Bzzzz—bzzzz—bzzzz—

The egg pulsed gently in Ethan's palm, a low vibration humming through his skin.

Golden veins of light shimmered across its surface, soft yet unfathomably deep.

A delicate current of energy seeped into him, threading through his flesh like warm springwater coursing through his veins. His aura surged, thickening in an instant.

The power felt eerily similar to a Fairy's essence—but older. Deeper. Wiser.

Ethan frowned.

A memory stirred—his first encounter with Idra. That unremarkable dragon egg.

He'd felt this same kind of presence then.

That egg had hatched into a being with Dragon God blood, transforming his strength.

Now, staring at the egg in his hand, his heartbeat quickened.

"Could this be… the origin of another god?"

If it hatched into something carrying the blood of a Fairy God—

Even fate itself would have to step aside.

He summoned the system scan without hesitation.

But the results came back blank.

Every parameter: "?"

"Even the system can't read you?" Ethan murmured, eyes narrowing.

A flicker of unease sparked in his chest.

Then the egg gave a low, resonant hum.

Around him, the magma churned violently, as if answering a call.

Flames and raw energy slithered toward the egg like serpents, coiling around its shell, drawn in and devoured bit by bit.

"It's… breathing?" Ethan whispered.

He reached out, intending to place it into the lava for closer observation—

But in that instant—

BOOM!

A monstrous suction force exploded from the egg.

It was like a beast had awakened in his palm, ripping a torrent of power straight out of him.

It felt like half his soul had been yanked free in a single breath.

Ethan grunted, staggering. His knees nearly buckled.

"Damn it—!"

But before he could recover, something inside him stirred.

Idra.

The Dragon God blood roared to life, surging through his body like a storm.

It had sensed a threat.

The egg wasn't just absorbing energy—it was claiming dominion.

Two ancient forces erupted within him, clashing, tearing, howling—like twin dragons locked in a death spiral.

Ethan's pupils dilated.

A searing pain detonated in his chest, sharp enough to steal his breath.

"Stop!—" he shouted, but the power was already spiraling out of control.

Then—

A streak of light.

Feylora.

She dove toward him without hesitation, her hand pressing to his chest as she poured every drop of her energy into him.

At the same time, her wings flared wide, guiding the magma's flow into a stabilizing current, trying to hold the unraveling balance together.

In the firelight, her face was pale as snow.

"I won't let them take you," she whispered.

For a heartbeat, Ethan's body steadied.

But inside him, the war raged on.

The egg and Idra—natural-born enemies—were tearing into each other, each trying to devour his strength, his flesh, his very being.

His breath came in ragged gasps.

Every nerve in his body felt like it was burning alive.

"No… if this keeps up, I'll be torn apart."

He clenched his teeth.

And made a decision that bordered on madness.

He clutched the egg tight—

And leapt into the magma.

BOOM—!

The magma flared, lighting up the entire valley in a blinding blaze.

A searing wave of heat and roaring energy surged outward, swallowing everything in its path.

In that instant, all the fire, all the heat, all the raw power of the earth's core converged on him.

The molten rock surged into Ethan's body like a living thing, flooding the torn hollows left by the warring forces inside him.

His strength came rushing back—stronger, purer than before.

He exhaled, just starting to feel the relief—

Then his eyes snapped wide.

The egg had fused completely with his palm.

It clung to his skin like it had taken root, pulsing with a red-gold glow.

No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't shake it off.

The light spread, crawling up his arm in glowing threads, inching toward his chest, weaving itself into his bloodstream.

His breath hitched. His heart thundered.

This wasn't a chance encounter.

It was a binding.

He could hear it now—the egg's heartbeat.

Perfectly synchronized with his own.

Above the magma, waves of heat rolled and twisted like living flame.

Ethan's voice was low, steady, and left no room for argument.

"Feylora. Go. Wait for me outside."

She froze, eyes wide with worry.

"But Master, your body—"

"I'm fine." He gave her a tired smile, sweat dripping from his brow. "Idra's still with me. She'll protect me."

He gave her shoulder a gentle push.

"Go. I won't be long."

Feylora hesitated, then finally nodded.

She gave him one last, lingering look—

Then spread her wings and vanished into the crimson mist.

Now Ethan stood alone, at the heart of the volcano.

He drew a deep breath.

Power surged through him, and the line between his body and the magma began to blur—

He was merging with the mountain.

The heat climbed higher and higher.

The molten rock swirled around him like blood, and he—he was becoming the heart of this flaming body.

Inside him, the two forces—Idra and the egg—were fully awakened.

And then the world shook.

Bzzzz—bzzzz—bzzzz—

Two massive energy vortices erupted on the magma's surface, spinning like twin stars locked in orbit, devouring the volcano's core energy with reckless hunger.

Ethan felt both forces pulling at him—tearing him in opposite directions.

One side was familiar: Idra.

The other, foreign and seductive: the egg.

Flames danced wildly in his eyes.

"If it's power you want…"

He gritted his teeth.

"Then fight for it!"

He unleashed everything—every ounce of energy—and let himself fully fuse with the volcano.

A blinding light exploded from deep within the mountain.

The entire volcano became a blazing furnace, molten power flowing through its veins, feeding the clash of three living forces.

Time lost all meaning.

No one could say how long it lasted.

Eventually, the volcano's fury began to fade.

The once-boiling magma cooled, hardened.

Silence fell—heavy and absolute.

Ethan's heart clenched.

Shit… I'm out of power.

His eyes flew open—

And in that moment, something miraculous happened.

Idra rose from within him, her body glowing with radiant gold.

Her aura was overwhelming—ferocious and divine.

She was on the verge of breaking through the 21st Tier.

And the egg—

Its shell was covered in cracks.

"No way…" Ethan held his breath.

The fractures spread, faster and faster—

Until—

Crack!

The shell shattered into a thousand shards of light.

From within, a soft glow floated upward, slowly taking shape in the air—

A small, delicate figure, forming in the heart of the light.

...