Magic Awakening

One day, two years after settling in, Jose slowly woke at home. The moment he opened his eyes, he had a strange feeling that the entire world had changed.

He focused his gaze on the air. What had once appeared empty was now filled with energy particles of every color—red, blue, yellow, green, black, white, gold... The fiery red particles around him were the most numerous. These were the elements in the air.

"Elemental Vision. It really is different."

He extended a fine-scaled dragon claw and uttered two strange syllables.

"DANU!"

A flame rose from the center of his claw. It was not particularly strong, but he had created it through his own power.

"Magic!"

Though it was only the most basic cantrip—Ignite—it still thrilled Jose beyond measure.

Ever since his transmigration, magic's immense power had left a deep mark on his heart: burning meteors falling from the sky, ice and flames bursting from hands, powerful beings battling in the air as magical collisions stirred the clouds and winds, suppressing the Dragon Hatchlings below until they dared not take flight...

The battlefield dominance displayed by magic had filled him with anticipation for his own awakening, but he had never expected this day to come so soon.

According to the growth patterns of dragons, spellcasting abilities should gradually awaken only during the Juvenile Dragon stage. He was still a full two years away from that stage.

Without a doubt, this was Jin Ke La's doing.

He examined his own body again. There had not been much change since before his slumber; his length was still within the Dragon Hatchling range.

"For dragons, the awakening of spellcasting ability is proof that one's mental strength has grown strong enough to control the elements. It seems Jin Ke La's effect on the mind is greater than its effect on the body. No! It could also be because of my transmigration. My mental strength may be greater than that of Dragon Hatchlings my age, or perhaps both factors played a role."

Whatever the exact reason, the fact was that his spellcasting ability had awakened early. Jose was delighted.

The early awakening of his spellcasting ability was like a sluice gate opening ahead of time. From now on, he would continually obtain more and stronger magic from his Dragon Heritage, giving him an advantage in competition against dragons his own age.

And along with his spellcasting ability, another crucial power that would affect a dragon's entire life had awakened—the Familiar Contract. The Familiar Contract was the most important means by which dragons maintained their power structures, without exception.

It could be said that once a creature signed a dragon's Familiar Contract, it became an extension of that dragon's will. Shared vision, mental links, memory access—these were all but a thought away for the dragon master.

Of course, a contract was merely a contract. It could not alter a familiar's personal will. Familiars still possessed independent personalities and thoughts, and could even betray their master. It was simply that betrayal would bring a backlash from the contract.

Jose did not care about this minor flaw.

If a familiar truly chose betrayal even at the cost of its life, then its master would have been an utter failure.

"But am I considered a Juvenile Dragon now, or still a Dragon Hatchling?"

He muttered to himself, pondering the divisions of dragon age and what dragons were supposed to do at each stage.

Ages zero to three were the Hatchling Dragon stage: barring accidents, newborn Hatchling Dragons lived under the protection of the Dragon Mother. Following the instructions of the Dragon God of Evil—Tiamat—the Dragon Mother would care for them until they possessed a certain degree of survival ability, then drive her offspring from the nest.

Ages three to ten were the Dragon Hatchling stage: nearly all Five-Colored Evil Dragons were driven away by their Dragon Mothers during this stage. Having lost their mothers' protection, they could easily be hunted down in the wilderness. Thus, the Dragon Hatchling stage had the highest mortality rate among Five-Colored Evil Dragons, and Dragon Hatchlings from the same nest often banded together to survive.

Ages ten to twenty-five were the Juvenile Dragon stage: Juvenile Dragons might not be powerful, but they had some ability to protect themselves. The hardships of the Dragon Hatchling stage made them cautious and prudent. They lurked in the shadows and quietly grew stronger. Moreover, a major event occurred during the Juvenile Dragon stage: the first emergence of magical ability.

Ages twenty-five to fifty were the Adolescent Dragon stage: dragons at this stage became more mature in both magic and body, and their courage grew as well. They gradually expanded their range of activity and began to awaken territorial instincts. Five-Colored Evil Dragons living in groups would part ways at some point during this stage, while Metallic Dragons of the good alignment would also leave their parents to travel the world.

Ages fifty to one hundred were the Young Dragon stage: Five-Colored Evil Dragons in the Young Dragon stage were often swollen with confidence. They began consciously gathering familiars and claiming territory. Sometimes, they overextended themselves, drew the attention of interested parties, and were hunted down.

Ages one hundred to seven hundred were the Adult Dragon stage: Adult Dragons were undoubtedly at the top of the food chain. They possessed fixed residences or territories and dared to appear openly before the world. Under normal circumstances, so long as they did not take things too far, no one wanted to provoke an Adult Dragon, because the consequences would be severe if one escaped.

Ages seven hundred to thirteen hundred were the Mature Dragon stage: Mature Dragons reached the peak of their draconic lives physically. Powerful dragon species, such as Red Dragons and Golden Dragons, generally entered the legendary realm during this stage, becoming beings at the pinnacle of the world. The saying "if you don't court death, you won't die" was made for Mature Dragons.

Ages thirteen hundred to eighteen hundred were the Old Dragon stage: Old Dragons began declining physically, but their magical attainments grew ever deeper. They would mate as much as possible and leave behind offspring. Most dragons entered the legendary realm during the Old Dragon stage. If they failed to cross that threshold then, they might never do so in their entire lives.

Ages eighteen hundred and above were the Very Old Dragon stage: Very Old Dragons had nearly reached the end of their lives. They lost the ability to mate, while their magical attainments reached their peak. How long a Very Old Dragon could live depended on its species. The longest-lived Red Dragons and Golden Dragons could reach three thousand five hundred years, while the shortest-lived White Dragons had a maximum lifespan of two thousand three hundred years.

Like canines, dragons could sense their own deaths. When they sensed that their lives were nearing their end, Very Old Dragons would begin searching for a burial site, transfer all the wealth they had amassed over their lives there, seal the entrance, and sleep forever alongside their beloved treasures.

Only a very small number of exceptionally gifted dragons could break through the limits of life, enter the Ancient Dragon stage, and gain a longer lifespan.

In Jose's view, the Ancient Dragon stage was a rank of power rather than a stage of life.

Theoretically, dragons could break through the limits of life and enter the Ancient Dragon stage at any point in their lives. For example, the Red Nest Matriarch—Savannah—had directly crossed from the Mature Dragon stage into the Ancient Dragon realm.

Ancient Dragons were already the ceiling of powerhouses in the Tydanore World. By human standards of strength, they belonged to the demigod tier.

To go further and enter the Great Ancient Dragon stage, Ancient Dragons had to leave Tydanore and travel to the Astral Plane or other planes with higher limits of power.

As for Primeval Dragons, who stood above Upper Ancient Dragons, even the Dragon Heritage contained few records. Jose only knew that they stood shoulder to shoulder with True Gods.

"I wonder how far I can go," the Young Red Dragon mused in the cave, falling into endless reverie.

After thinking for a while, he wilted.

During his growth, his "self" had often sparred with Baren and Dragon Sister, who were the same age. Judging from the results, this body's talent was merely average.

Then he remembered the mysterious Starry River Square, and his confidence rose again.

No matter how poor his innate talent was, it could not withstand cheats!