---
Draconic Genesis
Chapter 2: The Hunt Begins
The city's neon glow faded behind Kael as he raced toward the outskirts, where the concrete jungle gave way to tangled forests cloaked in darkness. Rain hammered the cracked pavement beneath his boots, a relentless drumbeat to the chase.
The Moonshade Herb—some ancient plant whispered about in cultivator legends—was his next target. The strange voice in his mind had made it clear: retrieve it within the allotted time or lose whatever fragile grip he had on the Grace.
Kael's thoughts swirled as fast as his feet pounded. Why me? Why now? The questions burned, but the answers stayed buried deep inside the shadows of his past.
His sword, still warm and humming faintly at his back, was a reminder of what he was—something more than ordinary, something dangerous. The bloodline power pulsing through his veins gave him strength no ordinary cultivator should possess. And the Gracebound System—the mysterious interface only he could see—kept throwing tasks at him, each with stakes higher than the last.
Ahead, the forest loomed—a dark wall of twisted branches and thick underbrush. Kael paused at its edge, muscles tense, senses sharpening.
The Moonshade Herb is here somewhere.
His vision flickered again, the countdown ticking down, the strange symbols shimmering softly.
A sudden rustle to his right. Kael spun, sword drawn, blue flames licking its blade.
A figure stepped out—another cultivator, cloaked in black, eyes glowing faintly red.
"No one steals from the Syndicate," the figure hissed, summoning jagged shards of earth that exploded toward Kael like missiles.
Kael dashed forward, the ground trembling beneath his feet. He raised his palm—energy surged in a brilliant arc, shattering the earth shards midair.
A flash of movement. The cultivator was close—close enough to strike.
Steel met steel as Kael blocked a swift blade aimed at his throat. Pain flared as the edge grazed his neck, but he twisted and countered with a punch charged with crackling energy.
The cultivator stumbled back, snarling. Kael's sword blazed brighter, the fire spreading like living flames.
"You don't know what you're messing with," the attacker spat, voice low and dangerous.
"Maybe," Kael replied, voice calm but deadly. "But I'm done running."
The two clashed again, a whirlwind of strikes and spells tearing through the undergrowth. Kael's hybrid style—a fusion of martial precision and raw magic—kept his opponent off balance. Each move was a dance between blade and energy, a deadly rhythm honed by desperation and raw power.
Suddenly, Kael felt a sharp sting in his side—a poisoned dart embedded beneath his jacket.
He gritted his teeth, energy flaring in response. His bloodline power—something he'd barely begun to understand—activated instinctively.
His skin shimmered, scales flickering faintly like liquid metal beneath the rain.
The poison sizzled and fizzled, neutralized by the strange energy coursing through him.
Kael's eyes narrowed. "That's new."
The cultivator faltered, and Kael seized the moment—spinning, slashing, sending a wave of fire and lightning crashing over his foe.
When the dust settled, the attacker lay unconscious, breathing shallow but alive.
Kael dropped to one knee, scanning the forest floor for the elusive Moonshade Herb.
A faint, silvery glow caught his eye beneath a cluster of twisted roots.
He reached out, fingers closing around the delicate leaves.
The countdown in his vision blinked—01:45:12.
"Got it," Kael whispered, adrenaline still surging.
Suddenly, the forest exploded with motion—dozens of cultists emerged, armed and deadly.
Kael's heart pounded. The real fight was just beginning.
Steel rang out as the cultists charged. Kael's blade sang through the night, every swing a perfect blend of martial skill and elemental fury. Flames erupted from his sword, arcs of lightning dancing on the edges, searing through enemies like wildfire.
One cultist lunged with a spear crackling with shadow energy. Kael sidestepped and countered with a blast of energy from his palm that sent the attacker flying into a tree trunk.
A second cultist, cloaked in dark mist, vanished and reappeared behind Kael, dagger aimed at his spine. Without turning, Kael summoned a quick pulse of energy that threw the attacker backward, gasping for breath.
Despite the overwhelming numbers, Kael felt no fear—only exhilaration. The power within him roared louder with every strike, his bloodline awakening like a sleeping dragon beneath his skin.
His vision flickered again. Another message glowed in the corner of his sight:
"Grace Points earned: 120. Exchange now?"
Kael hesitated. Could he trust this? The system was strange, alien—but the power it offered was undeniable.
A flicker of hesitation, then a sharp decision.
He selected exchange, and the interface shimmered, revealing options:
Spell Scroll: "Flame Dragon's Breath"
Weapon Power-Up: "Dragonfire Edge +1"
Energy Pills: "Essence of Spirit x3"
Soul Elixir: "Phoenix Soul Drop"
Time-Limited Item: "Smoke Bomb"
Kael chose the weapon power-up first.
Instantly, his sword flared with a blazing aura. The air around it crackled, and Kael could feel its weight shift—lighter, sharper, more deadly.
"Not bad," he muttered, gripping the sword tighter.
Suddenly, a massive figure burst through the trees—an ambush leader, towering, muscles rippling with raw energy, wielding a colossal war hammer that radiated a dark aura.
Kael's breath caught.
This was no ordinary foe.
The hammer smashed down with a force that shook the earth itself. Kael barely dodged, rolling through the impact zone.
His body screamed, but the bloodline power surged again. Scales shimmered brighter, and he felt the raw draconic energy flooding every nerve.
Kael leapt forward, sword ablaze. The two clashed in a cataclysmic collision of power and steel.
Lightning crackled, fire roared, and the forest trembled beneath the fury of their battle.
Kael's hybrid skills—combining martial prowess and potent spellcasting—were pushed to the limit, each move a blend of precise swordplay and explosive elemental magic.
The war hammer smashed, but Kael's enhanced blade blocked every strike.
With a roar, Kael summoned the energy deep within, channeling it into a devastating slash that cleaved through the dark aura, sending the giant crashing into the trees.
Panting, Kael stood victorious.
His vision flickered one last time as the timer counted down—00:59:47.
Kael wiped the rain and sweat from his brow, a dangerous smile curling on his lips.
The hunt was far from over.
This is just the beginning.