Talent Awakening: Draconic Overlord Of The Apocalypse

A man walked through a seemingly endless hallway. The corridor was completely dark, with only his footsteps echoing in the silence. Shadows clung to the walls, shifting as if they were alive. The air was thick, heavy with something unseen. Each step echoed, swallowed almost instantly by the void around him. Finally, he arrived at the end of the passage. The space opened. An altar stood at the center, bathed in a faint, pulsing red light. Above it, on an elevated platform, five figures sat in towering chairs. Their faces were hidden beneath deep hoods. Behind them, massive black feathered wings stretched, dark and vast. A black, four-sided star marked each of their foreheads, glowing without casting light on their faces. The man stepped forward. His pale skin stood in stark contrast to the shifting darkness. His hair, white streaked with brown, fell past his shoulders. One eye burned red, the other glowed green. Tusks curved from his lower jaw. A black coat hung loosely over his shoulders, embroidered with a crimson eye on the back. Beneath it, a white and red outfit clung to his frame. Red blood runes spiraled across his arms, etched deep into his skin. A single red horn jutted from the left side of his skull. Behind him, a massive pair of black wings spread, each feather catching the dim glow of the altar. He stopped before the five figures. Then, he bowed. "Kai pays his respects to the Five Pillars of the Abyss." For a moment, silence. Then, the one at the center spoke. "Rise." Kai Li straightened, his wings folding neatly behind him. The shadows around the five hooded figures pulsed as if reacting to his presence. The central figure spoke first, his voice calm yet weighty. "How goes the capture of the dragon kin?" Kai's expression darkened. His tusks clenched slightly, but he kept his tone even. "We've run into… complications." The five figures remained silent, waiting. Kai continued. "The last unit we sent never returned. No traces, no signals. Just gone. We sent scouts to investigate, and they reported something impossible." He hesitated before finishing. "A massive city has appeared where that village used to be." The air shifted. A faint pressure settled in the room, cold and intense. The five figures exchanged silent glances beneath their hoods. Then, the central figure spoke again, his tone sharpened. "The Dragon Overlord." At those words, something inside Kai twisted. His hands curled into fists, his body tensing as memories clawed their way to the surface. The past threatened to pull him under, but he forced himself to remain still. The hooded figures could sense his anger. One of them spoke, their voice firm. "Control yourself, Kai. A piece that moves when it isn't ordered will be discarded." "Do you understand?" The warning was clear. Kai exhaled slowly, unclenching his fists. He couldn't afford to let his emotions compromise the plan. Not now. "Yes, I understand." "Good." Footsteps echoed through the chamber. A new presence stepped forward, emerging from the darkness. The man wore a skull-like mask, its surface cracked with age. His eyes were nothing but black voids, empty and consuming. Unlike the others, he had no wings. Instead, a long tail coiled behind him. His hair was pure white, falling past his shoulders. The hooded figures acknowledged him. "Dr. Ivon," one of them said. "How far along are your research and experiments?" The masked man tilted his head slightly, as if considering his answer. Then, he spoke. "Progress has been… limited. I've only managed to extract 3% of the concentrated dragon blood from the dragon kin we've captured so far." He let out a dry chuckle. "Which, as I'm sure you all can tell, is a drop in the bucket compared to what we need." A pause. "To make any real advancements, we will need the most concentrated source— the blood of the Dragon Overlord himself." The chamber fell silent once more. The hooded figures exchanged glances before one of them dismissed the notion with a simple wave of their hand. "Attacking the Dragon Overlord directly would expose us. It would force his gaze upon us before we are ready to welcome our lord into this world. It would make things difficult. No—our best course is to move while he remains unaware of our existence." "Our lord's goals are beyond the dragon lord now, but he still remains a threat not to be taken lightly." Dr. Ivon nodded, unfazed by the decision. The conversation shifted. "Then what of the first megacity?" another hooded figure asked. "Have you completed the blood circle?" Dr. Ivon let out a small chuckle. "Ah, well, we ran into a minor complication." He waved a hand dismissively. "We lost the blood crystal for a time. Very unfortunate. But..." His grin widened beneath the mask. "Everything is back on track now." The hooded figures did not react, their silence weighing heavy in the air. Then, the central figure spoke once more. "Good. Proceed as planned." Dr. Ivon bowed his head slightly. "Naturally." "But I must also remind you all, even if we complete the circle with human blood, it will not be enough." A hooded figure nodded beneath their hood. "Indeed, the activation requires more concentrated dragon blood." Kai remained still, though his expression darkened. Of course, it always came back to that. Another figure leaned forward slightly. "And if we are to deal with the Dragon Overlord in the future… would it not be best to weaken him first?" The air grew tense. Even Kai could feel the weight of those words. A hooded figure turned toward Ivon. "What are you planning?" Ivon chuckled softly, his black eyes gleaming beneath his skull mask. "Oh, nothing too ambitious," he said lightly. Then, his grin widened. "But with the second stage fast approaching… The Emergence will soon be upon us. Several worlds will merge into this one." He gestured lazily with one hand. "Wouldn't it be best if we painted the Dragon Overlord as a common enemy to all? That way, when the hammer comes down on him, blood will inevitably be spilled." "Then we simply step in and collect what we need at the end." Kai inhaled sharply through his nose. The sheer audacity of it. He made it sound so easy… but… It was a brilliant idea. A moment of silence followed. Then, the central figure finally spoke. "What do you suggest?" Ivon's grin grew, his tail curling behind him. "By pinning him against the humans, of course."