The First Dragon’s Awakening and a Swift Ascent

Having consumed the dragon egg fragments, the little creature sprouted a pair of delicate wings on its back.

It gazed at Ai Ou, its new wings fluttering with excitement.

With a joyful flutter, it soared into Ai Ou’s embrace and settled down to sleep.

Only then did Ai Ou get a good look at the little creature.

With its plump body and endearing, clumsy demeanor, it resembled a tiny puppy. A pair of small, fleshy wings adorned its back, capable of unfurling and retracting with ease.

[Congratulations, Isle Lord, on successfully reviving the first dragon.]

[You are awarded five hundred Dragon Stones, one pot of Water of Life, and one experience point.]

Suddenly, a pot of water materialized before Ai Ou.

He opened the lid, took a sniff, and then glanced at the small lake before him. He abruptly shouted towards the sky:

“Isn’t this just water from this damned lake? What a cheap reward! I already have an entire lake of the Water of Life; why would I care about a single pot?”

Alas, the system’s voice remained silent, ignoring him.

After fumbling for a moment, he located his personal attribute panel:

Isle Lord: Ai Ou White
Territories Owned: Dragon Island, ??? (Unrevived)
Profession: Mage Apprentice (0/1)
Dragons Owned: Infernal Fire Dragon King, Fire-attribute Dragon King (Unnamed)
Buildings Owned: None
Items Owned: Five hundred Dragon Stones, one pot of Water of Life

Next, he examined the little creature’s attributes:

Infernal Fire Dragon King
Name: Unnamed
Gender: Female
Level: Tier 1
Skills: Dragon Breath, Dragon Might, Bite, Flight (Glide)
Habitat: Fire Element Dragon Lair
Output: 1 Dragon Stone/day; efficiency increases tenfold after Dragon Lair construction.
Experience: 0/10
Personality: Loyal, enthusiastic, stubborn
Description: The Fire Dragon King is the master of fire elements, controlling all fire dragons and fire elements. It can devour any flame to replenish its stamina. Experience points are only generated after its Dragon Lair is constructed.

Ai Ou noticed the experience points. He recalled that he had just gained one, so he immediately allocated it to his Mage Apprentice profession.

Instantly, ‘Mage Apprentice’ transformed into ‘Tier 1 Mage’.

As his profession changed, Ai Ou suddenly felt his body grow significantly stronger. He sensed his magical capacity expand considerably. The countless magical elements within Dragon Island surged towards Ai Ou with fervent energy, and he felt his mental strength increase substantially.

“So, as long as I gain experience, I can level up indefinitely? Doesn’t that mean I’ll quickly ascend to Tier 2 Mage, Tier 3 Mage, and then… a God of Magic? This is amazing!”

Discovering the use of experience points was excellent news. No one would despise such a cheat-like shortcut, especially in another world where power was the ultimate foundation. This was a world where strength reigned supreme; without it, everything was but rootless duckweed.

“Ya-yi, ya-yi!”

Suddenly, the little creature in his arms cried out. It seemed to have noticed Ai Ou deep in thought, perhaps believing he was distressed, and began licking him incessantly—truly a devoted little dragon.

Ai Ou looked at the creature, feeling a profound sense of kinship, a blood connection between them. Though he had never raised a daughter, he suddenly felt a heavy weight settle on his shoulders.

Observing the creature’s crimson skin, Ai Ou’s mind conjured an image of a certain beautiful figure with vibrant red hair.

“By the looks of it, you want a name. From today onward, you shall be called Erza! Mistress of Red Dragons, a magnificent monarch!”

The little creature was remarkably intelligent. Upon hearing the name Ai Ou bestowed upon her, her eyes curved like crescent moons. In her excitement, she unleashed a blast of Dragon Breath towards the sky, sending a half-meter fireball soaring as if celebrating her new identity.

Suddenly, Ai Ou remembered he hadn’t yet constructed a Dragon Lair. He gently set the little creature down.

Once on the ground, she began frantically rubbing against Ai Ou’s pant leg, her large, dark eyes fixed intently upon him.

He opened the building menu and located the Fire-attribute Dragon Lair. It required exactly five hundred Dragon Stones. Ai Ou then realized the Dragon Stones the system had just rewarded him were precisely for this construction. After purchasing it, the Dragon Stone count instantly emptied, and the distant grassland began to tremble.

The lush grass receded, dust billowed, and magma continuously erupted from beneath the earth.

Soon, a Dragon Lair resembling a volcano was fully constructed. Upon seeing it, Erza instantly forgot her master. She unfurled her fleshy wings and soared towards the volcanic lair.

What would be a harsh and perilous environment for ordinary beings was, for her, the most cherished sanctuary.

Having become a Tier 1 Mage, Ai Ou could clearly sense the abundant and active fire elements in the area. Especially after Erza flew inside, the concentration of fire elements instantly surged more than tenfold, as if celebrating the return of their elemental monarch.

[Congratulations on the successful construction of the Dragon Lair!]
[You are awarded five hundred Dragon Stones and one Imperial Dragon Fruit seed.]

Small Fire-attribute Dragon Lair: Possesses rich fire elements, a longed-for paradise for fire-attribute creatures and fire dragons. Produces one experience point and ten Dragon Stones daily. Accelerates the growth of fire-attribute creatures.
Dragon Stone: Crystals formed from the overflow of a dragon’s excess energy. A special item.

[Please cultivate a barren plot of land and plant the Imperial Dragon Fruit.]

Ai Ou was dumbfounded. Cultivate barren land? He had no tools here. How was he supposed to do that?

“System, what do I do?”

[To successfully plant, you must spend five hundred Dragon Stones, fifty drops of Water of Life, the Imperial Dragon Fruit seed, and one leaf from the Tree of Life. Do you wish to proceed with planting?]

Such words appeared before Ai Ou’s eyes.

‘Five hundred Dragon Stones, gone again so quickly.’ Ai Ou felt it was rather like a shoddy web game, where every reward was immediately consumed by the next task.

He hurried to the Tree of Life and addressed it: “Excuse me, but I’ll be borrowing one of your leaves.”

Upon hearing Ai Ou’s words, the Tree of Life swayed gently, and a single leaf drifted down before him, as if responding with intelligence.

After picking it up, Ai Ou confirmed the action. The five hundred Dragon Stones, the Tree of Life’s leaf, fifty drops of Water of Life, and the Imperial Dragon Fruit seed all flew out. They converged into a single beam of light that plunged into a nearby empty plot of land.

Immediately, a tree began to grow, quickly reaching a size comparable to the Life Tree, and a single fruit hung from its branches.

Taking it in hand, Ai Ou read the description of the Imperial Dragon Fruit:

Imperial Dragon Fruit: Contains a pure essence of dragon power, possessing an extraordinary allure for dragons. It accelerates a dragon’s growth, enhances its strength, and grants +10 dragon experience points upon consumption.

“Little one, come here!”

Erza, who had been playing in her Dragon Lair, ceased her frolic upon hearing Ai Ou’s call. She flew to Ai Ou, allowing him to hold her.

“Here, little one, eat this.”

Upon seeing the fruit in Ai Ou’s hand, Erza’s draconic instincts made her sense a compelling power emanating from it. As soon as Ai Ou finished speaking, the little creature swallowed the fruit whole.

It then twitched a few times, and its body expanded several times over. If it had initially been the size of a newborn puppy, it was now roughly the size of an adult dog.

Ai Ou observed that Erza had already advanced from Tier 1 to Tier 2.

She had consumed her own eggshell upon birth to reach Tier 1, and now, by consuming the Imperial Dragon Fruit, she had advanced to Tier 2. This rapid advancement hadn’t even taken half a day.