The Primordial Dragon Sanctuary.
For a moment, nobody moved.
The crimson emergency transmission remained suspended in the air, its warning visible to everyone.
THE PRIMORDIAL BEAST KING HAS AWAKENED.
HE IS LOOKING FOR HIS LITTLE BROTHER.
Lin Z stared at the message.
Then he slowly turned toward Scrappy.
"...You have a big brother?"
Scrappy nodded.
"Yes."
Lin Z waited.
"Is he friendly?"
Scrappy tilted his head.
A few seconds passed.
"...Sometimes."
Lin Z closed his eyes.
"That's not reassuring."
Emperor Tianlong, who had been standing nearby, suddenly looked considerably older.
His expression was no longer amused.
"Young Lin Z, you must understand something. The Primordial Beast King isn't an ordinary ancient creature."
Lin Z glanced at him.
"Let me guess. Another undefined rank?"
"Something beyond the ranking system."
The emperor raised his hand.
A massive projection appeared above the golden portal.
It depicted an enormous dragon.
Its body was covered in dark golden scales, with six pairs of wings stretching across an endless sky. Ancient symbols covered its horns, and twelve enormous eyes rested upon its head.
Even through the projection, its presence was overwhelming.
SYSTEM INFORMATION
UNKNOWN CLASSIFICATION
Name: Primordial Beast King.
Title: Firstborn of the Primordial Beast Bloodline.
Species: Primordial Dragon.
Age: Unknown.
Cultivation: Unmeasurable.
Relationship: Elder Brother of Scrappy.
Current Status: Awakening.
Lin Z stared at the image.
"...That's his older brother?"
Emperor Tianlong nodded.
"Indeed."
Lin Z looked down at Scrappy.
Then back at the projection.
"How did someone that big become your older brother?"
Scrappy blinked.
"I was smaller."
Lin Z stared.
"You're still small."
Scrappy looked offended.
A tiny golden flame escaped his nose.
"Snee."
Lin Z sighed.
"Fine. I won't comment on your height."
Inside the Primordial Dragon Sanctuary.
Emperor Tianlong finally invited them through the portal.
Lin Z stepped forward, with Scrappy floating beside his shoulder.
The moment they crossed the golden boundary, the surrounding environment changed.
An enormous ancient world appeared before them.
Floating mountains stretched beyond the horizon. Rivers of golden spiritual energy flowed through the skies, while enormous dragons rested upon mountain peaks.
Some dragons possessed four wings.
Others had eight.
A few were so enormous that their bodies appeared like moving mountain ranges.
However, something unexpected happened.
The moment Scrappy entered the sanctuary, every dragon stopped what it was doing.
A massive crimson dragon lowered its head.
Then another.
And another.
Within seconds, thousands of ancient dragons were bowing toward the tiny creature.
"THE SOVEREIGN!"
"The Little Sovereign has returned!"
"Impossible!"
"He's finally home!"
Lin Z looked around.
His expression became increasingly complicated.
He looked at Scrappy.
"...You were famous?"
Scrappy nodded.
"I think so."
"You think so?"
"I was young."
Lin Z rubbed his forehead.
Somehow, his little companion had a history that involved ancient sovereigns, forgotten civilizations, and an entire dragon sanctuary.
And apparently, he had forgotten most of it.
Emperor Tianlong chuckled.
"He was rather troublesome when he was younger."
Scrappy immediately turned toward him.
"I wasn't troublesome."
The emperor laughed.
"You once ate the sacred crystal that powered the western palace."
Scrappy blinked.
"It looked delicious."
Lin Z slowly turned.
"You ate a palace's power source?"
Scrappy nodded.
"It was shiny."
"...Of course it was."
The Ancient Dragon Hall.
A few minutes later, Lin Z and Scrappy arrived at an enormous palace.
Its doors opened automatically.
Inside stood several ancient dragon guardians, each possessing an aura that surpassed ordinary SSS-ranked creatures.
At the far end of the hall was an empty golden throne.
Emperor Tianlong walked toward it.
"Before we discuss the awakening of the Primordial Beast King, there is something you should see."
He waved his hand.
A golden crystal appeared.
It floated toward Scrappy.
The moment Scrappy touched it, the crystal illuminated.
A series of ancient images appeared throughout the hall.
Lin Z watched carefully.
The first image showed an enormous golden dragon.
Beside it was another dragon, considerably smaller.
Scrappy.
Although his appearance was slightly different, Lin Z immediately recognized him.
The smaller dragon was playing with a glowing crystal while the enormous dragon watched.
Then another image appeared.
The two dragons were resting beneath an enormous World Tree.
Another showed them racing through the heavens.
Another showed the larger dragon carrying Scrappy on his back.
Lin Z glanced at his companion.
"...You two were close."
Scrappy remained silent.
His golden eyes reflected the images.
Then he spoke quietly.
"He always protected me."
The next image appeared.
A great darkness surrounded the ancient world.
Countless dragons were fleeing.
The enormous golden dragon stood before a vast army, protecting the smaller creature behind him.
Then the image disappeared.
The crystal went dark.
Lin Z frowned.
"What happened after that?"
Emperor Tianlong lowered his head.
"That is where the records end."
Scrappy stared at the crystal.
"I remember."
Everyone turned toward him.
His voice was unusually quiet.
"He told me to run."
A brief silence followed.
"He said he would find me later."
Lin Z looked at him.
"And you never saw him again?"
Scrappy shook his head.
"No."
Meanwhile, Beyond the Known Realms.
An ancient dimension trembled.
A massive golden-black dragon slowly opened its twelve eyes.
Its enormous wings unfolded.
Entire celestial structures shook as its aura spread through the surrounding darkness.
Ancient creatures that had slept for countless ages began awakening.
At the center of the dimension stood an enormous throne.
The Primordial Beast King slowly rose.
His gaze passed through countless layers of reality.
Then he stopped.
A faint golden-black light appeared in his eyes.
"...Found you."
His voice was deep.
But there was something unusual about it.
He wasn't angry.
He wasn't searching for an enemy.
He sounded relieved.
"My little brother."
An ancient guardian approached.
"Your Majesty, shall we prepare the Primordial Army?"
The Beast King glanced at him.
"No."
The guardian hesitated.
"Then what are your orders?"
The enormous dragon looked toward the distant realms.
"Prepare the royal palace."
A pause.
"And find out what little brother likes to eat nowadays."
The guardian froze.
"...Pardon?"
The Primordial Beast King looked at him.
"Food."
"Yes, Your Majesty."
"And sweets."
"...Sweets?"
"Yes."
The guardian immediately bowed.
"Understood!"
The Primordial Beast King returned his attention to the distant light.
For the first time in countless ages, his expression softened.
"I wonder if he still remembers our promise."
Back at the Primordial Dragon Sanctuary.
Lin Z was sitting at a golden table.
Several ancient dragon attendants had brought out an enormous assortment of spiritual fruits, heavenly pastries, and strange glowing desserts.
Scrappy was sitting in front of the food.
His eyes were sparkling.
Lin Z picked up a cup of tea.
"Try not to eat the entire table."
Scrappy looked at him.
"I won't."
Three seconds later, an entire plate disappeared.
Lin Z stared.
"...That was fast."
Emperor Tianlong laughed.
"Some habits never change."
Suddenly, the golden crystal on the table illuminated again.
A new notification appeared.
SYSTEM ALERT
MEMORY RECOVERY ACTIVATED
Primordial Bloodline: Resonating.
Ancient Memory Recovery: 2.7%.
New Ability Discovered:
Primordial Sovereign Link.
Description:
Allows Scrappy to establish a connection with his original bloodline and communicate with members of the Primordial Beast lineage.
Additional Information:
A stronger connection may unlock sealed memories and dormant abilities.
Lin Z examined the notification.
"Interesting. So you can communicate with your family now?"
Scrappy nodded.
Then his eyes widened.
"Wait."
A strange golden light appeared around him.
A voice entered his consciousness.
Little brother.
Scrappy froze.
His small wings stopped moving.
Lin Z immediately noticed.
"Scrappy?"
The voice sounded again.
It's been a long time.
Scrappy slowly raised his head.
His golden eyes began shining.
"...Big brother?"
The entire sanctuary trembled.
Emperor Tianlong immediately stood.
"He's responding!"
A massive golden projection appeared above the palace.
The enormous dragon from the ancient memories emerged.
Twelve eyes.
Six pairs of wings.
An aura that made even the ancient guardians lower their heads.
The Primordial Beast King looked down.
For several seconds, he simply stared at Scrappy.
Then he laughed.
"Hahaha!"
"There you are!"
Scrappy floated upward.
"Big brother!"
The Primordial Beast King's enormous expression softened.
"Look at you. You've grown."
Lin Z looked at Scrappy.
Then at the enormous dragon.
Then back at Scrappy.
"...He thinks you've grown?"
Scrappy ignored him.
The Primordial Beast King finally noticed Lin Z.
His twelve eyes examined the young man.
"Human."
Lin Z raised an eyebrow.
"That's me."
"You have been taking care of my little brother?"
Lin Z glanced at Scrappy.
"More or less."
The Primordial Beast King remained silent.
Then he spoke.
"Good."
A pause.
"I owe you a great deal."
Lin Z hadn't expected that answer.
Before he could respond, the Primordial Beast King continued.
"However, I have one question."
"What?"
The enormous dragon narrowed his eyes slightly.
"Has my little brother been eating properly?"
Lin Z looked down.
Scrappy was already eating another pastry.
He sighed.
"Unfortunately, that's not something you need to worry about."
The Primordial Beast King laughed.
"Hahaha! Excellent!"
Then the projection began fading.
"Little brother, wait for me. I'll come to the sanctuary personally."
Scrappy nodded enthusiastically.
"Bring food!"
"I will."
The connection disappeared.
Silence returned to the hall.
Lin Z leaned back in his chair.
"Well..."
He looked at Scrappy.
"Looks like we're meeting your family."
Scrappy nodded.
Then another system notification appeared.
HIDDEN QUEST UNLOCKED
MYTHICAL QUEST
Quest: Reunion of the Primordial Brothers
Objective:
Meet the Primordial Beast King.
Recover Scrappy's sealed memories.
Discover the truth behind the ancient disappearance.
Reward:
1. Primordial Bloodline Evolution.
2. Ancient Sovereign Treasure.
3. Unknown Companion Ability.
Additional Reward: ???
Lin Z smiled.
"Now that's interesting."
Scrappy finished his pastry.
Then he sneezed.
"SNEE!"
A tiny golden flame appeared above the table.
The entire table suddenly transformed into gold.
Lin Z stared at it.
"...We're going to have a long conversation about controlling your abilities."
Scrappy blinked innocently.
And somewhere beyond the known realms, the Primordial Beast King was already preparing an enormous feast for his little brother.