The eternal skies above Dragon Mountain shimmered with streaks of crimson and sapphire, caught between the realms of elemental awakening. Below, a storm of energies surged through the mountain's roots—magic veins pulsing like molten arteries, vibrating with the promise of transformation.
Shin stood at the summit, the wind catching his coat like the wings of a sovereign falcon. Around him, the Eternal Flame Court's obsidian towers now stood melded into the volcanic ridges. Crimson blossoms drifted down from the newly summoned Fertility Pond nestled in a radiant cradle of soulstone and spiritroot. The icy cliffs of the Glacial Heart—the Ice Sanctuary gifted by Thurdd—hung like glittering blades off the eastern rise, mist veiling their fierce beauty.
Beneath all of it, the mountain breathed. And it knew its master.
Heart stood before the sealed gates of the Draconic Core, twin pupils gleaming with celestial fire. Her wings fluttered once, and the gates began to glow with ancient runes, responding to her proximity.
["Big Brother, the integrations are complete. Dragon Mountain is ready to accept its next evolution."]
Shin turned his gaze toward her, jaw tight. "Show me the effects first. I need to see what we've changed."
["Yes."]
With a wave of her hand, shimmering panels projected before them—scenes of transformation unfolding across the territory.
The Eternal Flame Court, once an external divine realm, now served as the heart of Shego's Trial Sanctuary. Red-hot geysers vented purifying fire across newly formed battlegrounds. Aetheric currents condensed into lava sprites and flame wisps, now loyal to Shego. She stood at the center of the sanctum, bathed in eternal fire, her skin glowing with smoldering patterns. Her transformation into a Flame Spirit had reached its apex. Her eyes burned with an inner inferno, and her aura sang with sovereign resonance.
"The Court accepted her," Shin whispered, watching as Shego conjured a phoenix-like projection from her palm. "She's no longer just a consort. She's becoming a Warden of the Flame."
["Shego's affinity has permanently aligned with the External Flame. She will soon gain access to primal fire incantations, and her resistance to divine flames has reached immunity. The territory around her domain has become a Flame-Spirit Biome, perfect for training elite fire-wielders."]
Next, the Fertility Pond shimmered into view. Crystalline waters shimmered with twilight petals and mana-laced lilies. Several beastkin priestesses stood in silence around its edges, praying. A subtle warmth filled the air, and at its core floated a radiant silver orb—the Nexus Womb, capable of nourishing unborn mythic offspring with divine vitality.
["The Pond's integration activated latent fertility blessings. Our population growth rate will triple in safe regions. Children born within its aura will have increased affinity with magic, higher potential, and immunity to common diseases."]
"And the Ice Sanctuary?" Shin asked.
Heart nodded, wings unfurling.
["The Glacial Heart stabilized the temperature fluctuations from the Flame Court. It anchors the mountain's eastern flow, amplifies water and ice affinity, and suppresses heat-based instability. Velzard is already building her Ice Chamber within it—she called it 'the Spine of Balance.'"]
A small chuckle escaped Shin. "She would."
Heart then conjured a final sequence—an overhead projection of the mountain itself. Arcs of light crisscrossed its ridges and roots, spiraling toward its inner core.
"Now for the main exchange," Shin said, stepping toward the dragon-skulled vault guarded by two iron-masked warriors. He raised his hand and summoned Phantomfox.
The merchant shimmered into view—a tall figure clad in silver-accented silk, one eye glowing, the other covered by a crystalline monocle. He bowed low with flair.
"You have the goods, Sovereign Shin?"
"Twenty Phoenix Feathers and a dozen External Fire Shards," Shin replied, tossing a silk pouch and a sealed box to him.
Phantomfox opened them delicately. "Pristine. These shards alone could fund a small kingdom."
Shin raised a brow. "Then give me something worth their weight."
The foxwoman snapped her fingers. A golden scroll hovered between them.
"Three advanced blueprints: The Skyforge Beacon Array, the Genesis Incubator, and the Crystal Vein Extractor."
Heart's wings stilled. ["All three are compatible with Dragon Mountain's Ascension Plan."]
"And mana crystals?" Shin asked.
"High-grade, storm-refined, blessed under twin moons," Phantomfox declared, conjuring four ornate chests overflowing with shimmering blue and violet crystals. "Enough to empower a leyline or destabilize a minor god."
Shin nodded once. "Deal."
The moment Phantomfox vanished, the mountain rumbled again.
Heart stepped closer, voice shifting to formal declaration. Her aura ignited with divine resonance, silencing the very wind.
["To awaken Dragon Mountain to its third phase—where it may rival divine peaks and become the cradle of a true Draconic Empire—you must offer the following:"]
The mountain responded, runes igniting in sequence around the summit. She listed each one, her voice gaining strength with every word.
—
Core Offerings
• 20 Emperor-class Monster Crystals
• 100 Tons of Gold
• 50 Tons of Centennial Serpentine Wood
• 100 Tons of Legendary Essence
• 50,000 Magic Crystals
—
Bloodline Catalysts
• 50 Gallons of Shin's Dragon Blood
• 50 Gallons of Succubus Essence
—
Mythic Alloys (Forge Expansion)
• 100 Tons Each of:
– Uru
– Orichalcum
– Mithril
– Meteoric Iron
—
Unlocks Upon Completion:
• Divine Forge: True Awakening
• Draconic Hatchery
• Royal Sanctum
• Skypiercer Beacon
• Imperial Dracoguard Ascension Path
• Sovereign Roar Aura
—
Heart closed her eyes for the final portion. When they opened, they blazed with reverence.
["Additional Requirements:"]
• 1 Heart of a Fallen Titan
• Divine Recognition Sigil from a High God or Dragon Sovereign
Shin exhaled, a hand drifting to his side. "We'll need to earn those. The titan heart alone…"
["Aether may guide us. But the divine sigil… perhaps your mother left something behind."]
As if summoned by fate, a rumbling echoed from deep within the treasury's sub-chamber. The vault doors—carved in the likeness of two draconic ancestors—slid open with agonizing grace.
From the darkness beyond, a faint lavender light spilled out.
Shin stepped forward.
Heart watched him, her voice softening.
["Big Brother… something stirs within."]
The mountain pulsed.
The gift left behind by the woman who bore him—the one whom even gods feared—awaited.
And Dragon Mountain, now a realm forged from flame, ice, life, and dream, was ready to rise once more.