook his consciousness, surrendering him to the depths of dreams.

  ---

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  The elder brother defied our Lord and accused Him of lies. Then the younger brother clashed with him in a war of words. Eventually, the elder fought the Lord—and was utterly defeated and knocked unconscious with a single strike.

  This proved one thing to me: the power of a god is no joke. According to the knowledge our Master gave me, a god is one who can influence the laws that govern nature and the world—a being who can do whatever they will, and no one can oppose their desire. Truly, our Master is the perfect example of a god!

  Ah, I want this power too! The scent of power intoxicates me, but what is power without wisdom? I must first seek experience and deeper understanding.

  It’s strange... ever since our brother fell, the Lord has been sitting beside him, watching him. It’s been two days like this, and now, my siblings and I are starting to feel hunger.

  It’s a strange sensation… like something is eating me from the inside, or trying to control my will and mind. Every time I see a bird, my mouth waters and its scent fills me with joy. Is my will so weak that I can’t resist these shallow urges?

  My three sisters keep telling me and the younger brother that we should talk to the Lord, to escape this state of confusion—but do any of us really have the courage to speak to the Master, especially after seeing the elder defeated with one blow?

  I told them we should wait, and fortunately, the younger brother agreed with me. But our sisters were too hungry to listen to us.

  They went hunting and ate creatures called “Golden-Fleeced Deer.” I don’t know what happened, but when they returned and described the delicious taste of the tender, sweet meat sizzling between their teeth, the world lost all color in my eyes, and only one thought remained:

  I want meat! Meat! Meat!...

  When I came to my senses, I found myself deep in the forest, and black dried blood covered the grassy fields, giving off a foul stench.

  To my surprise, I no longer felt that gnawing, painful hunger. That’s when I realized what had happened—I had gone hunting in the middle of the night, and all that blood belonged to deer.

  When I returned to my siblings, they asked why I had gone into the woods at night. I told them the truth—that hunger is hard to control.

  My sisters nodded and confirmed my words. The eldest said:

  “At that time, we too were gripped by the same feeling. Hungry and thirsty for blood—a torment no one can endure.”

  The youngest sister excitedly asked me: “So? How did it taste? Was it delicious? Salty? Bitter? Don’t tell me you tasted the legendary spicy flavor?!”

  I don’t even remember how I hunted. How could I possibly recall the taste?!

  How can you distinguish between flavors when you have no idea what they are or mean? We have knowledge, but no experience! And experience is half of wisdom—our understanding is not yet complete!

  Wait—where’s the younger brother?

  I asked my sisters, and they all replied they hadn’t seen him since yesterday.

  It would be a lie to say I wasn’t worried, but I knew none of us were weak—we possessed powers beyond other creatures. So I decided to wait and see what my younger brother would bring back from his hunt.

  Hours passed, but there was no sign of his return. My heart grew restless—perhaps he had encountered a predator stronger than himself, or met a tragic fate like our elder brother.

  I made up my mind to go looking for him. But then, I noticed thick smoke rising from the west.

  I spread my wings and flew toward it—and finally saw him. Standing tall and proud amid a sea of blazing violet fire was a dragon—no longer the weak one we once thought was the least of us.

  With eyes wide from awe and excitement, I asked him: “Brother? Why is your aura so much stronger? What have you done?”

  He looked at me and smiled—a smile that revealed terrifying jaws behind his lips.

  “I evolved.”