In the same cave where Drake was born, he stood silently, not daring to take a step outside. This was his safe haven, his comfort zone. Before anyone could find this place, it would take thousands of years and immense dedication.
From the water's surface, one would see nothing—not even a trace of the cave.
Drake took deep breaths as he entered, his body tense from exhaustion. He had been running since his escape, never stopping to check behind him, only halting once he was certain his entire body had crossed into the cave.
"That was a rough hell," Daniel muttered, exhaling deeply. He then transformed into his human form, revealing his small, one-year-old body.
"Huh?" Drake paused, noticing something. The Originat here was far richer than in the outside world. Perhaps, because he wasn't yet at Level 10 before, he hadn't sensed it.
Drake could feel the dense concentration of Originat within the cave. Following the flow of energy to its source, he arrived at the exact spot where he had hatched. The realization surprised him.
"Drax, do you know why the Originat here is so much richer?" Drake asked.
Drax appeared before him. "Oh? Since you're Level 10 now, you can finally sense it. Well, this cave is actually an Origin Stone Mine, surrounded by superior Legendary Origin Stones. The very center holds a Half-God Origin Stone. Due to your birth, most of the energy has already been absorbed. They're only now beginning to recover, or else, just their presence alone would have suffocated and made a weakling like you explode if you had dared to absorb even a single strand."
Drake listened carefully, processing the information. As an avid novel fan, he understood the concept, but he needed more details. "Can you explain more about Origin Stones?"
Drax grinned. "Origin Stones are formed from Originat, but not directly. A thousand strands of Originat form a single drop of Origin Liquid. Then, a thousand drops of Origin Liquid form an Origin Stone. You can imagine just how concentrated the energy inside an Origin Stone is."
Drake nodded. He was beginning to grasp the immense power these stones held. Sitting down, he continued listening intently. Now that he was being hunted by powerful cultivators, understanding this world was crucial.
"But Origin Stones have their own grades too," Drax continued. "They're ranked from lowest to highest: Low Origin Stone, Middle Origin Stone, High Origin Stone, and Legendary Origin Stone. In the Origin Continent, each of these ranks is further divided into Normal, Peak, and Superior Grade."
"Also, only those at the Origin King Realm can easily absorb Origin Stones," he added. "Also, I am not entirely sure, but this place seems to be the only one that has pure Origin Stones. We have some mutated ones that are good and even better than ordinary ones, but in terms of legendary grade, the pure and untainted ones are the best."
Drake's eyes widened in surprise and astonishment. He never expected Origin Stones to be among the highest of high-grade resources. He imagined how the cultivators of this world would react if they ever discovered this place.
Shaking his head, he muttered to himself, "They must never find this place."
Drax smirked. "Only a place like this could allow you to be born into this world unnoticed. Otherwise, you would have been detected instantly."
Drake froze. "Wait… does that mean my birth—or rather, my reincarnation—was planned and orchestrated before I died?"
Drax's expression darkened. "The minds of gods cannot be comprehended," he said in a deep voice.
Drake sighed. It was true. It seemed he had no choice but to lay low for a while.
As he thought about this, he paused. "Wait, Drax, isn't this the best place for me to build the Dragon Palace?" Drake asked. The cave was well-hidden and located in an area with very rich Originat; it met all the requirements for an ideal place to be built.
"I thought you'd be dumb enough not to realize it," Drax replied. "The Dragon Palace needs a location rich in Originat. The better the Originat, the more powerful it will be."
Drake was shocked. "Why didn't you tell me this earlier?" he demanded, feeling anger rise within him.
If he had built it in a poor location, he would have had no access to his true powers, even though the system had promised he would.
"Well, it's a waste of time explaining something you should figure out yourself. Also, it was a test to see how smart you are," Drax shrugged nonchalantly.
Drake's childish face turned frosty. "What's with that nonchalant attitude?" He clenched his fists together.
Seeing this, Drax forced a smile. "You know, it's not good for a child to be angry."
"And don't forget—I am not a child!" Drake shouted as he began raining blows on Drax, who screamed like a pig.
"Aaargh!!"
A few minutes passed…
"Sh*t! That idiot ran faster than Flash!" Drake cried out, realizing that Drax had disappeared, running for his life.
"Hey! How do I proceed from here?" Drake called out, trying to communicate with Drax, but Drax remained silent, ignoring him.
"Hmph! I don't need your help. I'll figure it out myself," Drake snorted.
After spending a few minutes working on it, he finally found a way to proceed.
Ding!
[Does the Host want to proceed with the construction of the Dragon Palace?]
[Is this designated location okay? (Y/N)]
Drake stood before the very spot where he had been born and hatched. "Yes," he pressed the confirmation without hesitation.
Suddenly, a bright golden-black light shone, causing Drake's vision to blur for a moment. The sudden intensity scared him.
By the time he regained his sight, he was shocked, amazed, and utterly astonished by what stood before him.
A/N: Continue to support this author with power stones, golden tickets, and gifts—your support is my greatest motivation!
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