Limitless Evolution: I’m The Next Dragon God?

The path likely led to a civilized society. And that meant one thing: Yuki could become a target for hunters.

Not every human was like Runa, after all.

That's why Yuki had to be extremely cautious from now on.

'Runa mentioned something about Survival Camps. It's better if I avoid them for the time being. First, let's see where this path leads. If I can find a safe hideout along the way, I'll make it my temporary base.'

With that thought, his paws stepped onto the dusty road.

His icy blue eyes reflected the crimson hues of the setting sun in the west.

He glanced back one last time, only to see the forest reduced to nothing but a husk. In the distance, the berserk beasts rampaged wildly, yet most of them seemed to be heading in the same direction, as if driven by a united purpose.

Their thunderous galloping footsteps sent tremors through his small dragon heart.

Who knew which unfortunate soul would become their next target?

Shaking off the worry, he started running like mad. Sometimes he dashed across the ground, other times he flapped into short bursts with his wings.

He still couldn't fly properly yet, so for now, he had to rely on his paws and legs to escape.

It might have looked like he was the only dragon who was cowardly, but that wasn't the case. Everyone feared death. Only a mindless creature would charge into it without hesitation.

Life over pride; that was the rule of survival.

Other dragons might struggle to suppress their pride and arrogance as dragons, but he didn't.

Because his soul was human.

___

After hours of tireless travel, Yuki's limbs finally began to falter. His small dragon body, though far sturdier than before, was still young. Each breath came heavier than the last. The sky above had turned dark, and the winds had cooled, rustling the overgrown bushes around him.

Then he saw it.

"A cave?"

Half-buried under vines and moss, nestled between jagged rocks, the opening was dark and narrow but just wide enough for a little dragon to slip in. With weary steps, Yuki approached and sniffed the entrance cautiously.

There was no scent of beasts. No mana pulses. It seemed safe, at least for now.

He entered.

Inside, the air was dry and strangely warmer than outside. The stone walls glowed faintly with a mossy green lichen. He found a corner near a wall and curled up, ready to doze off.

Cough!

Then a faint cough echoed through the darkness.

Yuki's eyes snapped open.

"Cough!"

The sound came again. Shallow and weak. It came from the far end of the cave.

He slowly crept forward and squinted through the low light.

There, slumped against the wall was a ypung man. His clothes were tattered and soaked in blood. They clung to his already frail frame like wilted leaves. His face was pale, lips dry and cracked. His eyes opened slightly when he noticed the dragon's silhouette.

"A dragon? Am I dreaming?" the young man murmured. His voice was barely a whisper. "No... you're too small."

Yuki stood motionless, unsure what to make of him. The man looked like he could die at any moment. Yet something strange lingered. A faint flicker of power pulsed from him. It felt old. It felt like it was slipping away.

The young man coughed again and tried to sit upright, but his strength failed him.

"Are you going to kill me?" he asked quietly, giving up and slumping back against the wall.

Yuki remained alert the entire time. Despite the young man's fragile and pitiful appearance, he didn't let down his guard.

In response to the question, Yuki slowly shook his head.

The man chuckled faintly, a broken sound between a breath and a sob.

"You're not ordinary… you understand human language," he muttered. "Are you… some kind of guardian angel sent to save me?"

He paused, then turned his gaze downward.

"If so… don't. Just let me die. Alone. I want to be free of this burden called life. So please, let me die in peace, alright?"

His voice trembled. Tears welled in the corners of his eyes, and his breaths grew weaker, fading like the flicker of a dying flame.

The sight struck a chord deep in Yuki's heart.

This helpless, wounded boy reflected a version of himself from his past life. Lying alone in a sterile hospital bed, Yuki too had begged for freedom. Freedom from the pain, from the loneliness, from the curse of a decaying body and mind.

He never had a mother to comfort him. His father had been nothing more than a distant figure, absent when he needed someone the most. He had been utterly alone.

Until Maya appeared.

She had appeared like a ray of sunlight through a thick curtain of clouds. With her warmth, her care, and her ever-present smile, she had colored his gray, lifeless world with hope.

For the first time in years, he had wanted to live.

But life had been cruel.

His illness was incurable, and his days were numbered. In the end, he had to leave her. Leave Maya alone in that unforgiving world.

She had been too kind for that place. Too gentle.

He could only pray she had survived. That she hadn't been broken the way he had been.

At that moment, something stirred within Yuki's throat.

It was there, palpable and undeniable. A strange warmth spread through his neck and chest, as though a long-sealed gate had opened inside him.

He could feel it.

He had unlocked something.

Then, without fully understanding how, he spoke.

"Do... you... want a second chance?"

His voice echoed softly through the cave, deep and resonant, not like a human's. Beastly voice.

The young man, weak and on the brink of death, could not hide the shock that lit up his eyes.

He wasn't hallucinating. He wasn't dreaming. The guardian, the creature, the dragon, was truly speaking to him.

A second chance?

"Yes... I..." he coughed violently, blood trailing from the corner of his lips, "I want... a second chance. Give me power... If you can't, then just let me die."

His voice cracked under the strain, yet his eyes burned with desperate resolve.