Awakening

In the silent dragon nest, the gems embedded in the walls emitted a soft glow.

Against the off-white floor tiles, the giant beast coiled upon a large bed covered in gold coins was incredibly striking.

Her pitch-black scales reflected a luster akin to obsidian.

She held her long, slender tail in her arms like a body pillow.

At some point, the giant beast's eyelids trembled slightly.

As if she were having a nightmare.

In the next moment, the giant beast slowly opened her eyes, revealing vertical pupils that shone like gold.

“Who... am I?”

These were the first words the black beast uttered upon waking from her long slumber.

Her voice was inexplicably deep and hoarse.

Her tone was filled with confusion.

In her dream, from a first-person perspective, she had traversed a vast span of over a hundred thousand years.

She had witnessed a completely different life.

It was another life of hers.

It was a life she had forgotten.

Yet, through an idealistic power, she had reclaimed those memories.

Such a massive influx of information left the giant beast in a state of brief confusion even after waking.

She was even somewhat unable to distinguish whether she was currently in reality or still in a dream.

Nor could she tell who she actually was.

Was she a “he,” or a “she”?

The giant beast slightly lifted her head, and her long neck let out a series of crisp popping sounds.

Her bones felt stiff and rusty, like mechanical parts that hadn't been used in a long time.

Then, she dazed out.

Her usually ferocious and majestic dragon head looked somewhat silly and dazed at this moment.

Her bewildered and lost expression did not look like a black dragon, famed for their cunning among the chromatic dragons.

Instead, she looked more like a white dragon, the most foolish of the chromatic dragons.

Dazed for a few seconds, she blinked. Seemingly a bit more awake, the black beast spoke again.

“Am I... Chu Xia?”

She seemed to be asking.

However, the dragon nest was completely empty, with not a single soul in sight.

Naturally, there was no one to answer her question.

“No!”

The giant beast's eyes grew inexplicably clearer.

“I am Irene!”

“Irene Afra Christina!”

“The ruler of the Black Dragon Empire!”

As she spoke, her tone grew firmer and heavier.

When the last word fell, she finally seemed to have found herself amidst the illusory dream.

Her eyes flashed with the light of wisdom.

Amidst the creaking of the overburdened bedboards and the harsh grating of her scales rubbing together,

Irene pushed herself up, supporting her massive dragon body, which had grown significantly larger.

Her body length had now reached a terrifying twelve meters.

If the bed hadn't been so massive, it probably wouldn't have been able to accommodate such a huge bulk.

In the perspective of dragons, such a massive body undoubtedly placed her in the ranks of a young adult dragon.

This showed just how long her slumber had lasted.

But Irene didn't seem to care in the slightest.

Compared to the historical truths she had witnessed in her dream, this minor physical change could no longer hold her attention.

The scenes from her dream still echoed faintly in her mind.

Earth.

The world's upheaval.

The otherworldly invasion.

Humanity falling from the top of the food chain.

And then, step by step, gathering their strength to defeat the gods and reclaim their home!

“Everything makes sense now,” Irene muttered as her body shrank amidst a flurry of popping bones.

The ferocious giant dragon vanished, replaced by a young girl who now carried a somewhat mature demeanor.

Her waterfall-like, waist-length black hair draped behind her.

A plain white robe, simple and devoid of any decorative patterns, wrapped around her body, which now showed clearly defined curves.

With a soft pattering sound, the young girl sat casually on the edge of the giant “dragon bed.”

As she idly swung her two fair, petite feet, a thick stack of parchment appeared in her palm at some unknown moment.

At the very top of the parchment, several large words were written: “Imperial V-Type Power Armor Disassembly Blueprints”.

“The Beastkin Empire...”

Looking at the blueprints in her hand, Irene's gaze grew complicated, and her long eyelashes fluttered slightly, betraying the turmoil in her heart.