Chapter 120: The Past
In a region filled with towering mountains, fierce winds raged with enough force to uproot trees and hurl massive boulders through the air.
Yet in this desolate land devoid of life, standing atop the tallest peak, was a majestic palace that faced those violent winds without yielding a single stone.
This palace was the seat of the Falcon Kingdom, and only the strongest and most capable Falcons were permitted to enter.
At this moment, inside the palace...
Within the Throne Hall.
The six-winged Falcon King sat upon his throne, a crown of diamond-crafted feathers resting upon his head.
To his right sat Master Mark, the four-winged Falcon who had led the Falcon delegation to the City of Light.
To his left sat a woman who also possessed four wings.
She was young and breathtakingly beautiful, wearing a feathered diamond crown as well, though hers was less brilliant than the king’s.
Throughout the entire hall, only the king possessed six wings, in addition to another hundred individuals who possessed four wings.
Even among those hundred, however, there were clear differences.
Those whose wings matched Master Mark’s and the queen’s in both size and strength were exceedingly rare—you could count them on one hand.
As for the rest, their wings were noticeably smaller and weaker.
Everyone else in the hall possessed only two wings.
In total, there were merely eight hundred people inside the hall.
Yet at this moment, every one of them wore an extremely grim expression.
It was as though they had just received earth-shattering news.
"Is what you’re saying true?"
The Falcon King rested both hands upon the armrests of his throne and narrowed his eyes at the two-winged man kneeling before him.
"Yes, Your Majesty. The report came directly from our spies over there, and the incident occurred three days ago."
The man lowered his head respectfully as he answered with visible concern.
After hearing the report, the king’s brows furrowed even deeper. His anger intensified, and his grip tightened around the throne’s armrests until they nearly shattered beneath his strength.
"Your Majesty..."
At the side, Master Mark grew worried when he saw the look in his king’s eyes.
Hearing Master Mark’s voice and noticing the concern on his attendants’ faces, the Falcon King let out a long sigh. He leaned back against his throne before raising his gaze toward the ceiling, where the glorious deeds of his royal ancestors had been engraved.
"One hundred thousand years ago, the only intelligent beings in this world were the creatures known as humans. Back then, there was no natural energy filling the air as there is today."
The king spoke absentmindedly while the court listened in silence.
These were facts everyone already knew.
But what the king said next caused everyone’s eyes to widen.
"During that era, a colossal being fell from the heavens onto this continent.
That being was a dragon suffering from grievous injuries, its soul lingering between life and death.
Had it been an ordinary dragon, the World Spirit would never have paid it any attention.
But that dragon possessed something special...
Something that awakened the World Spirit’s greed."
The king paused briefly before continuing.
"The World Spirit exploited the dragon’s injuries and imprisoned it in a place known only to itself. It then began extracting the dragon’s power.
Day after day, the World Spirit grew stronger, natural energy spread throughout the world, and beasts, birds, fish, and insects all began evolving into magical beasts...
But that alone wasn’t enough.
Resources and energy by themselves accomplish nothing.
There must also be people capable of using those resources and that energy to push the world’s evolution even further."
The Falcon King recounted the ancient history known only to kings, finally deciding to reveal it.
"But unfortunately, the talents of the race known as humans weren’t sufficient to support the World Spirit’s ambitions.
Under normal circumstances, there would’ve been nothing the World Spirit could do except patiently guide the natural laws for thousands—or even tens of thousands—of years before exceptional humans worthy of nurturing finally appeared.
But it lacked the patience to wait that long.
What it did possess... was the power to change everything immediately."
The king’s voice grew heavier.
"Using the dragon’s power, the World Spirit managed to exploit the Cosmic Laws themselves and directly interfere with the natural process of evolution.
By extracting a portion of that dragon’s Blood Essence, fusing it with one of the beasts, it created the first creature whose bloodline surpassed the Legendary Grade!"
After recounting everything he remembered, the king let out a mocking smile.
"And you all know that beast very well.
The World Spirit used that Blood Essence to evolve an ordinary lizard into the very first dragon ever born in this world.
A dragon possessing a Heaven-grade Mutated Bloodline."
The king smiled and paused for a moment before continuing.
"Guided by the World Spirit as it manipulated the world’s laws and rules, a group of humans eventually found that first dragon and began serving it.
In return, under the World Spirit’s influence, the dragon bestowed a portion of its blood upon them.
Using that blood, those humans awakened their power and embarked upon the path of mastering the Laws.
But that era did not last long..."
The court listened in complete silence.
Every single person feared missing even one word spoken by the king.
Not one of them dared interrupt him.
"The imprisoned dragon—the one we now call the Lord—awakened from its slumber.
When it learned that the World Spirit had stolen a portion of its power, it was consumed by fury and resentment.
Yet it couldn’t move against the World Spirit, for it had already sealed and imprisoned its body.
However...
Since the World Spirit had used his own power to manipulate the world’s laws, the Lord exploited that very loophole.
Thanks to his profound understanding of the Laws, he too began manipulating the world’s rules just as the World Spirit had done...
But with far greater freedom.
Because the rules and laws that bind the World Spirit do not bind a Cosmic Being such as himself."